How To Record Podcasts with Skype and Macintosh Computer(s)
To:
Mike O'Connor
Sex and Podcasting
Somewhere in Minnesota
Member of Podcast MN - The Sound of Minnesota
Thanks for that link to the Skype Assisted Podcast Recording Schematics. Excellent.
How I am doing it on a Macintosh system:
I run Skype on a 1.25 GH G4 PowerBook output to my TASCAM TM-D1000 (overkill) mixer with my local Audio Technica (AT) AT4033a/SM transformerless phantom powered XLR output studio mic in the other channel then output the mixer to the rear line input of a Dual 2.5 GHz PowerMac G5 (D25G5) recorder.
OR
Truth is, the D25G5 is so fast:
1. Run Skype out the front headset jack of D25G5 into the mixer and back into D25G5 at the rear line input to record with Roxio's CD Spin Doctor 2 (CDSD2), part of Roxio's Toast 6 Titanium for Mac, without any latency or missed data problems. I think any dual processor PowerMac can do this trick without skipping a beat.
2. Edit the voice tracks with Bias Peak Express 4 (PE4), part of Roxio Jam 6 for Mac.
3. Play the edit AND the music playing from iTunes out the D25G5 into the mixer and back in the rear of the same D25G5 to record the Final Mix in CDSD2 again.
4. Open that Final Master Mix recording with PE4 and export to mp3.
I wear a USB head boom mic for the remote Skype person to hear me while I am recording my voice through the mixer on the AT ribbon mic. I listen to us from the mixer's output with Sony MDR-CD1700 Digital Reference Headphones that enclose my ears - no headphone sound leakage to my mic. But I see what you mean about using the recording computer's headset jack to monitor the recording in progress. I haven't tried it that way yet. Just made sure my levels were correct b4 starting each session via the recording software CDSD2 and the mixer's level meters. I don't think I have tried playing the recording THROUGH while it's in progress yet. I think I'm afraid to try that so far. I'm afraid of feedback. I guess I will have to kill the speakers.
I'm still in early stages of understanding my recording and post recording options. So far I have been mixing us both into a stereo voice thing during the original recording - not discrete but leaning toward each channel. I hadn't thought of recording it again until I started adding a bed of music to the whole thing. So I guess I could follow the discreet recording way and do my conversational stereo blend after editing when I record with the musical bed. Bottom line is an external mixer is essential to decent Podcast sound.
I hear what you mean about bandwidth expense in your newest edition. Perhaps bandwidth will soon be all but free. We may be in a temporary bottleneck still at the beginning of this medium. Or a sponsor may provide all the bandwidth we need. Surely that would be cheaper than paying us to pay someone else.
Found another source of instruction on how to WRAP the podcast once it's done. Plus lots of technical help with mics and mixers etc.
Internet Audio Guy Mike Stewart explains pro audio on Paul Colligan's FREE LESSONS Podcasts. Paul's from Podcast Tools.com where he has free "video" lessons on how to WRAP Podcasts for free. I found his stuff very helpful. He's in Portland Oregon. Mike Stewart is in Atlanta. So far they haven't talked about using Skype. But their lessons were recorded in December-January. So they may have changed their ways by now too.
BTW Here's Joshua of ANT talking about Video Podcasting on a video non-podcast.
I could go on and on and on. The free resources on the web are amazing. Thanks for yours.
posted by FutureMedia @ 11:55 AM
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