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Back to Thinking About Podcasting Studios

Alesis MultiMix 8 USB Podcast setup left side ...

Audio equipment has a special passion for us for some reason. None amongst our numbers are musicians per se, but the interest remains.

As you may know, the Android Buffet podcast is also a project of the Weneca Media Group, the unofficial parent of Gadget Wisdom and a few other sites. Much of our sound equipment collection is based on serving the needs of that podcast…and actually consists of three basic studio models.

  1. The Home Studio – This is a permanent installation…well, as permanent as we get
  2. The Mobile Studio – This is the single-person mobile studio, designed to fit in a carry-on bag.
  3. The SELF Studio – Used only once, at the SouthEast Linux Fest, this was enough equipment to do a multi-person show live.

Everything continues to evolve each time we assemble it for a trip. The requirements we have are simple.

  1. A co-host and/or guest, coming in over the Internet.
  2. A mostly live to tape performance…editing a podcast is a pain…so we quickly gave it up.
  3. Live audio streaming.

Video sounds like a lot of fun, at least as fun as doing audio. However, the amount of work and cost required to do video is exponentially higher for less of a return. Many podcasts do video as merely an extension of audio. You end up with talking heads, which is sometimes interesting, but not quite worth the effort.

Streaming, when coupled with a live chat room, is a great thing. Many shows offer both of these, and it has become essential to our podcast model. We started out hosting ourselves, but now use a third-party Icecast server. It’s running right now, running repeats. Tune in at androidbuffet.com/live.

The issues come in designing the equipment to run this. We tried slaving everything through a single computer, but using an analog mixer meant connections went into the computer and back out again, which was also confusing. So, ideally, each function should have an independent system.

  1. Co-Host/Outside Audio
    • This has been done by a computer of varying processing capabilities as well as an old Android phone.
  2. Streamer
    • There is no Icecast streamer for Android(volunteers to port it, anyone?)
    • Tried using a Raspberry Pi, but there were some issues. Will be revisiting this with the new 512MB Pi.
  3. Recorder
    • This has been another computer, but also a dedicated hardware recorder which supports line-in and records to SD cards for easy and quick editing.

Part of the problem is, of course, Linux. There are some limitations in Linux compatibility and software. But we aren’t changing that, or using a hardware mixer. Everything else is up for grabs.

More specifics to come, but would appreciate suggestions to simplify this, while maintaining the quality and ease of recording.

Published on December 26, 2012
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Review: Xenyx 302USB

71dvr0Ij1GL._AA1000_On a recent trip, we needed to reassess our recording priorities for an episode of the Android Buffet podcast. The podcast records every week, and we didn’t want to miss an episode.

With the increasing costs of baggage for air travel, it makes it hard to bring a large amount of equipment. That is where this little item comes into play.

The Xenyx 302USB is a USB powered mixer that is four inches by five inches, and fits in the palm of your hand. Not only is it USB powered, but it provides a USB audio interface to a computer.

This makes for a useful way to merge in sources, as Android Buffet is recorded live-to-tape….or mostly unedited. It makes it easier to merge in a microphone and a few sources on the fly, as there aren’t many of them.

Surpisingly, the Xenyx 302USB provides phantom power, which we have yet to test.

There were some complaints about hiss, but we didn’t experience any large amount of it. In the end, this item satisfies a simple need.. There are very few products this small that offer basic mixing at this level.

And for a list price of fifty dollars, it is certainly an addition to your portable recording arsenal. At home, you may want something better.

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Published on December 23, 2012
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Feed Changes

English: This icon, known as the "feed ic...

To All RSS Subscribers:

Due to the recent uncertainty regarding the future of Feedburner, we are removing all redirects to Feedburner. All links on the site will now use local feeds. If possible, please update your subscriptions.

If not, the Feedburner feeds will continue to be maintained for as long as Google continues to offer the service, but we feel that self-hosting all feeds is the more prudent long-term move.

Feed: http://www.gadgetwisdom.com/feed/

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Published on October 7, 2012
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Kindle Thoughts: A Day Later

SANTA MONICA, CA - SEPTEMBER 6: Amazon CEO Je...

Yesterday, we quickly wrote up a few stories reporting the important details of the Amazon Kindle announcement. A day later, it is time to reflect.

Amazon has said it is about content. And they are. They started out as a bookseller, and despite being very technically adept, they’ve always used hardware as a way to move along their various content ecosystems. But we don’t quite believe them they aren’t being shrewd about the hardware too.

  • The base Kindle is now $69 with offers. We had thought it might go as low between $30 and $50, but at $69 it is still in the impulse buying range. It is almost disposable.
  • The Kindle Paperwhite is $119 with offers. It incorporates Amazon’s latest screen improvements, including a new lit design that allows for night reading as well as better contrast during the day, and still with amazing battery life. (8 hours). The 3G version is $179 with offers.
  • In the case of all three, to disable the offers is an additional $20.

So, let’s talk about a few things in the e-reader family before moving on to the Fires. Text to speech, a formerly touted feature, is gone on all Kindles(the Keyboard is still being sold, but that is legacy).

This appears to be because they will be offering Audible/Kindle book bundles in the future. To be honest, an e-reader really doesn’t need audio capability, and few people wanted to hear a book read using text to speech. More would prefer a human. So we’d imagine there wasn’t much interest in the feature, although vision impaired individuals are likely trying to figure out what they will do.

The Kindle DX is dead. No surprise there. A larger e-ink screen has its place, but there wasn’t sufficient interest.

Moving on to the Fire Line.

  • Kindle Fire(2nd generation) – $159. This is basically the same as the old Fire, but boosts the performance, memory, and battery life, also adds stereo speakers.
  • Kindle Fire HD – $199/(16GB), $249(32GB) 1280×800 resolution compared to the Fires 1024×600, Dolby Audio Speakers, dual-band/antenna wi-fi, bigger battery and more sensitive touchscreen.
  • Kindle Fire HD 8.9 – $299(16GB), $369 (32GB) – 1920×1200 display with anti-glare technology, faster processor
  • Kindle Fire HD 8.9 4G – $499(32GB), $599(64GB), adds 4G LTE and the option of a $50 a year 250MB data plan.

Some interesting facts about the new Fires.

  • Cloud Drive Storage included
  • Ads on the Lockscreen
  • Bing is the default search engine
  • Based on Android 4.0. Original Fire based on 2.3

A lot of the features that Amazon focused on were improvements to their content.

  • Whispersync for Voice, and between Audible books and Kindle books…this is just smart marketing. You can sell people the book twice by bundling them together and allowing them to switch back and forth.
  • X-Ray for Movies – They do own IMDB, and this allows them to use that data to make it easy for people to find more content…which they can now sell to you.
  • Kindle Serials – a serialized model for selling stories. A good move for a different product they can offer individuals as part of the book market.
  • Kindle FreeTime – Custom Profiles for users to restrict usage…an upgraded parental control
  • Whispersync for Games – Allowing you to sync your game data across platforms. Developers will have to build this in, but an API is likely out or will be.

There’s a lot there, but we can’t believe Amazon’s insistence that they want to be everywhere. The Kindle Fire has been out for a year, and yet there is still no native Android app for Amazon Video, and the Amazon Mobile app is not even tablet compatible. If Amazon wants hardware to advance content, they also have to release their software. The Kindle app, in varying qualities, is on everything. They should innovate features so that every device has access to the full range as soon as possible.

Then, they can truly be the indispensable source for content.

More on this in the future…but…who is going to order one of these?

 

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Published on September 7, 2012
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Bezos Surprises With Kindle Fire HD 4G LTE At $499, Data Plan Just $49.99 per YEAR

Just when we thought Jeff Bezos and Amazon were done rolling out products, they announced another. Saying that the most popular price point for tablets was $499, Bezos said they decided to see what they could provide at that price. The answer? A Kindle Fire HD with an 8.9 inch screen, 32GB of storage and 4G LTE cellular data. They will also offer a basic data plan which will give 250MB per month ,20GB of cloud storage and a $10 app store credit  for $49.99/year. This is not a lot of data, so presumably there will be other plans available, or the thought is the extra access is just intended to tide people over between wifi spots.
Published on September 6, 2012
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Kindle Fire HD- Amazon Moves Up The Tablet Chain, Still Starts at $199, Ships September 14

Ever since Amazon rolled out the budget Kindle Fire tablet last year, critics have complained about how underpowered the device is, about its small screen, and about it’s underwhelming features. Today, Amazon is moving up the tablet chain.

The company announced 2 new Kindle Fire HD tablets. The tablets, which will feature an OMAP 4470 processor from Texas Instruments, also is the first tablet to include dual stereo speakers with Dolby Digital Plus.. Amazon also brags that the device has dual antennas and the best Wifi support available. This technology, known as MIMO has higher speeds and longer range. Amazon claims the Wifi on the Kindle Fire HD is 41% faster than that on the iPad 3, 57% faster than Nexus 7. The device will start with 16GB of storage.  With better sound, wifi and storage, Amazon is clearly taking a big step in positioning this as the best media consumption device available.

Integrating their vast services together, Amazon is introducing WhisperSync for Voice which will synchronize your place in an audiobook with the accompanying ebook, and X-Ray For Movies will allow you to touch an actor on a screen in a movie to find out more about him. The device features improved email with Exchange support, a front facing HD camera, and integration with Skype. Amazon is also heavily promoting the device for gaming.

Kindle FreeTime feature allows parents to set limits on how much time their children can spend on various types of activities on the Fire HD.

There will be two versions of the device a 7 inch($199) and an 8.9 inch($299). The 7 inch version will ship September 14, the 8.9 inch will ship November 20.

How are they so cheap? Bezos says “We want to make money when people USE our devices, not when they BUY our devices”

 

 

 

Published on September 6, 2012
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Kindle Fire Refresh- Faster Processor, 2x RAM, Longer Battery Life, And Cheaper- $159

Amazon is really trying to own the budget tablet space, refreshing the Kindle Fire with better processor, more RAM, longer battery life, and at the same time, dropping the price from $199 to $159.
Published on September 6, 2012
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Kindle Paperwhite Will Ship October 1, $119 for Wifi, $179 for 3G

Amazon’s big Kindle event is happening right now. The highlight so far is the launch of the latest e-ink based Kindle, the Kindle Paperwhite. This is the first front-lit Kindle, but even with the light, it has 8 weeks of battery life. It also has a whitish

Cover of "Kindle Wireless Reading Device,...

screen background rather than the grey background of other e-ink Kindles. It will ship on October 1, $119 for the Wifi version, and $179 for the 3G version. No mention of ad-supported versions, or ad-free ones, so we assume that these are the “special offers” pricing. There is also a new “time to read” feature which will tell readers how much time it will take them to complete the chapter or book, based on their historic reading speed.  Amazon also refreshed its lowest price kindle adding some features,making it smaller, lighter and faster, and dropping the price from $79 to $69.  Still nothing free yet.

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Published on September 6, 2012
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Will Kindle Soon Be Free?

Slate technology columnist Farhad Manjoo insists that the Kindle wants to be free, and someday will be.

English: Latest Kindle (2011) showing Esperant...

The truth of the matter is…Amazon has been slowly reducing the price of the Kindle because their interest in its manufacture is the purchase of content, not the purchase of the device itself.

Personally, we’re skeptical about free…with the exception of bundling deals where it is part of a larger purchase. We think the base device will likely settle somewhere between $30 and $50, making it a basically disposable purchase.

Amazon is feeling more downward pressure because more affordable tablets are coming into the mainstream. Some people use these devices over the Kindle, many use it in addition to the Kindle. The e-ink Kindle offers incredible battery life, simplicity, and distraction-free reading. There will always be a place for it. And at a price point that is as close to free as realistic for Amazon to achieve.

Either way, the Kindle Fire is now sold out, as well as the Kindle Touch, and Amazon has an event scheduled for next week, where it is said we will see new Kindles.

What do you think?

 

 

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Published on August 30, 2012
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Amazon MP3 Drops Linux Support, Adds DRM-Lite

DRM Is Killing Music

As we’ve previously mentioned, we’ve been redoing our music collection. Now, after weeks of part-time ripping, and some cleanup, it is time to upload the music to various sites, as a test.

Amazon has discontinued its music downloader for Linux and is no longer allowing Linux users to download the .azw file for use with a third-party application. The AZW files are used to download an entire album when purchased.

This occurred concurrently with the rollout of their new Cloud Player product, which included one other fun feature. DRM. Not on the file level. Amazon proudly sells DRM-free MP3s, but to upload or download albums, you need to authorize your device. You are allowed a maximum of 10 devices, you can deauthorize a device and the slot will reopen thirty days later. This includes Android devices. If you don’t do this, you can only download albums one track at a time.

We wanted to see who else was pointing out that this is a DRM-like feature, and came up with an interesting analysis of same by The Leisurely Historian. His theories are: (Comments are ours)

  • Compromise negotiated with music labels over cloud player – This seems the most likely. But, is increased monitoring of download/uploads really an unreasonable restriction? We made a complete backup of all of our Amazon purchases locally and we can copy it anywhere(even back to Amazon Cloud Drive, ironically.
  • Back door to DRM – We agree that DRM on Kindle and Video has been good to Amazon. But they can’t reverse course on music. So, they’ve created this hybrid model to support keeping people in their ecosystem.
  • This is all about User Tracking – This is quite possible. We have the tab…”You listened to ___, people who listened to ___ also bought ____.” This is the classic Amazon upsell method of getting you to buy more, based on offering you things they think you will like.
Basically, Amazon wants people to use Cloud Player and the Cloud Player apps. This keeps people inside their garden. So, bad enough we are forced to boot up Windows, which we never use, to retrieve/upload our music…but there is no indication from Amazon that they plan to restore Linux support in the future.
Even if they do not want to write Linux apps, they could provide developers with an API to build support into their products, but third-party support is not what they want on any platform.
Just to be fair, the web player does work on Linux. And, while we gave them $25 for a year of service, it does not mean we will next year…although it would cost more to store the same amount as data on Amazon S3(although there is always Glacier). It is just disappointing.
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Published on August 27, 2012
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