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WTOE P r o d u c t i o n s
It takes more then you would think to put together a television and internet radio show! WTOE has put together a first class broadcast studio just for that purpose.
Wide shot of Technical / Audio Engineer's workstation & Call Screener
Before each show is booked we have each guest complete an online guest form and release form. This guest form is used to create a separate web page within ThruOurEyes.org which is dedicated solely to that show and it's topic and guest. Then, radio shows are digitally recorded to both hard drive and digital tape. They are broadcast live at the time of recording over the Internet to thousands of listeners using a Windows Media Server. We then edit and refine each show using our non-linear editing system and archive each show on our Podcast Player and / or Podcast Archive page. Each show takes either 30, 60 or 90 minutes to record as we record it "live-to-tape", meaning it is recorded with opening music, narration, commercials etc as if a "live only" show. Editing for each show takes about 2 hours to complete. Another 2 hours for each show to be encoded in FLASH format so we are able to stream over the Internet. Lastly, a web page is created using our guests information and all streaming files and audio files are uploaded to our web server for public consumption. Our crew consists of our host, producer, director, and our technical engineer.
For technical details see below
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Here Joe is doing a voiceover for a commercial spot
Technical Details:
We use 6 computers to record and broadcast our shows. ALL of our hosts are 'remote' hosts. They host their shows remotely in their homes or offices anywhere in the world by using a VoIP software call SKYPE. Their audio is sent to our mackie 16 track mixing board. We then connect a second PC and run another SKYPE to a separate fader on the mixing board. This second SKYPE is used for our show Guests and call -in's. Our call-in's are monitored on a 3rd PC via a webpade supplied by SKYPE. When a call calls into the show using our TOLL FREE number the call is routed to a screener that we have assigned to this task for that evening on their home telephone. The screener ascertains the necessary info and instant messages our studio with this into then transfers the caller to our second SKYPE conference room. The studio then sees the callers phone number displayed and mutes them until they are put on the air to ask their question. A 4th PC is our 'cart' machine. This pc is used to automate our commercials and show theme songs. This pc is also feed to out Mackie mixing board. Our 5th PC is our 'transmitter. This pc gets the master feed from the mixing board and sends the mixed audio to our third party Windows Media Server so millions of people can listen to the shows. The transmitter PC is also used to digitally record an MP3 file of the show feed to be later edited and converted to a podcast file. Simultaneously a digital video tape recorder is recording the entire feed for backup purposes. A 6th PC is used for internal program notes, contact info and suggested questions previous supplied by our guests. Our director is separately connected to the show host via a cellular phone connection where the host can hear the director's prompts in his ear for direction.
The director's main job is to prompt the host, give directions to timing, caller info and questions, guest supplied questions and show timing. Our assistant audio engineer is responsible to insert cart audio when called for, monitor audio levels for both the digital PC recording and the digital tape recordings. She will also monitor IM's from our call screeners and pass along this info to our director. Additionally she has a secondary mixer which isolates the cart PC and the main mixer feed so that while commercials are on the air the host, guest and audio engineer can speak w/o being on the air. The audio engineer is responsible for mixing the entire show in realtime via the mackie mixing board and monitoring the main mix out volumes.
Once the live show is completed the audio engineer uses Adobe Audition software to edit a 'mixdown' file for these shows by removing commercials, removing hiss and extraneous noise and compressing all file segments to a standard volume level for enjoyable playback when listened to online and or/ via podcast. This file is then uploaded to our server as an XML file for use with iTunes, the FREE podcast software we offer, as well as the hundreds of podcast websites which automatically archive and play our shows. A bit daunting, time consuming, BUT A LOT OF FUN! Hope you enjoy our efforts. --Lenny--
We use 6 computers to record and broadcast our shows. ALL of our hosts are 'remote' hosts. They host their shows remotely in their homes or offices anywhere in the world by using a VoIP software call SKYPE. Their audio is sent to our mackie 16 track mixing board. We then connect a second PC and run another SKYPE to a separate fader on the mixing board. This second SKYPE is used for our show Guests and call -in's. Our call-in's are monitored on a 3rd PC via a webpade supplied by SKYPE. When a call calls into the show using our TOLL FREE number the call is routed to a screener that we have assigned to this task for that evening on their home telephone. The screener ascertains the necessary info and instant messages our studio with this into then transfers the caller to our second SKYPE conference room. The studio then sees the callers phone number displayed and mutes them until they are put on the air to ask their question. A 4th PC is our 'cart' machine. This pc is used to automate our commercials and show theme songs. This pc is also feed to out Mackie mixing board. Our 5th PC is our 'transmitter. This pc gets the master feed from the mixing board and sends the mixed audio to our third party Windows Media Server so millions of people can listen to the shows. The transmitter PC is also used to digitally record an MP3 file of the show feed to be later edited and converted to a podcast file. Simultaneously a digital video tape recorder is recording the entire feed for backup purposes. A 6th PC is used for internal program notes, contact info and suggested questions previous supplied by our guests. Our director is separately connected to the show host via a cellular phone connection where the host can hear the director's prompts in his ear for direction.
The director's main job is to prompt the host, give directions to timing, caller info and questions, guest supplied questions and show timing. Our assistant audio engineer is responsible to insert cart audio when called for, monitor audio levels for both the digital PC recording and the digital tape recordings. She will also monitor IM's from our call screeners and pass along this info to our director. Additionally she has a secondary mixer which isolates the cart PC and the main mixer feed so that while commercials are on the air the host, guest and audio engineer can speak w/o being on the air. The audio engineer is responsible for mixing the entire show in realtime via the mackie mixing board and monitoring the main mix out volumes.
Once the live show is completed the audio engineer uses Adobe Audition software to edit a 'mixdown' file for these shows by removing commercials, removing hiss and extraneous noise and compressing all file segments to a standard volume level for enjoyable playback when listened to online and or/ via podcast. This file is then uploaded to our server as an XML file for use with iTunes, the FREE podcast software we offer, as well as the hundreds of podcast websites which automatically archive and play our shows. A bit daunting, time consuming, BUT A LOT OF FUN! Hope you enjoy our efforts. --Lenny--
Shows are recorded both on computer using our non-linear editor and a broadcast DVCPro video tape recorder.
Director's workstation
Audio Engineer's workstation
Assistant eng. workstation