I’ve used Audacity for months and it’s very versatile, easy, and can do lots more than I can even imagine. Also used it to make MP3s from my cassette tape player, of tapes from my Grandad’s events and speeches from the 80s, and it’s super easy to share with the family.

The comments here are just as helpful as the post (Havi, you attract a smart gang.) Thanks!

Although my father plays the bagpipes …

*strokes chin thoughtfully*

@James – the best-mic-you-can-get bit is what I learned from my gentleman friend the podcaster who does ridiculously highly produced pieces and also helped me with all my audio.

It really does seem to help make the whole thing sound better.

Though yeah, if you’re going for super professional and you don’t happen to live with a podcasting expert who is madly in love with you, you can also rent studio space for an hour or two.

That’s what most of the people I know do for quality audio products that they’re hoping will get picked up by more mainstream distributors.

Re: the noise factor. That’s the kosher marketing continuum again. Some people need loud. Some people don’t. But really what everyone needs is to feel like they’re being acknowledged. It’s up to us to figure out how they want us to do that.

Or, conversely, it’s up to us to figure out how we want to do that and then to have that draw in the kind of people who need it our way.

@ Havi — Next time you do an audio, the people demand trumpets. None of this woo-woo airy fairy Music Bakery shit for us, thankyouverymuch. We, the people, insist on trumpets.

Naomi Dunfords last blog post..If You Build It, They Won’t Come

Getting more on theme with the post… (ahem, sorry Havi):

I don’t think that it’s going to be worth getting an expensive mic unless you’ve got the equivalent quality in terms of recording space (i.e. no trains, trumpets, drums, etc.) and editing equipment & know-how. Plus super-high-quality = large file sizes, so there’s a compromise to be made there anyway.

But heck, that’s just me throwing in my 2p worth.

James | Dancing Geeks last blog post..What do you want?

And re: the whoring. Yeah, it’s been kinda nutso. But I definitely agree with Sonia here. Some customers don’t listen unless you’re screaming. Others don’t listen unless you whisper so quietly a dog couldn’t hear it. It’s a balance. :)

And James, aren’t you a very bright boy for getting in early and thereby avoiding the flotsam and jetsam!?

Naomi Dunfords last blog post..If You Build It, They Won’t Come

Thanks for all the great tips about the audio stuff. You are a wealth of information and also so very generous with your knowledge and your tools. I agree with Sonia that your stuff is always beautifully done. It’s so clean, and professional and easy to listen to. It’s obvious that you put a lot of time and thought into your products and it really shows. And yes, I also have a copy of Naomi’s OBS ( yeah biggification. Here I come!) and no you are not a bad friend!!!

I have not yet produced any audio products but my computer god, gadget obsessed musician ( among other things) husband ( who just informed me that ” We have more recording capability in this house than the Beatles had in their whole career!” Huh… who knew?) just told me that for people who own Macintosh computers, the program Garage Band is also a very decent recording tool. Just thought I’d pass that along, because I have a Macintosh computer AND a computer god husband and I still didn’t know that!

chris zydels last blog post..WHEN I WRITE…. my creative process in seven ( very short) acts

Different buyers need a different volume, I’ve found. So sometimes we have to shout to get a portion of the audience to hear us. (And then we have to listen carefully to see if another portion of the audience just ran away screaming.) It’s a balance, but if you have good stuff you want to promote, it comes down to wanting to get a helpful tool in the hands of those who need it.

Not to say or imply that it’s not 1000% fine that some of it makes you say “ick.” Just giving a little perspective, if that is helpful.

But to get back on topic, I am very grateful to Havi for letting us know her audio tools. I think she may be leaving out that she is just a tiny bit of an insane perfectionist. Her stuff is always so beautifully done.

Additional helper mouse remark: Blue now makes a USB microphone called the Snowball that is an amazingly good mic for not ten million dollars. (Like $100, which is not nothing, either, I realize.)

Sonia Simone | Remarkable Communications last blog post..How to Survive the End of the World

Some of the affiliate promotions around OBS reminded me of the sleaze – non-sleaze continuum.

Course, it didn’t really matter because I already had it on pre-order :)

Speaking of…when can I give you more money? :)

James | Dancing Geeks last blog post..What do you want?

thanks so much for this post hon… it is totally interesting and helpful! YAY you!

and i totally agree about the naomi goddess :) osb rocks my world!

wishing you a gorgeous shining day,
leonie

Love to you, and thanks for all you do.

Hiro

Hiro Bogas last blog post..Seeing Whole