Podcast Delay. Dammit!

**SIGH**

I'm off to a bad start already. I did some tests and I really need a larger hard drive to handle all of the sound files and the new programs I want to install to accommodate this podcast. An external drive doesn't cut it because there're only two USB ports on the laptop and I need those for the trackball and the preamp.

So, I'm going to have to drop off my laptop at Tekserve. I probably won't get it back in time to do my podcast on Sunday, but I'll see what I can do with my ancient G4 Titanium...

Baseball Season 2007: Predictions

I’m starting my baseball season podcast (hopefully) this Sunday, but I felt I needed to put out my predictions ahead of time.

American League

East: Yankees

Central: Tigers

West: Angels

Wild Card: White Sox

National League

East: Mets

Central: Cubs

West: Dodgers

Wild Card: Phillies

Division Series Matchups

American League

Yankees vs. White Sox

Angels vs. Tigers

National League

Mets vs. Dodgers

Cubs vs. Phillies

League Championship Series Matchups

American League

Yankees vs. Tigers

National League

Mets vs. Cubs

World Series

Yankees vs. Mets

World Champs

Yankees (What did you think I’d say??)

Surprise Team of 2007

Milwaukee Brewers. I think they’ll flirt with the Wild Card all year. I’m also pretty confident that Atlanta isn’t going to be a cellar dweller this year.

First Podcast. Not.

Nope, I'm not anywhere near close to doing my first podcast. I assembled all of my gear and I wasn't getting any response from the mic. That was so irritating. I didn't want to pack all this stuff up and send it back, so at 4 p.m. I dashed off to the nearest music store (Guitar Center) and had a chat with a salesman. He couldn't really diagnose the problem, but I ended up buying yet another piece of gear ( a mobile pre-amp), and when I got home, that worked.

So, I really might have to ship the mixer back. which I really don't want to do, 'cause that's gonna be a big hassle. I don't want to ship back the mic, 'cause the mic is fine, but it was part of the package deal.

I've been messing around for the last two hours using GarageBand and figuring out recording levels. At first there was an unacceptable amount of background hiss, but I think part of that is coming from the wireless router!

I couldn't understand why I was only hearing vocals through one ear until it dawned on me that to record in stereo, I would need two mics. :) I also accidentally discovered some filters that made my voice sound like a robot. I thought I would need some expensive program to do that when all along I already had it for free on my Mac. Cool.

UPDATE: I'm glad to say I've got the Alesis mixer working. Whew. I have no idea what to do with most of the buttons and knobs, however. I now realize that I probably could've gotten along with something with fewer inputs, but this was the one the podcast books recommended. Hmph.

Got my gear!

My Podcast Starter Kit gear arrived on Wednesday!

It consists of:

• An Audio-Technica AT2020 condenser mic
• An Alesis MultiMix8 USB mixer
• An Atlas DS7 desk mic stand, ProCo 5 ft. mic cable, and a USB cable
• Podcast Solutions: The Complete Guide to Podcasting
• I also picked up a pop filter and a disk of broadcast sound effects.

Now I need to test this stuff to make sure it's working...

There was a good article about authors who are podcasting their work in the NY Times on March 1. I like Scott Sigler's work. Lots of amusing profanity and over the top characters. I'm currently listening to The Rookie and I enjoyed Earthcore, Ancestor and Infection.

Several times a week Mr. Sigler, 37, steps into a walk-in closet in his San Francisco home. He reads into a microphone that connects to his computer via a sound mixer. Hanging shirts envelop him, masking ambient sound.

After being snubbed by publishers for years, Mr. Sigler began recording his first book, “EarthCore,” in 2005. He offered it as a podcast in 22 episodes (roughly 45 minutes each) that he posted online and sent free to subscribers for downloading. Before long, Mr. Sigler had 5,000 listeners; by the time he finished releasing his second novel, “Ancestor,” last January, he had 30,000, as he does for “The Rookie,” which is playing now.

With initial printings of novelists’ first books running as low as 2,000 copies, Mr. Sigler has a substantial audience, enough finally to attract a small Canadian publisher, Dragon Moon Press, which published “EarthCore” in 2005 and will release “Ancestor” on April 1.

Mr. Sigler also recently signed with a New York agent, Byrd Leavell of the Waxman Agency, who expects to park his latest, “Infection,” with a major publisher.

Others have turned to the Internet to build their audience, including Cory Doctorow, who offered the text of “Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom” as a free download in 2003. But Mr. Sigler is among the vanguard of authors stapling their literary aspirations to the iPod.

“A lot of no-name authors like me are getting massive grass-roots exposure, and some of us are going to percolate to the top and get on the best-seller list,” Mr. Sigler said.

His site has links to his podcasts.

I will podcast... Soon!

Okay, I'm off to a bad start with regards to blogging every day this month, but this bullshit post counts anyway. So there.

As if I actually have time on my hands, I've decided that I'm gonna start a podcast. I went to a podcasting seminar that was a total joke last Saturday, so I figure if these people can do it, why not me?

I'm purchasing this starter kit from BSW Audio recommended by the Podcast Gear Guy's blog.

Soon you will all hear my lovely, strangely accented voice.

Be afraid, be very afraid...