We all know the MinoHD Flip is a great hand held video recorder and is probably the most popular one, but there is a new star on the horizon, the Samson Q3.
Where the Samson Q3 differs from the Mino Flip is the great ability to capture audio. Just look at the thing…there is a towering microphone perched. Ready to capture the best of moments.
I would like to see what Jake & Amir can do with this thing?
In addition to the well positioned microphone, the Samson Q3 also has an expansion slot via SD card for additional memory capacity. Up to 32GBs to be exact.
The Samson Q3 also has VGA output so you can easily connect the device to your TV for instant viewing.Â
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Are you addicted to creating PodCasting content? Need a mobile studio for those on-location interviews or content recording? Well the all new Belkin GoStudio is worth a look.
The GoStudio is compact, portable, and sturdy enough to stand up to the rigors of a mobile digital lifestyle. Designed GoStudio for a wide range of users from podcasters to students, teachers to journalists its shape offers easy access to the controls and simplifies the audio recording process.
Features include a built in microphone for immediate recording or use [up to] two connectors for dynamic mics. Controls include ability to adjust the sound level and gain, limiter and low cut filter to help you maintain the quality of the recording.
What’s so ideal about this Belkin package is the solid dock station for your iPod. You can see the full configuration here:
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..or at least a professional sounding podcaster. I’ve considering doing the podcasting, but I want to build up my reader subscription a bit more. The Alesis USB podcasting kit doesn’t care who you are, it’ll work on Mac or PC computers. The kit is designed for the novice user with features an advanced technical geek would enjoy.
Stream from 16 bit, 44.1-48kHz directly from your computer and use the high-quality headphones for monitoring your session. The USB podcasting microphone makes it a snap to get connected and get going.
One of the best applications for this type of product, other than being self-absorbed and loving the sound of your voice on the net, would be setting up a portable studio for trade-show interviews with customers, clients and critics. With the ease of setup from the Alesis system, your booth could have a podcasting station for in depth interviews, tutorials on products or guest speakers you could immediately deliver to the world via podcasting and the internet. After all, the classic 10×20 booth with some posters and fliers is so old-school.
The Alesis USB podcasting kit is priced at just $99 bucks. A drop in the bucket for anyone reading this post.
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Zoom created the H2 hand held recorder which housed four internal mics for exceptionally great recording quality.
The Zoom H2 uses a dual X/Y configuration for superior stereo image. What makes this product so unique are the two front mics which can record a 90° arch in the front and a 120° in the rear. Better yet, the built-in 3D panning function gives you complete control over the front, rear, left and right balance.
This type of recorder is ideal for jam sessions with the band, group discussions and conferences.
The H2 gives you amazing versatility with its wide variety of recording formats. Choose 24bit/96kHz linear PCM (WAV files) format for the highest audio quality that surpasses CDs. Or record in MP3 format in an almost any bit rate when long recording capability and smaller file sizes are your goals. Even 4-channel, 360° recordings can be made in 24bit/48kHz format.
In addition, the H2 uses an automated recording function which turns off the recorder if silence is detected. This increases battery life and reduces recording time.
The Zoom H2 supports Broadcast Wave Format (BWF) which is the standard used for broadcasting for time and date stamp information along with cue points or markers for starting and stopping.
And if that isn’t enough, the H2 connects via USB whereby the digital recorder turns into the perfect USB podcasting microphone.
Priced at $199.
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Bundle in a USB port for M-Audio’s Session Music Producer and you get the Producer USB microphone.
As Podcasting gets more popular for content distribution the tools to create and mix a professional Podcast is getting easier. The USB Producer takes conversion of audio to digital into one simple step: plug in the mic.
M-Audio consolidated the audio card into the USB mic to make one idiot proof device even the most stoned musician could operate.
Do you see the headphone jack built in? This allows for direct audio monitoring without computer latency. The impressive USB Producer mic comes with stand and cloth carry bag.
At $99 any Podcasting enthusiast could pocket this, but if you’re looking for options, check our GetUSBinfo’s other Podcast articles.
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Today I put together all the information needed to run a mobile Library from Apple iTunes on a USB stick or USB drive. This method will run the entire iTunes application from the storage device, making it easy to manage iTunes libraries from a single location. I believe this is how iTunes should have be developed – as having a library specific for each computer is a frustrating way to enjoy your music.
What pushed me over the edge is my wife wanting to purchase music from iTunes at work and sync them up with the iTunes computer at home. Typically this is done by purchasing the music and downloading directly to the iPod, but she’s a CPA and travels from location to location for audits and doesn’t even use the same computer all the time – yet she loves her music. The solution was to run iTunes from a USB flash drive to manage a single Library.
This tutorial includes installing iTunes on a flash drive, creating autorun files for auto-launching iTunes from the flash drive and how to set-up iTunes on different computers to run a music library from the single flash drive. Of course this method also works for larger storage hard drives – basically anything that appears as a Mass Storage Device on your system. If you are looking for a long term strategy for managing your iTunes music, I strongly recommend doing this process to an external hard drive that is, at least, 120GBs. So here we go:
Here is a quick summary so you know what we are getting into:
Last week Apple sent out an email (screenshot courtesy of TechCrunch.com) to video podcasters asking them to increase the quality of their productions and start formatting their videos for the big screen. Since the launch of the Apple TV (full review here) in March, Apple TVs have been selling like hotcakes and video podcast subscription numbers have skyrocketed.
Apple TV owners, who don’t necessarily want to spend lots of money in the iTunes Store, are gobbling up video podcasts like never before. Even though there currently isn’t any HD quality videos for sale in the iTunes Store, the Apple TV is capable of HD video playback. So several popular video podcasters, including The Washington Post, TWIT (MacBreak), Revision3 (Diggnation) and Vintage Tooncast, have decided to fill the void of HD content by distributing their podcasts in HD or hi res quality.
Why hasn’t everyone started distributing their video podcasts in HD? Money. Not only does producing an HD podcasts require extra hard drive space (roughly 4 times more), special cameras and editing software, but just hosting these giant video files on the Internet can be enough to bankrupt your entire production. For example, the iPod Video version of MacBreak episode 63 is 21 MBs. The HD version is 93 MBs. To help alleviate increased HD production costs, many podcasters have reached out to HD television manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic to get them to sponsor their new HD podcasts.
For video podcasters who are still producing content at 320×240 but want to do something to increase quality, there is an intermediary step before going HD. Podcasters can start by migrating their productions to 640×480, or even 640×360 (letterbox). This way their video files will still be compatible with portable media players like the Zune and iPod, but will also work on the Apple TV. If the material is carefully encoded, it will look as good or better than typical TV.
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Alesis has a new compact mixing station that does a little more than mix. What’s great about the iMultiMix 8 USB, is that you have the ability to record directly to iPod. So this direct-connect ability puts those 28-bit studio grade digital effects and recordings ripe-n-ready for podcasting.
For ultra–clean live recordings of nearly any performance, including home studios, musicians, podcasters, and houses of worship, the iMultiMix 8 USB is an ideal solution.
I reported on the iPod DJMixer from ION Audio, but that was just a mixer for playing from your iPod, the iMultiMix gives you professional quality mixing, 3 band per channel EQ, guitar/line inputs, built-in FX and iPod recording in a single, smart package.
This should run about $500.
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Steaming audio and podcasts are today’s hype on social media but when will this convenient and idealistic technology make it into homes and TVs via wireless channel for video. At least in the sense of built in technology rather then home-brew solutions.
KestrelMedia has introduces their first generation of wireless streaming media solutions. The DMP or Digital Media Player connects to TVs and displays stored audio, video or just about anything over an 802.11g network. Using UPnP-AV protocols to discover and play back remotely stored content
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We’ve reported on podcast gear before, and Behringer ads to the list with their Podcastudio just released at the NAMM 2007 show. This package has it all, podcast right out of the box.
Includes USB audio interface, 5-input 2-bus mixer, microphone, headphones, professional audio software (Podifier, Juice, PodNova, Golden Ear) and 2-band “British” EQ. Supports both Mac and PC platforms and powerful DAW software is included which is a multi-track
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myPodder might be the easiest way to manage your audio and video podcasts. It’s a U3 podcast management utility that is free of charge. You can select single episodes or entire seasons with your subscription and syncronize with the U3 myPodder client. Podcast Ready allows you and your friends to share your favorite podcast episodes with each other easily. Search, browse and share podcasts for free and have them downloaded directly to your U3 smart drive. You can sign up for a free account at PodCastReady.com
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GetUSB.info has reported on USB microphones before and here’s another for the list. Samson Audio claims the first dynamic USB mic, the Q1U – great for live events, radio but more importantly podcasting. The Q1U is capable of handling high SPL, and has onboard mic pre-amp, an analog-to-digital converter and USB port. For additional functionality you can use the SoftPre software to enhance the abilities of the Q1U – like input level meter, volume control, high-pass filter and phase switch. Mic runs about $50USD.
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Apple TV owners, who don’t necessarily want to spend lots of money in the iTunes Store, are gobbling up video podcasts like never before. Even though there currently isn’t any HD quality videos for sale in the iTunes Store, the Apple TV is capable of HD video playback. So several popular video podcasters, including The Washington Post, TWIT (MacBreak), Revision3 (Diggnation) and Vintage Tooncast, have decided to fill the void of HD content by distributing their podcasts in HD or hi res quality.
Why hasn’t everyone started distributing their video podcasts in HD? Money. Not only does producing an HD podcasts require extra hard drive space (roughly 4 times more), special cameras and editing software, but just hosting these giant video files on the Internet can be enough to bankrupt your entire production. For example, the iPod Video version of MacBreak episode 63 is 21 MBs. The HD version is 93 MBs. To help alleviate increased HD production costs, many podcasters have reached out to HD television manufacturers like Samsung and Panasonic to get them to sponsor their new HD podcasts.
myPodder might be the easiest way to manage your audio and video podcasts. It’s a U3 podcast management utility that is free of charge. You can select single episodes or entire seasons with your subscription and syncronize with the U3 myPodder client. Podcast Ready allows you and your friends to share your favorite podcast episodes with each other easily. Search, browse and share podcasts for free and have them downloaded directly to your U3 smart drive. You can sign up for a free account at PodCastReady.com
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GetUSB.info has reported on USB microphones before and here’s another for the list. Samson Audio claims the first dynamic USB mic, the Q1U – great for live events, radio but more importantly podcasting. The Q1U is capable of handling high SPL, and has onboard mic pre-amp, an analog-to-digital converter and USB port. For additional functionality you can use the SoftPre software to enhance the abilities of the Q1U – like input level meter, volume control, high-pass filter and phase switch. Mic runs about $50USD.
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