Casting Call: AP Show Looking 4 New Segments

Martin and I are pleased to report that The AP Show is growing. We launched a new segment in show #22, created by ATS mod GAOTU789. "The View from Canada" is a hit. So, we're going to take a chance and ask the ATS community for more content.

That's the good news. Now, here's the bad news.

You'll need to make your own voice recordings. We can't do it for you. We're going to INSIST on quality sound, which means no cheap mikes. There are any number of free digital recording programs on the market, but we recommend Audacity.

We recommend that you have Skype.

We're looking for material that can be aired once, and; we're also looking for show segments that can be aired at regular intervals. You'll have to say your piece in no more than two minutes (120 seconds).

Your completed recordings will have to be saved in mp3 format, compressed to 64kbs. No more, no less. We have a long list of very boring reasons why we need you to follow this rule. Don't make us use it.

Don't rush to do this. Stop and think about it for a while. Make some test recordings. We recommend that you 'train' yourself like this before stepping up with a product. No need to be embarrassed when you don't have to. Let the pros look stupid. That's our job.

Post your ideas in this thread. Even if you don't want to volunteer for a show segment, we're sure that you have some ideas. We're still working out the secret protocols for communication, which we will reveal at a later date.

Got questions? Post 'em here, or u2 GAOTU789 to learn more from a person who's actually done it...and lived.

[edit on 27-6-2008 by Justin_Case]

Can members send a recording for testing purposes(SP?) ?

Before I did a segment on the up coming NZ election I would want to make sure that my microphone was good enough and that other details were sorted out .

On that note do you have any advice for those who are going to buy a microphone or might have to replace there current one ?

Cheers Luke .

I might be able to come up with something from a British perspective. I'm sorted out gear wise so thats not an issue. Maybe something similar to D&J's UFO round up, but politics wise? Or possibly just an outside view of the US election.

Give me a shout if you need me and I'll see what I can do.

Originally posted by neformore
I might be able to come up with something from a British perspective. I'm sorted out gear wise so thats not an issue. Maybe something similar to D&J's UFO round up, but politics wise? Or possibly just an outside view of the US election.

Give me a shout if you need me and I'll see what I can do.

Alright, then. We'll do that. Expect to hear from us in about two weeks.

Originally posted by Justin_Case
Alright, then. We'll do that. Expect to hear from us in about two weeks.

Cool I best get my proper thinking cap on

Originally posted by xpert11
Can members send a recording for testing purposes?

Keep reading for a good answer to this good question.

Originally posted by xpert11
Before I did a segment on the up coming NZ election I would want to make sure that my microphone was good enough and that other details were sorted out.

This won't happen very fast. It'll happen very slooooooowly. We'll work with paricipants behind the scenes. We'll bring you up to speed, and do a series of practice runs before we throw you to the wolves...I mean...insert your material in to the show.

As I write this, we are looking at using these segments in shows where Martin and I do NOT interview somebody. Who knows? Maybe we'll be featuring an interview YOU did with somebody? There's just no way to know where this can take us.

Case in point: We worked with GAOTU789 for about three weeks before he made his debuite. He knows what he needs to know, and he's on track to make his segment better. We'll do the same thing for everyone who contributes material to the show on a regular basis.

Even if all you want to do is a single effort, we'll work with you take sure that your product dazzles all who hear it.

Originally posted by xpert11
On that note do you have any advice for those who are going to buy a microphone or might have to replace there current one?

Dave and Johnny have differing opinions on what constitutes a good mike, but here's what they taught me.



Your weapon of choice for this project should be something like a super cardioid microphone. Older musicians sometimes call this a barrel mike. I've included an image with this post.

We're asking for high quality audio because we're trying to present a high quality product that could (maybe) be marketed around the world. Headset mikes are good enough for your average podcast, but our goal is to sound as muck like a live radio show as we can.

A microphone of the type you see pictured here will plug in to your PC through a specific microphone port. You WILL need an adapter, which costs about $3. This kind of mike goes for $30-$50, depending on where you shop. It does such a good job because its got a tall stack of magnets that generate a cleaner sound quality that smaller mikes that have fewer magnates.

If you listen to the early AP shows, you'll notice that we didn't start off with good sound. As we learned, we got better gear. And...we mostly leanred how to use it. Mostly. I can tell you from experience that your headset mike may sound great, but recording quality won't be what you hope for. I learned that one the hard way.

Don't rush, or expect fast action here. It takes a long time to do this kind of thing and get it right. First of, we need to see how much interest there really is. Then, we have to develope safe and secure lines of communication so that we can talk to you, and you can talk to us.

What's that? Why didn't we do this sooner? Because we didn't know what we were doing. Now, we have some sense of the thing, and we can make better use of your many talents without too much bloodshed.

We'll keep talking about this for the next two week, and see what kind of interest there is. Then, we'll start talking to those who show interest.

You have a chance to play a role in something very "different." The future of grass-roots media is being called "user generated content." You can beach about the news, or you can kick sand in the face of the MSM by showcasing what you think matters.

Still not sure about this? Neither are we...but...we want to see where it can lead.

I hope you all had a good 4th of July. We are looking forward to the suggestion you might have about future show segments.

Is there a specific topic we are to voice our opinions on or is it to be some random varied political thought? Can we campaign for the one we want to vote for?

besides harassing my congressmen and senators I don't delve into politics much.

Originally posted by whatukno
Is there a specific topic we are to voice our opinions on or is it to be some random varied political thought? Can we campaign for the one we want to vote for?

besides harassing my congressmen and senators I don't delve into politics much.

You can share your opinions on an issue that you care about. you can also report on the news from your part of the world that is not being talked about any where else. You can also advocate' for a candidae of your choice. Doesn't matter if they are Federal, State, or Local.

You may not think your idea is very "political," but who knows? It might be just the thing for our listeners. Brain storm, and give it a try.

We'd also be interested in fake commercials that are funny. As you know, we run a few fake commercials, for things like Conspiracy Wash. it's our way of taking the edge off all that serious. We'd be willing to pay up 10,000 applause points for a well made funny FAKE commercial.