NCast Presentation Recorder Reference Manual
•
House Audio – If the conference staff is setting up audio, ask for a feed from their mixer. It is
usually easy to get a balanced or unbalanced feed (if asked for in advance). A balanced feed
going into a small mixer (e.g. a Mackie 12-channel or similar) which then plugs (unbalanced)
into the Presentation Recorder is an excellent solution. The operator can instantly adjust and
check levels. The Presentation Recorder has an option for external connections to balanced
audio.
•
Audio Meter – Use the Audio Meter on the local loopback display to confirm correct level into
the Presentation Recorder. Audio peaks should be 2/3 to ¾ high on the meter.
•
Listen to the webcast/archive – Do an audio pre-check and listen to the final recorded audio
from the Presentation Recorder. Make sure the levels are correct and that noise, hum or
other problems are eliminated.
•
Audience Microphones – If the audience will be interacting and asking questions, arrange for
wired or wireless audience microphones, and insist on their use. A long dead silence during
an audience question followed by a speaker response to a question the remote viewers did
not hear is very frustrating. Ask the speakers or chairperson to always repeat or summarize
the audience question.
•
Panel Microphones – If there will be a panel discussion, insure that a suitable number of
microphones for the panel discussion is available.
13.2.4. Automatic Recording
A Presentation Recorder Channel can be setup to automatically start recording when a Session is
started. This is probably the best solution for guaranteeing that the recording will happen.
13.2.5. Graphics and Video Swap
Usually during conferences there are periods when no active or meaningful graphics are being displayed
(e.g. during Q&A sessions, panel commentaries, introductions). Be prepared to swap the video and
graphics windows during these times. The Swap button on the Sources web page will do this easily.
13.3. C
ONFERENCE
D
AY
P
ROBLEMS
AND
I
SSUES
During the actual conference or seminar, these problems and issues may occur:
13.3.1. The Podium
The Presentation Recorder screen-capture composition has a natural podium-left or podium-right
orientation. If the exact room layout is not known in advance, two composition setups will need to be
ready for use, and the operator will need to know how to setup a left or right arrangement.
Speakers naturally look at the projection screen while they are talking, so using a right-hand setup for a
left-hand podium gives unnatural looking results and should be avoided. Most of the graphics used will
probably be symmetrical and so the re-arrangement will not be difficult, but must be planned for in
advance.
13.3.2. The Conference Chairperson
The meeting Chairperson or Master of Ceremonies (MC) needs to be informed that a webcast/recording
is happening and that there are certain things he/she can do to assist in a quality recording:
•
Clean Breaks - The MC should arrange to have a clean introduction to each new speaker or
topic (i.e. Power-point all setup and ready to go, no fumbling around trying to find and start
the next slide show) and a clean break at the end so that recording can stop and video tapes
can be changed, overlay graphics updated and recording restarted. In many cases the MC
starts introducing the next speaker while the previous speaker’s graphics are still being
projected. The speaker is given the podium while his/her computer is being connected and
the desired graphics being discussed are not present. Viewing this later in a recorded
archive looks very unprofessional and sloppy. With just a little care the MC can make some
interesting comments on the previous speaker or can make small talk or tell a story while this
speaker transition is occurring. It is hard to capture clean recordings when one presentation
runs right into the next one.
NCast Corporation
Revision 1.0
Page 95
