My Episode 1
Alas, I'm still working on it! I ran in to a lot of technical challenges. The part that went well was selecting a microphone (the Zoom H4N) - there's a lot of information on the web, and several good videos and even podcasts on how to select a podcast microphone. I wanted a "field microphone" that could be used to interview people, but also be used by me in the studio - the Zoom H4N fit the bill (and Dana's advice helped!). Shopping at Guitar World in San Mateo was easy, and they matched the Amazon price, so I threw in a 2-year service plan.
The part about recording a rap session between two people was also straightforward - I just set the microphone down between them, and let them talk. Yes, there are room noises, but that's part of the atmosphere. The challenge here is to edit it all down to 5 minutes or so. On a 13-inch screen, it's hard to "see" enough of the sound to edit easily.
The hardest part is figuring out the use of the microphone and the GarageBand together - there is some information out there, but not nearly as specific as I needed. There's so many menu options, and without understanding the terms, it's a "shot in the dark" trying to figure out what's the way to do it. Monstrous feedback; getting sound out of the mic but not into the headphones; figuring out what the mysterious GarageBand buttons do - YIPES! So, progress being made, but not yet sharable...
Another success - the loops in GarageBand provide enough options to choose an intro and outro, and ducking it down when the vocals begin worked fairly well.
So, I'm almost there. OH - writing a script really really helped. I've revised it a dozen times, but I surprised myself with how helpful it is to stay on track. I have to remember the Audacity to Podcast advice: don't go for perfection, just do it!
You're on the right track, Martha!
It's very exciting to see your work come alive. I do understand your frustration. This happens a lot even to pros like me when a new "upgrade" comes out or one wishes to try a different editing program than one is used to.
It can be mind-boggling, so this has been a big learning curve, but just know that if you stick with it...it will get easier. When something works for you and you know it, stick with it and don't do the upgrades. That's what gets people into trouble (this is just for future ref as I know you're getting the hang of it now.
I look forward to hearing your episode!
Dana