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NOTE: Cross-posted at O’Reilly Digital Media Blog

When you’re outfitting your podcast recording setup, pay close attention to the cables you use. It’s tempting to treat cables as an afterthought. I mean who spends time online researching cables when there’s so much cool gear out there? That nifty new compressor or microphone will indeed need a cable to work. Make sure you buy the right one.

The first rule of good cable buying is simple. Don’t go cheap. Good cables cost money. Spend it. You don’t always have to buy the most expensive cable at the music store, but never buy the cheapest either.

Next, make sure you get the shortest cable you can find that will work for your setup. Cable inductance is something to consider. The shorter the cable, the less likely inductance is to be a problem.

Be sure your cables come with the proper connectors. When possible, use balanced signals with balanced connectors. This gives you the cleanest sound.

Remember that a cable’s job is to move signal unchanged. So don’t buy into marketing claims that certain brands improve performance. You also generally don’t need to worry about gold connectors. Instead, pay attention to specifications relating to cable shielding.

Most podcasters can safely use cables with a braided shield, 90% + shield coverage. The best cables usually comes with 95% or better coverage and may have reinforced cores.

Cable durability shouldn’t be an issue in the studio, but if you take your podcasting gear out on the road, consider buying beefier cables that are able to stand up to more abuse.

Finally, carefully consider cable placement. When you lay out the cables in your studio, don’t cross power cables or leave your cables all bunched up.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Starbucks is starting a podcast. And none other than Frank Barnako has a great blog post about why Starbucks might be on the wrong track.

Frank has been around traditional media for a long time and was one of the first journalists to cover my launch of NetRadio more than a decade ago. He spends time communicating with people for a living and understands technology better than most reporters who have interviewed me.

Frank knows the value of a story. And that’s something to remember when you create a podcast. It’s about having a conversation with your audience. Guys like Frank, who’ve spent plenty of time talking on the radio get that. And that’s why I think podcasters make a huge mistake when they decide not to learn any of the same lessons that broadcasters have already learned working on terrestrial radio for 80 plus years.

Frank’s take on the Starbucks podcast is right on. Rather than have a story concocted by their ad agency, Starbucks should find some real fans and ask them to host the podcast. It would probably be far more successful.

No doubt, a name like Starbucks will command an audience, whatever the content. So we may never know how good their podcast COULD have been. Since the numbers will be good no matter what they do, they’ll have little reason to explore other options.

But if they took Frank’s advice, they could grow an even bigger audience. While it’s probably too late for Starbucks, it’s not too late for you.

Find an authentic voice for your podcast, tell a story, communicate with your audience and you’ll have a hit.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Today is August 29th and I want to remind everyone that the Podcast and Portable Media Expo is exactly one month from today.

The show organizers have put together a great lineup — And I’m not saying that just because I am speaking:)

Just about every thought leader in the industry will be there.

In addition to the sessions, there will be lots of vendors on hand to answer questions and sell their products. We’ll be recording episodes of the iLifeZone, MacBreak, MacBreak Weekly and TWIM from the show floor. And lastly, there will be networking. Some of the best things to happen at any conference happen in the hallways.

It’s not too late to get a seat.

Popularity: 11% [?]

If you’ve taken the time to record your podcast well, you’ll want to make sure you properly mix and master it for distribution.

This involves adding EQ or compression or both. Balancing the levels and making sure that the overall sound of the podcast is consistent and good.

Here’s one trick for making sure you mix and master well. Have a reference podcast. Find a podcast that you think is produced really well. I am not talking about finding a podcast that you like because it has a good host or great content. I am talking about a show that sounds good, regardless of content. Then, while in the middle of your mixing project, give your ears a rest and listen to the referernce podcast a few times in between mixing and mastering. This will help you avoid ear fatigue. It also gives you something to shoot for. If your podcast doesn’t sound as good as your reference podcast, you need to spend more time learning about mixing and mastering.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Since this blog has been around a while, some of the really good stuff may have passed you by. As a way of taking you down memory lane, and making sure you’ve seen all that you need to see, I am providing this list of my top 10 previous posts *by traffic* in no particular order.

1) Win a prize by helping me to create the ultimate podcasting FAQ.

2) How to put a Flash player on your website.

3) A review of the Sony PCM-D1.

4) Reducing noise problems.

5) Where to host your podcast.

6) Is Creative Commons for you.

7) How to ping iTunes.

8) AUs in GarageBand.

9) Podcast editing trick.

10) Five tips for using sound effects in podcasts.

Popularity: 15% [?]