What Is Podcasting
Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Podcast Production Step-by-Step

1. Record Your Material

Recording in Person

On a laptop. If you're just recording yourself or conducting an in-person interview, you can use a laptop and a microphone. You'll need an audio application. If you already have one you like, then great--stick with that. Otherwise, I recommend Audacity, a free, open source, cross-platform audio recording and editing tool. Download Audacity and take some time to familiarize yourself with it. Try recording and importing WAV and MP3 files, and cutting and pasting sections around. Also, see if you like how your microphone sounds.

On a portable device. On the street, an iPod or other small recording device is an even more portable way to capture in-person interviews. I've recorded audio on my iPod using Podzilla (see Mod Your Pod, page 135) and using Griffin's iTalk accessory. If you're an old pro, you're probably already sporting a MiniDisc recorder.

Recording Remotely Over Skype or iChat

Using Skype. This free internet telephony application is a great way to conduct remote interviews and conference calls for podcasting (and I use it now for most of my regular phone calls as well). Download, install, and sign into Skype. If your interviewee has done the same, the call is free; otherwise you can pay 2 cents per minute to call their regular phone, anywhere in the world.

Using iChat. On the Mac, you can use iChat instead of Skype, but it only supports conference calls in Mac OS 10.4 (Tiger) and above.

Route the output. Now we need to route Skype or iChat's audio output into our recording application, Audacity. Unfortunately, operating systems still have a hard time routing audio between applications, so we'll need to chain them together with a hodgepodge of platform-specific utilities. Given the variety in sound setups, sound cards, input devices, and recording applications, be prepared for a little trial and error.

Skype/iChat Recording on the Mac

1. Download and install Soundflower and LineIn. Restart after installation. Optionally, you can also download and install Soundflowerbed, which adds a handy menu item for quick switching.
2. Open System Preferences/Sound. Set Output to Playback and Input to your microphone or headset.
3. Launch Skype. In Preferences/Audio, set Audio Output to Soundflower (2ch) and Audio Input to your microphone or headset.
4. Launch LineIn. Set Input From and Output to your recording app (e.g. Audacity). Then click Pass Thru.
5. Call Echo123, Skype's testing service, and make sure you hear the test message and your own voice through the speaker.
6. Launch Audacity. Under Preferences/Audio I/O, choose Soundflower (2ch) for both Playback and Recording Device.
7. Call (or continue talking to) Echo123 in Skype, and start recording in Audacity. If everything works, you'll capture all the audio.

Troubleshooting

Some applications need to be launched before others in order to communicate. Unfortunately, this can vary from system to system. So if this Skype--LineIn--Audacity order doesn't work, exit them all and try some launch order variations.

Other Things to Try:

• Route through Soundflower (16ch), not (2ch).
• Try another audio application, like GarageBand.
• Try another routing app, like AudioHijack Pro (or its free demo version).
• Conference call via a PC logged into a third Skype account and use the PC for recording. A bit clunky and using a PC to help a Mac, but it sometimes works.

Skype Recording on Windows

On the PC (Windows XP), we're also going to use Skype and Audacity. See the On a laptop section for Audacity setup (it's the same for PC and Mac). What's different is how to configure Skype and route its audio. Note that the recipe below, which uses XP's Control Panel/Sound Properties window, works for many systems. But with the PC's zillion possible configurations, sound cards, and audio drivers, your mileage may vary.

1. Launch Skype and Audacity.
2. Open XP's Volume Control Properties by double-clicking the volume icon on the task bar.
3. Call Echo123, the Skype testing service.
4. Click Playback and select Microphone in Volume Control/Options. Raise microphone level and click OK. Then click Recording and select Stereo Mix.

Troubleshooting

Try switching the settings before or during a call, and watch the sound input levels in Audacity to detect when the sound is being routed. You can also use VAC (Virtual Audio Cable), which routes audio from all your devices to Audacity or other sound applications. Check out Virtual Audio Cable at spider.nrcde.ru/music/software/eng/vac.html.