Podcasting Equipment Update

Podcasting Equipment  Update

Introduction  

Below I'm giving some links to some basic podcasting equipment which will enable anybody with a computer and the internet to get going. Since I  last posted something on podcasting some months ago I've managed to get the budget for a couple of Marantz PDM 660 semi professional audio recorders. They are semi professional because they record to compact flash cards which have a higher spped of data transfer rate than SD cards. The other main feature is that they have phantom power and XLR microphone inputs which should allow you to use them with unpowered condenser microphones. I have to say I have been very unsuccessfu l with this using the Rode NT2 mic and their Broadcaster mic.

On this basis I would recommend using microphones with their own battery power source as a safer bet. I haven't had a chance to research these properly, however, Sony used to have a good mini-jack input one with battery power apparently used by the BBC. This would be very useful with the new Marantz digital recorders I have just ordered. Which I am providing links to below. I have also spotted some useful looking gaming headsets from Sennheiser which look just the job and the students might have fun using those and Audacity. 

The Marantz PMD 620 Stereo Recorder

According to one online retailer: The main features of the Marantz PMD 620 include (I suspect that nobody has invented a 2 terrabyte SD card yet but dream on):

• Powerful and feature-laden Portable Audio Recorder that accepts up to 2 TB (my emphasis)SD Flash memory cards
• Records WAV audio in 44.1/48KHz at 16 or 24 bit resolutions
• Records direct to MP3 at three different quality levels
• Includes 2 internal condenser mics, a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) external mic input, and a 3.5mm (1/8 inch) line input
• First Marantz recorder to use SD flash memory with support for cards up to 2 TB
• One-touch record engagement with red highlight illumination
• OLED display for low power consumption
• Powered by 2 AA batteries
• Configurable screen with 2 font sizes
• Do basic non-destructive copy and paste style editing directly on the device
• Transfer audio to your PC via USB 2.0
• "Skip back" feature lets transcribers review audio recorded from 1 to 60 seconds previously
• Level and Peak LEDs
• Display can be set to show time remaining, elapsed time, or other important numbers

Transom.org do a thorough review:

I have recently discovered this very useful site whilst trawling for reviews of the Marantz PMD 620.

This is the Transom Home page .

Here is an image from the Transom Marantz review.  As always there are pros and cons, nevertheless I have gone for some. This review does make some useful things clear about microphones which may apply to the PMD 660 mentioned in the introduction. This review is a very thorough one and you are urged to read it if you are in the market for a digital handheld recorder.

An excellent feature of this review is that there are downloadable tests with some external microphones. The Marantz according to this review has the lowest level of background hiss Transom have tested for in the small handheld recorder range.  

Getting One For Xmas?

Getting this Marantz for Xmas is a tempting prospect. The advantage of it being a recorder with a headphone output means that there is a playback facility as well. With 1 GB SD cards now being very cheap it would be easy to take a few loaded with music around with you in MP3 or even Wav format. This beats even the iPod! 

Tripod mounting

Something which might come in useful is the ability to mount it to a tripod which could be useful in certain circumstances as the Transom review points out :

The 620 ships with a cradle with two connectors on the back: a belt clip and a standard photo tripod socket that allows the recorder to be mounted in a stable position. It's plastic and flimsy-feeling, but effective, and allows access to all important controls.

Audacity

I see that it's time to upgrade my version of Audacity  the free audio editing open source software. This software is an excellent package to start editing with and will fit especially well to the educational environment where low budgets are the norm. Students can also get a hands on feel for editing which combined with a USB headset - which many gamers will have anyway - can get you on the road to making your own content. There are versions available for Linux and Mac as well.

Find Audacity here 

Headsets

The last time I looked at headsets was several months ago when I ordered myself the USB Beyer MMX1. Since then I have noticed some models from Sennheiser which look as though they are more flexible. They have the facility to be used as a USB and with their own built in soundcard can be used with any computer even those without a sound card. The other thing is that they have an adapter so can be used with line input soundcards. I haven't tested them yet but in an educational environment where one might be swapping rooms and have an institution full of machines with different specifications this could be a powerful advantage.  

Sennheiser pc155 USB Stereo Headset Mac User Review from 2004 giving it a 5* review. This  appears to still be available one outlet had it for £61-95.

Below is a Sennheiser P166 Headset. The USB connection can clearly be seen. This can be disconnected and the headset can be plugged into normal souncards. With upmarket soundcards there may be better quality sound. 

Below you can see how neatly the cable is dealt with:

Apparently these headphones can be found for £60 - £90 so look hard before you buy. Trusted reviews is positive at prices below £70 in terms of value for money. Techgage too was also generally positive recommending the use of a good soundcard for better quality. 

Behind the Neck Multimedia Headsets 

Some users may prefer to wear their phones / mic combination behind the neck rather thanover the head. In which case the Sennheiser pc 145 multimedia set is a possible choice. For Mac users there is a version specifically designed for Mac.

Rapid technological developments

It can quickly be seen that the market place for equipment to create user generated content is rapidly improving all the time. Thye euipment is also becoming easier to use and cheaper. This is helping to fuel the revolution which is turning the media world if not upside down then putting the media moguls on the back foot.

We certainly are living in the midst of a mass media revolution  in which the 'mass' part has changed from being relatively inactive consumers to active producers of content which can often challenge or very effectively complement the professional organisations. This is genuine competition for the media companies and they are being forced to adapt!

: 16 Dec 2007 18:26 |  Tags: Audacity Recording Software Digital Audio Recorders Kinoeye Marantz Pmd 620 Marantz Pmd 660 New Media New Media Technologies Open Source Software Podcasting Podcasting Equipment Sennheiser Headphones |  Comments (0) |  Close comments |  Report a problem

Podcasting. Equipment and Associated Advice

Links for Podcasting Equipment and Associated Advice

Introduction

Please note that this site takes no responsbility for any of the advice given on any of the blogs which are connected here. It is strongly suggested that you use all normal caution when proceeding with advice from any one blog and double check.

There is a similar warning with equipment. In independent research I have read that the latest Marantz digital recorder is very good. I am aware that the educational users from one large well established leading intitution were going to upgrade their current recorders to Marantz ones although they cost twice as much as the ones currently being used.

My understanding is that the quality of recording and ease of use makes them far more productive and the build quality makes them far more rugged and reliable in the field. This would suggest that educational institutions or media companies would do well to use the Marantz straight away as it is likely to save money over the longer term. (I have just discovered a very detailed review of the Marantz).
(23/12/06).

At the time of writing (December 2006) this is appears to be the benchmark recorder to measure other ones against including Marantz’s own more expensive ones.There are a number of blogs below which review this machine and compare it with alternatives. Any final analysis needs to consider how often the machines will be used and under what conditions being wieghed agaianst the available budget.

For individuals there are a range of MP3 players out there which can do recording. If you are on a limited personal budget one of these may be the most sensible place to start. this is not least because it is worth you gaining experience before committing yourself to a big outlay.

The old adage of ‘you get what you pay for’ is usually a good rule of thumb. I usually find with most products that the mid market level is the bst place to start. You usually get very disatisfied with the limitations of the cheapest equipment whilst the most expensive often has little used bells and whistles on which may be useful for full-time professionals but for the average user provides little benefit for the extra cost. when it comes to practical media equipment build quality and reliability are worth more than extra tweaks.

The equipment sites and blogs were collected at the beginning of December. As web 2 is very dynamic this is by no means a comprehensive list but provides you with a portal into the world of podcasting. Now enjoy yourselves :-)

Various Equipment Sites and Blogs

Please note there is no order of priority here it was just how I followed up the searches adding links along the way. Some are blogs and some are equipment suppliers.

Robert Toole’s comment below alerted me to this supplier: Solid State Sound. This is a useful supplier as the items are annoted in a non-tech comprehensible way with clear advice where one item might be more appropriate than another. The link takes you to the edible looking Nagra Recorder. More budget ones are in the sidebar. (Please note this comment should not be taken as a recommendation of either product or supplier).

For a view of the Marantz PMD 600 Digital Audio Recorder

http://jdfrey.wordpress.com/tag/podcast-audio-equipment/
Podcast Audio Equipment « Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s

http://geekswithblogs.net/jjulian/archive/2005/01/17/20243.aspx
Podcasting Equipment Collected

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.asp?p=413667&seqNum=3&rl=1
Creating a Podcast > Equipment

http://www.k-m.de/www-k-m-de.1.0.html?&no_cache=1&L=1
Home: K&M – König & Meyer GmbH & Co.KG

http://www.k-m.de/Products.3+M56cc267c591.0.html
Microphone Stands: K&M – König & Meyer GmbH & Co.KG

Broadcast & Podcast gadgets

http://www.podcastbunker.com/Podcast/Podcast_Products/Podcasting_Equipment_The_Microphone/
Podcast Bunker.com – We only list the very best podcasts

http://www.behringer.com/UB802/index.cfm?lang=ENG
MIXERS / POWERED MIXERS – UB SERIES MIXERS – EURORACK UB802 : Ultra Low-Noise Design 8-Input 2-Bus Mixer with Premium Mic Preamplifiers
http://www.podcastblaster.com/podcasting-equipment.html
Podcasting Equipment – PodcastBlaster.com

http://www.podcastvoices.com/?gclid=CPjN4_6Q_4gCFQJPQgodhTbpAA
It’s time to listen to the internet | PodcastVoices.com
http://www.siteslab.org/workshops/podcast/?q=node/29
Podcasting Equipment – drupal

http://jdfrey.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/portable-recording-equipment-for-your-audio-podcast/
Portable Recording Equipment for Your Audio Podcast « Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s Bloghttp://jdfrey.wordpress.com/2006/12/05/podcasting-offers-new-avenue-for-reaching-students-alumni/
Podcasting Offers New Avenue for Reaching Students, Alumni « Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s Bloghttp://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=757&ParentId=114
Roland U.S. – R-09: WAVE/MP3 Recorder

http://jdfrey.wordpress.com/2006/10/05/successful-podcasting-in-education-at-the-university-level/
Successful Podcasting in Education at the University Level « Jeffrey Daniel Frey’s Bloghttp://www.thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com/
thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com – information on thewhyandhowofpodcasting.com
http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
MediaWiki – MediaWiki
http://blogs.msdn.com/jbristowe/archive/2005/10/07/478207.aspx
John Bristowe’s Weblog : The Podcasting Equipment Has Arrived…
http://www.eschoolnews.com/eti/2005/06/000885.php
Ed-Tech Insider: Podcasting equipment roundup

: 16 Dec 2006 08:55 |  Tags: A Level Media Studies Digital Audio Recorders E-Learning Kinoeye Marantz Pmd 660 New Media New Media Technologies Podcasting Podcasting Equipment Web 2 |  Comments (6) |  Close comments |  Report a problem