I swear, I am not done producing RfL 2.0 or the Animated Adventures. I am just 100% focused on building my business and getting new clients. Luckily for me, that side is going well.

Now, I have to get back to paying the bills. Back to the client work, in other words.

Cheers,
Eban

Let’s shift for a second. Remember that band you were totally into before everyone and their cat got into them? Remember the TV show? The whatever?

It is the same thing. Only, this Twitter explosion, we asked for it.

We wanted to actually believe it mattered. We had the Pistachios and other nuts telling us just how powerful it was as a tool. Thing is, it really was all choir, as in preaching to, all along. (As more than a few people pointed out)

Now we have people lamenting the loss of cool. We have people decrying the loss of indie in the Twitterverse. Screw you winers.

Twitter was, before A&O, (Ashton and Oprah), just an exercise in quick, go nowhere, social media masturbation. It was a trivial stream and silly conversation for the chamber, the echo chamber, with an occasional cool story or news piece.

Now that it is finally open, and the people everyone wanted so badly to reach out and touch with their message have arrived, we get the whining.

Twitter before A&O=closed system where everyone was as important as their trumped up profile titles. Of course it seemed powerful, everyone was on the same masturbatory page.

Twitter after A&O=an actual system of new people to reach, but no one actually having a clue how as it does not really work. It is 140 characters at the speed of light. Even in our age of short attention spans, that ain’t much.

Enjoy Twitter for what it was. Enjoy Twitter for what it is now. But in the name of all that is good, stop freakin whining.

Cheers,

Eban

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C.C. Chapman and Chris Brogan by C.C. Chapman

Chris Brogan is the only person that never, ever pisses me off. Yes, that is a bold statement. You can learn from that. Especially coming from a media producer that labeled himself the “New Media Cynic.” But, with that in mind, the statement is 100% true. I don’t always agree with him, but agreement has nothing to do with emotions. To me Chris is a 100% stand up guy. Let’s dig into the why.

1. Unlike others in the world of social, new, or whatever media, or even  just the echo chamber, he never puts out anything that does not add value to someone or some group.

2. If he does add something that adds less value than other things, such as Digg baiting posts, he often admits to it in the post.

3. He not only does not know it all, he let’s you know he does not know it all and asks for input to help him, and his readers, grow in knowledge.

4. He never puts anyone down, except in jest.

5. As with #4, if he has nothing good to say, he tends not to say anything, or at least changes the subject.

6. Even the more opinionated echo chamber types that do all of the above can’t bring themselves to drag Chris through  the muck.

7. He is not afraid to leave things open for others to finish. This is a tactic he uses often on his blog. Thus he can start a dialog on subject in which he may not be an expert, but still gets to the heart of the matter at hand. Chris’ comment sections are just as active, and often as enlightening, as his original blog posts.

8. Even though I don’t personally make contact with Chris but maybe once or twice a year, he always engages me when I do. He makes time for everyone. I have learned more from this side of Chris than any other. I also have changed the way I deal with others due to this.

9. He is humble enough to think this post probably should not have been written.

10. He is bold enough to promote his work tirelessly. Not in the “Look at me” fashion as many others do, but from that confident place of someone that knows he is adding quality. He never seems to overstep his boundaries.

11. Repeat, he never seems to overstep his boundaries.

12. Chris leaves things open for all to see. When he was questioned about his use of Creative Commons photos in a presentation, and how he made attribution, instead of backing away and letting the criticism go, he posted about  it and started a conversation.

13. Chris loves his family. I have never met him personally, but I know this just by his writings and the way he carries himself.

14. Chris values his friends. See above for how I know this.

15. Chris can tame Julien Smith, nuff said.

16. Everything else I have forgotten to write.

That list is not complete, not by any means. I felt I needed to write this as things sometimes get negative here in the New Media Cynic world. I don’t mean for things to get negative, I just feel the need to talk about the 800 pound gorilla in the room that nobody, save a small minority, wants to address.

Chris is not part of that which I am out to expose. He is the exception that proves the rule. He is not alone either. There is Julien Smith, Paisano, Christopher Penn, C.C. Chapman, and many others. Chris though, sticks out to me the most.

So there, I can be nice.

Cheers,
Eban

A person I know well recently asked me why he should keep producing his media when people seem to not want what he produces, but instead want the animal videos, people making fools of themselves, and teenagers lip synching to copyrighted music. In other words, Youtube content. I gave him a pep talk, but have thought about it in more detail since. Here is what I would say now.

Youtube has stacked the deck against quality web productions that are made by truly indie producers, get used to it and keep producing

Why make a statement like the one above? Because it is true. Youtube has set the bar of Internet entertainment and media content at the lowest level possible. Just look at what people view there and push to the top of the heap.

Yes, take a good look at what is at the top. The freaks, the oddities, and when it is not the freaks and oddities, then it is mainstream stuff snuck in, before it is pulled due to copyright issues. There is great stuff there, but it tends to get buried.

Some of the oddities and such are actually very interesting. The Weezer video for Pork and Beans showcases some of these interesting things you find on Youtube, and a couple of the absolute worst. Chris anyone? The Superman dance guys? Please.

Unfortunately, Youtube is where most people go when they think of user generated content. It is easy to use and has tons of things to watch. People in general do not like to search all over the net for their online media, they like “one stop shopping,” so to speak. Youtube capitalizes on this.

So what does this mean for producers of quality media? For one, it means get your stuff on Youtube. Like I said, there is great stuff on Youtube, even if it stays buried a bit too often. It also means getting on Viddler, Veoh, Blip, Vimeo, and all those other services out there, as well as offering your stuff from your own server and site  with a subscription feed.

“But,” you say, “I produce audio content, not video, what about me?”

Well, audio is it’s own beast, and if someone is looking for audio content, they are generally not looking on Youtube, so you have a bit of a break there. Also, people looking for audio are generally looking for the great stuff, as horrible audio is not entertaining, so they tend to search out the best.

So, as a producer of video content, look to those other video networks mentioned above. Networks such as Viddler, Veoh, Blip, Vimeo, even Utterli, and the many others that tend to reward and promote the higher quality content. It is true that these networks are smaller in viewer numbers, but quantity is not everything. The viewers on these networks seem to be more discriminating, and thus, are more likely to stick with a quality production, unlike the Youtube folks that are always looking for their next freak video fix.

Also, don’t forget about your own production website. This should be ground zero for all your promotions, so get it set up for the task. Get your content together and take promoting it serious. Make sure you have a good site design, have good SEO through unique written content as well as your media so you get Google’s attention, cross promote and get backlinks with other sites of like content and other media producers, and always offer up an easy to find RSS subscription option.

Getting your media noticed is a battle of sorts. It is a marathon, not a sprint, that is for sure. Build, Build, Build, and reap the longtime rewards.

Whatever you do, don’t stop producing. Those videos on Youtube that have no redeeming quality and took no talent to produce yet get seriously silly viewer Numbers may get you down from time to time during your building phase, but what you build will be hard to tear down, those Youtube videos are generally the truest definition of the “one hit wonder.”

So produce, promote, and be proud of what you create. Continue to grow and experiment. Increase your skills with every production and never stop being open to learning new things. You will win in the end. You may not be the “be all, end all,” or most popular producer ever, but people will not remember you for being a freak, a fool, or worse. They will remember the quality of your productions. That is a win!

Cheers,
Eban

The “Field of Dreams” scenario of build it and they will come is very comforting, but it is total hogwash in the real world. Whether it be web media, a retail outlet, a grocery store, whatever, if it is not promoted properly, no one will come, ever. The fact is people have to know you exist, then they have to actually care, then they need to know that you are filling a need in their life. That is much more work and sweat than build it and they will come.

The People, or should I say, gurus or rock stars, that say different are feeding you a line of bull. If they want to charge you for telling you that bull, run very fast.

“But,” you say, “I created a production of real quality.” Well, it doesn’t matter, not one bit. Quality has little to do with anything. What matters is what I wrote above. Do people know your media exists? Do they care? Does your media bring something to or fill a need in their life? If the answer to the above, any one of the above, is no, you will not be a success.

There are tons of great, and just as many, if not more, mediocre, media properties out there that have achieved what could be called success. This simply means they are known, the have many people that consume the media, and they are talked about. The key is, the producers of this content are always talking about, promoting, and making sure their media is in your face. Good or not, that is what works.

The problem comes up that producers, the creative types, are often not natural promoters. Creative types often feel that they are stepping over boundaries when talking about their media. They talk down about their own product to make sure they don’t seem cocky. They may feel that self promotion robs the art aspect of their work. Whatever the case, the need to learn to self promote is necessary if you want to get your media out to the world.

Of course, producing a great, high quality product is what we should all strive for, whether it be a blog, a podcast, video, animation, whatever. A quality product will go much further with your promotion than a mediocre product, but face the facts, the number of sub par media properties that are popular is proof that quality is a distant second to quantity. Quantity of promotion, that is.
Remember the old adage, there is no such thing as bad press. So go and promote, and be proud of your work. Yes, there is no such thing as bad press, but their is nothing worse than no press at all.

Seriously.

Cheers,

Eban

Why? Why not. Even as I am a new media, or as I prefer, a web media producer, I have to admit that there is a great amount of bullshit in this online world, also known affectionately by some as the echo chamber. There are also several versions of the overused phrase, “Cult of Personality.”

I want to take the wind out of some of the crazier aspects of new media.

So, here I go, the New Media Cynic.

Do I expect anyone to agree with me? No.

Do I expect anyone to care what I have to say? No.

Will that stop me from saying it? No, actually, hell no!

Do I expect I have some kind of special right to start this series? Not special rights, we all have this right online. Get over it and speak your mind as well.

I am not the first to take on the dumb aspects of the social, new, web, or whatever, media. I will not be the last, or the best either. That would probably be Loren Feldman. I am just another voice, hopefully of reason, but at least of dissent.

There are just not enough dissenting voices out there. That is a shame as dissent is a good thing. I of course mean true dissent, which is often the engine that finds truth, not the kind of dissent we have become accustomed to of late. The kind of dissent which means if you disagree with me then you are oppressing me.

With that, feel free to argue with me in a show of dissent to my thoughts. I of course keep the right to totally disagree right back at you. All is fair.

One thing I will not tolerate, and by tolerate I mean that I reserve the right to totally make fun of you and call you out as an imbecile, is fanboy-ism. If I make a point, and that point is about someone prominent in the echo chamber, and you then start an argument on the basis that I have no right to talk about that person because of who he or she is, I will take you down. No shit!

Well, Let’s have some fun, eh?

Cheers,
Eban

Great Metal from around the world on today’s Juggernaut from Reaching for Lucidity 2.0.

We will hear from Azreal’s Bane, Firewind, Prong, Ministry, and Handless Fall. That is some seriously great tunes, all for your listening pleasure to kick off the weekend properly.

Also,  we hardcore celebrity birthdays. Hardcore is our them today. We bring out some hardcore trivia, and we even make Lester cry. The big sissy.

The birthdays that are so hardcore are Bill Parcells, Cindy Williams, and Tori Amos. Yeah, I said hardcore.

We find out George Washington’s hardcore, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle style fortune telling, reply to King George III. We find out where our most hardcore criminals go, and where France’s used to go. We talk about the movie that made Michael Beck incredibly hardcore, and the movie that took it all away. We will always have the Warriors, but Xanadu, let’s try to forget.

Lots more as well.

Enjoy.

Music on the show

Azraels Bane from Maryland with Saints and Sinners

Firewind, from Greece with Falling to Pieces and Mercenary Man

Prong, Tommy Victor’s band, with The Banishment

Al Jourgensen checks in with Ministry and Let’s Go

Handless Fall, out of Canada with Crawl Away and Somethings Wrong

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It is the Wednesday Coffee House and we have some great acoustic tunes from around the world today. We visit Germany, the UK,and right here in the USA.

Also, tons of birthdays, too many actually. We leave a bunch off and we still get tired of the birthdays. Why were so many people born on this day?

Due to the lead song, we look at things to be thankful for as you age. Always fun.

Cheech and Chong are back, but we talk about possible differences in the old routine.

We are still being asked how to listen to podcasts, with people commenting that they do not have iPods. We look at how to listen to podcasts, maybe you can pass the info on to others AND help us build RfL.

We have hit our best numbers yet and want to say thank you to all the listeners and viewers. You Rock!

As if that was not enough, we have a new member of the Royal Court as well.

It is a full show.

Cheers,

Eban and SJ

Podcatcher Links for Subscription

Juice for PC, MACs, and Linnux

iTunes for Mac and PC

Music on the show

James Casto–Grateful

Wolfgang-Edelmayer–Lonely and A Shakespeare Sonett

Kay Rose–Words Left Unsaid

Lisa Redford–Dragonfly

Rick Seibold–Take it Slow

———————

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Here is a video of the equipment I use to produce the RfL shows.

I am converting 3Currencies to a site about new media production, so watch that space for more in depth vids about how I produce. Also, how you can produce quality new media on almost any budget, even no budget!

The 3Currencies changeover should be done by next week. Until then, enjoy this!

Cheers,

Eban

——————-

This is a bit of shock to my system. I love 3Currencies, it is just not a performing site. As a matter of fact, for all the effort I put into the site, it gets just 1% of the traffic of the podcast and the blog here.

That sucks.

But, we must adapt. Doing something that is not working is not a very good plan.

I tried to make 3Currencies work. I have updated and relaunched the site 3 times, each with no success. I even partnered up with a content provider, then had to break off that partnership.

The thing is, I chose a hard niche. Well, it is so popular it is hard to call it a niche. I chose to build the site around online marketing. It was doomed from the start.

So why do I say, “Long Live 3Currencies,” then?

I am shifting the 3 currencies to a better niche, one that I know better than most. New Media production!

The three currencies will be from now on, Audio, Video, and Words!

I will give pointers, how-to’s, equipment reviews, tutorials, and more on how to produce great online media. As I said above, I do know a little about that stuff

Well, if you want in on any of the freebies I was offering up over there, get them now, as next week the new 3Currencies will be launched.

Yes, 3Currencies is very dead, Long Live 3Currencies!

Cheers,

Eban

You may remember yesterday I said I was happy to be getting a new studio toy, “The Ball” microphone from Blue. This is not to be confused with the Blue microphone most closely associated with New Media, The Snowball, no this is the original ball from Blue, which is blue.

Yep, I have a a blue “The Ball”, which is so much more sweet than blue balls, eh?

Well, I am in love with this microphone, completely. It is a dynamic, but get this, it is a phantom powered dynamic. The phantom power is for a balancing circuit that that smooths out the signal, making it much more rich than a regular dynamic. It is exactly what I was looking for.

I have long been a fan of using dynamic mics instead of condenser mics for home recording. Yes, the condensers sound better, but the majority of home recording folks do not have a pristine recording environment. It is harder to get a clean sound out of a condenser at home than with a cardioid pattern dynamic. Even if the sound is not as rich or powerful, at least it is easier to keep unwanted noise at bay, which is a better trade off.

You can fix sound a bit in production, but it is very hard to take out noise without damaging sound, thus taking away that perk of condenser mics.

Also, homes can be a destructive space. Dogs, kids, clumsiness, things that do not happen at the perfectly setup studios, are a regular day’s routine at home. Condenser mics are not that sturdy and even a light tap can damage them irreparably. dynamics are closer to bulletproof.

Even with that, however, the fact that quality Chinese made condenser mics brought the price down to that of quality dynamic mics, and home recorders want the props of using studio quality equipment, you can see why so many at home producers went with the condensers.

Still, one question I get often is how to reduce the intrusion of unwanted sound? I always ask back, do you have a condenser or a dynamic?

Even a tight cardioid pattern condenser will pick up the smallest ambient sounds. A dynamic with a tight cardioid pattern is much more forgiving.

So, I have used dynamics for most of my New Media career. I did flirt with condensers for a bit, but went back to my trusty dynamics. I still was always on the lookout for a better sound, however.

Enter “The Ball”. Unlike the other BLUE mics, this one is dynamic. But it does have that balncing circuit that runs off of phantom power. This is the perfect mic for me, I am now convinced.

Normally, I am not a fan of best of both world things as you tend to end up with something less in the trade off. Not with this mic. Even though it offers performance in the middle of condenser mics and dynamic mics, it plays to the strengths rather than the weakness of both.

You get a great, deep, and smooth sound from this mic, and it takes well to EQ tweaks. This means you can manipulate the sound curve right off of your board and tweak it just the way you like. Is it up to a high dollar condenser standard? No. But it does not have to be. The sound of this mic is all it’s own, and it is sweet.

Add to this that it has the sturdiness of a dynamic. Also, it rejects ambient sounds very well. the cardioid pattern gives a great sweet spot, but rejects the unwanted.

And how about SPL? SPL means sound pressure level. It is the amount of pressure the mic can handle before distorting. This has always been a strength of dynamics. Condensers can’t take that high of a pressure. This mic? 162db! It is absolutely mind blowing what this mic can take without distorting.

Even though Blue offers two USB condenser mics that they market to New Media and home recording guys, the Snowball and Snowflake, I would have to say leave them alone. Get a mixer or an audio interface with phantom power and get “The Ball”, the Blue blue ball microphone.

Here is a sound test. I am still tweaking the sound, but you will get the idea.

I can’t wait to record with this little bugger.

Cheers,

Eban!

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Well, one thing that happens when things become a mess is readership goes down. Not by much, yet, but still down, Also, in not having a clear focus, meanings get muddled and hard to follow, thus loss of, well see the last sentence.

I am refocusing, not only this blog, but all of Reaching for Lucidity. I am not updating 3Currencies any longer and I am letting that domain go by the wayside. I am putting all of my RfL efforts into RfL 2.0 and The Animated Adventures. No more brain drain on 2 million projeccts.

Here, I will talk about what I know best. Music, indie musicians, New Media production, animation, and entertainment.  No more politics, no more actual tech, No more social networking, no more Scoble, no more filler. Maybe the occasional personal tidbit, but just focused on bringing great information to you, the reader.

I hope you enjoy the new, more focused RfL!

After getting the latest 2.0 episode out, I decided to catch up on a few sites I have been neglecting lately due to being so busy. I went to Chris Brogan’s site and, wow, he has a great new design! Even better than the new design itself is how he was able to get it. He got it by masterfully using social networking. This is why I dig Chris, he really lives what he talks about.

When I rail against the so called gurus in the social media and networking world, I am railing against those that cheapen the scene, and there are many to rail against. It is people like Chris that make the scene richer. My hat is off to you, Chris.

So, that will do it for now.

Cheers!