2007.10.31
Posted in Podcasting at 7:09 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
Several months ago, I started to write a short story titled “The Howl from Beyond”, and my goal was to publish it in audio format. There were only three obstacles:
- I had never written a story longer than than 5000 words.
- I did not own suitable audio recording equipment.
- I had no experience doing audio production.
Though it took months, I wrote 12,000 words in “The Howl From Beyond”. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. After completing the first draft, I rewarded myself by purchasing the audio recording gear I wanted. Then, I started learning how to use it in between revising the story drafts.
I had no idea what I was getting into. And since I’m far too proud to be caught reading a “for dummies” book, I settled for trial by fire.
In part one of this article, I discussed the hardware I use. In this, part two, I’m going to talk about how I record and the software I use:
- Tracktion
- Audacity
- iTunes
- WordPress + podPress
Project Setup
I treat my recording projects as very simple multi-track projects, using Tracktion to do the lifting. I have 5 tracks that I work when recording a short story:
- Intro / Outro music
- Intro / Outro voice
- Main voice / content
- Voice Submix
- Bumpers / Interstitials
The intro and outro music has already been set up the way I need it, and so has my standard intro / outro voice components. These get dropped into tracks 1 and 2 from pre-recorded files. The main story content that I’m reading gets put into track 3. Tracks 2 and 3 both feed into track 4 so I can process them simultaneously as a sub-mix. If I’m using any bumpers or interstitials (in longer stories), these get dropped into track 5 from pre-recorded files.
For any given story, really only tracks 3 and 5 need to be modified; the rest come from templates I have already set up.
Recording
I’m reading short stories, and I’ve found that the following process works well.
- Print out the story single sided, 1.5 spaced, using a 14 point font. It’s nice and easy to read that way.
- Turn off anything that makes noise. For me, this means my air conditioner and refrigerator.
- Get comfortably seated in front of the microphone. Spread out two or three pages.
- Put on the headphones.
- Start recording.
- Read the story, paying attention to what I hear in the headphones. If it doesn’t sound right, pause for a second, and re-read the sentence. I do all of the re-takes right away, while I’m in the middle of recording. I can edit it later, and editing is easier if everything is already recorded in the correct sequence.
- Where there is a logical break in things, like a chapter break, I stop the recording, shuffle whatever papers I have to shuffle, then start again. The new recording will be in its own file, so it’s easy to work with one chapter at a time.
- When I’m done, I turn the fridge back on.
Cleanup
Tracktion does not come with a good noise reduction filter, and I’m a little reluctant to shell out for SoundSoap which I could use as a plug-in with Tracktion. So, instead I use the noise reduction filter in Audacity, which works well enough for my purposes. Essentially, I open each file in Audacity, run the noise reduction filter on the file, and save it over top of the file that was recorded. Because of the way Tracktion works with the files it records, I can do this without closing Tracktion, and it will automatically re-load the files I saved. Any edits made within Tracktion will be preserved.
Editing
Back in Tracktion, the biggest job that remains is editing the recorded audio. I listen to the voice track recorded to track 3, and cut out all of the mistakes in the recording. Also, if a pause between sentences sounds a bit too short or too long, I adjust it so it sounds as intended. It takes me roughly 1.5 times the length of the audio recording to do this. After all, I have to listen to the entire thing at least once, and listen to some segments 2 or three times.
Mastering
After editing the audio, the last task is mastering final track. The template I use already has things set up for me, so this is fairly quick, though when I first set up the template it took me a long time. There are a couple of things I wish I had known when I started:
- Ducking. During the introduction and outroduction, there are a few points where I speak over the music. To do this, I have to lower the volume of the music just before the voice track starts, and possibly raise it again afterwards. Some software packages (like newer versions of Garage Band) can do this automatically. But Tracktion does not have an automatic ducking feature. Fortunately, it’s easy to do using Tracktion’s automation feature.To use automation, I draw a line on top of the track that represents the volume level of the track. The line is flat, then drops sharply just before the voice starts, stays flat, then rises back up sharply to its previous level after the voice is finished. The volume of the track is adjusted along that line as it is playing back, so the music gets quieter when the voice is playing back.
- Compression. Most people listening to my stories are unlikely to be sitting at home in a quiet room with a high-end audio system. It’s much more likely that they’re on the train or in their car where it’s noisy. I don’t want them to strain to hear me, or to have to constantly fiddle with the volume on their MP3 players.Compression takes the audio, and squashes it so the softest sounds are closer in volume to the loudest sounds. Then, I adjust the volume of the voice to be louder overall. The end result is a more consistent volume for the voice, which is easier to listen to in somewhat noisy environments using regular audio equipment. This compression is applied to Track 4 of my recording, which is a combination of tracks 2 and 3. This means that the same compression is applied equally to all of the voice components of the recording, for a consistent sound.
Before I export the finished audio as an MP3 file to post on the Internet, I listen to the entire track from start to finish on my headphones. If something doesn’t sound quite right, I can always fix it, and using the headphones means I’m fairly likely to catch it.
When I’m happy with the sound, I export the complete track as an MP3 file.
Publishing
Before I can upload the MP3 to my web site, I set up the Artist, Title, Album, and similar information in the file (also called tagging). I simply drag the file into iTunes, then set all of the information using the iTunes interface. After that, I upload it to my web server.
Once the MP3 file is on my webserver, all that is left is to publish it so it can be downloaded. I write a new weblog entry on my weblog (which runs WordPress). Then, I tell the podPress plugin within WordPress where the MP3 file is, and it takes care of setting up all of the technical details of publishing the file as part of my podcast. Once it is published, anyone who has subscribed will get the new file automatically.
What about other software?
There is plenty of other software out there that I could be using instead. Pretty much any audio recording package will have the features that I make use of in Audacity and Tracktion; the process I follow could be used with any of them.
How long does this all take?
Unfortunately, audio production is time-consuming. To record and publish a 20-minute short story in audio format, I spend 80 to 90 minutes of time in all – 20 to actually record it, then 60 to 70 minutes doing all of the editing, mastering, and posting the file to my podcast. But at the end, I have something I can post and share with the rest of the world. And that’s reward enough for me.
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2007.10.25
Posted in Twilight: A Short Story Collection at 8:11 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
When I travel, I love eating breakfast and lunch in diners. Especially if I’m traveling alone or on business. A diner is a great place to eat a meal by yourself. You can sit at the counter and chat with the staff, and you always get your food quick.
I can think of at least one diner in San Francisco that felt like it was stuck in the 1950s. And even if the diner itself wasn’t stuck there, I’m almost certain some of my fellow patrons were.
If they were indeed stuck in the 1950s, was the diner somehow responsible?
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2007.10.20
Posted in Technology, The Web at 5:17 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
Steve Jobs announced that an iPhone SDK would be available in February 2008, and the media response has been favorable. I think the favorable response is premature, and that there will be many disappointed people in February.
Prior to the launch of the video iPods in 2005, only one company wrote software that ran on the iPod platform. Apple. A few third party developers have been allowed to develop games for the iPods starting with these video-capable models, but remember that Apple was very picky about who they allowed to do this. Many longtime developers who had excellent relationships with Apple were denied this ability. Most still are.
If we forget about the phone part of the iPhone, it’s just another iPod model. The forthcoming SDK will mark the first time in history that Apple will allow all but a few select third parties into the iPod software platform. Why is Apple suddenly willing to give up the tight control they have over their darling hardware platform?
They won’t.
In the announcement, Jobs mentions Nokia’s restriction that applications running on their newest models must be digitally signed. “While this makes such a phone less than “totally open,” we believe it is a step in the right direction,” says Jobs.
Apple must now perform a delicate balancing act. If they too require that applications be digitally signed before they will run on the iPod, developers will cry foul. And, someome will write an unlock program that allows unsigned applications to be run anyway. But Apple has all but admitted that they will be somehow restricting access to the platform; they just haven’t told us how yet. Apple won’t open the platform completely. Nobody has asked Apple how open it will be, and Apple isn’t telling anyone either.
There are any number of possibilities, but one thing that isn’t possible is for Apple to pull back the curtain completely. They won’t do it, because then they would lose control over their most valuable asset: the iPod platform.
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2007.10.20
Posted in Podcasting at 12:46 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
Several months ago, I started to write a short story titled “The Howl from Beyond”, and my goal was to publish it in audio format. There were only three obstacles:
- I had never written a story longer than than 5000 words.
- I did not own suitable audio recording equipment.
- I had no experience doing audio production.
Though it took months, I wrote 12,000 words in “The Howl From Beyond”. It was one of the most challenging things I have ever done. After completing the first draft, I rewarded myself by purchasing the audio recording gear I wanted. Then, I started learning how to use it in between revising the story drafts.
I had no idea what I was getting into. And since I’m far too proud to be caught reading a “for dummies” book, I settled for trial by fire.
In part one of this article, I’m going to discuss the hardware I use:
I bought all of this gear from Axe Music. The total bill came to about $600.
The Microphone
Some microphones are designed for vocal work specifically; I wanted a more general-purpose microphone with a clean, unbiased sound. The Audio Technica AT2020 has proven to have a very neutral sound for my own voice. In fact, it adds far less color to the recording than the room does. I have also had a couple of friends speak into the microphone, and it performs well.
The AT2020 has a cardioid pickup pattern which means it is a directional microphone. Sound that comes from behind or the sides is not picked up nearly as strongly as sound coming from the front. Given the ambient noise level in my apartment, and my annoying computer fan, this helps immeasurably.
The Pre-amp / Firewire Interface
Every review I read about the Mackie Onyx Satellite mentioned how good the onyx pre-amps sounded. I have little frame of reference, but to my untrained ear, I agree that they sound good. There is no hum or ambient noise I cannot attribute to another source. The signal sounds clean when it arrives at the computer.
None of the other systems I considered garnered the same consistent high praise, though several of M-Audio‘s USB interfaces came close.
For my particular environment, though, the Onyx Satellite was definitely a wise choice. The hardware comes as two pieces. The pod, which houses the majority of the brains of the device, can be separated from the base station, which houses additional inputs and outputs. When I record, I move my equipment to a different room than where it normally rests. The portability of the Satellite system means I have a lot less to lug with me, since I only need to take the pod and not the rest of the box.
Pop Filter
When you voice consonants like P and B (called plosives), you produce a small burst of air. This burst of air causes a rather unflattering “pop” sound when it hits the microphone. Unlike some other microphones, the AT2020 has little built-in protection against this. Fortunately, you can prevent this by altering your microphone placement and / or technique. But in my case, the added stress of worrying about microphone technique while I was also worrying about my reading performance was too much for me. With practice I hope to improve, but in the meantime, I bought an inexpensive pop filter.
The pop filter amounts to little more than a pair of pantyhose stretched over an embroidery hoop, but it is very effective at reducing the effect of plosives spoken directly into the microphone. Of course, the one I bought is a lot more stylish than a pair of pantyhose, and the gooseneck and stand clamp mean it can easily be positioned exactly where I need it – in front of the microphone.
With the pop filter in place, my next recording takes were more confident. The pop filter also significantly reduced my editing time, since I made fewer audible mistakes.
Headphones
I originally chose the Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphones for an entirely different purpose. I work in a noisy environment, and I wanted headphones that would block out noise. Further, I didn’t want the headphones to “leak” sound. And since I find in-ear headphones to be uncomfortable after a couple of hours, I was quickly able to narrow the field to closed-back circumaural models. My old Koss UR.20s died a few years back, and I wanted a better sounding pair. For the money, I don’t think you can beat the Sennheiser HD 280s.
Fortunately, the HD 280s are also good headphones to use for monitoring while you’re recording. I wear them while I’m recording, and If I’m too far from the microphone, or too close, or I make another mistake, I can hear it clearly and immediately re-record the sentence. Obviously, I have to edit the error out later, but doing the re-take immediately ends up saving a lot of time overall.
Other Benefits
The hardware I have chosen has other benefits that have nothing to do with recording a podcast:
- The Onyx Satellite makes an excellent headphone amplifier. While some people may cringe at this use of the equipment, I find that it works very well even if this is not its intended purpose.
- The HD 280 headphones are good general purpose headphones. I use them at work. I bring them when I travel. They work well with my iPod.
Why not [insert setup here]?
The only brief answer to this question is that nothing else I looked at met all of my particular criteria. My setup isn’t right for everyone, but I’m convinced that it’s right for me.
In part two, I’ll discuss my recording software and also my recording process.
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2007.10.19
Posted in Twilight: A Short Story Collection at 7:49 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
I wrote this for everyone who has ever walked home in the rain, and taken a moment to two to reflect on and enjoy it.
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2007.10.15
Posted in Board Games at 8:30 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
This weekend I got my hands on the new Switzerland expansion for the popular Days of Wonder game Ticket to Ride. The expansion consists of a new board and new tickets, along with the rules.
Jason and I played two two-player games as a “test run”, and overall we both really enjoyed them. There are three big differences in this game as compared to the previous games in the series:
- You only get 40 trains instead of 45. This might not seem like a huge change, but it adds considerably to the tension. Wasting turns is not an option in this game.
- You can pick up 2 face-up locomotives, but locomotives can only be used to build tunnels. Sometimes locomotives will still just sit there if nobody wants to build tunnels. It’s also somewhat frustrating to have a number of locomotives in hand that are completely useless since you don’t need to build a tunnel.
- Tickets, tickets, tickets! I won the first game by a large margin, gaining about 60 points from tickets. The second game Jason and I were both more aggressive and had 10 tickets each (all of which were completed). I got about 80 points from this, while Jason managed to get well over 100 points from tickets alone, winning very handily with 190+ points. This is the highest score I have ever seen in any Ticket to Ride game.
I have not yet tried the game with three, but I imagine it would also be great.
There is one big oversight in the game, though. The rules for the expansion do not include the number of points you score for claiming routes of the various lengths. If you own the original Ticket to Ride, this is not a problem since the rules for that game cover the scoring. If (like me) you only own Ticket to Ride: Europe, this becomes a problem because it has no routes of length five, and so the rules don’t mention what you would score in that case.
For the record, it’s 10 points. A quick trip to the web to look at the rules to the original game answered the question.
But, if anyone at Days of Wonder is reading this, why didn’t you at least include a scoring quick-reference card with the expansion, or an extra glossy sheet? The incremental cost would have been miniscule, and you would be saving people like me a bit of frustration.
The bottom line: If you like Ticket to Ride but want to crank up the tension in your two-player games, this is definitely the game for you. Or, if you like to push your luck by making “just one more ticket draw”, this is also the game for you.
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2007.10.12
Posted in Twilight: A Short Story Collection at 7:11 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
The first story in Twilight, my collection of short stories, is now available in audio format.
5 Blocks and 22 Stories is a recollection of a walk home late one night. Much of this story is true.
Subscribe to this podcast at the following URL: http://jeremiah.wittevrongel.ca/category/twilight/feed
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2007.10.08
Posted in Board Games at 8:46 pm by Jeremiah Wittevrongel
I have now played Die Dolmengötter twice, and I’m still not quite sure what to make of it. On the surface, it’s a yet another Eurogame where the objective is to push wooden blocks around and achieve majorities in areas, but I think this one has the poential to be so much more.
I won the game rather handily. What bothered me most about the game, though, is that I knew I had won from about the halfway point. Nobody else had the board position to beat me, and I was able to focus on placing dolmens as fast as possible to force an early end to the game before someone else could catch up. I’m not sure what can be done to avoid this type of scenario, given that it takes an extra turn to prep druids so they can move to a completely different spot on the board.
Even still, I enjoyed the four-player game more than I enjoyed the previous two-player game Jason and I had played. I’m not sure that it is any better than other area control games; I’ll have to play it a few more times first to determine that.
Though I do think it’s a good candidate for Reiner’s Theme-all. Die Dolmengötter is an abstract game with a very obviously pasted-on theme. I’m sure it could be re-themed to better effect. When it comes to druid-themed games, I’d much rather play Druidenwalzer, though that too has a rather painted-on theme. I guess you can’t win them all. I completely ignore the theme of Die Dolmengötter when I’m playing it.
If only it had a name like “Die, Steven Seagal.”
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