http://www.podholes.com PODHOLES is the podcast-about-podcasting (PAP) with real advice and real attitude Sat, 28 Jun 2008 09:21:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en ©FarPoint Media feedback@podholes.com (FarPoint Media) feedback@podholes.com(FarPoint Media) 1440 podcasting, recording, how-to PODHOLES is the podcast-about-podcasting (PAP) with real advice and real attitude FarPoint Media FarPoint Media feedback@podholes.com No yes http://www.podholes.com/images/Podholes-144px.jpg http://www.podholes.com 144 144 http://www.podholes.com/2007/08/02/podholes-22/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/08/02/podholes-22/#comments Thu, 02 Aug 2007 07:01:13 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/08/02/podholes-22-live-from-balticon/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/08/02/podholes-22/feed/ 50:41 Yes, everyone. We're alive. We didn't podfade on purpose; we've just been slammed with a number of other projects, and it took a ... Yes, everyone. We're alive. We didn't podfade on purpose; we've just been slammed with a number of other projects, and it took a while for things to return to pseudo-normality for both of us. We have new episodes in the can already to post over the next week or two. Meanwhile, here's an episode we recorded back in May, at Balticon 2007. Thanks to Paul Fischer for helping us get the audio for this. VOICEMAIL LINE! From this point on, we're planning to focus the show less on reading e-mail and more on voicemail messages. We think it's more fun this way. If you have a question you'd like us to cover, give us a call at 206-984-4203. (Bonus points to anyone who can make that spell something funny.) Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/28/podholes-21/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/28/podholes-21/#comments Mon, 28 May 2007 07:01:34 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/28/podholes-21-pap-smear-myth-show/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/28/podholes-21/feed/ 18:45 P.A.P. Smear #9: We critique Episode 6 of The Myth Show. Does this journey into academia yield rewards for our heroes? Have any questions or ... P.A.P. Smear #9: We critique Episode 6 of The Myth Show. Does this journey into academia yield rewards for our heroes? Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/21/podholes-20/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/21/podholes-20/#comments Tue, 22 May 2007 03:00:14 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/21/podholes-20-8-track-balls/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/21/podholes-20/feed/ 34:43 Very sorry for the late posting on this one, folks. We actually recorded it on time, but Steve screwed up on getting it posted. Steve ... Very sorry for the late posting on this one, folks. We actually recorded it on time, but Steve screwed up on getting it posted. Steve splurges on the Shure Beta 58 instead of the SM58. Conclusion: It is a sexy beast. Proximity Effect: usually not your friend. Don't get too close. How do you plug a lapel mic into the Zoom H4? You need this adapter or this one. Question from Tim Sullivan: "What are your rigs?" (Heh, heh. Guess what we spend the rest of our time talking about?) Question from William Morton: "Should I record in wave format or MP3 format?" Aside: How long should one keep the wave files and project files around? Question from Jonathan Walz: "Monitor on headphones from the mixer or the computer?" P.A.P. Smear #9: We'll be critiquing Episode 6 of The Myth Show. Listen to the episode, then hear us talk about it next week... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/04/podholes-19/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/04/podholes-19/#comments Fri, 04 May 2007 07:01:05 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/04/podholes-19-pap-smear-off-topic-talk/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/05/04/podholes-19/feed/ 27:06 P.A.P. Smear #8: We critique Episode 14 of Off Topic Talk. Does he live up to his promise, or does he stay on topic? ... P.A.P. Smear #8: We critique Episode 14 of Off Topic Talk. Does he live up to his promise, or does he stay on topic? Even more unlikely, do we stay on topic? Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/04/27/podholes-18/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/04/27/podholes-18/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 07:01:40 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/04/27/podholes-18-zoom-zoom/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/04/27/podholes-18/feed/ 32:25 We live! No apologies, just fresh podholery. Steve's tip: if you miss episodes, just go on. We devote most the episode to discussing the Zoom H4 ... We live! No apologies, just fresh podholery. Steve's tip: if you miss episodes, just go on. We devote most the episode to discussing the Zoom H4 -- recording samples, reviews, tips and tricks. Okay, we talk a little about the Zoom H2 as well. Question from Nobilis: "How much dynamic range is appropriate for a spoken word podcast?" P.A.P. Smear #8: We'll be critiquing Episode 14 of Off-Topic Talk. Listen to the episode, then hear us talk about it next week... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/30/podholes-17/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/30/podholes-17/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2007 07:01:24 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/30/podholes-17-pap-smear-adventures-in-sci-fi-publishing/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/30/podholes-17/feed/ 17:48 P.A.P. Smear #7: We critique Episode 9 of Adventures in SciFi Publishing. Interviews with science fiction authors and publishers -- if only we knew ... P.A.P. Smear #7: We critique Episode 9 of Adventures in SciFi Publishing. Interviews with science fiction authors and publishers -- if only we knew something about that... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/23/podholes-16/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/23/podholes-16/#comments Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:01:01 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/23/podholes-16-the-show-must-go-on/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/23/podholes-16/feed/ 35:03 Steve's sick this time. Will that stop him? No. Will it make him sound like crap? Yes. Steve's recording on his new ... Steve's sick this time. Will that stop him? No. Will it make him sound like crap? Yes. Steve's recording on his new toy: the Zoom H4 portable recorder. Question from Paul Haring: "What's the best way to mix in bed music? Live or during post?" Question from Jill Arroway: "How do you clean up voicemail messages?" (Especially from K7.net.) Question from P.G. Holyfield: "Which room should I choose for the best acoustics during recording?" Question from Andy Bilodeau: "What effects do you use in your audio software?" Question from Bill from MN: "How do you organize your folders?" P.A.P. Smear #7: We'll be critiquing Episode 9 of Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing. Listen to the episode, then hear us talk about it next week... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/16/podholes-15/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/16/podholes-15/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2007 07:01:26 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/16/podholes-15-pap-smear-submission-and-coffee-with-dollie-llama/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/16/podholes-15/feed/ 25:26 P.A.P. Smear #6: We critique the February 3, 2007 episode of Submission and Coffee With Dollie Llama. It's the audio journal of a BDSM relationship. ... P.A.P. Smear #6: We critique the February 3, 2007 episode of Submission and Coffee With Dollie Llama. It's the audio journal of a BDSM relationship. Obviously this is not a P.A.P. Smear for the kids. (As if any of them ever were.) Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/09/podholes-14/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/09/podholes-14/#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2007 07:01:17 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/09/podholes-14-the-hosts-with-the-mosts/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/09/podholes-14/feed/ 38:36 Mike's back! Steve still manages to talk occasionally. The first two topics killed half an hour, so we run long to cover more ... Mike's back! Steve still manages to talk occasionally. The first two topics killed half an hour, so we run long to cover more questions. Talk into the correct end of the microphone. Mike corrects Steve's mixer advice from the last episode: Using aux sends for compression doesn't always work You can use buses if your mixer is an expensive one like Mike's The Alesis USB mixer is a problem for wiring in compressors Tape outs can work better than main outs because they're at different voltages Mike: PC sound cards can work fine -- if they're the expensive ones. Question from Andy (Club of Heads): "What's the best place to host podcasts?" Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/02/podholes-13/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/02/podholes-13/#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2007 07:01:17 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/02/podholes-13-my-mixer-myself/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/03/02/podholes-13/feed/ 43:30 Mike couldn't make it this week, so Steve's stuck all by his lonesome. He gets his revenge by bringing you, in Mike's absence... ... Mike couldn't make it this week, so Steve's stuck all by his lonesome. He gets his revenge by bringing you, in Mike's absence... (drum roll) THE MIXER EPISODE. It runs a bit long, but Steve covers all the basics of mixers for podcasters: setting levels, hooking up compressors and other devices, and which features (EQ, USB, Firewire, etc.) are generally useful and which ones aren't. (Question for the audience: Would an enhanced version of this episode with pictures be useful to anyone? Or is the monologue self-explanatory enough that illustrations wouldn't add anything? I'm willing to put in the work, but only if it would truly be helpful.) Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/23/podholes-12/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/23/podholes-12/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 07:01:02 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/23/podholes-12-pap-smear-podculture/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/23/podholes-12/feed/ 29:14 P.A.P. Smear #5: We critique Episode 34 of PodCulture. Two guys, one girl, and an entire planet of geek TV, video games, and food. ... P.A.P. Smear #5: We critique Episode 34 of PodCulture. Two guys, one girl, and an entire planet of geek TV, video games, and food. Great formula -- how do Mike and Steve think they did? Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/16/podholes-11/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/16/podholes-11/#comments Fri, 16 Feb 2007 07:01:00 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/16/podholes-11-uniquely-different/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/16/podholes-11/feed/ 32:00 This is not the mixer episode. REPEAT: THIS IS NOT THE MIXER EPISODE. No, seriously. This is not the mixer episode! Mike: "Think of it ... This is not the mixer episode. REPEAT: THIS IS NOT THE MIXER EPISODE. No, seriously. This is not the mixer episode! Mike: "Think of it as water. Think of it as hooking up a bunch of hoses." Steve's Rant: When do you not need a mixer? When's a USB mic or USB headset the right answer? Steve: When you get a mixer, things get more complicated. Mike: Approach podcasting as any other hobby. There are going to be costs. Mike: Podcast Station is radio-style recording and editing for your podcast. Check it out! Question from Tee Morris (The Survival Guide to Writing Fantasy): What is latency, and are all USB mics uniformly bad about latency? Steve doesn't monitor himself with headphones when he's recording. Mike thinks this is insane. Question from Shaun Farrell (Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing): Any tips for using the Levelator? Will it always raise the level of the background noise? (Steve is using the Levelator on Podholes now, so listen and decide for yourself how it sounds.) Mike's now lusting after the Mackie MCU Pro. (Not that anyone can afford it, even him.) P.A.P. Smear #5: We'll be critiquing Episode 34 of PodCulture. Listen to the episode, then hear us talk about it next week... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/09/podholes-10/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/09/podholes-10/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2007 07:01:04 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/09/podholes-10-pap-smear-directors-notes/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/09/podholes-10/feed/ 21:02 P.A.P. Smear #4: We critique Episode 16 of Directors Notes. MarBelle puts a short film into his feed, then he interviews the director. ... P.A.P. Smear #4: We critique Episode 16 of Directors Notes. MarBelle puts a short film into his feed, then he interviews the director. Then we talk about him. It's turtles all the way down... (Technical Note: This podcast was level-controlled with The Levelator, as an experiment. Listen yourself and decide whether it works.) Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/02/podholes-09/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/02/podholes-09/#comments Fri, 02 Feb 2007 07:01:18 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/02/podholes-9-cats-out-of-the-board/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/02/02/podholes-09/feed/ 32:31 Why is this our second attempt at recording this show? Ask the cat. Mike thinks we should do an "Everything about mixers" show soon. ... Why is this our second attempt at recording this show? Ask the cat. Mike thinks we should do an "Everything about mixers" show soon. (And begins to deliver one here.) (Steve wanted to link an article about effects chains that Paul Figgiani once wrote at Podcast Rigs, but that whole site appears to have been replaced by the Podcast Academy and the article's no longer where Steve thought it was. If we can find it somehow, we'll bring it up again, or just do our own.) Steve's Rant: "Recompression sickness." If you're giving someone a file to go into another podcast, use uncompressed audio, or a higher-than-usual bitrate MP3 at least. Compression problems multiply. Question from Simeon Weinraub: Sources of free (or at least cheap) music and effects? (Suggestions: Digital Juice, The Freesound Project, The Podsafe Music Network, IODA Promonet, Magnatune, GarageBand) Question from Tim Sullivan (of Solution Selling Today): What's a de-esser? What's an exciter? (Note: Steve got the frequency range on de-essers completely wrong. It's really more like 6500 Hz for men and around 8500 for women.) Question from Stephen Atkins: Why do decibels in software go from negative numbers to zero? (...Can you tell we're sort of bullshitting the answer to this?) P.A.P. Smear #4: We'll be critiquing Episode 16 of Directors Notes. First check out the short film, then listen first, then hear us talk about it next week... Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/26/podholes-08/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/26/podholes-08/#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2007 07:01:06 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/26/podholes-8-pap-smear-the-riverbend-rock-show/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/26/podholes-08/feed/ 28:08 P.A.P. Smear #3: We critique Episode 43 of The Riverbend Rock Show. Mike Wills does a lot of music podcasts. In our detailed ... P.A.P. Smear #3: We critique Episode 43 of The Riverbend Rock Show. Mike Wills does a lot of music podcasts. In our detailed critical analysis, we conclude that this is one of them. Listen and hear what the Podholes think! Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/19/podholes-07/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/19/podholes-07/#comments Fri, 19 Jan 2007 07:10:23 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/19/podholes-7-question-authority/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/19/podholes-07/feed/ 31:07 An all-question episode! (Mostly.) Mike breaks the all-question concept immediately by telling us about his new mixer Voice comment from Kevin Bachelder (of The Scapecast): sometimes ... An all-question episode! (Mostly.) Mike breaks the all-question concept immediately by telling us about his new mixer Voice comment from Kevin Bachelder (of The Scapecast): sometimes first episodes can win awards (just rub it in, Kevin) Voice question from Sam Chupp (of The Bear's Grove): what do these software controls on the Samson C01 USB mic do? Question from Tim Callahan (of the podiobook Ida): how do you get the word out about your podcast, and how do you get interviewed? Question from Jason Muirhead: can we recommend a podcast rig for traveling? P.A.P. Smear #3: We'll be critiquing Episode 43 of The Riverbend Rock Show. Listen first, then hear us talk about it next week.. Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/12/podholes-06/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/12/podholes-06/#comments Fri, 12 Jan 2007 07:01:53 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/12/podholes-6-pap-smear-guitarcastonline/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/12/podholes-06/feed/ 26:42 P.A.P. Smear #2: We critique Episode 4 of GuitarCastOnline. Greg Summers sure knows his guitar. Does he know Web design and podcast presentation? ... P.A.P. Smear #2: We critique Episode 4 of GuitarCastOnline. Greg Summers sure knows his guitar. Does he know Web design and podcast presentation? Listen and find out! Plus: Guest appearance by Evo Terra to talk about building a great podcast Web site. Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/05/podholes-05/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/05/podholes-05/#comments Fri, 05 Jan 2007 07:01:53 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/05/podholes-5-compressors-expanders-and-gates-oh-my/ http://www.podholes.com/2007/01/05/podholes-05/feed/ 34:44 The compression episode you've all been waiting for! (Or not.) Mike's a smellfungus and a humbug Thank Steve when the new iPod models come out next ... The compression episode you've all been waiting for! (Or not.) Mike's a smellfungus and a humbug Thank Steve when the new iPod models come out next week We like BSW Steve demos the BBE Sonic Maximizer The RNC compressor vs. the dbx 266XL Question (from Jim Van Verth): "Looking forward to more technical discussion about compression. Is Audacity's compression bad?" Compressors vs. limiters vs. expanders vs. gates Mike's Rant: Cheap compressors suck, and podcasters shouldn't rely on them Mike says gates are more important Hard knee vs. soft knee Mike's Tech Tip: record your noise floor so you can paste it in when you need it Hardware's more convenient but riskier; software's cheaper and gives you do-overs P.A.P. Smear #2: We'll be critiquing Episode 4 of GuitarCastOnline. This is a video podcast, so watch it first and then listen to us talk about it next week. Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media yes No http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/22/podholes-04/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/22/podholes-04/#comments Fri, 22 Dec 2006 07:01:51 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/22/podholes-4-pap-smear-of-the-command-line/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/22/podholes-04/feed/ 28:55 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 ... 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! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/15/podholes-03/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/15/podholes-03/#comments Fri, 15 Dec 2006 07:01:40 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/15/podholes-3-i-have-become-the-matrix/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/15/podholes-03/feed/ 31:45 More rants, more questions. Topics covered: Mike does way too much podcast editing How to be the best in the world: practice and push yourself Mike's hidden ... More rants, more questions. Topics covered: Mike does way too much podcast editing How to be the best in the world: practice and push yourself Mike's hidden superpower: reading waveforms Explore the dark corners of your sound editor Steve's Rant: Buy good headphones before you upgrade anything else Mike's Rant: Why he'll never buy Behringer again Question (from Les of The Signal): "What are the 'best' MP3 options?" Question (from Dylan): "How can I play music without getting sued?" P.A.P. Smear #1: We'll be critiquing episode 73 of The Command Line. Listen to it too, and follow along at home! Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/01/podholes-02/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/01/podholes-02/#comments Fri, 01 Dec 2006 17:02:32 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/01/podholes-2-to-skype-or-not-to-skype/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/12/01/podholes-02/feed/ 29:55 Mike and Steve break more rules by tearing apart their first episode. Topics covered: Is this #1 or #2? Double-enders (and why Mike won't let us ... Mike and Steve break more rules by tearing apart their first episode. Topics covered: Is this #1 or #2? Double-enders (and why Mike won't let us do one) We discover a hidden flaw in the iRiver Mike turns Steve into a newt What do you think? Should Steve Skype in or double-end? Basic Podcast Rules: don't get your first episode perfect, just do it Mike drools over a Tascam DM4800 which nobody can afford Don't stress the equipment you have Question (from Michael Dean): "What do you do when you have too many items on your RSS feed?" Support Steve (if you want to) by buying or selling CDs at PodDisc.com New feature! Submit your podcast, we'll critique it. (Should we call it "P.A.P. Smear?" Mike says yes, Steve says no.) Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! Shows FarPoint Media no No http://www.podholes.com/2006/11/21/podholes-01/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/11/21/podholes-01/#comments Tue, 21 Nov 2006 18:26:17 +0000 Steve Eley http://www.podholes.com/2006/11/21/podholes-1-the-bad-beginning/ http://www.podholes.com/2006/11/21/podholes-01/feed/ 42:54 Mike and Steve begin their journey into madness. Topics covered: Why Podholes? Who are these guys? Apple's letter against Podcast Ready, and the insanity of the name-change ... Mike and Steve begin their journey into madness. Topics covered: Why Podholes? Who are these guys? Apple's letter against Podcast Ready, and the insanity of the name-change debate Rode's new Podcaster mic; how much is too much for a USB microphone? Question (from Maggie Bonham): "Where should I start upgrading my equipment? And what's the best portable recorder to replace a crappy Olympus memo recorder?" Have any questions or want to provide feedback? Just let us know! (Production note: This episode was actually recorded over a month ago, so if it seems dated... That's because it is. We kept getting fiddly with logos and Web site fluffery and ignored the Prime Directive of Podcasting: "Just podcast, dammit!" But here you go. The second episode is in the can and will follow this shortly.) Shows FarPoint Media yes No