Hey There!

We're so excited that you're here and on this web design and development journey with us. — That's one thing about our industry = it's constantly changing. We have to be lifelong learners to stay on top of the newest trends and latest technologies. Meaning we're all learning and growing together!

James and I (Amy) started recording last week.

...which also means I've put a few new tools in my tool chest. 🤗 (Admittedly, I have a problem when it comes to shiny new tools.)

SquadCast

We've been using SquadCast to record, and I have been nothing but impressed with their service. I know a lot of people will use Zoom to record. The only problem is that it's recording Voice over IP. For a conference call, this is perfect, but it's a different story when it comes to recording a podcast. It compresses the audio, degrading the quality.

SquadCast operates a little differently. It will record the audio locally on each of our computers. At the end of the recording, it will upload both tracks to the server for download.

If you're curious about the actual difference, SquadCast has an audio sample at the bottom of their homepage comparing the difference between Zoom, Skype, and SquadCast. I did an audio test of my own and found their Zoom and Skype examples generous.

Descript

This application blows my mind 🤯. — and I'm not trying to blow smoke or generate clickbait. You can record directly into Descript, and it will transcribe your audio on the fly. Or, you can import an existing audio file, and it will transcribe the file within minutes (what I've been doing).

To edit the file, you simply modify the transcription, similar to how you'd work inside a Word or Google document.

At the bottom of one of their marketing pages, there's a video demonstrating all the core features. Buckle up!

I've been amazed by how it sped up my workflow. You can also use it with screen recording. I'm hoping it will speed up my editing process there, as well.

The countdown is on!

The first four episodes will drop in three weeks, on April 13th (mark your calendar!). After that, we'll release a new episode every week.

In the meantime, you can catch us on YouTube:

• James just released a video on building a Harry Potter API with Node.js, Express.js, and Dynamo DB.

• Amy just released a video on Creating and Using SVG Sprites.

or on Twitch:

• You can catch James on Fridays (times may vary) with "Learning Quick."Last week he interviewed Mary Baker (@marybees), a Business Program Manager at Microsoft, about her path into programming.

or on Twitter:

• James (@jamesqquick)
• Amy (@selfteachme)
• Both (@compressedfm)

That's all we got!

Amy