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November 2008 RAP
November 2008 Highlights
2008 RAP Awards:
Call For Entries!
We’re proud to announce the Call for Entries to
Radio And Production’s 19th Annual RAP Awards! After
many requests, we have decided to open eligibility
to independent production houses!
Feature: To USB or Not to USB
by Andrew Frame
When it comes to Folks Like Us, the
microphone is as personal a possession as a decent set of
near-fields, a good rib rub recipe, and realizing you have a
keeper at home when she packs a bit of her lingerie in your
lunch bag along with a bologna and mustard-on-white sandwich and
a Moon Pie. Dynamic. Condenser. Large diaphragm. Small
diaphragm. Well known Major Name Brand. Not so well known
Chinese-Ukrainian-Pakistani clones. Microphones that look
terrific and sound mediocre, and mechanical nightmares that hit
the sweet spot. Now, a new player is making inroads... the USB
microphone. Rather than needing a separate pre-amp, these
microphones are self-contained, including the analog-to-digital
converter that allows you to plug them right into the USB port
on your computer. One mic, one cable — it’s certainly a simple
setup. But, given the prices of these microphones, are they any
good?
Interview:
Brad Lane, KSTP/KFMP, St. Paul-Minneapolis, MN
by Jerry Vigil
Find something you love doing… then figure out how to get paid
for it. If you can zero in on those two elements, they say the
rest is a piece of cake. There’s no doubt that creating
entertaining radio imaging is something that Brad Lane loves
doing, and while he may not be the owner of a flourishing radio
imaging company… yet… he certainly can rest assured he’s getting
paid to do what he loves for one of America’s legendary AM radio
stations. Privately owned KSTP-AM in St. Paul-Minneapolis has
found its niche, as most AMs have, in Talk radio. Together with
a lineup of high-personality “live and local” talk show hosts,
Brad extends the “stationality” beyond the live segments with
the kind of imaging that only comes from someone with a true
love for what he does, and a definite gift for entertaining the
listener. This month’s RAP Interview takes a peek at the mind
behind one of Talk radio’s best, and we get a stimulating sample
of Brad’s work on this month’s RAP CD.
Technology:
Bit Wars!
by Steve Cunningham
In the beginning there was the compact disc. This technology
brought forth the digital revolution and, combined with advances
in modern computers, allows us today to pack an entire
production room worth of equipment into a small laptop bag.
Along the way there have been further advances, higher sample
rates, and larger bit depths. Digital recording today approaches
and in many cases exceeds the finest quality that analog could
ever offer. We can now choose sample rates from the CD’s 44.1
kHz up to 192 kHz, and bit depths from 16 to 24 and even 32
bits. But as these new choices have emerged, various myths about
them have tagged along. This month will take a look at these
choices, and some of the myths, regarding digital recording. But
first, allow me to go into teacher mode and present a brief
review.
Feature:
Find Your Voice
by Jim Kipping
I sit here today typing with heavy heart.
First, as many of you know, Don LaFontaine, the man who all but
invented the modern movie trailer, passed away in September.
Then a week later, I learned about a loss of one of my local
heroes, Tom Quarles (TQ). I bring Tom up because there was one
thing that he believed was the highest art form in our business,
the movie trailer. TQ found just as much joy in the release of a
new trailer, as some do for the actual opening night of the
movie. Originally this was going to be transcript of a
conversation I had with Lafontaine about a year and a half ago,
but I think the true title and emphasis of this piece should be…
“Find your voice.”
Production 212:
Part 2 - Making Crispy Critters
by Dave Foxx
Well, after the long break with Produce Dave Foxx, here is
the second part of my discussion on EQ/Compression. The two
really work hand-in-glove with each other because they can both
really change the outcome of each other, and thus the end
product. If you need a few minutes to go back and read the EQ
portion, I can wait. OK. One cannot really discuss compression
without an excellent understanding of dynamic range. THIS is
what you compress to make everything sound louder, more full or
perhaps more even. Put simply, dynamic range is the difference
between the softest and loudest passages in a given piece of
audio.
Radio Hed:
Open a Book - Spark an Idea
by Jeffrey Hedquist
If you agree that good (attention-capturing, result-getting,
renewal engendering) commercials have the qualities of a good
story, then why not borrow a spark of creativity from master
storytellers – novelists? Here’s a quick start trick that will
give your commercial story a little push. Open a novel and read
the first sentence. Relate it to the client for whom you’re
creating a commercial. Paraphrase that sentence, rewrite it,
turn it around, let it inspire a sentence going in the opposite
direction, it doesn’t matter. It’s a catalyst, an inspiration, a
jolt to get you off the line, out of the box, and into the
imagination of your audience. It will help prevent you from
falling into the cliché vortex.
Q It Up:
The RAP Network Speaks -
How has the U.S. presidential election spread
to your imaging?
Q It Up: How have you taken
advantage of this year’s U.S. presidential election in your
imaging? Are you jumping on board the comedy train, or using the
election’s huge awareness to position your station in a more
serious manner? Or both? If you’re more on the commercial side
of things, have you worked politics into some of your creative
commercial work? If you have a piece of “election” production
that comes to mind, tell us about it and send the audio to us as
well! We’ll put it on the RAP CD!
If you have a question for the RAP Network, email it to
jv@rapmag.com!
...And Make
It Real Creative - Home, Heart & Health
by Trent Rentsch
Lessons can be learned in the most surprising places. But
then, one should expect surprises in a magic shop. Since I’ve
been playing around with my oldest hobby again, I’ve been
dropping into the local shop at least once every couple of
weeks. I’m actually quite lucky to have a brick and mortar magic
shop in my town; most have disappeared as the world of magic has
taken to internet shopping. It’s sad too, because most kids
interested in magic these days will never know the thrill of
stepping into a shop filled with every shiny, brightly painted
trick they ever imagined, or experience firsthand the power of
an illusion before they buy it, performed in the capable hands
of the wizard behind the counter. As I said before, I’m lucky to
have the shop available here... as was the young man who stepped
inside with his family just after me. Here began the lesson.
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