HSNOI

From: Ralph Litwin <rhlitwin@gmail.com>

Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2018 5:23 PM

To: Folk Project <fullboard@folkproject.org>

Subject: HSNOI Report

Recently taped in our new studio:

672) Sat 7/28/18 1:00 – 5:00 PM (First taping with our new set-up) Guest: Ralph Litwin (banjo, guitar & vocals); Host: Sandie Reilly (guitar, vocals); twice NJ Old-Style Banjo champion plays a banjo tune in his award-winning neo-classic style, a cowboy poet song, an original and an old timey number with help from Sandie www.RalphLitwin.com

673) Wed. 8/1/18 6:45 PM Cameron Sutphin - Cameron Sutphin has been traveling around the United States performing classic country and folk music wherever he stops, as a solo acoustic artist. With his newly released album, Reason To Believe, Cameron takes his songwriting to a whole new level as each one of the ten songs on the album all have a tangible personal touch. Since releasing his debut CD My Guitar And Me in 2011 it has gone on to sell well over 1,000 units and have radio play in Connecticut and Massachusetts. https://www.facebook.com/camrsutphin/

674) Wed. 8/1/18 7:45 PM Mike Oregano - truly a unique act, both the aesthetic and sonic details of the "One Man Band" concept, performing in a Reggae/Hip Hop/Jazz style, he uses his feet to hit the drums as well as an array of fully intuitive pedal boards complete with: loopers, bass splits, synthesizer sounds, etc. He records the rhythm section (guitar and bass) on the spot, and layers over it with drums, solos, fills, etc. all while singing, rapping, or talk boxing, and soloing on his guitar simultaneously..http://mikeoregano.com/

Upcoming:

Ken Brody volunteered to take one of our new cameras to record Uke Fest events, possibly to be joined by Sandie if her schedule permits. Then, Sunday afternoon of that weekend, we will be joined in the studio by one of the ukelele stars:

675) Sun. 8/26/18 1:00 or 2:00 PM Victoria Vox - award-winning songwriter and performer. Originally from Green Bay, WI, Vox has lived in France, England, Nashville, Baltimore, and now resides in Costa Mesa, CA. Vox is an 'ukulele-toting award-winning songwriter and performer. With a passion for songwriting since she was 10, (first on keyboard, then on guitar), she studied at the Berklee College of Music (Boston, MA) and in 2003, she took up the ukulele as her main accompaniment. www.victoriavox.com

Some problems:

The studio's new Tricaster computer (which handles video/audio editing and can produce and overlay graphics and effects simultaneously or post-production) puts out an avi file, which - even for a 28 minute show - produces a huge file, big enough that it slows the functioning of the Tricaster's other abilities. So Matt had to download the first show taped on 8/1 to a hard drive, a process that took at least 15 to 20 minutes. Then he deleted the file from Tricaster, so he could proceed with the next taping.

The first show we taped on 7/28 was uploaded to my personal laptop from the hard drive (also taking about 20 minutes), but when we played it back there was no audio. After clicking back and forth on the mute switch a few times, the audio kicked in. I later converted the avi file to MP4 using freeware, which also took a long time - I don't remember exactly (maybe a hour or more) - and uploaded it to Youtube successfully. I was pleasantly surprised because the MP4 file doesn't play at all on my computer if just clicked on, plays soundlessly if opened with Windows Media Player and plays normally if opened with Ultra File Opener.

This also raises the question of whether the audio will transfer successfully with audio to a DVD (It didn't transfer audio on a first try.) and/or to our cablecasters who are accepting shows via file sharing (MNN, BPN, Mendham TV & starting with our next batch, Service Electric TV). I have just sent the file to Mendham TV with a request to let me know how it plays on their system.

Also, we encountered a copyright problem with our second guest on 8/1. Apparently he didn't read or comprehend the talent release form nor the email message of instructions I send to each invited guest. On his first number he used a sample from a track recorded by another artist over which he played and rapped. I think I should have recognized it, but I decided to let it go on the assumption it was recorded by a friend of his from whom he had permission, instead of interrupting and restarting the taping. Big error: the track was recorded by a major artist who doesn't know our boy, Mike, from Jack. He will try to get permission from that artist, but doesn't have much faith that he will be able to secure it.

To add to this mess, Matt realized into the taping that the graphics he had loaded were disappearing. He said he would go into the studio to redo the graphics and add the to the show post-production. In another disappearing act, the first show from 8/1, which was uploaded to my computer's desktop, doesn't seem to be anywhere on my computer, but Matt assured me it is still on the hard drive in the studio.

From: Ralph Litwin <rhlitwin@gmail.com>

Sent: Monday, August 06, 2018 2:29 PM

To: Folk Project <fullboard@folkproject.org>

Subject: HSNOI Update & Correction

Also, Cablevision (Morris, Bergen & Oakland accepts shows via their file-sharing program); all the other systems mentioned in the report accept it via wetransfer.com with which it is much easier to deal.

MendhamTV got back to me, Hurray! The file played with sound intact on their system! Still I would feel better if we could get the file to act normal on my computer and be able to burn a DVD which would play with sound.

Any FP techheads have an idea how to fix or deal with it?

Peace, R