Brainstorming about Audio

Here are the results from our brainstorming session about our usage of audio.

(And it goes without saying, but we should say it anyway: without communicating with the Lord in prayer, we won’t be able to share him online.  (Can’t give what you don’t got!))

Audio (General)

  • Examples of people doing audio well:
  • Question to ponder: What is my primary, target audience for audio production/sharing?
  • Can listen on a web page.  Handy for talks/music.
  • Can “podcast” or “netcast” the audio so that podcasting software downloads it automatically (e.g. iTunes).  Bit more like a radio show.
  • If it’s episodic in nature, consider podcasting.
  • For music, consider something like Soundcloud or iCompositions.

Production (recording/editing)

  • Check out podcastanswerman.com for more in-depth answers.
  • See Life is a Prayer for some good reviews.
  • Depending on what you’re going for, the iPhone’s recording app (or equivalent for any smartphone/tablet) might be good enough!
  • Software for editing/recording ranges from free to pricey.
  • Free:
    • Audacity (Windows/Mac)
    • Garageband (Mac)
  • Pay:
    • Logic Express (Mac; lower cost; fewer features)
    • Logic Pro/Studio (Mac; higher cost, tons of features and included sounds)
    • Pro Tools (Windows/Mac; industry standard)
    • Ableton Live (Windows/Mac)
  • Microphones
    • USB microphones, such as Samson C01U should be available for under $100
    • Headset USB mics made for gaming can sometimes work well.
    • For an iPhone/iPad: iRig makes mics designed for these.
    • Best quality: regular microphone and audio interface (likely also need a mic stand).
      • Shure SM58 – very popular mic.  Can eBay for under $100.
      • Shure SM7B – this is what I use.  Heavy, great for voice.  Also used by CBC Radio.  Approx. $350.
      • Electrovoice RE20 – used by major studios, including SiriusXM satellite radio.  Approx. $450.
      • Higher end mics can cost much more….
    • Audio interfaces:
      • M-Audio, PreSonus, Apogee, Motu, etc. etc.
      • Price generally goes up as features/quality increase.
      • Look online for reviews.
      • I use: PreSonus Firepod/FP10 at home (8 inputs). M-Audio FastTrack Pro on the road (2 inputs).
      • Can also investigate preamps, compressors, equalizers… the list is endless.  And so is the cost…!
  • Biggest investment: Time!

 

Sharing (storage/podcasting)

  • Check out podcastanswerman.com for more in-depth answers.
  •  Free services:
  • Paid:
    • Personal web hosting (usually $5-10/month)
      • Cheap-ish, but may have bandwidth limits
      • WordPress has some handy podcasting plugins (e.g. podpress, blubrry)
    • Podcasting services like Libsyn and blubrry.