August 2000 RAP
August 2000 Highlights
Feature: I Wish I'd Thought of That -- Creativity Versus
Theft
By John Pellegrini
What kind of creative person are you? Are you the type who sees, reads,
or hears a performance, and says, "Wow that was so good, I wish Id thought
of the idea"? If you are, that's fantastic. This means you appreciate the
creative process that leads to great concepts. You may even find yourself
being influenced by performances or written pieces, and attempt to emulate
or mimic those ideas into your own work. And here is where we find the
subject for this months rant, friends.
Interview: Val Davis, AudioSonix, Olney, Maryland
By Jerry Vigil
Several companies are quickly establishing themselves as major players in
the new game of Internet based audio delivery. One of those companies is
Olney, Maryland based AudioSonix.com. This months RAP Interview visits with
Val Davis, co-founder of AudioSonix.com and a broadcast comrade with an
extensive background in radio, production, and voice-over. Val also packs a
wide-ranging knowledge of DAWs. We pick Val's brain for some thoughts on
today's technology, and we get a close look at his company's approach to
this new way of sending and receiving spots for broadcast.
Test Drive: The Alesis Masterlink
By Steve Cunningham
When Alesis first announced its MasterLink product in June 1999, they
promised that it would change forever the way records are mastered. I don't
know about that, but having spent a few weeks with the MasterLink, I can
tell you that they've probably made the DAT machine obsolete in radio
production. For a street price of about $1500, the MasterLink gives you a
stereo hard disk recorder and a CD burner in a package that's as easy to use
as a DAT recorder and far more flexible.
Q It Up: The RAP Network Speaks - MP3 and Commercial
Delivery Via the Internet Part 1
By Jerry Vigil
This months Q It Up focuses on the use of the Internet to send and
receive audio for on-air broadcast. Once again, we will present the
responses in two parts, with part 2 next month.
Q It Up: The use of the Internet for delivering commercials
to radio stations is here, with companies such as SpotTaxi.com,
SlingSpot.com, AudioSonix.com, and SpotTraffic.com all vying for a piece of
the new pie. The common thread is the use of MPEG compression to reduce the
audio files to sizes more compatible with today's Internet connection
speeds. There is a concern among some radio engineers that the use of MPEG
compression in conjunction with existing audio chains that utilize other
digital compression algorithms may cause some degradation of the quality of
the audio, resulting in a potential tune-out factor. What are your thoughts
on this, and on the use of the Internet for spot delivery in general? Is
your Chief Engineer for or against the use of MPEG files on the air for
commercials? Is your station planning to utilize this technology? Feel free
to add any other comments you have on the subject.
Radio Hed: Lose the Formula
By Jeffrey Hedquist
Stop writing radio commercials. Forget everything you've been taught,
heard, or learned about writing radio commercials. Start with nothing. Don't
write a commercial. Write a letter, start a conversation with a friend,
explain a complex subject simply. Tell a story to someone you really care
about.
...And Make It Real Creative
By Trent Rentsch
Most of the truly great Creatives led extremely colorful lives, many
larger, more bizarre than the characters they concocted. While no one can
deny the fact that living on the edge has taken its toll, would the works of
Hemmingway, Poe or Shelley have had the same edge without it? Im not saying
that every Creative needs to take up bull fighting or drink themselves into
a delusional creative frenzy, but it certainly makes sense to absorb what
life experiences make themselves available. The good, the bad, the ugly, it
all changes you for the better, in one way or another.
The Monday Morning Memo: Below Deck in a Storm at Sea
By Roy H. Williams
Most of the truly great Creatives led extremely colorful lives, many
larger, more bizarre than the characters they concocted. While no one can
deny the fact that living on the edge has taken its toll, would the works of
Hemmingway, Poe or Shelley have had the same edge without it? I'm not saying
that every Creative needs to take up bull fighting or drink themselves into
a delusional creative frenzy, but it certainly makes sense to absorb what
life experiences make themselves available. The good, the bad, the ugly, it
all changes you for the better, in one way or another.
Personal Computing: PCs Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
By Reid Goldsborough
Unless one happens to drop on your head while you're walking on the
sidewalk, personal computers cant kill you. But they can hurt you pretty
badly. Every year nearly two million people suffer work-related
musculoskeletal disorders, including repetitive strain injury caused by
computer use, according to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).
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