Related link: http://andrewkeen.typepad.com/aftertv/2006/02/richards_and_ba.html
Digital media impresario Andrew Keen just posted a live interview with my co-author Kelli Richards and me at AfterTV.com. Kelli and I discussed some of the stories behind our book, The Art of Digital Music; the role of analog music in a digital world (or was that the other way around?); and our predictions for the digital future. Andrew seemed to enjoy my tale about the Hollywood talent agent who started screaming at me and why Brian Eno later took my side.
Because our book is completely based on interviews, it was quite interesting to be on the other side of the table. I gained a new respect for the artists who went out of their way to determine what we were looking for and tailor their anecdotes to match. Being interviewed is an art as well!
It was also illuminating to compare Andrew’s interviewing style with the one I used for the book. Whereas I tended to let people talk until they found the best way to express a concept, knowing I’d edit everything down to the juiciest bits later, Andrew was very active in leading the conversation. That’s the difference between interviewing for print and for radio, I suppose, but I certainly found the interview (and others on his site) fun to listen to.
To subscribe to the podcast version of AfterTV, paste the following URL into your podcatcher program (in iTunes, select “Subscribe to Podcast…” in the Advanced menu):
http://andrewkeen.typepad.com/aftertv/rss.xml
This Joint (Stereo) Is Jumpin’
Over at the O’Reilly Digital Media site, we’re doing a two-part feature on podcast interviewing techniques, and I worked some of the insights I got from the AfterTV experience into Part 1. One thing I just noticed after hearing Andrew’s interviews is how much more immersive they are than the typical mono podcast, because he recorded them in stereo with an M-Audio MicroTrack. With the voices spread out, you start to feel like you’re in the same room as the people who are talking. The interview we did sounds a bit boxy because we recorded it in a tiny glass-walled room in a nearby library. (We had to apply for a library card to reserve the room!) But at least there was zero background noise.
Incidentally, I just got a demo of a system from DiamondWare that does 3D positioning for each speaker in a VoIP chat. It was designed for conference-call applications in which it’s hard to keep track of who’s in the meeting, but it might be a good way to make telephone interviews more immersive as well.
What would you ask yourself if you were being interviewed?
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Stereo Jumpin' Joints
Note to readers: Keith is the CEO of DiamondWare, the company that makes the 3D VoIP software I mentioned above.
I also just heard from Andrew Keen that he’s now using Audio-Technica AT803B omnidirectional lavalier mics for interviews instead of the bundled M-Audio T-mic. He says, “The sound
really is amazing.”
Stereo Jumpin' Joints
Ya know, contrary to conspiracy theorists in the 1960's, stereo was not just a way to sell twice as many loudspeakers and new stereo amplifiers.
It adds something... another dimension.
I think the same thing is true for voice. I would love to try hosting a stereo interview using our software. The advantage would be that the interviewer(s) and interviewee(s) would not need to be in the same location, because the software creates a virtual stereo mix.