I’ve postponed writing about microphones for several reasons. First, there are hundreds of different microphones suited for all kinds of situations, from vocal music to kickdrums to broadcasting and more. Also, microphones can get expensive, and not everyone has the same budget. So there is no right voiceover microphone for every person and situation. However, I’ll try to present a simplified view of microphones.

At the upcoming STC Summit, I’m presenting a session called “Developing a Personal Voice in Audio.” In this presentation, I’ll explain how to “deliver video tutorials with a friendly, personable voice by implementing several audio techniques common to professional voice talents and sound engineers. One way I prepare for presentations is by writing a series of blog posts about the topic. So over the next … more »

A couple of months ago I created some documentation on Joomla for some web admins using Joomla to build country sites. After delivering the documentation, the users needed something more visual, so I set about creating screencasts. I created 30 screencasts to match the tasks in the documentation (which I transferred from InDesign to Mediawiki). I then integrated the screencasts with the various pages of the … more »

Below the Line: Podcasters report their top 3 podcasting tips – part 1

Creating video tutorials is no trivial task. When you sit down to create 20+ video tutorials for a project, you’re faced with dozens of questions. What screen size should the videos be, what recording tool should you use, what microphone is best, how long should the videos be, what file size is acceptable? Should you use voice or captions? Where will you create the recording? … more »

Interviewing experts is one of the easiest and most practical ways to generate material for your podcast. Although many people think the difficult part of podcasting is the audio setup and production, actually pulling off a good interview requires more art and skill. I know I’m not the best interviewer, but I’ve learned at least 10 tips from the 60+ interviews I’ve conducted for my … more »