This is a collection of tips and procedures on how to produce a podcast using Garageband.
We use Garageband thus far because it is easy and we are lazy. More professional shows use Apple's Logic
- Garageband -- comes with mac os x
- Skype
- Soundflower let's you hijack various audio input streams and combine them into one, thus combine your skype and microphone input into one audio stream
- Linein let's you pass your microphone output to soundflower
- Levelator equalizes the speaking volumes of different people talking on your podcast, this way some people aren't quiet and others loud
- ffmpeg installed w/ homebrew, you need this for levelator
* install homebrew
*
brew install ffmpeg
- Mute internal input and output
- Put your cell phone far away while recording, it can cause a nasty buzzing sound
- Start Linein and pass thru your usb microphone to soundflower ch2
- Set skype preferences to use soundflower for audio output
- Garageband
- set audio in to be soundflower and audio out to your usb headset
- Set reverb to zero, it is in the "info" panel
- use the podcast template and the male voice track
- Turn "Monitor On" and use Mono NOT stereo
- In preferences, set the show name to Food Fight you can also do this on the master track
- export recorded audio to mp3
- convert mp3 to .wav using ffmpeg,
ffmpeg -i foodfightx.mp3 foodfightx.wav - Start Levelator
- Drag and drop the .wav file onto levelator
- Import the converted "foodfightx.output.wav" into your itunes library
- Create a new podcast in garageband
- go into Audio Library, you should see foodfightx.output listed
- Drag and drop it onto the master track
- export to mp3 again and you're done!
- don't spend too much time on it, content is king
- Edit after you have used levelator, long quiet periods will be very easy to see after the speaking volumes are equalized