Make Money From Digital Audio Typing At Home - Exciting Times Are Ahead for Home Typists

here are thousands of women like me who used to be (or still are) secretaries or typists who would love to make money from home using their typing skills.
A few years ago it was quite difficult to do audio typing from home for several reasons:
#1 In the very early years of the Internet it just wasn't considered that audio could be shared via the Internet. So if you wanted to do home-based audio typing you would have to have an audio transcription machine which took tapes.
You would then have to advertise both offline and online (mainly offline) about your audio typing services but you would also have to collect the audio tapes from your customers. This meant that your clientele would have to be local unless people were happy to post their cassette tapes to you and vice versa.
#2 Even when the Internet progressed and audio was introduced, downloading and sharing digital audio files was a nightmare because of slow Internet connections making downloads either impossible or painfully slow. At this stage digital audio typing was still not a feasible idea.
However, fast forward a few years to today where technology has really progressed with thanks to the impressive broadband, and now fibreoptic broadband. These broadband connections make the Internet much faster and robust so sharing and downloading audio digital files is a breeze. This consequently opens up a whole new era and marketplace for the small business person - all of a sudden the world seems to have become a lot smaller!
But this isn't a bad thing of course. What this means is that you don't need to stay 'local' any more as a small business Internet service provider. You could just as easily do audio transcription typing for a client in Australia as you could in your hometown of Sheffield in the UK or a small suburb in the US - geographical location is not an issue in today's digital era.
How To Get Digital Audio Typing Work At Home?
#1 If you can, set up a small website. You can do this for free at weebly (.com). Then advertise with your website address (domain name) on all your advertising efforts.
#2 Put adverts on Craigslist and Gumtree.
#3 Advertise your website in Online directories such as Yell and ThomsonLocal.
#4 Send letters to local small businesses in your area advertising your audio and typing services.
Those are just a few ways you can promote your typing service from home, there are many especially if you use your imagination.
Jobs As an Audio Typist
I'm not saying that there isn't any, but they are very very hard to come by. I'm a typist and did look for months for employment jobs to work from home typing but there just isn't any, not legitimate ones anyway.
You could look to online typing agencies and see if they are advertising vacancies within their online typing service, some do outsource their overflow of work to other typists. However, there are that many women looking for typing jobs Online that the competition is fierce.
My best advice to you (as a self-employed typing service provider) is to set up your own little typing business from home. You can start by doing the four points above to get your website up and running and start advertising your services in as little as one week.

Home Theater System - Best Customized Mode of Entertainment

Until recently the best way to watch movie was to visit a nearby movie theater. As watching movies on big screen gives an ultimate experience and one gets too engrossed into it which makes you feel part of the show. Watching movie in cinema, especially in multiplexes with big audio system gives a rocking sound with awesome experience. Here amalgamation of sight and sound together to takes you to a far off place.
Thanks to the recent advances in technology which has produced fantastic Home Theater System which helps to enjoy a full-fledged cinematic experience in your living room. A home theater helps to enjoy the best multiplex experience. A home theater system consists of three key components, DVD player, display and the speakers. It offers realistic portrayal of everything whatever you watch from a largest parameter to the smallest of the smallest picture.
With the introduction of DVD players, LCDs and many more new televisions one can get an opportunity to watch detailed high-resolution pictures.
Nowadays more and more people prefer to buy home theater systems instead of normal TVs as people find it more convenient to watch at home instead of going to a movie theater as its picture and sound quality is great.
Many advantages of buying a Home Theater System is that by staying indoors and watching your favorite movie at comfort in your living room sounds more enthralling than driving to a theater chain in car. It helps to avoid the contact of general public who disturb others while talking on cell phones during the show.
One important component of home theater amplifier is Preamplifier. It is meant to connect the transducer to amplifiers. Transducer is any audio device e.g. microphone. Preamplifiers are used to increase and amplify a signal from a low-level to a high level. These are used to adjust and amplify the signal through equalization; also known at EQ. These are most commonly used in home audio systems and other live concert music performances being organized in to enhance the overall listening experience.
In order to get the full effect of the car's audio system, one can install a car amplifier to power or boost the speakers. Subwoofers can be additionally installed to power the amplifiers. Car audio amplifier installation is a simple task which can save money on the car stereo system. Pre-amplifiers help boost and enhance the audio signals coming from an audio device such as a microphone, so the singer can be heard by everyone in the auditorium.

Home Theater System Setup Guidelines

Nowadays, most people have audio visual system at home. It is extremely popular not only for music lovers but also for the movie fanatics as well. This technology is considered to be a big competition to cinemas as people tends to stay at home watching movies instead of watching in cinemas. A good knowledge of home theater setup is important in order to get the best viewing and listening experience possible for home relaxation and home entertainment.
There are many factors in setting up a home theater system. One of these factors is taking into consideration the shape and size of the room where you are placing the home theater system. The system must match the size of the room in order to get the best possible surround sound and life like performance. Small room should use lesser power speakers and lesser number of speakers compared to a much bigger room. A home-theater-in-a-box may be enough for small rooms. This consists of a 5.1 sub-sat system. If you have a bigger room, this home-theater-in-a-box setup may not be adequate. You may consider using bookshelf speakers or even some floor standing designs. In addition, you can gear towards 7.1 home theater systems. Some people start with small systems consisting of 2 front speakers first. Then, they add some speakers in a later time. This is possible if you are in a limited budget, however, make sure that all speakers compliment and match each other in acoustics and sound quality. You cannot get a realistic surround sound if your speakers are imbalance, with different sound quality and frequency response.
Aside from size of the room, you also need to consider the room acoustics. The walls should absorb the sound coming from your speakers instead of bouncing it. You can choose a soft wall materials as well as addition of thick curtains. Carpeting of floor is also a good solution in avoiding room echo.
Other components of a home entertainment system are DVD players or Blu-ray players, home theater receivers and the visuals, such as TV or Projector. Some are including the gaming consoles in the setup of their home entertainment room. The selection of the components will vary depending on your requirements as well as how much you are willing to invest for such package. Aside from the main components, another important factors in home theater system are the accessories, such as speaker cables and audio-visual cables. These cables largely affect the system performance. If you have a high-end system, it is a good practice to use a high-end cables as well to get the most out of your system.
Do not forget that you also need to consider the type of furniture for your entertainment room as this will also affect your relaxation and viewing pleasure. This may include the TV stand and component desk and speaker stands, couch and home theater seats. Lastly, seating position relative to visuals and speakers should also be designed properly to get the best possible viewing and listening experience from your home entertainment system.

Audio Speakers and Home Theaters - Top Quality is Not Always Found at the Electronics Super Stores

The saying, "you get what you pay for" is so very true when shopping for great quality audio electronics and speakers. Even the best quality, though, can sometimes wear out or become damaged through heavy use or abuse. Rather than junk the pair of speakers just to fork over a ton of money for new units, it is a fraction of the cost to get the speakers repaired.
Quality speakers are not available from every electronics retailer. Most of the best buys which are advertised are usually are "limited quantities". Although the practice of using bait-and-switch tactics is no longer legal, putting a "limited quantity" disclaimer in an ad helps to protect the retailer from repercussions. Retailers will still attempt to steer the consumer to another comparable unit. Where the retailer will really push is regarding an extended warranty or protection plan. Whatever wording is used, it still comes down to the fact that an extended warranty is usually pure profit for the retailer and seldom needed by the consumer.
A better solution than dropping hard earned cash on a pair of speakers at retail prices is to repair the existing speakers by buying a repair kit from a professional, reputable and helpful audio company. For the same cost of new speakers, a higher grade repair kit can be purchased. Most individuals have never undertaken a do-it-yourself project such as this, but it is no more complicated than assembling a model car or plane. The key is to keep the work area neat and clean and focus on the task at hand.
If repairing a speaker is not a project to considered, then purchasing a new pair is the only other choice. One area to be wary of is major name brand speakers at a brick and mortar store. Even though a manufacturer is well known to produce excellent commercial or industrial speakers, the home consumer line usually will not share the same level of quality. There are many other "no name" speaker brands which possess superior specifications and are just as durable as the big boys.
Years ago, it could be difficult and time consuming to research different lines and models of speaker. Today the internet has brought about a wealth of knowledge. Audio forums and users input can provide a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding a particular model or line of speaker. Online businesses and reviews can also be vital tools in order to select the best speaker for a specific application. There is no one specific speaker design and material fits that fits all. Each speaker will have its own strengths depending upon the purpose it needs to fulfill.

PC Recording Software - The Two Types Needed For Home Audio Recording

PC recording software has a lot different types and capabilities. What I want to focus on here is software you can use to record music or voice overs onto your computer. That narrows it down to two categories of audio recording software: programs to use for "tracking" or getting the sound into the PC or Mac, and programs used for editing audio after it has been recorded.
Audio Tracking Software
I should mention that there is considerable overlap between the two kinds of program I am describing, but the main distinction is that one is primarily used to record the sound (music, voice over, etc.), and the other is primarily used to modify the audio in some way, usually by altering the actual audio file (destructive editing). For audio tracking you will absolutely want the ability to multitrack. What I mean by this is that you need to be able to record one item on one track (say, an acoustic guitar), a second thing (say, a singer's voice) on a second track that will play back AT THE SAME TIME as the first track, etc. If a tracking program can do multitrack recording, the number of tracks you can record (remember...all playing back at the same time) is usually unlimited. That means you'll be able to do some very cool things like record yourself singing harmony with yourself (a quartet or entire choir!), add guitar, drums, piano, etc. and be a one-person band. This is truly the killer app for computer recording. In the old days it was difficult and expensive to do multitrack recording. When using audio tape, the professionals used tape so wide (usually 2 inches), and moving so fast through a recording machine (usually 15 inches per second) that there was minimal noise and maximum audio quality. Consumers were left with two choices, pay to rent time at a commercial studio, or buy a machine yourself. Regular people could generally only have multitrack cassette recorders whose maximum track count was usually 4 because cassette tapes were so narrow. Because of the limitations, audio quality was not great coming from these consumer multitrackers. So maybe you can imagine why it is such a big deal that software allows good audio quality and unlimited track count! Anyway, audio tracking programs are frequently referred to as digital audio workstations (DAWs). You "lay down" (record) one track, then another, then another, etc. until you've recorded all you need. Then you pan each track to make it sound like it's coming from the left side of the listener, the right side, or the middle. You might also want to put some effects on each track to get them to sound just right. When you're done with all that you mix all the tracks down into a stereo file. Nowadays this is also called rendering.
Audio Editing Software
Like I said, there is significant overlap between these two types of audio program. For example, most editors can also record audio as well. But you usually can't do multitrack recording with an editor. For the purpose of this article, I want to focus on the editor's use once multiple tracks have been mixed down/rendered to a single file. Sometimes this is called mastering. Though in truth, audio editors have many other uses.
So after you've mixed all your audio tracks down to a single final stereo sound file in your DAW, you're ready to use your editing software. The primary difference now is that you're working on how one single file sounds, rather than how a bunch of different bits of audio sound, alone and together with the other bits of audio. That is such a big mindset difference that in the music business it is common for different people entirely to do each job. For most home recording projects though, we frequently end up doing both jobs. You open the file in the editing program and turn it into a final product by slicing, fading, turning up, turning down the file, and other actions that modify the audio in some way. For example, if I were doing the final edits for a song, I would make sure any extraneous noise at the beginning and end of the song are cut out, and that the song starts and ends smoothly. Sometimes there's a count-in, or someone coughing just at the start or end. An editor can slice those right off. Next you'll want to pay attention to loudness. In order to get the entire song loud enough, you may need to turn sections of the song down before you can increase the average loudness of the file. You can read more about this process of compressing or limiting audio in another article on the Home Brew Audio site. Other things you can do in the final editing stage is filter out parts of the song that may be too loud, like certain bass frequencies, or SSS sounds, etc. Or you may want to turn up some frequencies. Then you might want to add some effects like echo or reverb. When you've finished editing your song, you save it as a single stereo file (though it could be mono or even surround these days), and now the audio is ready to use in any way you see fit.
Examples of tracking software, or DAWS are: Reaper, Pro Tools, and Cakewalk Sonar. Popular editors include Audacity, Adobe Audition and Sound Forge.
So as a review, there are two main types of audio software, tracking programs and editing programs. You use the first type to record all the different audio onto tracks, apply track effects and mix all the tracks together to create one single audio file. Then you open the file in your editor and snip, stretch, massage, squash and polish it until it sounds just right, and you save it as the final product. Believe it or not, that is a nutshell version of audio production in general:).

Buy Cheap ViewSonic LCD Monitors

Key point Technology Corporation established computer color monitors under the line of view sonic back in the year 1990. After the establishment of the color computer monitors, that is when the company name was changed and it became to be known by its brand name ViewSonic Company.
The CEO who also happens to be the founder of the company is known as James Chu. The fist company that was rated top along NEC, Panasonic, Sony and Mag Innovation was ViewSonic for makers of CRT monitors; this came along in the mid 1990s.
By the turn of the millennium, View Sonic against all odds emerged to be the largest display manufacturer from Japan/ America. It was later announced that its monitor professional series got TCO '99 certificates in the year 1998.
In order to offer internet appliances, View sonic integrated with AT&T and in order to get the attention of the co-operate market they also integrated with WorldNet Services. They are in the fore front for introducing the LCD technology before being overtaken by LG and Samsung from Korea.
The company in the year 2003 is also considered to be in the forefront in bringing to the market the Smart Display with Air panel V150 which comes in Intel XScale processor.
The cheap ViewSonic LCD monitors currently come in 400MHz.Currently finding cheap view sonic has become easier than ever thank to the more advertisements that are making their way in the electronic media and the internet.
Some of them range for as little as $50 dollars for the 12 inch cheap ViewSonic LCD monitor. The reduction in prices comes about because of the flooding of substandard and imitation models in the market.
It is always important to visit the internet or a genuine dealer in order to differentiate an original from fake cheap ViewSonic monitors. This will enable you as the client to get a good deal for your money and also avoid disappointment as a result of going for substandard products.
To avoid this, it does not hurt doing a thorough research to establish where to go for the genuine cheap ViewSonic monitor products.
Display products namely HDTV set and a projector monitor that are able to use an iPod video was introduced at a consumer electronic show in the year 2007 by ViewSonic electronic company.
ViewSonic has come a long way after even wining a law suit filled against them by LG Philips in a dispute about which company invented the rear mounting of LCD mobile PC.

How to Place Home Theater Speakers for Better Sound Effects

Home theater speaker ensembles are typically referred to as 5.1 or 7.1 home theater systems.
The first number (usually a 5 or 7) represents the number of speakers employed, and the number AFTER the period (the 1) represents the subwoofer.
For Stereo use, a pair of large home audio speaker boxes might have been fine, but for home theater use, especially with today's thin flat-panel TVs, slimmer speakers are usually used. That's fine; slim profile speakers can deliver great performance, as long as we don't ask them to reproduce deep BASS.
That is why we add the subwoofer. By delegating the lowest bass notes to a subwoofer, the cabinet size of the other audio speakers can be dramatically reduced. In fact, there are now many "flat panel" speakers designed to visually blend with your flat-panel monitor, and hang on your wall alongside it.
Don't worry...our ears can't hear where deep bass notes come from, so it's fine to use only one subwoofer.
A center channel speaker is placed above or below the video monitor. It delivers the sounds associated with the action in the middle of the screen, and that includes most dialog.
Without steering dialog to a dedicated center speaker, if you sat off to one side you would HEAR the dialog coming from the closest speaker, yet SEE the person speaking from the TV screen, which can be quite disconcerting!
Additionally, by having a center speaker, you can, if necessary, spread out your left and right speakers more without a "hole in the middle" effect on the sound.
Next, we need to choose surround speakers. These are specialized audio speakers.
They usually need to be small, and are often mounted on or even in walls.
In most rooms, you want to place them on the SIDES of your seating area. They will provide the "wrap around" surround sensation that makes movie watching at home sound like going to a movie theater. This is a 5.1 Home Theater System.
In larger rooms, especially when there is substantial space BEHIND your seating, you may want to add two additional surround speakers, for a more involving surround effect. This would be a 7.1 Home Theater System.
If any of the surround speakers need to be placed near your ears, you may want to choose "dipole" surrounds speakers. These are designed to envelope you with sound without sounding like they are firing into your ears.
When selecting speakers, it is important to be sure that the three front speakers (left, right, and center) are sonically matched.
You have a bit more freedom with your choice of your surrounds and subwoofer, though a matched system of audio speakers from one company is an easy way to ensure harmony of sound.

How To Stream Audio Through Your Home

A large number of wireless audio transmitter products have emerged over the years. They promise to cut the cord to your audio equipment. We will examine the impact of new technologies on the performance of these products. Also, we'll examine if they keep their promise of eliminating the cable clutter.
The first form of wireless audio transmission was in the form of AM and FM radio stations. While still being popular today, FM radio is now being replaced by new technologies including HD radio, satellite radio and DAB broadcasts. A range of today's wireless consumer products cut the cord such as wireless surround sound kits, baby monitors, wireless microphones and Bluetooth transmitters.
Setting up speakers in another room and distributing music throughout the house are some of the applications of wireless audio. Many homes are not wired for audio. The technologies used today all have pros and cons as we will examine.
FM transmitters are using the most traditional technology in which audio is sent by changing the frequency of a radio-frequency carrier. The technology, which is called frequency modulation (FM), is fairly simple and cost-effecive to build and offers high range. While most of today's 900 MHz products use FM transmission, FM has some major problems.
FM transmissions will pick up static which is noticeable as a background hiss depending on the location of the wireless receiver. The reason for the varying quality is a phenomenon called multipath fading which is a result of reflected radio waves cancelling each other out. Using two antennae is one method some devices cope with this problem (diversity receivers). Another problem is that FM radios easily pick up interference from competing wireless transmitters.
Another technology which has gained popularity recently is called Bluetooth. Bluetooth was originally designed to connect computer peripheral devices wirelessly. Before the signal is broadcast, Bluetooth transmitters will convert the audio into a digital format. One of the advantages is the high robustness against wireless interference. However, Bluetooth was not designed for audio transmissions. Therefore is does have several problems. Bluetooth only offers a range of 30 ft or less and will compress the audio since it does not offer enough space to transmit an uncompressed CD-quality signal. Due to the compression, the audio quality will be degraded compared to the original. Another problem is that Bluetooth will introduce a delay or latency to the signal during the transmission. This delay is a particular problem for video and surround sound applications. In these applications the sound from the wireless speakers would be out of sync with the video and remaining speakers.
The technologies used for satellite radio and terrestrial digital radio offer high range. However, they also use extensive audio compression. Further, a delay of up to several seconds is introduced.
Another technology sends the audio digitally without using audio compression. The signal will retain the original quality by avoiding audio compression. This technology offers an audio latency of less than 1 ms. Therefore these transmitters can be used for wireless speaker kits in a home theater setup and other real-time applications.
To be robust against interference from other wireless devices, this technology uses forward error correction. This mechanism can repair errors during the transmission. Some recent products use the 5.8 GHz frequency band which is less crowded than the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz bands. The result is high reliability. Other than Bluetooth, this technology can operate and number of receivers per transmitter which is key for sending audio to several locations throughout the house.

Home Improvement: Audio Video Article Category

The building industry is booming. New constructions are coming up all over the place - you will be excused to think that these buildings are actually growing from the ground. Such rapid developments come with new concepts and designs that have been confined to offices, but which are slowly and surely finding their way into our homes, giving way to special rooms.

How to Improve the Sound From Your Flat Screen TV

by Erlend Brekke

To enjoy a good TV show - you want to have an excellent picture to along with matching quality sound. In the old days with the CRT TV sets you had good sound - but the pictures were dismal. With our new flat screen TVs, we have excellent picture - but the sound is falling behind. Actually, the sound was better from the old TV sets. What happened... and what can we do to improve?

Sound For You - Noise To Others

by Erlend Brekke

When you enjoy a good TV show - you want to have good picture with good sound. There may be family members in the same room, but they may not be interested in your TV show. Even worse, they experience your TV sound as noise. They want to attend to other things. In other words - not the best situation. One solution could be to add a TV room to your house. But it could be costly! Good for you... there are better and less expensive solutions!

Flat Panel TV Mounts

by Robert F Hickman

Clean integration is made easy for flat panel mounting. This mount is an all in one mount which includes shelving for a clean looking system. Having it manufactured as one unit, makes it easier to install and secure your TV, cable boxes or DVD players.

The Best Type of Wall Mount to Purchase for Your New Flat Screen

by Robert F Hickman

Holidays are almost here and you have already decided to buy that nice 50" Flat Screen TV so that you will have it before all the festivities start before the holidays. Before you head for the Electronic store, it is always better to do a little bit of research on what you will need to hang the TV up.

Our Top 2 TV Mounts Reviews

by Robert F Hickman

Tilt TV mounts allows you to adjust the viewing angle of the TV up or down, usually by 5 to 15 degrees either way. These mounts tend to offer the best compromise between fixed and articulating mounts by combining the compactness of a fixed mount with some of the flexibility of an articulating mount.

Soundproof Your Room

by Walker Peek

There are a few primary ways that sound transmits into your house. It can either transmit through materials between the sound source and yourself (experiencing a transmission loss as it does), or it can come in around those materials through gaps in your roof, walls, windows, and doors.

Home Audio Speaker Placement - Better Performance Through Better Design

Whether investing a large amount of your savings or a small part of your budget on your home theater, your speaker placement will play a big role in the sound quality and sonic performance in your home theater room.
The instructions that come with your speakers will give you recommendation for where to place them within a room but below are a few things to consider as you begin setting up your new home theater speakers.
CENTER CHANNEL SPEAKER
This speaker's main purpose is to anchor sounds on-screen, like dialogue.
Tips for placement of the center channel speaker:
1. Center it directly above or below your television.
2. If you place it above the television, the front edge of the speaker should line up precisely with the front edge of the television. This will cut down on any kind of sound "bouncing around" inside the television cabinet.
3. The tweeter of this particular speaker should be at the same height as the tweeters of the front speakers. If you can accomplish this to within 24 inches, that will allow for the best sound quality.
4. The front speakers and this particular speaker should be spaced the same distance away from your planned listening position.
FRONT SPEAKERS: BOTH LEFT AND RIGHT
These speakers have two distinct purposes. They reproduce stereo music sound while also handling a movie's soundtrack.
Tips for placement of the front speakers:
1. Find your optimal listening position. Now space the two front speakers at points in the room that are equal is distance to that position, with one to the left and one to the right. The front right, front left and center channel speakers should all be approximately the same distance from where you are sitting, with the tweeters of each directed at your ears. Don't just eyeball this and get an approximate distance, as even an inch variation in the distance of the speakers can make a noticeable difference in your home audio system's sound quality.
2. These speakers' tweeters should be even to your ear level when seated in the optimal listening position. Smaller home theater speakers can be mounted on the wall or placed on a speaker stand. Floor standing speakers normally have this covered in their design.
SURROUND SPEAKERS
The purpose of the surround speakers is to provide low and high level sound from other parts of the room, creating a movie theater feel in your home theater. The surround speaker placement will depend on the size of your home theater, the shape of the room, and the space needed for the actual speakers. Be creative and experiment with the placement of these particular speakers throughout the room.
Tips for placement of the surround speakers:
1. Place the primary pair to the right and to the left of your optimal listening position. This can be done in line with your position or just behind it. When placement to the side is impossible, or when you have a surround system with more than two surround speakers, you may wish to place the speakers behind the listening position, with the sound being directed toward the front of the room.
2. These speakers should be placed at approximately ear level when you are in a standing position.
3. Experiment with the aiming of these speakers when mounted on the walls. Sometimes good results can be achieved when you point them up at the ceiling or back at the rear corners of the room.
SUBWOOFER
A home theater subwoofer provides your home audio system with all the low bass frequencies needed for a movie theater, surround sound experience. However, it is one of the least difficult to position. In most cases, you can position your home theater subwoofer anywhere in your home theater and still get good results.
There is no one "perfect" placement for any given home theater speaker. No two rooms' acoustics will be the same, all speakers will have various sonic characteristics, and no two ears will hear any given sound identically. This doesn't mean you will never achieve the best sound quality from your home audio system. All it means is take the advice given and modify it when you actually install your home theater speakers to accommodate your specific needs.

Home Audio Hurricane Proof Installations

Are you considering a home audio system for your humble habitat? If you are considering a home audio system you may also want to consider making it hurricane proof and weatherproof and that includes the ability to withstand a lightning strike on your home. Home audio systems can be very expensive and chances are during a large storm you will want to turn on the music and forget about the weather outside.
The only problem with this scenario is the weather has not forgotten about you. For instance if you live in a mobile home, they are considered "Tornado Magnets" and you are sure to get hit with a Tornado. But a hurricane will bring with it very strong winds like a Tornado, as well as lightning and thunderstorms, which can last for 10 to 12 hours before it passes.
This is a lot for your home to endure and the chances of a lightning strike are far greater during this time period. You should therefore consider this when installing your home audio system of the potential eventuality of a lightning strike on your house. If you do not have a home audio system yet and you are going to batten down the hatches and refuse to evacuate, then perhaps while the power is out it might be a good time to install a home audio system.
This makes sense and as long as you have your Mikita battery-operated drills and power tools available so you can still work even though the power is out and you will have all day or all week to install the system and do it to perfection. Maybe the hurricane might be a good thing, as it will give you free time to install your new home audio system. Consider all this in 2006

Home Audio Recording Fun

I'm not even sure how old I was when I got the gift for Christmas, but I remember thinking it was a pretty impressive piece of electronic hardware. It was really cool looking (technologically speaking), and I was awfully proud to own it. It certainly made for lots of fun times.
What was this high-tech gift, you ask? Why, it was a tape recorder! It was a monographic, reel to reel tape deck that came with it's own plug-in microphone. I could hold that mic up to my transistor radio's speaker and record songs onto tape. I could also play the guitar and sing and record every second of it. I could even hide and record conversations from unsuspecting family members. I was in recording heaven!
Years later I owned an 8 track stereo recording deck (ok, that was a mistake). At another point in time I had a stereo cassette recording deck that would physically flip the tape over when one side was finished recording or playing. Now I own a more conventional stereo dual cassette deck, but I no longer use it for recording or much of anything else for that matter.
All my recording is now done on my computer. The audio and midi software available today for computer recording is quite amazing. You can record multiple tracks, edit the recordings and add special effects as desired. Many of the audio recording programs come with their own native special effects such as reverb, compression, flanger, and chorus, to name a few. Some of the recording software can also accept third party effects such as vocal removers, tube amp effects and many more.
Multitrack recording software allows for recording various live instruments, vocals, etc, onto individual tracks. After recording one track, you can play it back while recording another. Once finished, you can mix all the individual tracks down into one stereo track. Some recording software will import and record both audio and MIDI, some audio only. If you have a MIDI keyboard or other MIDI instrument, be sure to pick software that handles both formats.
Creating a simple home audio recording studio is easy. In addition to software, an audio and/or midi interface will allow you to plug all kinds of audio components, microphones and instruments into your computer for live recording, recording from tape or even from your old vinyl lp's. You can also use a home stereo system as an interface for audio components by running cables to it from your computer's sound card. A laptop with recording software and a USB interface can serve as a totally portable recording studio. And again, if you have MIDI instruments, be sure to get an interface that will allow connecting them in additon to audio components and instruments.
The digital revolution has made music recording easily available to anyone with a computer. If you enjoy music and want to do more than just download mp3's from the Internet, get some multitrack recording software and start your own home sound studio.

Home Audio Furniture for Beginners

There are many choices in home furniture for a home theatre. Some choices are better for your needs than others. In order to get the best furniture to meet your needs, you should have a clear idea of what you need, seek out a reputable company, and have clear knowledge of what all options are.
The most important concept in buying furniture that many people often overlook is the idea that the furniture should be not what's best, but what is "best for you." The most expensive furniture does not always yield the highest satisfaction. However, furniture that was purchased after a well-thought-out decision will often leave the buyer with a higher degree of satisfaction. Remember, while it is a good idea to take other's opinions into consideration, the important thing is that the furniture works for you.
In order to know what you need, you should have an accurate idea of what goals you want to achieve with your home theatre system. If your goal is a state-of-the-art home theatre experience, then your furniture should reflect your systems. Comfortable chairs and high-quality tables can enhance the home theatre experience. Consider every detail, including the color of the furniture. The most appealing home theatre systems often have a color scheme that is very pleasing to the eye. Always get second opinions when deciding on colors. Depending on the type of speakers you have, you might also want to have something special to hold the speakers in. Some of the best home-theatres have surround sound. This effect can be achieved by spreading the speakers around high quality furniture. Depending on what you want, you can decide beforehand how much money you are willing to spend on your home theatre arrangement.
Additionally, before one goes to make a purchase, the layout of the room should be measured accurately. This can be done very simply with measuring tape. You could possibly mark spots on the walls where the furniture will go. It is always a good idea to draw plans and view multiple arrangements. Some furniture takes up a significantly higher amount of space than other furniture. Therefore, knowing how much room you have to work with can make the furniture choice much more efficient and enjoyable.
The final thing that you should consider before buying furniture is the company. There are lots of furniture companies out there, and some of them have lower quality furniture, and bad service. The best companies will be willing to invest their time in order to help you create the best home theatre possible. It is always a good idea to get recommendations from friends about a certain company. Some companies may offer bad advice or try to convince you to spend more money on furniture that will not best fit your needs.
Buying furniture for a home theatre can seem like an extremely daunting task. However, it can be efficient and enjoyable if you take the time to educate yourself about what options are available, what exactly you are looking for, and what are the best companies out there. Well-educated decisions are always more rewarding than decisions made with a severe lack of knowledge. If you inform yourself, your home theatre system will surely be the envy of your friends and family.

Home Audio Amplifiers - 7 Expert Tips to Improve Your Home Entertainment Sound

How would you like to have a home music system that sounds so fantastic you would think the performers are playing in your home right in front of you? Choosing just the right home audio amplifiers can make a dramatic musical difference in how well your home theater and home music system will sound.
Use these expert home audio tips for selecting your home entertainment and music system components and you'll create an exceptional sounding home audio experience without having to spend a small fortune.
Here's how to get the best value with your home entertainment music system
o Your largest investment after your HDTV should be in your home audio amplifiers, not your speakers
o Specific brands of AV receivers are known for having exceptional music fidelity
o You need a specific minimum power capability to achieve great audio sound
o Why you want a 2 channel stereo music system
o Stereo music and home theater surround sound need completely different power amplifiers
o AV receiver vs separate audio power amplifier components
o What makes up the heart of your home theater and music system sound?
The problem is that you have so many choices and there are so many brands available to choose from that it's very difficult to know where to start. If you shop at your local electronics stores these days, you probably won't find an expert in home audio entertainment who is knowledgeable enough to really help you. Most online forums and review sites are largely too biased.
The biggest difference between a good sounding home music system and having a fantastic sounding home entertainment system is the synergy of your components. Basically, how well all the separate pieces sound together like your speakers; your AV receiver, your home audio amplifiers, DVD/ blu-ray players, game consoles, ipod, DAC and so forth.
The heart of your entire music entertainment system will be the home audio amplifiers that you are using. Home audio amplifiers are like the engine of your car. They are a major factor in the musical synergy that you will hear throughout your home entertainment system. Your second biggest investment after your HDTV should be in your home audio amplifiers, not your speakers.
Select your audio amplifiers based on what you are most interested in for your home entertainment. Do you primarily want to listen to stereo music (2 channels) or do you want your music system to be part of your home theater movie system 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system?
In general, the most realistic live performance music sound that you can experience in your home will be listening through amplifiers which are 2 channels stereo only.
If you want the best value in stereo music choose a stereo integrated amplifier with a power per channel of at least 75 watts to 150 watts into 8 ohms. If your budget is higher, you will hear the best stereo music using a separate stereo power amplifier or individual mono power amplifiers and a matching stereo preamplifier together. Home audio amplifiers with at least 250 watts per channel will give you the best deep bass and overall warmth and sound stage depth and width from your music listening.
If your main interest is enjoying a home theater surround sound movie experience or playing video games and not just listening to music, you will need a home audio system with 5.1 or 7.1 multi-channel capabilities to experience fantastic sound in your home.
You will find the best values in home theater amplifiers by choosing a multi-channel AV (audio/video) receiver. You have many choices in selecting an AV receiver. They all have about the same features today but only a few have the higher level of hi fidelity sound that will create musical synergy for you. Choose an AV receiver that has at least 120 watts per channel for all channels. Marantz makes some of the best sounding AV receivers that you can buy and Marantz quality is first class.
When budget is not a concern, you will hear the most incredible sounding home theater systems using separate muti-channel high power home audio amplifiers with a matching audio video processor/preamp. You'll want to consider multi-channel home audio amplifiers with at least 150 watts to 350 watts per channel. Some of the top brands in this category are from: Marantz, Krell, Paragon, Lexicon and Mcintosh to name a few. For a significant step up from an AV receiver, separates like the Marantz AV8003 and MM8003 are both affordable and have outstanding musical sound quality making an excellent value for a first class home theater and home audio system.
Just remember, when putting together your home theater entertainment system or home audio music system, the heart of your sound system will come from the quality of the home audio amplifiers that you are using.

Gary L. Goldsmith is a life long music audiophile with an extensive background of more than 40 years experience in electronics including state of the art digital and analog audio and video home entertainment systems. He consults, designs and installs home entertainment and music systems as a hobby.

Are Home Theater Amplifiers or Preamplifiers Necessary?

There are many lesser-known components available that are vital to creating a high-end home theater environment. Some of these components include sound equipment like a home theater amplifier or a surround sound preamplifier. If you aren't familiar with these custom home theater components, don't be overwhelmed. Below you'll find descriptions of both as well as how you can find a home theater preamplifier and amplifier that's right for your entertainment system.
The surround sound preamplifier and the home theater amplifier, though similar, are two separate components for a reason. The following is information on these components that will help you get a better understanding of what each does and how they work in unison.
Surround Sound Preamplifier
The home theater preamplifier was originally a simple component contained in the audio-visual receiver that serves as the core of a home theater system. To allow for better control over a theatre's audio quality, however, many manufacturers have begun offering preamplifiers as a separate component that can be more directly controlled. This doesn't mean that it's been completely removed from the A/V receiver and its functions. Several models such as the NAD T175 from NAD still feature decoding technology as well as control functions which allow for greater customization of the audio experience.
As the name implies, the surround sound preamplifier's job is to act as an initial amplifier for audio signals that come in to the A/V receiver. This allows the amplifier, or power amplifier (as it is also known), to have much less work to do in order to get the audio level to the point that you want it at. By using one in your system, you will also gain an additional control point for making small adjustments to the quality of your sound so that you can make everything exactly like you want it to.
Home Theater Amplifier
The home theater amplifier was also originally just a component of the A/V receiver. As the use of custom components began to rise in popularity, though, the amplifier was one of the first pieces to be separated. A separate amplifier allows for a much greater level of control when it comes to the volume and clarity of your audio, and when combined with a preamplifier, will allow you to customize your audio experience to the layout of the room or rooms that your system covers.
As previously mentioned, the home theater amplifier is sometimes referred to as the power amplifier because it is independently powered, as opposed to having to share its power with the other components of the A/V receiver. When audio information is sent to the amplifier from an A/V receiver or other decoder, it is sent as separate audio channels which are then independently amplified. The specific levels of amplification can be altered at the amplifier itself, allowing you to "shape" the end result to accentuate the specific qualities of your audio that you prefer and that work best with the acoustics of your home layout. Audio components manufacturers such as PSB strive to include as many options for audio customization as possible, ranging from basic graphics equalizers and volume controls to virtual audio effects, bass boosting technology, and the ability to emulate a wider range of sounds from individual speakers to better control the way that your home theater system plays audio.
If you are designing a very large home theater room or if you plan to have a complicated theatre layout, consider purchasing these components. When the two pieces are installed and are working together, you will have greater control over volume, better sound quality and clarity, and an optimum system for making additional customization changes to. A home theater custom installer can give you specific information about your amplifier needs if you are unclear about whether these items are right for your theater.

Setting Up Your Home Theater System Up in an Apartment Or Condominium to Stop Neighbors Complaints

Having lived in an apartment or condominium most of my life, I can say the worst thing is neighbors complaining about the noise coming from your home theater or stereo system. For the purpose of this article, the term "Apartment" will also include condominiums and "home theater system" will also include stereo system for playing CDs. Here are some tips I've learned through the years to minimize sound escaping your apartment causing the neighbors to complain.
Before I go on, unless you have a huge amount of money, there basically is no such thing as sound proofing a room in an apartment. Yes, it can be done but the cost is going to be off the roof. The advice I'm going to give will be to try to minimize the amount of complaints with your neighbors. Some easy common sense advice before we get started. I would introduce yourself to anyone who lives right above you or below you or shares a common wall with you, give them your phone number and just tell them in a friendly way, if they ever have a problem with your sound system, just to give you a call. This way at least you might be able to internally mitigate the problem before it escalates to a higher level. I would try not to play loud music/movies before 11:00 AM and after 8:00 PM, even if your buildings policy is 10:00 AM and 10:00 PM, and listen to wireless 5.1 headphones like Pioneer SE-DIR800C Dolby Digital 5.1 Wireless Headphones during the other times.
The main problem you're going to have with your neighbors is your subwoofer. The easiest solution is to be in an apartment on the first floor as that at least gets rid of people below you complaining. Failing that or even with that, I would buy both an Auralex Gramma Isolation Riser and Mason Super "W" rubber pads. The Gramma Isolation Riser is basically a platform to put your subwoofer on that somehow provides acoustic isolation and improves the subwoofer's tone without making it sound artificial. In short, it helps get rid of any boom from the subwoofer that you don't want. Mason Super "W" rubber pads are a mat of square rubber 2" modules 3/4 inch high separated by thick web that you can use the entire mat and/or cut modules off to put your subwoofer on. The way I have my subwoofer set up is the subwoofer is on top of the Gramma Isolation Riser which is above the Mason Super "W" Mat which is above my carpet floor. I have the Subwoofer back about 14 - 16" from the back wall and the subwoofer's side also about 14-16" from the side wall. I have the subwoofer set up on the Isolation Riser so that its grill is directly above the edge of the riser. The width of the subwoofer is centered on the Isolation Riser. I've included a photo in one of my websites listed below.
I also recommend if you live in an apartment to try satellite speakers and a powerful receiver. I have an excellent Orb Audio Mod 1 5.1 Speaker and Subwoofer set up that I love that seems to play loud volumes without being ear shattering. I've found that the more powerful your receiver is, the softer you can set the actual volume and it will sound as loud to you but not carry out louder in the room.
In regards to speakers, my advice to you is not to have them attached to or right next to a wall, but a couple of inches away and as far from the ceiling and floor can be, anywhere from around 28" to 56" or so off the floor, from the bottom of the speaker. I also wouldn't put them by corner walls. You might also want to experiment and put them over cut Mason "W" square modules.
Lastly, just use some common sense. Keep your windows closed when you play your home theater system. The best hours to play stuff really loud is during the week between 11 AM and 5:00 PM, when people are at work and 12:00 - 5:00 PM on weekends. When playing DVDs be aware that movies with gunfire and explosions tend to play louder then Woody Allen movies and set your volume accordingly! Good luck. You'll still probably get complaints but the amount should be cut down quite a bit!

Basics of the in-Home Audio Studio

With the latest advances in technology and software applications used by the music industry it is now possible to install a well thought out in-home studio without too much difficulty. In general to install a music studio at home there are several basic items that are required, which include a sufficiently sized and sound proof room, a laptop with enough specification, audio software, microphones, and speakers.
A significant aspect to setting up an in-home recording studio is the actual room that the equipment will be placed in. It is necessary to have a room that is either sound proofed (if possible) or more often quiet enough to make sure that outside interference isn't able to degrade the quality of the recordings. A quality microphone used for musical recordings is often highly sensitive and it is essential to avoid any room that is likely to attract external sounds.
An initial step in having an at-home studio created is to acquire the necessary hardware and software. If this is a first attempt at installing a home studio it often benefits to acquire the more basic machinery, which can be upgraded at the later point once you are more accustomed to how it operates.
In relation to the laptop it often benefits to buy one with a high specification in relation to running fast, offering a large capacity hard disk and a high RAM amount. It is necessary for the laptop to be able to run fast. Music recording software often consumes a great deal of the computer's capacity to run at a full speed, which is necessary to control the mixer, give the beats, and integrate the recorded sounds.
It is often the case that the latest series of music recording software applications are highly versatile in recording a range of beats, which can range from recording classical musical to hip-hop. In order to fully appreciate the benefits of the music software it often benefits to put in the necessary time to patiently learn its features and how most effectively they can be used to create the sound and beats that are desired.
It can also help to have a quality external speaker system which will make it easier to determine the quality of the home music production. A set of dedicated musical speakers or a high-quality computer monitor is often enough for this need. It might be possible to use a computer's standard internal speakers, but if possible it helps to upgrade to a full set of external speaker for a better quality sound performance.