 | Level: Intermediate Benoit Marchal (bmarchal@pineapplesoft.com), Consultant, Pineapplesoft
27 Jun 2006 Many articles and books on podcasting assume that you have experience with sound recording, you can recognize XLR cables, and you understand decibels. Consequently, they spend a lot of time discussing the computer-specific aspects, such as MP3 encoding and hosting Really Simple Syndication (RSS) files, and comparatively little on the audio aspects. If you search on audio, you find plenty of articles on audio recording for musicians and home studio. Some of that material is useful but, again, the tendency is to assume that computers are the difficult bit. What makes this tutorial unique is that it is written by a developer, for developers. So it assumes that you can handle the developer's tasks (such as writing the RSS feed) and concentrates on the novelty: the use of audio.
In this tutorial
In this tutorial Benoît Marchal introduces you to one of the most exciting applications built on top of XML: podcasting. He takes you through the development of your very own podcast from planning through recording and mixing to hosting. In between, you'll find reviews of audio hardware, recording, and mixing. After completing this tutorial you will be able to record, mix, and host your first podcast.
Prerequisites
This tutorial assumes that you know how to write an XML file, host a file and register a domain name. It concentrates on the novelty (in podcasting) for IT people, that is, the recording of the audio file to insert in the XML document.
System requirements
You will need JavaScript enabled in your browser. Audio applications use a lot of RAM and require fast hard disks. One Gb is the minimum to record comfortably, and a 7200 RPM disk is recommended. Obviously, you need a microphone and a sound card. The built-in microphone in your computer can get you started, and the tutorial includes a section on selecting audio gear. In addition you need recording software, such as Audacity, an open source product.
Duration
1 hour
Formats html, pdf
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