Be sure to check out the NewMediaGear YouTube Channel!

When I first attended NAB as a ‘Podcaster’ in 2006, most of the show was spent explaining the word to traditional broadcasters in the radio hall. Broadcast News legends, such as Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather were among the many speakers that year.

A lot can change in 4 years. The trademarked NAB Show slogan for 2010 is “Where Content Comes To Life“, with the word Content highlighted in blue. I remember the apprehension on the faces of many broadcasters that year, but also remember a surge in interest – curiosity.

Here we are in 2010 …and a lot has changed. First; podcasting. I changed the name of our site several years ago from PodSqod (terrible name) to NewMediaGear. I think that was a good move. Podcasting never “faded”, but rather served as the launchpad for a media revolution that had started long before. The hobbyist podcaster hasn’t gone away, but simply taken their mic and mixer to work. The entrepreneurs (including traditional media moguls) of the world found just how easily and cost effectively they could advertise using dozens of different “rich” mediums using audio and video, not to mention social and viral means. Just think of the overhead involved in traditional television broadcasting. Huge, city-centric buildings and infrastructure, large payrolls and amazingly complex data centers feeding transmitter sites and towers. How many of us still use rabbit ears or television antennas with rotators to capture those signals? Meanwhile, Hotspots are everywhere. This entire nation is being inundated with rooftop cell transceivers. It is no longer a one-way path. Users are interacting with media, not just consuming it. No longer will we, as listeners and creators, work our schedules around a network time slot to view programming. DVR it. Watch it on your phone (while your eyes are still young!)

When I was a kid, there was media (print/radio/television) and that was it. Cable! Cable brought, and continues to bring us more information than we (or our DVR’s) could ever engage. Our phones now double, not only as media receptors, but mini HotSpots when we’re in the few areas that aren’t served by one. No HotSpot – just take one out of your pocket.

What does it all mean? If I knew the answer, I’d be typing this from a yacht instead of my office. And yes, even with a yacht, I’d still be on a laptop!

The only certainty is that we can never go back. I don’t gamble, but would say with certainty that the days of 3 networks and an independent are gone for good. The consumer, not the provider, decides what and when they consume. Content is the future, and there’s plenty of it – both good and bad. How we get it is still up for grabs and the choices are growing every day.

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The amazingly portable LITTLE electret mic that can slip in your shirt pocket!

I’ve been calling (and bugging) people on Skype all week with this gem. We have a very cool interview coming up in the next few days with a radio/voiceover legend. I thought; why not do the interview on Skype using the GoMic?

Coming very soon…

Samson GoMic Street Price at Post Time: $59 USD

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Drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
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Best,
Mark Jensen & Laura

Be sure to check out the NewMediaGear YouTube Channel!

Have you ever heard a sound and knew you liked it …without knowing why? Not so much a song or artist, but a style.

For me, that happened long ago. At the beginning of my on-air career, I worked at an AM/FM combo. We were a medium market, but our signal easily penetrated a large market (Toronto). The cool guys and gals at the station worked album rock on FM. Let’s just say that I worked the AM side. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

We monitored the station in real time. There was no talk show delay (mainly because there were no talk shows. we were all music, all the time except for CBS News at the top hour). There wasn’t a computer in site. ITC 3D cart players to the left and right. A Gates console, read-board and clock to the front. We monitored audio with Electro-Voice monitors and headphones when the mic was latched on. The on-air talent heard the same signal everyone else did. That meant mono, lo-fi along with lightning crashes and other static. Of course, we logged transmitter and antenna specs every hour by hand. If we heard static on the monitors, it was our job to remotely reset the transmitter. After all, everyone had a restricted broadcast permit ; )

Our format was “contemporary hit radio” or CHR. When I was hired, we were in the middle of a compression war with a competing station. My music director wanted a sound “louder” than anyone else on the AM dial, and he may have succeeded, at least in our market. As you could imagine, the music (compared to todays standards) didn’t sound all that great, but we had plenty of listeners.

I remember putting on the phones and switching the huge Gates mic channel on with a big thunk and succession of relay pops. Even I sounded good! It was magic. That super-compressed, low-bandwidth audio sounded great. As I started podcasting and netcasting, I kept searching for that sound. Well, maybe not that exact sound. Add some dynamic range, drop the lightning crashes and give me bit more high-end in the frequency department. Otherwise – I still like to push the processor a little harder than most. If you’re a classical music buff, you are probably cringing right now. Sorry.

So that’s it. At a pivotal point in my life, I was exposed to compression and leveling to make an AM signal sound as it was never intended. Today, I appreciate what the audiophile crowd hears, both the ‘transparent’ and ‘psycho-acoustic’ crowd. The change in sound design that created Home Theater (or was it the other way around) with dramatic dynamics and exaggerated bass. My best friends are severe audiophiles, and the conversations between us are always a blast.

Many people search for sonic accuracy. What goes into a mic or amp is exactly what should be heard. That’s impossible (with the exception of test tones), but the pursuit isn’t. Just as artists experiment with instruments, I experiment with processing. When a customer requests a voice-over ‘dry’ – I can deliver. I can also make the spot sound like it’s for a tractor-pull convention or anywhere in between. These days, my personal taste is somewhere in the middle – as exposure to both extremes has conditioned me.

My breed is definitely outnumbered – big time. As a voice talent, I do just as instructed.

However, when given free reign on the show, I do like to punch it a little. Old habits.

Follow Studio1A on Twitter!

…or, drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Best,
MarkJensen

Be sure to check out the NewMediaGear YouTube Channel!

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It’s that special time of the year again. Laura and I really enjoy the Holiday Season even though there will be no snow to shovel …no ice to scrape off the windshields.

In the States, we just had a great time with Family and Friends celebrating Thanksgiving. Those brave enough, are taking part in ‘Black Friday’ sales at the stores.

BUT… where is the NewMediaGear Annual Holiday Special? Closer than you may think. We are busily working on delivering a peek at the best Holiday gadgetry. As always, the Holiday show is sponsored by our friends at BSW and made possible by many participating companies.

Back to the eggnog and tree trimming (I mean show prep). Laura, of course, will join me for the Holiday Show, in traditional Studio1A audio-only form.

Here at Studio1A, we look forward to having you join us for a festive season and a great launch to 2010.

Talk soon!

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Drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

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This week has been a scramble to move and update gear as we make Studio1A more ‘video friendly’. Through many iterations of planning over the years, video wasn’t in the picture. Sure, we had promo shots taken, but frankly we were never designed as an in-house working video studio.

As time rolls on, I was swayed by the companies steering committee to ‘go video’. We tried and then stopped about a year ago. Just months ago, I revived our YouTube Channel and it sprang to life. The real momentum I noticed via YouTube was the audience feedback – both via email and comments. As an old broadcaster, habits are hard to break. Instead of just talking to the audience, listeners and viewers alike now talk back. The comments and suggestions I receive are not only encouraging, but help direct our future. Who better than your own listeners to tell you what they like and don’t?

For those of us that have watched New Media evolve from the start, the Social Media and Citizen Journalism aspect is old News. However, the masses are just catching on. The media revolution is happening right in front of us.

For me, it is challenging and equally rewarding. Pardon the dust …again. We are re-shaping Studio1A. The core is unchanged as we produce a mix of audio-only, video and sometimes even an editorial (especially as I tone out and re-label cables on racks of gear) now and then.

Hang in there. Much more audio and video is coming your way.

Drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Was it just by chance, or was the PR-40 destined to become possibly the most revered microphone of Podcasting? Bob Heil, (with input from Joe Walsh) designed the PR-40 as the ultimate on-air broadcast microphone.

Long, long ago (mid-2005), Podcasting appeared to jump from obscurity to mainstream overnight. There is much debate about when Podcasting was born or who actually fathered the name and technology. That is a debate I’ll leave to others.

For Studio1A, Podcasting became a phenomenon when Apple* first recognized Podcasting as a category in iTunes*. I think it was version 4.9.

Podcasters were, and continue to be a close knit group of people. At the first Podcast Expo, most people knew each other and their show. Monetizing a Podcast didn’t seem to be nearly as important as getting behind a microphone and getting your message out to the world. It was an exciting time and I’ll never forget that camaraderie. Early Podcasts were created mostly by highly technical people. Many of these early explorers were text bloggers or otherwise steeped in the technology of the internet. However, there was a problem.

Many of the very early shows suffered from poor audio. You name it – everything from low audio, distortion, low quality, over-editing …and the list goes on. I remember turning the volume up to hear a host and (quickly) turning it down to hear the co-host. PodSqod wasn’t immune to some of this as we found our footing creating a regular ‘show’. I’m a radio guy. Most of my reads were (and continue to be) dry. Putting together a Podcast was a new concept. There was show-prep, adding Laura to the mix and offering a start-to-finish audio program without News breaks, time checks, music intros or a Producer. It was the same and it was very different at the same time. Professional audio gear was getting infinitely cheaper, but still a pricey for the good stuff.

I still remember brainstorming with Laura about the theme of our show. I was ready to launch a Tech Newscast. Laura suggested I create an audio based show and PodSqod was born. How cool was it to actually let people hear what a microphone sounds like, instead of saying it sounds ‘dark’ or ‘light with a mid-range punch’. It still seems strange to describe sound …which is such a subjective preference.

It was right about this time that the Heil PR-40 started gaining critical ground. The word among Podcasters traveled quickly. The PR-40 was the mic to heard on.

The Podcasting landscape has changed. More accurately, technology continues to evolve. Podcasting is now utilized by most medium to large sized companies in some form. Call it Podcasting, New Media, Netcasting, RSS, Rich Media or On-Demand – the entire world of media has not been the same since Podcasting became famous.

Back to the Heil PR-40. Everywhere, we could hear and feel the buzz of this microphone as a few Podcasting celebrities became fond of that rich dynamic sound. The PR-40 is just one model of many in Bob Heils line of Professional mics. The PR-40 does, however, have one of the largest dynamic elements practical. A big pickup means big sound. The PR-40 is known for its silky smooth low end, the traditional Heil voice articulation ‘bump’ and a nice response curve that doesn’t sacrifice the high end.

The PR-40 is a front address model and it is important to stay on axis. The larger diameter element also adds to its directional, or on-axis characteristics. The huge element can add a lot of proximity effect if you’re a close-talker. I actually like the sound of the PR-40 about 6-8 inches out. That is when the mic seems to come alive and that voice articulation takes off.

Have you tried a PR-40? We’ll put a very special PR-40 ‘on-the-air’ for our next video cast along with an unlikely partner …and let you compare.

*iTunes is a registered trademark of Apple, Inc.

Heil PR-40 street price at post time – $325

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…or, drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Best,
MarkJensen

NEW DISCOUNT ON ROYALTY FREE MUSIC AND EFFECTS – THE LOWEST EVER!
EXCLUSIVELY FROM NEWMEDIAGEAR and NEWMEDIAIMAGING!

How times have changed. Picture large industrial, proprietary tape players with equally clunky and huge START buttons, tapes and huge blade-connection Molex plugs for cabling. That’s a cart machine. They needed to be cleaned, aligned and were notorious for wearing the rubber pinch rollers quicker than a set of retreads on an old Camaro.

Today – when we need to play small bits of sound effects, intros/outros or even a full show of music files, the options are much easier, but still not plentiful. Until someone pointed me to the Ambrosia (well known for their hugely popular WireTap program) site, I had no idea about Soundboard.

Soundboard is an amazingly clean, easy and well thought out cart emulator that lets you drag and drop sound files at will. Play them back with a mouse click. There are only a handful of PC options and fewer yet for the Mac. At a current price of $29, Soundboard (at least in my opinion) doesn’t have any competition.

Soundboard not only allows the standard drag and drop options (including custom colors for quick ID’ing of bits), but non-destructive editing of your sound files, including the addition of plug-ins and special effects. Just watch the Soundboard videos to get an idea of what this program will do. As well, the simple (and elegant) tabs allow you to switch out ‘themes’ of virtual carts with a single click. Every element of Soundboard has been implemented with a quick and easy workflow in mind.

The down side? I can’t run it on my PC; Mac only.

A Good cart emulator remains a valuable tool for the creation of true ‘radio’ work flows. This software alone could justify adding another Mac to your studio. That will sound extreme – unless you’ve ever had to service a real triple decker (or the 3D as we called them) cart machine!

A great tool for broadcasting at a bargain price. Check out Soundboard.

Follow Studio1A on Twitter!

…or, drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Best,
MarkJensen

Software.

Amongst a World of tangible hardware that populates our studio, we would be hard-pressed to find a working studio, broadcast or other, that doesn’t employ software to record, edit, manipulate or archive in some fashion. Even in the world of hardware, we are finding more software-defined and embedded code hidden behind traditional pots and meters.

While in studio, a good ole’ PC (or Mac) is hard to beat as a recorder and editor. With a robust display and capabilities that weren’t even thought of a decade ago, it’s easier than ever to turn that old desktop or laptop into a powerhouse audio recorder, editor or even composer.

My favorite recording and editing software is, admittedly, on the pricey side. Like many people, I have been using my favorites for years. Few people like change and my ‘go-to’ software just ‘fits’. I also use my editors and recorders on a daily basis, so it’s easier to justify their higher cost.

In todays economy, we have to stretch our budgets. I talk to a lot of people entering New Media that simply don’t have the budget to purchase expensive software, for business or personal use. There are a several alternatives.

A great deal is to get 2-for-1. By that, I mean to find a piece of (hardware) gear that you need anyway and be sure it comes with a working audio editor. I’m amazed at the number of products that ship with Cubase LE, which is an excellent multi-track editor. Bundles are becoming more popular all the time. I just received an amazing audio interface with all the software you would need for intense production.

If you already have the hardware and need a simple recorder, check out the legend in free, open-source, multi-platform recording and editing – Audacity. I’ve watched Audacity from the early days and I’m amazed at how far this project has come. Audacity offers many professional features along with an easy to navigate transport. If you find yourself using Audacity and it’s great feature set, they do accept donations through the link above.

As a long-time user of Acoustica products, their MixCraft multi-track recording studio is hard to beat. It is inexpensive, easy on your systems resources and always gets the job done. A true multi-track value at $64.95*.

A core 2-track recorder in Studio1A is Sony Sound Forge. The full-blown version will set you back a fair amount, but it’s worth every penny. If you want to tap into the power of Sound Forge on a budget, take a look at Sound Forge Audio Studio. This is a slightly trimmed down version of the full Sound Forge package. However, you still get that rock-solid Sound Forge performance and no-nonsense interface. At $54.95*, you get a lot of audio power.

As I looked around for the latest, there are many more options out there. I kept this list very short because these are the tools I’ve used, and frankly the ones that I like most …at least today.

As usual, this is an opinion driven editorial. I’d be interested to know what you use for casual recording and multi-track editing?

*Prices listed were at publish time. These are always subject to change.

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…or, drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Best,
MarkJensen

Are you building a studio from the ground up? Have you already built a studio – temporary or permanent?

If so, it is likely that you haven’t put a lot of thought into the acoustical treatment of that space. In the scheme of things, room acoustics simply aren’t glamorous like microphones, mixers and processors. However, if you are serious about your studio, acoustical treatment should be one of the first items on your list.

Acoustical treatment is critical to your sound in many ways. Taming and dampening unwanted reflections, refractions and other undesirable artifacts is the first step to having control of your recordings; whether you are mixing music or voicing a podcast.

Make no mistake, the art of acoustical design and engineering is far beyond this post. When designing the new Studio1A, I was mainly concerned about reflections. The building construction didn’t allow me to acoustically isolate the room into a large isolation booth. In other words, I just wanted a nice cozy and flat sound. If a helicopter landed on the roof while I was recording, you would still hear it loud and clear.

That’s an important point. Audio frequency isolation and dampening are two completely separate animals. Isolation is a much more involved process that completely removes the outside world (at least acoustically) from your environment. Think of isolation as that weird room you go into to have your hearing tested. That is usually an iso-booth and it is very effective at keeping outside sound from penetrating the “box”. Isolation booths are great, but they are extremely expensive and usually offer little comfort, not to mention space.

If you aren’t up to an iso-booth, a more practical solution are acoustical tiles. Tiles offer minimal isolation from outside sources, but are excellent at “flattening” a rooms acoustics. It’s best to stay away from the homemade solutions, such as stapling egg cartons or gluing foam packing material to your walls. Looks are one thing, but fire safety is paramount.

There are a number of manufacturers out there, but I have used Auralex for many years and decided to stick with what works.

A common misconception is that the entire wall surface needs to be covered in treatment. Computer aided design has maximized the effectiveness of the latest tile over the broadest of frequencies, so that even a small percentage of coverage can yield impressive results.

Studio1A is covered in the cleverly designed Auralex AudioTile product. The unique shapes of these tiles allow you to get very creative in your design. Plan ahead, and you will get great results. My tile floor was actually recommended my an Auralex engineer after I was convinced carpet would yield better results.

Check out the full spectrum of sound absorbing products from leading manufacturers. Plan ahead, ask questions and be sure the product works for YOUR space and requirements. Always follow the manufacturers directions for application and be sure you know whether it can be removed without leaving a mark.

AudioTile fit my needs. Talk to an expert to find out what will work for you. You will be amazed at the difference a bit of foam can make!

Drop me a line, any time with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

Best,
MarkJensen