Back on 11Apr05 I outlined some details on my prototype gear for my mobile podcast production setup (also with a picture).

I still have the basic setup outlined on the the 11th, but I have been doing some tweaking of the input levels.  I do think I have the iRiver iFP-799 record level too low … at around 45.  This seems like the right level for recording when I just have the Sony ECM-MS907 microphone going into it.  But it might not be so good via the Rolls MX56S mixer. I also switched the option to record from line-in on the iRiver (not a microphone which is the way it is set when I don’t have the mixer setup).

I have posted some audio examples (at 128-kbps out of Audacity not the raw file from the iRiver Music Manager):

• Test-1.mp3 (460.7K): I am announcing RFID update conference. Billy Watson is in the background.  Microphone level on the mixer is at "position" 3.  Music is at "position" 2/3 down to 1.
• Test-2.mp3 (1105.2K): I am announcing RFID update conference. Amber DJ is in the back ground. Microphone level on the mixer is at "position" 3. Music is at "position" 1 during the voice parts.
• Test-3.mp3 (802.3K): I am announcing RFID update conference. Billy Watson is in the
  background.  Microphone level on the mixer is at "position" 3.5.  Music
  is at "position" 1 during the voice parts.
• Test-4.mp3 (454.2K): This my standard intro for Tech Rag Tear Outs.  Four MP3s played in a row.  Only draw back from doing this in Audacity is that I can get them closer together.  Maybe I will build the intro in Audacity the way I like it before doing a live show.

I also conducted a sit down interview with my "almost 4 year old" son Spencer:

• WithEditing.mp3 (2978.7K): This is the below raw file with some post processing in Audacity.  I did an "amplify" and then a "compression."  I think it sounds better.  I’d probably do the same for the above if I was doing to publish them via Tech News Radio.
• NoEdit.mp3 (2978.7K): This is just the raw file direct from the iRiver.

So far my only complaint with the mixer is that there no visible position markings.  So I am visualizing position 0 to be all the way off.  Position 1 to be the 90-degrees up, position 2 to be at 180-degrees, and position 3 to be 270-degrees from off, and then position 4 to be "all the way on."  I’ll probably borrow a white permanent marker from my wife’s scrapbook supplies and make some marks for reference.

Once nice thing about the Samsung YP-T5V MP3 Player (aka "Yepp") is that it lists files in playback order based on the alphanumeric value.  So you can list items: 01-, 02-, 03-, etc. and get them to play back to back pretty easily.

One other thing that is apparent in this setup vice my standard Plantronics DSP-100 USB microphone.  My custom-made PC has one very loud fan sitting on the AMD processor.  It was something that I spec’d out wrong when I built it back in November 2004, but haven’t really had a reason to swap it out.  Now I do … you can definitely hear the fan noise in the background.  Either that or I’ll have to start recording in my tool shed?!? 😉

Let me know what you think.