1. Have a smoking fast internet connection. I use Verizon Fios.
2. There are many ways to run skype and record it via software on the same computer. I don’t trust any of them.
3. Run skype on your PC and have your sound card set up so that you can monitor yourself in your headphones and hear the caller. I use a standard issue Dell laptop but add an external sound card. I use the Mobile PRE USB, which then allows me to record with my E/V N/D767a microphone (this is about $250 worth of stuff).
4. Instead of going to the headphones the audio out goes into a digital recorder. I use the Marantz PMD 660, which is more expensive than a lot of recorders but it is a lot more rugged, gets great sound, and sarcastic news audiophiles say it’s so simple even a reporter can use it.
5. Monitor the sound on the recorder, now you are listening to the final output.
6. If possible make sure your interview subject is using headphones and has a good microphone. One benefit of this method is that if your subject is not tech savvy you can still use Skype Out to get them on a regular phone and they will sound ok, and you will still sound great.

This is not the cheapest way to do it but it sounds great and it’s the safest way to go. If you are going to get only one shot at the interview this is the way to go.

Or click here to download

The Phone Tree Option in Order of Sound Quality:

Best – Skype to Skype
Still good – Skype to regular phone (Skype Out) A lot of people use this if your interview subject can’t handle skype (doesn’t have the bandwidth, or the technical skill).
Last Option – Phone to Phone

For skype to skype or skype to skype out, use one computer for skype and another, or a digital recorder to record, do not skype and record on the same machine (yes, I know, lots of people do skype and record on one machine, remember that you’ve only listened to their successes, you haven’t heard the files that were lost or ruined). Another benefit of this method is that you get full studio sound on your side.

Ways to do phone to phone: like most tech stuff, the trade offs are that cheap and/or easy are at the expense of sound quality.

One thing to test is cell vs. land line. Cell can be clearer, but if reception is an issue go to land line.

Another important factor – headsets are best, handset next, Polycom conference phone is rough, speakerphones are terrible.

Cheapest and easiest: Many conference call services, such as the good folks of TelSpan can record your conference call (I am a customer of theirs). Give your subject the number, tell the service in advance that you want this one recorded, and download an mp3 when you are done. This is as low a quality can go, but it does work.

Next, if you already have recording gear, put the subject on a polycom and record the room. You get studio sound on one side and this method is a good compromise on price / sound quality. The setup we use for Marketing Over Coffee (this link goes to a page with the full gear listing) is great for that, it’s about $600 but is NPR quality sound and durability. You can go cheaper, but the question is: “How screwed would you be if you lost an interview?” for some it’s no big deal, for others it may be once in a lifetime opportunity.

Most expensive – a device that operates as a phone but pulls the caller into your mixer and pushes your mic back down the line. I don’t know many people that go this route since skyping out is cheaper and better sound quality. But, it should be noted that JK Audio has a full assortment of devices that do this (as well as some other devices that are great if you want to do your own webinars – again, I am a customer and vouch for them).

It will also depend on if you are doing it once or if it’s an ongoing project, for one time call in some favors, rent gear, or pay a pro. If it’s a regular thing, get some decent gear.

Another big tip – when you are done, run it through the Levelator, it’s a free software tool that balances out the volume levels.

Have fun, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Even more impossible, there was a new episode of The M Show this weekend:

With the success of Marketing Over Coffee, and some of the other projects that I have been working on, I really don’t have the time to continue doing the show on a regular basis. It’s been a great trip, but unfortunately I really haven’t learned anything new in the past year from the show. As the frequency has dropped so have the number of listeners.

The thing is that the folks that have remained are the real fans of the show, many of them listening for many years. For everyone that has stuck with it I’d like to do a final send off rather than continuing to fade away.

What’s next? Unfortunately I find myself being dragging into more projects that are not in the public view, and some not involved with social media (GASP!). There’s still the MOC project, and showing up now and then over on The Beancast, and who knows – I’m not going to kill the feed, that way there will be a place for the less business minded stuff.

Here’s the live Marketing Over Coffee from the PRSA, it was cool to have a crowd bigger than the staff of Dunks for the show. If you are into marketing you may find it entertaining, for everyone else, I’d suggest Hot Rod over this for entertainment value.

Jenny has mentioned more than once that This American Life is a podcast worth checking out. I’ve heard this from a number of people but just never got around to actually listening. Around New Year’s I unsubscribed to a bunch of casts that I never listen to and was looking for some fresh stuff.

This American Life (TAL) had a cast about people who measure things with numbers that shouldn’t be measured. One of the segments had an artist who did a survey to see what people wanted in a painting.  For the most part everyone in the world wanted the classic mountain lake with big blue sky, except for the Danish who like abstract art.

Better yet they took the concept further and surveyed people about what they liked in music. From that they made what should be the world’s most likeable song, and the world’s least. Hearing a Soprano rapping with a tuba in the background is proven to be appealing to less than 1% of the population. People also hate songs about the holidays, and hate to hear children singing. When they played the clip of the kid’s choir singing about Labor Day and Yom Kippur I was laughing so hard in my car that I was crying.

The bad news is that TAL does so much traffic that they don’t leave the files up so I have no link for you.

As far as The M Show I have found the curse of the hundreds. Show 100 was a huge problem, I recorded it no less than 5 times before I was able to finish it. I’m on my 3rd attempt at show 200 now. I’ve had trouble with maybe 5 shows total, the other 195 were in one take. It’s times like these that make me think the M Show may have to be shelved forever, with Marketing Over Coffee continuing to gain momentum it’s hard to come up with a reason why I should keep spending time on The M Show, but then every once in a while it’s a whole lot of fun….

For the year end special being recorded tonight I’m giving away a copy of The Seth Godin Boxed Set – 4 DVD’s of video with him Live in Denver, with Charlie Rose, and 3 DVDs of Q+A. These DVDs are $800 a set and the winner will still be bound by the terms of sale (you have the right to resell, but not to post or to show to groups of more than 30).

I got this for paying for VIP level access to his Tribes event (and I forgot to get my book signed, which was also part of my ticket). I’ve watched them and they are great, but I rarely watch anything more than once on DVD and I’m pretty sure that nobody else in my family will watch them (don’t worry Seth, it’s not you, they don’t like my SEO videos either)… so why not use them for a promotional stunt rather than have them gather dust for eternity in my DVD bookcase?

“How to win?” you ask? I’ll give out the secret code during the cast, comment back here and the first one in wins.

The two biggest brain busters for me – when someone is emulating an instrument, you use the mic setup you’d normally use for that instrument and second, Brian McKnight’s older brother is in Take 6. I saw Brian McKnight at Stephanie’s on Newbury a few years ago, he was playing a PSP and had these two huge bodyguards with him. I still regret not paying for his lunch…

Speaking of audio, I’ve got to get around to recording The M Show #200.