Conversation with Harry Allen

Thanks, Lena.

• The volume seems higher, which is good. I wasn't able to test it on speakers, the way I heard it the first time, because of the late hour.

But, at least in headphones — the way I listened to it for the whole episode, this time — it seems louder.

• After The Big Guy, and, after the opening theme starts, I'm coming in on time with the Features announcement. This is where I say:

What should happen next is that the music should fade back up, and the opening theme should play out. From what I hear, without going to the original file, this should take about 30 seconds or so.

Then, over the last second or two of the music, which is fading out naturally by this point, I start the welcome and talk over silence:

That's not what's happening.

What's happening is after I announce the features, the music does not fade up. Fewer than 3 seconds go by, then you hear me start the Welcome. This is incorrect.

So, essentially, what I'm saying is:

—> After I announce the features, the music should be faded back up to normal volume;

—> The Welcome, and the, obviously, the rest of the podcast should start about 30 or so seconds later; over the last dying second or two of the opening theme music.

• After our conversation, I should have removed the back-announcement. Not only, I agree, is it not needed, given the medium, but the music you thoughtfully supply underneath cuts off at the end, as opposed to fading out. (I didn't notice this during the first listen.)

• Thomas Healy was good. I thought my voice was punchier than his, but I think it was a fair balance; a just one. I think the punchiness difference was him being on Zoom, which washes away any bottom end. But Marcus did a good job presenting it.

• The Taj Shemesh mix was just what I wanted, temporally. But I think my voice mixed into the mix a bit. I don't think this was because of Marcus, but because I was speaking in a low voice over a track with a lot of low in it. The fades, and everything were great.

• The X100 opening theme sounds better, I think, without the breakup I was hearing before, but there's still something about it which is somewhat compressed, in the voice, to me. I think I want to take another stab at the mix, later on.

• I think Ifill's levels are excellent, and she sounds sharper, as though Marcus massaged her mids and upper frequencies. (Before, I had the sense that her vocals sounded kind of waxy; with a layer on them. No more.) I think her levels sound great with mine, also.

• The Big Guy sounded great, both after Ifill, and at the very end of the podcast; he is the first and last voice we hear in the podcast, and this was the plan.

• The credits sounded good. I think my voice could have used a bit of treble to bring it out a bit above the mix…I think; this, in a way similar to my point re: my Taj Shemesh credit. But this would be fine-tuning.

The only thing that was not what I wanted was, after I say, "…wishing you well…," I wanted the music to be faded up again, then have the track play out in its entirety, to its end; this, as opposed to being manually faded out.

All in all, a great job, and one that I think can meet the present challenge.

I want to launch today. If Marcus can make the changes I've noted, above, on both music themes, and we still get out today, at a reasonable time, I'd appreciate it.

If he cannot, I would accept it. We would instigate and make these changes permanent on subsequent episodes.

Then, we will move on to GRR002, GRR003, and GRR004

Again, my thanks to you both for riding with me on this wild adventure. I am quite grateful.

Truly,

HA

Hello Harry:

Below is my proposed podcast description for episode 1. Please reply back with any edits.

Thanks, Lena: I have made minor ones. Also, now that I know my text can effectively double for this purpose, I'll keep this in mind, but not much. (I would have done a much shorter intro, if you'd left me to do it. I believe in longer descriptions, though, so thanks.)

Notice I've bolded appearances of the titles. If this is corny, reverse it. Or, if I should only bold the first appearance of the name, I'll do that.Whatever make sense.

Re the title:

Episode 1: Thomas Healy / Sherrilyn Ifill

That, above, is absolutely fine.

==========

On GRR: Global Race Report, we’ll be talking with Thomas Healy, author of Soul City; a book about the birth, life, and death of a Southern town; one planned, founded, and built, in the 1960s, by Black Americans.

Then, GRR will be introducing a regular feature, about which we're especially excited.
In less than two years, it’ll be a century since the birth of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, or, as he is more commonly known, Malcolm X.

In the years since his tragic and untimely death, Malcolm X’s star has only brightened.
Today, he is the subject of books, TV shows, movies, and plays; his name and image are on posters, murals, clothing, and postage stamps. Streets are named after him. Schools are named after him. Every day, young people, both in and outside of those schools, learn about his words and ideas; concepts which remain not only relevant, but often futuristic.

As part of our celebration of this great leader, GRR: Global Race Report is launching a feature you’ll only hear, here. It’s called X100: The Malcolm X Century.

Every week, for 100 weeks — once for every year since his birth — we’ll present an author, artist, educator, activist, or other thought leader talking about the significance of Malcolm X; his life, his influence, and what he means today.

Today, our first X100 guest is civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

This is something we’re really excited about, and, most of all, it’s something you’ll only hear, here, on GRR: Global Race Report.

So, let the world know: X100: The Malcolm X Century…on GRR: Global Race Report.

Dear Lena:

Here's the link to the Taj Shemesh credit:

TIME-STAMPS

- At 1:09 on his track, roughly, there's a filter sweep.

- Then, the beat kicks in at 1:11.75, roughly.

- Start a fade down at roughly 1:14 right before the vocalist repeats, "There's somethin' new," again. Your fade down speed and levels have been great so far, so please keep doing those fade downs, and the levels under my voice.

- My V.O. is about 8.4 seconds. Play it.

- When it ends, bring the music back up. By the time she says "new," at about 1:25, it should be at full volume again.

- Let it play full volume until about 1:56, right after it says, "Every day…."

- Fade it out from there 'til 2:12.

Start the X100 theme at 2:11. That's right where the filter sweep starts, but it should be really low by then.

Also: I listened to the X100 theme. There is some kind of damage to the V.O.

Given your travel, should I remaster it, then resend?

My gratitude.

HA

The episode sounds good. The major shortcomings are mine. I'm proud to work with you.

• The overall volume of the episode feels low. I had to put my Mac's volume up to 3/4 of full to get it to sound normal to me; like listening volume.

I think it should be raised about 12.06 dB; about 400%, approximately, but I'm not positive. Obviously, digital audio turns into crap when it goes into the red, so, you'd have to keep a watch on that.

• Currently, I come in at about 4 1/3 secs. after the opening theme plays. I would like the theme to build until the kick, at about the 13.8-second mark. At that point bring me in; hear the kick…then me.

I do V.O. for about 22 1/3 seconds. After that, let it keep playing to the beat at about the 55-second mark. Let it fade out naturally.

• I like Healy's vocal quality.

• What you did with my back announcement is good. I won't do it any more.

• In the 30's of Healy's interview, I heard a light spackle of static coming, seemingly from the left channel.

• Taj Shemesh should have an announcement. It was done, but got lost, apparently. I will have to get it to you, and his cues. His levels sound good, and he's clear, but I need to get you the cues, and the I.D.

• Ifill seems low, throughout. Can we raise her a bit, but still keep our sound relationship equal; with parity?

• Was the X100 theme, with the strings, re-done? It sounds "bruised" when he comes in, for some reason.

• I like the outro on the X100, to the V.O., with no back announcement in the piece.

- The end credit music should play, with no voiceover, roughly to the "sunrise" at the 16-second mark. Bring me in there.

- My end credit V.O. is about 51.5 seconds. Let the music play, at lower volume, beneath the entire thing. That should take us to about 1:07.5 on the music.

- When I stop talking, bring it up to full volume in about .5 to 1 second, whatever feels right.

- Let it play full volume to about the 1:20 mark on the end theme. There's a natural beat, an end-of-measure, there, you can use for reference.

- On the waveform, you'll see it drops in volume from 1:20 to about 1:28. Fade-out over those eight seconds. (I'm a fan of long music fades.)

I think that's it.

Thanks,

HA

Hello Harry:

Below is my proposed podcast description for episode 1. Please reply back with any edits. 

==========

In this, our first episode of GRR: Global Race Report, we’ll be talking with Thomas Healy, author of a recent book on the birth, life, and death of a Southern town, planned, founded, and built, in the 1960s, by Black Americans. Its name: Soul City.

Then, GRR will be introducing a regular feature, about which were especially excited.
In less than two years, it’ll be a century since the birth of el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz, or, as he is more commonly known, Malcolm X.

In the years since his tragic and untimely death, Malcolm X’s star has only brightened.
Today, he is the subject of books, TV shows, movies, and plays; his name and image are on posters, murals, clothing…and postage stamps. Streets are named after him. Schools are named after him. And every day, young people, both in and outside of those schools, learn about his words and ideas; concepts which remain not only relevant, but often futuristic.

As part of our celebration of this great leader, GRR: Global Race Report is launching a feature you’ll only hear, here. It’s called X100: The Malcolm X Century.

Every week, for 100 weeks — once for every year since his birth — we’ll present an author, artist, educator, activist, or other thought leader talking about the significance of Malcolm X; his life, his influence, and what he means today.

Today, as our first X100 guest, we have civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill, former president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

This is something we’re really excited about, and, most of all, it’s something you’ll only hear, here, on GRR: Global Race Report.

So, let the people know: X100: The Malcolm X Century…on GRR: Global Race Report.