RSS 
Email 
Twitter
Facebook
The podcasts I record for I'd Rather Be Writing cover the latest trends in technical communication. I interview tech writing luminaries around the world as well as record STC presentations and other audio content. You can subscribe to podcast specific feeds using the subscription information below.
Podcast page in iTunes
Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections
May 19th, 2007 | Posted in Podcasts 12 Comments »
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Download MP3
Duration: 18 min.
I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference).
Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both presenters and attendees. To download the podcasts, right-click the download links and select Save Target As (Internet Explorer) or Save Link As (Firefox). Note: If the player stops working on the site, refresh your browser.
I was not allowed to record the actual educational sessions, so I did these interviews in the convention center, hotel lobbies, restaurant, expo, book signing area, walkway, and park areas. Let me know what you think of these conference-casts by posting feedback in the comments below or by sending me an e-mail.
Please let those who did not attend the conference know about these podcasts. If you could mention this site, www.idratherbewriting.com, on your chapter listserv, SIG listserv, other listserv, blog, or website, I would appreciate it. Thanks.
Tom Johnson
tom@idratherbewriting.com
[...] I posted about three dozen podcasts from STC Conference over at Tech Writer Voices. All are short interviews (5-10 minutes in length). Many thanks to all my supporters who contributed to the podcast financially. I was able to upgrade to some much better equipment, and it shows in the recordings. For more details on these STC Conference podcasts, see this overview/explanation podcast. [...]
[...] recorded this overview/explanation podcast using the method I just described. After recording it, I noticed that I could hear every breath I [...]
Hi Tom
This was a nice overview to kick off the listening to 34 podcasts. It was also a nice overview of the entire podcasting process re: equipment.
It sounds like this equipment that ran about $100 could be used to record in an “ordinary” meeting room in a building with a speaker presenting to an audience. It doesn’t sound like there is really a lot of work to processing the file after the recording. Have I understood this correctly? If so, I’m off to get someone I know to listen to this podcast and then go shopping.
That’s the spirit! For a good sense of the difference of equipment listen to the first 5 minutes of this Neil Perlin podcast. The intro I recorded with the Zoom H4, and then we recorded Perlin with the Olympus Digital Recorder. There is a stark difference, but it’s not unbearable.
STC Atlanta recorded their speaker with an Olympus Digital Recorder, and you can listen to it here..
Jack Molisani happens to have a near-perfect voice for recording, so it’s very pleasing to listen to.
So yes, for $100 you can walk out of Radio Shack (do they have these chains in Denmark? — please tell me no) with something workable. Make sure the lapel mic is something you can clip on the collar area of your speaker.
Then before your speaker starts, really try to get the speaker to repeat the audience’s questions. I’m going to make a big sign that I hold up when our speakers forget to do this.
If you want to capture the audience’s questions along with the speakers, you’ll need a more sophisticated setup. I’m going to start using the Zoom H4 to try to capture both. It would be relatively easy with a couple of mics — one mic is on a stand on a lectern where the speaker presents. Another mic is attached to a longer cord that runs to a side aisle where the attendees must go to ask questions. Both mics are attached to the Zoom.
The problem is, attendees resist that second mic like it’s a disease. They want to ask their question immediately, and they’re usually to far nestled in the chairs to easily get up.
Another problem is if the speaker wants to start walking around — then the stationary mic on the lectern doesn’t work so well.
I could use the Olympus to attach to the speaker, then use the built-in mics to pick up the audience’s questions (and every other room noise), and then lay the two tracks together in sync, but that’s not ideal.
Or I could use the Zoom and point it at whoever is talking — probably the best option. I’ll have to experiment with this more.
With the Olympus, your post production isn’t as easy — the recording isn’t so clear, so if you levelate the audio, it intensifies static.
With the Zoom, the levelator works much, much better. The higher quality audio is easier to isolate and balance.
Sorry for the long-winded comment.
No worries – no Radio Shack here. Due to taxes and stuff, this type of thing can be pricey here. This request applies to someone in the US however, so he can use Radio Shack.
I like your idea of a big sign to get the speaker to repeat questions. I should add that I really like your comments in advance about sound quality. Your carcast had ups and downs, but I was better prepared for it – and it wasn’t at all like the “empty” patches on the Susan Burton podcast. Advanced comments are cool.
I have heard the Doug Kaye (?) podcast about the Gigavox Levelator. It was made just when it was about to be born. It seems like quite an amazing tool.
Your long-winded comment is just fine. All the more to help out! Thanks.
[...] Check it out! While looking through the blogosphere we stumbled on an interesting post today.Here’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 5 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] I’d Rather Be Writing wrote an interesting post today on Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and ReflectionsHere’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 6 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] I’d Rather Be Writing wrote an interesting post today on Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and ReflectionsHere’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 6 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] I’d Rather Be Writing wrote an interesting post today on Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and ReflectionsHere’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 6 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] I’d Rather Be Writing wrote an interesting post today on Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and ReflectionsHere’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 6 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] I’d Rather Be Writing wrote an interesting post today on Podcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and ReflectionsHere’s a quick excerptPodcasting at the STC Conference: Reasons, Methods, and Reflections May 19th, 2007 Tom Posted in podcasts | 6 Comments » Download MP3 Duration: 18 min. I interviewed about three dozen people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis this year. If you scroll down and look at the last 34 podcasts published on this site, you’ll see that they’re tagged with STC Conference or Leadership Day (which is part of the conference). Each podcast is short, about 5-10 minutes. Interviewees include both pre [...]
[...] learned a lot when I interviewed 20 people at the STC Conference in Minneapolis last year: people who don’t have much to say don’t say much. An amazing [...]