Podcast Tool Review: StudioRack
August 11, 2009 | Posted by Chris With the re-creation of Tanya and I’s podcast/show came a change in the method by which we produce and edit. Part of the reason we podfaded was because of the sheer amount of time and effort it took to edit the show.
In the past we used Audacity to record the show. We then saved the recording as a wave file and passed it through another free piece of software called the Levelator to even out the sound between Tanya and I. That produced another wave file.
We then would import that new wave file back into Audacity and spend an additional 30-45 minutes taking out pauses, verbal pauses and adding in the introduction and closing themes, as well as feedback, etc. After this was done we would export to MP3, upload to libsyn and then spend 10-15 minutes on the feed post.
Now, that is a lot of work for a 30 minute show. So, this time we decided to change the way we do things.
In the past, we heard a lot of podcasters talking about CastBlaster, which is a program that allows you to record and add bumpers/themes on the fly. However, CastBlaster is no longer produced as of right now, and was $99 to license!
However, Mike Versteeg, the creator of CasstBlaster, has come out with a new product, and this one has 3 levels of use, including a FREE version!
The new product is called Studio Rack.
Studio Rack makes podcasting easy. All you need is an audio input to your computer and then to feed the audio out from the computer into the same audio input. For example, I connect my mixer’s output to a USB interface on the computer. I also connect the audio out from the computer to the mixer, so that the mixer captures the computer’s sound and includes it in the recording.
The basic Studio Rack window looks very sleek and smooth. It has an almost brushed-metal look to it and almost looks like it was coded by someone at Apple.
Studio Rack is great in that it allows you to load your opening theme, bumpers, feedback, closing theme and any other audio you want, right into the program. You can then assign the audio file a key on your keyboard so that when you are recording, all you need to do to add your clips, is press a button.
Once you have all your clips loaded, you simply create a record module, press record and then hit the key for your show’s opening. That’s it! You are up and running in MINUTES! No messy cutting and pasting of bumpers, no cutting anything out, just record everything at once and you are all set!
Studio Rack also helps aid in the post production process as well. After saving the MP3 of your recording, you can then add all the necessary ID3 tag information right from the program.
Lastly, you can then upload the MP3 right to Libsyn or your podcast file directory with the included upload module.
From there, all you need to do is make your blog post, and post the file/post to your feed! That is it.
Now, please keep in mind that Studio Rack is currently in beta. The trial/free version works 100% minus the ability to save presets. So, if you find it annoying having to load your files each time, pay for the standard Studio Rack Audio. If you want to include video in the production as well, you would want to opt for Studio Lab Pro.
Overall, Studio Lab is an excellent resource for podcast producers. It allows for a quick, seamless production and Mike Versteeg is being kind enough to produce a free version, making it an affordable resource. That being said, please remember that Mike makes his living off his programs so, if you have the cash, please purchase the full versions, if for no other reason but to support him in his efforts to making podcasting easy for everyone.
The Podcast Tool Review: StudioRack by Life on Fire, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
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1 Comment »
Hi.
I was curious if you might know the answer to these questions. Before I purchase StudioRack I just wanted to get some additional information about the app.
1. Is StudioRack an upgrade of CastBlaster or a completely new replacement product?
2. I noticed StudioRack is up to v .08 for StudioRack, and I was curious if this product is still being worked on and development of StudioRack is continuing? Posts in the StudioRack forum don’t seem to be all that recent. So, I was curious as to the current state of development.
3. How often might I expect upgrades and/or updates to be made available for StudioRack?
4. Does StudioRack provide a quick response time to support questions? Meaning, if I experience any issues in the future or questions, etc., is there someone available to help (quickly) in the forums? Is this application (StudioRack) something that I can expect to be around and under continuous development for a long time?
(Note: I just don’t want to pay for a piece of software that will be discontinued in the near future and no further developments will be made and no support will be available for the product. So, this is important to me. Due to the history of CastBlaster, I’m a bit nervous to jump into StudioRack)
5. Is StudioRack still in BETA? Or is this a formal release? If it’s still a BETA, when do you expect them to put out a formal release? Do you have any idea?
6. If I purchase StudioRack now, will I have to pay for any updates or upgrades in the future? Do you have any idea as to how they handle or plan to handle updates/upgrades?
7. Does StudioRack also work with Windows 7, and will it work with newer operating systems for the PC?
8. Does StudioRack use LAME MP3 Encoder? I heard Cliff Ravenscraft (Podcast Answer Man) talking about CastBlaster and how it didn’t handle the quality of low bit recordings very well. He was saying that he had to reprocess his low bit recordings before bringing them into CastBlaster because of this and I was curious if StudioRack had the same issues? Can you explain about this and these concerns?
Thanks and I hope you might be able to reply to these questions.
Thanks,
Gary