Technology Today

Technology Today: Adobe Creative Suite 4

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:40:45 -0400

Zoom In Online’s Aanarav Sareen speaks with Chad Siegel about Creative Suite 4, it’s core enhancements and useful tips.

Technology Today: Lou Gimenez

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:25:15 -0400

The Music Lab Recording Studio is a primarily post production studio that rests in Elmont NY, just a short trip from downtown Manhattan. Music Lab has found itself continually adapting to the rapid changes in today audio industry by embracing the latest technology and utilizing it right along side the traditional analog systems that helped define the sound of recorded music. Zoom In's Matthew Hendershot sat down with studio owner and operator Lou Gimenez to discuss his open minded attitude about working with analog and digital side by side. Lou discusses his not only the philosophical reasons for the technology tag team, but also the specifics of how is system is set up and operated.

Technology Today: Brian Gary

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:53:33 -0400

Jefferson Davis is one of those historical figures who gets lost between the lines of history textbooks. He held the important position of President of the Confederacy during the Civil War, but little else is widely known about the man. Filmmaker Brian Gary of Flying Chaucer Films set out to learn all he could about Davis and put together a three-part documentary miniseries titled Jefferson Davis: An American President. In this episode of Technology Today, guest host Andy Beach spoke with Brian Gary, an award-winning writer, producer, director, and editor, about his latest project. They discuss how the documentary, a five-year-long project, was brought from pre- to post-production in a rather unconventional way, beginning with the shooting process. Gary also touches on his process for editing and mastering the film throughout many technology changes and system upgrades. This episode of Technology Today is a co-production with Inlet Technologies.

Technology Today: Associated Content

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 11:22:17 -0400

For an aspiring writer, the biggest thrill is getting published, but it can often be a futile effort. Associated Content is looking to change that by accepting submissions from anyone, which they then distribute to their partners. Work is accepted in a number of formats, from standard text to audio and video content. But AC is quick to dispel any Wikipedia comparisons; each article submitted goes through a rigorous editing process with their team of professional editors. In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online's Nick Carbone sits down with Dan Shanoff, Vice President of Content at Associated Content to discuss the company's efficient editing process, marketing partnerships with retail companies, and monetary incentives for exclusive content and returning writers.

Technology Today: Pond5

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:26:42 -0400

Pond5 seeks to be the premier stock footage provider for the video world. For producers who need that perfect shot or simply find themselves pressed for time, enter Pond5. This recent start-up already has a library of 50,000 stock clips available in broadcast quality for modest prices. In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online's Mike Raffensperger sat down with Pond5 CEO Tom Bennett to discuss his company's philosophy, how anyone can submit footage to the site and stand to profit, and their planned expansion of video formats and subject matter.

Technology Today: Frontline

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:06:24 -0400

Frontline has received two Webby People's Voice Awards for Best Online Documentary Series and Best Individual Episode in a News & Politics Series. Zoom In's Andy Beach interviewed Joe Rubin, producer, curator and host of Frontline/World's iWitness, their new series which airs on the web. He shows how new technologies are used to connect people from around globe and help them report events often missed by mainstream media, including a reporter from the virtual world Second Life. He also explains the basic premise of the series, how technology is used for its realization, and the ultimate impact it has made.

Technology Today: StadiumRed

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 16:48:14 -0400

Claude Zdanow is 20 years old. He's also the owner and manager of the successful studio StadiumRed. In a space once owned by free jazz innovator Ornette Coleman, StadiumRed sets the perfect environment for its high-end clients. In this episode of Technology Today, Claude Zdanow gives Zoom In's Matthew Hendershot a private tour of StadiumRed. He also talks about how he founded his first studio when he was only 15 years old, his production work with Omen Brown, Mya, and Ludacris, and the benefits of the digital age including programs such as Apple's Logic Studio.

Technology Today: Pinnacle

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 13:23:06 -0400

Pinnacle Systems has been a staple of the growth in digital media over the past two decades. Their upgrade for Studio 12 features more audio controls, ready-to-go templates, and Magic Bullet plugins. Zoom In's Mike Raffensperger sat down with Senior Product Manager Travis White to discuss Studio 12's new features, the profile of current and potential users, and what distinguishes it from other editing systems.

Technology Today: Blue Sky International

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 17:06:58 -0400

Blue Sky International is an audio marketing and distribution corporation with a full range of monitoring solutions that offer a high quality sound experience. The Blue Sky corporate philosophy is to design each product to represent the highest ratio of performance to cost. In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In's Matthew Hendershot speaks with Blue Wilding of Audio Agent - the East and West Coast representatives of Blue Sky. Together Matt and Blue discuss purity of audio product design, hardware value, and the metamorphosis of listener expectation in the world of compact/portable music devices.

Technology Today: Flock

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:53:12 -0400

The web browser Flock. entered the public domain in late 2007. Based off of Mozilla's Firefox codebase, it stands alone in the way it integrates social networking and media services such as Facebook, Gmail, Flickr, and YouTube. Flock has already won several awards since its recent public debut, including a Webby in Social Networking. In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online’s Mike Raffensperger sits down with Shawn Hardin, CEO of Flock to discuss Flock's special features, the company's quick rise to the top, as well as what comes next.

Technology Today: Garret Camp, Founder of StumbleUpon

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 17:45:30 -0400

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online’s Mike Raffensperger speaks with Garret Camp, the founder of the Stumble Upon browser toolbar. This personalized content engine directs people to some of the best sites the web has to offer, tailored to their individual tastes. They discuss what makes Stumble Upon unique from other media-discovery tools, as well as how users, publishers, and advertisers might best take advantage of it.

Technology Today: Firefox 3

Wed, 28 May 2008 10:25:03 -0400

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In's Mike Raffensperger speaks with Mike Beltzner and Vladimir Vukicevic about the upcoming release of Mozilla Firefox 3. As the second most popular web browser in the world, the three discuss Firefox's new additions, under-the-hood improvements, and aesthetic malleability.

Technology Today: Robert Brock

Tue, 27 May 2008 16:33:12 -0400

In this episode of Technology Today, Matthew Hendershot interviews Robert Brock, Head of the Digital Department at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences. The department has recently integrated digital solutions across programs at CRAS, outfitting students with a loaded laptop as part of their enrollment. "They literally have a production facility with them at all times," says Brock. He's also spearheaded a more robust use of the web to submit and share projects.

Technology Today: Tony Grund of IK Multimedia

Fri, 16 May 2008 15:42:41 -0400

IK Multimedia Production is an international music software company founded in 1996 that develops innovative products for the purpose of revolutionizing the way people compose and play music on their personal computers. In this episode of Technology Today, the IK Multimedia Northeast Territory Manager and Echostream Producer, Tony Grund, visits Zoom-In's studios to talk about IK Multimedia's latest product offerings with Matthew Hendershot. Promoting the mantra "Musicians First", Grund explains how IK Multimedia has continued their leadership in software development by releasing the SampleMoog and SampleTron workstations, both of which offer rare and authentic instrument sounds, as well as the ARC system - the first acoustic correction system in a plug-in.

Technology Today: Bandmateloops

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:44:05 -0400

Billed as "the ultimate destination for music creation" Bandmateloops is a one stop shop for professional, distinct sounding loops. Zoom in Online's Matthew Hendershot sat down with Cary Galburt and Scott Shapiro, Vice President and President of SonicEmulations, Inc. (the backer of Bandmateloops) to discuss their online preview and delivery system, the explosion of digital audio, cross-platform interoperability and bringing music making back to the masses. As a special bonus, Bandmateloops is offering Zoom In Online listeners a 10% discount on any loop purchases. Just enter the code "zoomin08" in the coupon box during checkout.

NAB 2008: Canon announces XL H1s & XL H1A

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:23:22 -0400

In this Technology Today episode, Canon goes over their new product announcements of the Canon XL H1s and the Canon XL H1A HD Camcorders. Sponsored in part by the Zoom H2 and Zoom H4.

NAB 2008: Zaxwerks Pro Animator & Making It Look Great

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:23:22 -0400

In this Technology Today episode, Executive Producer Aanarav Sareen speaks with John Dickinson, a Zaxwerks evangelist regarding new product announcements from NAB 2008. Sponsored in part by the Zoom H2 and Zoom H4.

NAB 2008: Integration features of Production Premium CS3

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:23:22 -0400

In this Technology Today episode, Executive Producer Aanarav Sareen speaks with Hart Shafer, Sr. Product Manager of Adobe Production Premium. Hart provides various tips and tricks regarding some of integration features amongst the various applications as well as the different ways tools can be used. Sponsored in part by the Zoom H2 and Zoom H4.

Technology Today: Redmatica

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 10:34:57 -0400

Save time, resurrect old gear, make more music. That's the long and short of the newest product suite from Redmatica (www.redmatica.com) which includes Keymap, AutoSampler, and ExsManager. Zoom In's Mike Raffensperger caught up with Dino Virella, EVP of Sales for MV Pro Audio and Andrea Gozzi, a development insider from Redmatica to discuss this innovative new software package. Learn how Redmatica helps artists make better music faster, special integration with Logic 8 and early reactions from their international "Clinic Tour."

Technology Today: Adobe TV and Adobe Media Player

Wed, 09 Apr 2008 09:50:15 -0400

In this Technology Today episode, ZIO Pro Executive Producer, Aanarav Sareen discusses the newly launched Adobe Media Player and Adobe TV with Bob Donlon of Adobe Systems. To learn more about Adobe TV, visit http://tv.adobe.com.

Technology Today: Gregory Shiff

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:05:11 -0400

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In's Matthew Hendershot sits down with electronic music maven, Gregory Shiff. The New York-based musician, who also has the unique perspective of being a Tekserve technician, has released a wide range of music, from deep techno tracks on labels such as Persona, Lofi Stereo, and Ironbox to house tracks on Bedrock. Visit the site of his new label project, The Vacationist, to listen to select tracks from the first release The Trapeze Artist & The Tightrope Walker and find out why XLR8R is calling Shiff "New York City's master of all things tech and house...".

Technology Today: Jimmy Nichols

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:48:28 -0400

Faith Hill's musical director and keyboardist Jimmy Nichols took time out at the 2008 NAMM Show to talk with Zoom In Online's Matthew Hendershot about the technology behind large-scale arena shows. Among his tools are a NeKo keyboard and Logic Studio's Mainstage. But even with these high-end, high-tech tools, he's quick to switch over to a manual setup to go with the flow of a live show. Nichols also touches on country music's distribution difficulties, and how his Black River Music Group can help solve them.

Technology Today: Mix08 Interview with Guy Kawasaki

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:02:07 -0500

Technology evangelist, entrepreneur and venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki is currently the Managing Director at Garage Technology Ventures. An Apple Fellow, author of over eight books and frequent technology consultant, Guy shared his thoughts with Zoom In’s Daniel Chait at this year’s Mix08 about RSS feeds and how competition in software companies has moved beyond operating systems.

Technology Today: Mix08 Interview with Robert Scoble

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:02:06 -0500

Robert Scoble made his name blogging and now hosts two online shows on Fast Company TV. At Mix08 Zoom In’s Daniel Chait caught up with Robert for a discussion about Microsoft’s relevance on the internet, quick and dirty vlogging procedures, and how aesthetics now play a part in what hardware people choose.

Technology Today: Mix08 Interview with Tim Vercruysse

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:02:06 -0500

Silverlight and WPF are so helpful to creators and designers, that it’s easy to overlook how they benefit businesses. Tim Vercruysse, Software Development Director at Lava Trading, sat down for an interview with Zoom In’s Daniel Chait at Mix 08 about how analytics, algorithms, and other data can be fed through Silverlight to keep decision makers in the loop.

Technology Today: Mix08 Interview with Eric Zocher

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:02:05 -0500

What makes Microsoft’s Expression such a great tool? This question and many others were asked by Zoom In’s Daniel Chait when he sat down with Eric Zocher, Microsoft’s General Manager for Design Tools at Mix08. Eric also shared thoughts on Microsoft’s importance to the web and how a user can adapt to Expression when coming from backgrounds with other suites.

Technology Today: Bernardo Castilho, Chief Technology Office of Component 1

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:23:38 -0500

The keynote at this year’s Mix ’08 promised an improvement in designer/developer interaction. Bernardo Castilho, Chief Technology Office of Component 1, talks with Zoom In’s Daniel Chiat about this issue as well as the value of the upcoming Silverlight 2.0 platform and the efficiency of the Microsoft Expression toolset.

Technology Today: Christian Schormann, Director of Program Management for Microsoft Expression

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:23:38 -0500

While most of us take the software we use for granted, Christian Schormann, Director of Program Management for Microsoft Expression, does not. Zoom In’s Daniel Chiat caught up with him at this year’s Mix ’08, where they discussed Schormann’s path to Microsoft, the art of product design, and the improved user interactivity of Silverlight and WPF.

Technology Today: Anson Tsao, Senior Program Manager for WPF

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:23:37 -0500

Microsoft Silverlight is receiving a lot of hype, but how do you know if it can work for you? To answer that question, Zoom In’s Daniel Chiat caught up with Anson Tsao, Senior Program Manager for WPF, at this year’s Mix ’08. Anson also shed some light of the challenges and choices of deciding to use Silverlight or WPF.

Technology Today: On Location With RED & Final Cut Studio

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:05:02 -0500

Mark Pederson, Owner and Executive Producer of Offhollywood Studios, talks about his experiences with the RED camera, a boundary breaking technology that offers unparalleled HD imagery in digital format at a price point 1/10th that of similarly equipped cameras. He explains why RED camera is ‘indie-friendly’, and the workflow integrating Final Cut Pro. Zoom in Online's Megan Cunningham also hosted an in-depth podcast interview with Ted Schilowitz who proudly wears the title of 'Leader of the Rebellion' at RED. Listen to her full podcast interview http://www.zoom-in.com/apple/final-cut-studio/podcasts/exclusive_nab_interview_ted_schilowitz_leader_of_the_rebellion_red_camera

Technology Today: Bob Power

Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:29:32 -0500

Featured in this episode of Technology Today is the talented composer and Grammy-Award winning producer, Robert "Bob" Power. On his website www.bobpower.com, he writes: "A performance must be so honest and compelling that, even if you don't like what someone is into, you are drawn to it by the undeniable honesty and intensity". It is this M.O. that has drawn musicians like Erykah Badu, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and up-and-coming singer/songwriter Andrea Wittgens to seek out his expertise. Here, Bob discusses the producer's role as a "facilitator" and helper to the artist, and how the accessibility of modern technology allows people of all walks of life to try a hand at making music.

Technology Today: Mark "Spike" Stent

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 12:48:24 -0500

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom-In's Matthew Hendershot meets with Grammy award-winning producer and audio engineer, Mark "Spike" Stent, at the 2008 NAMM show. Benefiting from the work he's done with a varied clientele, including well-known acts such as Bjork, Madonna, and Massive Attack, and emerging bands such as Goldfrapp and The Feeling, the Brit-born innovator discusses the tender balance between appeasing the objectives of the major labels while remaining true to creative impulse.

Monty Mullig of TBS on P2P

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:39:20 -0500

Andy had a chance to sit down with Monty Mullig, the Vice President of Internet Technologies for Turner Broadcasting Technologies, Inc.. He talks about the future of major broadcasting in the digital age and the use of Peer2Peer Technology as a possible delivery format for not only Standard Definition video but High Definition Video in the near future.

Technology Today: Gerry Bassermann of Propellerhead

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 17:39:16 -0500

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom-In's Matthew Hendershot meets with the Director of North American Markets for Propellerhead, Gerry Bassermann, at the 2008 NAMM show. The two discuss Propellerhead's exciting new release of Reason version 4, a music system that comes equipped with a realtime, 32-channel timing and groove handling mixer, a monophonic appeggiator with multiple play modes, and the "everything synthesizer" aptly named Thor. With drastic improvements made to an already fantastic piece of software, Reason makes it easy to produce high-quality audio in a short amount of time.

Technology Today: Mark Saunders

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:44:00 -0500

Mark Saunders is a world-renowned record producer and engineer. In this episode of Technology Today, Mark shares his tales of working from the bottom up at West Side Studios in London, recounting his experience with Asia, Mick Jagger, David Bowie and many others. He guides us through a virtual tour of his Manhattan studio, Beat 360, and talks tech about his work with Shiny Toy Guns on their album We Are Pilots, which was recently nominated for a Grammy Award. For more on Mark and his studio visit www.marksaunders.com.

Technology Today: The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 17:10:29 -0500

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online's Matthew Hendershot speaks with Jeff Sobel, Chief Engineer for the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. Serving as a recording studio for popular artists such as John Legend, Black Eyed Peas, Wyclef Jean, and Fergie, the Bus is foremost a non-profit organization that makes audio engineering and video production equipment readily available to middle school, high school and college students. By offering exposure to a state-of-the-art multimedia studio, the Bus hopes to support and cultivate musical interest in kids while acting as a social forum for those who get on board. For more information visit: www.lennonbus.org

Technology Today: Euphonix

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:42:19 -0500

For over twenty years, Euphonix has been a leading manufacturer of large-format digital audio consoles and controllers. Their name has become synonymous with the highest in quality and performance, and their newest offerings, the Artist Series MC Mix and MC Control, are no exception. By combining their proprietary EuCon Ethernet protocol with beautifully designed, compact, and price competitive units, Euphonix has placed the power of professional control in the hands of the project studio engineer. In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom In Online's Matthew Hendershot sits down with Dirk Hagedorn and Daniel Christensen of Euphonix at NAMM to discuss the diverse functionality of these new products.

Technology Today: Apple's Product Manager, Bob Hunt, on Logic Pro 8

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 22:11:47 -0500

In this episode of Technology Today, Zoom-In Online's Megan Cunningham meets with Apple's Product Manager, Bob Hunt, to discuss the amazing response that Apple is receiving from both new and experienced users regarding Logic Pro 8. As the latest release from Logic Studio, this application has been redesigned to focus on enabling the creative individual to spend more time making great music, instead of figuring out the complicated mechanics found in most production software. From high-end music professionals, to the guy next door jamming out in his garage, the broad-ranged accessibility of Logic Pro 8 ensures that almost anybody can feel like a rockstar.

Technology Today: International Songwriter and Producer, Toby Gad

Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:38:45 -0500

In this special episode of Technology Today, Zoom-In Online's Matthew Hendershot visits international songwriter and producer, Toby Gad, at his production studio, Strawberrybee, in New York City. The two discuss Toby's inclination to work in a "rough environment" and simplify the equipment that he uses in production, so that he may capture the true essence of the artist with whom he's collaborating. Having worked with Billboard Chart toppers, such as Fergie and Hannah Montana, Toby also explains why the greatest recognition artists can receive is knowing that the music they create is geared to satisfy their own particular tastes, not what they think others want to hear.

Technology Today: Max Gutnick of Apogee Electronics

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:11:02 -0500

At the 123rd AES convention, Zoom-In Online's Matthew Hendershot spoke with Apogee's Director of Sales and Marketing, Max Gutnik, about the amazing response their newest hardware offerings (Duet and Ensemble) have been receiving from users. The two discuss how Apogee empowers the individual artist by creating hardware that unchains the musician from the studio environment without sacrificing top notch audio quality. From Symphony systems to the Ensemble and Duet, designed with Logic in mind, Apogee is aiming to make production easier, allowing musicians to concentrate on playing and making great music, not technology tweaking and complicated setups.

Technology Today: Film Composer James Schafer

Thu, 29 Nov 2007 11:31:45 -0500

In this video Technology Today segment we introduce up and coming film composer, James Schafer. James was the grand prize winner of the Turner Classic Movies (TCM) Young Film Composers Competition this year. James’ entry was selected from over 900 submissions to win a $15,000 cash prize, a Mac Pro audio production workstation and the opportunity to score the 1924 silent film Beau Brummel which will premiere on the TCM network. James offers a tour of his home studio about an hour outside of Los Angeles. He talks about his experience of the competition, and the new challenges ahead of him both technologically and creatively. He shows off his production rig (newly decked out, courtesy of Apple), and explains his workflow from home studio, to his various collaborators and finally to a recording stage.

Technology Today: AES 2007 Interview with Alec Little on Logic Studio's MainStage

Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:35:13 -0500

Zoom In Online’s Megan Cunningham met with Alec Little, Senior Product Manager at Apple, to discuss Logic Studio’s new application, MainStage. Recognizing the difficulty many performers experience in transferring the great sound that they create in the studio to the stage during live performances, Apple developed a simplified and customizable interface allowing performers to focus on their music while performing, instead of the various technical issues and effects. By following their mantra of “pushing software out of the creative process”, Apple created a program that offers users the ability to create highly innovative sounds without complicated stage setups.

Technology Today: Steve Thomas and Alex Westner of Cakewalk

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 15:35:13 -0400

At the 123rd AES convention, Zoom-In Online’s Matthew Hendershot sat down with Steve Thomas and Alex Westner of Cakewalk to discuss the latest version of their flagship product, Sonar 7. Cakewalk makes it easy for musicians to create individual mixes (using the 2000 instrument sounds offered by Sonar) and manage their playlists regardless of previous musical expertise. Packaged with the Rapture synthesizer and a driver that reads 40 channels of 24 bit, 96K audio digitally through an ethernet cable enabling streaming of live recordings from a V-mixer console, Sonar guarantees high-quality sound with easy accessibility.

Technology Today: AES 2007 Interview with Jim Cooper

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:55:53 -0400

At the 123rd AES convention, Zoom In Online’s Matthew Hendershot met with Jim Cooper, the Director of Marketing for Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU), a leading manufacturer of pro-audio interfaces and software. They discussed the premiere of MOTU’s new digital performer, MachFive 2, which boasts 32 GB of world-class sample material included in four dual-layer 8 GB soundbank DVDs. Other features include track-based pitch correction in real time and DP, universal compatibility with all major sound library and plug-in formats, and full surround production with six virtual instruments. Jim also talked about MOTU’s highly anticipated entry into the video broadcast market by presenting their new firewire video interface, the V3HD. With compatibility to Final Cut Pro for Mac and Adobe Premiere CS3 for Windows, the V3HD offers “plug-and-play ease” for non-linear editing. It allows you to capture native video and play it back in various formats, with 32 channels of audio I/O and a greater broadcast image quality.

Technology Today: AES 2007 Interview with Paul Fabey

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 09:55:53 -0400

Zoom In Online’s Matthew Hendershot stopped by the Lexicon booth at the 123rd AES convention in New York City to speak with Paul Fabey about their exciting new stereo and reverb effects processor, the PCM96. The two discussed the broad-ranging features available on this product, including new Room and Hall algorithms, an assortment of new mono reverbs and effects, and dual accessibility for both studio and live use. As a developer of PCM96, Paul shares several of the reasons why any musician, engineer, or sound producer would benefit from using this new product to customize their sound.

Technology Today: Steve Clarke of Minnetonka Audio Software

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:38:19 -0400

Zoom In Online’s Matthew Hendershot caught up with Steve Clarke of Minnetonka Audio Software from the floor of the 123rd AES convention. They discuss two of the company’s biggest offerings, Surcode and Diskwelder. Surcode is a widely used Dolby certified surround sound encoder used by game developers, film producers, post production houses and broadcast stations. Diskwelder is a new disk authoring technology that allows delivery of a wide range of surround sound formats including full-blown cinema style 7.1, standard 5.1 and LTRT – a two channel codec, taking up less space and setup than traditional delivery systems.

Technology Today: Francois Quereuil of DigiDesign

Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:29:46 -0400

Zoom In Online’s Matthew Hendershot visited the 123rd AES convention for a conversation with Francois Quereuil of DigiDesign. The two discuss recent hardware and software advancements coming out of DigiDesign, including additions to Icon and Venue, their flagship consoles. Icon, a premium mixing board used by the biggest engineers in the game (and their deep pocketed producers), has been integrated with ProTools 7.4, elevating it to an even greater level of flexibility for use in the professional studio. Venue, a digital console for live sound production also utilizes the ProTools upgrade to enable on-the-fly mixing concurrently with recording for live events.

Technology Today: Flashforward 2007 Interview with Jay Laird

Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:19:42 -0400

Zoom In Online's Todd Howard sat down with Jay Laird, CEO and lead game designer of Metaversal Studios at Flashforward 2007. Metaversal Studios is a game design company specializing in educational and socially responsible games with a heavy dose of humor. Laird's clients include Fidelity Investments, MTV's Shockwave.com, MIT, DJ Spooky, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the New England Aquarium. Current projects include "Geckoman," a Mario-platform styled introduction to nanotechnology being developed with Northeastern University and Boston's Museum of Science, "Clique Online," a multi-player online social game for tweenage girls, and "Shortfall", a National Science Foundation funded game that makes environmentally benign engineering and supply chain management fun for everyone! Jay and Todd discuss the state of Flash game development, tips for designers wishing to become designer-developers, some of the challenges in navigating the relationship between designers and developers on the same team, and some of his early inspiration in the field of gaming.

Technology Today: Flashforward 2007 Interview with Aral Balkan

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Zoom In Online's Todd Howard caught up with Aral Balkan at Flashforward 2007. Aral is the founder of Open Source Flash, the creator of SWX (a new native data exchange format for the Flash platform) and the author of the widely-used RIA framework, Arp. In his session entitled "Let's Talk About SWX, Baby!", he discussed how SWX allows developers to pull data into Flash by packaging blocks of data into SWF bytecode, allowing that data to be accessed by Flash. Aral's goal is to bring these various technologies together, making the developer's life easier. Aral is a published author and has contributed to several books and magazine articles. He is the author of the Adobe Flex 2 QuickStart Guides and has written six courses that cover topics ranging from introductory Flash and ActionScript 2 to Flex 2, ActionScript 3, best practices, and open source development. Todd and Aral discuss the ins and outs of SWX, the current state of Flash development, and working with existing API's. The conversation provides a great overview of how developers can use these new tools to re-purpose open source information in the way that they themselves imagine - not just in the way that the websites and organizations in question define it.

Technology Today: Sam Thomas, Part One

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:43:56 -0400

Sam Thomas, of Samiam Productions, is a fast rising audio engineer working in pop music. In 2006 he mixed six hit singles including songs with Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, B5 and Toni Braxton. Zoom In Online’s Matthew Hendershot caught up with Sam during a songwriting session with producer Bryan Michael Cox. In part two of their conversation, Sam explains why he is shifting DAW platforms from Pro Tools to Logic and shares some of his favorite plug-ins and virtual instruments. Matthew explores the creative side of this talented engineer and discovers a surprising revelation about the creation of Mary J. Blige’s hit single, “Be Without You”.

Technology Today: King Britt

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:43:55 -0400

King Britt's pioneering work is has been referred to as deep house, hip-hop, broken beat, nu-jazz, funk and afro-tech. An in-demand producer, he has worked with the likes of Macy Gray, Tori Amos, Curtis Mayfield, Everything but the Girl, and Digable Planets. He composed the score for the 2006 Michael Mann film Miami Vice, and his label/consulting firm company, FiveSixMedia, has worked on marketing initiatives for Toyota’s Scion and Motorola’s Razor brands. Britt’s released numerous albums as well to critical and commercial success and fills the role of band leader and music director of the Sylk130 collective, an ensemble of over a dozen top-tier performers based out of Philadelphia. Zoom In Online’s Megan Cunningham caught up with this songwriter, producer and DJ in his hotel room before a performance at the Museum of Natural History in New York City. Britt shares insights into his career arc, from early passions to late-game image management. He goes on to discuss Apple’s new Logic Studio, his favorite plug-ins, and the ever-changing landscape of music distribution.

Technology Today: Sam Thomas, Part Two

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Technology Today: Tim Grey of Microsoft on JPEG XR

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Zoom In Online’s Megan Cunningham visited Photoshop World for a conversation with Tim Grey, Director of the Pro Photo Community team at Microsoft. As Tim sees it, Microsoft’s role in the photo community is to be a problem solver. Under his direction, his engineering team has engaged in a great deal of research to uncover the difficulties facing professional photographers, advanced amateurs and the general consumer. Their solution? JPEG XR, an exciting new photo format that offers efficient, lossless, compression. What this means for photographers is that they will be able to capture the highest quality digital photographs at much smaller file sizes , as well as tap into new creative features like High Dynamic Range (HDR). Tim goes on to discuss what he sees on the horizon for the photo community.

Technology Today: Flashforward 2007 Interview with Mike Chambers

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 17:43:55 -0400

At Flashforward 2007 in Boston, Zoom In Online's Todd Howard held an in-depth interview with Mike Chambers, principal product manager for developer relations for Adobe AIR. AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime) is a cross-operating system runtime which will allow developers to leverage their existing web skills including Flash, Flex, HTML, Ajax, JavaScript, to build and deploy applications to the desktop. This is the next wave in RIA (Rich Internet Application) development, and Chambers is a big part of leading the charge. While most of Mike's time these days is filled with the lead up to the official release of Adobe AIR (the technology is currently in beta), and cruising around the country on an 18 city bus tour called "On AIR", he has spent the last eight years building applications that target the Flash runtime. During that time, he has worked with numerous technologies including Flash, Generator, .NET, Central, Flex, and Ajax. He is currently the Principal Product Manager for developer relations for Adobe AIR. He has written and spoken extensively on Flash and Rich Internet Application development and is coauthor of the Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide, Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocketguide, Flash Enabled: Flash Design and Development for Devices as well as Generator and Flash Demystified.

Technology Today: The RED Camera

Thu, 13 Sep 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Zoom In Online's Megan Cunningham dialed up Ted Schilowitz from the floor of IBC for a conversation about the launch of the what some consider the biggest shakeup in professional film and video making since the advent of digital editing, the RED camera. Ted, who proudly wears the title “Leader of the Rebellion” at RED, has quieted naysayers and disbelievers when the first RED camera’s hit the public market at the end of last month. Ted calls in from IBC to speak about RED’s philosophy of basing development on engineering and not marketing, which lead to a extremely flexible and upgradable camcorder, or as he puts it a “cam-puter”. Ted offers workflow specifics for the camera’s amazing digital imagery (six times the resolution of 1080p!) which, interestingly, is more akin to film than DV and goes on to suggest a typical configuration from the impressive laundry list of available options.

Technology Today: Codecs

Tue, 21 Aug 2007 17:43:55 -0400

In this episode of our Technology Today podcast series, Megan Cunningham sits down with Matt Cohen, principal and creative solutions expert at Tekserve. Their discussion covers the world of codecs; what they mean and why they matter. Matt walks through a professional television production shoot, explaining where generation loss occurs, how to minimize it and how acquisition formats affect post-production. He goes on to explain how to choose a video codec when delivering content for mobile devices as well as for a broadband audience. Considered the “Post Modern ER”, Tekserve regularly comes to the rescue with hardware fixes, software solutions and good old fashion advice for both the everyday user, and the unique demands of professional services. XM Radio, iN DEMAND Networks and NBC's team for the 2005 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, have all relied on Tekserve to bring out their best in media creation.

Technology Today: The New Audio Environment

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 17:43:55 -0400

In this episode of our Technology Today podcast series, Megan Cunningham sits down with Matt Cohen, principal and creative solutions expert at Tekserve. They discuss the new audio post production environment, the democratization of the process, replacement of hardware with software solutions and useful comparisons of top post production software tools. Considered the “Post Modern ER”, Tekserve regularly comes to the rescue with hardware fixes, software solutions and good old fashion advice for both the everyday user, and the unique demands of professional services. XM Radio, iN DEMAND Networks and NBC’s team for the 2005 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, have all relied on Tekserve to bring out their best in media creation.

Technology Today with Matt Cohen of Tekserve (Part Two)

Fri, 27 Jul 2007 17:43:56 -0400

In this episode of our Technology Today podcast series, Megan Cunningham sits down with Matt Cohen, principal and creative solutions expert at Tekserve. They continue their discussion of storage area networks from last week, outlining the differences between file level and volume level networks. Matt then offers advice on which solution might be right for you and the hardware needed to implement it. Considered the “Post Modern ER”, Tekserve regularly comes to the rescue with hardware fixes, software solutions and good old fashion advice for both the everyday user, and the unique demands of professional services. XM Radio, iN DEMAND Networks and NBC's team for the 2005 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, have all relied on Tekserve to bring out their best in media creation.

Technology Today with Matt Cohen of Tekserve (Part One)

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:43:56 -0400

In the inaugural launch of our Technology Today podcast series, Megan Cunningham sits down with Matt Cohen, principal and creative solutions expert at Tekserve. They discuss changing media technologies and their effect on creative professionals, with a focus on reemerging storage area networks (SAN). Matt goes on to offer software comparisons of top SAN and asset management utilities such as XSAN and Final Cut Server. Considered the “Post Modern ER”, Tekserve regularly comes to the rescue with hardware fixes, software solutions and good old fashion advice for both the everyday user, and the unique demands of professional services. XM Radio, iN DEMAND Networks and NBC’s team for the 2005 Winter Olympic Games in Torino, have all relied on Tekserve to bring out their best in media creation.

Lost Remote’s Steve Safran: Big Broadcast Meets New Media

Tue, 10 Jul 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Zoom In’s Andy Beach sat down with Steve Safran, the Managing Editor of Lost Remote, a popular blog and news source “where TV finds the future.” With 15 years experience in broadcasting and digital media, Steve has become a frequent presenter at national seminars and conventions on the future of news and citizen media. He and Andy discuss the challenges broadcasters face when transitioning from traditional to new media formats, the right way to develop content for the web, workable financial models for new media, and the impact of long tail distributive media.

Craig Barberich On Adobe Media Player

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Listen in on Andy’s chat with Craig Barberich, Group Product Manager for the new Adobe Media Player. Capitalizing on the near ubiquitous web presence of their Flash Player, the new Adobe Media Player will function right from your desktop. They discuss new RSS functionality for video content, advanced branding and advertising options for content creators and future plans for the player.

Olivier Garbe, CEO of Winnov

Thu, 31 May 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Debuting C-Box 3 at NAB, a product for encoding and distributing (and simultaneously archiving) live coverage of presentations. There are cameras which can be controlled real time through an operator interface and zoomed, panned etc.; audio can be mixed from multiple sources; the powerpoint being used can be captured screen by screen from the laptop, and all presented out to viewers (on site or over the internet) using Silverlight in a web based interface for viewing live or from archive on the web, and on mobile devices.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Nick Rashby, President of AJA

Mon, 07 May 2007 17:43:56 -0400

Todd Howard sat down with Nick Rashby to talk about the newly announced iO-HD - the portable miracle in a box that when mentioned and shown during Apple's 90 minute Keynote announcing Final Cut Studio 2 got as much if not more applause than any one spoke of the new Apple post production wheel. Is the iO-HD a relevant product for you and your production outfit? Find out in this exclusive interview with Nick Rashby, President of AJA.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Richard Townhill, Director of Pro Video Product Management at Apple

Tue, 01 May 2007 18:25:31 -0400

Megan Cunningham has a half-hour sit down with the Director of Pro Video Product Management at Apple, Richard Townhill, and discuss how Apple's newly announced Final Cut Studio 2 will take care of producer's needs - From Hollywood to Video-Blogging. They drill down into the real world details of actually working with the new ProRes 422 codec, how production companies will want to alter their workflow to leverage the power of Final Cut Server, using the new color grading application Color, and much more! This podcast is part of our exclusive NAB coverage in partnership with NAB and Future Media Concepts. Stay tuned for more interviews and coverage live from the show floor from Zoom In Online.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Sean Alexander, Director of Silverlight Media, Microsoft

Tue, 01 May 2007 17:43:55 -0400

Todd Howard interviewed Sean Alexander at NAB mere days after the surprise announcement of Redmond's new media player, set to take over where Windows Media Player left off... and a whole lot more. Find out how Microsoft plans to out-do past Web/Livingroom convergence attempts like Web TV and MS Media Center and give developers AND content creators unprecedented support in the deployment platform. Meet Silverlight. Alexander addresses how content creators will create Silverlight compatible files, what the workflow will be like for editors working in traditional NLE editing applications like Final Cut, Avid, Sony Vegas and Premiere Pro.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Rolf Hartley, Senior VP and GM of the Professional Products Group at Sonic Solutions

Tue, 24 Apr 2007 15:39:12 -0400

In this episode, Contributor Megan Cunningham and Rolf Hartley, Senior VP and GM of the Professional Products Group at Sonic Solutions, discuss HD DVDs and Blu Ray.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Simon Hayhurst & the Adobe CS3 Production Premium

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 16:18:02 -0400

Simon Hayhurst, Director of Product Management, Digital Video & Audio at Adobe, discusses Adobe's announcements, the demonstration of the new Adobe Production Premium Suite, its workflow, the tight integration of the whole suite, and what those upgrading can expect.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Mark Randall & the Adobe Media Player

Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:53:25 -0400

Todd Howard sat down with Mark Randall, Chief Strategist for Dynamic Media at Adobe, and discussed the new Adobe Media Player and its implications for both consumers and content creators.

Exclusive NAB Interview: Dig in to Final Cut Studio 2 with Evan Schectman

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:35:16 -0400

I had the privilege of having an incredibly insightful sit-down with Evan Schectman, CTO of Radical Media and Outpost Digital, where we talked in depth about all of the components of Apple's big reveal yesterday morning at NAB,which was Final Cut Studio 2. Evan and I discuss in great detail the ins and outs of Final Cut Pro 6 and the brand new Apple jewel, Color, as well as Motion 3, Soundtrack Pro 2, and Compressor 3. Evan shares his insights, and offers some very practical assessments about what was announced at the Apple NAB Keynote Sunday morning April 15th, 2007 at the Venetian in Las Vegas.

MacWorld Keynote Roundtable

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 17:43:56 -0500

Immediately after the 2007 keynote at Macworld Expo, Andy Beach, Peter Kirn, Matt Cohen, Todd Howard, & Jem Schofield sat down to discuss the new iPhone & Apple TV announcements. Recorded on January 9th at 12pm PST at Moscone North.

Voiceover Internet Protocol – Why It Matters to You

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:19:21 -0400

Guest Commenter Evan Schechtman goes deep inside Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP) to explain why it might change the way you use the internet.

10 Years of Flash – Video Podcast

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:19:46 -0400

As one of the most dynamic applications for creative content, Macromedia’s Flash has been at the forefront of digital content creation for a decade. Zoom In Online went to the Flash 10-year anniversary party and spoke with the top designers, developers, and product managers to get an inside look at this revolutionary application. The Flash community continues to grow, and we find out why it is the application of choice for rich media content creation.

Motion Graphics in the Classroom with Real World Clients; Video Game Emulators

Tue, 08 Aug 2006 13:13:37 -0400

Paul Lipsky from NYIT talks about bringing his students’ work to broadcast for the NCAA. Plus, guest commenter Even Schechtman on why there’s more to video game emulators than just nostalgia.

Web Analytics, Privacy Computer Filters

Tue, 25 Jul 2006 13:14:56 -0400

Marshall Sponder, blogger for Know More Media and Smart Mobs, discusses the growing importance of understanding and exploiting web analytics. Plus, Evan Schechtman gives his take on the privacy computer filters currently on the market.

Online Video Advertising, $100 Laptop

Tue, 18 Jul 2006 13:15:25 -0400

Deep Focus Founder and CEO Ian Schafer talks about his company’s innovative internet video promotions for shows like HBO’s Entourage. And guest commenter Evan Schechtman weighs in on the $100 laptop.

Books to Film; HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray

Tue, 20 Jun 2006 13:17:11 -0400

Evan Schechtman tells us why we should care about the battle over format, and explains the difference between HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. Plus, a primer on adapting books for the screen.

Audio Editing: The Politics of Digital Rights Management

Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:17:51 -0400

As an audio editor for Sony, Christopher Koch works with clients like MTV and VH1. He discusses the workflow for posting live concerts, how his background in music affects the way he works, and why producers should plan for the audio mix in pre-production. Plus, guest commenter Evan Schechtman delves into the politics surrounding digital rights management.