The latest edition of my book, Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac, Second Edition, has been released! It took five months and a lot of sweat, but it’s out and I am extremely pleased with how this edition came out. One thing I always wanted to do was cover audio effects and include sample recordings illustrating what they do. This edition includes these as well as coverage of new programs WireTap Studio and Ubercaster. It also updates the other tools for the latest versions and contains substantial rewrites of much of the rest of the book. Finally, it also includes a new section on interviewing techniques.

From the Book’s Web Page:

Beginning a podcast is easier than starting a radio station, but it's still hard to assemble your hardware and software, and learn the tricks of the trade. You can easily meet that challenge with start-to-finish guidance from long-time podcaster Andy Affleck...

The ebook begins with a look at how to plan a podcast's topic, format, and polish. Then Andy focuses on choosing the right microphone and audio software, followed by step-by-step instructions for recording using Audio Hijack Pro, GarageBand, Sound Studio, WireTap Studio, and Übercaster, with advice about conducting interviews by phone, iChat, and Skype. Once your audio is in the can, you'll learn how to use audio plug-ins to make the recording sound better, complete with downloadable sound files to supplement the text. You'll also find out how to edit out any awkward bits, plug in additional audio, and mix tracks. Finally, the ebook covers how to encode your podcast, add useful tags and chapters, find a publishing tool, and publish your podcast for the world to hear.

Links:

• Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac, Second Edition
• Promo
• Podcast

Tags: writing, Podcasting, books, audio, mac

Podcasting has taken over my brain. I’m currently working on three major projects, all podcast-related. The first is an update to my ebook, Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac. I’m updating the book for new versions of the software covered in the book while adding a few new ones and dropping Audacity, which I can no longer in good conscience recommend to beginners or even intermediate podcasters. We’re aiming for an August release to coincide with my second major project.

I am preparing my talk at the New Media Expo in Las Vegas for mid-August. I’ll be sharing the podium with Ed Vawter and we’ll be covering GarageBand ’08 and podcasting and the use of audio filters/plug-ins in podcasting. I have my hotel reservation and plane tickets and even got a ticket to Coverville500 so I can see Doctor Floyd live (Jack’s favorite show) and Jonathan Coulton. I’m very excited. Originally, we were all going to go but we decided to save our pennies to take Jack to Disney World so it’ll be just me attending. Still, I’ve never been to Vegas so I’m excited about this trip.

Finally, I am preparing a new podcast called Our Stories. The premise is that everyone has a good story in them (at least one) and I want to capture and present these stories. This is hardly a new idea. There are shades of This American Life in here but the intent is to simply let people present their stories with only limited prompting from me. This is both fun and very scary as going up to strangers to chat them up for something like this is well outside my comfort zone. And, I must admit, that’s part of my motivation for doing this: to challenge and stretch myself.

Tags: Podcasting, writing, keynote

If this is my midlife crisis, I'll take it. I've been having a strong burst of creative energy over the last few months which has been slowly building. I've purchased a new, updated copy of Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain and the associated work book, I bought a guitar and software to help me learn to play (and boy do my fingers hurt!), I've started podcasting again (new episode last night!) and I even went out and bought a mixer and microphone to take my podcasting to a new level, and I am starting a new podcast (even registered a domain and have started work on the website for it as well as the plan for the show). This last project is one I've actually wanted to do for a few years now and am finally getting around to. I'll post more about it when I am ready to go public. I need another month or so of setup and preparation (yes, it's not just a sit down, turn on GarageBand and start talking, this one requires some planning and effort).

I am not sure where all of this creativity is coming from. But I'm glad it's here and it's happening. I actually think NaNoWriMo is the likely root cause. By forcing myself to do that, I discovered just how far I can go if I apply myself. And I realized that sometimes you just have to stop making excuses and sit down and get to work. And my whole life philosophy has shifted thanks to that happy discovery. Now I am making the time to do the things I truly love and it feels amazing. I cannot recommend it enough.

Tags: Podcasting, music, guitar, Creativity

After a a hiatus of more than a year, I'm finally back on the podcasting wagon again with a new episode of Take Control of Podcasting on the Mac, the companion podcast to my ebook of the same name. I'm doing something fun with the newly revitalized show. I am going to be building a home studio for myself including buying new audio hardware, creating a better acoustic space, learning more about audio plugins so I can produce better sound, and experimenting with new hardware. But rather than just doing this and producing a new show with the better technology, I am going to podcast the process. I will talk about my research, what I have found, what I am looking at, solicit opinions, interview other podcasters and slowly add in the changes so people can see how the show improves (or at least evolves) over time. In this way, we all learn together. At least, that's the plan. This process will be a nice lead-in to our presentation at the New Media Expo this summer as well.

I have to be honest: it felt good to do a show. There's a reason I took up this hobby in the first place. It's nice to be reminded of that and have a chance to play again.

Tags: Podcasting

Ed Vawter and I will be co-presenting at the New Media Expo in Las Vegas this summer. Our session is entitled GarageBand '08 and Practical Podcast Plugins: Enhancing Your Podcast. I'm very excited to be getting back out there again. After running two podcasts, writing an article and a book, I let podcasting fall by the wayside and have done little to keep up with it. But all of that is changing. With this expo coming up and because I let my own interests take a back seat to all of our family drama in 2007, I am finally getting back out there. As a result, I am actually planning on going much farther than I'd gone before. I will be outfitting a home studio, getting new audio equipment, exploring plugins (beyond the basics I've always used), experimenting with new software, and even working on sound proofing materials to improve my recording space. What will be fun is that I plan on podcasting the entire process so my listeners will learn as I learn.

So, this is going to be a fun year for me as I reconnect with a hobby I enjoy and prepare to speak in Las Vegas in August.

If you are interested in attending the expo, please register via this link. It will benefit me down the road, even a little.

Tags: Podcasting, Speaking