I can’t wait to get to Balticon this Memorial Day weekend (May 28-31, 2010) and honored to once again participate as a panelist, performer, and moderator.

Here is a list of the events I will be participating in. Come on by and say hello- I’d love to meet you! The schedule is pretty stable, but there is always a possibility that some of the times or rooms may change – so please check back before heading out to make sure you’ve got current info.

Being a Parent in the World of New Media and Social Networking
When: Friday 9:00pm – 10:00pm
Where: Derby

Transparency vs. Reality
Being a parent alone can be hard enough, but in the world of New Media and Social Networking, there are some good things out there – and some bad things. We’ll talk about the various issues that parents have to deal with regards to New Media, as both listeners and creators, what’s out there for kids, and what measures parents can go to protect their children.

Into The Blender, Live
When: Friday 11:00pm – Midnight
Where: Chesapeake

Dealing with blended families
Chooch, Viv, and possibly a special guest discuss parenting; blended families (children from previous marriages); dealing with school, work, long distance family relationships; pop culture; gaming, and gadgetry geekiness.

Master’s Session: Audio Excellence in Podcasting
When: Saturday 9:00am – 12:00pm
Where: Derby

Presented by professional audio engineers
Master’s Session: Audio Excellence in Podcasting Our panel of professional audio engineers will discuss various topics surrounding audio engineering. They will help you get the best sound out of the equipment you have, help you pick the next piece of important equipment within your budget, and help you avoid burnout by streamlining your workflow to shorten the time you spend editing audio.

NaNoWriMo for Noobs
When: Saturday 3:00pm – 4:00pm
Where: Chesapeake

How it was won or lost
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a motivational novel-writing program for anyone who has wanted to write a novel but doesn’t know how to get started. The program provides guidelines, structure and countless tools for success yet many still do not complete the 50,000 words required to be a winner. This panel of NaNoWriMo participants and winners will discuss their strategies for success, and if finishing even matters.

Live Metamor City
When: Saturday 5:00pm – 6:00pm
Where: Chesapeake

SF/Urban Fantasy/Noir radio drama
Metamor City is a gritty mega-metropolis where the buildings soar hundreds of meters above ground and humans rub shoulders with vampires, shapeshifters, and even stranger beings. Come listen as creator Chris Lester and his all-star cast perform a live radio drama — complete with music and sound effects — and enter a world like nothing you’ve ever seen. A Q&A session with Chris will follow the performance

Phil Rossi and the Awakening
When: Saturday 9:00pm – 10:00pm
Where: Garden Room

Rock Concert
I will be performing as part of Phil’s band in the Garden Room for an hour of rock and roll. This will be my first time performing live in over 15 years! (gulp)

Sci-Fi / Fantasy Prom
When: Saturday 11:00pm – 2:00am
Where: Derby

Pirates, fairies, etc. This is what we wanted our prom to be…
This is the prom where geeks rule and freak flags fly. Come as your favorite fantasy or sci-fi character, and the very best costumes will be rewarded. Don’t have a partner? Throw on an undershirt and bring a toaster – bam, you’re Chief Tyrol! Tee Morris is the returning DJ, and Podcasting’s Rich Sigfrit returns as the Master of Ceremonies. This event is hosted by Chooch and Viv of the Into the Blender podcast.

This is the audio from a panel I spoke on at Balticon 43 over Memorial Day weekend. A special thanks to my fellow panelists: PG Holyfield, Scott Sigler, and MAinPA.

I believe that this was the first panel I was on during the weekend, and was chosen as “moderator” on the spot without having any notes or talking points to go from. Luckily, we all talk a lot, so there wasn’t a lack of content

From the Balticon program:
Upgrading your gear is a serious temptation. In these trying economic times, bargains abound and the desire for some new shiny device in your studio sometimes outweighs the other factors in your life. Our panel of technophiles talk about what’s out there, where to buy it cheap, and when you should buy it. We all love our gear, but we shouldn’t deprive our families of food and shelter for the next new gadget.

This is the audio from a panel I spoke on at Balticon 43 over Memorial Day weekend. A special thanks to my fellow panelists: Thomas ‘Cmdln’ Gideon, Dan the Fan.

The version I am posting is not edited for content, but has been processed to remove noise and (hopefully) make it more listenable.

Cmdln has posted his own recording from this panel at Archive.org in uncompressed FLAC, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis formats.

From the Balticon program:
This session will go beyond the basics of recording a voice with your built in audio program. We will give an overview of the various types of audio recording equipment and techniques of non-linear audio editing. This should help you in creating advanced productions such as multi-voice dramatizations, music recording and mixing, as well as carry over into video production.

Products we discussed during the recording:

• The book that Dan mentions during the discussion is Modern Recording Techniques, Sixth Edition.
• The midi controller I mention is the Korg nanoKontrol. Apparently they changed pricing, or I just got a great deal because they are $60 which is almost twice what I had thought. Still, I think it’s well worth it
• There is some discussion on the Zoom H2 and Zoom H4
• Thomas mentions his use of  a M-Audio MicroTrack II

This is the audio from a panel I spoke on at Balticon 43 over Memorial Day weekend. A special thanks to my fellow panelists: Noblis Reed, Tyler Waldman, and Thomas ‘Cmdln’ Gideon.

The version I am posting is not edited for content, but has been processed to remove noise and (hopefully) make it more listenable.

Cmdln has posted his own recording from this panel at Archive.org in uncompressed FLAC, MP3, and Ogg Vorbis formats.

From the Balticon program:
There are a lot of tutorials, presentations, and classes on how to record a podcast but when it gets to posting and sharing your cast, things seem to get glossed over. There are many components working in concert to make a podcast feed. This session aims to explain what each of those components are and how they function together. Further, we hope to show you how you can save money by picking and choosing what services provide each piece.