Mac|Life How to RSS Feed

How To Make your Mac a Web Server

Arvind Srinivasan & Susie Ochs — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 18:57:54 -0500

You may think you are one with the Interwebs, but until you actually create a website, you are merely part of the Interwebs. Follow this tutorial, and you will learn how to become one in about a billion, the exclusive club of people who host sites of some sort.

Hosting an HTTP server used to be an arduous task, but Mac OS X makes it easier than ever. We recognize that there is a built-in Web Sharing feature that allows you to create a server with one click, but we will teach you how to make a more advanced server that can handle server-side scripting languages like PHP.

Difficulty Level:
Medium

What You Need:
>MAMP (free, www.mamp.info)
>A DynDns account (free, www.dyndns.com)
> Access to your router to forward ports (in other words, a home network you control)
> A Mac that’s on and connected to the Internet all the time (in other words, if you try this with a laptop, your site will be down whenever you laptop is off or disconnected)
>Optional: a CMS like Drupal (free, drupal.org) or Wordpress (free, www.wordpress.org)

1. Install MAMP

MAMP (an acronym for Mac, Apache, MySQL, PHP) is an open-source platform for hosting a website on a Mac. Download the MAMP disk image, open it, and drag the MAMP folder to the Applications folder to install it. Then, browse to the /Applications/MAMP folder. You should see something akin to what is in this screenshot.

We like saying the word MAMP repeatedly. It’s a fun word.

This is the control center for your entire installation. Any websites you create will go here, and all the configuration files for your server will go here as well.

2. Configure MAMP

First, open the MAMP.app file in the /Applications/MAMP folder. This will start the HTTP server. Then, click Preferences. The first thing you need to do is deselect “Stop Servers when quitting MAMP” and “Check for MAMP PRO when starting MAMP.” This way, you don’t have to keep the application running all the time to keep the servers on.

Try it: “MAMP, MAMP, MAMP.” It’s just fun to say.

Next, go to the Ports tab, and click the button that says, “Set to default Apache and MySQL ports.” Sticking to standards is always best, because if you leave it as port 8888, for example, your URL will be something like www.example .com:8888, which is annoying.

3. Sharing is Caring

Now, go to System Preferences, and click the Sharing tab. Check File Sharing, but then click the Options button. Make sure “Share files and folders using FTP” is selected. FTP is generally considered the standard for editing websites remotely, and if you plan to use a tool like Dreamweaver or Coda to edit the HTML code, they use FTP (and its more secure sibling, SFTP) to manage sites. Click Done.

Next, make sure Web Sharing is deselected. If it’s selected, the Apache server that comes with your Mac will conflict with the one that MAMP has just installed. Finally, you should check the box for Remote Login, because controlling your computer with SSH is the easiest way to restart the server remotely (for more about SSH, visit  www.maclife.com/ssh_surf).

4. Go for Ports, not Starboard

If you plan on accessing your website outside of the computer that is hosting it, and you have a router or firewall, you will need to forward the ports for HTTP to your computer. The way to do this is different for each router, but the basic process is the same. First, go to System Preferences > Network. Write down the local IP address that is shown.

Find the local IP address under Status, and write it down.

Then, go to Port Forward (www.portforward.com), scroll down, and click on your model of router. On the next page, atop the giant list of services, you’ll see your external IP (different from your local IP), and write that down too. Find Apache is the list of services and click it. On the next page, enter your local IP address as noted earlier, and follow the resulting instructions to forward the proper ports on your router.

5. Set up your Domain

Technically, this is an optional step, because you can already browse to your site at http://[your IP address here], but unless you have a photographic memory, chances are you aren’t going to remember a string of pseudo-random numbers. So you can buy a domain at a site like  GoDaddy.com or Yahoo Domains (smallbusiness.yahoo .com/domains), but you can also register for a free domain at a site like DynDNS.com, with a little less control over what your domain actually is.

To do this, go to www.dyndns.com/services/dns/dyndns/ and click the Get Started button. In the Hostname area, type in a name you can remember, and then choose what comes after the dot in the drop-down. (We went with ourname .dynalias.com.) For Service Type, leave the default Host With IP Address selected. Your external IP goes in the IP Address box, and there’s also a button to auto-detect it—it should match the external IP you wrote down in step 4. Click the Add To Cart button and check out; this service is free, so it won’t ask you for credit card info, but you do need to create a user account at DynDNS.com when prompted.

6. The DynDNS Updater

DynDNS Updater will keep your host name pointed to your ever-changing external IP address.

Head to www.dyndns.com/support/clients/mac.html and download the DynDNS Updater application. Load the DMG file, and drag the application into your Applications folder to install it. Launch DynDNS Updater, login with your DynDNS account credentials, and you’ll see your account name in the sidebar. Click the right-facing arrow to show your website, and select it. Check the box labeled “Enable updating for this host,” and you should be good to go. Now, if your router’s ports are forwarded properly, you can browse to your site at the domain you just created.

7. Install a CMS

This is optional, but a CMS, or content-management system, is incredibly useful if you want to host your own blog. The most popular ones are WordPress and Drupal. To install WordPress on your system, first download the WordPress ZIP file. Unzip it and drag the WordPress folder to /Applications/MAMP/htdocs.

After changing the DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD names.

Now, browse to that WordPress folder, and open the file wp-config-sample.php in a text editor such as TextEdit. You’ll notice there is a space for DB_NAME, DB_USER and DB_PASSWORD that have things that you need to fill in. Replace ‘usernamehere’ with ‘root’ and ‘yourpasswordhere’ with ‘root’ as well. Now we need to create a database, so we can fill in ‘putyourdbnamehere.’ Leave the file open in your text editor for now.

8. Create a Database

Open the MAMP.app application, and click Open Start Page, which launches the MAMP start page in your default browser. In the toolbar along the top of that page, click “phpMyAdmin.” Under “Create new database,” enter a name for the database, and click Create.

Create your database name here.

Now, come back to the wp-config-sample.php file that’s open in your text editor, and replace ‘putyourdbnamehere’ with the name of the database you just created, enclosed in single quotes. Finally, save the modified file as wp-config.php.

9. That’s It

Now, you can browse to http://localhost/wordpress, and the WordPress Install Utility will guide you through the rest of the process. In general, you can save any file in the htdocs folder, and you will be able to access it from the Web—think of it as a file browser for the Web. Instead of browsing to htdocs on your computer, you’re browsing to your URL, and then entering the file’s path. Files that the browser can’t interpret, like music or videos, will be downloaded when you browse to them, and files that can be interpreted will be displayed. Beware of trying to download too much information from your home-rolled Web server or having too many people browse to it at once—your computer will heat up and might explode or something. If you plan on truly taking over the Internet, get someone else to host your website.

Take Your Bookmarks Anywhere

Joe Rybicki — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 10:03:46 -0600

If you're anything like us, chances are good you use bookmarks as a memory aid. Researching stories, digging through recipes, planning vacations -- it's easy to amass substantial collections of fairly important links that you might want to refer back to at any moment.

Trouble is, most of us don’t spend all day in front of just one Web browser. And the more we switch between devices, the more important it becomes to keep all those bookmark lists in sync.

Difficulty level:
Easy

What you need:
> Open-source Web browser Firefox (free, www.mozilla.com)
> Foxmarks extension for Firefox (free, addons.mozilla.org)
> Safari (free, www.apple.com)
> Bookdog for Safari (free 14-day trial, $19.95 to buy, www.sheepsystems.com)

METHOD ONE: FIREFOX

1. Get Foxy

If you don't already have a copy of Firefox, you'll want to download the latest version and install it. We're starting with Firefox because of its amazing library of useful add-ons -- bookmark syncing is just one of the many nifty things you can do with this flexible piece of software. Anyway, if this is your first time using Firefox, choose File > Import to import all your Safari bookmarks and such.

Step 1: We think Firefox (especially considering all the add-ons) does make the Web better, but your mileage may vary.

-----

2. Bolt It On

Once you've got Firefox installed and running, choose Tools > Add-ons to bring up the Extensions window. Select the Get Add-ons tab and type "foxmarks" in the search bar. Select Foxmarks Bookmark Synchronizer and click the Add To Firefox button, then the Install Now button once it becomes available. Restart Firefox, and a Foxmarks window will pop up. Follow the instructions to sign up for a new account and upload your bookmarks.

Step 2: Find Foxmarks Bookmark Syncronizer in Tools > Add-ons > Get Add-ons.

-----

3. Go About Your Business

From now on, Foxmarks will sync your bookmarks with the server's on a regular schedule, transparently and smoothly. So all you need to do is add bookmarks as you normally do, and they'll be updated on the server automatically. Or you can Control-click on the Foxmarks icon in the lower-right corner of your Firefox screen to sync manually.

Step 3: Force a Foxmarks sync by clicking the little icon at the bottom-right. (Click to embiggen!)

-----

4. Spread the Love

Now that all your bookmarks are stored in a nice central location, you can keep your various machines in sync by installing Foxmarks on any machine you use on a regular basis. But maybe you only want to share some of your bookmarks. No problem. Go to Tools > Foxmarks > Foxmarks Settings and choose the Profiles tab. Click the My.Foxmarks.Com button to set up different profiles and associated bookmarks, then click the Change button to choose which profile you want to sync with which location.

Step 4: If you don't want your strictly work-related bookmarks synced to your home machine, tweak the Profiles settings.

-----

5. Take This Show on the Road

But what if you don't have the ability to install Firefox and Foxmarks on a machine? Maybe you're on a locked-down work PC, or a portable device. No problem! Just head to my.foxmarks.com from any browser, log in, and you'll have access to your full bookmark selection. The page even formats itself like an iPhone App if it detects Safari Mobile as the browser; if that's your setup, we recommend tapping the Plus sign and adding a direct link to your home screen.

Step 5: When you log in to my.foxmarks.com from your iPhone, your bookmarks are easy to navigate.

-----

METHOD TWO: SAFARI

1. Delicious is Golden

Bookmark syncing is definitely a breeze with Firefox. But if you simply can't bear to leave Safari behind, you're not completely out of luck. First, download and install bookmark manager Bookdog. Fire it up and choose File > Web Service > del.icio.us. Assuming you don't have a Delicious account, click New to sign up and follow the directions in Safari.

Now switch back to Bookdog, enter your account name and password, and click Log In. Once login is complete, choose File > New Migration/Synchronization. Make sure Safari is selected on the left, and your Delicious account on the right. Choose Bilaterally as the sync type, and make sure to check the box to translate Safari folder names into Delicious tags.

Step 1: Bookdog can keep Safari synced with Delicious, an online social-bookmarking service. (Click to embiggen!)

-----

2. All Access

Now you can access all your current Safari bookmarks by visiting Delicious from any browser and logging in. Mobile phone users can access their bookmarks through www.mobilicio.us, and iPhone owners can download an App called Bookmarks (iTunes Store link) to gain full access to Delicious. There's just one problem: Any new bookmarks you create in Safari won't transfer to Delicious automatically.

Step 2: Once your Safari bookmarks are synced with Delicious, you can access them from any Web browser on any machine.

-----

3. Get Regular

Fortunately, the developer of Bookdog has written an AppleScript that lets you schedule a daily sync. Head back to the Bookdog page and grab the ZIP file of sample AppleScripts (link is to a ZIP file) the developer has put together. Unzip it and start up the Bookdog Migration Scheduler. Click Schedule, then OK. This will open up a synchronization window in Bookdog. Verify that the settings are the same as in Step 1. Now switch back to the AppleScript, click OK, verify the location of your Bookdog installation, and select the time to run the synchronization. Now comes the best part: wondering how you ever got by without instant access to all your bookmarks.

Step 3: Schedule a daily sync by downloading and running an AppleScript.

How to: Buy The Right Camera

Zack Stern — Mon, 05 May 2008 10:51:40 -0500

1. Size

Go to a camera store for a personal touch. Ideally, check for local shops that sell only cameras versus a national electronics chain where cameras are an afterthought. Lift, aim, and fire as many cameras as you can. We recommend smaller stores because you’ll get better service, but especially because those cameras won’t be tethered to a kiosk. If you can only pivot the camera on a theft-proof table mount, you haven’t really gauged its size. Look for a model that’s comfortable, with buttons you can easily reach. Shoot actual pictures, adjusting the zoom, exposure, or any other settings you might alter. Bring along a memory card to take sample shots home to evaluate for color, focus, and detail.

2. Lens

The camera’s optics are more important than its resolution, especially with megapixels being shoved in like a cereal-box prize. Telephotos are useful for close-up details, but a wide angle will often be most useful in day-to-day shooting. Zoom measurements show a different perspective depending on the size of the camera sensor, but many companies convert them to 35mm-film equivalents for comparison. With that adjustment, zoom ranges are expressed in two numbers, such as 28-300mm. The smaller number shows how wide the lens can be; 28mm handles both indoor and landscape photos well. The larger number indicates how close-in the lens can go; 300mm or higher gives you tight sports and wildlife shots. Pay no attention to digital zoom ratings; you’re better off cropping and blowing up photos on your Mac, since that’s approximately what these do. And stabilizers can be useful to keep telephoto and long-exposure photos sharp.

3. Speed
DSLRs mechanically shoot pictures by flipping a mirror or prism when you push the shutter button. But any other camera uses a virtual shutter, which usually exhibit a delay between your finger tap and the photo snap. This doesn’t matter for unmoving subjects, but it can ruin photos of kids, sports, and even posing groups. Bring along a stopwatch that measures hundredths of seconds to test store cameras. Push the shutter and the stopwatch at the same time, and see what time the camera actually records. (Be sure there’s a lot of light.) Averages of about a tenth of a second or less are sufficient, with several hundredths exceptional. (All of our tested cameras reached this level.) If you get times greater than a twentieth of a second, anticipate lots of missed shots.

4. Manual Controls
Any camera will shoot in an auto-mode, setting exposure and focus for you. But you’ll snap better, more unique pictures with manual overrides. Beginners should look first for manual focus. This setting is crucial for photos taken through glass, in dark rooms, or with subjects at varying distances. Intermediate photographers should add an exposure compensation to their wish list; this setting shifts the brightness up or down in case the camera is confused by silhouetted subjects near a light. Complete exposure settings—shutter speed and aperture size—give experts the most control over pictures. Intermediate and advanced photographers can manipulate these to freeze or blur moving objects, adjust how much depth of a photo is in focus, compensate for difficult lighting conditions, and more.

How to Set Up a Mac-based Recording Studio*

Rich Tozzoli — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 15:08:57 -0500

Thanks to the audio geniuses (genii?) at Function8.com for the generous use of their space. And their desk. And speaker stands. And Iggy Pop box set.

Just a few years back, the thought of buying enough equipment to record and mix your own music for under $1,000 - forget less than $500 - was unimaginable. But as time and technology march on, the prices have dropped to the point where the bang you can get for your buck is almost hard to believe. Let’s examine some cool studio gear for the Mac that can help get that song in your head out into the world (and the iTunes catalog).

Before we dive into the two studio options - based on budgets of $1,000 and $500 - it makes sense to discuss some recording basics. Also keep in mind that we’re assuming you’ve already got a Mac. As with other multimedia work, the faster your Mac’s processor and the more memory it has, the better it handles audio production. Here are some other important considerations.

You’ll need to get your sounds into and out of the computer (Input/Output). Generally referred to as an audio interface, the input/output device, which is typically connected via USB or FireWire 400, allows you to route a signal from, say, a guitar or microphone to your Mac. Many audio interfaces also have the ability to return the signal, so you can hook it up to a set of headphones or a pair of monitors. You can also buy affordable PCI-based cards that connect to your Mac and have audio breakout cables attached. However, the all-in-one audio interfaces are usually easier to use.

You need audio software. It doesn’t get any simpler than GarageBand. You can record, edit, loop, and mix without much experience. But those who want more features could step up to Apple’s Logic Express 7 ($299) or take advantage of the “competitive crossgrade” option to switch to Steinberg’s Cubase 4 ($399.99 crossgrade, or $999.99 retail), which now runs on the Mac platform. For the popular M-Audio and Pro Tools apps, you’ll need an audio interface that works with those companies’ software (more on that later).

And an external hard drive. While you can do it, we don’t recommend recording straight to your computer’s internal hard drive. This point confuses some people, so here’s a simple way to think about it: Your music software will run on the internal drive, but your actual audio files should reside on an external drive. You tell the software, when setting it up, where the audio should go. Remember, the faster the RPMs of these drives, the better the audio performance. Also, avoid using USB external drives (their cable throughput is just too slow to effectively pass audio for our needs) and go strictly with FireWire 400 (referred to technically as IEEE 1394) at minimum. Check out www.buy.com for a huge list of cheap drives, or try Apple’s online store. If you’ve got a Mac that has multiple built-in hard drives, you can record to a secondary drive, as long as the audio stays off your main drive.

A microphone is recommended for better audio. Sure, you can sing or play into your Mac’s built-in mic, but you won’t like what you hear. The old adage applies when making records: “garbage in, garbage out” (GIGO for short). One reason to buy a decent audio interface is so you can plug a microphone into it and record like a pro. Most quality mics output through a three-pronged connector called an XLR (male) output. But that means you’ll need an XLR cable to get to your audio interface. Simply insert the cable’s XLR (female) end into the microphone and connect the XLR (male) end to the XLR (female) microphone (MIC) input on the audio interface.

Don't forget the preamp. In the home theater/consumer audio world, a preamp is a unit that lets you plug in various sources like CD players, DVD players, tape decks, and so on, so that the amplifier can make the signal loud enough to hear. In our case, a preamp takes a microphone/keyboard/guitar signal and amplifies it enough to be recorded by the music software. Most of today’s USB and FireWire audio interfaces have the preamps build right into them, and that’s where you plug in the XLR microphone cable. Then you adjust the mic level using the gain control.

For those who play bass, guitar, or keyboards, you plug into a different input. Instead of XLR, you’ll use what’s called a 1/4-inch cable. Unlike the XLR, which is referred to as balanced (because one of the three prongs has a ground), the 1/4-inch cable is referred to as unbalanced, since it has no ground. So these 1/4-inch cables get plugged into a direct interface (DI) input on your audio interface. Then the preamp will provide the signal with enough gain to be recorded - just like the XLR microphone. (Note that some audio interfaces have their DI inputs separate from XLR, while other audio interfaces use a special kind of combo connector that lets you plug in either one.)

Listen to yourself. Last but not least, you need to play back your hit song. The best way to go is to use a pair of headphones or set of speakers that hook up to the audio interface. On Macs, you can also plug speakers into the audio output jack, which is a 1/8-inch mini stereo plug. You could also use the built-in speakers on your Mac - if you’re really cheap. But if you go this route, you won’t be able to properly hear your music. And when we say properly we mean with a pretty flat frequency response, which we think is probably the most accurate audio representation possible and what you’re going to need to hear if you’re mixing and trying to tell up from down. Studio monitors, also called reference monitors, don’t kiss up to your ears like most stereo speakers that are just designed to make all music sound generally pleasing. Yeah, some people DO just plug into their home stereo and use that for monitoring (don’t do it). But hey, whatever works (don’t do it).

Making musical magic. OK, so we get ourselves an audio interface, and plug that into the computer using whatever cable it needs (USB or FireWire 400). Into that audio interface we plug our mics (using those XLR cables) or guitars, basses, or keyboards (using 1/4-inch cables). To get sound back out of the audio interface, we plug in our headphones and speakers, or just run a cable to our home stereo as a last resort. Then we install the software on the computer and hook up an external hard drive - again, preferably using FireWire 400 (or FireWire 800 if your Mac can handle it). Just remember to tell the software to record to the external drive, and you’re ready to rock.

More...

1. Exo 2.1 Stereo Monitors ($349, musiciansfriend.com); 2. Digidesign Mbox 2 ($450, digidesign.com); 3. LaCie Porche 320GB Hard Drive ($103, amazon.com); 4. Samson CO3U Condenser Mic ($89.99, shop.com); 5. KRK Systems VXT4 ($299.99, bizrate.com).

THE UNDER-$1000 SETUP

Now that you know which pieces of gear are essential for your home studio, it’s time to start pricing things out. Where? Well, one of the best ways to shop for gear, which is probably not a secret to anyone, is to simply search Google for it. For example, with the Mbox 2 mentioned below, a search brings up pricegrabber.com, zZounds.com, and SamAsh.com - just to start. This lets you find out more about the gear and check out the best prices. Then you might even go to your local store with a printout from the Net and negotiate an even better deal.

The Audio Interface

Digidesign’s Mbox 2 ($495 list/$450 street) is an extremely flexible audio interface that comes with a boatload of extras. You get Pro Tools LE software, which runs 32 simultaneous audio tracks and includes 37 DigiRack plug-ins (software effects that run with the app) such as EQ, delays, reverb, and so on. The sleek little Mbox itself connects to your computer via USB, which provides the power for the unit (meaning no extra power cable!). It’s got a headphone output with dedicated volume control, a studio monitor output control with stereo output jacks (on the back), MIDI I/O for hooking up keyboards or other MIDI devices, and digital I/O via Sony/Philips digital interface format (S/PDIF). You also get two mic inputs, two direct interface (DI) inputs, and two line inputs via TRS (which stands for tip, ring, sleeve cable). Digidesign also throws in a bunch of free extras like Ableton Live Lite 4, Propellerheads Reason Adapted 3, IK Multimedia software guitar amps and samplers, and even a Pro Tools Instructional DVD. The Mbox 2 Educational Version can be found for around $350, so get out your college ID and see if you can still pass.

You could also go with a Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) UltraLite audio interface ($595 list/$550 street), which has a total of 10 inputs and 14 outputs and connects to your Mac via FireWire 400. Housed in an aluminum alloy body, the UltraLite lets you record high-resolution audio (up to 24-bit/96KHz) and monitor the level meters on the front panel or with the provided CueMix Console software. With a portable product like this, you can use it to capture audio with an app such as Logic or Digital Performer on your laptop. It’s perfect for small live recordings or capturing band rehearsals.

Add a Microphone - or Three

A good mic can boost the quality of your recordings. One of the all-time classic mics, the Shure SM58 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Microphone, can be had for around $99. Many audio pros in the know call it (and/or its cousin, the SM57) their “desert island all-purpose mic.” Kicking it up a notch, you might check out the Rode Podcaster, a large-diaphragm mic that connects via USB and can be found at various online outlets for just over $225. If you want extras, like a guitar-recording mic, check out the Audio-Technica Artist Series ATM650 ($169 list/$100 street). Another versatile mic is the AKG C1000 S, which can be found online for around $230, or $300 packaged with AKG’s C2000 B condenser mic.

Time For a Listen

When it’s time to review your work, headphones come in extremely handy - mainly because they let you work into the wee hours without Johnny Law, or a sleep-deprived spouse, knocking at the door. Sony’s MDR-7509HD headphones are on the pricey side at around $220, but they deliver the goods. AKG headphones are also very popular with pros, and the K 240s can be had for under $130. Beyerdynamic’s DT 770 PRO headphones ($279 retail/$240 street) are designed for critical music and sound monitoring. Good headphones are essential tools that let you make sure your mix is well balanced in the low, mid, and high range.

If you’d rather skip the headphones and to hell with the neighbors, check out Yamaha’s MSP5 studio monitors, with a 40-watt 5-inch woofer and a 1-inch titanium tweeter. A pair can be had for just under $500. If that busts the budget, try out the Alesis M1 Active MkII, which have a 6.5-inch woofer and can be had for just under $300 a pair. Also check out the M-Audio Studiophile BX5a ($399.95 list/$299 street) 70-watt studio monitors. It’s always best to ensure that any monitors you buy have magnetic shielding, which allows them to sit near your screen without buzzing.

The cheapest way to go, of course, is to plug in a set of outboard consumer PC speakers. A quick glance at the Apple online store reveals a few choice selections. Harman Kardon’s SoundSticks II will run you $169.95, and include a pair of satellite speakers and a subwoofer. Klipsch Ultra 2.0 Pro Speakers have two magnetically shielded satellite speakers with 2.5-inch drivers and 1-inch metalized polymer tweeters. And they can be had for $99.95, which might leave you a little extra dough to spend on additional mics.

Of course, you’ll want that separate hard drive, too. Check out LaCie’s 7,200-rpm d2 Quadra Hard Drive, with 320GB of storage space for under $200. Hook it up with FireWire 800 if your Mac supports it.

THREE COOL THINGS YOU CAN DO IN YOUR STUDIO

1. Be a DJ. If you have any interest in mixing your preexisting iTunes music into wild mash-ups of party-esque material, you can probably do this with great ease with the sub-$500 studio (also see “Do It Like a DJ”). Using a free desktop DJ app like djay 1.2 with a USB mic, you can record every bleep and twiddle into something that someone, somewhere might want to listen to.

2. Produce a Podcast. Spending anything on studio stuff for podcasting seems a little like bringing a gun to a knife fight, but if given the choice between listening to something that sounds good and something that doesn’t, we’ll take the good-sounding thing every time. Taking the DJ stuff you’ve just recorded and laying it down as an audio track, and fading from your show bumper (the interstitial music that plays before you start talking) into your podcast can make the difference between the whole world listening to your podcast about, er, podcasting, perhaps, and just you and your mom listening.

3. Record a Soundtrack. If a picture’s worth a thousand words, a picture with a well-recorded soundtrack is the single most significant way to make nearly unwatchable footage of the kids’ soccer game seem like MTV. Or at least MTV back when it actually played music videos. Add music to slideshows, photo montages, anything and everything in iMovie. A good soundtrack can elevate the worst footage into something that at least rates as “interesting.”

More...

1. Shure SM58 Dynamic Cardioid Vocal Mic ($99, shure.com); 2. Exo 2.1 Stereo Monitors ($349, musiciansfriend.com); 3. Sony MDR-V6 Headphones ($59, craigslist.org)

THE UNDER-$500 SETUP

Even though you’ve halved your budget, there’s still some pretty good gear that will get the job done. You’ll definitely have to make tough decisions - if you opt for the higher-end audio system, for example, you’ll have less money to spend on mics and speakers. Again, hunt for those bargains online.

The Audio Interface

You might start with an M-Audio Fast Track Pro ($199.95) audio interface. Compatible with most popular Mac music software, it connects via USB and has two Mic/Line inputs, a single MIDI I/O, and two 1/4-inch TRS outputs. It also comes with Live Lite 4 and GT Express software. The FastTrack Pro unit itself is really pretty light, fits nicely in a bundle with your laptop that you could take into the field, rehearsal studio (or a live setting), or just leave on your desk while recording. And it sounds great. As an extra bonus, it doubles as an audio interface for Pro Tools M-Powered software. For even less ($99.95), you can pick up the M-Audio Fast Track USB, but it doesn’t have inputs for a microphone. It’s primarily an instrument/line input for recording your guitar/bass or keyboard.

For around $99, you can pick up the IK Multimedia StealthPlug, which is a compact, cable-like USB audio interface for guitar and bass. It comes with Amplitube 2 guitar amp modeling software and will work as a plug-in or by itself. That means you can run it quite nicely with GarageBand, Pro Tools, Logic, or whatever else catches your fancy.

And don’t forget the external hard drive, if you can squeeze it in: Try the EZQuest Pro Audio FireWire 400 160GB model ($169.99 list/$139.99 street).

M-Audio's Fast Track Pro packs a power punch for just a hair under $200.

Add the Mics

The Samson Q1U is a pretty versatile handheld mic with a built-in USB interface and a desk stand that can be found for under $60: Plug it right into your Mac and record. The Audio-Technica AT2020 can be found for a street price of just under $100, and provides a wide dynamic range. This could make an excellent overall mic to cover your acoustic guitar or percussion. The Studio Projects B1 is a large-diaphragm condenser mic with a Mylar capsule that makes for some hardy and acoustically true sound capture. It also comes with its own shockmount, for about $125. Large-diaphragm mics generally sound better with vocals, as they produce audio that is “warm” by most standards.

Listen Up

For headphones in this category, check out the Sony MDR-7502s, which are perfect for DJs and home audio buffs at just over $50. Audio-Technica has the ATH-M3X headphones, an open-ear design with a decent amount of low end, coming in at just under $40. Yamaha’s $20 set, the RH2Cs, have isolated ear cups and an adjustable headband.

To round out the under-$500 package, the Tascam VL-S21s are a pair of cool flat-panel monitors with an 8-inch subwoofer. These are perfect for the desktop and cost around $100. Once again, M-Audio comes to the budget rescue with its Studio Pro 3 Monitors, offering up a 3.25-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter for just under $100. If you’ve run out of money at this point, just settle for those internal computer speakers and hope for the best - at least until you can save up a hundred more bucks to buy yourself some decent monitors.

DESKTOP SPEAKER GEAR THAT REALLY FITS

The difference between a pro studio and a home studio - outside of the cost - is usually the real estate footprint. We might record at home, but lots of us would love to actually live in a studio with its huge live rooms, tall ceilings, and, we guess, the ability to make noise whenever you wanted. In any case, getting the best gear onto your desktop means getting the best gear that will actually fit on your desktop. The laptop is a given. Mics and headphones are easy to fit. Speakers, complete with resonant cabinets that can be space hogs if allowed, are now coming in smaller, truer, and more powerful formats. Our two recent faves, at two different price points, fit on most desks:

EXO 2.1 Stereo Monitoring System ($399 list/$349 street) sports 3-inch two-way satellite speakers. Their presence on a desk is discreet, and the low frequency response we got while listening to some stuff we were mixing for our podcast was impressive too. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the 8-inch subwoofer - something you wouldn’t want to be without, especially if you’re mixing dance music - is, well, gigundo by comparison. But if the proof of the pudding is in the tasting, this sounds good enough to eat.

KRK Systems VXT4 powered reference monitors ($399 list/$299 street) are 4-inchers that are so good (and small) they’re better than your ears are ever likely to be. Half the stuff you hear on the radio? Yup, they were mixed with these. If they’re good enough for Christina Aguilera, they’ll work just fine for the soundtrack you’re composing for your trip up to the mountains.

The Best 37 Free Items for Your Mac

Dave Hamilton — Fri, 04 May 2007 18:20:54 -0500

If you've got money burning a hole in your pocket, you're on the wrong website. You won't need it for today's journey, as we tour through a Queen Mary-sized boatload of free stuff just for you and yours (your Mac, that is). We've set up our links so that each item opens a new browser window or tab, so click away and check out each and every item that sparks your interest. Strap in, buckle down, and enjoy.

SOFTWARE

One of the best things about the Mac is the quantity - and quality - of free software available. Indeed, it's possible to make it through your day using software that won't set you back a dime.

Before you dig into these free goodies, however, it's good to know a few things. First and foremost, free often means more than just "cost-free"; it usually means "free from support" as well. And then there's freeware that's actually donationware, which comes from a developer who's continuing to improve it and requests that happy users make a donation to support that effort. If you're looking for support, a donation is an excellent way of getting a developer's attention.

We've compiled a list of our favorite freeware apps, but there are thousands more where these came from - check out VersionTracker and MacUpdate to find more.

Productivity

If you can't be productive with your Mac, you can't justify buying a new one. Use these nuggets when you need to quit wasting time and get stuff done.

Quicksilver b51 - Launcher on steroids ... and acid

You need: Mac OS 10.4 or later

Forget what you know about finding and launching documents and apps. Once you grok the way Quicksilver does its magic, you'll amaze yourself with how you can simply type a few quick keystrokes to magically make your Mac do your bidding.

Use Quicksilver to launch any app or open any file on your Mac.

More...

NeoOffice 2.1 - Free replacement for Microsoft Office

You need: Mac OS 10.3 or later Based on the OpenOffice.org code base, this package includes replacements for Microsoft's Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and Draw. NeoOffice takes it all one step further and makes a fully Mac-ified experience, so you don't need X11 or anything else to make it work - and yes, it reads and writes MS Office file formats natively. Dude, it's free - go get it.

NeoOffice works so well that we wrote parts of this article with it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

TextWrangler 2.2.1 - BBEdit's (mature) little brother

You need: Mac OS 10.4 or later (version for Mac OS 10.3.5 through 10.3.9 also available)

Need to edit text files on an FTP server, rewrap a busted-up email, sort a list of names, or even write some HTML, Perl, or PHP? Go get TextWrangler - we did, and we use it every day on MacLife.com. Based on Bare Bones Software's BBEdit engine, TextWrangler is one of the most valuable pieces of freeware you'll ever leech down to your computer. It's not often you get software this good for free, folks.

TextWrangler lets you edit and manipulate text in many different ways.

More...

Utilities

We all need to keep our Macs running smoothly, and these free utilities are the key to getting - and staying - there.

MenuMeters - Compact, thorough system-activity monitor

You need: Mac OS 10.2 or later

Something that should simply be included with Mac OS X, MenuMeters is an excellent way to monitor your system's health and status. This System Preference pane allows you to put disk, CPU, memory, and network usage graphs and readouts in your Mac's menubar, giving you at-a-glance access to vital system stats.

With MenuMeters, you can easily see what your Mac is up to.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OnyX 1.7.8 - Multifunctional Mac OS X maintenance utility

You need: Mac OS 10.4 or later (version for Mac OS 10.1.5 through 10.3.x also available)

OnyX is a must-have utility for any Mac OS X user. Allowing you to run all of the standard (and some not-so-standard) system maintenance tasks, clean your Mac's caches, and even customize your Mac-using experience, OnyX will help keep your Mac running smoothly.

Use OnyX to help keep your Mac clean and running well.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Mactracker 4.2 - Details about every Mac (and clone) ever released

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later (versions for Mac OS 10.2 through 10.2.8, Windows 2000/XP/Vista, and iPod also available)

The next time your old college roommate calls and asks you what kind of memory she needs to upgrade her Power Computing PowerCenter Pro, you'll have the answer right at your fingertips, thanks to Mactracker. You could even use this to host a Mac geek party and play all the startup chimes from every Mac ever made. The fun never stops!

A whopping 16MHz in 1989 - how did we ever survive?

More...

Internet

Having a Mac that's not connected to the Internet is like running a three-legged race with only two legs. Er ... um ... well, it's just not as fun.

Firefox 2.0 - Customizable, standards-compliant Web browser

You need: Mac OS 10.2 or later

If you want to trick out your browser, get Firefox - it's so hip and customizable, it can be your low-rider and monster truck at the same time. From weather status to Web-design help to themes that customize the look of your browser, there are thousands of add-ons to make Firefox more fun and more useful - check out p78 for some of our favorites.

Firefox gives you ultimate browsing flexibility.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Cyberduck 2.7.3 - Mac-savvy FTP utility

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Certainly, Mac OS X has a few built-in ways of using FTP, but none of them are as easy to use as Cyberduck. From Bonjour support to Spotlight integration, this app speaks fluent Mac. It'll even hand text files back and forth with TextWrangler - that's a can't-miss freebie twofer!

Use Cyberduck to manage all of your FTP connections.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chicken of the VNC 2.0b4 - Remote desktop control

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Ever need to control another Mac across the country (or even across the room) but you're too cheap to pop the $299 (10 systems) or $499 (unlimited systems) for Apple's Remote Desktop? Well, by enabling VNC support in Mac OS X Tiger and downloading Chicken of the VNC, you can do it all without spending one thin dime.

Use VNC to see and control the desktop on other Macs - or even Windows or Linux machines.

More...

Audio & Video

The Mac rocks when it comes to audio and video stuff, and these apps will make sure that you rock right along with it.

VLC Media Player 0.8.6b - Multiformat movie and audio player

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

VLC picks up where QuickTime Player leaves off. There are plenty of video formats that just don't play properly in QuickTime, and for those (and others), VLC is your go-to app.

VLC plays movies that QuickTime Player wouln't touch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

HandBrake 0.8.5b1 - Rip DVDs to your Mac or iPod

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Just pop your DVD into your Mac, and HandBrake will convert it to a file playable by QuickTime or on your iPod. Just make sure you're not breaking the law when you do it, OK?

Handbrake's interface doesn't look pretty, but the movies it creates sure do.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Audacity 1.3.2 beta - Full-featured audio editor

You need: Mac OS 10.3 or later

With Audacity, you can easily take audio files, edit them, cut them up, stitch them together, and even record them from scratch. Audacity now supports Audio Units plug-ins, as well.

Support for multiple file types makes Audacity a real workhorse.

More...

Flip4Mac - Play Windows Media (WMV) files in QuickTime Player

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later, QuickTime 6.5 or later

This great piece of software allows you to easily play Windows Media files right inside of QuickTime Player. Note that Flip4Mac doesn't support protected files - those are only playable inside Windows itself.

Use this to play those pesky Windows Media files on your Mac.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Crystal 2.4.9d - Software synthesizer

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

The next time you get a hankering to create that perfect synth sound for your space odyssey, there's a good bet Crystal can help. This multitimbral synth provides almost limitless possibilities from which you can create the perfect soundtrack for when the Ewoks are being eaten by Mothra.

Tweak to your ear's content.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

MDA Free AU Effects, Sept. 2005 Edition - Free effects for GarageBand and more

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Whether you want to be Jan Hammer with a ring modulator, Joe Walsh with a great talk box, or Jimmy Smith with a Leslie, this free bundle of effects is an awesome place to start.

Set it, forget it, and just jam, man.

BONUS TIP: GarageBand Plug-ins

One of the cool things about GarageBand is that you can customize it with additional plug-ins and instruments. We've provided a couple of our favorites here, but if you want more, visit sites such as MacMusic or Hitsquad Musician Network and customize your own GarageBand library.

More...

SUPPORT

Though the Mac is clearly the most stable computing platform around, that doesn't mean it's perfect, nor does it mean that we - as Mac owners - always know how to do everything with our machines. Luckily, you can get good support for free if you know where to look.

Genius Bar

If an Apple Store happens to have sprouted up near your house, you can take advantage of the Genius Bar. And the name is accurate - these folks can be of help with everything from fixing your malfunctioning Mac to showing you the ins and outs of GarageBand. Go online to www.apple.com/retail to make an appointment (or simply call the store directly if your Mac is too sick to get online) and then head on in. Regular Joe customers can reserve appointments the day of, but a $100 ProCare card gets you 14-day advance access to appointments. In hella-busy markets such as New York or San Francisco, that may be the best 100 bucks you'll ever spend.

MUGs

MUGs - Mac User Groups - are great resources. Your local MUG is a network of fellow Mac users with whom you can share tips and all sorts of Mac geekery. If you're not sure what's available near you, visit www.apple.com/usergroups to find your closest MUG.

Help on the Web

There are a ton of Web sites where you can tap some knowledgeable Mac gurus and get answers to your questions.

Mac Owners Support Group. You'll find an Apple-endorsed online user group full of some exceptionally knowledgeable, helpful, and active members.

MacFixIt Forums. You'll find another great site full of thousands of devoted geeks ready to share their wisdom with you.

Apple Discussion Groups. Though the quality has diminished since Apple eighty-sixed all of its paid moderators, you'll still find some active volunteers answering questions and keeping things moving.

Podcasts

There are many podcasts dedicated to helping you get the most out of your Mac. Most of these shows will take questions by email as well as voice mail, allowing you to phone in a question that might get answered on the air.

MacCast. Though this show definitely includes quite a bit of news, it has a healthy support aspect to it as well.

The Mac Observer's Mac Geek Gab. Hosted by two longtime Mac geeks (including your humble author), this show often focuses on addressing questions sent in by listeners.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

VOICE CALLING

Apple opened Pandora's box when it let us start audio- and video-chatting with other Mac users via iChat AV - but the conversation doesn't stop there. A few other apps and platforms have cropped up, letting you chat not just with other Mac users, but with folks on all sorts of computers.

Skype 2.5 - Free (or very cheap) phone calls

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

If you haven't already heard of Skype, you must not get out much. Simply put, Skype not only lets you place free voice and video calls to other computer users (including people using Windows and Linux), but also includes a link to the "real" world, letting you call U.S.-based landlines, as well, for a small fee. The quality of the sound is many times better than that of iChat AV, though Skype basically requires you to use headphones while making calls - it doesn't hold a candle to iChat's near-perfect speakerphone capabilities. That said, Skype is way better at dealing with firewalls and routers than iChat, and it can be a real thing of beauty if you're in an office or hotel that has a funky network. Pay options include voice mail, SMS messaging, and international calling.

Gab away - for free - with Skype 2.5.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gizmo Project - Not quiiiiite as good as Skype, but cheaper calling landlines

You need: Mac OS 10.3.9 or later

Similar to Skype, Gizmo is a crossplatform (Mac, Windows, Linux) chat client, though currently it only supports audio, not video. Calls to other Gizmo users (including to their landlines and cell phones) are free, but outgoing calls to anyone else's landline or cell will cost you a few cents - a penny per minute in the U.S. Gizmo does have echo cancellation to make for a more natural speakerphone-type experience, and it also includes a way of recording your calls, which can be quite handy when talking to absent-minded coworkers or family members.

More...

GOOGLE STUFF

Docs & Spreadsheets

The Google dudes and dudettes know their interactive Web stuff. Docs & Spreadsheets lets you edit files right in your Web browser. You can start from scratch or simply upload your existing Word or Excel files. You can also collaborate with other folks on a single document, and it tracks revisions better than Word itself.

Edit text and spreadsheets right in your Web browser from any computer, Mac or PC.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Gmail

Yes, .Mac Mail has a spiffy new interface, but it ain't free, and it ain't as slick as Gmail. With the best Web interface around, nearly 3GB of storage per account, and Google Search to pore through it all, Gmail is one of the true gems of the free-stuff-on-the-Web world.

Free Web mail has never been so tasty.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Earth Release 4

Perhaps one of the coolest time-wasters in history, Google Earth lets you take yourself on a tour of basically anywhere on the planet. Just type in an address or even the name of your favorite restaurant, and though the combined power of Google's search engine, satellite images, and maps, you'll be taken there. Then you can float around, rotate your view, zoom in and out, and really suss things out. You can even plan routes and let Google Earth "fly" them while you watch.

Not much escapes Google Earth - including the Apple campus.

More...

MUSIC

Pandora

Tell Pandora about music you like, and it will create a custom Internet radio station for you. Continue rating songs as you listen to them, and soon you'll be in musical bliss.

FreeMacMusic

A ton of free music is available on the Web, and the kind folks at FreeMacMusic.com can help you find a tasty, steaming heap of it.

eMusic

Even though eMusic isn't free forever, you can still get 25 free tunes from them, and the MP3s will work fine on your iPod. Get 'em while they're hot!

Which 25 of the available 2 million songs do you want?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Music Downloads

Though the RIAA and MPAA have done their part to make sure that most everyone even thinking about downloading music or movies from the Web rots away in a cold, dark cell (or, at the very least, is threatened with such), there are plenty of places on the Web where you can still get free, quality tunes. There are lots of artists who'll happily share their music with you for free, in hopes of furthering their art and expanding their fan base.

Internet Archive. Literally hundreds of thousands of audio files - including more than 30,000 concerts - are freely available.

CNET Music. Find free streaming music from some of your favorite artists.

FreeMacMusic. Pop on over to find reviews of and links to music, all categorized by genre.

GoingWare. Check out to find links to thousands of sites that offer free music downloads.

Artist Direct. Music and videos from top stars are available for your edification and enjoyment.

Get free music and videos from big-name folks.

Podcast Like a Pro

Niko Coucouvanis — Sun, 30 Apr 2006 22:50:00 -0500

1. PODCAST TRACK: Manage an enhanced podcast's artwork and Web links here.
2. LOOP LIBRARY: Click the eye icon to load your loops.
3. TRACK EDITOR: Flips into Chapter Manager mode when the Podcast Track is present.
4. ART-ANNOTATED CHAPTER MARKERS: Spice up your audio podcast.
5. MUSICAL TYPING: Play your Mac's keyboard like a piano.
6. MEDIA BROWSER: All of your other iLife stuff is right here.
7. DUCKING CONTROLS: Twiddle the arrows to set which tracks cause others to duck in volume.

WHAT YOU NEED
> Mac OS 10.3.9 or later
> GarageBand 3 or later ($79, part of iLife '06, www.apple.com)
> Microphone (optional)

GarageBand's Podcasting Studio makes it easier than ever to crank out a righteously professional-sounding podcast, complete with sound effects, atmospheric background music, snappy intro and outro jingles - even chapters, artwork, and Web links. With this awesome power at your disposal, it'd be a crime to make a boring, plain-Blaine podcast - here's how to avoid that.<

Step 1: Enter the Podcasting Studio

Launching GarageBand presents you with some options for making a new project. Select New Podcast Episode, and give your project a name in the dialog that follows. The new podcasting project comes preloaded with a Podcast Track, Male Voice and Female Voice tracks, and tracks for Jingles and Radio Sounds. If you're creating a one-person show and you're in a hurry, just click either of the voice tracks, click the red Record button, and have at it. When you're done speaking, click Record again to stop.

Start with a New Podcast Episode-starting a regular project and adding a Podcast Track later isn't the same.

Step 2: Record It in iChat

If you're making a one-person podcast, proceed to the next step. In this step, you'll record an iChat conversation to spice up your podcast with a compelling guest interview. Or you can use it for some private blackmail fodder-whatever suits your fancy. To record the chat, simply set up GarageBand as in the previous step, but before pressing Record, fire up iChat and initiate a chat with your victim - er, "guest" - by double-clicking the phone or camera icon by his or her name in your Buddy List. Alternately, you can highlight the person's name on your Buddy List and select Buddies > Invite To Audio Chat. And FYI, you can't record a chat initiated by someone else-this trick only works if you initiate the chat. Once your chatee accepts the chat (and you disclose that you're recording the conversation), press GarageBand's Record button; GarageBand will alert you that it's detected an audio chat and confirm that you'd like to record. When you're done, click the Record button again; if the playhead keeps moving, press Play to stop it.

This is GarageBand's way of saying "Quiet on the set!"

Step 3: Add Effects on the Fly

If you're quick on your feet, you can play GarageBand's sound effects while recording your monologue or iChat interview. A piano-style USB keyboard makes this easier, but you can use GarageBand's onscreen keyboard and tickle the ivories with your mouse. Select Window > Keyboard and click the Radio Sounds track to highlight it, which also activates the keyboard. Plink around until you find the sounds you want. To load a different sound-effect kit, double-click the track title in the Track List to open the Track Info window (or choose Track > Show Track Info). Keeping Sound Effects highlighted in the left-side list, switch to Applause And Laughter, Comedy Noises, or Radio Sounds to load podcast-appropriate sounds. When you're ready to really dig in, click the Details triangle and use its check boxes and pull-down menus to create some truly bizarre sounds via the onscreen keyboard.

You could spend days tweaking your sound effects here.

Step 4: Master Musical Typing

You can play Sound Effects by poking around on GarageBand's onscreen keyboard, but tickling the ivories with your mouse is annoying-so use your Mac's keyboard instead. Select Window > Musical Typing, and highlight the Radio Sounds track or another Software Instrument track. Click the eye icon, navigate to a sound effect or loop you want to use, and drag it from the loop drawer onto the key you want to assign it in the Musical Typing window - sweet! You can assign your own sounds to every key on the board -and cooler yet, if your interview is rife with choice sound-bite fodder, you can isolate a segment by loading its clip into the Track Editor (double-click the clip) or simply highlighting the clip and selecting Edit > Split a couple of times. Drag the segment directly from the timeline to any key in the Musical Typing window.

Not only can you type via the QWERTY keyboard, you can assign it your own sounds.

Step 5: Proper Post-Production

At least half the fun of podcasting comes from adding all the rockin' radio-style jingles, zany zingers, and stupid sound effects. Of course, you'll want way more of them than you can cram in while recording the live vocal track(s) - and that's where post-production comes in. To pepper your podcast with wackiness, highlight the Jingles track, and if your loops aren't loaded, click the eye icon to open the Loop Browser; then press the podcast icon to load the Jingles, Stingers, and Sound Effects. For the standard talk-radio format, drop matching Jingles at the beginning and end of the show, before and after any commercial breaks (hey, it could happen), and anywhere else you need a little pause in the action. The real fun is in the Stingers and Sound Effects; insert sound effects at will by dragging them into position on the Jingles track or another Software Instrument track (click the plus-sign icon to add another).

You can have all kinds of fun with podcast sound effects

BONUS TIP: Raise the Bar
If your podcast has a perfect fade-out ending, GarageBand might cut off the tail end. To prevent fadeus interruptus, click the Cycle Region button to activate the orange Cycle bar in the timeline, and then click and drag the end of the Cycle bar out a few measures past the end of the project.

Step 6: Don't Forget to Duck!

Mixing spoken content with sound effects requires ducking-dropping the volume of the background to ensure the important stuff gets heard. How low you duck your background music is up to you, but we can tell you how to set it: If you started GarageBand with a new podcast or movie-score project, you'll see the ducking controls on each audio track-otherwise, select Control > Ducking. Click the up arrow on lead tracks and the down arrow on tracks you want to duck out of the way. The track-volume slider only controls the track's regular volume; to fine-tune your ducking, open the Track Info pane (press Command-I or select Track > Show Track Info) and select Master Track. Find the Ducking Amount slider near the bottom of the window, and slide it up toward 100 to increase the amount of ducking-remember, the higher you set the ducking, the quieter the sound effects get when you talk.

Define your duck: You specify how low the background sounds duck to avoid the vocals.

Step 7: Enhance Your 'Cast

Now that you've got the audio portion of your podcast squared away, click the Podcast Track to add enhancements such as chapter markers, Web links, and episode artwork. Remember, if you recorded an iChat AV interview, all of the participants' chat icons (or iSight snapshots) get automatically added to the Podcast Track each time the participants speak.

In Podcast mode, GarageBand's Track Editor magically sprouts a Chapter Marker manager; click the Media Browser icon to load your iPhoto library. Drag a photo from the Media Browser directly into the timeline or Chapter Marker manager, or click the Add Marker button and drag in your artwork later. Click the placeholder text fields (Add Title Here, URL Title, URL) to add chapter titles and Web links. You can later rearrange the order of the Chapter Markers by dragging the regions (each Chapter Marker designates the beginning of a new region) around in the timeline, or by altering the numerical value in the Time column. Don't try dragging Chapter Markers around in the Track Editor - that only moves the art, not the marker itself. And don't forget to drag an image into the Episode Artwork pane - this is the equivalent of album-cover art, so make sure it looks good.

You can even embed Web links into your podcast - so where's that wireless Web-browsing iPod?

Step 8: Stop, Drop, and Crop

Shrinking photos you want to use as podcast art down to iPod-friendly postage-stamp size doesn't require launching iPhoto. Just double-click any piece of artwork in the Track Editor (including the Episode Artwork and Podcast Preview images) to load that image into GarageBand's Artwork Editor; use the slider to scale the image, and then drag the image to adjust what appears in the visible center of the crop frame.

Who says that size doesn't matter?

BONUS TIP: No iLife? No Problem!
GarageBand is the easiest way to crank out a killer podcast, but 79 bucks is 79 bucks. These Web sites offer tools, tips, and even online hosting for your podcasting pursuits-and the basic services are free with registration.
GarageBand.com's Podcast Studio (www.garageband.com/podcast) seems like it's wearing a target for Apple's lawyers.

> podOmatic (www.podomatic.com) provides a selection of canned George W. Bush answers for your fake-interview pleasure.
> Odeo.com (www.odeo.com) can pipe your podcast directly to the iTunes Music Store's Podcast directory.
> ClickCaster (www.clickcaster.com) currently a free beta, promotes your own on-demand radio show.

See Who's Sharing iTunes

Niko Coucouvanis — Sun, 01 Jan 2006 16:59:59 -0600

WHAT YOU NEED
- iTunes 5 or later (free, www.apple.com/itunes)
- Mac on a network with iTunes sharing enabled
- iTunes Monitor (free, http://mac.softpedia.com/get/Audio/iTunes-Monitor.shtml)
- Bonjour Browser (free, www.tildesoft.com/Programs.html)

Mom may have taught you that sharing is good, but we know that snooping is even better. Case in point: It's nice to share your iTunes library with your peers over the network at school or work - but it's even better to eavesdrop on those peers and find out what kind of music they're listening to when they think nobody's paying attention.

Step 1: The Setup

If your Mac isn't set up to share your iTunes playlists, start here. If you're already sharing, go to step 2. Open up iTunes > Preferences, and click Sharing. Check the Share My Music box, and decide whether you want to share your whole iTunes library or only specific playlists, then type a name for your shared stuff. (This appears in other users' iTunes Source lists). Leave the password blank to make people feel welcome - and to maximize your chances of busting them grooving to Barry Manilow.

Share and share alike.

Step 2: The Snooper

Download iTunes Monitor (free, www.ebyss.net/pages/software.html). Drag the app into your Mac's Applications folder, and double-click to launch it. The iTunes Monitor window displays a list of connected users and any files in your Music folder that are in use - but it doesn't dig into nested subfolders. If you're not scared of a little Unix action, you can dig deeper.

Find out who's connected and what song files are open.

Step 3: lsof: Unix's Secret Weapon

Launch the Terminal (/Applications/Utilities), type lsof, and press Return to see a list of every open file on your Mac-ours returned a list of over 1,000 files. To limit lsof's range, type the following: lsof +D /Users/user name/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Music -i. The +D option limits lsof to files inside the specified directory, including all of its subdirectories, while -i limits the search to files opened over your network. The results show any open files in your Music folder as well as the connected user's machine name, which is often the user's name or some truncation of it, but savvy users can change their Mac's reported name via System Preferences' Sharing pane - notice in the screenshot that we renamed our Mac Dumbo.

Who knew Rik and Roman were such metalheads?

Step 4: Browse Bonjour

We changed our Mac's name to Dumbo, but our iTunes share is called Guilty Pleasures. Here's how to connect the dots to see who's hiding behind an innocuous share title such as, say, Guilty Pleasures. First, type lsof +D /Users/user name/Music/iTunes/iTunes\ Music -i -n in the Terminal, and press Return. The -n option tells lsof not to convert network numbers to host names, so now Dumbo appears as 10.15.5.83. Fire up Bonjour Browser (free, www.tildesoft.com/Programs.html) for a report on all Bonjour traffic on the local subnet. Scroll down Bonjour Browser's list to iTunes Music Sharing (_daap._tcp.), click the disclosure triangle to see all the local iTunes sharers, and click on any share's triangle to reveal the source's IP address. In our screenshot, Guilty Pleasures is coming from 10.15.5.83-the same number lsof returned in place of Dumbo. This won't tell you what songs Mr. 10.15.5.83 (aka Guilty Pleasures, aka Dumbo) is listening to, but it will show you which iTunes share is his.

Bonjour Browser connects the dots.