Best method to co-host podcast from afar?

[SwordBreaker]

I'd like to direct this question specifically to all VGDJ hosts and those who are experienced in podcasting (like Liontamer). What's the best method of podcasting with another host from a distance? See, I have this podcast show for the site I write for (Projectcoe.com), and I experimented with another host today using Skype. The main problem was recording our session. The program integrated to Skype allows 15 minutes, and there's one we bought for 15 bucks which lags the conversation and jumbles my voice with my co-hosts' (HotRecorder). My co-host recently found a good program...costs 50 bucks but has a 14 day free trial...but that's a temporary solution. I'm looking for something more permanent and a free program which records our Skype conversation.

Suggestions?

[KyleJCrb]

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) is a free program that will do what you want. As far as I am aware, the hosts of VGDJ recorded themselves on their own machines while talking via Skype, and then the audio files of each hosts' recording were merged together in post-production. That's probably the best way you can do it, to get around the problems associated with p2p voice chat (lag, cutting out, and the like).

[SwordBreaker]

Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/) is a free program that will do what you want. As far as I am aware, the hosts of VGDJ recorded themselves on their own machines while talking via Skype, and then the audio files of each hosts' recording were merged together in post-production. That's probably the best way you can do it, to get around the problems associated with p2p voice chat (lag, cutting out, and the like).

Hey...that's not a bad idea, actually. Why haven't I thought of that before? lol...

I was so into programs which record our full conversation I completely forgot that each of us can record his/her own voice and then we merge them together in the end.

Thanks. :)

[siven7]

Hey...that's not a bad idea, actually. Why haven't I thought of that before? lol...

I was so into programs which record our full conversation I completely forgot that each of us can record his/her own voice and then we merge them together in the end.

Thanks. :)

Really good idea, I agree. We have a laptop and a desktop at my place here, so what we used to do (for Skype interviews and stuff) is run the audio-out to the other computer, set to record for "audio-in"...

... but I like the post-production much better. Anyways, it's an idea!

[Jillian Aversa]

Kyle pretty much summed it up. We recorded our own ends of the conversation using free audio programs (Audacity, Cacaphony, etc.) and merged them at the end. The tricky part is timing the recordings to begin at basically the same time. You don't want to throw off your listeners by having a delay - or overlap - in conversation.

Also something to watch out for... Make sure that you are listening to your cohost at a pretty low volume. If the headphones spill sound, your mic will pick it up and then there will be an echo effect once you've merged the conversation.

Btw, Larry doesn't have any podcasting experience other than his occasional guest appearance on VGDJ; he did liiiiive radio. ^_~

[Dhsu]

Is there a way to record both the mic and mixer source at the same time? Then only one person would have to record the conversation and not have to worry about delay and stuff.

[zircon]

That's not really hard to do - you would record the "Stereo Mix" of your computer or something to that effect. The problem is that if one person is too loud, or one person is too soft, or you want to edit something just one person said, you're out of luck. Having the two separate tracks makes post-editing WAY easier.

[Dyne]

Well, this also helps me out, as I'm working on a podcast of my own. Again, as I said in my original thread, I'm not looking to be the official podcast of OCR, I'm actually after an unofficial podcast that looks at the entire community as a whole, as well as covers other aspects that I feel don't get enough attention.

Still working the bugs out myself, actually. I might even have a lovely co-host waiting in the wings too! (Which is good, because every great host needs an equally or more so excellent co-host.)