An interview with Matt Beckwith of PodcastStockton

A little while ago a colleague, Ray Bohmer, suggested that I listen to this guy named Matt Beckwith who has a podcast called PodcastStockton.  I listened to the show and was curious about what goes into a podcast production.   A week previously  Matt had read one of my blog posts about iPhone Apps on MrWes.net and left a comment for me.  Since this is the year of stepping out of my comfort zone, I decided to ask for an informational interview with Matt.

Matt agreed to meet with me and suggested we eat dinner at Panera Bread near Eight Mile Road & Trinity Parkway.  Panera Bread  is a wonderful little deli-style restaurant  that makes delicious sandwiches.  I plan to take my wife there for dinner some time soon.  The following are notes from the interview I did with Matt on February 5th, 2010.

MrWes: Why do you podcast?

Matt: I love audio production.

MrWes: What do you do for a living?

Matt: I’m a call center manager, I love helping people.

MrWes: Tell me about PodcastStockton.com

Matt: Podcast Stockton promotes Stockton. Its mission is to share the good stories of Stockton.

MrWes: Why is PodcastStockton.com totally focused on Stockton.

Matt: PodcastStockton started as a response to a Forbes article that said Stockton was one of the most miserable cities.  Sure there’s crime and other bad things that exist anywhere you go.  But I wanted to report on the positive things that are happening in Stockton.

MrWes: How often do you podcast?

Matt: We have committed to a weekly show.

MrWes: Where do you do your recording and editing?

Matt: The majority of the show is recorded in my home studio. But I will record wherever the show guest likes. 

MrWes: How did you get started podcasting?

Matt: With a family podcast called  Pizza Go Here

MrWes: Do you follow or recommend any podcasts?

Matt: In my opinion these two are the best:  Manager ToolsCareer Tools.

MrWes: Do you plan on expanding to video (vlogging) in the future?

Matt: Yes, within a year.  Rod [Matt’s co-host] and I have started experimenting with video production.

MrWes: Besides “Pizza Go Here”, do you have plans to produce or collaborate on another podcast?

Matt: Yes.

Advice for newcomers to podcasting

MrWes: How much does it cost to get started?

Matt: Nothing if you have the means to record the audio and import it into your computer for editing.  There is a lot of audio editing software available for free.  I advise you to avoid spending a lot of money until you’re sure that you can come up with content and be comfortable behind a microphone.

I have several suggestions for recording audio:

  • With a web cam you can record the show and then separate the audio from the video.
  • Many laptops now also have built-in mics.
  • Most computers have a microphone input, you can record your audio to your computer using that
  • If you have an iPhone, you can use the built-in recorder for recording audio

MrWes: Which hardware do you  use?

Matt:

  • 2 Macs
    • recording on 24″ iMac
    • web editing on MacBook
  • 2 XLR microphones with Wind Guards
    • Rode NTI
    • MXL 9000
  • 1 digital Firewire Mixer MOTU (Mark Of The Unicorn)

MrWes: Which software do you use?

Matt:

  • Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
  • Garage band (iLife contains Garage Band)

MrWes: If you could go back a year and give yourself advice, what would you say?

Matt: Two things. First put a show out every week, don’t let yourself “podfade”. And second you will be fine, people will like your idea.

Definition: Podfade is a term used by podcasters to describe what happens when you start missing your regularly scheduled podcasts.

Final 4 questions

MrWes: How long have you been in Stockton?

Matt: A total of 28 years.

MrWes: What do you like about Stockton?

Matt: The people – there are the most unique people and it’s full of diversity

MrWes: What is your favorite Stockton memory?

Matt: My childhood at Naughty Nicks and the skating rink on Hammer Lane

MrWes: What do you like to do for fun in Stockton?

Matt: Visit downtown, especially eating at Yasu Yani and watching the Stockton Thunder.

MrWes’ wrap-up

We talked about a lot of other things that weren’t on topic.  Of course, since I’m not a podcaster yet, I don’t know which things I should or shouldn’t leave in there.  I hope to get advice on that soon.  I really enjoyed our candid conversation about tech stuff.  Thanks Matt for an interesting and informative evening.  I look forward to seeing you again, maybe at your studio.

About Wes Johnson

Wes Johnson is a software engineer with extensive experience developing desktop applications. He has also developed firmware for consumer electronics and OEM boards. His experties is C and C++ programming.
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3 Responses to An interview with Matt Beckwith of PodcastStockton

  1. Matt says:

    Wes, it was great to meet you. Thanks for your support of our show.

    Looking forward to having you over to the Outback Studio to watch us put one of our episodes together.

  2. Ray says:

    Hello Matt and Wes:

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts and ideas.

    Matt’s show is a great example of how technology is a positive influence to central valley culture.

    Keep up the good work.

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