The Non-Profitess
My vision for this program is to have non-profit administrators, employees, funders, board members, founders and volunteers talk about their organizations and to give listeners a glimpse in to the emotional, exciting, sometimes frustrating and always unpredictable world of non-profits.
Your entry is great and you sound great and you're writing and delivery is great. I wouldn't think your equipment would be a deciding factor in a "round one" - there is absolutely no discernible "lisp", otherwise the "S" thing would be a "th" thing and it's most probably your microphone and easily solved with one of those little foam things.
Depending on your budget, there are lots of great affordable options for digital recording. On second thought after just seeing thread with Elizabeth, you guys are on the right track with upgrades according to budget and desired end result.
I want you to first know that I found your voice both soothing and engaging. The passion that you have for your subject matter comes thru in your piece.
My mom works for a non profit, and I think it would be a great show for that Sunday morning early afternoon while you’re reading the paper. Here's the only thing I would suggest to improve. I agree with others who have posted that you couldn't really realize your vision in two minutes; it wasn’t much of a teaser ; more an intro. I think a specific story you want to tell about an individual person or non profit's struggle would be more effective and engage a wider audience.
I love the Austin area; My husband and I were their in April.
(I'm orginally from San Antonio/Tulsa Oklahoma area)
If you have a chance I would love to hear your thoughts and any constructive critism you might have on my piece
Good luck with you future endevours
and thanks in advance.
Zayda
When I first heard it I thought great voice but the s' thing was a little distracting and then thought, better sound and you would not notice it. Then I realized that the clip was almost over.
I did it again now, it is a great voice to hear I just forgot what you were saying. That is why originally I posted a Nice.
You tell a great story, you just have to get people to hear what you have to say. The two minute format kinda screwed you, you may have done better if it was longer.
Like all free advice it is worth exactly what you paid for it, nothing.
I am already feeling the hangover from my $2.00 beer Monday ;)
About my "s"? Am I hissing? Or is it just a really sharp "s"?
ADQ
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The Non-Profitess
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914
The contest is over for me, but please give me some constructive criticism at the above link. Thanks!
you should talk to speechguy about this since he is a speech therapist.
K I am somewhat drunk so all answers after this will be mindless until tomorrow.....egggh curls on floor... night night
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
I think it could be two things. If you recording pretty close to the mic or at least with your mouth facing it directly, the air for you "S" sounds could have been exaggerated, maybe. It also could be an EQ thing, where your highs were a little high on the recording. "S" are really sharp and cut through to the ears. If you listen for "S" sounds in a room full of people talking, they jump out at you from every direction.
Anyway, I just saw this after looking at the finalists tonight and thought I'd add my two bits.
I honestly think that your delivery is great. you pace things well, etc. And obviously the concept is great and you seem competent in terms of pulling it off. Also your voice sounds nice.
however, the most noticeable problem to me is the metallic distortion. I had a similar problem a couple of weeks ago when my station screwed up the download of my show and had to run it from a different room with a worse system, i mean had to patch it in instead of playing it directly. I totally sounded like i was in a metallic fishbowl. And I get that same feeling, and perhaps a bit more when i listen to yours. The distortion is definitely a real issue and can be very distracting. You want the radio people to hear your voice and your personality, and not the distortion. There can be a minimal amount of distortion, you don't need to eliminate it totally, but if you could reduce it that would be the first and best thing to do to make your stuff better.
I don't think you would need a "professional studio" mic to do it either, but just an upgrade.
It also could be your computer's sound card. sound cards screw things up.
I also felt like one of your "S" sounds was a little heavy/sharp and with the distortion it got to be really heavy. This wasn't a consistent problem and i never would have pointed it out except you asked. that seems like more a distortion problem than an "s" problem, but it could be both. i'd have to listen to other recordings to tell.
You might have had the music a little bit less loud in the background. Like, maybe louder when it starts, fade out or fade to low, and then fade back up. You don't want to be competing with the music.
those are my thoughts which you know are meant to be helpful and not mean. :)
ttyl,
Elizabeth
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
Exactly what I'm looking for.
I actually have a little bit of a lisp and I think that may be where the "S" thing is coming from. I'm over-compensating by trying to avoid lisping while I'm speaking in the recording.
Thanks, Elizabeth. I am going to work on putting some things together and I'll definitely be in contact with you for some advice.
ADQ
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The Non-Profitess
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
S is just one of those letters, like violins are just one of those instruments, which can be testy,which can come off harsh at times.
maybe just tone the S down a little bit and it will probably sound just normal. find a happy medium.:)
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
You are going to have to set it up on your computer. If it is a pc then go to Control Panel, Sounds Speech and Audio Devices, Sounds and Audio Devices, Voice (tab), Voice Recoding (push test hardware button). and then you can modify it to make sure it sounds ok or to raise and lower the amplitude/volume/ whatever the terminology is. And make sure sound is being detected.
If you do not have good closed back headphones you you might want to have your speakers off when doing this, and probably you will definitely want to have your speakers off while recording, because the sound will bleed through and you will get feedback. feedback is a nasty animal and painful to the poor eardrums. If you ever want to get radio headphones so you can listen to yourself while you record, make sure that they are closed back and do not let any sound out.
This is not a totally intuitive process and it took me like 2 weeks to set up my usb mixing board (which is harder than a microphone that you are plugging in, but still....)
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
I'm just using a little Mac laptop with Garage Band. I borrowed a mic--
Can you recommend a brand of mic and headphones? Median priced but good quality? I'd rather pay a little more and have something that is going to work well--so what's the best bang for the buck?
ADQ
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The Non-Profitess
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
before I tell you about all the fancy stuff, i just want to say that i was actually quite pleased at how nice my $30 Shure 606 sounds. Sure, it doesn't sound AMAZING, but it plugs right into the computer with no extra equipment needed. For the price, it is amazing, and something like this might be all that you need to take away the distortion. I got mine at fry's electronics because my mixing board took 2 weeks to come and I was desperate! and the little guy does really well for the money that was spent on him. You might try something like that and see how you like it before you invest in expensive equipment you might not want later. And you really don't necessarily need it to do a demo. I would suggest a new mic (maybe a relatively cheap shure one) and a pair of closed-back headphones so you can listen to yourself while you record and not get feedback.
here is what i have:
(all of this stuff can be found on musician's friend)
CAD GXL3000 Pro Studio Microphone
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/CAD-GXL3000-Microphone?sku=270366
However, DO NOT get a condenser mic without something like a mixing board to power it. it just won't work and you won't be able to tune it. if you get a condenser mic (better sounding) you need something with "phantom power," which most mixing boards provide.
Alesis MultiMix 8USB Mixer with USB and DSP
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-MultiMix-8USB-Mixer-with-U...
I like this one because it bypasses the sound card entirely and just sends a digital signal into your computer, which makes the sound sooooo much better. And the sound boards in these things are generally pretty good.
If you get a mic you might want a mic stand. mine lives on a mic stand. well my expensive one does, and my Shure one lives in a drawer. You also need a cable to plug the mic into the mixing board. (you don't need that for the Shure one).
20 Foot Musician's Friend Lo-Z Microphone Cable
Black Musician's Friend Low Profile Die-Cast Mic Stand Black
Here are my headphones. They are super comfortable and are made so that when you listen, you hear the flaws in your recording. For example, they don't have a lot of bass or other things to cover the audio up. You can hear pretty much all the mistakes.
Audio-Technica ATH-M40fs Precision Studiophones
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/AudioTechnica-ATHM40fs-Precision-...
However, KUCR has these cheaper Sennheiser HD 202 ones, and they are fine but not as good audio and less comfortable... but fine especially if you have small ears.
The ones we have in the station:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Sennheiser-HD-202-Intense-Stereo-...
I imagine that this stuff would be easily compatible with both Mac and PC, because most things like this are. You can call and ask the company questions though.
ttyl, got to get back to writing,
Elizabeth
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
these are what you call "dynamic" microphones, which means it doesn't need to be powered like a condenser mic:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-PG48XLR-Microphone-with-Swi...
I think you would need to buy a cable with this one (and make sure the cable will go into your computer!):
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Shure-SM48LC-Vocal-Microphone?sku...
I don't own either of these, but they are probably pretty similar to my Shure 606, if not better. i can't tell because I don't have my original box.
ttyl,
Elizabeth (the girl who is apparently becoming obsessed with giving you audio info despite her best interests in terms of time, hahaha-- anything for a distraction...)
My entry at Public Radio Quest:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/7572
My College Radio Myspace (feel free to friend me!):
http://www.myspace.com/girlsongprimerradio
Well how refreshing to hear the passion about your profession, people and geographic location in your entry! It made me feel, well, hopeful. Best of luck to you!
Cheers,
Jennifer
me@jenniferneeley.com
http://www.prx.org/user/wavemistress
Shameless promotion:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/3290
I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life -- and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted t
& I LOVE it. Your delivery & voice are *excellent*, & the concept is wonderful. You could definitely do a lot of good for a lot of people doing a lot of good... & you'd NEVER be lacking for subject matter.-(;o)~
Thanks you guys! *heart*
ADQ
Please and Thank You for your Vote:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
Nice work. I have to respect anyone in the NP business. (Here is your 100th comment.)
Justin
The Queen of Public Radio.
(reX.y sneaks back into the Q's comment's page and hands her a 100 red roses... )
reX. booth
take it to realiTy!
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1679
www.rexsworld.com
rex@rexsworld.com
This is what I would listen out for. Volunteerism and non-profits have so many stories to tell. I would love to hear more. Your enthusiasm shines right through. Great!
Mike Wright
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Be kind, it took longer than necessary...
http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/1808
For the musical side, check out my playlists at
And you definitely know your stuff. Your voice is easy and smooth and pleasant to listen to. Your delivery is very steady and not preachy or patronizing and is very intelligent. Really great entry!
Are you sure you haven't done this before? Your tape was very well made and you have great delivery skills. That counts as "Hostiness" in my book.
Best of luck.
Although I was interviewed on the radio a couple months ago--does that count? LOL.
I didn't think so.
ADQ
Please and Thank You for your Vote:
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/6914
Keep on rockin' in the free world.
Hey, I wouldn't worry about losing the popular vote too much. After all, you already have twice as many comments on your audio as I do mine. Some people just know how to make quick connections.
Anyway, I thought your audio was very original and thought provoking, and I really enjoyed the passion in your piece. The audio wasn't great, but that really doesn't matter in this case. I wish you all the best.
I've seen you all over the place and always thought I'd heard your entry. Nuh-uh.
It's great to hear people talk about things they really believe in - this seems like it would absolutely work as a podcast. You'd have a huge built-in audience of frustrated non-profiteers listening in to hear their stories told.
Best of luck in winning the Quest, but if you don't...make a podcast! As a person who works for a non-profit, I'd subscribe in a second!
Good luck,
Courtenay
You speak very well, and seem passionate about your work. Your idea is intriguing, but I'm not certain how well it would play as an actual show (not that my opinion counts for much). Still, I wish you the best of luck.
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I humbly submit for your mockery and derision : http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/2716
When I look in the mirror I would rather see love instead of greed.
I use to help with a child abuse prevention org.
I have also started two groups for blind people.
I enjoyed your entry.
Good-luck
Yvonne
Listen to my intro and learn who I am and why I am closely tied to public radio.
VISIT ME
http://www.publicradioquest.com/user/202
or
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/202
really enjoyed how you draw the listener in to the topic - sounding matter of fact and then throwing in the 'fell in love' bit.
it's really great. best of luck!
Samantha Clemens
http://www.publicradioquest.com/audio/user/3257
www.causeandeffectworld.com
Getting to the bottom of things...
LOVE this idea. Inspiring and interesting. Good luck!
Michelle in NC
To hear my show, click: http://www.publicradioquest.com/node/676
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