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Podcasting Setup Update and the Shure SM7B

Posted on September 9, 2020

As I mentioned in a previous post outlining my new, improved podcasting setup I’ve been waiting patiently for the Shure SM7B microphone to arrive. Well, it arrived.

I’ve already set it up and recorded a new episode of The Flickcast with it. Expect that one soon. In the meantime, I’m happy to report that, to me at least, the mic more than lives up to the hype. In fact, it’s great.

It’s so great, in fact, I’m done looking. As in I will never use a different mic. Ever. I’m hooked.

Anyway, that’s it. Let me know if you have any questions about the Shure SM7B, my podcasting setup or podcasting in general. Happy to help if I can.

Oh, I should mention we recently launched a Patreon for The Flickcast. If you feel like supporting our show, I would really appreciate it.

Thanks so much and stay safe!

Podcasting And My New, Improved Setup

Posted on August 25, 2020

Even though I really did consider keeping my head down and trying to just “make it through” this time of COVID, turns out I couldn’t really do that. I’m not a “wait and see” type after all, but I guess I already knew that.

Instead, after due consideration, me and some pals decided to revive The Flickcast podcast and bring it back stronger than ever. Seems right. It was a good show. It can be a great show. We’re working on it.

I enjoy podcasting and I’m not sure why I stopped. Hard to say. Anyway, now I’m back into it and the first new episode of The Flickcast dropped this week. Give it a listen, and if you like it, tell a friend. Thanks.

Now with the promotional portion of our story over (for the moment at least) we are now on to to the actual topic of this post: my new podcasting setup. If you know me, you know I love gear. Gadgets. Tech. Stuff. And of course, I still love analog things too. I haven’t given those up, don’t worry.

However, it’s hard to do a podcast without some technology and really a podcast with all analog gear would just be, well, a live stage show, which is kinda a bad idea right now. So, tech it is.

Knowing I wanted to have much better sound quality this time around I decided to upgrade my podcasting setup and go for improved audio and an overall more professional show. I’m sure I can achieve at least one of those.

I’m still in the process of finishing some upgrades, but here’s the new setup for the moment:

My microphone of choice is a classic, the Shure Sm58. My eventual mic, the Shure SM7B, is currently on back order but should arrive soon. Until then, the SM58 is no slouch. It sounds really good.

I hang the mic on a Rode PSA1 boom arm attached to my desk to get it in the right position. The arm makes it much easier to adjust the mic and get it where it needs to be. It also gets the mic off of my desk, which improves sound quality and helps reduce those pesky vibrations and keyboard sounds. Plus, it just looks cool.

The SM58 is connected via XLR cable to one of the two inputs on my Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 box, which allows the signal to be converted to digital and recorded into Logic Pro X on my MacBook Pro via the Scarlett’s USB interface. This box does a great job and the audio sounds super clean. Such a great little device.

Also connected to the Sm58 in line between the mic and the Scarlett 2i2 is a mic activator called the Cloudlifter CL1. Those little blue boxes help boost the audio and make me sound even better. I could explain in more detail why the Cloudlifter is a great device and how it works, but this isn’t that kind of technical review. Just know it does a great job.

The Scarlett is connected to my MacBook Pro (more on that in a different post) via USB-C cable, which allows it to not only interface with the Mac but also be powered by it. So, no need to plug it into a wall outlet or anything, which is nice.

Finally, I record and edit audio in Apple’s Logic Pro X running on the previously mentioned 2020 13″ MacBook Pro with a 2.3 Ghz Quad Core i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. Not gonna lie, it’s a sweet machine.

I used Final Cut Pro for video editing for a long time so Logic seemed like a, well, logical way to go as the interface and workflow is similar to FCP. I did also try Adobe’s Audition for a bit, but I don’t really like renting software on a monthly basis, so buying Logic Pro once and being able to own seemed like a good idea.

At the moment, I don’t do much audio editing for The Flickcast as, thankfully, we have a great producer who does most of that (Hi Mike). But I like to learn new things so I’ve been studying and practicing with Logic Pro X. Also, The Flickcast isn’t the only podcast I’m going to be doing (more on that later too), so being able to edit and adjust audio will be good skills to have.

Oh, in addition to these things, you’ll also need some XLR cables and a USB-C cable. For XLR, I’ve always been a Mogami guy, so get those if you can. Sure, they aren’t cheap, but they last forever and do a great job. On less thing to worry about.

For USB-C, I usually won’t pay Apple’s prices and instead get cables from Anker. They’re just as good, if not better, and way less expensive. You will also want a pair of headphones for monitoring your audio when recording and for editing and mixing it afterward. Currently, I use the Sony MDR-7508, just like most everyone else. Hey, they work.

This wasn’t a real, in depth, review of these devices but I just wanted to give a little info on my new, improved setup in case people were interested. That said, if you have questions about any of this, feel free to ask. I think people should try to help others and spread the knowledge. We’re all in this together, after all.

If you want to subscribe to The Flickcast, you can find it at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, Stitcher and at the show’s website.

Review: The OneStep 2 Instant Camera from Polaroid Originals

Posted on November 12, 2017

The great people at Polaroid Originals, which used to be the Impossible Project, have come out with a new Polaroid camera called the OneStep 2 and new instant film to go along with it. I have one of the new OneStep 2 cameras and have been shooting with it for a couple weeks.

Now that I’ve had a change to check it out, I thought I’d do a review/first impressions article about it. This article will be relatively short, however, because I have almost all good things to say about the OneStep 2.

It’s easy to load and works right out of the box. Well, you do need to charge it first via the included USB cable, but then it works. You’ll also need film too, of course. You need to purchase that seperately.

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Going Analog

Posted on April 26, 2017

It’s no secret I love gadgets and technology, and products from Apple in particular. I’ve been a user and fan for as long as I can remember. But as great as gadgets and technology are, they’re not without problems. They can’t all be great, can they? No.

Some are crap for sure. Many of these devices or gadgets break, need updates or whatever at often the exact time you need them to work, which leaves you with no way to get done what you need to get done. Apple, at least, seems to do a pretty good job of putting out tech people want and products that, as they say, “just work.” But they’re not perfect either. The truth is, no piece of technology is perfect and it may never be.

I know. I’ve already said a lot of pro-Apple stuff here. But don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a pro-Apple or anti-technology article. I also won’t try to get you to switch to a Mac or iPhone. But I do have a few positive things to say on a related subject.

Put simply, I’ve re-discovered the joys of analog.

Even as a long-time tech devotee,  I’ve always used analog tools too. I believe they can co-exhist and compliment each other. I’ve written blog posts, articles, screenplays and more using a computer for many years, but I’ve always put things down on paper, in a notebook, using a pen or pencil first before I start banging away on the keyboard.

I’ve got notebooks full of the stuff in boxes. Recently, I was going through them in an effort to organize my office (after all, we did move almost two years ago so it’s past due), and I discovered something: I missed them. I missed my notebooks, my pens, my pencils and my paper.

The sad fact is I haven’t been writing much of anything lately. Being a father who stays home most of the time with a toddler has a tendency to stifle your creative flow. In a lot of instances I’d rather be catching up on sleep instead of doing any writing.

But that’s not all of it. There’s a lot of reasons not to do something and I’ve been good at finding most of them. Sometimes you just get into a slump. Consequently, I haven’t been writing much or using my analog tools.

But that changes now.

I’m going to embrace the analog and go back to my notebooks, pens and pencils. The spark, actually, was my return to film photography. It got me thinking. Then, going through my office I found the cache of pens, pencils and the notebooks I had spent years filling up. That was the rest of the inspiration I needed.

So, to kick things off, I’m starting a new journal project. My notebook of choice will be the Rhodia Webnotebook, which I will write in daily. To accompany said journal, it’s into the fountain pen and pencil drawer I go to retrieve my old friends the TWSBI Diamond 580AL and the Blackwing 602. I may bring other pens and pencils on this journey with me, but those two will be the main companions.

To help get the word flow started, I’ve decided to adopt this simple plan highlighted in an article I recently read. Unfortunately, I forgot to bookmark the link and now can’t give credit where credit is due. I wish I could.

If I find it, I’ll update this post. Or, if any of you know the origin, feel free to let me know in the comments so I can credit it.

The approach is simple. Ask yourself three questions in your journal every day. If you answer them, even in a few sentences, you will at the very least be writing every day.

What I’ve discovered is if I start answering the questions, I usually end up writing a few more pages beyond the simple answers. That may just be me, but I’ll bet if you try it, you’ll get similar results. And you’ll be writing.

Here’s the questions:

  1. What was accomplished? As in, what did you do today? Took out the trash? Read a good book? Had some great coffee? Made a new friend? Whatever happened, write it down. It doesn’t have to profound or life-changing, it just has to be something (or somethings) that you accomplished that day.
  2. What should not be forgotten? Did something really great and memorable happen today? If so, write it down. Did your baby crawl for the first time? Did you get that dream job you always wanted? Did you get to spend ten minutes just thinking and dreaming? If you want to remember it and never want to forget it, write it down. Years from now when you’ve maybe forgotten this day completely, you can open the journal, read all about it, and remember.
  3. What’s coming up? What are you doing tomorrow? Next week? Next month? Are you taking a trip, getting a raise, adopting a baby or going on a blind date? Write it down. Are you looking forward to something? What do you want to be doing in a year? Or, it can be as simple as reminding yourself that tomorrow is trash day.

Simple, right? Now all you need is a good notebook and a pen or pencil to get started. What are you waiting for?

 

Initial Reactions to the Amazon Fire TV

Posted on April 4, 2014

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As you may have heard, Amazon released the Fire TV this week, it’s own competitor to the Apple TV and other living room devices like the Roku. Because I’m a fan of all-things tech and love pretty much any excuse to check out a new gadget, I ordered one on the day of release.

It arrived yesterday. Over the last 24 hours I’ve had a chance to play with it a little bit and thought I would report my initial reactions.

The Fire TV ships in Amazon’s “Frustration Free” packaging, which is always a plus with me. I love how easy it is to get the box open, find all the pieces and start to get the device set up. The Fire TV box contains the device itself (a small, black box), a small power adaptor, a remote control with batteries and an instruction booklet.

It does not come with an HDMI cable, or any other way to connect the Fire TV to your TV. But that shouldn’t come as any surprise. Fortunately, I have a healthy supply of cables at home, so this was no problem at all. But don’t forget to buy one if you don’t have one already.

Physical setup was a breeze. Simply connect the power adaptor to the device and a power outlet, the HDMI cable to your TV and the device powers up and gets going. As you might expect, the first thing the device wants is an Internet connection. I decided to connect the Fire TV to my wireless network, mostly because I wanted to see how it handled streaming 1080p content that way.

Navigating through the device’s menu for connection to my wireless network was very easy using the included remote. The Fire TV found my network immediately and once I entered the password using the remote and onscreen keyboard, it connected the first time and I was online. So far, so good.

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Trouble Sleeping? It Could Be Your Gadgets

Posted on June 15, 2013

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How are you sleeping? Do you have trouble? It could be your gadgets.

In truth, I don’t know if anything from the handy infographic below applies to me or not. I do know I frequently use my iPhone, or one of my other gadgets, in bed right before I try to fall asleep.

I also know that I used to be able to sleep very well and make it all the way through the night with no problem. Now, not so much. In fact, these days, I occasionally suffer from insomnia and can’t sleep much at all.

So I have to wonder, is it my gadgets? Maybe so. To find out, I’m going to try a little experiment.

For the next few weeks I’m going to make a conscious effort not to look at my iPhone, laptop or other backlit gadget in the hour or so before I try to fall asleep. That also means I’m going to have to switch back to the older Kindle, without the backlight, if I want to read any books. Or, I guess I could just read an actual book. That would probably work too.

It may be difficult at first, but I think I’m up to the challenge. I’ll let you know how it goes. Now, where did I put my glasses?

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The First 24 Hours With iOS 7

Posted on June 11, 2013

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As promised, I’m back with more on Apple’s latest iOS offering, a “little” update known as iOS 7. Things started off a bit rough yesterday as I tried to get iOS 7 to install and activate on my test iPhone 5 (CDMA) in order to get to know it better. I was able to install the beta but then could not activate the phone. The result was, effectively, a bricked device.

Fortunately, I was able to boot the iPhone into DFU mode and revert to iOS 6. I actually ended up doing this twice due to trying alternative install methods using iTunes. One, the usual wipe and restore and the other an upgrade to iOS 7 over an existing install of iOS 6. Neither of these resulted in the iPhone going all the way through the activation process.

What finally ended up working was a wipe and restore using Apple’s development tool for iOS (and OS X) called Xcode. Using Xcode I was able to wipe and restore iOS 7 to the device and then, this time, the activation completed and I had a working iPhone. This was after several hours and went on into the night.

Consequently, I haven’t had a lot of time to get into the intricacies of the new OS. However, I did have a chance to play with it a little bit and following are my thoughts so far.

First (and this is a big one), I’m not sure I like the new look. Sure, the skeuomorphic aspects of iOS 6 are pretty dated and probably needed to go. I won’t miss the leather-bound elegance of the Calendar app or the simulated wood grain of iBooks. I’m just not sure iOS 7 is going in the right direction either.

In its present form, I find the font and lines around elements too thin and the colors too similar to be very distinct. In my several hours of use I’ve found myself clicking on the wrong thing or trying to slide something to the left or right that can’t actually be slid. Plus, the contrast between UI elements seems much more muted as well. When everything is flat and looks similar with similar colors and little contrast, it’s difficult to tell which elements can be interacted with and which can’t.

I find this especially true when using the new keyboard. A key with a thin black line around it over a light grey background is harder to hit, at least for me, than a key with a heavier line against a darker background. Contrast is good and not something to be scared of. Of course, more contrast makes things look less flat. I get that.

I also get that I’m not a designer, but I have participated in the design of many projects and supervised designers of various kinds over the years. I also know what I like and what I think looks good. And I’m not sure this color scheme and lack of contrast is it. Although, maybe it’s because I’ve haven’t spent much time with the Yahoo Weather app.

Yes, I know, Jony Ive is a genius and I can clearly see what he was going for with iOS 7. You only need to look at the man himself and see what his wardrobe looks like to know he’s not a fan of contrast. He prefers uniformity and order. And there’s nothing wrong with that. But that doesn’t mean his taste is the right taste for everyone. Some people might prefer things to be different. I might be one of those people.

As this is a beta, and an early one, many things also don’t work as expected or seem unfinished. This is especially true with a few apps I use regularly, like Gmail, that haven’t gotten the memo about using the new keyboard. Consequently, when you need a keyboard in the Gmail app, the old one pops up.

This is actually one of the ways I know I don’t like the new keyboard very much. I still have occasion to use the old one and find it much easier to type on than the new one. I’m also not a fan of the seemingly arbitrary change from lines to dots to show cell network signal strength. I didn’t mind lines. What’s wrong with lines? They were used quite a few other places in the new UI, why not for signal strength?

I’m also not sure why I now can’t double click on the home button to get a list of running apps, press and hold on one of the icons to get it to vibrate and then press the “X” to quit it. I’ve had more than a few apps crash on me so far and the old way to get them to work again was to make them stop running and then launch them again. Now, it’s all different.

The way you do it now is to double click on the home button to get thumbnails of the running apps. Then, you swipe the thumbnail upwards to close an app you want to quit. I was able to do it but I also found myself bringing up the control center from the bottom of the screen several times too. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like a rather convoluted “new” way to accomplish a previously simple task.

On a positive note, I do like the new static wallpapers and that cool 3D-looking effect when you move the iPhone around. Plus, the motion wallpapers are kinda nice too. I’m using one right now, in fact. I don’t know what effect they will have on battery life but so far, somewhat surprisingly, I’m getting pretty much the same battery life as when the iPhone had iOS 6 installed on it. Let’s hope that continues.

With any massive change, there’s bound to be bumps and rough edges. None of my issues with iOS 7, at least so far, are hugely annoying, would prevent me from continuing to use it or make me switch to Android. Although, I’m entertaining that thought for other reasons. But that’s a subject for a future article (or two).

I’m sure as iOS 7 matures, many of the things that bother me about it will be addressed and corrected. At least I hope so.

Once I’ve had more time with iOS 7 I’ll bring you another exciting round of observations. I’m also going to be installing the new version of OS X, code named Mavericks. More on that later too.

Seven Coffee Mistakes You Might Be Making

Posted on June 6, 2013

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If I made a list of the things I love it would have to include, of course, many things geek such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Sci-Fi in general, Apple, Google, Comics, D&D and a whole lot more. Another prominent item on that list would have to be coffee.

In truth, I’m kinda obsessed with it. Not just drinking it but with the whole process of bringing it from bean to cup. I’m also obsessed with getting the best cup of coffee I can at home.

Turns out, there’s others like me.

In fact, one of them has written a list of the seven mistakes people make when preparing coffee at home. Yes, this is a list of bad things you should stop doing so your coffee doesn’t suck.

Here they are (with my notes as applicable):

1. Dirty Equipment: Make sure all parts of the machine have been rinsed thoroughly and no coffee or soap residue remains. (I clean my stuff daily).

2. Old Beans: If you can’t remember when you bought your coffee, it’s time to buy some new beans. Only buy as much as you will consume in 1 to 2 weeks. (I get my beans fresh from these guys, these guys or these guys.)

3. Pre-Ground Coffee: Coffee that has already been ground is more susceptible to oxidation. Grinding your beans as close to brewing as possible ensures freshness. (You’ll need a grinder for that. I use this one).

4. Wrong Size of Grounds: Each brewing method requires a different size of grind. Coffee that has been ground too fine is often bitter, but if ground too coarse it may be weak. Check the machine’s manual to find out which size is ideal. (Again, get your own grinder and RTFM).

5. Wrong Coffee-to-Water Ratio: For every 6 ounces of coffee, you’ll need 2 tablespoons of coffee grounds. Using more, your coffee may be too strong and taste bitter; use less and you’ll end up with watery, weak coffee. (To measure, I use this. Or, you could weigh your ground coffee with one of these).

6. Improper Water Temperature: If the water is too hot, you can scald your coffee, and if it’s too low, the flavors will be mellow. The water should be around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or just before boiling (water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit). (I use one of these and let it get just to the point of boiling, then I turn it off, wait a few second, then pour).

7. Impure Water: Tap water often contains minerals that can alter the flavor of your coffee. Use bottled spring water or filtered drinking water. (I don’t have a sophisticated walter filtration system at home, yet. I just use Arrowhead drinking water. It seems to work well).

While we’re on the subject, my current preferred method of making coffee at home is the French Press. This one, to be precise.

Yes, it takes a bit of time and you need to clean up a bit after, but it’s so worth it if you do it right. Of course, for the real coffee geek, the next step is to start making espresso at home. I’m going to do that after the move. But that’s a topic for another time.

Until then, go make some great coffee!

Google Glass Meets Beer Glass

Posted on March 15, 2013

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In honor of St. Patrick’s day (on Sunday, you drunks), some enterprising folks thought about what it would be like to use Google’s Glasses during the holiday. Naturally, they made a video. You can see that below.

In other news, I made another step towards responsible adulthood today. There was a lot of paperwork, phone calls and, unfortunately, some harsh language. But in the end, it all worked out and basically boiled down to writing a big check.

To be honest, it was the biggest one I’ve ever written. And yes, it hurt. . . But only a little.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to one and all. Yes, I think I’ll have a beer. I know I’ve earned it today.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GAd1QDcutc?rel=0&w=525&h=295]

Still More Useful and Interesting Things

Posted on February 14, 2013

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As life returns to normal (or at least my version of it) I realize it’s been several days since I last put some useful and interesting things up here.

So, with that in mind, here’s some more for you:

• Have trouble getting people to do what you want? Maybe this technique can help.

• For the screenwriting nerds out there, John August and his team have come up with a new version of the venerable Courier font, called Courier Prime, to use when writing your scripts. I’ve switched to it and it’s quite nice.

• If you have a girlfriend who would love this as a gift, marry her. If you already did, kudos to you and it makes a nice Valentine’s Day gift too.

• Here’s a complete collection of Mac OS X install disks. I think I still have all of mine too. Yep, Mac nerd right here.

• Have and iPad? Want to use said iPad in the kitchen or other place where it might get wet? You want one of these.

• I like talented people doing cool things, so I like this. Granted, I know Brian so I may be a bit biased. But still, it’s pretty cool. BTW, you should also read his book. It’s very funny.

• Last, but not least, Tom Witkin’s Poster app for iOS is for posting to a WordPress site and is very awesome. It’s become my new favorite and I now use it pretty much every day. Check it out.