Georgia Podcast Network

Well, not so much a misadventure as an... adaptive adventure. (Is that a term? If not, I'm declaring it now!)

This morning, Rusty and I recorded a meeting held by a business organization. We had all our equipment with us - our sexy mics, our bad-ass mixing board, all the crazy cables - and yet? The PA system at the place just would not work with our stuff. We thought we had prepared for every possible contingency, but I guess we weren't prepared for a substandard system with iffy cabling and a built-in mic that may or may not have been functional at all.

Long story short, it was kinda stressful, but we pulled it off. We got the recording, even though there was no amplification - but at least we can take comfort in knowing that wasn't our fault.

Anyway... live and learn!

Amber already gave you the lowdown on her misadventures in podcasting, so now here's one of mine...

The most egregious mistake I've made so far was at our very first podcast party. Things were going swimmingly. There was palpable energy in the room after we recorded the first North Fulton Drama Club and GA Political Podcast episodes. The liquor was flowing, and everyone gathered around Duane to grill him in a Meet Your Podcasters segment. He was hilarious and everyone was having a great time. In my case, perhaps, a little too much of a good time.

The apartment was stocked with Sweetwater, Sam Adams, Bud Light, Flying Dog, and Terrapin, and I went through a few of each of them (except the Bud Light, blech). After the group interview with Duane was over, there was a brief lull, followed by frantic requests to record some PSAs and commercials. In my drunken stupor, I had saved Duane's last podcast but forgotten to quit the recording program and re-launch it to start a new podcast. So, I overwrote Duane's podcast with the PSAs and commercials.

We lost a really kickass podcast because I was shitfaced. Go beer! Err...

Back in February, Rusty and I attended the Sex Workers' Art Show at Eyedrum. Our digital recorder had arrived mere days before, and at the last minute we thought, "Why not try to record some interviews for a podcast?" (Note that at this point, we'd recorded only one other interview - Rusty's interview with Creative Loafing - and the site was little more than a set of mock-ups.)

So, after the show, I attempted to conquer my crippling fear of approaching complete strangers. I managed to get short interviews with several of the performers, and also the organizer, Annie Oakley.

When we got in the car to leave, I was excited/nervous to hear how the interviews had turned out. I wanted to play them back and listen. Only when I tried to do so, I found that I'd successfully recorded... nothing. I'd had the damn thing on "hold" the entire time!

I was so pissed at myself. It was all I could do not to cry the whole way home. And I know this is bad, but I was so embarrassed that I never even emailed Annie Oakley to admit my flub. I felt like an asshole, because she'd given me my admission money back. (But maybe she'll read this and finally the truth will be out.)

I felt bad about that for a long time, but I guess the silver lining is, it's a mistake I'll never make again!