Rick Sez:
Excerpts from Podcast Station's
Chief Troubleshooter's Emails


Basics

You can use PodcastStation to record your event, and you may use it to
create a compressed file (MP3), and then you can upload that file to
your website. Depending on how your website is hosted and configured,
you may also use other means to get your content up there. In
PodcastStation, the File/Publish menu will get you started with the
compression/upload process after you've recorded and edited your event.

PodcastStation is used to create a podcast for uploading to a podcast
website -- it is the recording and editing tool you would use to create a
polished and produced audio file (an MP3

You may import virtually any audio file into PodcastStation and then
do what
you will with it -- edit, layer, manipulate, or simply play it back.

Recording and editing are the main functions of PodcastStation. The
upload
feature is convenient but incidental -- there are many ways to upload
files,
and you don't need any special software to do it.

PodcastStation uses your computer's audio hardware (internal or external
soundcard or audio interface) to record and playback. You'll need a
microphone -- there are many different kinds for all budgets, and
there are
even USB mics that plug directly into the computer, so no additional
interfaces needed. Recording is a huge topic, so I would recommend doing
some research. The microphone and the audio interface (soundcard) are the
two most critical components in the recording process in terms of the
quality (fidelity) of the recording.

PodcastStation is "internet neutral" -- it doesn't care about any internet
languages or scripts because it doesn't communicate with web sites. PCS
runs on Windows desktops, not in a browser. It does know about FTP
because
it uses that to upload files, and it knows about MP3 because it is
able to
export to that format.




Podcast Station and Vista
(Note new version of Podcast Station released June, 2008)

Please be advised that we are still researching "issues" with Vista -- in
general everything works but the Settings/AudioDevices and
Settings/MixerConfiguration screens are essentially meaningless under
Vista.

This version has a clean separation between the software and your
audio devices -- it doesn't try to change any mixer settings or levels
or anything like that, so it works exactly like a tape recorder. I'm
still a bit mystified but I hope this will fix your problem.
Otherwise we'll need to resort to drastic measure like you sending me
a photograph of your setup so I can see how everything is actually wired.
In Vista, DMO effects are no longer supported.

We're in the process of trying to understand how Vista affects the
entire audio interface. I don't know yet if the DMOs will ever be
supported. At the moment we're concentrating more on how Vista deals
with audio devices.

On XP there is a parametric EQ in the Advanced Effects menu. With a
little
experimentation it might get [the equalization results] you need.

Every single time you launch PCS you'll be prompted with a window
asking if you really mean to be running this program. That's Vista…

You must run PodcastStation with admin privileges on Vista.

There are a number of changes that Vista has forced on software
vendors that we are still trying to understand. We will post
information and instructions on our website once there is a clear
resolution.

In the meantime, you can permanently set the so-called "compatibility
mode" via the Properties context menu for the Podster executable.
(Locate Podster.exe on your hard-drive and right-click on it.) If you
select the Compatibility tab you'll see a check-box for the privilege
level. The drawback to this is that Vista will always ask if you
really want to run the program every time you launch it.


This new version of PodcastStation [June, 2008] that we are giving to
Vista users
who are having problems of one sort or another, you may download from
this page:
http://www.podcaststation.com/beta/Default.asp

You should be aware that Microsoft has issued reports that Vista SP1 is
causing problems for certain on-board audio devices. In general, Vista has
been problematic for vendors of audio devices and drivers.

If you do decide to install the new version of PCS on your Vista
machine, I
have two suggestions: 1) make sure you uninstall the current version
first,
and 2) run it the very first time (and when you register it) as the
Administrator (right-click the desktop icon, choose "Run as administrator"
from the pop-up menu). If you do try it, please let me know what kinds of
problems you encounter with it, if any.

The current official version of PodcastStation is always available here:

http://www.podcaststation.com/product_info/free_trial_download.asp


We also have a new beta version available if you would like to try it:

http://www.podcaststation.com/beta/Default.asp


You may obtain a new registration key at this location:

https://www.podcaststation.com/reregister/Default.asp


Sound Cards, ASIO Drivers and Vista

At the moment we are not recommending any soundcards. In most cases
the on-board audio device should work fine. We are still researching
the problem and trying to get a handle on it – along with every other
software and hardware vendor…

……. but we have no immediate plans to support ASIO drivers………….

You can read a quick definition of ASIO here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audio_Stream_Input/Output

Despite what the article says, I have had decidedly mixed results
using ASIO drivers with several other professional software packages.


Audio interfaces

PodcastStation is a two-channel recorder/editor, and you'll be
recording the
two-channel mix from your audio interface. It doesn't matter what is
going
into the mixer because it's the output that gets recorded. You'll need to
confirm that your audio interface fully supports WDM/DirectSound. ASIO
drivers are NOT supported by PodcastStation.




Exporting to MP3

The MP3 export function runs as a background process. It sounds like
something on your computer is interfering with the thread priority of
background processes. There is an obscure setting in XP that you
might want to experiment with: if you open the system Control Panel,
select the System tool, select the Advanced tab, click the top
Settings button (for Performance), then the Advanced tab in the new
Performance Options window, there's an option at the top to adjust
performance to favor programs or background processes. Select the
latter and see if it fixes the issue for you.

Are you exporting MP3's to an external drive? Or to a networked
drive? The MP3 compression process is slow, and compressing to a low
bitrate (and smaller file) is slower than compressing to a higher
bitrate (larger file). PCS uses the LAME encoder/decoder, generally
considered to be the best royalty-free MP3 encoder available.



MP3 and Sound Quality
My best guess about your wow and flutter is that it is related to both
aspects of your target format. Any time you take a 2-channel signal
and mix it to mono you incur the risk of clipping the output signal
unless you attenuate both input channels by 6dB first (this is an
option in the mono mix export). Added to this is that fact that
48kbps is a very low bitrate and therefore of quite limited fidelity.


Compression to MP3 is something of an art and takes some
experimentation to achieve best results. PodcastStation uses the LAME
MP3 encoder, which is widely used in the audio community. You can
find all kinds of documentation for it on line and you can use it as a
standalone application as well.


Normalization

Normalization is a two-pass operation. First it scans your file to
determine the peak amplitude, then it scales the entire file such that
the peak is at -1dB below full scale. So the amount of actual scaling
and its direction (up or down) depend on the file itself. Applying
normalization to a file that has already been normalized does nothing.
If you normalize a section of a file (rather than the entire file),
then you are normalizing relative to the peak amplitude in that
section, not the entire file (therefore be careful, because you can
introduce audible discontinuities, i.e. clicks). You can also
normalize just one or the other channel. Normalizing both is a
combined operation that scales according to the peak amplitude of
either the right or left channel (whichever is highest).






Books on Audio for the new podcaster

There are two excellent books which may interest you, both from Intel
Press. High Definition Audio for the Digital Home, by Roach, Janus
and Jones; and Audio in the 21st Century, by Scott Janus.



The main problem here is that audio engineering and signal processing
is actually extremely complex, and Podcast Station has only a limited
ability to hide this complexity from the layman. In some ways I feel
that programs like Adobe Audition are therefore perhaps a bit more
honest, because they hammer you on the head with the true complexity
of the task right out of the gate.



Miscellaneous troubleshooting

But I'm surprised you are getting hiccups during recording as well.
What kind of soundcard are you using? Recording should only take
about 2 or 3% of the CPU load – is it possible that the machine is
intermittently quite busy with some other process? (Is other software
running on the machine at the same time?)


RSS

RSS is a fairly loose spec, as specs go, and you can put just about
anything in them,
but they are at base just XML files (they follow rules of XML). They
contain no media themselves, they just point to files which do. The
purpose
of the RSS file is to inform whatever podcast subscription/management
software you use about the location and availability of the actual media
files (be they MP3s, WMVs, MP4s, etc) that comprise the various
episodes of
the podcast.

The point of PodcastStation is to provide you with the means to
record/edit/produce an audio file. As a bonus, it will go so far as to
create and manage a basic RSS file for you, and even upload your media,
image and RSS files to your web site, but it will not create the
website for
you. There are far more sophisticated tools available for creating and
managing RSS files than what we have included in PodcastStation.

PodcastStation is audio only, and you can export your files in MP3,
WMA, WAV
and AIF formats. PodcastStation has no video capabilities.


RSS Files

The next time you run through the wizard your last RSS file will be up
and a number of the fields (e.g. the RSS channel) will already be
filled in. You'll be adding a new "item" (episode) and overwriting
the original RSS file with an updated version.

If you want to create an entirely new "show" (a different podcast on a
different RSS channel) then you create a new RSS file for that.


Q: If we already have a podcast that we've been doing for a couple of
months and want to use your software for uploading and begin uploading
to a different hosting site, how do we set it up so that it is the
same show and same feed to itunes so we don't have to have a new one?

A: No problem: You'll need to copy your RSS file to your local
machine. When you open the Publication Wizard in PCS, on the first
page select "full control" and then on the second page, under Channel
Title, you'll see a button labeled "import an existing RSS file".
Also, since you are using iTunes tags, on the fourth page of the
wizard ("Podcast Channel Redux") you'll need to make sure the "include
iTunes tags for this channel" option is checked.







RSS again

So you've discovered that in PodcastStation (PCS) you normally need a file
in the edit window in order to construct an RSS file for it. (In the most
advanced mode you can bypass this restriction and import an existing RSS
file -- of course, that assumes you have an existing RSS file.) This is
necessary because PCS requires certain information from the file in
order to
construct the RSS file.

If you are using Audition to create your podcast and you still have a need
to work with the file in PCS, I would suggest using the WAV format to go
between the two (i.e. export from Audition, import into PCS) because the
quality will remain undiminished. Compression to/from MP3 will add
distortion as you continue over successive generations.

The protocol that PCS uses to upload files to your web site is FTP, which
you can also run directly from InternetExplorer (IE is an FTP client).



Podcast Station is "internet neutral"

PodcastStation is "internet neutral" -- it doesn't care about any internet
languages or scripts because it doesn't communicate with web sites. PCS
runs on Windows desktops, not in a browser. It does know about FTP
because
it uses that to upload files, and it knows about MP3 because it is
able to
export to that format.



Recording: XP, Vista, VoIP and Multiple Sources

If you are running Windows XP, then you will want to select your
"microphone" input (record source) in the Settings/MixerConfiguration
window, and you'll want to select mic or line as appropriate. On Windows
Vista we have noticed problems with this area that we are still
researching.

Recording from any VoIP service is tricky. To record from Skype, we
recommend using the Skype Answering Machine (SAM), available from
www.kishkish.com. The Gold and Platinum editions allow you to record any
Skype call and then easily export that recording to PodcastStation for
further editing.

Recording phone conversations can be tricky. There is a cheap "phone
coupler" available from places like Tiger Direct which allows you to
record
both sides of the conversation, but they are on the same wire so they are
recorded on the same channel. Radio stations invest in expensive "phone
hybrid" machines from Telos or Getner which separate jock and caller onto
different channels so that they can be independently processed. These
start
at around $600.

If you use Skype then you can also record Skype calls using Skype
Answering
Machine (SAM) from kishkish.com. The Gold and Platinum editions of SAM
interface with PodcastStation, making it easy to transfer files from
SAM to
PCS. Otherwise it is tricky to record Skype calls directly, and requires
certain soundcards that have the ability to record their own output
("stereo
mix" or "what-u-hear").



_______________
Recording VoIP is in general a challenge on the Windows OS. We have had
good results with Skype using the Skype Answering Machine (SAM) from
www.kishkish.com. The Gold and Platinum versions contain code which
makes it easy to integrate them with PodcastStation -- once you record a
call, you can easily export it to PCS, and from PCS you may easily import
files from SAM.

Aside from that, the answer to your question depends very much on the kind
of audio hardware you have at your disposal and how it is configured. For
example, you may find yourself having to use two different soundcards,
playing back from one and recording into the other.

The bottom line is that PodcastStation is able to record from only one
source at a time. For multiple sources that must be synchronized you will
need true multitrack software, such as Audition or Audacity. However, if
you are able to run all of your sources through an external mixer,
then you
should be able to record the stereo output of that mixer in PCS.


Multiple record sources, USB mics

Yes, this is one of the problems with USB mics. Each mic is a separate
audio device, and PodcastStation can only record from one device at a
time.

(Q: Also i can not get playback in headphones when recording into the
mic. The mic will record but I can not hear the playback in the
headphones?)
Also, the mic is a completely separate device from the device you are
using
for playback, meaning the signal does not get routed from your input
back to
the output. You'll be better off with one audio device that handles both
input and output, and then an external mixer for monitoring and mixing
your
various inputs.


Overdubbing, music beds

If you want to prerecord the voice track, do that first, then load that
track into a cart or deck button. Load your music bed into another
button,
then start a new recording. Trigger the voice button for that track,
trigger the music button for that one. So you see it happens in realtime.
The idea is to pre-load all of the elements of your show and then do your
final mix where you are just triggering buttons.

Recording, noise reduction

Your CD-ROM drive should have come with a CD-burning program. Most
machines
today are shipped with Nero or something equivalent. You might also try
iTunes or Windows Media Player.

Removing background noise is one of the most difficult things you can do.
The best way to get rid of it is to not record it in the first place --
that's the whole point of recording studios and soundproof rooms. PCS
comes
with a noise reduction effect, but it is meant to take out steady-state
background noise, like hiss and hum from machinery. Transient background
noises like planes are trucks are the worst possible thing to remove, and
has created a market for very expensive software such as sold by Sonic
Solutions. You might try using a dynamic voice mic such as the
classic SM57
which requires you to be right on top of it, so it won't pick up other
sounds further afield. But that creates a very different sound.


Basic audio formats, connections, etc.

Podcast Station simply records whatever signal goes into your
soundcard's mic
or line inputs (on some computers these are the same, on some they are two
different inputs). There are thousands of different devices which
that can
provide this input, and of those, several hundred different wireless mics.
The output of the microphone receiver will be either line level or mic
level, and your computer can accept either. The input to your on-board
soundcard is a mini-phone plug (1/8-inch), but the outputs from your mic
receiver/preamp will be either XML or 1/4 inch phone, so you'll need an
adaptor. It's also quite likely that there is a wireless mic product out
there that is specifically made for your application, and therefore has a
convenient 1/8-inch mini-phone jack for the output.


Podcast Station and iPods

I can see two potential difficulties getting the audio files from the
iPod into Podcast Station (PCS). One is that the iPod's format
(AAC/MP4) is still unsupported on most Windows machines without
special software installed (and PCS is NOT that special software). So
unless you have some means to dump the data from the iPod as a
standard WAV or MP3 file, then the only other avenue left is to
playback the lectures from the iPod and record in realtime into PCS
(i.e. 3 hours per lecture).

If that is acceptable then you can certainly edit the files in PCS,
and you can create a Podcast (i.e. an RSS file describing your
"show"). You can also simply export your edited files as MP3s without
going through the process of creating an RSS file.

As far as uploading, I'm not intimately familiar with WebCT. If it
has an FTP server then you can use PCS as an FTP client to upload your
files. (There are many other programs which can act as an FTP client,
among them InternetExplorer). WebCT might have its own methods for
actively pulling your files up -- you would know this better than I.

(Moderator note: Iriver and Sansa MP3 players are noted for their
voice recording and put out a quality WAV file. – Bob Rowen)


Podcast Hosting

There are hundreds of podcast hosting sites on the internet that would be
happy to host your show. PodcastStation does not provide any hosting
capabilities at all -- it is strictly a production tool. There is
only one
problem we've encountered: files uploaded to Podbean.com do not seem
to play
back at the correct speed. Otherwise I would recommend that you Google
podcast hosting sites and pick something that looks good to you.



Recording - echo

Bob asked, "When I play back a recording that I just made, there is an
echo....it sounds like the right channell is playing back slightly slower
than the left." Rick sez: This could be the result of any number of
things, all of which depend on your specific audio configuration.

You might have a soundcard that allows you to record from "stereo mix" or
"what-u-hear". This is usually not a good idea -- you want to be
recording
from the mic or line input instead. Some cards allow you to record
simultaneously from more than one source, which in some circumstances
could produce this effect.

It might also be a playback issue -- the recording might be fine but
you may
be looping the output back into the input (internally in the soundcard).

There are several ways to get this effect using outboard analog
equipment as
well, so if that is the case with you, you will want to check the signal
paths very carefully, to make sure you understand exactly where the signal
is flowing at any given point in your signal chain.

In the final analysis, though, PodcastStation is not capable of producing
the echo you describe (excepting through a deliberate application of the
Echo effect, which I assume you are not using), which means it is a
soundcard setting or other signal flow issue.


Recording, editing, mixing

We have no plans to change the number of devices PCS can record from,
as that complicates the program tremendously. If that kind of thing
interests you, you'll need to use a true multitrack recording system
like Audition, Audacity or Cubase.

If you want to use PCS to record multiple mics, you'll need an
external mixer with conventional, analog mics. You mix all the inputs
into one stereo stream and that's what you record.

Sorry, there is no way to use the crossfade controls simply as
fade-outs (that is, without cueing the next deck). But you can have
many more decks by expanding the size of the window.

The screen tour unfortunately depicts a slightly earlier version of
the program. We missed that one. Sorry for the confusion.


Audio interfaces

PodcastStation is a two-channel recorder/editor, and you'll be
recording the
two-channel mix from your audio interface. It doesn't matter what is
going
into the mixer because it's the output that gets recorded. You'll need to
confirm that your audio interface fully supports WDM/DirectSound. ASIO
drivers are NOT supported by PodcastStation.

PodcastStation records from only one source at a time. If you want to use
multiple mics then you will need an external mixer. If you want to keep
your individual mics on separate tracks then you will need true multitrack
recording software (e.g. Audition or Audacity), and you may need a
multichannel soundcard or audio interface as well, depending on what
you're
trying to do.



Export formats

You may export files in all MP3 bitrates, as well as Windows Media Audio
(WMA), WAV, and AIFF.

Markers and editing

….there is no feature that allows you to see an overview of the entire
file all at once. However, you might be able to insert markers during the
recording or editing that would help you later in locating critical
places,
like cuts and jumps. While recording (or playing), you may type 'm'
at any
time to create a marker. You may label the marker, or you can leave the
marker-label window alone and it will disappear after a few seconds. The
markers will not appear on the timeline until you stop and save the
recording.



File Locations: Library vs Export

Q: So if I go into My Documents and move the entire Podcast Station
Folder to
my external drive it should move everything I need, correct?
A: After you move it, use the File Locations menu command in
PodcastStation to tell PodcastStation where you've moved it.

Follow up Q: I went to "Settings" "File Locations" and then it said
"If you change the
location, none of the data stored in the current location will be moved or
copied to the new location."

May I read this wrong. Maybe if I change the file everything will be
moved
since I do not have created any thing as of yet. What I really want to do
is once I create something and "Name" it, is to have it automatically
go to
my external drive
.
Followup A: The File Locations command is to reset the location where
all your
recordings (library) and configurations and podcasts live. All it's
saying
is that if you change the path then you are responsible for actually
moving
your library files to the new place.

But it sounds to me like what you are trying to do is Export a file, which
you do from File/Export. The file can be written to anyplace.

Or maybe you really do want to move the location of your library. That's
fine. It will leave your current files where they are, so if you have
anything important you'll need to move that to the new place (your
external
drive).



Recording, mixing

PodcastStation is not a true multitrack editor, so anytime you want to add
an additional layer of sound the only way to do it is while recording.
This
means that you need to load your "show" (the voice part) into one of the
cart/deck buttons (along with your cow and other sound effects, all in
their
own buttons), and then you re-record the entire thing again. Start your
cart button that has the voice part, then add your other sound effects as
they happen. At the end you stop recording and now you've got a new
version
in your edit window.

iTunes

This frustrates many people. The iTunes file format is proprietary,
and is
not supported by PodcastStation or any other Windows software that we know
of. You might be able to find some freeware which will allow you to
convert
it to a common format such as WAV or MP3. Or you have to re-record it --
play it with iTunes and record with PodcastStation (might require physical
or virtual repatch of your soundcard I/O, depending on what hardware you
have).


Recording technique


A couple of things might help you with all this. First of all there
is a mono-mix record option in the Settings menu that you can use to
force a monophonic input to record to both channels. In the Effects
menu there are two tools – Adjust Volume and Normalize – that operate
on the highlighted portion of audio (select the entire file to apply
it to the entire file). Also, both of these effects can be applied
to either channel or both channels. If you are exporting to a mono
mix, then you have to be careful not to clip the output – in a mono
mix you are combining the signals from both channels, meaning that you
risk peaks at potentially twice the allowable maximum value. To this
end there is a mono-mix export option with a -6dB attenuation before
the mix in order to insure the waveform is not clipped.

… PodcastStation comes with a helpful user guide that explains the
recording and editing process, as well as import and export. The
publication wizard will take you through the step of creating an RSS
file if that is your goal. The user guide is available in the Help
menu. In general we recommend exploring all the menus as a first step
in getting acquainted with the features of the program.


Streaming

Q : Before buying, I would like to know if I can use MP3 streaming,
aka M3U files.
A: Sorry, PodcastStation does not support any streaming formats.
Source files
must be fixed size and reside on your HD or other storage medium.


More on streaming

Q; I would like to know if I can use MP3 streaming,
[aka M3U files. [One common use of the M3U file format is creating a
playlist file that contains a single entry pointing to a stream on the
Internet. The created file provides easy access to that stream and can
be used for things like downloading from a website or for emailing, or
for Internet radio listening]
The file is saved with the "M3U" or "m3u" filename extension. – wikipedia]
PodcastStation does not support any streaming formats. Source files
must be fixed size and reside on your HD or other storage medium.

PCS will make MP3 files and it is up to you to prep them for streaming.



Mixing and recording

The only way to add layers in PodcastStation is to mix them while
recording.
So -- you load all the layers you need to mix into different cart/deck
buttons. Start recording (if you're not actually adding any new material

then turn the mic down so you won't be adding ambient noise). Every layer
you start by clicking on the respective button is recorded into the mix.
When you're finished, stop the recording, trim the beginning and end, and
you're done.



Skype and VoIP

Recording VoIP is in general a challenge on the Windows OS. We have had
good results with Skype using the Skype Answering Machine (SAM) from
www.kishkish.com. The Gold and Platinum versions of contain code which
makes it easy to integrate them with PodcastStation -- once you record a
call, you can easily export it to PCS, and from PCS you may easily import
files from SAM.

Aside from that, the answer to your question depends very much on the kind
of audio hardware you have at your disposal and how it is configured. For
example, you may find yourself having to use two different soundcards,
playing back from one and recording into the other.

The bottom line is that PodcastStation is able to record from only one
source at a time. For multiple sources that must be synchronized you will
need true multitrack software, such as Audition or Audacity. However, if
you are able to run all of your sources through an external mixer,
then you
should be able to record the stereo output of that mixer in PCS.



If you have VoIP software that appears to Windows as an audio device,
such that you can
select it in PodcastStation as your record device, then that should
work.

If you mean Skype, you can use the Skype Answering Machine (SAM) from
www.kishkish.com to record Skype calls, and then import these into
PodcastStation. The gold and platinum editions of SAM contain
features that
also allow you to push a newly recorded Skype call directly into
PodcastStation.

Otherwise, if you are able to route the VoIP audio output into your
soundcard's input, then you can record that. Some older computers have a
soundcard with a "stereo mix" ("what-u-hear") source that allows you to
record its output, but newer computers largely do not provide this
capability because of copyright concerns.

[Realtek just added "Stereo Mix" – download the latest
Go to Sound in the Control Panel's classic view
Select the Recording tab and right-click any of the devices listed.
Check "Show Disabled Devices" and "Show Disconnected Devices".
Stereo Mix should show up. Set it as default. Bob Rowen, ed.]


RSS again

So you've discovered that in PodcastStation (PCS) you normally need a file
in the edit window in order to construct an RSS file for it. (In the most
advanced mode you can bypass this restriction and import an existing RSS
file -- of course, that assumes you have an existing RSS file.) This is
necessary because PCS requires certain information from the file in
order to
construct the RSS file.

If you are using Audition to create your podcast and you still have a need
to work with the file in PCS, I would suggest using the WAV format to go
between the two (i.e. export from Audition, import into PCS) because the
quality will remain undiminished. Compression to/from MP3 will add
distortion as you continue over successive generations.

The protocol that PCS uses to upload files to your web site is FTP, which
you can also run directly from InternetExplorer (IE is an FTP client).



RealMedia formats

PodcastStation does not support RealMedia formats, so to import these
files you will have to find a way to play them with Real Player while
recording them with PodcastStation. Or if RealPlayer gives you an
option to export files to some common format (e.g. WAV or MP3) then
you can easily import those into PodcastStation.

Errors

Problems with my Podcast Station? It is saying:
Podcast Station Error...Get Edit Map...Unable to open file database for
account VPUser...What can I do to get this corrected?

Both XP and Vista have a feature called Fast User Switching which tends to
break applications. If you are logged into one Windows account and then
switch to another, then the OS does not grant you all the permissions you
would normally have.

Or it might be that something has happened and the file handle to the edit
database is locked. If you look in the PodcastStation Library folder
(this
is usually in MyDocuments/PodcastStation) you'll see a file called
VP_EMap.vpd. You can delete this file and restart PodcastStation and it
will rebuild the database.



Multiple FTP Ports?

Does podcast station allow a recording of one (or more) people are in
a remote location? Unfortunately there is no way you can change the
FTP port in PodcastStation.
Our idea is to keep PCS simple to use, and this would just complicate the
interface for most users. Since your FTP needs are more sophisticated
than
most of our users require, I would recommend that you use other means to
upload your files. Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox both have
complete
FTP facilities built in, and there are many shareware FTP applications
available on the internet as well.





"Layers" in PodcastStation

The way to add layers in PodcastStation is to mix them while recording.
So -- you load all the layers you need to mix into different cart/deck
buttons. Start recording (if you're not actually adding any new material
then turn the mic down so you won't be adding ambient noise). Every layer
you start by clicking on the respective button is recorded into the mix.
When you're finished, stop the recording, trim the beginning and end, and
you're done.

Carts and Crossfades

If you right-click on the cart/deck buttons, you'll get a little popup
menu
that gives you a choice of three volume "pads", at -3dB, -6dB and -12dB.

These might help you equalize the volume differences between your various
sources.

There are a limited number of automation features available on the cart
buttons once you enable "PRO" mode (click the PRO button next to the VU
meters):

There are timed triggers under the crossfade slider between each pair of
cart buttons, allowing you to effect timed crossfades with one click.

Each cart button has a loop mode and a segue mode. These controls
appear on
the right side of the button. In segue mode the following cart button is
triggered automatically once the current cart comes to an end.

Resize the main window to create more cart buttons.

Further details on these automation features can be found in the user
guide
in the Help menu.

Is there a way to "automate" carts or decks so that they will play
automatically?

You'll need to make one final recording for the mixdown. Load all of your
various tracks, voice, sound effects, music beds, cues, etc into the
cart/deck buttons (resize the main window if you need more), then start
recording. If you've already recording your voice track then you may
not be
actively speaking into a mic during this final pass, but everything
that you
trigger from the cart/deck buttons will be recorded and mixed in realtime.


The AGC and PRO buttons

When you click the PRO button, you should see a set of five buttons
numbered 1, 2, 4, 6 and 8 beneath each of the cart crossfade sliders.
These are timers, and the number indicates the length of time in
seconds for the crossfade.

The border around the main screen is a standard Windows resizing
border. You should be able to grab it with the mouse and stretch it
out both vertically and horizontally. (Unless your monitor is set to
800x600: then you won't be able to because there is insufficient real
estate at that resolution.)

AGC is a sophisticated control. It must be properly calibrated on
order to be used to best effect. It would typically be used in a
situation where the levels coming into the mic are highly variable –
that is, if you are turning away from the mic often or waling across
the room, etc. If you are speaking directly into the mic at all times
then I would not use it.


Mixers & Audio interfaces

Looking to get into a inexpensive sound board to fix some problems and
quality issues?

Check out the line of USB mixers/audio interfaces from Prosonus –
these are devices that serve as both the mixer and the audio interface
to the computer, so you would be recording directly from this device.
The other route to go is a pure analog mixer, say a small Mackie --
then you use your existing audio interface to record the main or tape
outputs from the board.

If you want to go really cheap, look at products from Behringer and
M-Audio. We've tested various Behringer firewire devices with mixed
success.

You can spend any amount you want for an audio interface. Here's a
new product that just got an award at the NAB – absolute top of the
line quality and beautiful engineering for about $1200:
http://www.henryeng.com/sixmix.html

As far as keeping the caller's voice on a separate channel – if you
are making standard POTS phone calls and using one of the cheap $10
phone couplers, then you won't be able to separate yourself from the
caller. For that you need a professional phone hybrid, which start at
around $600 (look at Telos and Gentner). That's on top of your mixer.

There's a big jump in price between consumer equipment and
professional gear. Anything under $300 is basically a toy, but that's
not to say you can't make it work for you. Makes software look cheap,
huh?

You might want to look at mixers and interfaces at these places:
www.sweetwater.com
www.bswusa.com
www.bgs.cc

My advice is that money well spent is money well spent – get something
good that will last and provide some room for growth.

Personally I would buy a small, high-quality outboard mixer. It will give
you the most flexibility and room for future expansion. You can buy a
completely analog mixer, in which case the main outputs (or "tape" output)
goes to the stereo line input on your soundcard. Or you buy a mixer which
also doubles as the audio interface itself. These are usually USB devices
though Firewire is used as well.

Some places to start looking:

Behringer -- cheap, we've had trouble getting some of it to work
M-Audio -- cheap but works
Mackie -- good mid-quality analog mixers
PreSonus -- good mid-quality USB mixers/interfaces
Henry Engineering -- top of the line USB interfaces/mixers used in
broadcast
Radio

If you need an external mixer, it might be purely analog, in which
case you
record the left/right main outputs; or it may be digital, in which case it
also doubles as the computer's audio interface (i.e. soundcard). In
either
case it must have sufficient mic inputs to accommodate your needs. There
are hundreds of mixers of all types in all price ranges on the market, but
you should be able to find something for well under $500 that will
work for
you.

Some brand names to get you started (NOT a comprehensive list):
Mackie, Presonus, Alesis, M-Audio, Behringer




Problem deleting files from library

Check to see if the file is assigned to a deck or cart button. If so,
and it will not go away it may be a small bug – there should be a
message popping up telling you why it won't delete

If this is not the case, then your database may be out of date. To
fix it:

Close PodcastStation.

On XP, browse to MyDocuments\PodcastStation\PodcastStationLibrary. On
Vista, this would be
Desktop\<user>\Documents\PodcastStation\PodcastStationLibrary.

In that folder you will find your audio files (*.vpw) and one database
file called VP_EMap.vpd. Delete this file.

Restart PodcastStation. The database file will be rebuilt.



Sony Viao Laptops

We've discovered a number of irregularities with the Sony Viao -- some
users are unable to open PodcastStation at all on this platform. So
my best answer to you regarding that is that we need to research the
issue, and I can't tell you when we'll have an answer.


Phone recording

Both sides of a phone conversation take place on the same physical
wire. Inexpensive consumer devices like your phone recorder are
unable to separate the two sides, and the caller is typically much
softer than your own voice. Radio stations use digital "phone
hybrids" that cost hundreds to thousands of dollars to separate the
two sides and allow automatic gain control to be applied to each side
separately.

Mixer Configuration

In PodcastStation, if you click the Settings menu, you'll see a
command called Mixer Configuration. This is where you set your record
source (line, mic, synth, etc) as well as the playback lines for decks
and carts. The record source is usually set to line or mic -- "stereo
mix" or "what-u-hear" are normally bad choices. The names of the
lines and sources in your mixer are entirely dependent on your
hardware, and unfortunately nothing is standardized.


Microphones

PodcastStation is software, and as such, has nothing to do with how you
power your microphone. If you're using a condenser mic then you'll need a
mixer or audio interface that delivers phantom power. You'll use
PodcastStation to record the output of your mixer or audio interface.


New Version of Podcast Station (2.30)

We're going to be releasing a new version soon that does not
attempt to adjust the levels on the actual device, because all devices
seem
to have a completely different response curve. My recommendation would be
to hold on for a few weeks if you can, and we'll have a better solution.
Otherwise you are looking at $400 for a professional broadcast quality
soundcard or external audio interface.

Have you experimented with Automatic Gain Control (AGC). It works pretty
well for evening out variable-level input once you have it calibrated
properly.




Monitoring the Recording Process

The ability to monitor the recording process is a function of your audio
hardware and interface to the computer, not PodcastStation itself. All
audio devices are different; most provide this function in one form or
another, but many (cheaper ones) do not. Without knowing what you are
using
I cannot really answer the question.

There is no automatic method for breaking up a recording into separate
tracks. You must control this process yourself. I am not aware of any
software that can sense separate tracks on tape or vinyl, although there
might be commercial dubbing systems that can do it.





A Good On-Line Primer On Digital Audio

I've looked for a good on-line primer on digital audio but have not
encountered one yet. (Maybe I'll have to address that shortcoming
myself one of these days.)



We have no current plans to support the ASIO interface, simply because
we don't have the resources to do that at the present time. This does
not necessarily mean that the device will not work with PCS – it
really depends on the driver software provided by the manufacturer of
the device. PCS wants WDM/DirectSound drivers for its audio devices,
which most manufacturers provide. Manufacturers are also constantly
updating their drivers, and it is quite possible that a device for
which there was no appropriate driver a year ago now has one. We
can't stay current because there are hundreds and hundreds of audio
interfaces out in the world.



You had also said that the microphone slider (record level) in PCS had
no effect on your mic. That is something we plan to change – in the
current version it is controlling the Microsoft Wave Mixer but as we
are learning that technique is now obsolete and most audio interfaces
don't even support it any longer. Especially on Vista.



Don't know if that clarifies anything for you. The article on
"digital audio" on Wikipedia is not extremely useful but might get you
started.




Selecting in Podcast Station

What you want to do is make a left mark and right mark, which you can
do several different ways. The '[' and ']' keys do this, and another
way is with the mouse: left-click to make the first mark (left or
right side), then right-click at the other location to make
the second mark. Everything between the marks is selected
(highlighted) for
editing/deletion/effects/etc. You can also extend or reduce the
highlighted
selection with similar methods, explained in the user guide you'll find in
the Help menu -- there's a section called "Select and Audio Segment".


The Behringer Firewire Interface

We've had trouble with the Behringer firewire interface, so if you already
have one, go ahead and try it (make sure you get the latest drivers
for it),
but if you don't own one yet consider other devices from Presonus, M-Audio
or Alesis.

In any event, the Behringer or other interface would become your record
source and well as your playback device. If you're running Windows
XP, you
can set this up in PodcastStation's Settings/AudioDevices window. If
you're
running on Vista, the system record/playback devices are set in the system
control panel.




Better Bass Response From Your Mic

Actually the best way to get better bass response from your mic has
nothing
to do with software settings. Most mics sound more resonant if you speak
into them very closely. Another trick is to place the mic right above a
hard surface (a table) -- it will pick up low frequency reflections
from the
table and add these to the direct signal.

Otherwise there is a Parametric EQ effect in the Effects menu (Windows XP
only) that you might be able to use to perk up the bass response.









Links about Podcast Station


We'll be releasing a newer version of PodcastStation within the next
couple
weeks in order to address some general usability issues as well as some
constraints imposed by Windows Vista. You may review the complete
revision
history at this URL:

http://www.podcaststation.com/support/release_notes.asp

A group of PodcastStation users are also in the process of starting up a
user forum which we are helping them with. We'll be announcing that
URL as
soon as things are up and running.


Here are a few reviews you might find helpful:

http://www.brighthub.com/Multimedia/Audio/reviews/522.aspx

http://podcast-software-review.toptenreviews.com/

http://www.podsqod.com/2006/03/06/105/


Here's a short list of shows (in no particular order) that are
produced with
PodcastStation:

http://www.jasonoblivion.com/
http://daverabbit.podomatic.com/
http://www.whitokyo.info/WHIT.htm
http://www.cslseattle.org/
http://racerxcanada.com/news/4579/somewhat-live-and-uncensored-no-14/
http://www.number1duioffice.com/
http://www.podsqod.com/

As far as PodcastStation vs. Audacity goes, it's almost apples and
oranges.
Audicity is of course a multitrack editor which PodcastStation is not.
PodcastStation allows you to add your sound effects and other background
audio live and spontaneously, which Audacity does not. PodcastStation was
designed by commercial broadcast radio DJs to support the way they work in
an on-air studio. Audacity follows the classic recording studio
post-production model. The TopTenReviews site listed above contains a
PCS/Audacity comparison chart.


Problem Loading an Audio File

Q: I currently have a problem that I never had before with your
product. When I load an mp3 on a cart button, the program gives me an
error message saying Error initializing format conversion and even though
it loads and plays the mp3 when I click on the restart button on the cart
button, the mp3 does not play anymore and I have to repeat the process
all
over again and it's really annoying, do I have to reinstall the
program or
is there a way that this will never happen again.

A: I suggest you *import* the mp3 file into PodcastStation, and then
load the
imported file (.vpw) into your deck/cart button. The file is in some
format
which makes it difficult to convert on the fly, but importing it will
convert it to PodcastStation's native format and it should go smoother for
you.


Importing in Mono vs. Importing in Stereo

If you have set PodcastStation's internal format
to mono (in Settings/AudioDevices). by default, then, any file imported
will be converted to mono (unless you check the obscure option called
"Do not
convert to PodcastStation's internal format" in the File/Import dialog
box).

Most people prefer to work in stereo, though, as it gives you more control
over processing and mixing. You can still work in 2 channels but playback
to a mono mix, and you can always export your finished product to a mono
mix.

If recording in stereo from a monophonic source, the Mono-mix-record
option
in the Settings menu will put the same signal on both channels.

"Chipmunk" Effect on Some Players

I surmise from your note that you have set PodcastStation's internal
format
to mono (in Settings/AudioDevices). By default, then, any file imported
will be converted to mono unless you check the obscure option called
"Do not
convert to PodcastStation's internal format" in the File/Import dialog
box.

Most people prefer to work in stereo, though, as it gives you more control
over processing and mixing. You can still work in 2 channels but playback
to a mono mix, and you can always export your finished product to a mono
mix.

If recording in stereo from a monophonic source, the Mono-mix-record
option
in the Settings menu will put the same signal on both channels.far
been unable to figure it out. If you use Windows Media Player to play
the MP3s you create with PodcastStation then you will hear that they are
correct. If you wouldn't mind sending me a pair of short MP3s -- the one
you make with PCS, the other after conversion through Audacity -- I should
be able to determine what Audacity is doing to the file that allows
some of
these streaming players to work.