Handouts and books

1. Putting sound in the story

This PDF was produced by J. Carl Ganter and Eileen Ganter for the Polymer Institute's Visual Edge workshop. It's excellent.

The equipment has changed since they created this document. But the storytelling techniques are timeless.

Download the PDF at http://www.visualedge.org/lessons/SoundStory.pdf

2. Radio: An Illustrated Guide (Paperback) by Jessica Abel & Ira Glass

This book isn't free. But it's nearly free (currently $3.95 at Amazon.com). And its content is priceless.

This book is more about finding and telling stories than it is about radio. Photographers will be interested to learn that sound is a very visual medium.

Again, the equipment has changed since they created this book.

Equipment

1. Zoom H4 Audio Recorder

Note: The internal microphones are VERY sensitive. So sensitive they record the noise of nervous fingers on the device. This is great for ambient audio. For field interviews, you should probably get a handheld microphone.

Pros: The Zoom H4 will record CD-quality audio. It's portable. It uses easily-replaceable "AA" batteries. And it has professional XLR microphone inputs.

Cons: Looks like a stun gun. Menus take some getting used to. This devices is slightly larger than the Edirol and M-Audio devices (but it's still much smaller than the Marantz).

http://www.samsontech.com/products/productpage.cfm?prodID=1901

2. Edirol R-09

Note: I have no first-hand experience with this unit. But the reviews look very favorable

Pros: The Edirol R-09 will record CD-quality audio. It's portable -- smaller than the Zoom. This device has a built-in microphone that supposedly can function as an interview microphone. It has no XLR or 1/4-inch microphone input. Only a 1/8-inch "mini" style microphone input. The R-09 can operate on two AA batteries that are field replaceable.

Cons: Tiny input jack will make it very difficult to use professional microphones with this unit.

http://www.edirol.net/products/en/R-09/

3. M-Audio Microtrack 24/96

Pros: The M-Audio device will record CD-quality audio. It's portable -- smaller than the Zoom. This device has no built-in microphones, but it ships with a small attachable one. This microphone can function as an interview microphone. While it has no XLR microphone input, this device does sport balanced 1/4-inch "headphone-style" inputs (nearly as good)

Cons: No replaceable battery. Internal, rechargeable, battery has a VERY short life and is not replaceable in the field. In fact, the battery can only be replaced at the factory.

http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/MicroTrack2496-main.html

4. Marantz PDM 660

Pros: The PDM 660 will record CD-quality audio. It is the modern equivalent of a professional radio tape recorder. This unit is larger than the rest of the ones mentioned here. It also has the most features. It has XLR microphone inputs, RCA inputs and too many features to mention.

Cons:The size and price (nearly twice the other units) are the only major objections. Also, the audio quality is not much different than the other units.

http://www.d-mpro.com/users/folder.asp?FolderID=3629&CatID=18&SubCatID=169

Software

Soundslides (slide show creation)

This software allows you to easily create multimedia sideshows. You'll need to edit your audio and tone your photos first.

The demo version is free. The pro version is $69.95. The non-pro version is $39.95.

http://www.soundslides.com/

Audacity (audio -- Mac and PC)

Audacity is free. That's right, free. And there are versions for Windows and Mac. You can use this software to edit your audio. Audacity crashes more frequently than commercial software. But, the price is right.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Adobe Soundbooth CS3 (audio -- PC)

Adobe Soundbooth CS3 is "built in the spirit of Sound Edit 16." Adobe is known for stable, high-quality products. A free trial version is available. Although this software is pricey (about $200), academic discounts might be available.

http://www.adobe.com/products/soundbooth/

An Example

Niki's Ablility

An example of Soundslides storytelling can be found at http://www.mophotoworkshop.org/58/multimedia/studentWork/conard/index.html

This story was produced during a one-week workshop. The student had never used Soundslides before.