This small, portable mixer might be just the thing for a beginning podcaster or musician who wants to quickly record some tracks. The USB interface means you can easily connect it to Windows or Mac computers and use Garageband or Audacity to record. If you are working “on the road” a small mixer like this can be wonderful as it packs easily and still provides most of the features you might need.

If you think you might require recording with multiple microphones or added inputs, this might not be the mixer for you, but if, like myself, you are recording a 1 person podcast, it could be an excellent addition to your podcasting kit.

More 2012 Gift Guide Items: Continue reading →

New Media Gear 002: Richard Cleveland of Naked Ape Productions

December 9, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the second installment of a new series here on Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange — New Media Gear. I started collecting information for this series by posting a question in the Facebook Podcasting Community Group — “What equipment to you use?” I know that I like to know what others are using — and finding useful — in their New Media work and ways that it might make my work a bit easier. Over the next several weeks I will highlight a podcaster in each post and let your know what equipment they find useful and provide links to where you can pick it up yourself. — Douglas

New Media Gear 002: Richard Cleveland of Naked Ape Productions

Richard produces a number of shows including Popcorn Lobby: The Real Movie Discussion Show, Between the Pages: A weekly comic book and geek culture review show and a new show, PodcastU, just for podcasters like you.

Here is some of the equipment that Richard is using to produce his shows. He passed along this information via the Facebook Podcast Community Group. You can ask your questions and find lots of podcasting discussion there.

If you have any questions about Richard’s podcasting equipment, please drop them in the comments.

New Media Equipment:

Previously on New Media Gear:

Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

2012 Gift Guide: Blue Microphones Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter/Mic Preamp

December 9, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Blue Microphones Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter/Mic Preamp

This is another piece of podcasting and audio recording gear that was mentioned during the PodcastU episode I was part of last Thursday. The Blue Icicle allows you to convert any standard XLR connected microphone into a USB microphone that can be plugged directly into your computer. This a great way of providing some flexibility in where and how you use your microphones. It also allows you to start off with the more standard XLR mics so that you don’t have to upgrade from a USB only mic as your podcasting work grows.

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2012 Gift Guide: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

December 7, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

I was part of a PodcastU Roundtable last night and the audio techies in the group sang the praises of this microphone for beginning podcasters. The ATR2100USB is an interesting hybrid of new and old. Beginning podcasters can use it as a USB mic, connecting it directly to their computer for recording, but the mic also functions as a traditional XLR mic for connecting to a mixing board. The other members of the Roundtable complimented it audio quality while also praising its ability to switch between standards.

The ATR2100 is a dynamic microphone, so if you are struggling with an environment with a bit of background noise, this might serve you better than a larger condenser mic like the Blue Snowball and Yeti I featured earlier in the gift guide.

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2012 Gift Guide: Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone

December 5, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone 4/4s/5

If you use you iPhone for your New Media and Podcasting project, the Olloclip can give you more flexibility in the type of photos and video you shoot. This snap-on lens includes a Fish Eye, Wide Angle and Macro lens in one package. Simply clip it onto your iPhone and start shooting.

You can find example photos and video on the Olloclip web site.

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2012 Gift Guide: RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

December 4, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

Over the years I have owned several RAM Mounts and I highly recommend them. I have had mounts for my old Garmin GPS, my iPhone 3G and my iPhone 4. These are both suction cup units which hold the phone to the windshield. I also have a mount on my bicycle which can also use the car mounting arm.

RAM has mounts for nearly any cell phone, GPS, iPad, computer and any situation including cars, motorcycles, bikes, boats, aviation, kayaks and much more. If you need to use your devices no matter where you might be, check out RAM Mounts.

New Media folks will find a wide selection of camera mounts from RAM for all their “action footage” needs. Timelapse photographers can also benefit from sturdy mounts that can be attached in less-than-hospitable places.

The RAM Mounts web site includes an online “RAM Mount Wizard” that can step you through assembling the appropriate mount for your device and situation.

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New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

December 2, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

This is the beginning of a new series here on Careers in New Media/New Media Interchange — New Media Gear. I started collecting information for this series by posting a question in the Facebook Podcasting Community Group — “What equipment to you use?” I know that I like to know what others are using — and finding useful — in their New Media work and ways that it might make my work a bit easier. Over the next several weeks I will highlight a podcaster in each post and let your know what equipment they find useful and provide links to where you can pick it up yourself. — Douglas

New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

I figured I might as well start out with my own equipment in this series, as old as it might be. As a wise person once said, “if it isn’t’ broke, don’t fix it!” My equipment works well for what I do and while I might be looking for an upgrade here and there, my gear is adequate for now.

If you have any questions about my equipment, please drop them in the comments.

You can hear and see this equipment at work in my podcasts My Word, A Gardener’s Notebook, Career Opportunities, Careers in New Media and TechnologyIQ at DouglasEWelch.com

New Media Equipment:

2012 Gift Guide: Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

December 2, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

These versatile, flexible tripods are in the kits of many photographers and new media creators. Using a tripod is one way to make all your photos and video look tremendously better, so it only makes since to take one with you when you go out to shoot. The GoriallaPod series has flexible legs that can be used like a traditional tripod, but also wrapped around other surfaces, like handrails, seatbacks and more to put your camera where you need it most.

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Subscribed 014: Frieda’s Garden

December 1, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Frieda’s Garden

I met Frieda back in the days of the old Seesmic Video Conferencing service. We were both pretty active and often found ourselves in discussions throughout the day. Frieda is also an avid gardener and regularly posts to here YouTube Channel. As with all the posts i the Subscribed series, I am subscribed to her on YouTube and regularly watch her videos. We are both in the Southern California area and that helps, too, as we are experiencing similar climate and conditions.

Join Frieda in her garden today!

Watch all of the videos in Frieda’s Garden on YouTube and subscribe yourself, too!

What are some of your favorite Subscriptions? Share them here in the comments!

Previously highlighted on Subscribed:

2012 Gift Guide: Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

November 30, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

Podcasters and other New Media folk spend long hours with headphones on, so quality and comfort are import. Fellow podcaster, Tee Morris, pointed these out in a recent Facebook thread on podcasting equipment. Tee is a novelist, co-writer of Podcasting for Dummies and a pioneer podcaster, so I tend to take his advice whenever it is given. I am looking for a new, decent set of headphones myself and these might fit the bill.

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2012 Gift Guide: Desktop Microphone Stands

November 29, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Desktop Microphone Stands

Most podcasters need some sort of desktop microphone stand for their work. Full-sized mic stands don’t work really well if you are recording at your desk, like I do. I highlighted some microphone boom arms earlier in the gift guide, but I wanted to link to a couple of desktop stands for those that are looking for a different setup.

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2012 Gift Guide: Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan

November 24, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Podcast Solutions

Everything you need to know about podcasting, written by fellow LA Podcaster Dan Klass and podcast pioneer, Michael Geoghegan.

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2012 Gift Guide: Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

November 22, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Olympus PEN E-P1 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

I purchased this camera back in July of 2011 in preparation for a a family trip to Sicily. I knew I had made the right choice when people started commenting on the first photos I posted to my blogs. While their are more capable — and more expensive — cameras you can buy, the balance of price vs. quality in the EP-1 is great. The optics and depth of field alone dramatically improve the quality of your photos above a typical point-and-shoot camera.

The Auto mode of the camera allows anyone to pick it up and use it, but with program modes, and even full manual, settings, you can begin to experiment with all the settings of the camera to take dramatic photos. I also use the camera to shoot video for my YouTube/Podcast series. It only shoots 720p video, not 1080p, but the superior optics make it the best 720p possible.

You can see many example of the photos I have taken with the camera — and videos, too — by checking out any of my blogs at DouglasEWelch.com.

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2012 Gift Guide: Rode Podcaster Microphone

November 20, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Rode Podcaster USB Dynamic Microphone

The Rode Podcaster is a very popular microphone among both podcasters and YouTube video producers. It has a deep rich sound that makes nearly anyone sound better and more professional. This USB mic plugs directly into a USB port on Windows or Macintosh computers so no mixing board is necessary.

The Rode Podcaster also has an innovative work around for one of the downsides of a USB mic. Due to the design of a USB mic, you cannot monitor yourself i.e. listen to yourself using headphones, as you can with traditional mic and mixing board combinations. This is due to the fact that there is a delay caused by the computer processing the signal directly. The Rode Podcaster, though, includes an earphone jack directly on the microphone itself. From this you can monitor yourself as you speak without any delay being inserted. A nice touch.

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2012 Gift Guide: Apple iPad/iPad Mini

November 19, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Apple iPad and Apple iPad Mini

Much like my experience with my Apple iPhones, I find that the iPads work simply, work well, and are robust computing devices that allow you to accomplish a lot with a device much smaller than a PC or laptop.I think the iPad is an excellent choice for those people who neither want, nor need, a complete PC. In some cases, a Windows or Macintosh PC is more complexity than the user needs, especially if they are doing the typical tasks of email, reading and web browsing.

Like the iPhone I mentioned earlier, the iPad is an even more capable studio in your hands. With Garageband you can record and edit audio wherever you need to be. The newest iPad allows you to not only take HD 1080p movies, but then use iMovie to edit those movies and then send them online to YouTube. A tablet like the iPad can be a great additional to any New Media producer’s toolkit.

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2012 Gift Guide: Apple iPhone 5

November 18, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Apple iPhone 5

I am a very happy use of Apple’s iPhone products. I have a 3G, an iPhone 4, an iPhone 4s and soon, an iPhone 5. All of the past phones have been passed down to other family members over the years and, at risk of jinxing myself, I haven’t broken a screen yet.

I am a Mac users for many years now, and I find that iPhone carries the same benefit at as my Mac. As I describe it to my friends and my clients, “The Mac/iPhone works the way that I do.” I understand it. It integrates well into my work flow and daily life and, for me, it works well overall as a piece of ubiquitous technology. it allows me to be productive no matter where I am, which is very important when you are a freelance consultant like myself. I can grab a few minutes with email while I wait outside a client’s house, or sit in a coffee shop and catch up on the latest news and events over my Cafe Americano.

The iPhone 5 can be a New Media production studio in your pocket. You can record audio, shoot and edit video, upload to YouTube and blog the results.

To sum up, it works for me. It might work for you. Check it out!

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2012 Gift Guide: Zoom Portable Recorders (H1, H2, H2n, H4n)

November 17, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Zoom Portable Recorders (H1, H2, H2n, H4n)

For a long time now, Zoom has produced a wide product line of recorders which are nearly perfect for podcasters and other New media producers. Whether you go with the entry-level Zoom H1 or up the product line to the Zoom H4, you will find high quality recording capabilities with a wide variety of options in mounting, microphones and file formats. All record to some form of SD card for expandable and replaceable storage so recording everything from an hour long interview to short scenes for your next film are quick and easy.

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2012 Gift Guide: Microphone Boom Arms

November 15, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Microphone Boom Arms

I have wanted one of these as long as I have been podcasting, but I have never made the purchase, It would make my recording life a lit easier, as it would clear desk space from the current desktop microphone stand I use now, It would also work better with the Google Hangouts and other video shows I am doing, as it is easier to get it out of my face while still being close enough to record well. Oh well, maybe this year!

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2012 Gift Guide: Blue Yeti Microphone

November 13, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Blue Yeti Microphone

Another great USB microphone from Blue. Like the Blue Snowball microphone mentioned earlier in the Gift Guide, this mic connects directly to the USB port on your computer — either Windows or Mac. The Yeti gives a full, rich sound and is compatible with all the typical New Media uses such as video conferencing, podcasting and recording voice or music. The Yeti is very popular with podcasters and live streamers and can often be seen in these productions. I think its classic styling, unlike the futuristic look of the Snowball make it more popular for video production. Its design harkens back to an earlier day of broadcasting.

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Elsewhere: Camera pan with a mechanical Kitchen Timer

November 12, 2012 by Douglas E. Welch

Can you make a camera pan using a cheap mechanical kitchen timer? Instrucable member, mikeasaurus, did. A cool, relatively low-tech way of allowing you to create smooth pans which you can turn into time-lapse photos. His example here was created by shooting video and speeding it up in the editing process. If you had intervalometer to trigger the camera shutter, you could create more traditional time-lapse videos.

Links to his post and some sample video below.

wind up camera pan by mikeasaurus

[…]

Using a regular point-and-shoot digital camera I set the camera to video and wound up my timer. Here’s some footage I compiled with my camera pan, these videos were taken over about 10 minutes and sped up to show the slow pan effect:

[…[

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Careers in New Media

Helping to Build New Careers in New Media

Category Archives: Production

2012 Gift Guide: Behringer 302USB Premium 5-Input Mixer

New Media Gear 002: Richard Cleveland of Naked Ape Productions

2012 Gift Guide: Blue Microphones Icicle XLR to USB Mic Converter/Mic Preamp

2012 Gift Guide: Audio-Technica ATR2100-USB Microphone

2012 Gift Guide: Olloclip 3-in-1 Lens for iPhone

2012 Gift Guide: RAM Vehicle Mounts for iPhone (and nearly any other device)

New Media Gear 001: Douglas E. Welch – Career Opportunities Podcast

2012 Gift Guide: Joby GP1-A1EN GorillaPod Flexible Tripod

Subscribed 014: Frieda’s Garden

2012 Gift Guide: Sennheiser HD-280 PRO Headphones

2012 Gift Guide: Desktop Microphone Stands

2012 Gift Guide: Podcast Solutions by Dan Klass and Michael Geoghegan

2012 Gift Guide: Rode Podcaster Microphone

2012 Gift Guide: Apple iPad/iPad Mini

2012 Gift Guide: Apple iPhone 5

2012 Gift Guide: Zoom Portable Recorders (H1, H2, H2n, H4n)

2012 Gift Guide: Microphone Boom Arms

2012 Gift Guide: Blue Yeti Microphone

Elsewhere: Camera pan with a mechanical Kitchen Timer