Podholes #04: P.A.P. Smear – The Command Line
December 22nd, 2006 by 
Steve Eley
P.A.P. Smear #1: We critique episode 73 of The Command Line.
Does “Mister Line” survive the treatment? Listen and find out!
Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know!
Posted in Shows | 5 Comments »
December 22nd, 2006 at 1:09 pm
Guys,
Thanks for the terrific critique, very constructive. Some of the suggestions are things I have already discussed with my listeners, but you’ve given me more to chew over and some good, specific ideas on how to improve. I am already looking into simplifying the feeds and clearing up the ID3 tags, since these are relatively simple.
The show length was already the number one issue in my mind and I think I am pretty much convinced to split the show and put out at least two episodes a week. I had discussed this with my listeners once before but was left on the fence. I don’t know if I can really go down to daily, ten minute episodes, partly because of trying to make that sort of production and publishing schedule work with the other demands on my free time but also because of the desire to go a bit deeper than most other tech podcasters do. I firmly believe that depth is what has kept my core audience loyal.
That being said, tightening up the content production and delivery, even after splitting the show up, is an excellent suggestion and something towards which I will continue to strive.
Speaking specifically about the longest segment, the Inner Chapter in episode 73, I think the rambling and length was only part of the problem. The Inner Chapters series of segments are not meant to be simply tips, as Steve was left to guess. Failing to clearly state the intent of the segment in a structured intro for each new one is as much to blame and reminds me to continue to re-visit the new listener question as I did when crafting the main show intro.
The clear breaks between segments are very intentional and I was glad to hear that Michael found that they helped stave off the main enemy of the long winded solo caster. I am thankful you’ve identified some particulars I am doing well and given me encouragement to leverage that more consistently throughout the rest of the show and its segments.
I did, for a brief while, try to find a co-host, recognizing some of the challenges going it alone present. I was unsuccessful and have long since resigned myself to tackling the “drone” and “boredom” factors head on. I am heartened that you seem to think that on average, or better, I am succeeding. The very specific feedback also helps a great deal, I am hopeful about doing better and better–especially since my listenership more than doubled after the Cory Doctorow interview and review on Boing Boing.
Thanks!
Tom
aka Command Line
December 27th, 2006 at 2:24 pm
You mentioned levels during the last part of the podcast. You mentioned that Tom was averaging around -20 to -23, and you would want to see something a little higher. When you are recording voice, what is a good level to see?
I have problems when I do louder vocals when reading text (angry dialogue, for example). Mike you gave me some settings at one time for using the hard limiting feature in Audition. How does Normalization work, and how is it different than Limiting?
December 28th, 2006 at 10:42 am
Hard limiting in Audition will clip the peaks and increase the average volume level.
Normalizing will raise the wave to the specified level. (I.e. 100%) The average volume will be somewhere in between the lowest and the highest signal in the wave. If you have a loud click or short segment that is louder than the rest of the file, the normalize will not make the lesser volume that much louder. (Basically it just moves everything up.)
Hard limit will cut the peaks off of the louder segments of the wave and let the average volume come up, while clipping off the over-loud parts of the file. (Be careful here, you can over do it easily)
I have several of these set up, but until you are comfortable using it, I recommend that you select a short section and only increase by +2 and/or +4 to start out. Get used to hearing what clipping the hot points of your file will do before you select the whole file and do it globally.
Best advice, just play with it till it does what you want it to do.
December 29th, 2006 at 8:46 am
Hey Mike, I noticed that during the last epiode the MP3 tags for the episode were all Dragon Page and the Album art for Dragonpage, Slice, and Wingin’ it; was the Podholes album art.
I just got my new Creative Zen Vision:M for by me Something Month (My Pocket PC never displayed Album Art) and did not know that the cross over art was a good way to promote your other shows. Any way good Show, you and Steve are a riot to listen to, and learn from.
Blessed Be
C.A. Sizemore
http://www.CASizemore.com
December 31st, 2006 at 12:05 am
I’d like to submit my “What’s Happening In Tokyo” podcast for critique:
http://feeds.feedburner.com/WhatsHappeningInTokyo.
Kindest Regards,
Dan