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The purpose of this page is to provide you with a guide to producing your
own 'webcasts' or 'podcasts', using simple, reasonably inexpensive
recording gear. However, please do contact us to discuss your idea before
you acquire any equipment or embark on any recordings!
Don't worry too much about overly-elaborate editing! Basically, if you get
the basic recorded material, we'll edit it! However, if you would like to do
some editing yourself, that's fine (makes life easier for us, and maybe gives
you more 'control'!). Some advice on appropriate gear and techniques is
given below.
THE EQUIPMENT:
own 'webcasts' or 'podcasts', using simple, reasonably inexpensive
recording gear. However, please do contact us to discuss your idea before
you acquire any equipment or embark on any recordings!
Don't worry too much about overly-elaborate editing! Basically, if you get
the basic recorded material, we'll edit it! However, if you would like to do
some editing yourself, that's fine (makes life easier for us, and maybe gives
you more 'control'!). Some advice on appropriate gear and techniques is
given below.
THE EQUIPMENT:
A high-quality stereo
mic, well-suited for
'location' recording
mic, well-suited for
'location' recording
A Minidisc player/recorder is far and away the best choice for a basic recording
device. Minidisc devices use a combined optical/magnetic technology to record in
near-CD quality on small disks encased in a plastic shell that resemble a 3.5" floppy
disc, but are much smaller. Each disc records up to 70 minutes, but this can be
increased to 280 minutes if the device is set to record at quarter speed. However, we
do not recommend using less than half speed, as there is a corresponding loss in
quality.
Minidisc devices also have the advantage of making the
editing of recordings pretty easy. By simply creating a
'track mark' either end of a 'bad bit' - an irritating "ummm",
'errr", 'awkward silence' or totally screwed up sentence or
paragraph for example - the track then created may simply
be deleted!
Many minidisc devices also enable recordings to be transferred to a PC digitally
through a special optical cable, which gives the advantage of retaining track marks,
etc, but this isn't really necessary.
They are available from any consumer electronics store, and have become ever
cheaper due to the 'competition' from MP3 devices.
MP3 devices: Compact and smart, but the 'built-in' mics are generally crap, few have
sockets for external mics and they have limited - if any - editing possibilities. Generally,
not recommended!
Microphones: Care needs to be taken in choosing a microphone; a poor quality mic
will just produce a lousy recording, no matter how good the equipment it's attached to.
There are mics that perform well enough when standing on a desktop or a microphone
stand, but have an annoying tendency to produce an ugly scraping, scrunching noise
when handled. There are, of course, mono mics and stereo mics. There are mics that
have their own power supply (a small battery) and mics that don't.
Basically, there are two things to look for in a mic: Decent
quality sound, obviously, and a decent sound level; that is,
that you don't have to crank the volume level of your
recording device right up just to get a good playback volume
(the recording level meter on your recording device should
flutter nicely up the scale, but not ram away at the top, as
this will produce distortion). Generally, the 'battery powered'
mics give a better recording level, but this is not an absolute
- the el cheapo, mono mic you see pictured right gives a surprisingly good
all-round performance despite being both cheap and 'non-powered'!
However, while this mic is OK for the 'desktop', it is clearly not exactly suited
to 'out-and-about' recording. For this, the robust, battery-powered, high quality (but
rather expensive!) stereo mic you see pictured is well-suited.
if you happen to have broadband (DSL) internet access, the best option for doing this
is by using Skype software, and recording the interview directly to your computer or to
a minidisc device attached to it. Skype is a piece of VOIP
(Voice Over Internet Protocol) software that enables you to
conduct telephone conversations over the internet for an
incredibly low cost (when you connect with an actual
telephone), or for free (when you call Skype-to Skype; that is,
computer-to-computer directly to another user who has also
downloaded and installed Skype). The best thing is that it's
completely free...and 'downloadable' over the internet!
You MUST have broadband internet, however, and of course, you will need a piece of
recording software. Loads of free stuff is available now...try Audacity at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net
If you don't have broadband access, then try the stunning patent Vox
Pop technological miracle pictured right (all rights reserved!). Take
a telephone, fashion a short tube that matches the diameter of a
suitable mic from cardboard and bind this to the 'ear end' of the
handset using electrical insulating tape. Shove the microphone into
the tube. Place a suitable weight on the little 'flipper' switch on the
cradle that the 'ear end' of the handset normally rests on and plug
into the same phone socket (use a two-way adapter if you have to)
as another phone. Plug in mic, set up recording gear and using the
other phone, call the interviewee. Once you've got the connection, lift
the weight from the cradle of the other phone and start your recording!
Primitive, but it works! There are some complications, however, such as using a
second mic to ensure that your voice as the interviewer doesn't sound like it has also
come down the phone, and matching the sound levels (yours with the interviewee's).
So do contact us before trying it out; we'll be happy to advise you.
For Skype interviews, you can also use those headset thingies (combined mic and
headphones).However, because the mic is positioned so close to the mouth, they do
tend to produce a harsh distortion to plosive sounds (sounds like 'P' and 'B', formed by
closing the lips, then releasing the sound sharply), so we recommend that you use
them only for conducting the actual 'phone' conversation with the interviewee. A
two-way adapter connected to the 'speaker' socket of your sound card will enable you
to connect both the recording lead to your recording device and the 'speaker' jack for
your headset. A similar adapter will enable you to connect a separate mic to your
recording device for recording your own voice - but be careful to match the sound
levels!
If you are uneasy about recording your own interviews via phone or Skype, don't
worry...we'll happily do them for you.
'Out-and-about' recording with a hand held mic: As I noted earlier, mics can
produce an ugly scraping noise when handled, no matter how firmly they are gripped,
which can make a recording unusable.
By and large, it is the mics that provide a weaker recording level that
tend to present this problem, rather than the more 'lusty' (usually,
though not always, powered up by a small battery) variety. However,
we recommend that whatever mic you use, you avoid this problem by
either taping a piece of plastic foam around the mic or, better still,
slipping it into a short piece of foam pipe insulation material (can be found in any D.I.Y.
store) as pictured left. Cut a small slot near the bottom of the foam tube and thread
the cable through it. This grips the cable firmly, which further helps to minimise the
risk of 'microphone scrape'.
......................................................................................................
Well, that's it! If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
I wish you all the best with your project (again, please get in touch before
embarking on it!), and we look forward very much to hearing from you.
Vox Populi Reseacher
device. Minidisc devices use a combined optical/magnetic technology to record in
near-CD quality on small disks encased in a plastic shell that resemble a 3.5" floppy
disc, but are much smaller. Each disc records up to 70 minutes, but this can be
increased to 280 minutes if the device is set to record at quarter speed. However, we
do not recommend using less than half speed, as there is a corresponding loss in
quality.
Minidisc devices also have the advantage of making the
editing of recordings pretty easy. By simply creating a
'track mark' either end of a 'bad bit' - an irritating "ummm",
'errr", 'awkward silence' or totally screwed up sentence or
paragraph for example - the track then created may simply
be deleted!
Many minidisc devices also enable recordings to be transferred to a PC digitally
through a special optical cable, which gives the advantage of retaining track marks,
etc, but this isn't really necessary.
They are available from any consumer electronics store, and have become ever
cheaper due to the 'competition' from MP3 devices.
MP3 devices: Compact and smart, but the 'built-in' mics are generally crap, few have
sockets for external mics and they have limited - if any - editing possibilities. Generally,
not recommended!
Microphones: Care needs to be taken in choosing a microphone; a poor quality mic
will just produce a lousy recording, no matter how good the equipment it's attached to.
There are mics that perform well enough when standing on a desktop or a microphone
stand, but have an annoying tendency to produce an ugly scraping, scrunching noise
when handled. There are, of course, mono mics and stereo mics. There are mics that
have their own power supply (a small battery) and mics that don't.
Basically, there are two things to look for in a mic: Decent
quality sound, obviously, and a decent sound level; that is,
that you don't have to crank the volume level of your
recording device right up just to get a good playback volume
(the recording level meter on your recording device should
flutter nicely up the scale, but not ram away at the top, as
this will produce distortion). Generally, the 'battery powered'
mics give a better recording level, but this is not an absolute
- the el cheapo, mono mic you see pictured right gives a surprisingly good
all-round performance despite being both cheap and 'non-powered'!
However, while this mic is OK for the 'desktop', it is clearly not exactly suited
to 'out-and-about' recording. For this, the robust, battery-powered, high quality (but
rather expensive!) stereo mic you see pictured is well-suited.
if you happen to have broadband (DSL) internet access, the best option for doing this
is by using Skype software, and recording the interview directly to your computer or to
a minidisc device attached to it. Skype is a piece of VOIP
(Voice Over Internet Protocol) software that enables you to
conduct telephone conversations over the internet for an
incredibly low cost (when you connect with an actual
telephone), or for free (when you call Skype-to Skype; that is,
computer-to-computer directly to another user who has also
downloaded and installed Skype). The best thing is that it's
completely free...and 'downloadable' over the internet!
You MUST have broadband internet, however, and of course, you will need a piece of
recording software. Loads of free stuff is available now...try Audacity at
http://audacity.sourceforge.net
If you don't have broadband access, then try the stunning patent Vox
Pop technological miracle pictured right (all rights reserved!). Take
a telephone, fashion a short tube that matches the diameter of a
suitable mic from cardboard and bind this to the 'ear end' of the
handset using electrical insulating tape. Shove the microphone into
the tube. Place a suitable weight on the little 'flipper' switch on the
cradle that the 'ear end' of the handset normally rests on and plug
into the same phone socket (use a two-way adapter if you have to)
as another phone. Plug in mic, set up recording gear and using the
other phone, call the interviewee. Once you've got the connection, lift
the weight from the cradle of the other phone and start your recording!
Primitive, but it works! There are some complications, however, such as using a
second mic to ensure that your voice as the interviewer doesn't sound like it has also
come down the phone, and matching the sound levels (yours with the interviewee's).
So do contact us before trying it out; we'll be happy to advise you.
For Skype interviews, you can also use those headset thingies (combined mic and
headphones).However, because the mic is positioned so close to the mouth, they do
tend to produce a harsh distortion to plosive sounds (sounds like 'P' and 'B', formed by
closing the lips, then releasing the sound sharply), so we recommend that you use
them only for conducting the actual 'phone' conversation with the interviewee. A
two-way adapter connected to the 'speaker' socket of your sound card will enable you
to connect both the recording lead to your recording device and the 'speaker' jack for
your headset. A similar adapter will enable you to connect a separate mic to your
recording device for recording your own voice - but be careful to match the sound
levels!
If you are uneasy about recording your own interviews via phone or Skype, don't
worry...we'll happily do them for you.
'Out-and-about' recording with a hand held mic: As I noted earlier, mics can
produce an ugly scraping noise when handled, no matter how firmly they are gripped,
which can make a recording unusable.
By and large, it is the mics that provide a weaker recording level that
tend to present this problem, rather than the more 'lusty' (usually,
though not always, powered up by a small battery) variety. However,
we recommend that whatever mic you use, you avoid this problem by
either taping a piece of plastic foam around the mic or, better still,
slipping it into a short piece of foam pipe insulation material (can be found in any D.I.Y.
store) as pictured left. Cut a small slot near the bottom of the foam tube and thread
the cable through it. This grips the cable firmly, which further helps to minimise the
risk of 'microphone scrape'.
......................................................................................................
Well, that's it! If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact
us.
I wish you all the best with your project (again, please get in touch before
embarking on it!), and we look forward very much to hearing from you.
Vox Populi Reseacher
How To...
...produce your own webcasts.
Minidisc device and minidisc
A cheap but surprisingly
good mono mic
good mono mic
Recording an interview via Skype
Vox Pop's Patent Telephonic
Communications Recording
Device!
Communications Recording
Device!
 |
However, I should say at this point that we are not at all
bothered about stereo; it's nice to have recordings in
stereo but it really isn't that important to us! Just use
whatever mic you find that performs well and is as
inexpensive as possible...which means it will probably
be mono. However, if you do buy a mono mic, make
sure it has a stereo plug (most do these days), as most
devices you are likely to plug them into have stereo
'input' or 'mic' sockets. Also, do get a mic that comes
with its own little stand (for some reason they are
generally better quality!), and avoid kareoki mics...their
performance level generally matches that of their users!
Finally, I recommend that you buy your mic(s) from a
store that has a policy of allowing you to return
anything you buy if you are just not happy with it, rather
than only if it is defective. That way you can be sure of
getting a good mic without putting out a fortune.
PC or laptop: Not essential, but useful, particularly for
converting recordings to MP3 format, and for
conducting interviews via the internet using Skype (see
below). They can also be used as a recording device in
themselves, of course, for which you will require some
recording software (see below)
Recording tips:
Interviews:
Conducting interviews by phone is clearly an attractive
option...think of all the trouble and expense of travelling
to God-knows-where to interview someone!
bothered about stereo; it's nice to have recordings in
stereo but it really isn't that important to us! Just use
whatever mic you find that performs well and is as
inexpensive as possible...which means it will probably
be mono. However, if you do buy a mono mic, make
sure it has a stereo plug (most do these days), as most
devices you are likely to plug them into have stereo
'input' or 'mic' sockets. Also, do get a mic that comes
with its own little stand (for some reason they are
generally better quality!), and avoid kareoki mics...their
performance level generally matches that of their users!
Finally, I recommend that you buy your mic(s) from a
store that has a policy of allowing you to return
anything you buy if you are just not happy with it, rather
than only if it is defective. That way you can be sure of
getting a good mic without putting out a fortune.
PC or laptop: Not essential, but useful, particularly for
converting recordings to MP3 format, and for
conducting interviews via the internet using Skype (see
below). They can also be used as a recording device in
themselves, of course, for which you will require some
recording software (see below)
Recording tips:
Interviews:
Conducting interviews by phone is clearly an attractive
option...think of all the trouble and expense of travelling
to God-knows-where to interview someone!
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