#they DO sometimes compromise the audio quality of the actual music but i love to see all the ways sound can be visualized

[become-a-robot]

got gifted a cute little novelty Bluetooth speaker that looks like a spinning turntable, it would be even better if I could somehow get things to spin all the way around it without being stopped by the needle lol

[idontwanttospoiltheparty]

omg since you’re taking off todya from studying can we hear some of your beatle hottakes?

ughhhhhhh sorry, these are so hard to come up with these days

meta take: I sort of wish we could have a genuine conversation about the blurry line between wishful thinking/headcanon and more objective (or, aspiring to be objective) historical analysis – I get the headcanons, I really do! but just in the past year, there's been several instances of people in good faith asking about sources or questioning "fan favourite" anecdotes and being shouted down for "ruining people's fun". If you want to engage with this stuff in a more lighthearted way, that's fine! but accept that that's what you're doing. Being rude to people trying to get to the truth is not a good look. Your imagination can withstand it, I promise.

more people need to jump on the Day Tripper tinhatting train. shit's crazy up here

the more I listen to Double Fantasy the more I'm offended that a certain brand of John fan basically only names songs from 1970/71 as his best. ditto with Walls and Bridges…

Again And Again And Again: best Denny solo-written Wings song ( it's hard to gauge how much is him and how much is Paul for their collabs. Anyways, No Words my beloved)

Sexy Sadie is kind of perfect… The lyrics, the chords, the distorted doo-wop it all embodies that DISAPPOINTMENT so well. The guitar solo is great, the high-pitched oooooooooohs. No notes, underrated song for sure.

the Mind Games album cover is soooooo deranged but so fucking good. That and Ram might be the best post-Beatles album covers.

this isn't exactly a take but the SADDEST part of Hey Jude is when John harmonizes with Paul. I can't not hear all the unspoken pain.

I kind of hope we get versions of Free As A Bird and Real Love with cleaned up John vocals like Now And Then. I don't want to erase those originals because the audio quality tells a story of its own, but Real Love especially suffers so much from it. I listened to it earlier today and nearly got teary. "No need to be alone" kind of gives me goosebumps. There's something so raw and emotional about all three of these songs…

This is almost the opposite of a hottake, but it kind of Doesn't Matter To Me who Now And Then is about. It could be about Paul, it could pretty easily be about Yoko too, and a few people I've seen say they think it's about May, which could be too! It perhaps not being directed at Paul doesn't take away from the song for me, because the song feels bigger than just its direct inspiration.

On that note, I sort of think that sometimes people could stand to.... Die on fewer hills? Like, the notion that Now And Then could be about Yoko doesn't negate John and Paul's relationship or most things people theorize they may have gotten up to. Now And Then Release Week bonus round, cause it's been long enough to talk about it a bit:

Paul (and Ringo and George! they also have a writing credit, guys!) making editorial choices about John's unfinished song with the blessing of his widow is literally fine. "But John might not have approved–" yes, this is how death works. John also might have found the song embarrassing and not wanted it released at all. It wasn't on Double Fantasy after all! Or maybe he would have specifically wanted to remove the same bit! (which I maintain is musically strange and unfitting at worst and at best a still really rough idea that would probably require a lot of work in of itself – echoing the chord progression in the instrumental bit is the best compromise I could imagine)

I actually really get the George girls who were a bit bummed out by the rollout of the song. He DID get the short end in this situation! but… what would have been better? I saw some people say Paul isn't nearly as good a slide guitarist at George. Okay well then… So Paul should've hired a session musician? How does that makes sense? Paul should've asked Dhani to find some random guitar bit George recorded 25 years ago and frankensteined it onto this song? I'm asking this honestly: what should have been done instead? Because… I sort of got the feeling from some of the criticism that the only acceptable solution was to not release this song at all. And TBH I don't think George "getting the short end" is worse than not allowing Paul and Ringo the closure of completing this song. This wasn't perfect but again: yes, this is how death works.

[melaineruss1-blog]

Which Music Genres Have The Loyalest Fans?

I do know that Google has a Music Timeline, but it surely's horrendous. For instance, you may say, In the refrain of ‘Poses,' Rufus Wainwright sets his first line of textual content to a long, arching melody, reminiscent of opera." This describes the music and lets the reader know what part you're talking about and the way you are hearing it (it reminds you of opera). Now inform the reader what is important about this. What does it do for the which means of the textual content? The text means that ‘you said watch my head about it,' however this rising operatic melody seems to counsel that the singer is de facto floating away and gone into one other world." Now your description of the music features as proof in an argument about how the track has two layers of that means (text and music).

10 years ago The Libertines promised British music a lot, but twenty first Century songwriter Alex Turner and his Sheffield friends were waiting in the wings. Since 2005 they've delivered the goods in the form of head-speeding punk, whip-smart lyrical acrobatics and earworming melodies which have been mercilessly copied, however never bettered. The first British group to emerge from the as soon as-fresh, now-compromised arena of social media buzz", they've continued to stand slightly outdoors, trying in. That scepticism is almost as beneficial a commodity as their increasingly assured musical chops, now encompassing contemporary R&B slink, Zep-esque riffage, plus '60s beat and torch-pop. Memphis blues is a type of blues music that was pioneering within the early a part of the twentieth century by musicians like Sleepy John Estes and Willie Nix, associated with vaudeville and medication shows. It was in the Memphis blues that groups of musicians first assigned one guitarist to play rhythm, and one to play lead and solos - this has change into commonplace in rock and roll and far of in style music. In addition, the jug band arose from the Memphis blues, mixing the sound with jazz and utilizing homemade, simple instruments. Given the strong and statistically important modularity illustrated in ( Fig 2 ) and detailed in ( Fig 3 ), the analysis suggests that genre distinctions strongly structure the self-presentation of contemporary well-liked musicians. This dataset doesn't enable us to compare the energy of those conventions to the previous (the place a lot of the extant literature claims that genre conventions are weakening over time), nevertheless it does point out that, at least as of 2007, the boundaries between style worlds were far from extinction. As a lot as traditional musical genres could have been rhetorically subdivided time and again, these subdivisions still cohere collectively, working inside distinct boundaries quite than by way of free mixing of musical kinds.

Maybe enjoyable rock music is still being made however it is not being performed on my local alternative station, so I'm not aware of it. It looks like pretentiousness has taken over rock music. If a music doesn't have a critical meaning, it has no proper to exist. Rock fans decry the dying of "actual music." It is a flip off to many people who want music to serve totally different purposes. Sometimes, it ought to be enjoyable. Typically, it needs to be critical. Typically it needs to be about issues we are able to relate to whether that is falling in love or a painful breakup. Typically it might take care of social issues. Having written about my very own private musical indoctrination — listening to Granny's Intentions — above, my inclusion of Westlife in this record could appear strange and out of character. But, and in all equity to this boyband, they've achieved global success and popularity, and if that could be a measure of greatness, properly, so be it. Well the kind of music that I like to listen to is rap and hip-hop. I like that form of music because the songs sound cool; and because of what they are saying. Lil Wayne sings cool, I like all of the songs that he has made, they rock. I like hip-hop because there are some singers that sing cool and have made some cool songs like Drake; he sings cool and he type of raps too. That's the kind of music that I like to listen to. This pathfinder is intended to facilitate interdisciplinary analysis in conventional Southern music types for undergraduate or graduate college students of music, folklore, American Studies, history, cultural research, Southern studies and related disciplines. Particularly, it identifies multimedia resources at UNC-Chapel Hill and on-line to assist students better perceive both the context (social, lyrical, and musical origins, influences, and impacts) and the content (forms, themes, and instrumentation) of conventional Southern music types.

Electronic music has developed into several genres of fashionable music. In the Nineties, techno grew to become a preferred dance music that's still occurring. Techno developed into EDM and dubstep, that are each in style. One other treasure from the most exciting time within the historical past of pop music. The production is not nice —hey, it was 1964—however "Walk on By" is nevertheless a slice of pop perfection. It has a very effortless quality to it. The important thing feature of Jazz is improvisation. Jazz is modern, inflatable, unpredictable, and seems to always be looking out to improve itself. vi The style keeps evolving as more and more artists add their very own aptitude to its unique state. Then again, Blues music is a bit more conservative and draws from folklore, making it much less adaptable becuase folklore a kind of historical past of the previous and true occasions that are not at all times changeable.

That is an ongoing attempt at an algorithmically-generated, readability-adjusted scatter-plot of the musical style-house, primarily based on knowledge tracked and analyzed for 1536 genres by Spotify. The calibration is fuzzy, but basically down is extra organic, up is extra mechanical and electrical; left is denser and extra atmospheric, proper is spikier and bouncier. The underside line (for now) is that it is laborious to conclude definitively that classical music is all the time the perfect musical possibility to improve memory. It may be a more complicated mix of music that calms the brain to let more sensory experience in but additionally increases our emotional connection to the expertise, so there's extra sensory information generated for our brains to soak up. Two years in the past, AndersonPaak's breakthrough album turned him into one of the most impressive rising stars in hip-hop. His sound, alongside with his dynamic, effervescent live show, made him among the many most fun rising musicians. Now, as many younger stars in his place notice, he must discover a stability of the art and the fame. Thankfully, Kendrick Lamar is the right mentor (and collaborator) forPaak. Collectively, their vocal types mesh effortlessly, along with their dedication to the craft, which is never positioned above movie star standing. Tints" is a surprising celebration of this stability, Audio-Transcoder.Com a song that would work as a serious radio single but also an announcement from a young artist who refuses to fall into that cliche droop after success. It additionally marksPaak's unimaginable talent for perfectly bending genres to suit his will—on this case funk, pop, and hip-hop—into a sound totally his own.

[chelseawolfemusic]

Chelsea Wolfe Gear Guide // She Shreds

Chelsea Wolfe has forged a sound that draws from a plethora of styles including heavy rock, ambient, folk, metal, and more, stripping them down to their basics and seeking out the commonalities between them to fuel her rich, textured songs. 

Over five albums (most recently Abyss in 2015), she’s become internationally celebrated for her far-reaching music, soulful voice, and charismatic performances and while her merging of darkness and ambiance have often been described as “haunting,” or “otherworldly,” she can pinpoint the origins of her love of genre-fusions to a familiar source that every musician has experience with: the playlist. “I’ve always created playlists (or in earlier days, mixtapes and mix CDs) and gotten them from friends, and I’m just able to hear the connections in different types of music,” she says. “Something will resonate for me in trip-hop that I’ll also find in an old folk/blues song, or I’ll find the same comfort in a 60s folk song as in a black metal song. I like music that has soul to it, soul that you can feel. Some music out there feels very sterile but fortunately there’s so much good, real music to block that out!” 

With such far-ranging influences, some artists may find their personal vision gets a little lost in the shuffle, but Wolfe’s sound that unmistakably her own. “I think all the different stuff I’ve listened to over the years eventually melded into my own weird thing,” she says. “One of the main reasons I’ve kept this project under my own name, even though it’s full band most of the time, is that I didn’t want to have to compromise on the sound. I wanted to always be able to follow my instincts in writing and allow the music to morph into what it needed to be.” She sites her ongoing collaborations with Ben Chisholm as an essential component of the project, especially in regards to its electronic components, but as always some of her best songwriting starts with the basics. “I’ve always gone back to writing on acoustic guitar though.” 

Chelsea Wolfe by Kristin Cofer 

For Wolfe, one particular acoustic guitar—her mother’s classical model—had a special and long-lasting influence on her music. Although it was missing a tuning peg, she used it to write her first two records, and its unusual, “imperfect sound,” became a cornerstone of her aesthetic. “I still write on that guitar!” she says. “Sometimes an instrument has just got the songs in it. I also write on a 70s Guild acoustic that my dad passed down to me.” 

“I have a few nice guitars and I prefer to tour with those for their tone and reliability but at home I tend to go for the older ones. The older instruments have a more mystical quality. Playing and writing on my mom’s classical in the early days was really key to my sound. That missing tuning peg and my lack of a guitar tuner caused me to tune the strings by ear to that string—turns out it was pretty much D standard. Over time I realized that tuning is much better suited for my voice so I still go low for the majority of my songs. “ 

This fall, Wolfe will release her sixth album, Hiss Spin. Recorded by Converge’s Kurt Ballou and featuring guest spots from Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age) and Aaron Turner (SUMAC, Old Man Gloom), the album reportedly deals with the concept of scouring inner emotions to make sense of a chaotic world, and contains some of her rawest and heaviest compositions to date. 

Check out “16 Psyche,” the first single to be released from the album below, along with a selection of Wolfe’s most essential gear. Hiss Spin is available for pre-order now.

Guitars:

“I think finding some unique gear is important to a musician’s sound, but also it’s like, if you’ve always dreamed about playing a Fender Mustang then by all means save up for the Fender Mustang! If you can though, I think it’s really important to play the guitar in person first—go to some music stores or pawn shops and see what you’re intrinsically drawn to and what feels good in your hands. That’s how I found the first electric guitar I ever bought for myself, a simple satin brown Fender Jaguar.”

Fender Jaguar

Gibson ES-335

Taylor 716ce

Effects:

“I do have a lot of pedals at this point, but I always try to get pedals that I’ll actually use. I know I’m probably not going to use a tremolo or chorus pedal so I won’t get versions of those just to try. I go for the weird fuzz, distortions and delays most of the time. When I’m making a new album I’ll try out different pedals that are in the studio I’m working in and usually end up getting a couple of those after the record is done. For example, the Death By Audio Apocalypse pedal was my jam on Abyss and it still lives on my board.”

EarthQuaker Devices Talons

Boss RC-20XL Loop Station

DigiTech Supernatural Reverb

Via Issue No.12 She Shreds Magazine

Buy it now!

[sargenthouse]

Chelsea Wolfe Gear Guide // She Shreds

Chelsea Wolfe has forged a sound that draws from a plethora of styles including heavy rock, ambient, folk, metal, and more, stripping them down to their basics and seeking out the commonalities between them to fuel her rich, textured songs. 

Over five albums (most recently Abyss in 2015), she’s become internationally celebrated for her far-reaching music, soulful voice, and charismatic performances and while her merging of darkness and ambiance have often been described as “haunting,” or “otherworldly,” she can pinpoint the origins of her love of genre-fusions to a familiar source that every musician has experience with: the playlist. “I’ve always created playlists (or in earlier days, mixtapes and mix CDs) and gotten them from friends, and I’m just able to hear the connections in different types of music,” she says. “Something will resonate for me in trip-hop that I’ll also find in an old folk/blues song, or I’ll find the same comfort in a 60s folk song as in a black metal song. I like music that has soul to it, soul that you can feel. Some music out there feels very sterile but fortunately there’s so much good, real music to block that out!” 

With such far-ranging influences, some artists may find their personal vision gets a little lost in the shuffle, but Wolfe’s sound that unmistakably her own. “I think all the different stuff I’ve listened to over the years eventually melded into my own weird thing,” she says. “One of the main reasons I’ve kept this project under my own name, even though it’s full band most of the time, is that I didn’t want to have to compromise on the sound. I wanted to always be able to follow my instincts in writing and allow the music to morph into what it needed to be.” She sites her ongoing collaborations with Ben Chisholm as an essential component of the project, especially in regards to its electronic components, but as always some of her best songwriting starts with the basics. “I’ve always gone back to writing on acoustic guitar though.” 

Chelsea Wolfe by Kristin Cofer 

For Wolfe, one particular acoustic guitar—her mother’s classical model—had a special and long-lasting influence on her music. Although it was missing a tuning peg, she used it to write her first two records, and its unusual, “imperfect sound,” became a cornerstone of her aesthetic. “I still write on that guitar!” she says. “Sometimes an instrument has just got the songs in it. I also write on a 70s Guild acoustic that my dad passed down to me.” 

“I have a few nice guitars and I prefer to tour with those for their tone and reliability but at home I tend to go for the older ones. The older instruments have a more mystical quality. Playing and writing on my mom’s classical in the early days was really key to my sound. That missing tuning peg and my lack of a guitar tuner caused me to tune the strings by ear to that string—turns out it was pretty much D standard. Over time I realized that tuning is much better suited for my voice so I still go low for the majority of my songs. “ 

This fall, Wolfe will release her sixth album, Hiss Spin. Recorded by Converge’s Kurt Ballou and featuring guest spots from Troy Van Leeuwen (Queens of the Stone Age) and Aaron Turner (SUMAC, Old Man Gloom), the album reportedly deals with the concept of scouring inner emotions to make sense of a chaotic world, and contains some of her rawest and heaviest compositions to date. 

Check out “16 Psyche,” the first single to be released from the album below, along with a selection of Wolfe’s most essential gear. Hiss Spin is available for pre-order now.

Guitars:

“I think finding some unique gear is important to a musician’s sound, but also it’s like, if you’ve always dreamed about playing a Fender Mustang then by all means save up for the Fender Mustang! If you can though, I think it’s really important to play the guitar in person first—go to some music stores or pawn shops and see what you’re intrinsically drawn to and what feels good in your hands. That’s how I found the first electric guitar I ever bought for myself, a simple satin brown Fender Jaguar.”

Fender Jaguar

Gibson ES-335

Taylor 716ce

Effects:

“I do have a lot of pedals at this point, but I always try to get pedals that I’ll actually use. I know I’m probably not going to use a tremolo or chorus pedal so I won’t get versions of those just to try. I go for the weird fuzz, distortions and delays most of the time. When I’m making a new album I’ll try out different pedals that are in the studio I’m working in and usually end up getting a couple of those after the record is done. For example, the Death By Audio Apocalypse pedal was my jam on Abyss and it still lives on my board.”

EarthQuaker Devices Talons

Boss RC-20XL Loop Station

DigiTech Supernatural Reverb

Via Issue No.12 She Shreds Magazine

Buy it now!

[hgfstreamchats]

Bendy and the Ink Machine/Among the Sleep

Welcome to the 'highglossfinish' room. Thenightetc: Oooo?  Starting soon? Knock Out: Oh yes! Knock Out: How's the picture? Thenightetc: Looks fine! Firstclu: Looks good here! Knock Out: Excellent! Thenightetc: (...I might have to leave at some point for dinner, but I'll come back after.) Thenightetc: ...So it's an abandoned animation studio? Knock Out: Apparently. Knock Out: Alright. Onwards we go!

Thenightetc: "There's something I need to show you... your grave!" Thenightetc: How...ominous? Thenightetc: The floating stuff, I mean. Thenightetc: (whoops, afk.  dinner) Firstclu: do the drawers open? Knock Out: O Knock Out: *I'll check. Knock Out: Has anyone spotted a book or a doll hanging about? Firstclu: I haven't so far Firstclu: go back Firstclu: I saw the doll Firstclu: it was on top of the drawers Knock Out: Thank you! Smokescreen: Woojit! Thebes: Hello!  Have I missed anything? Smokescreen: ... this isn't a horror game is it Smokescreen: /LOUD BEEP/ Firstclu: nahhhh Firstclu: it's cute Smokescreen: are you sure Shockbox: Hm. Got the stream to work for games, I see. Thenightetc: (Back!  Did I miss anything spooky?) Firstclu: yep, see it's got these little critters dancing and stuff Firstclu: and happy music Smokescreen: Shockbop! Shockbox: Oh no. Smokescreen: :O Shockbox: ....Do not stare in such a manner. Smokescreen: :I Shockbox: |<o>| Smokescreen: :D Shockbox: |<o>| Smokescreen: ;) Thenightetc: I have to say, it kind of bugs me that they clearly reused the floor texture for the ceiling.  Despite the floor texture having "planks lying around" bits Thenightetc: Oooooo?  You got something working? Smokescreen: ... Okay who glued planks to the ceiling Shockbox: Yes, it doesn't look natural. Smokescreen: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaa Smokescreen: KNOCK OUT WHY Knock Out: Because. Knock Out: And hello, Smokescreen! Shockwave. Shockbox: Greetings. Smokescreen: thats it Shockwave's my NEWbest friend Shockbox: What....led you to that conclusion? Firstclu: congratulations, Shockwave Smokescreen: because knock out scared me Knock Out: Breakdown has all the thoughts about my sense of direction and cowardly yelps. Knock Out: Don't listen to him. Firstclu changed their nickname to Immortalspark. Smokescreen: you trying to AXE someone a question here knock out Shockbox: ....You do no believe me capable of doing so as well, if I felt inclined? Smokescreen: Nope! ... Well, not in the same way. Shockbox: Hm. Fair enough. Smokescreen: Hey Shockshock shocky Shockers hey hey Thenightetc: ...wait.  Credits?  Is that the whole game? Shockbox: Oh. Short game. Knock Out: The Pit? That game cost me five stolen dollars! Thenightetc: That was... underwhelming. Immortalspark: I fail to be scared Shockbox: You needed something, Smokescreen? Knock Out: I expected nothing and I'm still disappointed. Knock Out: Hmm...is anyone in the mood for the Horror Castle? Thebes: I could go for that Thenightetc: Horror Castle? Shockbox: Sounds riveting. Knock Out: Excellent! Smokescreen: Shockytoot hey you wanna make friendship bracelets Smokescreen: ... horror castle? Knock Out: The Caroline human's gift that we never finished because a bed got stuck in a hole. Immortalspark: that sounds good Shockbox: Participating in arts and crafts is no simple matter when one has but a single hand to work with, Smokescreen. Thenightetc: Oh!  Amnesia? Knock Out: That's it! Thenightetc: Yeah! Smokescreen: I can help you if you need it, Shocky. Shockbox: The most likely course of action will be /you/ making both bracelets alone. You would then go to hand one to me, and I will then dispose of it while you are not looking. Thenightetc: *snickering* Smokescreen: ... I promise you'll help with it? We can make one both of us like! Can you draw a design? Shockbox: I am afraid I will have to refuse. Smokescreen: Aww. Maybe we can play a game sometime, then? Is six lasers a thing again over there? Thenightetc: ...so, these wails and such in the distance.  Is there actually someone else there, a ghost say, or is the player character hallucinating? Knock Out: Of course, the one time I need a monster, there's none to be found. Smokescreen: it's so dark, I can't see the walls. I consider that lucky Knock Out: One klik. Let me look this up. Shockbox: I have little time for recreational activities. It takes enough effort to attend a stream. We should reserve interaction for interdimensional social media instead. Smokescreen: Awww... I'd love to hang out with you, though, new best friend. But you're busy with a lot of science stuff, right? Thenightetc: ...is this Fallout Knock Out: No, a game I played three years ago that didn't have the courtesy to remember my progress. Shockbox: Yes. And no, before you ask the inevitable, you cannot be my assitant. Shockbox: This game is called Among the Sleep, I believe. Thenightetc: Ohhh. Shockbox: Artistic. Rather somber end, however. Smokescreen: hhhhhhhhhhh Thenightetc: *leans waaaaay back* Smokescreen: please shocky? I can assist! I know science! Shockbox: Why is the audio quality so....painful? Shockbox: Oh, that's better. Knock Out: Better? Shockbox: Yes, my thanks. Shockbox: You would need to go to great lengths to prove such a thing, Smokescreen. Thenightetc: This just gets less and less ominous Smokescreen: Okay! I can do it. Give me a challenge, and I canprove it! Knock Out: I remember this game. We used to play it as newbuilds before the caretakers made us stop. Shockbox: Your challenge is to thoroughly impress me. Thenightetc: it'd help if Mommy weren't so uncanny-looking Shockbox: ....It's still day time. Immortalspark: Mommy doesn't understand about time zones Shockbox: That too. Knock Out: "Time for bed. Mommy needs some quiet." Smokescreen: :O! Okay! So- I can balance chemistry equations? Bet you didn't expect that, right? Shockbox: Demonstrating the ability to make calculations, invent something, or conduct an experiment would not be enough. Shockbox: No, you would have to sacrifice more than that. Smokescreen: Really? Like what, exactly? Shockbox: Your current set of beliefs. Your sense of morality.  Whatever loyalty you have left to the Autobots. Shockbox: I would guide you, yes. But you must realize, unprofessional conduct is not to be tolerated. Thenightetc: ...is someone under the bed? Thenightetc: I'm sure I saw a face Thebes: It's possible Smokescreen: Dang. You ask all your assistants to do that? Smokescreen: nonononono Smokescreen: NO NO NO Thenightetc: so I DID see a face. Smokescreen: put that face away Smokescreen: why are there feeet Smokescreen: And- of course I'll be professional, Shocks. Shockbox: The only 'assistants' I've had for the past 2.5 million years have been drones. Thenightetc: o_o Shockbox: Your conduct would be required to extend to your online presence. Smokescreen: What? Why? Smokescreen: I'm perfectly professional, anyway- aren't I? Thenightetc: (That song she's humming is weirdly familiar...) Shockbox: ....I am inclined to disagree. We appear to have very different standards. Shockbox: It is sure that such a change would be unnatural for you. You would not fit the role without compromising your ability to work efficiently. Knock Out: Baby's first monoxide leak. Shockbox: Ah, good times. Smokescreen: I can do it, Shocks! Really! Think about it when you need an assistant. Shockbox: Your offer is acknowledged. Shockbox: What are you looking for, Knockout? Knock Out: Something to open the baby boiler. Knock Out: Or whatever that door leads to. Shockbox: Hm. I remember the bear's paw being used to open the door. Shockbox: .....Hm. Knock Out: Ahh, there we go! Knock Out: Much appreciated! Shockbox: /Nod. Thenightetc: Are those eyes Knock Out: Now, see, we never did anything fun like this when I was a newspark. Immortalspark: Really? That's a shame Knock Out: Always "go to berth, share your datapad, memorize the names of all the sinus cavities." Knock Out: It really was. Shockbox: As enjoyable as this has been, Knockout, I must be leaving. Thank you for the stream. Knock Out: I mean, did you ever get to have adventures with shadow beasts? Knock Out: My pleasure. Thank you for stopping in! Thenightetc: Goodnight! Immortalspark: See you Shockwave! Immortalspark: Shadow beasts were a mainstay for my childhood Immortalspark: I thought everyone had them Knock Out: They build character. Immortalspark: indeed Smokescreen: Awww, night Shocky! Smokescreen: Wait really? I'm glad I missed that part of being a bitlet! Thenightetc: Maybe the shadow beasts stole your memories of them. Smokescreen: ..... Immortalspark: That does sound like something they'd do Smokescreen: noooooo Immortalspark: they like to pull pranks like that Smokescreen: no no no no Thenightetc: They're such playful creatures. Smokescreen: knocky hellllp Thenightetc: :) Knock Out: Oh, don't worry. I'm sure the shadow beasts will return your memories eventually. Thenightetc: After they've had their fun with them. Knock Out: They're "that" type of friend. Smokescreen: no no nnnnnnooooo Thenightetc: They might not be in the same shape after you get them back, though. Smokescreen: you're all the worstttt Knock Out: What? We didn't say they'd be *harmed.* Knock Out: Just scuffed. The edges folded down. Knock Out: Maybe a copper stain or two. Thebes: And that's assuming JUST the memories of the shadow beasts are missing Thenightetc: Don't worry, I'm sure you're safe from them these days, though. Smokescreen: what??? they took other things too? Thenightetc: Quick question: you don't have any shadows in your room, do you? Smokescreen: I. How would I know? Immortalspark: is anything in your room casting a shadow? Thenightetc: I'm sure it's fine. Smokescreen: ... Any shadow? Everything casts a shadow~! Smokescreen: NO NO NO Immortalspark: No reason to panic at all Immortalspark: or make sudden movements Smokescreen: if I don't recharge at home I'll be fine Thenightetc: ? Thenightetc: Why would it matter whether you're at home? Smokescreen: ... Aren't they just at my home? Thenightetc: *awkward silence* Thebes: I mean.  If they were a unique phenomenon, *maybe* Smokescreen: wait what about my own shadow? Smokescreen: are they in here Thenightetc: Well, I'm not in the room with you, Smokescreen.  How would I know if there were a shadow beast there? Thenightetc: gosh. Smokescreen: can I send pictures Thenightetc: The glowing eyes on the horse thing are a nice touch. Thenightetc: Not unless you want to multiply them. Smokescreen: what?? they multiply with pictures? Smokescreen: ... am I taking pictures of them- multiplying Knock Out: Make sure you ask if that's what you plan on doing. Thenightetc: I thought everyone knew that Knock Out: Not everyone's into that. Smokescreen: what Thenightetc: What? Immortalspark: snickering Smokescreen: hhhhhhhhhhh mommy is terrifying Thenightetc: Probably reminds you of something. Immortalspark: that bear is what creeps me out Immortalspark: those big soulless eyes Immortalspark: the constant stating of the obvious Smokescreen: no no no Thenightetc: What?  The bear *is* pretty creepy. Smokescreen: no i mean what you said- and I refuse to think the bear'll be evil. no no no Thenightetc: What?  About mommy reminding you of something? Immortalspark: even if he's not...I don't trust relentlessly cheery things in un-cheery worlds Thenightetc: Usually when something's inexplicably terrifying, it IS because it subconsciously reminds you of something. Thenightetc: Even if you don't necessarily remember what. Immortalspark: this is true Thenightetc: ...that looks like a giant, wounded spider crouching in the middle of the room Knock Out: WELL, THEN. Immortalspark: no it's dead it's a dead spider very dead Thenightetc: What've you got against spiders :/ Immortalspark: not me Immortalspark: aw look that tree is waving at us Thenightetc: I think I saw one of those shadow beasts again Thenightetc: Not that tree, a different one, further away Thenightetc: ...Where *is* the bear at this point?  Is he walking around behindyou? Knock Out: On its back, I believe. Immortalspark: he is hanging onto the kid's back Thenightetc: ...Ahhhh. Immortalspark: radioactive sentient teddy bears, standard for every toy store Knock Out: I'm not sure I understand what this memory is supposed to represent. Knock Out: That time mommy did a stint in a Scooby Doo-esque haunted house? Immortalspark: that time when Mommy was a vampire? Thenightetc: Camping trip gone wrong? Knock Out: That time Mommy ferried the dead back and forth? Knock Out: Did they go camping because Mommy had to tie stones to the feet of a snitch? Knock Out: This place is awful. Immortalspark: it does have quite an...atmosphere Thenightetc: Is it just me or does the bear sound like Winnie the Pooh now Knock Out: You can hear it whenever he's distressed about something. Knock Out: Or stating the obvious. Smokescreen: I'm gonna have to head off- thank you for the stream, Woojit! I gotta get rid of all the shadows in my home Knock Out: Best of luck! Give them my regards! Thenightetc: Just remember, every light you turn on makes more shadows! Immortalspark: See you later, Smokescreen! Smokescreen: what?? but. I'm covered in biolights Thenightetc: Oooo, hard luck there. Smokescreen: hhhhhhhhhhhhh Thenightetc: woah what Thenightetc: welllllll have fun with that, I guess. Thenightetc: So what's with the well, wasn't that in a picture with someone standing beside it? Thenightetc: Is someone going to crawl out of there Immortalspark: another bear?? Knock Out: The Boot Lady who mysteriously disappeared ten years ago? Immortalspark: I'm glad you rescued that Thenightetc: I'm glad you didn't fall in. Thenightetc: ...I saw something moving Knock Out: Where did you see it? Thenightetc: Dunno.  But it looked like a sort of light humanoid figure walking hurriedly past Knock Out: That frightens me more than anything that's actually happened thus far. Thenightetc: (I'm afraid I have *no* sense of directing when watching someone else play.) Thenightetc: Well, it seemed to be going *away* from you... sorta. Cardinal: Greetings! Cardinal: Uh oh, one of THESE games. Thenightetc: You missed all the fun! Knock Out: Hello, Cardinal! Cardinal: Hello alternate! Cardinal: Also, awww. Thenightetc: Smokescreen went home to turn on all the lights.  Or possibly turn off all the lights. :) Cardinal: Is the moon after him again? Knock Out: Oh, I wouldn't say you missed much. Just a mysterious figure and Smokescreen's education on shadow beasts. Cardinal: Bless that boy. Thenightetc: I wonder what that weird tentacle-shaped thing is Thenightetc: I keep seeing it in the background. Knock Out: ...Interesting! Thenightetc: ...VERY INTERESTING Knock Out: DEAR SWEET SCRAP. Immortalspark: !! Thenightetc: Hey, I think it's that picture again! Thenightetc: And it... changes when you go up to it? Knock Out: Well, frag me flying! You're right! Thebes: Well that only has good implications Thebes: certainly nothing horrifying about this Thenightetc: What a lot of blood.  I'm sure nothing awful happened here. Knock Out: I liked the Swamp Mother more when she was an imaginary thing we made up to frighten Smokescreen. Thenightetc: Maybe our ~imagination~ made it real. Knock Out: ...I refuse to take away a lesson from that. Thenightetc: I'm busy imagining that she's going to go away and never come back. Immortalspark: teddy bear isn't saying "this place is unsettling" anymore Thenightetc: So when this happens, does it mean she's close, or Thenightetc: I hear humming again Thenightetc: Wait, are you sure the book isn't something you're supposed to pick up? Thenightetc: Yeah, that one Knock Out: ...You do it. Thenightetc: Just, it looked like the picture you went through to get here was of the mother reading a book to the daughter Thebes: It did look like that Thenightetc: ...Huh. Thenightetc: ...is the bear plotting to murder the mother Knock Out: "Child" my tailpipe. *I* shouldn't have to go through all this. Thenightetc: because I'm getting that feeling Thebes: that does seem to be what it is aiming at Thebes: ... 'aiming' Knock Out: I was going to suggest packing it in, but it looks like we're almost at the end. Knock Out: Should we try for it? Thenightetc: Yeah! Knock Out: That's the spirit! Immortalspark: go for it! Thenightetc: what the heck Immortalspark: ...what Knock Out: This couldn't have less to do with childhood. Immortalspark: I have very little frame of reference and even I was questioning that Immortalspark: though I imagine I would have had a lot of fun with a really long conveyor belt thingy with sheep on the side of it Thenightetc: ...picture of Swamp Mother? Knock Out: Or some variety of root vegetable. Thenightetc: You can see the resemblance, though, right Knock Out: I was going to suggest packing it in, but it looks like we're almost at the end. Knock Out: Should we try for it? Thenightetc: Yeah! Knock Out: That's the spirit! Immortalspark: go for it! Thenightetc: what the heck Immortalspark: ...what Knock Out: This couldn't have less to do with childhood. Immortalspark: I have very little frame of reference and even I was questioning that Immortalspark: though I imagine I would have had a lot of fun with a really long conveyor belt thingy with sheep on the side of it Thenightetc: ...picture of Swamp Mother? Knock Out: Or some variety of root vegetable. Thenightetc: You can see the resemblance, though, right Thenightetc: well, that sure is a shadow of some description Knock Out: Wasn't it just? Thenightetc: Why are there marks on the floor and ceiling there Knock Out: I've been wondering that myself. Immortalspark: hanging baby clothes Knock Out: Well, I'm stuck. Knock Out: ...And tempted to spend the right of my life in the closet. Immortalspark: green cabinets? yikes Knock Out: *The horror.* Immortalspark: truly Thenightetc: O_O Thenightetc: more drawings Knock Out: This had better nor turn into a Tattletail scenario where those drawings matter. Knock Out: *not Thebes: They probably do though Knock Out: And how is this infant humant scaling narrow boards and knocking down bottles with fruit? Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't most humanlings have trouble directing their fists to their mouths? Thenightetc: Possession? Knock Out: That works. Thebes: plus what if this stuff just... isn't actually happening? Thenightetc: Yeah, it did start when the toddler went to sleep Immortalspark: seems like some deranged nightmare thing Thenightetc: what IS all this black stuff everywhere Knock Out: Smears of the teamwork that brought us this far? Thenightetc: It's kind of like something squeezed into the corner between the wall and the floor and left those behind Thenightetc: Is this going to have something to do with the elephant the bear hid and made you find at the beginning Thenightetc: nnnnnnope Thenightetc: wait was that a death Immortalspark: that one was in a coat Thenightetc: what HAPPENED there Thenightetc: what the Immortalspark: oh Knock Out: Oh indeed. Immortalspark: the bear got it Thenightetc: ohhhh dear Knock Out: ...Well! Thenightetc: Well indeed Knock Out: That was an experience that brought no one joy. Thenightetc: Well put-together, though Cardinal: Yet we survived. Cardinal: Right? Knock Out: We did. We really did! Cardinal: Or did we. Immortalspark: do not fix the bear Knock Out: Was that a thing we were supposed to do? Immortalspark: the voice at the end said he would Immortalspark: ominously Thenightetc: ...I found what the song she was humming apparently was https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIiuaXEZodE Immortalspark: I am left feeling that this is a bad idea Knock Out: EUGH! Thenightetc: ...Hey, that was the link in the thread, don't blame me. Knock Out: Well, at least it's a nice song. Knock Out: And the troll appears to be a better mother. Immortalspark: it does Knock Out: So! That was Among the Sleep. Knock Out: I wouldn't say that's a *good* place to leave it for tonight, but it's...a place? Thenightetc: I thought it was good.  Very atmospheric, resisted the temptation to kill the player every two minutes Cardinal: A place it is. Knock Out: Thank you all for coming and experiencing...that? With me? Thebes: Certainly can't argue that Thenightetc: ...and much better than the ink thing Immortalspark: much better Knock Out: Much, much better. Thenightetc: Thank you for the stream. :) Knock Out: Always a pleasure!

[audio-luddite]

Number 2

Speakers.

I have been an audio enthusiast for decades.  I have heard a lot of good stuff. I think the equipment I own today is good.  I am often bemused by the claims of pundits and reviewers who do not actually have to pay for the equipment they praise. Then there are people who invest so much on new equipment or accessories it must be good to justify the investment. Too often there is psychology involved.  For some people it is bragging rights.  For others it is desire to achieve the unachievable at any cost.

Once I was in a high end audio shop looking for some equipment and they were demonstrating a very expensive setup.  It had Wilson Watt / Puppy speakers (If you heard of those you know it’s expensive, and good if stupidly named) Mark Levinson electronics (also good and expensive) playing a very good CD.  It sounded awful. The system cost a fortune. It may have been the room or something broken, but it was horribly harsh and it hurt my ears.  A serious and well-heeled client was listening intently and the salesman had all but convinced him this was nirvana.  I said nothing but left the room to stop the pain.

The interaction between various components is complex and very often the results are imagined if not due to some obscure electronic interaction. That interaction may happen in setup A but not in setup B. Very high end boutique devices are often unstable under certain conditions. If the effects are real they are probably due to hidden incompatibilities of equipment.

Then there is the phenomenon of confirmation bias and prejudgement. Confirmation bias is negating evidence that does not agree with your pre-existing opinions and giving exaggerated weight to things that support it. There were famous blind auditions of equipment where experts failed to discern which premium device is which. Apparently it is easy if you can see the labels. Myth and legend are real factors in this world.

Very subtle issues can justify often extraordinary expenditures.

So we come to speakers. They are arguably the most difficult equipment to design and build well.  They can be very easy to build mechanically, but the quality of performance is the issue. Electronics can be tested and measured and certified to be almost perfectly faithful to the signals they process.  Speakers have distortion and response errors several orders of magnitude worse.  An Amplifier may have 0.01% distortion and be considered poor.  A Speaker can have 15% - 30% distortion and be considered great. It is a kind of art. Part is the art of persuasion.

Speaker designers are therefore somewhere between artists and engineers.

The artist side interprets some fundamental concept then the engineer side executes their best try to achieve it.  The fundamental issue maybe be based on observation or even science, but the interpretation is usually something else entirely.  Being guided by skill or experience I prefer to call it art as science tends to focus down to a common point and eliminate bullshit with numbers. In that case they would work to a single optimum solution and there would simply not be the huge variety of devices sitting in people’s homes. There are many philosophies resulting in a large variety of products.  

There are successful and respected speakers built using many different approaches. One designer will advocate an idea that others will cheerfully ignore.  Sometimes it makes little difference in the marketplace as there are always some people who enjoy the particular result.

One idea is that Omni-direction is the secret.  You want a perfect driver that puts out the full range of sound in every direction. There are two variants of this. The first is the ideal Sphere, the second is the perfect line source.  One represents an idealized mathematical point the other being a mathematical line. There has been a lot of effort put into these with varying degrees of success.  You can buy examples of serious attempts on it.

Many speakers are measured in anechoic chambers to determine and adjust their response to maximize quality and performance.  An Anechoic chamber is a profoundly unnatural condition and unless you make your listening room anechoic it is also an invalid design assumption for speakers for your home.  It is interesting that many affluent owners will have large sound absorbing arrays installed in their rooms to help their systems sound better.  They try to approach the anechoic condition or at least compensate for the problems in the basic speaker design philosophy.

The concept of omnidirectional speakers came out of those chambers.  A famous example is the Ohm Walsh drive.  It is a narrow cone of various materials mounted vertically and you listen to what would conventionally be the backside.  The usual front of the cone in enclosed and the “back” is now outside and visible and radiates 360 horizontal degrees.  It is a conceptually brilliant execution of Omni direction. It is a difficult speaker to place and power.  It is good only if the underlying concept is valid, which it really isn’t.  I explain why later.

Another classic design is the imperfect and famous Bose 901 speaker.  The foundation principle was the observation that 90% of the sound in a concert hall was reflected from the walls and only 10% was direct from the performer to the listener.  Dr. Bose the designer was an MIT professor in Boston and just as brilliant as one would expect an MIT professor to be.  Boston has a famous concert hall which may be where he made his observation or discovery.   Thing is this 90% - 10% factor is not a scientific test result.  It was just something he thought of.  

If you go to a concert and hear an orchestra the proportion he claimed may have been true from some seats. But if you listen to an opera singer and you have a good seat the proportion may be reversed.  Also for chamber music or jazz or any recording that does not involve a big concert hall it is simply an invalid assumption.

The 901 had 8 small full range speakers on the back intended to bounce 90% of the sound off a wall and one speaker of the same type shooting forward.  It also had an electronic equalizing circuit to correct the bass and treble compensating for the limits of the drivers.  It was well thought of and basically worked if you had a suitable sound reflecting wall to use. Those people that liked them liked them a lot. Those that did not, did not.  The material and finish of your back wall had as much effect on the sound as the speaker drivers.

Another philosophy is a perfect sound producing sheet.  Imagine a curtain between a performance and the listener which radiates the perfect image of a recording. This has been tried in several products. Most electrostatics and planar magnetics start from this philosophy.  They have fans and detractors.  All have some degree of compromise or putting a positive spin on the “optimization” of features. It is a play in the physics of drivers. Usually the size is the main compromise as they have never produced a full room width of speaker for a consumer. They have come close. Large planar speakers are really large. The major flaw of this approach is that these are dipole radiators. Everything coming out the front is also coming out the back inverted and reflecting on the walls of the room. That moves a lot of air and is a seductive effect.  Moving a lot of air is a good thing and helps to create “presence”.

I know this concept intimately. I once built full range electrostatic speakers with a full one square meter of radiating surface per channel.  The finished devices were 4 feet tall, 4 feet wide and 8 inches deep. They were in many ways spectacular but in others they fell short. For a time I loved them, but I knew there were problems including taking up huge chunks of apartment space.  I still have most of the parts for them in storage.

A fundamental advantage large planar speakers have is they move a very large area of air and couple to the room well.  This can be expressed as good acoustical impedance matching.  Good matching means the speaker energy is very well transferred to the air in the room. Yet the dipole effect is not really an advantage due to reflected waves and cancellation.  There is just as much sound coming off the back as the front and those waves bounce around and interfere with the sound in front.  Fans of the type will say it is all about placement, but that is an avoidance strategy.

Often the physical construction of large planar speakers has its own sound.  I once auditioned a large expensive and successful electrostatic speaker that if you tapped the frame you heard a distinct “bong” sound.  It was a combination of the metal frame and the fact it was a drum head in its own right. Not good behaviour to have, yet a highly respected and expensive speaker.

The place we return to time and again is some type of box with some kind of motor that pushes air around. This is easy to build and convenient to live with in most cases. The box can be simple or extremely exotic.  I saw one spectacularly expensive box that looked like an enormous scale model of the inner ear canal. It was very artistic, very expensive, and very silly.  The motors were high quality examples of the ordinary cone stuff you get in common boxes. It was still a box, and likely the shape was pure artistic interpretation as there is no logical reason to mimic it.

Every speaker I have heard has some starting idea be it the perfect sphere of sound or the infinite line of radiation or the curtain of truth.  You have to buy into the idea to justify the cost of execution.  The single biggest problem is actually the room you place them in.  A close second is you have to live with them and if married you need that person to buy into it too. Ugly and large is not good in that case.  I take this seriously.  I have built my own speakers for decades. I do so as I firmly believe I can buy better parts for a given price than in a commercial product.  I have learned some tricks.   Some things work, some do not.  I do not think there is a single perfect solution. Specifically I have never seen or heard one.

Almost a century ago a clever man named Klipsch designed a speaker that took very little power and used the walls of the room in such a way that the room became part of the speaker. It was primarily driven by the fact that in that era the power of amplifiers was very limited.  He used horn loaded drivers which use power much more effectively than cone drivers because the horn is an acoustic impedance matching device. The problem he solved was limited power of amplifiers and this required a large horn for the bass frequencies. Using the room walls was expedient. They also are in many ways spectacular but in others they fell short. They produce the bass tone of drums and tone of brass instruments magnificently, but the human voice is distorted. They require you have a decent size room with available corners. He is long dead but his company lives on at least as a brand and you can still buy the Klipschorn speaker.

This is a dynamic field for manufacturers and hobbyists.  Some solutions work fairly well but look weird.  I have seen a popular hobbyist design that looks like an awkward assembly of plumbing parts. It may sound good to their ears, but it looks embarrassing. There is an emotional tie in for the hobbyist.  If you invest much time and money as a consumer or a hobbyist you are not likely to admit your system is less than ideal. My giant electrostatic speakers were the result of long hard effort and expense so I was emotionally invested in praising them even if they performed marginally in some respects.  And there is the question of what actually is good.

If you listen to live music it is not radiating from perfect spheres or planes or lines.  Usually it is from one or two people or a large group of performers doing what they do on a stage or in a room.  Speaker design philosophy is not considered on stage or in a recording studio for that matter. Can a speaker create a convincing image of a jazz singer with just a piano accompanist and of a big band, or even a symphony orchestra? That is quite a trick for the speaker.  I have a small inexpensive speaker set that does the solo jazz singer voice very well, but would go up in smoke if you asked for the orchestra or a rock band. Also recall that aside from full choirs and classical ensembles most performers sing or play directly into microphones that catch just them and are “mixed” into stereo channels by another person in the chain. You hear what they let you hear. Realism is not really important to that chain.

There are a few recordings out in the wild that are different and try to be true to the idea of honest sound.  Many recordings from the 50’s and 60’s for classical music tried to preserve the concert hall experience.  There are newer attempts. One example is, “Trinity Sessions” by the Cowboy Junkies. It was recorded in 1988 using a single multi-channel microphone direct into a digital recorder.  It was done in a Church in Toronto famous for nice acoustics and natural reverberation.  The band was set up around the microphone and had amps and guitars and PA basically as it would be in a small club. If you listen to it with honest speakers you hear a room and a band as you would have heard if you had been there.  To hear this you need honest speakers.

I consider all dipoles and line source and reflecting speakers as dishonest.  Add to those any speaker set far enough from a wall to create reflections that vary with direction. The simple reason is that you are hearing things that are not in the recording but may be pleasant effects.  They may sound good, but they are not on the recording. A dipole sends significant energy out the back which bounces off a wall back to you and makes at best a clumsy reverb. At worst it upsets the tonal balance with cancellation of waves.  It is an accepted truth that reverberation sounds nice which is why every Karaoke bar uses it to tame the evil squawks of the average customer.  It is mixed into popular singers voices like sugar on breakfast cereal.  Since all dipoles do that they can sound unnaturally nice and let’s call it sugar coated.

Same thing for omnidirectional speakers with the difference being the rear wave is in phase rather than out of phase.  It is still a reflected sound reaching your ears that is not on the recording. This is additional information created by the interaction of the speaker and the room. This is not just limited to speakers as the normal type of distortion in Vacuum Tube circuits is even harmonics and is often described as “air”. If you add tube amps to dishonest speakers, as many audiophiles do, you get a double dose of sugar. These things are popular and sound pleasant but they are not honest.  The question then devolves into one of honest vs dishonest. Real sound or sugar coated.

The source of the problem is not the quality of the equipment or its execution. It is the philosophy of the design and how it works in the room.  Speakers that have significant reflections off of walls are to be avoided.  That includes box speakers set away from the walls or that have extra drivers pointed in strange directions. (I have built those too.)

[droneseco]

EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone Review: Studio Quality Microphone for Gamers and Creators

EPOS B20

8.75 / 10

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EPOS continues to make waves in the world of gaming hardware, and the B20 continues the Danish manufacturer's strong 2021.

Specifications

Brand: EPOS

Type: Condenser

Pattern: Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, Stereo

Power: Via USB

Audio Sensitivity: -37 dBV/PA

Connector: USB-C, 3.5mm

Pros

Excellent quality with multiple pickup options

Stylish design

Easy to configure, multiple EQ options

Premium build quality

Cons

Odd configuration with Windows 10 audio settings

Slightly pricey

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EPOS B20 amazon

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// Bottom

I'm often skeptical of audio hardware marketed towards gamers, as the additional features that come with these products invariably include additional RGB lighting to spice up an otherwise ordinary product.

So, it's a pleasure to see EPOS eschewing that approach to the gaming market, reasoning that what gamers, streamers, and content creators really need is solid hardware that can deliver better production value.

The EPOS B20 is a top-quality streaming microphone that doesn't compromise on any area, combining style and substance to deliver a quality microphone that will suit anyone, gamer or not.

EPOS B20: Stylish USB-C Broadcast Microphone

The first thing you notice when unboxing the $199 EPOS B20 is its style. Microphones come in fairly standardized shape, yet the B20's smooth, metallic exterior looks and feels exceptional, urging you to take it from its tomb and start playing straight away.

Once extracted from the case and screwed into the circular base, you can sit back and marvel at the EPOS B20. Although it isn't a mind-blowing design, EPOS has made sure that the B20 is a streaming microphone you'll be happy to be seen with on stream, broadcasting live.

The B20 has four on mic controls: gain, volume, mute, and pickup pattern switch. The first three are self-explanatory, while the pickup pattern dial allows you to switch between the B20's four broadcast modes—but more on these in a moment. The buttons themselves are well integrated and easy to use, allowing you to make changes on the fly.

Especially handy is the on-mic gain adjustment, which any gamer or streamer will confirm is a huge plus point for stopping those Darth Vadar microphone moments.

At the bottom of the B20, you'll find the USB-C input along with a 3.5mm jack input for connecting your headphones. The B20 allows audio passthrough, meaning you can plug your headphones into the microphone and continue your audio experience without interruption.

It's impressive. The EPOS B20 is definitely one of the best-looking broadcast quality microphones around, and its premium build quality shines through.

EPOS B20: Built for Streaming, Great for Everything

The EPOS B20 streaming microphone looks good, but how does it perform its main role?

EPOS' sound philosophy strives towards a well-balanced sound, be that sound coming through their gaming headphones or earbuds or in a product broadcasting audio to the world.

In that, the B20 comes with four different audio pickup modes, each differing in quality depending on the scenario.

Cardioid: Best suited to solo recording

Stereo: Solo recording with a larger audio pickup field and range

Omnidirectional: Designed for collaborative streaming or recording

Bidirectional: For recording audio with one other person

As you can see, EPOS has gone to town on audio recording modes, giving you four audio pickup options to suit any situation.

How the EPOS B20 copes with each option is interesting and reveals the B20's strengths and weaknesses.

The B20 is strongest when solo streaming. The cardioid and stereo options provide a single voice the best opportunity to broadcast with clarity, and the microphone will pick up your voice from a decent range, depending on your settings.

EPOS recommends talking directly to the B20 from around 15-20cm, as you would expect for any streaming microphone. However, I also found that the B20 continued to pick up my voice with decent clarity when situated in various places around my desk. Now, for reference, my desk is fairly large as desks go, measuring around 1.7 x 1.2 meters, which allows a fair amount of travel for a broadcast microphone.

While there was some understandable drop-off, friends and family could still hear me well with the B20 situated at the extremities of the desk, which is quite impressive when you think about it.

However, the EPOS B20 omnidirectional recording feature was a bit more hit and miss. When testing with several people talking (sometimes simultaneously, sometimes in turn), the B20 did at times muddy our voices. I should add that we were still audible on replay, but if you're considering the B20 for a group stream, be aware that your output might not be as crisp as you're hoping.

Another thing to note is that while the headphone's passthrough audio is a great feature and allows greater audio monitoring, the passthrough can affect audio output to the headphones. Again, it isn't a huge downside, and when you're gaming and streaming, you likely won't notice, but if you fire up your favorite music after a gaming session, there are definitely some deficiencies between a direct connect and the microphone connection.

In fairness, it is to be expected. You're passing the audio through a secondary device, which isn't ideal. That said, having some additional control on the microphone for your audio is somewhat handy, and another small plus is that the audio dial is actually recognized by Windows 10—no more messing around with two or three different audio dials!

But, by and large, I'm impressed with the EPOS B20 microphone quality. You certainly won't be found wanting while streaming games or recording content, and it'll up your voice quality in any work-from-home meetings, too. The B20 delivers the broadcast quality of a proper XLR microphone, with the customization and functionality of a USB-C mic—what's not to love?

EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone Full Spec List

Style: Condenser microphone with three condenser capsules

Pickup: Cardioid, Bidirectional, Omnidirectional, Stereo

Frequency response: 50-20,000Hz

Sensitivity: -37 dBV/PA

Capture rate: 24bit—48kHz

Connectivity: USB-C, integrated 3.5mm jack

The EPOS B20 stands around 20cm high when connected to its stand and positioned vertically, while the microphone unit alone is roughly 16cm tall and 5cm wide.

One of the standout specs on that list is the 24-bit, 48kHz capture rate, equivalent to studio broadcast quality. It does make a difference to the overall quality of voice capture, especially compared to other microphone options.

Use the EPOS Gaming Suite With the EPOS B20

To really get the best out of the EPOS B20 streaming microphone and extract all of its broadcast quality technology, I recommend using the EPOS Gaming Suite, which the Danish audio hardware manufacturer releases regular updates for. This does come with some caveats, though.

While the EPOS B20 works fine without the EPOS Gaming Suite, you can use the desktop app to enable additional features, such as sidetone and noise gate, along with the creation of unique microphone EQ settings to suit your recording or streaming setup.

Once you download and update the EPOS Gaming Suite, it recognizes the B20 microphone instantly. However (and this is the caveat), it required me to set the B20 as the default audio output device to begin using the customization tools. While I'm sure EPOS will rectify this issue (as said, they release regular updates), right now, it does make for a somewhat irritating experience.

However, the EPOS Gaming Suite options do make it worth persisting with. For example, you can use the B20 to add sidetone to any 3.5mm headphones you connect to the microphone, which can be handy. Furthermore, inbuilt microphone EQs are easy to use and can make a subtle difference to your voice output while gaming.

So again, while this isn't a deal-breaker, it is definitely something EPOS needs to rectify, as many people won't want to use their microphone and headset in this configuration.

Is the EPOS B20 a Good Gaming Microphone?

We arrive at the crucial question—is the EPOS B20 good for game streaming and content creation?

Like everything EPOS does, the B20 comes with trademark style, a handsomely crafted premium streaming microphone that won't look out of place on any stream, or in any studio for that matter. The EPOS B20 is well built, too, and keep you talking for decades.

In that, the EPOS B20 is a top-tier game streaming microphone. Its overall voice capture is really good, especially for solo streamers, broadcasters, and podcasters. Your voice will always come through, loud and clear, and as mentioned, the integrated gain dial really is a nice yet important touch. The easy ability to switch between pickup patterns is another handy feature, although it might be overkill for those just wanting to chat to friends, family, and play some casual games.

EPOS isn't afraid of launching new gaming hardware into congested marketplaces, either, a testament to the strong visual and audio design principles in place at the company. However, my feeling is that at $199, the EPOS B20 may be priced slightly too high in a competitive marketplace, already featuring several entries from Blue, HyperX, and other major players.

It wouldn't make me shy away from the EPOS B20, as it is clearly an outstanding piece of broadcast and streaming hardware that will suit any gamer, creator, or otherwise. Once EPOS rectifies the B20 audio passthrough and primary audio source selection issue within Windows 10, EPOS will have another standout product on its hands.

EPOS B20 Streaming Microphone Review: Studio Quality Microphone for Gamers and Creators published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[itswomanswork]

The Ultimate Guide To Content Aggregators (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly)

A common challenge that a digital news publisher will come across is working with content aggregators.

Today, I’m going to share two things with you: firstly, a rant about how content aggregators are impacting digital news publishing, and secondly, how to handle them.

Let’s pause for a second though to define exactly what a content aggregator is.

A content aggregator is an individual or organization that gathers web content (and/or sometimes applications) from different online sources for reuse or resale.

They come in two kinds:

Those who simply gather news from various sources for their websites.

Those who gather and distribute news for customers. This process is called content syndication.

Customers actually love content aggregators, even if digital news publishers don’t. The irony is that the whole content aggregator thing was started off by digital news publishers.

A short history of content aggregators

2015 was when the digital industry witnessed the rise of content aggregators. Because many publishers perceived syndication as a sin, they rejected aggregators and instead chose Google News, Yahoo News and AOL. Also, none of them wanted to dip into their budget, so instead created free news searches for Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Vine et al.

The audience sizes of these aggregator sites were small, but they were seen to be having the capacity to grow rapidly. Trying to accomplish the common goal of ‘being everywhere your readers are’, many publishers started relying on these aggregators completely, and unfortunately, instead of finding a better solution to reach their audience, they started giving their content to the aggregators for free.

In return, they got a huge number of views on content but not much ROI.

When it comes to revenue generation, which is a big challenge for digital publishers, the only option with content aggregators is to bet on the subscription models and nothing else. Which is definitely not a win-win situation for digital news publishers.

The impact of content aggregators on news consumption

It goes without saying that content discovery has changed significantly in the past decade, but the method of news consumption has also changed drastically. Now consumers expect a frictionless delivery and high-quality, shareable, searchable and readily-available news content in return for their interest.

A lot of consumers now prefer paying an aggregator site once a month to access a variety of news from multiple publishers. To them, it is more convenient and cost-effective to pay just once and consume maximum content throughout the month.

The only way this situation could benefit the publishers would be if the consumers were paying every time they consumed publisher’s content on an aggregator site, and they’re definitely not.

So does this mean that content aggregators should be a big ‘NO’ for your news publishing sites?

The friction between content aggregators and news publishers

Giving away your content for free and still being eaten up by the content aggregators is not a good state for any publisher to be in. This social media era is responsible for further adding to a publisher’s desire for ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ over an authentic subscriber base.

Regardless of this, a lot of publishers have become a bit lazy and are not focusing on finding new ways to reach their subscribers. They’ve kind of accepted the state of things as they are. Imagine if they partnered with others in the industry to create a socially engaging ‘network for news’ or similar to share the wealth.

Instead, a lot of them are giving away their high-value content for free on Facebook: the filter-happy, brand-unfriendly content curator and controller.

Is social media the ultimate news aggregator?

Whether it be editorial or breaking news, social media has become an easy way to source a variety of news content and quickly comment on and share it with friends and family.

Fast-loading, interactive platforms like Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News keep readers within their proprietary ecosystem, limiting the monetization possibility as well as the reader experience to pre-defined layouts. On the flip side, Google AMP represents an effort to move to much more responsive web experiences with less restrictions.

Facebook alone is already responsible for directing 27% of all traffic to most news sites (up to 70% for some), so what happens to all that traffic when a publisher’s full-content articles are hosted in the social titan’s territory? Why should readers ever visit the publisher’s’ sites again when they can get the content and conversations they want on Facebook?

These platforms are awaiting publishers with open arms. They have developed an exciting and hyper-efficient way to distribute their content – eliminating the need for publishers to have websites at all!

What about backlink tactics?

Another bit of bait these content aggregators provide to publishers is backlinks. They lure the publishers to give their content for no cost in return for a backlink.

In fact, some experts have even listed this as good SEO practice. If you’re into SEO, then you already know how enticing the word ‘backlink’ sounds. But what’s the point of having likes and backlinks if you don’t have readers genuinely enjoying your content and becoming your loyal readers?

Besides… with block ads in apps already hitting the app stores, what guarantees can these content aggregators offer publishers in terms of advertising reach? Where will the revenue come from?

When headlines and snippets from publishers become the aggregator commodity, there’s even more debate as to whether the aggregators should share revenue with publishers since they are earning money on the back of others’ clickbait.

It’s not dissimilar to the issues the music industry has faced with streaming audio products. The debate will likely continue to rage on as mobile usage grows, and while some platforms like Flipboard and Pulse are onboarding content partners, for the most part, there are very few revenue sharing opportunities available right now.

Content aggregators: Sorting the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Beyond all the negative connotations around these content aggregators, there are some advantages to working with them. To help you make your choice, let me share some of the major pros and cons.

Pros:

Some trusted aggregators add personalization to your content before distributing it. This usually helps your audience connect better with your content.

Some content aggregators are masters of content distribution and know very well how to maximize the reach of content to your potential audience.

Some content aggregators reduce the need for manual content syndication at a publisher level thus saving you a lot of time and resources.

Some content aggregator sites help you build backlinks for your site and thus improve your SEO efforts.

However, the above applies to trusted aggregators only, with ‘trust’ being the operative word here.

An example of a trustworthy one for you to check out is WikiTribune by Jimmy Wales.

Cons:

When your audience is reading content on a content aggregator site, it can result in cannibalizing the subscriber base for your website.

As a news publisher, you are left with little or no authority and authorship over the content.

When the content is not being distributed or consumed on your own website, your brand visibility starts diminishing.

In general, content aggregators promote their own brand, not yours – UNLESS your brand is well known, in which case they will promote your brand but only to promote their own brand.

The relationship between an aggregator and publisher is usually not a transparent one. You never know how many users have read or bought your content.

You lose on the opportunity to understand your consumer better as there is no direct communication between you and the consumers. This accounts for lost conversion opportunities.

As most content aggregators do not have a concrete understanding of your target audience, they often end up attracting irrelevant audience for your content yet still get a healthy cut.

The core objective for any content aggregator is mass distribution of content, and they don’t care much if the content is not personalized or constitutes fake news.Thus often ending up impacting your brand image negatively.

Let me break more bad news to you. After running extensive trials on Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News, The Guardian pulled their content from both these platforms. The Guardian was actually the first publisher to start leveraging Apple News, but it definitely isn’t the only one who has lately cooled off on these content aggregators.

According to analysis by NewsWhip, there are several publishers who are now running far fewer articles than before within that format.

The reality is that these platforms are really not helping publishers grow an audience in their own trusted environment and forge a deeper relationship with them.

Is there scope for compromise between publishers and aggregators?

Of course! However, there needs to be a plan of action and some firm ground rules to keep this relationship symbiotic ONLY.

The most important question is, who can you really trust with your content?

Is it content aggregators who will use it any way they like, curate and share it under their own rules, and offer no guarantees of placement or payment?

OR

Is it a content publishing partner who will commit to pay you every time your content is read on their platform?

I think you already know the answer. The relationship between aggregators and publishers should be symbiotic with a fixed paid royalty every time the content is read. The two major options you see here are Free Content Aggregators and Paid Content Aggregators.

If you want to move ahead with paid aggregators then there are many pay models that you can explore for a successful collaboration. There should also be transparency and scope for an informed decision regarding the content the aggregators are distributing, i.e., the aggregator shouldn’t be allowed to choose it on their own.

They should link back to the original article, be accurate and have multiple source samples.

They should be pro in organizing content in a manner that readers can find easily.

Free news aggregator apps may be useful to a certain extent for creating brand awareness with new audiences, but revenue growth and profits usually come from:

Offering content worthy of payment

Responsive design with full cross-platform support

Multiple content presentation models that appeal to both traditional readers and digital natives

Advanced digital features designed to engage readers longer, encourage discussions with other users and raise the discoverability of high-value content

Vertical channel integration that opens doors to a massive global audience that publishers have trouble reaching on their own

If content aggregators are a central part of your distribution plan, then you should think carefully about this relationship and make no impulsive decisions just to get more views on your content.

Wrapping up

As long as there are no set rules for news content curators and digital news publishers, there will be questions around content aggregation and content sharing best practices.

However, with so many publishers losing revenue yet taking no real means to find new ways to reach audiences, it’s time to overcome the dilemma of partnering with or partnering against content aggregators.

After all, there are some merits to sorting it all out, including having a more transparent relationship with consumers.

You can definitely find a way to collaborate with one of the paid content aggregators to benefit your business objectives.

But as a general rule of thumb, choose the legitimate ones only, who respect the fine line between curating and copying. Before anything else, do not forget to take your customer’s needs and behaviors into consideration.

Guest Author: Ruchika is a part of the versatile marketing team that is working towards making iZooto a huge success. Under the marketing umbrella, one of her major responsibilities is SEO and content planning. An art lover and creative writer, Ruchika enjoys sketching in her free time and dreams of traveling around the world alone.

The post The Ultimate Guide To Content Aggregators (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.

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[benandcoblog]

Reaching for the Sky w/ Derrick Bozkurt

Have a fear of heights? I’m pretty sure we all do, whether you’re on a ladder painting grandma Betty’s house or flying a drone and have that weird fight or flight response just seeing that imagery may scare you. Today, is a phenomenal day because I’m chatting with Derrick Bozkurt who has been a long time friend and colleague for various projects. Our first project together was with a company called Archon Games which was working on a first person shooter RPG called "TechnoWizard" ahhhh, the memories.

Derrick is also currently working in real estate but beating the status quo by aiding consumers with visuals in Virtual Reality (VR) and Drone Photography in both consumer and commercial real estate.  

Ben Libby: Remember the time we worked together at Archon Games, and you were the lead sound engineer? What made you transition from video games to doing photography, virtual reality and aerial photography?

Derrick Bozkurt: I do remember those days! They were great indeed, and we all had a ton of fun working on the “TechnoWizard” project together. Video games have always been my favorite form of visual entertainment, and I was excited to get to lend an ear to its soundscape. That was one of my first gigs coming right out of audio engineering school, and I had the opportunity to work on various other projects – Some with you as well – as a sound designer and composer as time went on. The Flying Cloud projects we were a part of were ahead of their time, and I’ll never forget some of the field recording sessions for our CGI monster, or overdubbing myself 100x to create a crew anthem. One of my other favorites was a game called “Z-Day”, which was an ambitious “Zombie-Survival MMO” back in 2009. Although some of these projects never saw a major release, I learned a ton, and made some great connections that I still keep in touch with today.

Photography has always been a passion of mine as well, and throughout my teens onward, I oftentimes had a camera in hand or nearby, documenting all sorts of adventures. While in college, I even got to take some classes back when they were still teaching them out of darkrooms. There is nothing quite like developing your first roll of film, and seeing the projected images literally appear before your eyes. I remember when my family got our first digital camera – It was a 1 megapixel Kodak, and it was amazing at the time. During my tenure at Apple, I was always impressed with the image quality increases year over year in regards to mobile devices. Seeing how the field has changed and adapted through the years has been very interesting, and when technologies that enabled feature rich virtual reality and flying 4k cameras became affordable, I had to be an early adopter of these new perspectives.

Nowadays, I use the skillset I have developed in these areas to also complement some of my other endeavors. Being able to apply these technologies in my own business has enabled me to provide a comprehensive set of products in the real estate and media services that I offer.

BL: DJI among others releases a lot of different aerial products, what has been your favorite so far? Can you go in depth about features?

DB: My first DJI drone was one of their Phantom series. I had been closely following the company during their earlier years, and was really impressed with what they had been able to accomplish in the arena of consumer drones in general - It’s crazy how far they have come just in past few years. My favorite ‘prosumer’ model from them is the Phantom 4 series. I honestly have not had the opportunity to fly their bigger rigs yet, but would love to get my hands on them. However, having recently picked up their Mavic Air model, I have to say that it is currently my favorite, largely because of the sheer portability of it. Even though the whole thing can fit in your pocket, you still get a 4k/60 FPS; 1080p/120 FPS camera with a 100 Mbps bit rate. Although the sensor is a little smaller, even the 12 MP stills turn out great, and being able to shoot in RAW is great. Furthermore, some of their secondary features such as pre-programmed video captures, 360 photography, and gesture controls really add to the overall package. Rumor has it, they will be releasing a new addition to their lineup this summer, so I’m looking forward to seeing that.

BL: When on a photography or video campaign up in the sky, have you ever lost a drone? If so, how did you feel?

DB: Fortunately, I have never lost a drone to date; the safety and location features of the ones I fly are actually very good. As long as one knows how to set them up, and fly with care, it’s actually pretty difficult to get yourself into much trouble. There have definitely been some adrenaline-inducing moments when the quad loses remote control reception and you have to rely on these safety measures, but I have not experienced any problems yet. I do also have a standalone GPS locator that I affix to mine whenever I feel the need, which mitigates the risk of a lost drone even further.

BL: Would you ever try to ride one of those human drones? (Apparently they use them in Dubai for filming). If you lost control, what would you do?

DB: Haha, I have seen a couple of those – Reminds me of those single-infantry flying machines the military was developing back in the 50’s & 60’s. Although the technology behind our modern products is great, nothing is ever perfect or truly fail safe. I doubt I would ever get on one of the current generation ones without enough altitude and a parachute just in case something did happen!

BL: You had a big transition going from Audio to Video / VR, what have been some experiences or failures you learned along the way?

DB: There are definitely some large and important differences between these fields and technologies. However, audio, music, video, virtual reality. . . They are all just components to the greater product or experience being created, and I am thankful to have the opportunity to learn and practice all of them. Taking into consideration how to weave visual aspects, sound design, and music all together can really make or break an experience. These components each draw upon our different senses, with the goal of creating a unified experience itself. The best creators I have seen are experts at knowing how to play these elements off each other, and this is something that I strive for myself in my own productions.

For example, one might have limited options in making a certain transition or cut from one scene to another in a film. The mood, atmosphere, and general tone of the next scene may be radically different. In situations like this, transitioning into the next sequence by the creative use of sound and/or music can make subliminally prepare the viewer, making that transition much more pleasing and natural.

Some of the most interesting challenges that face the industry right now is implementation of audio in a virtual reality environment. When it comes to determining positions and spaces in the real world, our ears are incredible pieces of hardware, and rely on a complex balance of phase, amplitude, environmental physics, and even the dimensions of our own heads that ultimately gets translated by our brains. Emulating this same type of experience in a virtual world is one of the more interesting challenges of virtual reality. There are some incredible tools out there that are truly at the forefront of their respective fields, and it is exciting to see the changes and improvements as this field continue to evolve.

I think the most important failures I have learned from all stemmed from situations that arose unexpectedly that I did not have a pre-emptive recourse for. Situations like failing gear, bad weather, scheduling short sights or the like happen to the best of us. Of course, you cannot really account for every variable that you might encounter in the field, and there is also that aspect of spontaneity that you also need to balance. Being able to adjust on the fly in any situation is imperative, and keeping your post production skills up to speed is always helpful. Sometimes, these originally perceived failures can actually turn into some of your best work, so a lot of it is mindset and perspective. The best any one can do is take account for what they have control over, have a backup plan, and be ready to adapt in your work.

BL: For those who want to get more into aerial photography, what would you recommend to get started? Any specific drone models, hardware or software?

DB: For aerial photography and videography specifically, I recommend going with one of DJI’s Mavic or Phantom series. Both of these lineups have a few versions that pack various features, depending on what you’re after, and will be less risky that throwing a few thousand dollars-worth of hardware into the air for the first time. You can really get a lot out of the source material I post production; and Adobe has probably the best all around editing suite for photo/video. Personally, I use Adobe products for photography, and Final Cut for video in most of my work.

After getting started, if you have determined to make this a source of income, or take on some bigger projects, it is imperative to get your Part 107 sUAS license from the FAA. Firstly, it is a legal requirement if you are doing any sort of commercial work with your drone. Secondly, you will learn quite a bit about reading flight charts, contacting air traffic control, weather, and other factors that may have an impact on your operations. Education is key for so many things, and have definitely helped me avoid expensive mistakes, and recover from compromised situations.  

Derrick Bozkurt lives and works in Denver, Colorado, and spends his time working in the fields of real estate, UCAAS, and media production.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/debozkurt

https://www.facebook.com/himcolorado/

https://twitter.com/HIMColorado

http://himcolorado.com

https://www.instagram.com/derrick.bozkurt/

[makeitwithmike]

The Ultimate Guide To Content Aggregators (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly)

By Ruchika Sharma

A common challenge that a digital news publisher will come across is working with content aggregators.

Today, I’m going to share two things with you: firstly, a rant about how content aggregators are impacting digital news publishing, and secondly, how to handle them.

Let’s pause for a second though to define exactly what a content aggregator is.

A content aggregator is an individual or organization that gathers web content (and/or sometimes applications) from different online sources for reuse or resale.

They come in two kinds:

Those who simply gather news from various sources for their websites.

Those who gather and distribute news for customers. This process is called content syndication.

Customers actually love content aggregators, even if digital news publishers don’t. The irony is that the whole content aggregator thing was started off by digital news publishers.

A short history of content aggregators

2015 was when the digital industry witnessed the rise of content aggregators. Because many publishers perceived syndication as a sin, they rejected aggregators and instead chose Google News, Yahoo News and AOL. Also, none of them wanted to dip into their budget, so instead created free news searches for Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, Vine et al.

The audience sizes of these aggregator sites were small, but they were seen to be having the capacity to grow rapidly. Trying to accomplish the common goal of ‘being everywhere your readers are’, many publishers started relying on these aggregators completely, and unfortunately, instead of finding a better solution to reach their audience, they started giving their content to the aggregators for free.

In return, they got a huge number of views on content but not much ROI.

When it comes to revenue generation, which is a big challenge for digital publishers, the only option with content aggregators is to bet on the subscription models and nothing else. Which is definitely not a win-win situation for digital news publishers.

The impact of content aggregators on news consumption

It goes without saying that content discovery has changed significantly in the past decade, but the method of news consumption has also changed drastically. Now consumers expect a frictionless delivery and high-quality, shareable, searchable and readily-available news content in return for their interest.

A lot of consumers now prefer paying an aggregator site once a month to access a variety of news from multiple publishers. To them, it is more convenient and cost-effective to pay just once and consume maximum content throughout the month.

The only way this situation could benefit the publishers would be if the consumers were paying every time they consumed publisher’s content on an aggregator site, and they’re definitely not.

So does this mean that content aggregators should be a big ‘NO’ for your news publishing sites?

The friction between content aggregators and news publishers

Giving away your content for free and still being eaten up by the content aggregators is not a good state for any publisher to be in. This social media era is responsible for further adding to a publisher’s desire for ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ over an authentic subscriber base.

Regardless of this, a lot of publishers have become a bit lazy and are not focusing on finding new ways to reach their subscribers. They’ve kind of accepted the state of things as they are. Imagine if they partnered with others in the industry to create a socially engaging ‘network for news’ or similar to share the wealth.

Instead, a lot of them are giving away their high-value content for free on Facebook: the filter-happy, brand-unfriendly content curator and controller.

Is social media the ultimate news aggregator?

Whether it be editorial or breaking news, social media has become an easy way to source a variety of news content and quickly comment on and share it with friends and family.

Fast-loading, interactive platforms like Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News keep readers within their proprietary ecosystem, limiting the monetization possibility as well as the reader experience to pre-defined layouts. On the flip side, Google AMP represents an effort to move to much more responsive web experiences with less restrictions.

Facebook alone is already responsible for directing 27% of all traffic to most news sites (up to 70% for some), so what happens to all that traffic when a publisher’s full-content articles are hosted in the social titan’s territory? Why should readers ever visit the publisher’s’ sites again when they can get the content and conversations they want on Facebook?

These platforms are awaiting publishers with open arms. They have developed an exciting and hyper-efficient way to distribute their content – eliminating the need for publishers to have websites at all!

What about backlink tactics?

Another bit of bait these content aggregators provide to publishers is backlinks. They lure the publishers to give their content for no cost in return for a backlink.

In fact, some experts have even listed this as good SEO practice. If you’re into SEO, then you already know how enticing the word ‘backlink’ sounds. But what’s the point of having likes and backlinks if you don’t have readers genuinely enjoying your content and becoming your loyal readers?

Besides… with block ads in apps already hitting the app stores, what guarantees can these content aggregators offer publishers in terms of advertising reach? Where will the revenue come from?

When headlines and snippets from publishers become the aggregator commodity, there’s even more debate as to whether the aggregators should share revenue with publishers since they are earning money on the back of others’ clickbait.

It’s not dissimilar to the issues the music industry has faced with streaming audio products. The debate will likely continue to rage on as mobile usage grows, and while some platforms like Flipboard and Pulse are onboarding content partners, for the most part, there are very few revenue sharing opportunities available right now.

Content aggregators: Sorting the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Beyond all the negative connotations around these content aggregators, there are some advantages to working with them. To help you make your choice, let me share some of the major pros and cons.

Pros:

Some trusted aggregators add personalization to your content before distributing it. This usually helps your audience connect better with your content.

Some content aggregators are masters of content distribution and know very well how to maximize the reach of content to your potential audience.

Some content aggregators reduce the need for manual content syndication at a publisher level thus saving you a lot of time and resources.

Some content aggregator sites help you build backlinks for your site and thus improve your SEO efforts.

However, the above applies to trusted aggregators only, with ‘trust’ being the operative word here.

An example of a trustworthy one for you to check out is WikiTribune by Jimmy Wales.

Cons:

When your audience is reading content on a content aggregator site, it can result in cannibalizing the subscriber base for your website.

As a news publisher, you are left with little or no authority and authorship over the content.

When the content is not being distributed or consumed on your own website, your brand visibility starts diminishing.

In general, content aggregators promote their own brand, not yours – UNLESS your brand is well known, in which case they will promote your brand but only to promote their own brand.

The relationship between an aggregator and publisher is usually not a transparent one. You never know how many users have read or bought your content.

You lose on the opportunity to understand your consumer better as there is no direct communication between you and the consumers. This accounts for lost conversion opportunities.

As most content aggregators do not have a concrete understanding of your target audience, they often end up attracting irrelevant audience for your content yet still get a healthy cut.

The core objective for any content aggregator is mass distribution of content, and they don’t care much if the content is not personalized or constitutes fake news.Thus often ending up impacting your brand image negatively.

Let me break more bad news to you. After running extensive trials on Facebook Instant Articles and Apple News, The Guardian pulled their content from both these platforms. The Guardian was actually the first publisher to start leveraging Apple News, but it definitely isn’t the only one who has lately cooled off on these content aggregators.

According to analysis by NewsWhip, there are several publishers who are now running far fewer articles than before within that format.

The reality is that these platforms are really not helping publishers grow an audience in their own trusted environment and forge a deeper relationship with them.

Is there scope for compromise between publishers and aggregators?

Of course! However, there needs to be a plan of action and some firm ground rules to keep this relationship symbiotic ONLY.

The most important question is, who can you really trust with your content?

Is it content aggregators who will use it any way they like, curate and share it under their own rules, and offer no guarantees of placement or payment?

OR

Is it a content publishing partner who will commit to pay you every time your content is read on their platform?

I think you already know the answer. The relationship between aggregators and publishers should be symbiotic with a fixed paid royalty every time the content is read. The two major options you see here are Free Content Aggregators and Paid Content Aggregators.

If you want to move ahead with paid aggregators then there are many pay models that you can explore for a successful collaboration. There should also be transparency and scope for an informed decision regarding the content the aggregators are distributing, i.e., the aggregator shouldn’t be allowed to choose it on their own.

They should link back to the original article, be accurate and have multiple source samples.

They should be pro in organizing content in a manner that readers can find easily.

Free news aggregator apps may be useful to a certain extent for creating brand awareness with new audiences, but revenue growth and profits usually come from:

Offering content worthy of payment

Responsive design with full cross-platform support

Multiple content presentation models that appeal to both traditional readers and digital natives

Advanced digital features designed to engage readers longer, encourage discussions with other users and raise the discoverability of high-value content

Vertical channel integration that opens doors to a massive global audience that publishers have trouble reaching on their own

If content aggregators are a central part of your distribution plan, then you should think carefully about this relationship and make no impulsive decisions just to get more views on your content.

Wrapping up

As long as there are no set rules for news content curators and digital news publishers, there will be questions around content aggregation and content sharing best practices.

However, with so many publishers losing revenue yet taking no real means to find new ways to reach audiences, it’s time to overcome the dilemma of partnering with or partnering against content aggregators.

After all, there are some merits to sorting it all out, including having a more transparent relationship with consumers.

You can definitely find a way to collaborate with one of the paid content aggregators to benefit your business objectives.

But as a general rule of thumb, choose the legitimate ones only, who respect the fine line between curating and copying. Before anything else, do not forget to take your customer’s needs and behaviors into consideration.

Guest Author: Ruchika is a part of the versatile marketing team that is working towards making iZooto a huge success. Under the marketing umbrella, one of her major responsibilities is SEO and content planning. An art lover and creative writer, Ruchika enjoys sketching in her free time and dreams of traveling around the world alone.

The post The Ultimate Guide To Content Aggregators (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) appeared first on Jeffbullas’s Blog.

The post The Ultimate Guide To Content Aggregators (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly) appeared first on Make It With Michael.

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How Fabolous Built His $20-Million Empire http://ift.tt/2nIlUvr

I love to interview artists and comedians -- a special breed of entrepreneur. It’s argued that much of their success comes down to their raw talent, and the amount of hours they put in to perfect that talent. One could also say it comes down to the right mixture of managers, agents and a small army of support staff. However, the ones who break through do a lot of brand building on their own, and exhibit the resilience, resourcefulness and grit that propels them from humble creator to household name. They find the perfect harmony between art and commerce, and some of them do so to the tune of millions of dollars.

Fabolous, for example, is a Grammy-nominated hip-hop star from the Brooklyn projects, now worth an estimated $23 million. He landed the opportunity to rap live on local radio at the age of 17, landed a record deal and is still relevant today -- over 15 years later.

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His first release in 2001, Ghetto Fabolous, spawned the hit singles "Can't Deny It" and "Young'n (Holla Back)." Those two singles led him to prominence, and his second album, Street Dreams, also had two Top 10 singles. He’s since had many successful singles, albums, mixtapes and collaborations, has been nominated for Grammys, American Choice Awards and Teen Choice Awards, and has won ASCAP and BET awards. He's also amassed an impressive social media following of over four million raving fans.

Recently, the rapper participated in New York Fashion week with the launch of Blood's Thicker, a line of men, women and children’s clothing and accessories. He’s also partnered with RapSnacks to launch a New York Deli Cheddar potato chip. He’s just been awarded a key to the city of Brooklyn and is about to head out on tour with Chris Brown and 50 Cent -- but had time to sit down with us on RocNation’s famous #goldcouch to discuss his many endeavors and the key to his sustained success.

Here are eight lessons from my conversation with him.

Give each opportunity 100 percent.

When we spoke about his first record deal, and other opportunities throughout his career, his advice was clear.

“You gotta make the most of it,” he said. “I [told myself], ‘I don't know when this is gonna happen for me again, so you'd better at least shoot 100 percent here and then whether you get it or don't get it, you know that you put your all into it.’”

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He also explained that while you need to be incredibly determined and committed, you also need to get educated and willing to ask for help.

“Don't be afraid to ask questions. You see somebody who's in it and doing something that you are, [ask them], 'Hey man how do I go about getting the quality of my stuff to your quality, like I'm making?' . . . you gotta ask those questions and do your homework, do your research.”

Keep trying things.

Fabolous has been active in the entertainment industry for over 15 years -- something very few hip-hop artists, or any artists of any genre, can say. Part of his longevity? His willingness to try new things and possibly fail.

“I think the worst thing you could do is not shoot the shot,” he explained, continuing his basketball analogy. “When you shoot you got two options: It can go in or you can miss, and even in the miss you might learn.” He added that he does like to discuss his new ideas with his team and community. “We just try to make it happen. Sometimes you have crazy ideas that sound crazy to everybody, but I'm sure everybody has had a crazy idea before. When you pull it off and you don't look crazy anymore, you look like a genius.”

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Learn from your mistakes.

Fabolous admitted he has had his share of missteps. He has had to ward off rumors of gang connections throughout his career, and was arrested in 2003 for possession of an unlicensed gun in his car.

“It taught me a lesson as well. It showed me that I didn't want to jeopardize what everything that I had going, trying to even [protect myself.]” he shared. “Sometimes in life, your best teacher is experience and going through something to figure it out.” He added, chuckling, “If you don't have to, that's good too.”

Build a community -- and listen to them.

His fashion label, Blood’s Thicker, started as a simple line of merchandise to sell to his fans; he explained that for fans to stick with him for this long, they are more like family, hence the name. When he created an artistic album cover for Summertime Shootout -- a twist on a Roy Lichtenstein piece -- his fans loved it. He noticed that followers were sending in photos of the art in their lives -- even as their personal tattoos.

“Anything that we would put the cover artwork on, they would pay for it and buy it,” he explained. “[It started as a way to] show appreciation and at the same time have a deeper connection with the band and the people who wanted to support us.”

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He began offering more designs, and was invited to be a part of New York Fashion Week. In an effort to connect his Brooklyn community to his NYFW experience, he livestreamed much of the event on social media, and then launched a pop-up shop and show actually in Brooklyn. Fans, and even some celebrity guests, stood inside and out for the entire event, watching through the large windows, even though it was freezing out.

“It was overall a great event. It was a way to bring fashion week to Brooklyn and to bring Brooklyn to fashion week.”

Stay observant.

When asked about mentors in his life, he shared that can’t specify a few key people; instead it’s been the mixture of all the people around him. Like other people I’ve interviewed, namely Gary Vaynerchuk and Seth Godin, he explained that he’s always noticing things. He gave the example that even then, during the interview, he noticed how my videographer was wearing his pants with his boots. He surveys the market and others in the industry and then evaluates how he can incorporate what he sees into his strategy, art or brand.

“I'm very observant. So, my mentor is really basically a lot of people who are just around me and life itself. Just living and going different places and traveling.”

Stay vigilant.

When it comes to his music, his endorsements, his social media accounts, etc., one thing is clear: If he doesn’t think it’s cool, he’s not doing it. He is adamant about protecting the Fabolous brand, only jumping on board with projects and products he really believes in.

“I don’t compromise myself, I don’t compromise my cool. I don’t compromise who I am,” he shared on The Breakfast Club in 2016. “I’m not chasing the fame or the hype. I’m just who I am.”

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Stay relevant.

In addition to his artistic talent, Fab definitely has a gift for social media. He doesn’t have a structured strategy, he just makes sure every post is a true extension of his life.

“My social media tag is @myfabulouslife, so I kinda try to show what goes on, what I do daily in my day-to-day life. I just show people what I'm doing and things that I'm involved in. Truthfully, social media, my following, just came from me doing that.”

His advice to aspiring artists is to attack social media platforms and get seen. I asked him if breaking through online was still possible, now that there are many more aspiring artists making waves online. "Your talent speaks more than you can . . . . I still think talent shines through.”

His next venture, RapSancks, doesn’t seem to fit the cool factor of the Fabulous brand, but Fab knows what he’s doing. His face is on every single bag, which will expose him to a wide new audience, particularly young people.

“It's dope and it's great marketing . . . . Everybody likes chips!” he said, smiling.

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Stay grateful.

It’s clear that Fabolous loves his work and his supporters in the hip-hop community -- which he loved as a kid, before it was his profession.

“It was just a hobby for me and I liked doing it.” he recalled. “You're lucky if you get to really be in a profession that you really love to do. I was fortunate that's what I was able to do . . . . I'm so grateful.”

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Kelsey Humphreys

Kelsey Humphreys is a media entrepreneur, journalist and author on a mission to break down "success for the rest of us." She is the author of the Amazon bestseller Go Solo. Catch interviews with today's leaders...

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