JIMM 33 - Play That Funky Music

Mood: soooo tired
Listening to: The SG Show #28
Reading:Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince - chapter 16
Eating: LaRosa's pizza
Watching: Disney channel with Keisha, soon I think

Well, the latest podcast is now available. I used some different software to produce it and a different set of microphone and headphones.

With that in mind, and after having listened to it, I feel the need to offer an explanation about what happened as I was recording it:

I had set the configuration of Pod Producer, the software I used to record the podcast, in such a way that the volume was really loud upon playback. I knew that wouldn't go over well.

Also, as I mentioned on the podcast, I recorded the whole thing simultaneously in Audacity, the software I'd been using to record and mix the podcasts prior to this episode.

The version from Audacity sounded better, but it was still a little bit loud. I adjusted the Gain on the file to make it sound softer and then mixed it into a different mp3 file.

I preferred using Pod Producer because I could put show notes into the ID3 tag, as well as a customized album art picture of myself. So I discarded the original mp3 from Pod Producer and opted to play the mp3 that Audacity generated in Pod Producer; basically, it was a one-track show. I'd also reset the configuration to what Ed Ovett from Ed's Mixed Bag recommended.

I think the version that is available sounds so soft is because I didn't look at the mixed sound file from Audacity before bringing it into Pod Producer.

In order to listen to this podcast enjoyably, you'll probably need to turn the volume on your mp3 player and computer up higher than you would normally do. Another option, if you're so technically inclined, is to bring the file into your mp3 editor, such as Audacity, and apply a higher amplification to it - so that it sounds louder overall.

Furthermore, in order to be able to play sound clips and record my voice, I had to switch back and forth from Stereo Mix to Microphone, using Windows Volume Control in the system tray. That meant that there's not much cross-fading going on, and that i couldn't do voiceovers for the music.

In addition, there were some brief moments where, when recording using the Stereo Mix control, the windows event sounds and sounds at a website were picked up. The most noticeable instance of this occurs during the second clip from Police on the Scene with a Crime Prevention Lean. I'd begun instant messaging someone, and the sounds from that session were picked up by Pod Producer.

Nevertheless, I am very pleased with the amount of work it took to produce this episode, and I think I can only get better. I'm very much interested in your feedback, good or bad.

Thanks for listening!