Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel got married. Funny stuff probably happened at the wedding. But before that, he heard a woman come out of a museum’s restroom and say, “That was cool. I enjoyed that.”
• Jeremy hasn’t had anything happen that isn’t funny yet.
• Erik is trying to teach his daughter “your mom” jokes. Awkward?

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

John tells about the stupid drivers around him during his commute.

Featured story: bus-ride dating

Erik was quite the girl’s boy when he was little, but those relationships didn’t always go well.

Read more of Erik’s personality on his blog.

Weekly Noodlisms: “home-sick” and “IP address”

Daniel questions how someone can be “home-sick” and what that actually means. Erik suggests that “IP address” is the speech you give before, during, or after you … go.

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching?and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Reduce noise before you record

Turn off noise-makers

Fans, air conditioners, refrigerators, computers, and more can all cause background noise in your recording; try to turn them off if you can. I turn off my air conditioner whenever I start recording because I have a loud vent right above my studio equipment.

Consider a different room

If you can’t turn off noise-makers, such as an air conditioner or refrigerator, consider switching rooms. Pay attention to the carpet, walls, and furniture in the room. The less “flat” you can make the room, the less the sound will reverbrate.

Reduce computer fan noise

Turn your microphone away from the computer and place as far away as possible. If you use a notebook computer, try to minimize your running software to prevent the fans from activating.

Switch to a dynamic microphone

Condensor microphones can capture a beautiful range of audio, but they’re more sensitive to noise from the room (great for ambiance recording). Dynamic microphones are traditionally not as good with the audio range (such as the low pitches), but are more focused in what they capture and aren’t as sensitive to room noise. There are cheap dynamic microphones, but they won’t have the wide dynamic range of audio that they can capture. There is also my prized Heil PR40 for $325, and it sounds beautiful.

Reduce the gain and get closer to the mic

The microphone won’t eat you! Get closer to it! You may think this will distort your audio and you’re right, but that’s why you reduce the gain, which is the mic’s sensitivity. The more sensitive the mic, the more noise it will capture. Imagine it like a bubble around your mic. Gain makes the bubble bigger, which captures more sound. Make the “bubble” smaller and get inside it!

Get a compressor/limiter/gate (CLG)?

Not really. I shared in-depth settings for Chris’s Dynamic Compressor for Audacity, and also just discussed software and hardware compressors. CLGs are only effective at not allowing any audio in the spaces between your talking. It won’t remove noise while you record.

Plug everything into one power outlet

When you get electronic interference with your hardware (as I still have in some of your recordings), keep all your hardware plugged into the same outlet via surge protector. Also ensure your hardware is not in close proximity with other pieces (like audio cables sitting on power adapters—I made this mistake recently).

Use a USB adapter

If you record directly into your computer, converting that analog audio signal to digital before in reaches your computer has proven an effective method for reducing computer interference noise. Get either an adapter with 3.5 MM jacks or a Behringer U Control UCA202 USB Audio Interface for RCA jacks. This works great for desktops and notebooks.

Removing noise after you have recorded

Do everything you can to reduce the noise before you record. It’s possible to easily reduce it so much, that you won’t need to removal the noise afterward. There are probably some of these steps you can implement to get better recordings. If you still need to edit things after you recorded, here’s how to remove noise with Audacity.

1. Select the “silent” section of your audio, where it’s just noise.
2. Go to the Effects menu and click Noise Removal.
   
3. Click Get Noise Profile.
   
4. Select all of the audio from which you want that background noise removed.
5. Go to the Effects menu and click Noise Removal.
   
6. Adjust the settings if necessary (defaults are fine) and click OK.
   
7. Listen to ensure your audio doesn’t sound like it’s underwater.

Here are the before-and-after waveforms.

No live shows for a while

I got married! Although I will have prerecorded episodes still released on a schedule, this was the last live recording for a while. After I’m married, I may rearrange the Ramen Noodle and The Audacity to Podcast to be live on the same night.

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comments, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes. You can contact me through the same methods if you’re interested in my design, production, or consultation services. If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel saw someone using double umbrellas, maybe to protect himself from a double rainbow?

• Jeremy shares that our listener Jennifer thinks our “pants on the ground” jokes should bet let to lie.
• Chuck needs paradox insurance.

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

Rus from Cleveland calls to vent his frustration about people who misuse the left lane on highways.

Featured stories: UpChuck

Chuck shares more engrossing stories about food. Strengthen your constitutions before listening. “Tomatoes and chocolate” should be warning enough.

For more of Chuck’s nonsense, check out his blog!

Weekly Noodlism: “gorgeous”

Usually, calling someone “gorgeous” is a compliment—they are beautiful. But why is the word “gorge” in there?

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching?and The Audacity to Podcast.

Also get an Audacity quick tip for seeing, at a glance, where your audio clips and distorts.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Understanding compressor terminology

Simple to complex compressors

Levelator (free, standalone)—no options

Mixer-based compressor knob (built into some mixers)—just a single knob, like on my Behringer Xenyx X1832USB.

Chris’s Dynamic Compressor (free, standalone and Audacity plugin)—a few simple options, follow his instructions to unlock the advanced options

Hardware compressor/limiter/gate ($80 and up, standalone device)—several knobs, some have more options than others. Such as my Behringer MDX4600 (currently $120).

C3 Multiband Compressor (free, plugin with Audacity edition) or Adobe Audition‘s Multiband Compressor (included plugin with $349 software)

Should you use a software or hardware compressor?

Robert from It’s Just Us has a Alesis 3630 Compressor Dynamics Processor and Adobe Audition 2.0 and wanted to know whether he should use the hardware or software compressor. The short answer is that you have to decide for yourself based on the advantages and disadvantages that affect you.

Software compressor advantages

1. Free
2. Edit undestructively after recording
3. Experiment with the same audio to see and hear changes
4. Compress audio from any source: studio mics, field recordings, or sound clips
5. Often has presets to reduce complexity
6. Forward-looking compression

Software disadvantages

1. Not real-time
2. Extra steps
3. Extra processing time
4. Processes all or nothing
5. The tools may change (Audacity, Audition, Soundbooth, Pro Logic, etc.)

Hardware advantages

1. Channel isolation
   • Individualized setttings for each host
   • Preventing noise in other tracks
   • Compressing only what you want (voices, not music)
2. Process in real-time for fast turnaround
3. Live audience benifits

Hardware disadvantages

1. Expensive ($80 and up)
2. May require other upgrades, such as getting a mixer with inserts
3. Different settings depending on content
4. Mistakes are baked into the recording
5. No presets

Conclusion

If you’re just starting out with audio compression, stick with a software compressor so you can learn as you experiment. Always keep and unprocessed archive of your recording.

If you have extra money and want to optimize your workflow and have almost instant turnaround, get a hardware compressor.

No live shows for a while

I’m getting married! Although I will have prerecorded episodes still released on a schedule, this was the last live recording for a while. After I’m married, I may rearrange the Ramen Noodle and The Audacity to Podcast to be live on the same night.

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comments, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes. You can contact me through the same methods if you’re interested in my design, production, or consultation services.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

For a complete synopsis of I, Robot, visit Wikipedia. Also read the family-friendly rating and review from Focus on the Family’s PluggedIn.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring Daniel to design stuff for you).

• Make your message look great by hiring Daniel to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view his portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

25 years into the Future

It’s a very common theme in futuristic thrillers to have the man-made creation turn on its creator. I, Robot is just one in a long list of similar plots leading all the way back to Frankenstein (a list that contains such thrillers as The Terminator, Matrix, Eagle Eye, and Battlestar Galactica). It’s ironic that Asimov actually wrote his books to avoid this stock plot. Even more ironic is that Asimov, a vocal God-hater during his lifetime, wrote books in which he turns man’s mechanical creations into godlike creatures who watch over and protect mankind—the ultimate form of man creating god.

The mind of the machine

Two robots in I, Robot appear to be sentient (making decisions for themselves) Sonny and VIKI.

“Woe to the one who quarrels with his Maker–
An earthenware vessel among the vessels of earth!
Will the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you doing?’
Or the thing you are making say, ‘He has no hands’?
“Woe to him who says to a father, ‘What are you begetting?’
Or to a woman, ‘To what are you giving birth?’” (Isaiah 45:9–10)

God gave us a soul and a spirit, which allow us to question, reason, and change our minds. A computer can’t do that like we can—they rely on preprogrammed algorithms. For example, the videogame Spore is designed to evolve a creature and animate it and adjust its behavior based on the player’s “design” of the creature, but even that is still a result of preprogrammed algorithms.

Creation mixing with evolution

I, Robot mixes the terminology of creation with evolution, speaking of robots evolving a soul, but also of being created. Sonny refers to his maker as his “father.”

“Do we not all have one father? Has not one God created us? Why do we deal treacherously each against his brother so as to profane the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10, NASB)

Dreaming

Sonny claims to have dreams, but Del comments that robots are only an “imitation of life.” Dreams are something special. God uses them for communication, for prophecy, for illustration of concepts, and such.

“It will come about after this
That I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and daughters will prophesy,
Your old men will dream dreams,
Your young men will see visions. (Joel 2:28, NASB)

But dreams are not necessarily prophetic. Machines don’t dream. Dreams imply sleep and a special level of sleep and subconsciousness. Sonny’s dream was definitely programmed; it was a way for Alfred Lanning to communicate with Del after his death—just one of the many “bread crumbs” he leaves for Del to follow.

Art

Can a robot write a symphony?

Emotion is required for art, and while Sonny portrays several emotions (fear, anger, compassion, love), they are programmed simulations of emotions. Mechanical objects are not self-aware enough to portray true emotion.

Robots might naturally evolve.

The suggestion that random combinations can make a soul is a very evolutionary concept. Yet, we know that information cannot arise without an informer.

Difference engine becomes a search for truth.

Computers can process information better than we can. For a computer, there is only truth (on or off, ones or zeros), there is no “maybe.” A computer must trust its maker, it can’t correct its own flaws beyond what it is programed to recognize and repair according to more algorithms. Any error-correction that a program can do is part of these algorithms.

Three Law of Robotics

From Wikipedia:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey any orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

Sonny had a second brain. He could choose to not obey. VIKI had a different way to look at the three laws: she evolved her understanding to put the protection of humanity over humans.

Sacrifice

To protect humanity, some humans must be sacrificed. To ensure your future, some freedoms must be surrendered.

An idea that we are dealing with politically, right now, this concept has been dealt with in many movies.

What did you think?

What did you think of I, Robot? Comment on this post on our website, email us@areyoujustwatching.com (audio feedback welcome), or call (859) 353-4332. You can also follow Are You Just Watching?, Daniel, and Eve on Twitter. And please join our Facebook Page. Don’t forget to leave us some five-star reviews in iTunes!

Are You Just Watching? is produced and sponsored by D.Joseph Design. The opening vocal talent is thanks to Mariah. Our theme song is used courtesy of Answers in Genesis, from their exciting vacation Bible school curriculum, Operation Space.

If you enjoy Are You Just Watching?, then please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: the Ramen Noodle and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel’s teeth-whitening is turning into mouth-burninating.
• Jeremy was called “Babe” by a lady at the mall. Do we hear wedding bells?

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

John Wilkerson serenades us with a song about meatloaf.

Featured story: bees and buying a house

Daniel’s first home-buying experience revealed a bee graveyard, and his realtors rubbed in the fact that he was “a single person.”

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching?and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Variable bitrate (VBR) MP3s and LibSyn

Bob Jordan wrote in to point me to LibSyn’s PDF on their Podcast Companion App, which reveals an incompatibility with VBR MP3s.

Avoid using VBR (Variable Bit Rate Encoding) as it is not compatible with our system.

I exchanged several emails with top people at LibSyn and they confirmed that VBR files are absolutely not compatible with the iOS app they offer as part of their larger hosting packages. Extensive study revealed a few portable digital audio players that have trouble with VBR, and even some minor issues in iTunes.

LAME versus Fraunhofer

As I explained in more detail in episode 6, LAME is the best MP3 codec for quality, that is, when you use it with variable bitrate (VBR). LAME is terrible at constant bitrate (CBR). However, Fraunhofer, the creator of MP3 compression, has an MP3 encoder that is the best at CBR.

Fraunhofer’s MP3 encoder is not free—it’s usually included in expensive audio-editors like Adobe Audition. However, Fraunhofer IIS’s own site tells how you can get their MP3 encoder for free.

If you are an end user and would like to use the Fraunhofer mp3 encoder or decoder, please use Apple iTunes or Windows Media which integrate the Fraunhofer mp3 software. Please note, that although mp3 was developed at Fraunhofer IIS, we do not sell any mp3 products to end users and do not provide end user support for mp3 devices and software. [Emphasis added]

I’ve known that Fraunhofer was credited in iTunes, but didn’t realize until reading this that iTunes does use his actual MP3 encoder, not just parts of his technology. So if you don’t already have iTunes, download it now for free.

Encoding MP3s: convenience and potential incompatibilities vs. speed and hassle

The method I’m about to show you for encoding Audacity projects into MP3 via iTunes is more of a hassle, with several additional steps and some cleanup. But when you have everything set right, it may be a whole lot faster.

45-minute stereo podcast in Audacity on a Core i7 MacBook Pro:

• Export from Audacity as LAME, VBR quality 5, joint stereo: 8 minutes, 10 seconds
• Export from Audacity to uncompressed WAV, use iTunes to convert to 128 kbps CBR, joint stereo: 2 minutes

Although it’s a little more of a hassle to use iTunes, the above test revealed a 75% savings in time and produces a file guaranteed to work everywhere.

How to make an MP3 from Audacity and iTunes

1. Export as WAV

In Audacity 1.3 (beta), go to the File menu and click Export, name your file, change your format to “WAV (Microsoft) signed 16-bit PCM,” and then click Save. There are no options for WAVs

2. Drag into iTunes

I suggest for creating a playlist or smart playlist to hold your new files. But however you drag the WAV into iTunes is fine.

3. Configure iTunes for MP3s

Go to the Edit menu (Windows) or iTunes menu (OS X) and click Preferences, click Import Settings… under General, set Import Using to “MP3 encoder,” Setting to “Good quality (128 kbps),” then click OK and OK.

4. Convert

Right-click your imported WAV and click Create MP3 Version.

5. Find the MP3

Search your iTunes library for the new MP3 file, drag it out of iTunes back into your folder, and now it’s ready to be tagged and uploaded. You can also delete the uncompressed WAV and delete the files from iTunes if you want.

Although this is many more steps and leaves a little cleanup behind, it still took only a quarter of the time to use iTunes than to encode directly from Audacity. It’s still free, and this guarantees compatibility and high quality with everything.

This is where my friend, Cliff Ravenscraft of Podcast Answer Man, can say, “I told you so,” and ignore our conversation about all of this in his episode 125 in which I defended and explained LAME.

Taking a live-show break after August 25

I’m getting married in a short time! Although I will have prerecorded episodes still released on a schedule, Wednesday, August 25, will be the last live recording for a while. But you can still catch that live recording at 8:00 p.m. (ET) on our Live page. After I’m married, I may rearrange the Ramen Noodle and The Audacity to Podcast to be live on the same night.

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comments, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes. You can contact me through the same methods if you’re interested in my design, production, or consultation services.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

2001: A Space FAIL

Random Noodle Updates

• One of Daniel’s coworkers gets loud, so a “meatloaf” codeword was implemented
• Jeremy meets a trio of five-year-olds, and they are “aggravated” by him.

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

Evil Phlegon declared the Ramen Noodle to be immortal.

Weekly Noodlism: “down to the wire”

“Down to the wire” could mean many things: London bridges falling down, exposing the wire; landmines with tripwires on the ground; and my fair lady.

Featured story: wedding video fail

Daniel once produced a video for a friend’s wedding. The only part that played smoothly was his logo. The father of the groom blames himself for stepping on a wire.

Bachelor Bootcamp: “Should a friend get married before he’s ready”?

Concerned Person is concerned about the concerning situation with a friend of a friend, whom this tale concerns.

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching?and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Bradley Bradwell’s four reasons against Audacity

From Brad’s World of Online Trends (part of Chris Pirillo’s network) comes his blog post, “4 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Use Audacity.” Although Bradley Bradwell makes some good points, I argue that they are mostly invalid and he even concludes that Audacity is “the best on the market in terms of free audio editing software.” What do I think? Check out his blog post and listen to my responses!

1. “You need to download the LAME”

Yes, it’s disappointing that LAME (for encoding MP3s) cannot legally be included with Audacity, but I explain that it really isn’t hard to find because it’s linked from the Audacity download page, and Audacity 1.3 even gives you a link straight to the instructions for Mac and Windows.

The installation process is actually simple enough that you don’t even have to find the program you installed, just try to save the MP3 again and Audacity knows where LAME is.

2. “It’s unstable”

Although Audacity can crash and it has on me, I know exactly what I did to cause it. Usually, I tried to cancel a heavy process or I got impatient. During the live show, one of the chatters reported that he has used Audacity for six years and never saw it crash.

Make sure you’re using 1.3 (beta)! A lot of problems may be due to using an old version on new software and hardware.

3. “It has difficulty handling longer track”

This can make sense if you don’t have much RAM, are running an intense process, or have several other programs running at the same time, but I have never had problems with long tracks. I have even recorded for more than two hours and edited the file! No problems there. Again, make sure you have the latest beta version. It’s always a good idea to save often.

4. “The user interface can be challenging for beginners”

Interestingly, Bradley says within this point that Audacity is simpler than Garageband and concludes by saying, “Audacity is a great program for the everyday user.” I actually think that the best programs start with a blank “canvas” for you, the artist—or would you rather have Clippy?

As long as you know base select, cut, copy, paste, and delete commands, you can do decent stuff with Audacity. Also consider that it’s the most-popular free audio-editor, so there are loads of video tutorials and step-by-step instructions on the Internet. I’ll be producing some video tutorials myself!

I still stand by my recommendations of Audacity and will continue to use it until I have put my money first into equipment. Even then, I may buy something else instead of replacing Audacity.

Podcasting news: new BlackBerry Podcast App

Research in Motion (RIM) have released a free BlackBerry podcast client so you can find, subscribe to, and listen to podcasts on any BlackBerry smartphone. This is great news for consumers and us podcasters!

To submit your podcast to the new app, sign up for a free account (your username/email will be case-sensitive), go to the Podcasts menu in the upper-right, click Submit New, complete the simple form, and then Submit. It may take a little time to be approved, but I recommend that you jump on this right away.

UPDATE: One of my listeners, Rob Robideau, quickly made an excellent blog post with screenshots to show you, step-by-step, how to submit your podcast. Thanks, Rob!

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comments, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes. You can contact me through the same methods if you’re interested in my design, production, or consultation services.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

This will be our last set of full episodes before Daniel gets married. We’ll probably release some old, unheard content during Daniel’s absence.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel’s awkward urinal experience (are they ever not awkward?)
• Jeremy tried camping again. This time, the monsters had loud music and fireworks

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

Some gnarly dude from the ’60s called to shed more light on “rehearse.”

Upcoming themes

Please share stories about the silly things you believed as a kid for an upcoming episode! Email feedback@Noodle.mx or call (859) 353-4332.

Weekly Noodlism: “plant an idea” and “it grows on you”

Where did these sayings come from? Why would you want to plan something in someone and see stuff grow on people? Some may call it Inception, we call it a Noodlism.

Featured story: the world is ending

IP addresses are running out. This could mean the end of the world or, worse, rationed bandwidth! Hear some of our theories.

Bachelor Bootcamp: a proud cousin

Sgt. Packet’s cousin has a new job, and was featured in a commercial!

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your silly childhood beliefs and Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching?and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

What are stats?

Stats (common abbreviation for “statistics”) tell you information about your audience. Thank you to Robert from It’s Just Us podcast for asking the question to explain the differences between different stats and why he should care.

Are stats important?

Yes! But please don’t fall into focusing on the numbers. The only people that need to care about numbers (or at least think they need to) are advertisers. However, you should watch your statistics to get a better understand of your audience and what content is more popular.

Hits are not accurate website stats

In the ’90s, it was common to show off how many hits a site would get. Consequently, the term “hits” is still used, but the information is useless. A “hit” is anytime something is loaded from your site. If your webpage has ten images, that’s ten hits for that one visitor (plus other files that are loading).

Instead, you should look at your website visitors and the pageviews. A visitor is a person who visits your website. Pageviews tell you how many pages were viewed (cryptic, I know!).

For website stats, I recommend the extremely thorough Google Analytics or the real-time Woopra. They’re both free, but Woopra offers some premium editions, which popular websites would require. I’ll explain advanced website stats in a future episode.

Feedburner RSS stats are real

Feedburner has been labeled a useless stats tool, but useful for syndicating your content and ensuring compatibility. But I’m here to defend Feedburner! It is simply misunderstood.

When you publish an RSS feed, people can subscribe with a podcatcher (like iTunes or Miro Player) or RSS aggregator (like Google Reader or NetNewsWire) and will automatically receive updates, including new podcasts, from your website. Feedburner reports how many people are thus subscribed, which is reported based on when their program (like iTunes) checks the RSS feed. If someone is subscribed to your podcast through iTunes but doesn’t load iTunes on a particular day, they won’t be counted as a subscriber. This is why your Feedburner subscriber numbers fluctuate daily. Read Feedburner’s documentation for more to understand subscribers.

Feedburner’s “reach” stats are even further misunderstood. These are the number of RSS subscribers who click something from the RSS feed, like a manual download, a link in your shownotes, or more. Read more on “reach” from Feedburner.

Blubrry and LibSyn podcast stats

Although some web hosting companies offer tools to see numbers on file downloads (like your podcast files), these tools are buried in the control panel and don’t give you very much information. LibSyn is very popular for hosting media files and providing basic and premium podcast stats, but they charge for this service and I only recommend LibSyn for extremely popular podcasts, if you have a good web host.

I use Blubrry’s free media stats (they also offer premium stats and media hosting) along with their free PowerPress plugin for WordPress (neither require the other, but I do recommend the combination).

Both services offer the same, very helpful information: realistic stats on how your podcast is downloaded. They’ll tell me how many people download through iTunes, through another player, or use my site’s embedded player in their browser. This is helpful for recognizing how many more people listen to your content but don’t subscribe to the RSS feed (using Google Analytics or Woopra can tell you how they got to your site).

For every RSS subscriber to my podcasts, I typically see two to three times more downloads. So if you’re disappointed by your Feedburner subscriber numbers try using Blubrry’s free media stats or LibSyn and you’ll discover that you have more listeners than you thought! Podcast stats will also reveal your most-popular episodes.

Podcasting News

I was interviewed in the Struggling Entrepreneur podcast and shared some of my struggles in having my own business and launching a podcast network. Check it out!

Google Wave is dying; I am sad. I use Google Wave for collaboration because it has much better conversational features than Google Docs. Ultimately, I’d like to see them merged.

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comments, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes. You can contact me through the same methods if you’re interested in my design, production, or consultation services.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel’s house had an accident again
• Jeremy almost faints from the ammonia

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

• Evil Phlegon asks about our TV-show obsessions before Lost
• John Wilkerson has visions of tassels falling on the ground when he podcasts from The Jesus Geek

Upcoming themes

Please share stories about the silly things you believed as a kid for an upcoming episode! Email feedback@Noodle.mx or call (859) 353-4332.

Weekly Noodlism: “precursor”

Jeremy encourages us to curse before something happens, and Daniel mentions archaeological evidence of only stone tablets that were primitive mice, called Precursors.

Featured story: cookies and icing

Before he was the Ramen Noodle and a graphic designer, young Daniel made a short-lived living by sitting on dogs for money and cookies. He also has a thing for cake icing—particularly the decorating kind from grocery stores.

Bachelor Bootcamp: man-purses

Stop looking like a sissy-pants by carrying a man-purse (or murse). That’s what pockets—and in emergency circumstances, mouths—are made to do: hold stuff!

Please share your stories!

We would love to hear from you, especially your silly childhood beliefs and Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching? and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Inspired to podcast again

Don’t wait until the planets align to start podcasting again! Just jump in, but try not to make it a huge ocean, which will just sweep you back on shore.

How to change the “author” in iTunes

You can’t just change the individual MP3s to have the correct author displayed in iTunes, you also have to change the RSS/XML information. This is easy if you use Feedburner.

1. Go into your Feedburner settings.
2. Click your podcast’s feed.
3. Switch to the Optimize tab and then click SmartCast.
4. If SmartCast is activated, you’ll be able to change your podcast author field to your desired name (your real name, your company, your podcast network, or whatever!).

Which visualization in Audacity? Waveform or Waveform (dB)?

Both visualization methods are handy depending on what you’re doing. Waveform shows you the shape of your audio, not necessarily its volume. Waveform (dB) shows your audio’s volume, which is great for seeing how much noise you’re recorded while you’re not speaking, but it can be harder for editing.

Waveform

Waveform (dB)

Mono or stereo for voice-only podcast?

Unless you have a really good reason to release your podcasts in stereo (such as special effects, audio drama, music or sound clips), then mono will always be half the size (taking up less hosting space and bandwidth) and thus download twice as fast.

How can you get cover art to display on iPods (or other players)?

Having your cover art in iTunes or your RSS feed is not enough, you also need to add it to each released episode by inserting it in the ID3 tags. Although iTunes can do this, it saves tags in an different, not-so-compatible version (ID3v2.2). You can use MP3tag (free, Windows-only) or ID3 Editor ($15, Windows or Mac) to easily insert your cover art into each file. I recommend 600×600 pixels, but 300×300 is also okay. If you need great-looking cover art, please contact me because I’m a designer!

I currently use MP3tag on my Mac OS X computer. How? I use Code Weavers Crossover to run Windows applications seamless in OS X without installing Windows (like Parallels Desktop for Mac requires).

Do you have questions?

Please ask your questions or share your thoughts here in the comment, email feedback@noodle.mx, or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Jeremy struggles with clean your-mom jokes, or maybe he’s struggling with clean-your-mom jokes. ["In Mother Russia, your mom makes jokes about you!"]
• Daniel read about Phlegon in the Bible (Romans 16) with his Disco for Jesus group (several of whom are podcast-listeners).
• Jeremy heard someone say, “If a booger falls in the forest and no one is there to see it, it doesn’t exist.”

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

• Evil Phlegon shares about his busy, TV-watching life and wonders if Daniel will change his Twitter name from @theRamenNoodle to @Noodlemx (which he does own). What are the two origin/inspirations for the Ramen Noodle theme song?
• “Bill” (probably fake name) calls in with a cough, and we don’t know much else about what else he said.

We’re begging you for your life-amateur stories and feedback! Anything! Email feedback@Noodle.mx or call (859) 353-4332.

Weekly Noodlism: “rehearse”

This week, Jeremy brings the Weekly Noodlism! How does one “hearse” something again? If they already did it, would they have been “hurst”? How does this tie into Daniel’s upcoming wedding rehearsal?

Featured story: handprints in the—WHAT?

When a child, the Ramen Noodle loved playing with the new playset even before it was setup. But one day, this had catastrophic consequences!

Jeremy adds to the story by telling how he paralyzed a pet many, many years before it was apparent.

Bachelor Bootcamp

The world is full of a lot of stuff. A true elite bachelor knows how to press through it and continue on!

Please share your stories!

I’d love to hear from you, especially your driving stores and Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching? and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Use Audacity 1.3 (beta)!

In case you don’t already have it, use the latest Audacity 1.3 beta (1.3.12), which improves a lot of things, adds better compatibility, and also made it easier to change your encoder options. Download the beta here.

What file-compression and “codecs”?

In The Audacity to Podcast, episode 5, I shared about compressing your audio to get a better, more evened-out sound. This time, I’m talking about compressing your files to save space but still maintain the highest quality you can.

“Codec” is short from compression/decompression. It’s the way a computer compresses an audio or video file to make it smaller and thus easier to transfer (or fit within limited hosting such as LibSyn). The two most-popular MP3 encoders are LAME and Faunhofer.

LAME and Fraunhofer are both the best MP3 encoders!

How can they both be the best? Because they’re designed to do different things. LAME is free and open-source and it’s what Audacity uses. Fraunhofer is licensed and is included with high-end software, but can be used free with iTunes. Cliff Ravenscraft once welcomed me on Podcast Answer Man #125 for us to discuss bitrates. But Cliff remains strongly opinionated against LAME since he prefers CBR, and I’ll explain that later.

Bitrates: kbps and KB

Audio bitrates are measured in kilobits per second (kbps), which are different from kilobytes (KB). There are eight bits in one byte. The default MP3 encoding setting is at the rate of 128 kbps.

Stereo vs. mono

Choose carefully whether you want to release your podcast episodes as stereo or mono. Stereo takes up double the space of an equal-quality mono file, because it has twice the tracks/channels. Please do not split your cohosts into left and right in your audio, unless you’re doing a special dramatization that requires positional audio. Even then, the best place for voices is right in the middle: mono or balanced in stereo.

In Audacity, encoding a mono file at a bitrate of 128 kbps means the second channel will get 128 kilobits per second to capture the details of its audio. But a stereo file at the same bitrate will split the 128 kbps between the left and right channels, thus equaling the quality of 64 kbps audio.

In iTunes, you get the same final quality regardless of choosing stereo or mono. If you select 128 kbps stereo, it gives both channels 64 kbps. If you chose 128 kbps on a mono file, it gives the single channel still 64 kbps.

Variable bitrate (VBR) versus constant bitrate (CBR)

When you select 128 kbps with constant bitrate (CBR), the MP3 encoder will use 128 kbps to digital “describe” the audio no matter what is happening. But if you switch to variable bitrate (VBR), which I suggest, then the encoder will work within a range to use more space when the audio is more complex or us less space when the audio is less complex.

LAME is the best VBR encoder. It was designed to encode music at a variable bitrate and it performs this better than any other popular encoder at the same quality (even Ogg Vorbis in most cases). Fraunhofer is the best CBR encoder. It was designed to encode audio at a constant bitrate and it performs this with better-sounding quality than LAME.

Quality and file size comparisons

In case my re-encoding of my sample audio distorted the comparison. Here are my original MP3s that you can download for comparison. Please note that when I recorded these and this episode, I had accidentally left my secondary mic on and near something that was generating noise, hence the hiss.

32kbps Stereo CBR (82 KB)

32kbps Mono CBR (82 KB)

64kbps Stereo CBR (164 KB)

128kbps Stereo CBR (324 KB)

128kbps Mono CBR (324 KB)

256kbps Stereo CBR (647 KB)

Quality-5 Stereo VBR (295 KB)

My recommended settings for great MP3s from LAME and Audacity

Go into the encoder options and switch to “Variable (VBR)”, set the quality to “5: 110–170 kbps,” Variable Speed to “standard,” and Channel Mode to “Joint Stereo.”

Recommended LAME settings

Share your thoughts and experience!

What kind of settings have you used when encoding MP3s? How has your quality or file sizes changed since using my suggestions? Please share here in the comments or email feedback@noodle.mx or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel saw signs around Cincinnati, “Smog alert in effect. Combine trips.”
• Jeremy witnessed a legal carjacking with a fly-swatter (or a “flice-water”), which returned to its first love of swatting flies and lived happily ever after.

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

We’re begging you for your life-amateur stories and feedback! Anything! Email feedback@Noodle.mx or call (859) 353-4332.

Featured story: Daniel’s homeschool graduation ceremony

When homeschooled people graduate, they do it with style and often high-end production. Daniel’s graduation ceremony was filled with embarrassment!

Please share your stories!

I’d love to hear from you, especially your driving stores and Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching? and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring Daniel to design stuff for you).

• Make your message look great by hiring Daniel to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view his portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Spoiler-free reviews

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

A great soundtrack by Trevor Rabin, who is one of Daniel’s favorite composers. Eve did not see The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, so Daniel invited Jeremy, cohost of the the Ramen Noodle comedy podcast.

The beginning moved fast, like a movie trailer, but The Sorcerer’s Apprentice was very entertaining. It was clean from overt sexual content, but, of course, contained a lot of magic. When you see The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, make sure you watch through to the end of the credits.

Inception

Although likened to The Matrix, Inception was, in our opinion, far better and was an impressive movie that deals with the concept of reality without the focus on technology. Inception was very engrossing, with a multi-level story that is so well done that you have no problem keeping up with everything going on. But it’s no wonder because it’s director, Christopher Nolan, has produced some incredible films: Memento, The Prestige, Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight.

Aside from some seductive clothing and “morning after” seen covered in bed, Inception was essentially clean of sexual content, but it did have some foul language and contained a lot situational violence. While the trailer show many of the coolest scenes, it ruins nothing. Don’t judge Inception by its trailer.

Don’t forget to visit Pluggedin.com for family reviews of  The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Inception. More information abou both movies can be found at imdb.com.

The rest of these shownotes and the discussion within the podcast will contain spoilers.

Magic and science?

Obviously, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice contains alot of magic. Scripture addresses magic in two forms: miracles and demonic power. During the plagues on Egypt, Pharaoh’s magicians could duplicate some of the plagues, but they couldn’t fix them. Daniel mentions how there are some martial artists that can get into supernatural things, but that is evil. Martial arts did not originate from the evil and “dark magic.”

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice does try to portray magic as partially science (working within a natural realm according to natural rules). Eve raises a quotation, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Magic can be portrayed as a completely natural phenomenon that has yet to be explained by science, but is not necessarily unscientific.  Most of what is portrayed in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice would be what most people would consider magic.

Destiny and symbolism

Dave seems in constant denial of his “destiny,” which was a core theme. Merlin was portrayed as a kind of god. The sorcerers were ageless, but seemed like they can be killed but only by certain means.

There were also plenty of symbols used throughout the movie: Merlin’s circle, which focused energy; and the villainess used an upside down pentagram when forming her mystical “circle”

We hope to more thoroughly discuss Sorcerer’s Apprentice later when it comes out on DVD.

Ideas and inception

Inception shows stepping out in faith as being a blind action. In the Christian faith, we have a faith in Someone who has proven Himself to be faithful. It may mean closing our eyes to what we want, possibly stepping out of our comfort zone, but it isn’t blind.

An idea, once ingrained, is impossible to eradicate … an idea is contagious.

Cobb, the main character, is continually distracted by his guilt associated by the loss of his wife and his desire to see his family.

Inspiration

Pure inspiration is impossible to fake.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; (2 Timothy 3:16)

All attacks on the Bible usually start with an attack on its origins—its inspiration. But the Bible is completely consistent in the “voice” of the accounts even though it was penned by over forty men over a few thousand of years. God breathed Scripture—inerrant, inspired, infallible.

The world of the dream

A dreams is place where you are unable to recall how you got to where you are. Inception demonstrates this well in a very nonjarring way. In the same way, when you get deceived, it is often so subtle that you get lost in the deception without any idea how you into it or even to see that you are being deceived.

The dream totems that each of the team carried represents an absolute that helps them know where reality is. There are absolute truths by which we can fully understand our world. God created with order and ordained the laws of nature, He put in place absolutes that define reality.

The power of creation is addictive.

Death and freedom

Your world isn’t real … only death will free you.

This idea that only death brings freedom is an interesting twist on the Christian hope of eternity after death.

This discussion requires more in-depth discussion in a future, full episode. So send us your thoughts now!

What did you think?

Please tell us what you think about either Inception or The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. We are hoping to do full episodes on both of these movies and would dearly love your input on these future discussions. Comment on this post, email feedback@Noodle.mx (audio feedback welcome), or call (859) 353-4332. You can also follow Daniel and Eve on Twitter. And please join our Facebook Page. Don’t forget to leave us some five-star reviews in iTunes!

Are You Just Watching? is produced and sponsored by D.Joseph Design. The opening vocal talent is thanks to Mariah. Our theme song is used courtesy of Answers in Genesis, from their exciting vacation Bible school curriculum, Operation Space.

If you enjoy Are You Just Watching?, then please subscribe to our other podcasts on the Noodle.mx Network: the Ramen Noodle and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

Random Noodle Updates

• Daniel keeps getting distracted by shiny new things in the studio.
• Daniel and Fiancée Jenny enjoyed a wedding shower.
• Jeremy witnessed a messy pee competition in a Barnes & Noble.

Ramen Noodle Experience (feedback)

Winnie, from Belgium, shared a funny story from one of her classes.

Featured story: Cincinnati drivers suck

The truth hurts, doesn’t it? And we tell you why that statement is totally true, and Daniel shares an invention idea.

Bachelor Bootcamp: a forgotten, but important feature in every car

Jeremy actually agrees with Sgt. Packet on something. It’s worth enduring this segment just to know!

Please share your stories!

I’d love to hear from you, especially your driving stores and Ramen Noodle Experiences! Leave a comment on this episode, leave a rating and review in iTunes, leave a voicemail at (859) 353-4332, email feedback@Noodle.mx, come to the Facebook Page, or leave sanity by following Daniel and Jeremy on Twitter.

If you enjoy the Ramen Noodle, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching? and The Audacity to Podcast.

Please support our content

We have expenses for our podcasts. Please look at these options for how you can support us by supporting our sponsors (or outright hiring me).

• Make your message look great by hiring me to personally design your website, presentation, podcast cover art, and more! Visit D.Joseph Design to view my portfolio and request an estimate.
• Hold your meetings online for just $49 a month Try GoToMeeting free.
• Save money by shopping at Amazon.com.

What are a compressor, a limiter, and a gate?

A compressor fits your audio within a selected volume range by increasing the volume of quiet sections. A limiter does the opposition by decreasing the volume of loud sections. A noise gate will close (like a real gate) when it receives audio quieter than its “floor,” and opens again when it receives audio louder than its “floor.”

You can accomplish these audio enhancement effects by hardware such as a Behringer MDX4600, or by software, which is where we will focus.

Too simple and too complex

Levelator is a popular and free, standalone compressor/limiter/gate. Simply drag your .wav or .aiff audio onto the program, and it processes the audio into a new file (appended with “.output”). This works great for some people, but I don’t like the results, which I can’t customize because Levelator has no options.

On the other side, you can get some complex multiband compressors for Audacity. I highly recommend upgrading to Audacity 1.3 beta if you use any of these plugins.

A compressor that is just right for Audacity

I introduce you to Chris’s Dynamic Compressor. It has simple controls and produces great results. Although it’s free, please support his excellent work!

In the audio, I explain how to set Chris’s Dynamic Compressor just right, and demonstrate the audible differences. Here are some screenshots of the different results.

Your results may vary. Remember that Audacity will only maintain your compressor settings while Audacity is still running. If you restart it, the compressor settings revert to their defaults and you can’t save them.

Share your thoughts and experience!

How did Chris’s Dynamic Compressor work for you? Please share here in the comments or email feedback@noodle.mx or call our listener voicemail line at (859) 353-4332. Also follow me on Twitter and please consider leaving a five-star review for the show in iTunes.

If you enjoy The Audacity to Podcast, please subscribe to our other podcasts: Are You Just Watching? and the Ramen Noodle.