December 30, 2003
Get Up with MorningWood!
Today on MorningWood, on Community Radio WMNF 88.5 fm, Tampa, and streaming at wmnf.org.
4 to 6 am every Tuesday!
It’s The Best of MorningWood!
This is the last show of the year, so I’m gonna play a bunch of crap you’ve probably already heard like 2 or 3 times and call it a “best of” edition I’ve carefully combed through the 2003 playlists and have spent hour upon hour compiling a highlight show like you’ve never heard before. Really.
Playlists
Thanks for your help. Keep the calls coming!
Lots of people have already called or emailed PD Randy Wynne (see below). Thanks for your support. It is making a big difference, but there are lots of qualified candidates. Please keep your calls and emails coming. Let Randy know that it’s time for Wood in the afternoon!
DJ DDP is leaving Saturday Asylum, so there is an opening for a programmer on Saturday afternoon. Call or Email WMNF Program Director Randy Wynne and ask him to pick Norwood for this slot from 2-4 PM on Saturdays! (Phone number is 813-238-8001, ex 16) I know: I’ll have to come up with another catchy name, since MorningWood seems somehow inappropriate in the afternoon, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.
FREE Stuff!
How to record your favorite radio show on your computer (from an article I wrote for my Norwood's Computer Newsletter)
DIYmedia.net is having server trouble. Here’s an mp3 I found on their site some time back. It’s the “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition” cutup by D.O.C. Good stuff. Look for diymedia.net to have their downloads available again early in January.
Website of the week
fairelections.us
Someone is finally fighting Diebold!
WMNF Community Radio
WMNF is a non-commercial community radio station that celebrates local cultural diversity and is committed to equality, peace and social and economic justice. WMNF provides broadcasts and creates other forums to serve the community by the exposure and sharing of these values.
Volunteers, like myself, are the lifeblood of this station. If you live in the Tampa Bay area and are interested in volunteering at WMNF, call Gene Moore at 813-238-8001.
How to record your favorite radio show (or anything else!) on your computer.
I’ve been promising this article for a long time. Viruses and spyware and such got in the way, but it is finally here! This week, we’re gonna learn how to record just about anything on a computer. As a handy example, we’ll use one of my favorite radio shows: MorningWood (http://wmnf.org/programming/daily.shtml?ShowId=237) on WMNF 88.5 in Tampa, 4-6AM every Tuesday. Don’t worry. You wont have to wake up to record this show. Like a VCR (only easier!) these things can be scheduled to happen all by themselves.
First, some people ask me why they should use a computer for making recordings. Sure, you can record most things just fine on your stereo, but you’ll find that computers offer many benefits. You’ll have the flexibility of sharing your music around via email, burning onto a cd, or just leaving it inside your computer for later playback. Archiving a music collection is a piece of cake with a computer. You can easily put old tapes and LPs onto CD or MP3, and, of course, you can record MorningWood for posterity.
Using a computer to record, or digitize, your music will save you space, too. Even if you move your recordings onto CD, the space saved over tapes is considerable. Finally, your music will organize itself. No more alphabetizing! Using standard MP3 player software, it’s easy to find any song. Search by artist or title or album or length or keywords. Instantly pull up what you want, and even take notes on your favorite tracks!
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Norwood’s Computer (http://www.norwoodscomputer.com) is your local one-stop onsite computer shop! Repairs, upgrades, networking, troubleshooting, and more, all at your home or office and at your convenience. Call 813-226-2550 now or email norwood@norwoodscomputer.com and we’ll talk!
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So, let’s get started. We’ll need some software. Well, maybe: You may already have what you need. Look around under Start...Programs. Look for a group with the word sound or multimedia in the title. Newer versions of Real player include the ability to record, and so do lots of other programs. Play around with what you find, and determine if any programs let you record. Usually, you’ll be faced with a simple interface that looks like the recording buttons on a tape deck.
If you do need to install new software, think a little about what you might be using it for. Might you be archiving old LPs and tapes? If so, you may want software to help with this. Lots of computer recording programs will let you record an entire album or cassette and then take the work out of cutting it into individual tracks. One program that has these features is Polderbits Sound Recorder (http://www.polderbits.com). It has a simple timer, it will break a full album into tracks for you, and it also has an editing program so that you have the option to manually cut up your music into tracks and remove empty spaces. Also, it’s designed for home users, and it’s really easy to learn how to operate.
Another good program is Cybercorder (http://skyhawktech.com). This one has a VCR like timing interface so that you can schedule multiple recordings at multiple times. If you’re gonna be recording lots of live radio and you know what times you’re gonna record, this is the program for you. Both of these software packages offer free evaluation versions, and each one costs about $25.
Now that you have recording software, what’re you gonna digitize? To record MorningWood, you’ll need to patch a stereo tuner signal into your computer. Look at the back of your computer near where the speakers plug in and find the “Line In” plug. This will be a simple round hole that takes a mini-phono plug, just like the plug on your computer speakers. Use a stereo patch cable to connect your stereo’s headphone jack or line-out to your computer. This connection will let you record virtually anything that can be played through your stereo. For a more detailed explanation, including diagrams, go here: http://www.polderbits.com/HowToConnect.htm
A stereo patch cable is by far the most common connection, but there are other ways to get the signal into your computer. These include a microphone, a MIDI connection, or a digital audio input. You can also record, or “rip” directly from an original CD in your collection. Specialized software is available for ripping.
Scheduling your recording will differ, depending on the software you’re using. The software I mention has scheduling functions built in. Take a moment or two to learn the simple interface, set it to record for 2 hours, starting at 4AM on a Tuesday. Turn on your stereo, and tune to WMNF, and wait for the magic to happen. Or, if you prefer, just turn on your Stereo and press the “Record” button in the software. (Make sure you set the software to record from the “Line In” or “Aux” source!)
Yeah! You’ve made your first recording! Now what? Well, most programs will take a lot of the work out of saving your digitized music files. Pick a location to save your music, and decide whether to save in MP3 or wav format. MP3 uses much less space, but wav is a higher quality. FM radio broadcasts sound just fine on MP3. You might want to use wav for higher quality digital recordings, but many people will not notice a difference.
Either format can be easily copied and played back and shared on multiple devices, but MP3 is the most popular format for sharing via email or file sharing services, due to the relatively small file size. Both formats can be burned to CD for play on a traditional home or car stereo. Your CD burning software will automatically convert MP3 files to wav files as it burns the music to CD.
So, we have a copy of the latest MorningWood show. How’re we gonna listen to it? Many basic computer speaker systems are not really up to the task of playing music. Small and tinny sounding, these things were designed for playing simple computer generated noise, not hours of music. Treat yourself to a new set of higher quality computer speakers, maybe even with a sub-woofer, for $50 or so.
Another option is to patch into your home stereo for playback. You’ll need a connection very similar to the hook-up we did to get the signal into the computer. Just take a patch cable and go from the “Speaker Out” plug on the computer to a “Line In” plug on the back of your stereo. That’s it. You’re ready to play back your digitized recordings through your home stereo system.
Now, sit back and relax and enjoy the fine sounds of MorningWood whenever it’s convenient for you!
Posted by Norwood at December 30, 2003 12:01 AM