I’ve never said this before about previous editions of solipsistic NATION but today’s show is not safe for work. I figure we’re all adults so I don’t feel the need to give such a disclaimer but I decided just this one it would be be a good idea to cover my ass so you can cover yours.
That said, I don’t have a lot to talk about this week’s show other than listen to it because it rocks so I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about the gear I use to make solipsistic NATION. It’s a question that comes up now and again so I thought I’d address it.
First off, I rock the Sennheiser e 835 microphone. There are better microphones out there but Sennheiser e 835 is a solid, inexpensive microphone and it has served me well.
I run my Sennheiser e 835 through a Behringer Eurorack UB502 mixer which I then run through an Alesis NanoCompressor which is connected to my Mac Mini.
I use Skype to conduct the interview for the show and Wiretap Pro to record the interviews. Wiretap Pro has been updated and is now called Wiretap Studio but Wiretap Pro is perfect for my needs so I never felt the need to purchase the upgrade.
I use Sound Studio to record and edit my voice overs as well as my interviews and the IDs for which are then run through an application called Levelator to further smooth out the highs and lows in the audio.
I use GarageBand to sequence and mix solipsistic NATION. I suppose I could use GarageBand to record and edit the voice overs, interviews and IDs as well but I find that Sound Studio gives me the fine degree of control I require. Besides, as I mentioned, I’m using a Mac Mini and while it’s a great computer I think I would pushing the machine to it’s limits to simultaneously run Skype and GarageBand and I just don’t want to take that chance while recording interviews for the show.
Once the show is mixed it is exported to iTunes and I then encode the show as an MP3 at 128 kbps/44.100 kHz using an application called the iTunes-LAME Encoder. It usually takes 15 minutes to convert the show to MP3 using the iTunes-LAME Encoder and while I could use iTunes’ built-it MP3 encoder which is much faster (it takes just a few minutes to encode a show in iTunes) the iTunes-LAME Encoder delivers a MP3 with superior audio. If I’m going to compress the music to a MP3 I might as well give you the best sounding show I possible can.
In the past I’ve also been asked why I don’t encode the show at 192 or 320 kbps for higher audio fidelity. The answer is simple. I’d love to encode the show at 192 or 320 kbps but that would significantly increase the file size of the show which in turn would increase the time it would take to download the show to your computer. solipsistic NATION has a global audience and not everyone has a high speed internet connection and I want people to be able to download solipsistic NATION as quickly and easy as possible.
I’ve also been asked by some people why I don’t encode the show as an AAC. This is another dilemma I had to wrestle with. AAC is great because at 128 kbps an AAC file supposedly sounds better than a MP3 encoded at 128 kbps. Also, I could include album art, links and additional information in an AAC file but the problem is that AAC files can, for the most part, only be played on Apple hardware and software like iTunes or the iPod. I want solipsistic NATION to be as easily accessible to as many people as possible and encoding the show an an AAC would limit the size of my audience. Who in their right mind would want to do that?
So there you have it: that’s how I create each edition of solipsistic NATION. As you can see, it’s a pretty inexpensive operation. It’s pretty easy to produce a show but I have to admit that even though I’ve been doing this for a couple of years and have it down to a science it still takes a considerable amount of time to produce each show. But I find producing solipsistic NATION a fun and rewarding experience and I hope you enjoy each show.
See you next week!
Photo Credit: TReynolds08
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