This episode is a bit shorter than normal due to the fact that I am currently out of town for days on a trip with my family. We left on Friday, June 24th and stopped in Nashville, TN where I will help my friend, Dan Miller, hook up some new podcasting gear that he has purchased for his podcasting studio.

We then traveled to Orlando Florida where our family has spent several days visiting Disney World and Universal Studios theme parks. On Thursday, which should be the day that this episode goes live, we will head toward North Carolina to visit the Biltmore Estate and will wrap up our trip by spending the Fourth of July weekend in the Smokey Mountains.

It’s hard for someone like me to leave my business for ten days. I have already had many people tell me that this is a well deserved trip with all the hard work that I’ve been doing lately. I know that my wife and kids certainly deserve my time, energy and attention that they are getting from me. So I hope you don’t mind this very short episode that I prepared ahead of time for you.

In this episode I discuss the following:

• Dean’s Ebook Sale Experience
• Andy’s Edirol Audio Level Question
• Taking Your Show To The Next Level.
• Steve’s feedback regarding JewelBeat
• A reminder about my Podcasting A to Z Course

Podcasting A to Z Update:
The following is a list of examples of what previous Podcasting A to Z participants have accomplished as the result of going through this five weeks of training. Please note that the web design is a work in progress for many of the students who just completed the May course.

• Joel Boggess’ 11th Episode – http://goo.gl/o8fPn
• Paul Nolan’s 1st Episode – http://goo.gl/tWRM9
• Glen Steinson’s 1st Episode- http://goo.gl/9Z38n
• Stacy Westfall’s 6th Episode – http://goo.gl/lH8wS
• David & Paula Foster’s 60th Episode – http://goo.gl/iczKW
• Ian Westfield’s 1st Episode – http://goo.gl/Nk9N5
• Steve Vale’s 1st Episode – http://goo.gl/c2E8O
• Anne Reinhardt’s 3rd Episode – http://goo.gl/FsJLQ

If you, or someone you know, is looking to successfully launch a podcast, I hope you will consider joining my next Podcasting A to Z online training course that will start Monday, July 11th. Please check out http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/atoz which contains full details of this course.

I’m offering everyone that is on my mailing list a discount on the cost of the course. That brings the cost of the five week course to 0. To take advantage of this discount, please sign up for my mailing list at http://PodcastAnswerMan.com/mailinglist. Once you have received the confirmation that you have been added tot he mailing list, send me an email to Cliff@PodcastAnswerMan.com and I will respond with a discount code that you can use.

PODCAST CONSULTING: I’m available for one on one podcast consulting and coaching. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. I’m able to demonstrate using screen sharing technology during our call which makes it just like I was there sitting next to you at the computer. If you are interested, email me at Cliff@Ravenscraft.org or call me at 859-757-1399.

Subscribe To The Podcast Answer Man Podcast:

Podcast Answer Man – Focused on Podcasting & New Media

Jobs are being lost at 25,000 small businesses in California today due to a new law passed by the California Legislature. The new legislation is part of the budget package recently approved by the California Assembly and Senate. The legislation is an attempt to get Amazon to collect sales taxes by claiming that independent affiliates who choose to promote Amazon on a pay for performance basis create nexus for Amazon.

The Supreme Court has ruled that it is unconstitutional for States to force out-of-state retails to collect sales tax. California is trying to bypass this rule by claiming independent companies create a nexus for Amazon. It will likely end up in the courts, but not before lots of people lose their jobs.

The only thing that could turn this around is if Gov. Brown comes to his senses and vetoes the bill.

My condolences to all who have lost a job or a livelihood today.

Below is a copy of the letter being sent to Amazon’s California Affiliates:

Hello,

For well over a decade, the Amazon Associates Program has worked with thousands of California residents. Unfortunately, a potential new law that may be signed by Governor Brown compels us to terminate this program for California-based participants. It specifically imposes the collection of taxes from consumers on sales by online retailers – including but not limited to those referred by California-based marketing affiliates like you – even if those retailers have no physical presence in the state.

We oppose this bill because it is unconstitutional and counterproductive. It is supported by big-box retailers, most of which are based outside California, that seek to harm the affiliate advertising programs of their competitors. Similar legislation in other states has led to job and income losses, and little, if any, new tax revenue. We deeply regret that we must take this action.

As a result, we will terminate contracts with all California residents that are participants in the Amazon Associates Program as of the date (if any) that the California law becomes effective. We will send a follow-up notice to you confirming the termination date if the California law is enacted. In the event that the California law does not become effective before September 30, 2011, we withdraw this notice. As of the termination date, California residents will no longer receive advertising fees for sales referred to Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com. Please be assured that all qualifying advertising fees earned on or before the termination date will be processed and paid in full in accordance with the regular payment schedule.

You are receiving this email because our records indicate that you are a resident of California. If you are not currently a resident of California, or if you are relocating to another state in the near future, you can manage the details of your Associates account here. And if you relocate to another state in the near future please contact us for reinstatement into the Amazon Associates Program.

To avoid confusion, we would like to clarify that this development will only impact our ability to offer the Associates Program to California residents and will not affect their ability to purchase from Amazon.com, Endless.com, MYHABIT.COM or SmallParts.com.

We have enjoyed working with you and other California-based participants in the Amazon Associates Program and, if this situation is rectified, would very much welcome the opportunity to re-open our Associates Program to California residents. We are also working on alternative ways to help California residents monetize their websites and we will be sure to contact you when these become available.

Regards,

The Amazon Associates Team

New Law Causes Amazon to Terminate California Affiliates is a post from: Digital Podcast

Digital Podcast» Digital Podcast focuses on using new and social media to build real businesses.

We hear from ESPN MLB Insiders Rick Sutcliffe, Jon Sciambi and Buster Olney, Soccer Analyst Alexi Lalas, Senior NFL Writer John Clayton and MLB Analyst Dave Winfield….
Podcast Bunker Top 20

Sponsored by BSW. Voiceover, Broadcast Recording, Pro-Audio and New Media Gear is here…

Audition CS5.5. Mac OS X gets to run a classic multi-track editor and recorder.

Do you use a Mac or PC to edit audio? If the answer is Mac, your choice for multi-track recorder/editors just grew by one.

Anyone who has listened to NewMediaGear knows that I’m an Audition (formerly CoolEdit) fan. Audition isn’t the only multi-track choice for either platform. The choices abound. Some of them are good and some …not so much. Many editors are somewhere in the middle, as solid, well thought-out accomplishments. So, what is it about Audition that brings people back – again and again?

I’m convinced that Audition is more than the sum of its programming. People either learn, teach themselves or are taught on a specific editor (insert almost any name) at the beginning of their musical or media life. If we’re audio professionals, we spend a LOT of time with this program. As time goes on, it just gets comfortable. When I started in radio, our solution to editing didn’t involve a computer, but a splicing block. Times certainly have changed.

One of the early GUI options that really made a splash in radio production studios was CoolEdit. CoolEdit worked well and got the job done without getting in the way. CoolEdit was borne of musical and sound studio aspirations, possibly surprising the folks at Syntrillium to find how quickly it was adopted in mainstream media. Evident today, is the fact that Audition feels at home in both venues. I’m simply looking through broadcast colored glasses.

After acquiring Syntrillium software, Adobe* set out to tweak Audition. Many worried that it was over and things would never be the same. Of course, things never stay the same; but Adobe nurtured Audition instead of trying to change it. As time went on, Audition blossomed. Adobe made the amazingly smart move to tighten-up the code, add features slowly but never lose sight of that Audition ‘look and feel.’ As a result, an old CoolEdit user could sit down with the latest rendition of Audition and feel pretty comfortable.

The moment Audition was released, rumors began to fly about a Mac version. Many OS X devotes kept a PC around just to run Audition. While trying a myriad of recorder/editors on the Mac platform (it seems as though I tried them all), none of them were as comfortable as Audition. The same feeling of frustration echoed throughout the net. Entire sites and forums were built, hoping Adobe would port Audition to the Mac.

Welcome to 2011. Faint rumors became audibly louder until the words ‘alpha’ …and finally beta programs became a reality. Audition for the Mac? It seemed to be happening and many PCs were sent packing.

With the release of Adobes newest Creative Suite, comes Audition CS5.5* – available for Windows or Mac!

Our last few shows have been recorded using Audition CS5.5 on the Mac. The best part is that I can move seamlessly between Mac and Windows. Features? There are quite a few tweaks and updates; especially effecting performance and addressing multi-core processor distribution. I’ll be posting and tweeting much more about features, and how they can help with voiceovers and broadcast production.

Right now, the best part is that I can wheel around the desk, using different versions of Audition on different platforms without skipping a beat! More to come…

*Adobe, Adobe Audition and Creative Suite are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated

Haven’t joined our facebook page yet? …be sure to click the link below!

NewMediaGear facebook page. Check it out!

Studio1A is Powered by Panamax…

Studio1A BlueMax Lighting by full spectrum solutions…

Drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

NewMediaGear

MPs’ verdict on Greek cabinet soon/Abyei deal/Obama impersonator…
Podcast Bunker Top 20

If you didn’t know, Father’s Day in the US is coming up next Sunday, June 19, 2011. Need a great gift? Think audiobooks.

I’m a Dad and I love audiobooks, so I thought I would share my top 10 recommendations based on my listening the past year. Just so you know, I like tech stuff, interesting business, action, thrillers and good reads. The list is short of classics, but everyone of these books will keep your Dad interested and listening.

The Big Short by Michael Lewis

This is for the business oriented Dad’s out there. Michael Lewis tells the fasinating story of how the banks, regulators, rating agencies and hedge funds caused the big Recession. I think everyone should listen to this book and you will have a much better understanding of who screwed up the world economy. Warning, you might be mad after listening to this book, but at least you’ll be mad at the right people.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

This audiobook is for the Stephen King fan. It is the first book in King’s master series called The Dark Tower. The story is dark, troubling and well told. I really enjoy King’s work and the The Dark Tower is worth the the time and listening effort. This book is just the beginning, but it will get your Dad hooked on Stephen King.

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand

This book was really compelling. In this true story, the WWII hero of the book goes through the unimaginable and survives, only to have to do it over and over again. You find yourself wondering how things can get worse and they do. But Louis Zamperini, remains resilient and unbroken, and ulitimately finds the peace of redemption. Well written, well read. At times it will break your heart, but it’s a story worth knowing.

Do The Work by Stephen Pressfield

This is for the creative Dad; the author, programmer or artist who must overcome the forces of resistence to find way to Do the Work. The book shows resistence for what it is, and provides inspiration to do battle with the Resistence Monster. It’s short, but really enjoyable.

True Grit by Charles Portis

What can I say? Did you see the movie? Now listen to the story, and your Dad will enjoy it all over again.

The Passage By Justin Cronin

This is a big book and a big sci-fi, thriller story. The scientists have created something monsterous, man is almost wiped out and must fight to make a come back. The story line may seem familiar, but this is a really good telling of the story. I read this first as a book and enjoyed it so much I got the audiobook version to listen to the performance all over again.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

The first in a well written trio of books. Action, mystery and some wierd but interesting charactors. It’s a good audiobook for Dad’s that just need a fun escape from the real world.

Daemon by Daniel Suarez

This was the book that got me started on audiobooks. Dad’s who like facebook and action thrillers will enjoy this twist on a dangers and benefits of a networked world. It’s fun and there’s a sequel your Dad will want too.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell always finds a twist, something right there in plain site, but often unseen. In this book, Gladwell explores outliers in performance. Is there something that can explain why some people are just exceptional at some things? Gladwell does a nice job exploring the issue. I especially enjoyed the connections between when your kids are born and there chances of doing well in a particular sport depending on the cut off dates for different age groups.

In The Plex by Stephen Levy

Another one for the tech Dad. In The Plex goes undercover at Google. It explores what may be the most important company in the world and how it works. It reveals the unapologetic culture that has come to rule so much of the internet. You get to see Google turned inside out.

So there you have it, my list of audiobook recommendations for Father’s Day. Hope you find something great for your Dad.

10 Audio Books for Father’s Day is a post from: Digital Podcast

Digital Podcast» Digital Podcast focuses on using new and social media to build real businesses.

Hosts: Paul Thurrott and Leo Laporte Is Leo wrong about Windows 8?, what MS should do about Apple’s…
Podcast Bunker Most Current Podcasts

I started this episode off by sharing something that has been on my mind as the result of watching the The Voice. The idea of simply making a point to really enjoy yourself behind the microphone. Too many people forget to just let go and let your passion lead you. Attitudes are contagious and you want to invite your audience to have a great time listening to your show. It’s hard to invite your audience to join you in the fun if you are not having fun yourself.

I shared that there has been a lot going on here at the PodcastAnswerMan.com site since last week’s audio podcast episode number 211.

I posted the video of my BlogWorld NYC session. I share my thoughts on how I feel about releasing this as an hour long video episode of Podcast Answer Man.

I posted the video interview that I did with Rick Calvert, CEO of BlogWorld: http://podcastanswerman.com/rickcalvert. I hope that podcasters will pay close attention to the things that Rick shared. I would love to see a ton of podcasters at BlogWorld LA.

Note: Zen Runner called in some amazing times for shooting a single camera interview.

I shared a very long blog post titled “First Client to get Pi$$ed Off Since I’ve Started Consulting/Coaching.” I would love it if you would be willing to go to that blog post and please leave a comment about whether or not you listen to podcasts, watch YouTube videos, or read blogs. And if you could please let Marcus know your age, or appox age, I am trying to convince him that the average listener to our podcast is not 35 and younger.

Video blog post on my new Affiliate Program for Podcasting A to Z. It demonstrates and amazing example of good affiliate marketing strategies from David Gardland of TheRiseToTheTop.com
You can find the video blog post by CLICKING HERE

Shawn Roberts is having issues with iTunes descriptions showing code on some of his episodes. I think it may be a plugin issue.

John Wilkerson asked about some of my thoughts on following people on Twitter when using an accout setup for the promotion of your podcast.

I was very happy to include my interview with Farnoosh Brock from ProlificLiving.com. I hope that you are inspired by her story of leaving her successful, full-time career in IT to pursue her own passion through self-employment. She has a great deal of valuable insights that I think many people need to hear about not turning your blog/podcast into a business, but as a tool for building relationships around it. I highly recommend that you follow Farnoosh and see where her journey takes her. I follower her on Twitter via @ProlificLiving.

PODCAST CONSULTING: I’m available for one on one podcast consulting and coaching. Whether you want someone to get everything set up for you or you just need a little help along the way, I’d love to work with you. I’m able to demonstrate using screen sharing technology during our call which makes it just like I was there sitting next to you at the computer. If you are interested, email me at Cliff@Ravenscraft.org or call me at 859-757-1399.

Subscribe To The Podcast Answer Man Podcast:

Podcast Answer Man – Focused on Podcasting & New Media

The Power of FOX News on Radio! 6/7/2011….
Podcast Bunker Most Current Podcasts

Sponsored by BSW. Voiceover, Broadcast Recording, Pro-Audio and New Media Gear is here…

New-look microphone from a trusted name. The Sennheiser MK4, shown with and without the optional spider/shock mount.

The ‘UNFLASH’ Link, just for our Apple Listeners!

It’s pretty hard to stand out in a crowd of professional microphones these days. Somehow, Sennheiser has managed to turn a lot of heads with their first side address large diaphragm condenser – the MK4.

The MK4 is a stark contrast to microphones that add on the features. This mic is all business. A nylon type pouch is included along with a basic mount. The MK4S spider type shock mount is optional, but I found that handling noise and low frequency resonances were not a problem.

No switches or mic-mounted adjustments. Simply plug it in and supply phantom power. As you’ll hear in our demo, the mic has a nice mellow sound, mimicking a good studio dynamic. If this German made mic holds up to some rough handling, I could easily see it as a cost effective condenser replacement for radio or live stage.

We also started using an audio measuring stick of sorts in trying out microphones. After trying out hundreds of microphones, some of them indeed start to sound alike. I used what we’ll call the “Reasonably Priced Microphone” to start the show and then introduce the star. Doing this will set a baseline for comparison. For me, this comparison helped tremendously in describing the character and sound of the mic at hand.

Enough with the typing. Let’s listen in and hear what, may possibly be, a future classic from Sennheiser. Meet the MK4…

Haven’t joined our facebook page yet? …be sure to click the link below!

NewMediaGear facebook page. Check it out!

Studio1A is Powered by Panamax…

Studio1A BlueMax Lighting by full spectrum solutions…

Drop me a line with comments, thoughts and suggestions:
mark at newmediagear dot com

NewMediaGear