![]() The advantage of an enhanced podcast is that the listener can easily navigate through parts of it. The enhanced version is the one delivered by iTunes when you subscribe to the podcast. The enhanced version includes chapter marks, graphics that identify chapters, and embedded URLs within each chapter that lead to stories or sites related to that chapter’s subject. We produce two versions of the podcast-an MP3 and enhanced AAC version. ![]() That provides enough material to fill most commutes yet doesn’t go on so long that listeners become bored with the subject or the people speaking. I try to keep the length of the podcast to under an hour-40 to 50 minutes is typical. Volume curves drawn in for ducking and fading a music track. A complete fade out-when I want to drop the music completely so the voice can take over-lasts a couple of seconds. I generally begin a fade within a second of where the voice enters or leaves. To do so, I click the automation arrow in the music track, make sure that Track Volume appears in the automation area, and click points where I want a fade to begin and end. I composed and recorded that theme in GarageBand-using prerecorded loops for the drum and bass parts and then playing the rhythm guitar, lead guitar, and synth parts (all played from a MIDI keyboard, as I don’t play guitar). Sandwiched between each vocal segment is one of five musical themes plucked from the main theme. Editing the podcastĮxcept when we record a Pundits Showdown episode, our podcast’s format is templated-opening music, host’s introduction, a news and commentary section, interview #1, advertisement, interview #2 (or the second half of long interview), and closing. Introduce music and the resulting file can sound odd. It works only with uncompressed files and performs at its best when only voices are present. This is a wonderful utility that attempts to balance the volume across the file-increasing the volume in quiet parts without raising the roof on louder bits. I choose AIFF rather than a compressed format such as MP3 or AAC because I not only want the cleanest version I can create, but also because I process these files after the fact with The Conversations Network’s free In the sheet that appears, I leave the Compress option unchecked in order to export the file in the AIFF format. Once I’ve finished mixing an interview, I choose Share -> Export Song to Disk. It’s a useful plug-in for sampling and removing these kinds of noises. If I’m faced with a track that has a fairly constant din in the background-such as an air conditioner or traffic noise-I apply BIAS’ $129 To remove these occasional noises I’ll either split the track and cut out the noise I don’t want to hear, or expose the automation controls and draw in a volume curve that makes the noise inaudible. As much as I can, I attempt to balance the volume of the various speakers and remove errant noises-cell phone interference, table taps, coughs, and other unwanted sounds. The compressor not only evens out the volume of the speaker, but gives me the option to pump up that track’s volume if I’ve tapped out the volume control in the track mixer. I then click on the Edit tab and enable the Compressor effect. To give voices a fuller tone, I select each track and, in GarageBand’s Browse tab, select the Podcasting entry and then the Male Radio or Female Radio preset, depending on the gender of the speaker. In that case, you have the option to export the project as an uncompressed file.) ![]() When you export a Podcast project, the files will be compressed. I choose a Voice project rather than a Podcast project because I prefer to export these edited interviews as uncompressed audio files. I create a GarageBand Voice project and drag the audio files into separate GarageBand tracks. ![]() This way I have to worry only about mixing those voices. I prefer to edit our interviews in a GarageBand project separate from the project I create to edit the full podcast. Having a redundant setup helps avoid these situations.) I then use the audio tools included with Call Recorder to split the captured stereo track into separate mono files-one with just my voice and the other with the voices of the other participants. (It’s very bad form to go back to a guest and ask for a redo. I use both tools so that should one fail, I have the other to provide the recording. To do that I use two separate tools-Ecamm Networks’ $20Īudio Hijack Pro. So for guests who aren’t Macworld employees I record the Skype stream and hope for the best. It’s a lot to ask of a non-staffer to go through the rigmarole of recording and uploading their parts.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |