Blue Microphones

Yeti Features:

• The first USB mic to offer Blue’s condenser capsules in a  triple capsule array for the highest quality, most versatile audio recording capability
• Four patterns (Omni, Cardioid, Stereo, Bidirectional) for  versatility and superior results
• THX certification
• Studio quality performance and features, with zero latency, amplified headphone monitoring, microphone mute, and hardware-based gain adjustment
• Driverless installation and works with both PC and Mac.
• The Yeti’s angle can be adjusted on its custom-designed desk stand.

The Yeti microphone is designed to offer quality recordings in a wide range of situations, including podcasts, vocals, live or event recording, interviews, broadcasts, instruments, bands and more.

“THX testing and certification ensures the fidelity of the recording always remains true to its source” according to Matthew Chrispen, director of certification at THX, “allowing artists to accurately capture voice-overs, interviews and other sound elements with confidence.”

The Yeti, MSRP $149.99, will be available beginning December 2009.

If you’ve used the Yeti microphone, leave a comment with your thoughts on it!

Raul Pena’s The Making of Raul’s World of Synths is a short documentary, created as a school project, that outlines Pena’s process for creating his synthesizer podcast, Raul’s World Of Synths.

via raulsworldofsynths:

All titles,motion graphics, video editing, audio editing, music composition, audio mixing,writing, and “acting”(?) by myself Raul Pena III.

My girlfriend helped by doing all the camerawork and emotional support.

All copyrights on materials held by myself.

Free Music Friday

They’ve got 5,000 free MP3s that you can download already, and more in the works.

And yes – you can go straight to the electronic music.

Every mp3 you discover on The Free Music Archive is pre-cleared for certain types of uses that would otherwise be prohibited by outdated copyright law. Are you a podcaster looking for pod-safe audio? A radio or video producer searching for instrumental bed music that won’t put your audience to sleep? A remix artist looking for pre-cleared samples? Or are you simply looking for some new sounds to add to your next playlist? The Free Music Archive is a resource for all that and more, and unlike other websites, all of the audio has been hand-picked by established audio curators.

Submit Your Music

If you want to share your music at the Free Music Archive, email artists “at” freemusicarchive.org with a link to your work for consideration. Please indicate if there is a particular FMA curator who has showcased our work in the past.

This tutorial teaches valuable podcasting skills including recording and editing podcasts, using GarageBand’s built-in DSP effects to compress and EQ your voice to give it that big podcast sound, making enhanced podcasts with images and URL links listeners can click, and publishing your podcast on iTunes or through iWeb.

There’s a detailed section on recording remote interviews with people over the web via Skype.

No special software or drivers are needed, just plug in to your portable or desktop computer, set your preferences and enjoy instant studio quality recordings.

The mic uses dual gold diaphragm capsules in a XY pattern together with low noise electronics and the latest in enhanced digital conversion techniques for pristine audio quality.

The new mic opens up new possibilities for direct stereo recording with a standard computer such as live performances in the professional, school and home environment. It’s also a very exciting tool for podcasts, multimedia, news and broadcast applications using portable computers for remote stereo recording of concerts, lectures, or even documenting outdoor sounds in stereo for film and TV backgrounds.

The MXL USB.007 ships with a carry bag, a desktop mic stand, mic stand adaptor, a 10-foot USB cable, wind screen, owners manual and an applications guide.

The MXL USB.007 carries an MSRP of $ 199.00.

Combining a Sennheiser capsule with a broadcast-quality Flash recorder, the HHB FlashMic has become established as a portable recording device of choice for international broadcasters.

Now HHB has expanded the FlashMic range with the introduction of a new cardioid version – the FlashMic DRM85-C – to accompany the original, omni-directional FlashMic DRM85.

Both FlashMic models share the same feature set, which includes 1GB Flash memory for up to 18+ hours recording, USB audio data transfer, a high-quality preamplifier with full manual or automatic gain control (AGC), an illuminated LCD display and nine user templates which can be configured externally using the FlashMic Manager software supplied.

As HHB Managing Director, Ian Jones explains, the DRM85-C was developed in direct response to customer requests. “Some of our broadcast users have been requesting a more directional FlashMic specifically for use in environments in which there are high ambient sound levels, such as press scrums and conflict zones. We’re delighted to respond with the cardioid FlashMic DRM85-C.”

Radio journalists cite rugged build quality, ease-of-use, fast file transfer and instant, one-button recording among the key reasons for the FlashMic’s success.

“When news breaks, the FlashMic provides a convenient, all-in-one, portable recording solution with no fiddly cables or connectors,” continues Jones. “And it’s every bit as easy to transfer audio files to a laptop for editing and onward transmission.”

What makes Musicbed interesting, though, is that it isn’t a standard collection of stock music, but an application that lets you generate music based on stock themes and the requirements of the job at hand.

Tools within Musicbed let you adapt the stock music themes, giving you control over pitch and tempo. You can also control high-level aesthetic aspects of the music, like whether the music should be more melodic or more percussive, or whether it should be more electronic or more acoustic.

The software also lets you mold the music over time, so that you can build the music to a climax, create sharp transitions, and make the music more or less prominent as needed.

While Musicbed is designed to be easy to use by non-musicians, it also has some professional capabilities, like the ability to export music stems and surround sound support.

Getting Started

Installation is painless. Musicbed comes on one DVD that contains the Musicbed editing application and a library of stock music themes.

When you open Musicbed, you find a sensibly arranged screen (right).

The interface is broken down into three main areas:

• The top section has tools for importing video, exporting finished music and adding Markers.
• The middle section lets you browse and select Music Packages on the left side, and has controls for viewing the completed video on the right.
• The bottom section is a timeline that you can use to scroll to a specific place in the video or the soundtrack. This section is also used to add markers and to create transitions in the music.

To test out the program, we imported a short video. You do this using menus commands or the top icon bar:

Once you’ve imported a video, you can preview it on the right-hand side of the screen:

You can also use this section to adjust the relative volumes of music vs. audio from the film.

Next, you can browse through the Music Packages to select the style of music you want to use:

Music Packages are orchestrated themes. They aren’t stock chunks of music, though; they are malleable themes that you can shape, changing orchestration, tempo, pitch, density, etc.

Musicbed lets you browse by genres, or you can just select a Music Package. You can preview the music by selecting a Music Package and then clicking the play icon.

Once you find the Music Package you like, you can drag it into the timeline and stretch it to the correct length.

Customizing Your Soundtrack

What makes Musicbed interesting is the way it makes it easy to shape and adapt the music. Here are a few examples that demonstrate how the program makes it very easy to create custom soundtracks.

For the purposes of testing out the program, I created a soundtrack section with these (arbitrary) requirements:

• It needs to be thirty seconds long;
• It needs to start fairly laid back;
• After 10 seconds, it should transition to a more driving middle section;
• 25 seconds in, it should peak and then die out.

In order to do this, I selected a Music Package and dragged it to the timeline:

At top of the timeline, you can see markers set at the transition points. The bottom section shows the title of the Music Package, “Full Heart”, structural sections within the music, and a section where you can draw in automation.

I adjusted the music to be the correct length, and selected the structural sections (Intro, Section B & End) that I wanted to use.

Next, I drew in some automation to shape the music. The interface overlays all of your automation curves, with the active parameter highlighted with a bold line. The screen capture above shows the Smooth – Punchy parameter, but you can select any of the other parameters, like Synthetic – Organic or Sparse – Dense, and create automation curves for each.

Here’s an example of what Musicbed sounds like. (MP3)

A feature that will really come in handy for some people is that you can change the Music Package at any time, independent of your timeline and your automation curves.

Here are some variations that were created by changing the Music Package and making minor tweaks to the automation:

• Cyan Music Package – adjusted to be more organic
• Cyan Music Package – adjusted to be more synthetic
• Full Heart Music Package

Once you’ve got the music customized to meet your needs, you can export it as a stereo mix, as stems or as 5.1 surround sound. You can tweak surround settings such as the cutoff for the bass channel.

Summary

Synk Audio’s Musicbed DV is an easy-to-use Mac application that lets you manipulate musical themes to create custom soundtracks. You don’t need any musical knowledge to use the program, but there is a lot of power “under the hood”. Once you get familiar with the program, you can work very rapidly with it.

The program is very responsive. I tested it on an early Intel Mac mini, and was very impressed with Musicbed’s speed. The only times I had to wait on the program were when I imported video or exported the final music.

The Musicbed themes (Music Packages) provide enough variation to meet a variety of needs. I’d like to see inexpensive add-ons that focus on specific styles of music, such as jazzy/downtempo music or electronica. This would make the program more appealing to users and make it easier to get a Music Package that meets your needs.

I asked my contact at Musicbed about this, and she said that “third party music packages are not available right now, though we would very much like that to be the case and are working on strategies to make creating music packages attractive to third party content developers.”

Synk Audio has more Music Packages in the pipeline, but doesn’t have a release date yet.

It would be very interesting if Synk Audio opened up the Musicbed format and provided documentation for it. This would allow a Musicbed community to develop, which could dramatically expand the amount of content available for users to work with.

When I asked Synk about this possibility, they said that “Though we have not settled on a final strategy, in the future the music package format and/or content creation tools will be available for third parties.”

I’ll be interested to see how this develops. If Synk could open their platform and get others to build upon their foundation, Musicbed would be that much more useful as a tool.

Musicbed retails for $249. Synk has created a Musicbed DV screencast that does a great job of introducing the application. You can also download a demo of Musicbed from the Sync Audio site.

Features:

Music Browsing

• Browse by story genres (Action, Drama, Sports, etc.).
• Browse by story moods (Progress, Major Setback, Climax, etc.).
• Browse by music genres (Cinematic, Electronic, Pop, Rock, etc.).
• Browse by music moods (Aggressive, Positive, Melancholy, etc.).
• Browse by music styles (Background, Percussive, Dense, etc.).
• Browse by music texture (Intense, Spacious, Punchy, etc.).
• Browse by music tempo and pitch.
• Browse by factory and user presets (Ambience, Background, Full Mix, etc.).
• Real-time music previews while playing video or audio project.

Music Editing

• Adjust music style (Synthetic, Organic, Percussiveness, etc.).
• Adjust music texture (Intensity, Spaciousness, Smoothness, etc.).
• Adjust music with factory and user presets (Ambience, Background, Full Mix, etc.).
• Adjust pitch and tempo independently.
• Adjust duration without changing pitch and tempo.

Music Timeline

• Automatic generation of music clips for specified start, stop, and duration.
• Non-repetitive music generation without loops.
• Non-linear editing of music clip start, stop, and duration.
• Music clip theme/section editing and arrangement.
• Seamless and gap-less music theme/section transition editing.
• Overlay or overwrite multiple music clips in the timeline.
• Music clip package switching while retaining existing timing, transitions, and keyframes.

Music Keyframes

• Sculpt music style and texture over time with keyframe automation.
• Keyframe add, delete, and edit operations with easy-to-use dragging, button, and keyboard commands.
• Keyframe automation curve overlay display.
• Keyframe snapshots generate style and texture values over a time range. Useful for quickly controlling builds and punctuation.
• Intelligent keyframe generation feature creates style and texture variations at markers or time intervals. Useful for quickly generating evolving styles and textures.

Video

• Any file type supported by QuickTime.
• Project creation via QuickTime file drag and drop.
• Visual markers display video frame at marker location.
• Video timeline scrubbing.
• Video scrubbing during music clip add.
• 30 fps, 29.97 fps drop and non-drop, 25 fps.

Markers

• Visual markers display video frame at marker location.
• Synchronization of music clip start, end, and duration using markers.
• Precise positioning of keyframe time using markers.
• Import chapter and scoring markers from Quicktime, including those from Final Cut.

Export

• Export mixes as stereo audio files.
• Export instrument submixes as stereo audio files (Bass, Percussion, Instruments, etc.).
• Export 5.1 surround music as 6 mono audio files (L, R, Ls, Rs, C, LFE).
• Surround mixes for multiple usage scenarios (Immersive, Theatrical, etc.).
• Export tempo maps.
• AIFF and WAV file types.
• 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz sample rates.
• 16 bit, 24 bit, 32 bit depths.

Miscellaneous

• Professional audio limiter eliminates digital overs.
• Factory presets for useful stock music styles.
• User music style preset creation.
• Custom location for music content on disk.
• Automatic and manual music detail preferences for optimal system performance.
• Automated cue sheet generation.
• Unlimited undo.
• Royalty-free license, use as many times as you like without incurring additional fees or costs.

Features:

• High-resolution 2 In / 2 Out USB audio interface with plug-and-play for Windows XP and Mac OS X operating systems
• Studio-class 5-input 2-bus mixer with premium mic preamp and 2-band “British” EQ
• Dynamic broadcast-style microphone with 2-stage pop filter
• High-performance studio headphones with ultra-wide frequency response
• Table microphone stand, XLR microphone cable and 2 stereo RCA cables
• Powerful DAW software (Kristal Audio Engine multi-track sequencer and Audacity audio editor)
• Comprehensive podcasting software (Podifier, Juice, PodNova, Golden Ear)

The Podcastudio is expected to ship in 2nd quarter for US $149.99.

2007 Winter NAMM Show: Alesis introduced their USB Mic Podcasting Kit.

According to the company, the USB Mic Podcasting Kit allows even the most inexperienced users to quickly record audio into the computer and have their podcast heard on the Internet. Just plug the USB microphone into your computer – the microphone is a plug-and-play device, so there are no drivers to install.

The kit includes Audacity for recording your audio and is compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. Once you have finished recording your podcast, the custom Alesis Podcast website allows you to upload your audio and will host your podcasts for free for 30 days.

The USB Mic Podcasting Kit provides 16 bit / 44.1-48kHz audio. A desktop microphone stand and headphones are also included in the kit.

The podcasting kit comes with a studio-grade FireWire audio interface which includes the Behringer Edition of Ableton Live Lite 4 music production software for PC and Mac computers. The package also includes an 8-input mixer, high-quality headphones and a studio microphone plus cable.

Pricing is expected to be $269.99.

NAMM 2006 Winter Show: M-Audio

“The Podcast Factory provides a comprehensive solution for producing professional podcasts for applications as diverse as personal broadcasts, music promotion, corporate training, virtual seminars, education and more,” says M-Audio’s Adam Castillo. “Podcast Factory allows anyone with a message to easily create podcasts that incorporate the production values of radio-quality broadcasts.”

At the heart of Podcast Factory bundle lies the Podcast Factory audio interface with microphone preamp. This 2 x 2 mobile audio interface delivers professional audio fidelity up to 24-bit/48kHz. The first of two audio channels is a dedicated XLR input for the included dynamic microphone, complete with gain control and signal LEDs. The ¼” input on the second channel toggles between instrument and line levels to accommodate a wide variety of signal sources. Audio outputs take the form of dual RCAs and a front-panel 1/8” stereo headphone jack that share a common level control.

Direct hardware monitoring provides for synchronized overdubs, with the In/PB knob determining the monitor balance between input and output signal. For additional monitoring flexibility, the Mono switch sends the input signal equally to the left and right channels, allowing the source to integrate in a more balanced way with other tracks while recording.

The Podcast Factory bundle includes software that easily lets users of any level record and edit program material such as speech, add music and sound effects, and post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. Users also get a collection of music loops in a wide variety of genres.

The Podcast Factory bundle is compatible with both Macs (Core Audio) and PCs (ASIO 2 and WDM – Kernel Streaming). PC minimum system requirements are Windows XP (SP1) running on a Pentium II 350 w/ 64MB RAM. Minimum requirements on the Mac are G3* 300MHz/G4* 350MHz with OS X 10.2.8 or greater and 128MB RAM. The Podcast Factory interface is just 5.5″ x 4.25″ x 1.75” (14 x 10.8 x 4.5 cm) and weighs in at a mere .45 lbs (.2 kg).

The Podcast Factory is expected to ship in November and carries a price of $179.95 MSRP.

More information is available at the M-Audio site.

M-Audio calls Podcast Factory Deluxe “a complete podcasting solution”. Included is an M-Audio MobilePre USB audio interface, two Nova condenser microphones with desktop stands, Ableton Live Lite 4 software to record audio and add a soundtrack to the recording and Red Square Podifier software to generate an RSS feed for posting to the web and user subscriptions.

Podcast Factory Deluxe offers users a step-up in quality and functionality from the original Podcast Factory product. The Deluxe version offers an interface with phantom power for the two professional condenser microphones and two headphone outputs for recording interviews. Also, the MobilePre USB offers users a new feature that allows for routing of VOIP services through the driver in order to record phone interviews.

“The Podcasting industry has experienced tremendous growth in the past year, and products like M-Audio’s Podcast Factory have paved the way for the average consumer to get involved,” said Ben Bajarin, analyst at Creative Strategies.

Pricing and Availability

M-Audio expects Podcast Factory Deluxe to ship in February 2006 with an MSRP of $299. M-Audio Podcast Factory is currently shipping with an MSRP of $179.

More information is available at the M-Audio site.

MacWorld Update: Apple

iLife ‘06 features iPhoto 6 with new printed books, calendars and cards, and Apple’s innovative new Photocasting for sharing photos over the Internet; iMovie HD 6 with new motion themes for adding spectacular production value to your movies; iDVD 6 for authoring custom DVDs for today’s widescreen TVs; and GarageBand 3, now the complete solution for creating professional-quality Podcasts. iLife ‘06 also introduces iWeb, a new iLife application that makes it easy to create websites with photos, blogs and podcasts and publish them on .Mac.

“This is the most exciting iLife upgrade ever,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Apple pioneered applications to serve our emerging digital lifestyle and then consolidated them into the iLife suite. With this major upgrade to iLife, we’re leaping even further ahead of anything available for the PC.”

iLife ‘06 introduces iWeb, a simple application for creating web pages, online photo albums, blogs and podcasts. The iLife media browser makes adding photos, movies, music or playlists as simple as drag and drop. Powerful editing tools make it easy to customize websites without having to know HTML. iWeb works seamlessly with other iLife ‘06 applications as a complete solution for creating photo albums, blogs and podcasts that can be published to the Internet with one click using .Mac.

iPhoto 6 offers improved performance, support for up to 250,000 photos and introduces Photocasting, a new way to share photos directly from within iPhoto via .Mac to friends and family. According to Apple, Photocasting is like podcasting for photos, where anyone can subscribe to a published photo album and automatically receive full quality photos directly within iPhoto 6 or on a PC. Pictures automatically update when the owner adds, edits or deletes a photo within the published album. Photos can be viewed with new full-screen edit and compare mode without menus or windows to distract from the image. Up to eight photos can be compared simultaneously and adjusted with a one-click image enhancements and effects panel. Professional-quality books, calendars and greeting cards are created easily by adding photos to Apple-designed themes.

iMovie HD 6 introduces revolutionary new Apple-designed motion themes that let users add Hollywood-style production value to their movies in minutes. Effects can be previewed without waiting with new real-time Core Video effects, while cinematic titling gives users flexibility to create incredible text effects. New audio enhancement tools and sound effects make movies sound as good as they look. Multiple projects can now be opened at once in iMovie HD 6 and clips can be moved among projects. iMovie HD is the easiest way to make a video Podcast which can be published with iWeb for the whole world to experience.

iDVD 6 allows users to take content shot with the latest HDV and widescreen DV cameras and author custom DVDs with widescreen menus, movies and high resolution slideshows that fill every inch of the newest widescreen TVs. iDVD 6 features 10 new Apple-designed menu themes in both widescreen (16:9) and standard (4:3) formats. iDVD 6 themes include new autofill drop zones to make customizing menus even easier. In addition, iDVD 6 can burn using compatible third-party DVD burners. iDVD 6 also includes new Magic iDVD, the easiest way ever to make a DVD. With just a few clicks, users select a theme and choose their movies and photos, Magic iDVD then automatically creates a complete DVD that’s ready to burn.

GarageBand 3 has been updated to be a complete solution for creating professional quality podcasts. Voices can easily be recorded and enhanced with radio-style sound effects and music jingles, chapter artwork and URL links. Talk show podcasts are created easily by interviewing one or more guests simultaneously in iChat AV and recording directly into GarageBand 3. Podcasts can be posted for the world to enjoy on .Mac and submitted to iTunes using iWeb. In addition, a new video track makes it easy to create music to score iMovie projects.

Pricing & Availability

iLife ’06 is now available for a suggested retail price of $79 (US) through the Apple Store, Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The iLife ’06 suite of applications will be included with all new Macs. iTunes version 6.0.2 is currently available as a free download at www.apple.com. .Mac is available as a subscription-based service for $99.95 (US) per year for individuals and $179.95 (US) for a Family Pack which includes one master account and five sub accounts. Anyone can sign up for a free, 60-day .Mac trial from www.mac.com.

For $4 per month, artists can host their music on iCompositions. It will be put into a podcast so fans can download the songs to their computers and iPods automatically.

Every podcast is submitted to the iTunes Music Store.

iCompositions is a community for users of Apple’s GarageBand and other Mac music-creating applications. With nearly 20,000 songs shared, it is a resource for musicians to get feedback on their music, spread the word about themselves, find add-ons to GarageBand, and interact with other artists.

More information is available at the iCompositions site.

The software is popular with musicians and podcasters looking for a free, open source audio editing environment. Several features will be especially interesting for podcasters, including FTP uploading, transcription tools and batch processing.

New features

• Collapse/Expand Tracks – every track has an upward-pointing triangle at the bottom of the label area on the left side of the track. Click it once to collapse the track to a very small size, and click it again to expand it back to its previous size.
• Multiple clips per track – in Audacity 1.3, you can split a single track into multiple clips. You can move these clips around between different tracks, making it easy to construct complex compositions out of hundreds of smaller audio samples.
• Selection Bar – In Audacity 1.2, the current selection is contained in a status bar at the bottom of the window. In Audacity 1.3, this is replaced by a fully functional Selection Bar, which displays and controls the current selection (your choice of Start and End, or Start and Length), and the current audio position. The selection bar is fully editable – just click in any field and type to change the current selection precisely. In addition, many formatting options allow you to view times in different units, such as samples, CD frames, or NTSC video frames.
• Improved Label Tracks – Label Tracks are much improved, with support for overlapping labels, and support for modifying both the left and right edge of the label region just by clicking and dragging.
• QuickTime and Audio Units on Mac OS X – Audacity can now import any audio file supported by Apple’s QuickTime technology. This includes .MOV and .MP4 (AAC) files. Encrypted audio files (such as those from the iTunes Music Store) cannot be imported directly into Audacity – Apple does not allow this to be done easily because it would be too easy to circumvent the encryption this way.
• Better performance with large projects – 1.3 now uses a hierarchical directory structure that results in better performance on large projects (tens of hours worth of audio across many tracks)
• Project integrity check on open – When you open an Audacity project in version 1.3, it checks to make sure that all data files are present.
• Transcription toolbar – A new toolbar for creating transcriptions of speech in Label Tracks. Includes features that enable you to change the playback speed, create labels automatically based on onsets, and more. To enable this feature, go to the Interface tab of the Preferences.
• Upload via FTP – Audacity 1.3 has an experimental new dialog for uploading files to a server via FTP. Currently it is just a simple FTP client; in the future we will integrate this feature into Audacity more so you can publish a project directly to a site as a Podcast, for example.
• Batch / CleanSpeech – Audacity has a new feature that allows you to process a bunch of files, for example normalizing and converting to MP3. The CleanSpeech mode provides a simplified interface for some standard adjustments typically made on speech recordings. You can access these features in the Batch tab of the Preferences dialog.
• Cut lines – When this feature is enabled (in the Interface tab of the Preferences), cutting audio in the middle of a clip does not remove it permanently – at any time in the future, just click on the cut line to restore it.

The Audacity site warns that “Audacity 1.3 is an unstable, beta version of Audacity. Users who want a completely stable, finished program should be using Audacity 1.2. Audacity 1.3 has hundreds of new features, but some features may be incomplete or confusing, it is more likely to crash, and you are more likely to lose data.”

Both versions are available for download at the Audacity site.

“This is not Internet radio for geek,” said Andrew Leyden, CEO of PenguinRadio. “This is Internet Radio for geek’s moms and dads.”

Users plug in the device to their home network, office LAN, or regular telephone line and connect to the PenguinRadio central database of radio stations and podcasts from PodcastDirectory.com. The radio automatically connects to the Internet and starts streaming media from broadcasters and podcasters around the world. Within seconds, the device with PenguinRadio’s database of stations can be operating with the simplicity of a clock radio.

“This device is part of a growing trend of freeing Internet content from the shackles of the computer. PenguinRadios’s Solutions radio opens up a whole new world of listening for non-computer users – classical music from Vienna or Moscow; sports from Rio De Janeiro or New York; news from London or Hong Kong ; and even multi-faith religious services from around the world,” added Leyden.

The Web Radio device was designed in the Netherlands for church-goers who wanted to listen to daily sermons, but were unable to navigate the complexity of a personal computer and streaming media. There are currently nearly 15,000 Web Radio devices operating throughout Europe.

“There are over 250 million radios in the US homes and one day every radio will work this way,” predicts Leyden. “Internet radio devices will be as common as FM in a few short years, and there will be a large market for radios of all styles and price ranges .

“We felt one of the first markets that needed to be reached was not ‘first adapters’ but ‘first time users’ and have come out with a simple and practical device that fits their unique needs. This device is as plug and play as we could make it and built in a non-complicated and non-threatening design. We plan to introduce legions of new listeners to podcasts and Internet radio,” said Leyden.

The Web Radio is $239 and is available via the PenguinRadio site.

At the heart of Podcast Factory bundle lies the Podcast Factory audio interface with microphone preamp. This 2 x 2 mobile audio interface delivers professional audio fidelity up to 24-bit/48kHz. The first of two audio channels is a dedicated XLR input for the included dynamic microphone, complete with gain control and signal LEDs. The ¼” input on the second channel toggles between instrument and line levels to accommodate a wide variety of signal sources. Audio outputs take the form of dual RCAs and a front-panel 1/8” stereo headphone jack that share a common level control.

Direct hardware monitoring provides for synchronized overdubs, with the In/PB knob determining the monitor balance between input and output signal. For additional monitoring flexibility, the Mono switch sends the input signal equally to the left and right channels, allowing the source to integrate in a more balanced way with other tracks while recording.

The Podcast Factory bundle includes software that easily lets users of any level record and edit program material such as speech, add music and sound effects, and post MP3s with RSS feeds to the Web. Users also get a collection of music loops in a wide variety of genres.

The Podcast Factory bundle is compatible with both Macs (Core Audio) and PCs (ASIO 2 and WDM – Kernel Streaming). PC minimum system requirements are Windows XP (SP1) running on a Pentium II 350 w/ 64MB RAM. Minimum requirements on the Mac are G3* 300MHz/G4* 350MHz with OS X 10.2.8 or greater and 128MB RAM. The Podcast Factory interface is just 5.5″ x 4.25″ x 1.75” (14 x 10.8 x 4.5 cm) and weighs in at a mere .45 lbs (.2 kg).

“Podcasting is a major phenomenon, spurred in no small part by Apple’s iTunes initiatives,” says Adam Castillo, marketing director at M-Audio. “The Podcast Factory provides a comprehensive solution for producing professional podcasts for applications as diverse as personal broadcasts, music promotion, corporate training, virtual seminars, education and more. Podcast Factory allows anyone with a message to easily create podcasts that incorporate the production values of radio-quality broadcasts.”

The Podcast Factory is expected to ship in November and carries a price of $179.95 MSRP.

* native USB port required; G3/G4 accelerator cards not supported.

via: Podcasting News

Gemini

The iKEY will allow the user to record live music, live speeches/seminars, radio, karaoke, transfer a vinyl collection to MP3, or record music to an MP3 Player hard drive.

To use the iKEY, simply connect a cable from your headphone jack or any other output source to the RCA inputs, connect to a USB flash drive or mass storage device, select the desired digital audio format, and hit record. The iKEY lets you choose whether the audio will be converted into MP3 format (with a choice of a 128, 160 and 256kbps bit rate) or the lossless WAV format. Never before has a portable device allowed you to do this without extra hardware and software.

The iKey lists at $229.99.

For more information, visit the Gemini DJ site.

“Apple is taking Podcasting mainstream by building it right into iTunes,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Podcasting is the next generation of radio, and users can now subscribe to over 3,000 free Podcasts and have each new episode automatically delivered over the Internet to their computer and iPod.”

The new Podcast Directory in iTunes 4.9 features over 3,000 free audio programs, making it one of the largest Podcast directories in the world, with favorites such as ABC News, Adam Curry, BBC, Clear Channel, The Dawn and Drew Show, Disney, Engadget, ESPN, Newsweek and NPR member stations such as KCRW in Los Angeles and WGBH in Boston.

iTunes enables anyone to quickly and easily find and subscribe to their favorite Podcasts so that every time there’s a new episode, it’s automatically downloaded to their Mac or PC and Auto-Synced to their iPod. iTunes also makes it easy to manage multiple Podcast subscriptions with simple organization and display by episode and date. Starting today, iPods will offer an easy to use Podcast menu, including bookmarking within a Podcast and the ability to display color Podcast artwork.

iPod and iTunes are leading the digital music revolution. With over 15 million iPods sold as of March 31, the iPod is the world’s most popular digital music player, and the iTunes Music Store is the number one online music store with over 430 million songs purchased and downloaded worldwide.

Marantz Professional has introduced high-resolution PMD671, the latest in the lineage begun with the PMD670. Like its predecessor, the PMD671 records to Compact Flash cards, has no moving parts, and offers multiple recording modes, long record times — up to 36 hours of stereo recording on a 1 GB Compact Flash card — and long battery times — up to six hours with standard AA alkaline batteries.

Designed for the demanding user, the PMD671 offers a long list of professional features such as Virtual Third Head (VTH) confidence monitoring, Time-Shift Playback, which allows the user to back up and listen to passages while continuing to record an event, XLR microphone inputs with phantom power, built-in condenser microphone, RCA line inputs, USB 2.0 connectivity for ultra-fast audio transfer to a PC, and an optional wired remote.

More than just a simple update of the PMD670, the PMD671 takes Compact Flash field recorders to new heights by providing high-resolution recording capability. The unit is capable of 24-bit, 96 kHz PCM recording for unrivaled audio quality; a 1 GB Compact Flash card can provide up to 30 minutes of record time at high-resolutions. New microphone preamps have been designed for the PMD671 to take advantage of the unit’s unparalleled audio fidelity.

Highlights

• 24-bit, 96 kHz PCM capable for unrivaled fidelity
• “Virtual Third Head” for confidence monitoring
• Read-after-write capability for random access playback while recording
• No moving parts-no maintenance
• Built-in USB 2.0 port for ultra-fast, easy file transfer to PC
• Records uncompressed 16 and 24 bit PCM .wav files at 44.1, 48, 88.2 or 96 kHz
• Records mono .mp3 files at 64 kbps
• Records stereo .mp3 files at 128 kbps
• Uses inexpensive, widely available Compact Flash media (CF)
• A 1 GB CF card can hold almost 30 minutes of uncompressed stereo (24 bit, 96 kHz)
• A 1 GB CF card can hold almost 90 minutes of uncompressed stereo (16 bit, 44.1kHz)
• A 1 GB CF card can hold over 17 hours (stereo) or 36 hours (mono) .mp3
• 4 to 6 hour battery life with standard AA alkaline batteries
• Two XLR mic connections with +48v phantom power
• Dramatically upgraded microphone preamps
• RCA line I/O
• Built-in monitor speaker
• Optional RC600 wired remote control with peak indicator
• Future timecode upgrade planned.

More information is available at the D&M site.