Nante Koto Dating Misadventures

PodcampDC Was A Blast!

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 02:05:00 GMT

Thanks again everyone for a great PodcampDC. For those of you who couldn't make it, we talked about Web/Online Techno Stuff, shared ideas about the web and social media, and generally had a fun time socializing.

It was a packed house at my Podcasting 101 session. I went over audio podcasting techniques, answered questions, and shared stories of my own successes and not-so successes. The audience had great questions and, in the spirit of Podcamp, even shared their own experience and know-how. How many conferences do you get that?

Afterward, I did my usual, post-self-evaluation and realized that my presentation didn't include a listing of the equipment I use. Although I mentioned what I use during the presentation, I wanted to list my equipment in detail here. Hopefully, it will give those who are new to audio podcasting a starting point for evaluating their own podcasting equipment needs.

Keep in mind that my equipment was purchased over a period of almost two years. I list it below in order of purchase. Sooo... here's my audio podcast equipment:

pc laptop - Compaq Persario V5000 - purchased at Staples for about $1000
studio headphones - Sony MDR-V150 - purchased at Best Buy for about $30
studio microphone - Blue Snowball USB mic - purchased at The Guitar Center for about $150
microphone stand - Proline MS112BK desktop boom mic stand - purchased at The Guitar Center for about $50
analog headset/mic - Plantronics Audio 450 stereo earbuds and boom mic - purchased at Best Buy for about $40
recording software - Audacity for PC - free
podcasting how-to book - Podcasting For Dummies - purchased at Borderd Books for about $25
podcast hosting - Libsyn 250mb plan - $10/month
web site domain name - GoDaddy domain name 1yr plan - purchased online for about $30
interview mic - Giant Squid Audio Lab cardioid powered stereo mic w/locking on/off switch and angled gold plug - purchased from the mfg for about $100
mac laptop - MacBook (basic) - purchased at the Apple Store in Tysons Corner for $1100
recording software - GarageBand for mac - free

Included in this post is my presentation as well. See the link at the bottom of this blog post or double-click on the link if you're viewing this in iTunes.

Feel free to e-mail me at nkpodcast@gmail.com with your questions. And make sure to keep me updated on how your podcasting adventure goes!

Cheers,
Michael Domingo

See YOU at Podcamp DC

Mon, 7 Apr 2008 01:55:00 GMT

I am seriously excited that I'm leading a session at the first annual Podcamp DC this coming Saturday, April 19th, 2008!

This will be my third Podcamp. Let's see... there was Podcamp NYC in Feb 2007 where I got to meet Gary Leeland and rock with Brother Love... Podcamp Pittsburgh in 2007 where I led a session with Chris Brogan... and now Podcamp DC where I'm going to lead a session on Podcasting Basics 101. You can flip thru a pdf version of my Powerpoint Slide presentation here.

If you're a fan of my podcast, a podcaster yourself, or just a cool regular joe, please stop by and say hello! I'll be happy to answer any questions about the show (including where Nante Koto came from), questions about podcasting, or just shoot the breeze.

See you there!

Cheers,
Michael (Kit)

Nante Koto Highlights

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Sat, 1 Sep 2007 14:00:00 GMT

Hear highlights of the Nante Koto Podcast... where I share a few of my online dating stories, an interview with an online dating expert, and comparisons of online dating sites. Catch the full episodes on iTunes or on the podcast website www.nantekoto.com .

Theme Song
"Free Love" by Derek James (derekjamesmusic.com).

PodcampDC Presentation -- Just Press Record

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 22:52:00 GMT

Episode 10 - I'm Back

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Thu, 1 Mar 2007 15:10:00 GMT

I'm baaaaack! Also in this episode... Cool News, and more kick a*s podsafe music.

Podsafe music
"Change Your Head" by Sean Mormelo (seanmormelo.com)

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net)

Episode 9 - Interview w/Lynette Radio (cont.)

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 18:32:00 GMT

Episode 9 - The second half of my interview with fellow podcaster Lynette Radio of the PB&J Podcast (www.lynetteradio.com), a first experience, listener e-mail, and play some kick a*s Podsafe Music.

Podsafe music
"Office Suite, Part I" by The Matthew Show (www.thematthewshow.com)

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net)

Episode 8 - Miss Net Dating Expert

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 23:17:00 GMT

Episode 8 - Interview rising star Miss LB from the Misadventures in Internet Dating blog, Debut Technology For Playing UN-Podsafe Music (shhh), Share a Joke, and Play Some Kick A*s Podsafe Music. Theme song: "Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net). Podsafe music: "Best Behavior" by The Cartwheel Club (podsafeaudio.com).

Episode 6 - Net Dating Rules + Lynette Radio

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 23:12:00 GMT

Online Dating Rules, interview with fellow podcaster Lynette Radio (lynetteradio.com), and a fun Comedy Jam.

Podsafe music
"Beautiful" by Delphinium Blue (delphinium-blue.com)

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net)

Happy Turkey Day!

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 02:10:00 GMT

Just wanted to wish a wonderful Happy Turkey Day to my one listener. Hope your Turkey Day has been filled with friends, food, fun, and memorable moments. Look for a new episode on Saturday. Till then, enjoy your day. You earned it.

Best,
Kit
kitmikazuki@gmail.com

Episode 4 - Lightning Story and Diva Call

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Fri, 10 Nov 2006 05:06:00 GMT

A personal dating story that includes Almost Getting Hit By Lightning and a Drunk Call from TheDiva (the-broad-cast.com).

Podsafe music
"Blue Sky" by Big Head Todd & the Monsters (bigheadtodd.com) & "Kayak Girl" by smallfish (smallfishadventures.com).

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net).

Episode 3 - Online Dating Sites Comparison (cont.)

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Fri, 3 Nov 2006 23:12:00 GMT

Online Dating Sites comparison (cont), the Big Rack story, and Shark Can story.

Podsafe music
"Weekend Full Of Weekends" by Vanderveen (garageband.com/artist/vanderveen).

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net).

Episode 2 - Net Dating Sites Comparison

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Sat, 28 Oct 2006 21:43:00 GMT

Episode 2 - Internet dating sites comparison and Shackles & Swings story. Theme song: "Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net and podsafeaudio.com). Cool a*s podsafe music: "New Best Friend" by Lejeune (podsafeaudio.com).

Episode 1 - Online Dating Story #1

nkpodcast@gmail.com — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 22:55:00 GMT

Hello world! Online dating story number one and getting sucked into Second Life.

Theme song
"Stain" by megaphone (megaphonemusic.net).

Podsafe song
"Free Love" by Derek James (derekjamesmusic.com).

Hitting The Ground Running

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:14:00 GMT

After recording the first podcast, I took a moment, sat back, and really listened to it. I listened to it not as a podcaster but as you, the listener (podcatcher).

Well, something wasn't quite right. I searched around on the internet for examples of what I heard wasn't right and I figured out that I had unknowningly recorded "polsives". These are the sounds that you make when you say p's, f's, uh's, and other sounds that end up as a loud, annoying pop noise.

The answer? A spit screen (otherwise known as a pop filter). These are come in different shapes, sizes, and costs. It could be as simple as a foam thing wrapped around the round end of a mic. Or it could be one of those lollypop-looking things that are hung in front of a mic.

Seeing that I already blew my budget way out of the water, I decided to make my own pop filter. It was so cheap, it wasn't even funny. And it was fun too. Here's what I picked up from WalMart:

a plastic embroidery hoop
a long, round, thin dowel
a cheap package of black pantyhose
a bottle of wood glue
a bottle of epoxy glue (in case the wood glue didn't work)
a can of flat black spray paint (already had one)

Total cost? $6.50 .

Putting it together was simple. The hardest part was attaching the dowel to the hoop. My first attempt at using wood glue failed miserably. I was proud of myself for the forethought to get epoxy glue just in case. Well, believe it or not, the epoxy glue failed as well. Know what worked? Good old superglue. Yup, superglue. Worked like a champ. Now, granted, if I knock the thing hard enough, it'll come apart. But as long as I treat it like a lady, it'll do just fine.

Now, no more "splosives". And I sound even better than I always do.

It's Bigger Than I Thought (That's What She Said)

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:17:00 GMT

I just recorded the first podcast and had a blast!

It sure takes more work than I thought, though. I found that I couldn't just turn the mic on, hit record, and go. Taking the time to write up show notes forced me to think about what I was going to talk about and what I could fit into my thirty minute goal. The show notes also really helped me stay on topic while I was recording.

I also had fun surfing the GarageBand.com, PodSafe Music Network, and PodSafe Audio sites looking for "pod safe" music. For those who don't know, you can't just include your favorite AC/DC song in your podcast. Heard of a copyright? Right. But there's so much quality music out there that it almost makes it a non-issue. I had so much fun that I guess you could call me an "Indie" music guy now.

After I recorded the show, I also picked up a great book: "Podcasting For Dummies". This book shed so much light on the specifics I was missing. Like what? Things like:

What's a good standard bit-rate to record at?
Which iTunes song properties (tags) should I use and what should I put in them?
Who should I use to host my podcast?
How can I get my podcast noticed?
How do I bribe potential guests to come on my show? (Answer: my close Itallian friend Vinnie)

Needless to say, it's a good book and I highly recommend it. It sure answered alot of the questions that I didn't even know I needed to know about. Ya know?

An Escort Would Be Cheaper! (Not Like I Know)

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Tue, 3 Oct 2006 20:08:00 GMT

Well, I've done the research and decide I need a face-to-face, mano-a-mano, professonal's opinion. So I head to my local Guitar Center and talk to two guys in the mic department.

When I tell them my sad story, they laugh as politely as possible and tell me to dump the Radio Shark / Mickey Mouse stuff and buy a real mic. After they explained why the Radio Shark setup didn't work, we started talking about my needs (budget) and they steered me to a kick-ass mic. It would be perfect for a startup, semi-pro podcast like mine.

The mic is called a Snowball and is made by BlueMic. It's made specifically for podcasts... it's a cardioid (unidirectional), condenser mic (with omnidirectional capabilities), has a USB connection (so low-levels aren't a problem), comes with a small stand, and most importantly... LOOKS VERY COOL!

"Sign me up" I say and nearly die when I'm have to fork over $150 for this wonderful contraption. OMFG! Budget? We don't need no stinking budget!

Well, I get it home, gingerly unpack it, hook it up, and... sit and visually admire it for an hour. Hey, for $150 I want to get as much stimulation outta this thing as possible! Then I launch Audacity, start recording, and the mic completely lives up to it's reputation. No noise, warm and pleasing sound, great recording levels. I'll treat this thing like a rock star autograph on my bare breast... admire it often and never, ever wash it.

So I now have a mic that work's like a charm and looks killer too. Kinda like me?

First Time's A Charm. Yeah, Right!

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 19:17:00 GMT

Well, nothing really works the first time, right?

After purchasing my new, super-expensive, super-professional mic equipment from Radio Shark, I rushed home to try it all out. Unpacked it, put it together, hooked it up, and even spit polished the entire setup to give it that really professional look.

It totally sounded like shit. WTF? Apparently, the soundcard on my laptop wasn't built to handle a super-expensive, super-professional mic. Every time I recorded my voice in Audacity the sound level was sub-terrainian low. And when I used Audacity's "gain" control to bump up the level, all the background hum and shit got bumped up as well making it sound even worse. I even tried using Window's "mic boost" option to no avail. Shit.

The more expensive stuff is, the more better it's supposed to work, right? Yeah right.

Can You Hear Me Now?

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 18:49:00 GMT

Finished my research on microphones. Looks like a rinky-dink pc mic from WalMart won't cut it for my PERFECT podcast. So I do like any serious podcaster would do... and head for Radio Shark.

While there, I seriously consider the extremely high-tech Universal Cassette Recorder Microphone for the outrageous price of $9.99 . After lots of internal debate, I decide that I need something better and settle on the Super-Cardioid Dynamic Microphone for fifty buckaroo's. That's about the top end of my budget but I figured I'd have to spend something to get the PERFECT podcast.

Of course, I have to get the obligatory accessories like a Desk Mic Stand, Large Acoustic-Foam Microphone Windscreen, and 1/4" Stereo Jack to 1/8" Stereo Plug Headphone Adapter. Total is about $68. Hey, you gotta pay to play, right?

Now What?

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 18:04:00 GMT

Great! So now I'm a podcaster with alot of enthusiasm and no much else. As much as I hate to admit it, I need a plan. Something to initiate the decision-making process and act as a future road map.

So I grab my thinking cap, start writing, and here's what I come up with:

My Podcast

Possible tag lines:

"Pump Up the Podcast"
"Flying's Not Dangerous... Crashing Is!"
"Online Dating On Ice"

Audience: Twenty-something's to thirty-something's (in general)

Format:

Approx 30 min's per show
Atmosphere = comedic, satirical, hard (similar to movie "Pump Up the Volume")
Two topics per show
One guest every third show
E-mail bag
Explicit rating (of course!)

Topics:

Net-dating (adventures, web site comparisons)
Comedic failures in relationships (no names of course)
Returning to college
New adventures in Second Life (possibly w/SL friends as guests)
My quirky personality (eating one thing at a time, reading the last page first of a new book, simultaneous driving and watching overhead airplanes)
Living in the D.C. area (shitty dating scene, road rage, up-tight ppl)
Hair going grey (all over!)
Dreams of flying

Frequency: Monthly on average (find out how to avoid pod-fading)

Production:

Voice Recording

Laptop
Audacity
Mic (which one? must be cheap!)
Spit screen?
Quiet, controlled location?
On-the-go recording?

Music

GarageBand.com
Others?

Mix Down: Audacity
Hosting: ???!
Publishing/Listing: ???!

And that's as far as I got. Quite a bit for 182 hrs worth of thinking, huh? Actually it was more like two.

So now that I have the PERFECT master plan, I can being podcasting, right? I could but first I decide to give close friends and family a chance to review my PERFECT master plan. Where's my Constructive Criticism Super Immunity Cape?

Let's Get This Party Started!

kitmikazuki@gmail.com — Fri, 1 Sep 2006 17:41:00 GMT

Well I decided to take the plunge. After listening to various Podcasts for three years now, I decided that it's time for me to get in on the fun.

For me, it all started in 2003 when I began listening to the "Fly With Me" podcast by Joe Dion. Being the pilot that I am, how could I pass up a show where a commercial pilot shares hilarious flying stories? Later, a friend introduced me to the "Homestar Runner" podcast. OMG! Talk about funny!
So now, three years down the road, here I am thinking "I could do that". Famous last words, right? Well, either way, here I go... into the great unknown... and looking forward to the adventure. Who know's where it'll lead?