The Radar

One of the most important aspects of creating a really great video is the audio.  That means you need to have the right sounding foot steps, door slam, etc. to really involve your viewers in the action.  You can go around with one of our MP3 recorders (available to check out from the computer classroom on the 2nd floor) or find previously produced content elsewhere or both.

A great place to find tons of special sound effects for your video or audio production is Soundcli.ps. You can search over 10,000 sound effects for that perfect bird tweet or whatever you are looking for.

Another great source for audio effects is already on the Digital Media Lab computers, especially DML Computers #2 and #4.  These two computers have many Jam Packs (additional sound effects and loops of music) and will have many sound effects covered.

Toby, Erika, and Mick as always discuss cool technology they have discovered since the last podcast.  They also discuss the new Shure microphones in the Digital Media Lab along with ProTools.  The group then discusses the new display space for content creators in the Digital Media Lab and upcoming technology classes.

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Logitech has been making computer accessories since the earth cooled it seems. One such accessory they seemed to be known for in particular is the humble mouse. We take the mouse so much for granted but we’d be hard pressed to get along without one. Think about it. The mouse is an extension of our mind’s wishes. It makes things happen with one or two clicks. The most recent incarnation of Logitech’s wireless mouse, the MX, brings high praise indeed from people who know about such things. One writer in a publication from the UK describes it as “gloriously comfortable” to use. The best thing about it, he says, is the way it fits the right hand, with apologies to lefties.

The scroll wheel now has a hyper-speed mode that can zip you to the end of an overly long document or web page with a single flick. This new version doesn’t rely on Bluetooth as so many wireless mouses (mice?) presently do, as do those that now come standard with new iMacs. It has it’s own self-contained radio system which requires a tiny receiver plugged into a USB port. Another feature now is that it can be re-charged by simply plugging it in directly with its micro-USB cable. No more separate charging station or frantically searching for fresh AA batteries.

And the MX works on glass. Clever?

Please take a couple minutes to watch this video of Ira Glass discussing the importance of continuing to try in the creative process, even if your results are not what you had been hoping for.

We’ve added multiple new instructions for our various musical instruments and editing software to the Digital Media Lab website.

Stop by the site for help with:

• Recording an Electric Guitar in Garageband
• Recording an Electric Drum Kit in Garageband
• Setting up the Shure SM57 and SM58 microphones in Garageband
• Getting the Band Back Together with Logic Express
• Pro Tools

If you’d like some hands on assistance with setting up any of these instruments or programs, fill out this form to request a one to one appointment.

The super speedy Universal Serial Bus Three (USB 3) may be coming to a computer near you!

Already found on some external backup hardisks, smart phone and tablet devices will soon be sporting the 10-times-faster USB 3 ports, which are also possibly destined for new laptops, netbooks, and Windows 8 machines. Other mobile devices may also implement USB 3, but manufacturers want to make the port smaller first.

USB 3.0 is Coming

Digital Media Lab Computer #1 is out of commission for a short time.  However, nearly all the programs avaiable on DML #1 are available on other computers in the Digital Media Lab.

• Photoshop/Illustrator/Etc. are available on DML #3
• Premiere Pro/After Effects/Etc. are available on DML #4
• iMove, Garageband, etc. is available on all other DML computers

Final Cut 7 is the only suite of programs not available on other DML computers. However, we do have the Final Cut 6 on DML #4.

We are pleased to announce the addition of two new powerhouse microphones for your recording pleasure in the Digital Media Lab: the Shure SM 57 (an instrumental or vocal microphone) and the Shure SM 58 (the classic vocal microphone)

These microphones, as well as lots of other awesome equipment, are available to help enable you to create without having to worry about low quality equipment.

Setting these microphones up for the first time can be somewhat difficult, let us know if you would like to use them and some help getting them to record.

Rock on!

Now you can make your own iPhone ringtone in the Skokie Public Library’s Digital Media Lab! This process is both easy and fun using the program GarageBand and a little creativity.

Take a song from your iTunes library and drag it onto the GarageBand screen.  Click the cycle button (looks like a repeat song icon from iTunes) to produce a yellow cycle bar.You can then move this bar around to find a portion of your song, choosing how long you want your ringtone to be.

Once you have decided on your clip save the project with the name you want for your ringtone. Go to the Share menu within GarageBand and send the ringtone to iTunes.

The last step is to sync the ringtone in iTunes to your iPhone. You do this by making sure iTunes sees your iPhone either by plugging it in or using WiFi syncing. Look for tones on your iPhone screen and check the box to sync your tone.

Enjoy your new ringtones !

Erika, Toby, Mike, and Mick discuss technologies they have discovered in the last few weeks, LinkedIn, Google Earth, and upcoming Photoshop classes.

If the embedded player isn’t working please use this link.