Recording Studio

I'm putting the finishing touches on a webinar series.The text is almost done, we've got photos--though we're thinking we want to get our "own" photos rather than use stock photos. And now it is time to add some audio. 

Engaging Webinars Need Engaging Audio

Good audio is important for an asynchronous Webinar. It needs to be clear, crisp and  engaging. I think I've got the latter down pat, but how to get clear and crisp without going to a recording studio? Have you looked at how much a recording studio costs?  $50--$75 per hour to use the equipment, well we don't have the budget for that! So I started looking into where to purchase some recording equipment. But again, that seemed too expensive too! It could easily set me back hundreds dollars. 

A quick search on some of my favorite sites and I had some ideas. I did a search on the Articulate e-Learning Heroes blog and saw a thread on making your own recording studio. 

Good Audio Needn't Break the Bank

Thanks to some ingenuity I have created the smallest recording studio ever! Using a pop-up hamper and some egg crate foam that a friend had on hand I was able to fashion a recording box. I did have to work to insure that the pieces fit in snugly so that no sound escaped or entered the box, but careful cutting and shaping and my box was ready! I found a Samson Meteorite microphone on sale and the sound is great! If you're looking for me, I'm probably in my recording studio, with my headset on, hoping that the dog doesn't bark!

Webinars

I have used a few different webinar hosting services. GoToMeeting, Adobe Connect, Elluminate and  Blackboard Collaborate. Each has it's own little quirks. For instance, I must use Mozilla Firefox if I'm presenting using Adobe Connect.  While Blackboard Collaborate runs much better using Google Chrome.

Getting Ready

A good Webinar requires great content. It does need to be both visually and orally interesting. For the last few years I have been either creating my own images or purchasing stock photos--though this can get expensive!  I do like to find stock photos that I can use for more than one presentation. The latest versions of most of the webinar hosting sites have gotten hip to the fact that it is nice for the presenter to be able to see their notes during their presentation--now if only Microsoft can do the same for regular Powerpoint presentations--rather than forcing every presenter to print out a copy of their presentation!

Is That a Belt AND Suspenders You Are Wearing?

Technology is not always reliable. It's true!  And one doesn't want to be standing in front of 200 people with their pants around their ankles. I generally have two computers up and ready to go--so that I can switch from one to the other if something crazy happens. I run a 5G internet network in my home--which means my WiFi can handle  running 3 computers, Netflix and a PS3  game all at the same time. However, I probably need to use my Ethernet cable if I want to present a YouTube video during a webinar with 50 participants. 

Practice, Practice and Then Practice Some More

I do multiple run throughs with my presentations. My assistant sits with a copy of my notes page, and listens while I do my practice sessions. She makes notes for me one areas, where I might get questions from the audience, or where I might not be expressing myself clearly. I also take advantage of run throughs with the webinar hosting services. When you don't use the same webinar platform for every presentation, it is important to do a quick overview, run the tests to insure that the computer being used for the presentation (and the extra computer) have the current version of Java and any add-ons from the webinar platform.