BSP-033: How To Overcome Personal Failures & Haters

00:00 - Intro
01:12 - Unbox Therapy Giveaway (Leave Lewis Alone)
05:56 - Amazon Echo Competitor
07:08 - Pokemon Go Users
08:29 - Gawker is Dead
11:03 - YouTube Social Network?
14:34 - Canon 5D Mark IV
15:50 - Apple iPhone is Completely Screen!
19:25 - Halt & Catch Fire
21:05 - Deadspace
22:07 - How Deal with Haters & Personal Failures
34:13 - Outro

On today's episode of the BSP, I go on a few length rants. First on the list revolves around Lewis from Unbox Therapy and peoples expectation and belief that he owes free phones to people. 

I then cover a lot of news from a new Amazon Echo competitor, Pokemon Go's user base, Gawker going bankrupt, a New YouTube Social Network, a New Canon 4k DSLR, and a Phone that is Completely Screen.

I briefly talk about Halt & Catch Fire and then Deadspace. For the main topic, I go in depth on how I deal with and overcome haters I encounter, people who doubt my goals, and finally personal failures in life.

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Canon DSLR That Shoots 4K Video

You read that title right. After years of waiting, Canon has finally announced that their Canon 5D Mark IV will be able to shoot 4k video!

The camera will utilize their new 30.4 Megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor which is a 6 megapixel increase from the prior iteration. This new sensor also allows you to shoot 4k video in 24 or 30fps. Just like the other canon DSLR's I've used for video, it does still have the 29:59 second limit.

One of the coolest photos on this camera is Dual Pixel RAW setting. What this allows you to do is make minute adjustments to focus and bokeh. Unfortunately this feature does take up 2x the memory, and decreases your buffer size for bursts down to 7 images.

The camera provides an ISO range of 100-32000, which is expandable to 50-102400! It also offers 63 points of autofocus, covering approximately 80% of the image plane.

For more information here is canon's product page as well as a video from Fro Knows Photo discussing the features of the 5D Mark IV!

Fifine K668 USB Microphone Review / Test

Today we are looking at another budget USB Microphone, this time by FiFine: The Fifine K668 USB Microphone. This microphone is plug and play and is listed as compatible with windows and mac computer.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $20 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone
  2. Attached Microphone Mount (No Stand Adapter)
  3. Attached USB Cable
  4. Desktop Mic Stand
  5. Documentation

Performance / Features

The construction on this mic feels pretty nice. It has an all metal construction as well as some nice weight to it. There are no additional features on this microphone. It is the bare essentials. 

They do not list a sample rate or any information about the interface. It is pretty apparent when listening to the review that this microphone was calibrated incorrectly. With my microphone input gain set to 1%, I was clipping at 1-foot. I had to be approximately 2 feet away from the mic at 1% gain to avoid any clipping artifacts.

The frequency response is listed as 50Hz - 16kHz which is fine for a cardioid microphone of this size. To be honest, the frequency response is irrelevant because the audio clips at such a low level.

The polar pattern is not listed on the specs sheet, but on the amazon listing, they list it as cardioid. When I tested it, it seemed to be fairly omnidirectional, or at least a VERY WIDE cardioid polar pattern. It picked up audio very well all the way around the sides well past 180-degrees.

Pros

  • Decent construction
  • Affordable
  • Plug & Play
  • Windows/Mac Compatible

Cons

  • CLIPPING AT 1% INPUT GAIN!!!
  • Super wide cardioid polar pattern 
  • Sounds all around bad

Conclusion

If you couldn't tell by the previous portions of this review, I do not recommend this microphone to anyone. The fact that it clips with the gain set at 1% is absolutely unacceptable and it makes any audio you record unusable. The only situation I was able to derive that you might be able to use this mic for is a makeshift USB Shotgun mic. If you set it a few feet away, it seemed to work decently. However, if you end up using the mic in this situation and you have a loud sound source, you have no wiggle room to decrease your input volume, and ultimately, you would be screwed. This problem alone makes me label this microphone a complete piece of junk.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy it on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2bqQhA2
UK: http://amzn.to/2c06qyN

Image Comics makes move to Portland OR

Breaking news from Comics Beat , Image Comics  is relocating to Portland, Oregon.

Image currently resides in Berkeley, CA and Image Central (non-editorial office) will be relocating. Rumors had surfaced the past and Image has declined comments on the move but if accurate this would mean Image Central and its relatively small staff will relocate.

Portland is already ripe with both creators and publishers; Oni-Press and Dark Horse and talents like Kelly Sue Deconnick. This will continue  to keep the trend that Portland is "Heart Land" of comics in the U.S.

All this news is excellent for Geeks Rising staff writer and self published comic writer Logan Naugle who is moving up there this September. More News to follow as this story unfolds.

Pyle PDMICUSB6 USB Microphone Review / Test

Today we are looking at a budget USB Microphone by Pyle: The Pyle PDMICUSB6. This microphone is plug and play and is listed as compatible with windows and mac computer.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $25 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone
  2. Microphone Mount (No Stand Adapter)
  3. 6.5-foot USB Cable
  4. Desktop Mic Stand
  5. Documentation

Performance / Features

The construction on this mic feels pretty nice. It has an all metal construction as well as some nice weight to it. The only feature on this microphone is an on/off switch to mute the microphone. However, during the review when I switched the mic to "off", a loud static became audible. The mic clip/mount is plastic and doesn't feel like it's good quality and the desktop mic stand feels of the same caliber while providing no shock absorption.

The frequency response is listed as 50Hz - 14kHz which is fine for a dynamic microphone similar to the Pyle PDMIC58. It did not sound particularly good on electric or acoustic guitar, but sounded fine on voice. 

The polar pattern is listed as cardioid and it does a very nice job of eliminating background noises like keyboards or outside noise. The sample rate is listed as 16-bit / 48kHz and the mic sensitivity is listed as 53dB.

It's fairly obvious that the built in interface is noisy. Once you get to approximately 30-40% input gain, a loud digital noise becomes apparent and essentially ruins the audio.

Pros

  • Decent construction
  • Affordable
  • Good at eliminating background noise.

Cons

  • DIGITAL NOISE IN BACKGROUND
  • Not best sound on guitars
  • When switched off generates hiss.

Conclusion

I can't recommend this microphone because of the incredibly loud digital interference once you hit 30% gain, as well as hiss generated when switching the mic off. The only use case I would recommend this microphone for is if you are on an incredibly tight budget, and only want a usb microphone. You can talk to people on Skype or in-game, but if you plan on recording any audio for a video or song, I would recommend you look elsewhere.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy it on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2bqRCqB
UK: http://amzn.to/2bcBnPc

The Paper Robots Episode 72: Isaac Cabrera aka Tom Braider

This episode is with Isaac Cabrera, a new found friend and a man of many talents. Isaac comes on the show to and we talk about all the different creative avenues he has gone down. Issac is a cosplayer known as Tom Braider (links below) on top of that he does art and music and is a all around good guy. 

I was so happy to have him on the show and talk about everything with him I hope you enjoy and check out his work.

For everything mentioned in the show follow:

BSP-032: iPhone 7 Rumors

00:00 - Intro
00:55 - Why I’ve Been So Angry!?
03:38 - Live Streaming NFL Games on Apple TV?
05:52 - Robert Kirkman’s Invincible Coming to an End
07:19 - Comedy Bang! Bang! ending too!?
09:08 - New Soylent Food
10:28 - Fleet of Autonomous Driving Taxi
13:20 - New Seth Rogen TV Show
13:58 - The Used - Maybe Memories
15:21 - Photive BTH3 Bluetooth Headphones
17:52 - Mevo Live Streaming Camera
22:28 - iPhone 7 Rumors
30:30 - Throwback Episode
34:56 - Outro

On today’s episode, there’s a lot of great news and a lot of bad news. First we talk about my recent anger, and then we jump into good news regarding live streaming NFL games on your apple tv/twitter.

When we get to some bad news, I talk about the end of one of the greatest comics, Invincible, and how I feel about this, and then immediately jump into the news that Comedy Bang! Bang! is coming to an end.

On lighter news, we talk about a new Soylent food bar. Most exciting, I discuss the new autonomous fleet of vehicles that Uber is launching in pittsburgh later this month!

To end out the podcast, I talk about the Photive BTH3 headphones, the Mevo Live Streaming Camera, and finally, I talk about the iPhone 7 Rumors

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http://www.geeksrising.com

MXL-550 XLR Condenser Microphone Review / Test

Today is part 1 of 2 in the MXL 550/551 review series. For this review, we will be focussing on the larger of the two microphones, the MXL550. I do need to let you know that this is an XLR condenser microphone which means you will need a phantom power supply, or an interface with phantom power, in order for this microphone to work properly. For this review video, I connected the microphone to my computer using the Focusrite Scarlett Solo USB Audio Interface with +48v Phantom Power turned on.

If you are interested in this microphone pack, it will set you back $77 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Microphone
  2. Microphone Mount
  3. Carrying Case
  4. Micro Fiber Cloth
  5. Documentation
  6. 1 Year Warranty

Performance / Features

The construction on this mic feels pretty nice for the price. It has an all metal construction and has some decent weight to it. Even though it feels nice, I would be careful with it because these lower price tag mics do tend to utilize cheaper components, and suffer due to lower quality assurance standards. As far as features, there is really nothing to discuss, as it is a simple XLR microphone with a single XLR plug on the bottom.

The frequency response is listed as 30Hz - 20kHz and it sounds pretty decent. On the voice I thought the microphone sounded very crisp while also providing a decent amount of low end. On the acoustic guitar and electric guitar, the mic sounded a little warmer than I typically prefer, but all around, it sounded acceptable. 

There are no surprises when I say, the polar pattern is listed as cardioid. As we move around the side we lose quite a bit of volume, and on the rear we pick up very minimal sound. The microphone also performed only decently when typing behind the mic.

Pros

  • Decent construction
  • Affordable
  • Acceptable performance

Cons

  • Not best sound on guitars
  • Only decent elimination of background noise

Conclusion

I actually kind of like this microphone. It is not the greatest sounding mic, and it is definitely not the worst sounding mic, but it does perform pretty damn well considering you get two mics for $77. I don't think that this mic would necessarily work well for gamers, but I do think it would be a great mic pack if you are starting a home studio and want to get your feet wet. Other than that, I think you would be better off saving up a few more dollars for some higher quality microphones.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP. 

Buy the MXL550/551 Pack
US: http://amzn.to/2aUKVwf
UK: http://amzn.to/2aWggxI

Buy the Scarlett Solo
US: http://amzn.to/2bqU7bl
UK: http://amzn.to/2bgovb2

BSP-031: I'm Never Live Streaming on YouTube Again!!!

00:00 - Intro
00:52 - Live Streaming my Podcast on Facebook
02:00 - Beats Headphones Have Ruined the Headphone Market!!!
05:55 - Conspiracy: YouTube Drama
07:43 - Top 7 YouTubers
10:38 - New Resident Evil Film
11:35 - New Bad Santa 2 Trailer
13:20 - New X-Files!?
14:23 - Soylent & Coffee Drink
14:55 - Hulu Ending Free Service
15:51 - Comcast is Getting SUED!!!
16:24 - Rush A Farewell to Kings
16:43 - Plans for Future of this Podcast
17:50 - Why I Will Never Live Stream on YouTube Again!!!
23:40 - Throwback Clip (Warning: Explicit Content)
29:29 - Outro

On episode 31 of The BSP, I talk at length about my search for bluetooth headphones in order to be prepared for the iPhone 7 and how this search ultimately led me to the realization that Beats Headphones have absolutely RUINED the headphone marketplace.

I then talk about a conspiracy I came up with regarding all the youtube drama that has been plaguing the site over the last year, and how I think that it’s fake and essentially a new form of collaboration to help boost watch time/ad revenue.

Immediately following this, I share my top 7 youtube channels and why I subscribe and watch their videos. Then we go into a LOT of news.

For the last two section so the podcast, I talk about why I will never live stream on youtube again, and lastly for the throwback clip/analysis, I share a very interesting story from college.

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AT-2020 vs. AT-2035 Comparison (Versus Series)

Audio Technica AT-2020

  • Price: $100
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
  • Polar Pattern: Cardioid
  • Sensitivity: -37dB
  • Dynamic Range: 124 dB
  • Impedance: 100-Ohms
  • S/N Ratio: 74 dB

Audio Technica AT-2035

  • Price: $150
  • Frequency Response: 20Hz - 20kHz
  • Polar Pattern: Cardioid
  • Sensitivity: -33dB
  • Dynamic Range: 136dB
  • Impedance: 120-Ohms
  • S/N Ratio: 82dB

Today we're looking at two microphones that are very similar. The Audio Technica AT-2020 and the Audio Technica AT-2035. When comparing these microphones on paper, you may think that they are very similar, and they in all honesty, they are very similar. There are some very important differences if you are looking to record professional audio.

The build quality of both mics is excellent. Full metal construction that feels extremely durable. However, the AT-2035 does have the added functionality of a -10dB pad and bass rolloff switch built in.

The frequency response of both microphones is listed as the exact same, but if you look at the visualization of the AT2020 & AT2035 response, you can see that the 2035 has a slightly larger boost between 10-15kHz, which provides it slightly better presence. When you listen carefully to the performance on the instruments, you can hear this slight improvement. 

The polar patterns of both mics is very similar, and there's no winner here.

When looking at the sensitivity, we see that the AT2035 has a slightly higher output. What this means is, if the EXACT same signal is played into both microphones, the AT2035 signal will be ~4dB louder. This can make a huge difference. The AT2035 also has a better dynamic range meaning it can handle audio signals that are 12dB louder before breaking up.

When it comes to the S/N (signal-to-noise) ratio, we once again see that the AT2035 is the winner. This specification basically tells you that the signal (voice or instrument) that you are recording will be louder compared to the line noise.

Therefore, the winner of today's Versus Series is the Audio Technica AT2035. To my ears it has a slightly better tone, it generates a louder and cleaner signal, and is all around a better package, and if I had to choose between the two, I would choose the 2035. However, if you are just recording at home and doing voice overs for youtube, you can probably get away with just purchasing the AT-2020. 

Buy the AT2035
US: http://amzn.to/2b9Fbj9
UK: http://amzn.to/2aFhJew

Buy the AT2020
US: http://amzn.to/2b9EWEZ
UK: http://amzn.to/2bbu5LW

Razer Carcharias Gaming Headset Review / Test

Today we are covering another gaming headset; the Razer Carcharias Gaming Headset. For this video/test, I connected the headset to my computer using a new Sabrent Stereo USB Soundcard which provides some voltage to the headsets microphone, ultimately improving the audio compared to connecting directly to a computer internal microphone input. I unfortunately do not own a computer with a built in mic input, so I am unable to provide a comparison.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $55 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Gaming Headset w/ attached cable
  2. 3.5mm to RCA Adapter
  3. 2.5mm to 2.5mm Mic Cable
  4. XBOX 360 Audio Cable Adapter
  5. Quick Start Guide

Performance / Features

The build of this headset is pretty good. It is an all plastic build, but it feels sturdier than it's cheaper rivals. The ear cups and the headband are extremely soft and very comfortable. However, they do not fit too tightly on your ears so they do allow a bit of outside noise to get in.

You can articulate the microphone to move it closer/farther away from your mouth, and it also offers 270-degree rotation so you are able to have the microphone on the right side or left side of your face. The cable is your standard rubber cable, which is kind of disappointing. The control panel offers 2 volume controls to mix between chat and game sound, a bass volume switch, a mic mute switch, and a 2.5mm microphone input jack.

The end of the cable has (2) 3.5mm jacks and a usb cable: one 3.5mm cable is for the microphone, the other is for the headphones, and the usb cable is to help power the headset and the lights on the side.

The headphones offer 40mm drivers and list a frequency response of 20Hz - 20kHz. When I tested the performance using a tone generator, I started to hear decent performance around 24Hz in the low end, and heard audio through the top of my hearing register. When listening to music, I was let down 100%. The headphones focused far too much on the low end and lacked any semblance of clarity. Even with the bass volume control, I was unable to tune the headphones to sound remotely acceptable. 

The microphone is listed as unidirectional and offers a frequency response of 50Hz - 16kHz. It has a sensitivity of -37dB +/- dB and a signal to noise ratio of 50dB. The performance of the microphone was lackluster. It did fine when ignoring background noise, however there is a HUGE issue with the microphone. When listening to music/gaming, the microphone picks up the audio from the headphones!!! 

Pros

  • Comfortable on the ears
  • Unidirectional mic
  • 270-degree mic rotation
  • Lots of adapters

Cons

  • MICROPHONE PICKS UP HEADPHONES AUDIO!!!
  • Headphones lack any clarity

Conclusion

Based on the Pro's and cons list, you might see that the pros outnumber the cons. However, the two main areas that this gaming headset is supposed to work (1) Reproducing audio and (2) Recording voice, it falls completely flat on it's face. The headphones audio is so bass focused and lacking in presence and clarity that I will most likely never listen to them again. The microphone picks up audio from the headphones which is just unacceptable!

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.

Buy the Razer Carcharias:
US: http://amzn.to/2aGu1yc
UK: http://amzn.to/2aHH2cM

Buy the Soundcard
US: http://amzn.to/2api4xf
UK: http://amzn.to/2aUIkV7

BSP-030: Pinning Comments on YouTube!!!

00:00 - Intro
01:05 - Why I Love Podcasting
02:02 - 10,000 Subscribers
03:30 - My fundraiser
04:45 - Switching from iOS to Android
09:04 - YOU CAN PIN COMMENTS ON YOUTUBE!!!
11:18 - The Trace (Apple TV Game)
12:30 - David Cross Stand Up Special
13:30 - Above & Beyond - Group Therapy
16:50 - Twitter Story
19:06 - Steel Series Apple TV Gaming Controller
20:41 - Zoom U44 Interface
23:16 - iPhone Interfaces & Live Streaming!!!
27:15 - Throwback to Podcastage Podcast!!!

Episode 30 of the BSP is Live. On this episode, I talk about how grateful I am for the podcastage youtube channel. Then I discuss my predicament when it comes to switching from iOS to Android.

Then I talk about some HUGE news about being able to pin comments on youtube. This will have a big impact on how interacting on review/tech videos is done and hopefully improve the overall conversation.

Then I talk about a new apple tv video game I played and absolutely loved, followed by a mention of a brand new stand up special that I thought was funny, and then talk in depth about one of my favorite electronic albums of all time.

As far as what I have been testing, I talk about the steel series apple tv gaming controller. I briefly talk about the Zoom U44 Interface. Lastly, I talk about some iPhone interfaces that I have tested for live streaming. The final piece of this episode is a throwback to the 4th podcast I released in 2015 (Podcastage Episode 004).

Contribute to Water.org fundraise to help provide clean drinking water to those who do not currently have access. http://give.water.org/fundraiser/4718/

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http://www.geeksrising.com

The Shrieker Podcast 011: Scott Rhymer

Scott Rhymer, owner of Black Cambell Entertainment  joins us to talk about starting a small publishing company. He has has been writing novels for 16 years and has written for Victoriana (which you can try at one of our Thursday games) and other games. Many of his games and writing are fueled by his interest in history and research. He plans to start by releasing modules for Fate, Ubiquity, and Savage Worlds. The first should be White Apes of the Congo, due out in October. If those are successful, he hopes to eventually follow that up with his own system.

For your downloading pleasure, Scott has written a couple interesting characters for Hollow Earth Expedition. I threw in some quick character sketches and now they’re here for you to enjoy.

The Free RPG Society: The Deep Forest, a hack of The Quiet Year where you play as a community of D&D monsters reclaiming your land after a human occupation. That theme, the pacing, set by a deck of cards, the artifact of the map the players create all make this a wonderfully thoughtful and different game than your typical RPG. Look for a full a review on the Geeks Rising blog.


Rate and Review our show on itunes, join our Facebook  and G+ communities, comment on our website, or email me. We’d love to hear from you.

Etekcity Scroll Gaming Headset (H5GX) Review / Test

For today's episode of podcastage, we are talking about another gaming headset; The Etekcity Scroll H5GX Gaming Headset. For this video/test, I connected the headset to my computer using a new Sabrent Stereo USB Soundcard which provides some voltage to the headsets microphone, ultimately improving the audio compared to connecting directly to a computer internal  mic input. I unfortunately do not own a computer with a built in mic input, so I am unable to provide a comparison.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $22 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Headset w/ attached cable
  2. Documentation
  3. Warranty Card

Performance / Features

The build quality of the headset is what you'd expect out of a $20 headset; it's construction is fully plastic and it doesn't feel that durable. Regardless of the cheap feel, the ear cups and the headband do have rather soft padding which are comfortable. The mic joint feels decent, but it definitely feels like it will wear out after a fair amount of use. The braided cable is a nice feature which adds a premium feel to this headset, however, the control panel leaves a lot to be desired by only offering a headphone volume control and completely omitting a microphone mute switch. Lastly, the cable ends i/o consists of (2) 3.5mm jacks and (1) USB port. The 3.5mm jacks consist of a headphone and microphone cable, and the usb cable simply powers the headphones minimal lighting.

The headphones harbor 40mm drivers and list a frequency response of 20Hz - 20kHz. When I tested these specs using a tone generator, I began to hear decent performance around 30Hz in the low end, and heard audio to the edge of my audible range in the high end. When listening to music the performance is lackluster. They are very focused in the low-mid frequency range, and the audio is very muddy when listening to any bass heavy music. The headphones also seemed to lack a lot of high end and clarity.

No specifications were provided for the microphone in the documentation, except the listing that it is omnidirectional. In all honesty, I was once again impressed with this microphones performance. It has a very nice and clear audio which is what you need for gaming. Unfortunately, this fidelity is afforded by the omnidirectional polar pattern which also allows for keyboard noise to be picked up. But all around, the microphone performed much better than expected.

Pros

  • Decent microphone sound
  • Comfortable padding
  • Braided cable
  • Cheap

Cons

  • Headphones don't sound that good
  • Omni directional mic picks up keyboard noise
  • Full plastic build
  • Mic joint feels prone to failure

Conclusion

The headset is $22, and because of this I can't really complain about the poor build quality or the less than ideal headphone performance. If you are on an extremely tight budget and you need a gaming headset, I think that this will be a great option for you. Sure, the headphones won't give you audiophile level sound, but they will get the job done. Sure, the mic may pickup some keyboard noise, but your voice will sound good. Sure, the headphones may fall apart after a year, but they were only $22. That's what it all comes down to; a $22 headset that has a decent mic is worth it in my book.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.

Buy the H5GX:
US: http://amzn.to/2apihR8
UK: N/A

Buy the Soundcard
US: http://amzn.to/2api4xf
UK: http://amzn.to/2aUIkV7

 

Alesis Core 1 USB Audio Interface Review/Test

Today we're covering the Alesis Core 1 USB Audio Interface. This is a very small audio interface that plugs directly into your computer, or into your iOs device using the iPad camera connection kit. I do not own this kit so I was unable to test this out, but they do list this on the box.

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $50 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Interface
  2. USB Cable
  3. Cubase LE Download Card
  4. Documentation

Performance / Features

The build quality of this thing feels awesome. It has a full metal case, nice XLR connection, and sturdy dials. On the front of the interface you just have an XLR input. On the back of the interface you have a headphone volume control, 3.5mm headphone out, line volume, line/guitar switch, and a usb output. 

The headphones do not offer zero latency monitoring, so you have no way of monitoring what you're recording unless you run through a DAW. On that note, when running this through a DAW, the latency is horrible (approximately .5 seconds) even with my buffer size set to the minimum available.

The interface lists 24-bit Resolution and a 48kHz sampling rate. This interface does not offer phantom power and therefore will not work with any condenser microphones. You can only use this with a dynamic microphone or a 1/4" instrument. 

I also found that I needed to set my input volume to 100% to get a decent volume out of my SM58, and even with that setting, I still had to boost the audio by +12db to get the levels in the video. However, it is a relatively quiet interface and the noise was surprisingly decent even at 100%

Pros

  • Good construction
  • Works with iPad (based on box)
  • Low noise floor

Cons

  • Horrible latency
  • No zero latency monitoring
  • Low output for mic

Conclusion

I do not recommend this interface at all. Based on the horrible latency, the lack of zero latency monitoring, and the horrible output level for the mic, I find this to be completely unusable. I think that this device was generated mainly as a guitar interface, but with the latency experienced, it fails miserably. Look elsewhere if you're looking for an audio interface.

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.

Buy the Alesis Core 1:
US: http://amzn.to/2aJa4JB
UK: http://amzn.to/2a9Uh8C

The Paper Robots Episode 70: Eric Schock

Hey everybody! I got special guest Eric Schock on the show. The man who started Evil Robo Productions and is a creator/artist/writer of comics.

Currently Eric is working Thomas Keith on a Golden Age hero know as "The Raven" which release in AZ 8/3/2016.

We also discuss a few things including tips on being creative.

Tips:

  • Having a regime
  • Creating is about dedication and treating your creative work like a "real job"
  • Creating a schedule and a everyday task.

Follow:

  • Twitter- @Eric_Schock
  • IG- @EricSchockArt
  • Evil Robo

 

BSP-029: How to Grow Your YouTube Channel

00:00 - Intro
01:25 - Embarrassing Story
04:03 - Travel Podcast Setup
08:19 - Verizon Acquires Yahoo
11:40 - Tesla Phase Deux
16:20 - Show and Tell
17:17 - Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
18:12 - Descendents Hypercaffium Spazzinate
19:45 - Facebook Live & OBS
21:35 - How to grow your YouTube Channel
29:40 - Outro

On episode 29, I am back in my studio so there is no more creepy quiet talking. I share an embarrassing story about my recent trip as well my travel podcasting set up and how I think it performed.

I briefly discuss two pieces of news regarding the Yahoo acquisition, followed by Elon Musks announcement of Phase 2 of the Tesla plan. Then I share a new album that I love and a TV show that I just discovered and can’t stop watching.

Lastly, I talk about my experience with Facebook live and OBS, and end the podcast sharing my thoughts on how you can grow your youtube channel.

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Follow BSP on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/bandrewsays

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AUKEY GH-S1 Gaming Headset Review/Test

Today I'm talking about the Aukey GH-S1 gaming headset. I do need to note that this headset was provided to me free of charge for the sake of this review. This is your standard gaming headset that splits into (2) 3.5mm cables, so keep that in mind when you are considering purchasing this mic. I also need to note that I connected this headset using the Sabrent Stereo USB Soundcard (AU-MMSA), which is available on amazon for approximately $5.00

If you are interested in this microphone, it will set you back $20 on Amazon

What's In the Box

  1. Headset (2.5-meter cable attached - splits into (2) 3.5mm plugs)
  2. Documentation
  3. Warranty Card

Performance / Features

The construction on this headset does not feel that good. It is an all plastic construction and it feels somewhat flimsy. There is leather (or pleather) padding on the ear cups and headband which provide somewhat decent comfort. The cable is your standard rubber cable, and it has a control module with a mic mute switch and headphone volume control.

The headphones offer 40mm drivers that perform better than you would expect out of a $20 headset. They list a frequency response of 20Hz - 20kHz, but I wasn't able to hear the headphones kick in until around 25Hz, and the audio didn't get powerful until we hit between 30-35Hz. These headphones are not going to win any award for performance, but they get the job done. They do tend to be a little more low-mid focussed than I would before, but all around I think they sound perfectly fine.

The microphone does not have many specifications listed so we don't know what they were going for. We do know that it is omni-directional which has a set of pros/cons. The omni directional polar pattern picks up your voice better and has a better frequency response and tone for your voice. However, it does tend to pick up a bit more keyboard noise and background noise than a unidirectional mic would. I think that it sounds awesome though. 

Pros

  • $20!!!
  • Great mic sound
  • Decent headphone performance

Cons

  • Cheap build quality
  • Picks up background noise
  • Headphones are a little too low-mid focussed

Conclusion

If you are on an extremely tight budget, this might be the right headset for you. For gaming it won't give you the best audio playback, but it gets the job done, and it has a very nice sounding microphone when connected to a usb soundcard. However, it will pick up a bit of your keyboard noise. 

I think that this would be a GREAT option if you're having a guest podcaster recording remotely who does not have any recording gear. Buy them this headset and a usb soundcard, walk them through the set up and you'll have very workable audio for $25, and your podcast guest will feel like they matter since you bought them a headset, and you didn't break you bank account. 

If you have any additional questions about this microphone, leave them in the comments on this site or on the youtube channel, and I will try to reply ASAP.

Buy the Aukey GH-S1 on Amazon
US: http://amzn.to/2ajIxgA
UK: http://amzn.to/29DNjbN