Packing List

Must Haves for ds106
Below are things you should have packed and prepared for your ds106 experience. A sturdy duffle bag is not required, nor is a shiny briefcase. But if you have one... For more details, see our Getting Started Guide


 * Blog / RSS Feed UMW enrolled students will need to choose their own web domain name, so start looking for one that is available and works for you (we will provide instructions for setting up your domain and site). Try namecheck to see what domains as well as social media user names are possible.

Open participants can use any blogging platform as long as it provides an RSS feed (we nearly always recommend Wordpress ;-). You will need to figure out if you will provide a feed for all your ds106 content or by identify your ds106 work by category/tag within your blog (see info for ds106 open participants).

Suggested platforms include:


 * Self Hosted WordPress on your own domain http://wordpress.org/
 * Hosted WordPress http://wordpress.com/
 * Blogger http://blogger.com/
 * Tumblr http://tumblr.com/
 * TypePad http://typepad.com/


 * AvatarAs you are creating numerous accounts for this class we recommend that you use the same image file and username to represent you on all social media sites. This typically is a file with square dimensions, at least 100px by 100px. Once you choose an image, please register it with the gravatar site http://gravatar.com/ using the email address you will use for this course (this is a service that uses this avatar on many sites without you needing to upload it).


 * Sign Up For ds106 If you have not been a part of ds106 before, we need you to sign up at the main web site to add your blog feed to the system.


 * Social Media / Web Site Accounts
 * flickr (photos) http://flickr.com/
 * SoundCloud (audio) http://soundcloud.com/
 * YouTube (video) http://youtube.com/
 * twitter (for... tweeting!) http://twitter.com/
 * google (for hangouts) http://accounts.google.com/

The Toolbox
For the work we do in visual, audio, and video editing, we do not specify software or tools you must use. Instead, you should try software you have, or some of the open source / trial versions listed below.

Great Guides

 * Jisc Video Production Infokit http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/infokit/video-creation/

Multipurpose Tools

 * CloudConvert https://cloudconvert.org/ between more than 100 different audio, video, document, ebook, archive, image, spreadsheet and presentation formats.
 * Online Converter http://www.online-convert.com/ provides free conversion between almost any file format
 * Zamzar http://www.zamzar.com another powerful file conversion tool
 * eCamm Movie Tools (OS X) free, handy drag and drop audio conversion tools http://www.ecamm.com/mac/free/
 * What The Font for identifying text styles used in existing content http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
 * Chrome Font Finder http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2013/09/chrome-font-finder.html
 * How to do a screen capture on any device http://take-a-screenshot.org/
 * Build Your Own Adobe Creative Suite with Free and Cheap Software (LifeHacker) http://lifehacker.com/5976725/build-your-own-adobe-creative-suite-with-free-and-cheap-software

Finding Media

 * 50+ Web 2.0 Ways to Tell a Story: Finding Media tons of sources for all media types http://50ways.wikispaces.com/StoryMedia
 * Creative Commons Search http://search.creativecommons.org/

Images

 * flickr creative commons search http://flickr.com/creativecommons
 * Compflight http://compfight.com
 * Tin Eye Multicolor search (finds creative commons flickr images based on colors and color combinations) http://labs.tineye.com/multicolr
 * flickrStorm http://www.zoo-m.com/flickr-storm/
 * flickrcc http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/

Commercial

 * Photoshop (30 day trials available)
 * Photoshop Elements (cheaper)

Open Source/Free

 * GIMP http://www.gimp.org/
 * Paint.net (windows) http://www.getpaint.net/
 * Inskape (vector based like Illustrator) http://inkscape.org/
 * Bulkr -use to download flickr photos, yours or via a search http://clipyourphotos.com/bulkr

Web Based

 * Clipping Magic http://clippingmagic.com/ super useful tool to remove backgrounds from images
 * ImgOps - provides a suite of image tools can operate on any image via its URL http://imgops.com/
 * PicMonkey http://www.picmonkey.com/
 * Photoshop Express (free) http://www.photoshop.com/tools/expresseditor?wf=editor
 * pixlr http://pixlr.com/
 * fotoflexer http://fotoflexer.com/
 * fotor (does HDR and collages as well) http://www.fotor.com/

Open Source

 * SVG Edit - a fast, web-based, JavaScript-driven SVG drawing editor that works in any modern browser https://code.google.com/p/svg-edit/

Web Based

 * Draw/to http://draw.to/
 * Scribbler 2 http://www.zefrank.com/scribbler/scribblertoo/
 * SketchPad http://mudcu.be/sketchpad/
 * Flamepainter http://www.escapemotions.com/experiments/flame/#top
 * Viscosity http://windowseat.ca/viscosity/
 * Diagram.ly (flow charts) http://www.diagram.ly/
 * Gliffy (flow charts)  http://gliffy.com/

Audio
General/Interesting info
 * Transom.org - all about audio astorytelling from NPR Radio http://transom.org/
 * The World of Foley
 * Foley Sounds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OONaPcZ4EAs
 * See foley work on A Prairie Home Companion: SFX/Rhubarb script, March 21, 2009 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdZQ0fjhTlA
 * Night of the living dead sound replacement (foley artist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLUy3wyB7vQ
 * Pirates of The Caribbean- Complete Sound Replacement (Foley Artist) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5vctMnGq-c
 * All cartoons use music as an integral element in their format. Nearly all cartoons use it badly . . . . -- Chuck Jones http://www.awn.com/mag/issue2.1/articles/goldmark2.1.html
 * Willhelm Scream http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdbYsoEasio

General Tools
 * The Levelator http://www.conversationsnetwork.org/levelator A powerful tool for improving audio recordings, especially when voices have dramatically different audio levels " It's software that runs on Windows, OS X (universal binary), or Linux (Ubuntu) that adjusts the audio levels within your podcast or other audio file for variations from one speaker to the next, for example. It's not a compressor, normalizer or limiter although it contains all three. It's much more than those tools, and it's much simpler to use. The UI is dirt-simple: Drag-and-drop any WAV or AIFF file onto The Leveler's application window, and a few moments later you'll find a new version which just sounds better."
 * eCamm Movie Tools (OS X) free, handy drag and drop audio tools to convert to MP3 or AIFF http://www.ecamm.com/mac/free/
 * ID3 Tag Editor (Windows, free) http://id3tageditor.com/
 * ID3 Editor (Mac, Free) http://id3-editor.en.softonic.com/mac
 * Vocaroo - Web based audio recorder, record, embed, share http://vocaroo.com/

Mobile Recording/Broadcasting
collected by Christina Hendricks see also the extensive collection of mobile audio apps published by SoundCloud


 * Soundcloud app (free): allows you to record and then upload directly to Soundcloud (which is a fine place to post your audio when it’s done--you get a fair bit of time for a free account) https://soundcloud.com/mobile
 * Audioboo (free): Works on many platforms. Don’t know much about this one—both a recorder and a site to upload sounds to (like Soundcloud, I guess). But you get very little time with a free account to the site. I think you can use the app to record sounds that you could upload elsewhere. http://audioboo.fm/
 * iTalk (free and paid versions): I think this one is only available on iOS devices. Allows you to choose between different quality recordings, and allows emailing files from the app. Paid version integrated with Dropbox, I believe. http://italksync.com/
 * Recordium (paid, but sometimes on special offer for free): also only for iOS, this one allows you to annotate recordings, and you can grab your recordings from the web with wifi sync to an IP address that has just your recordings. http://recordiumapp.com/
 * Smart Voice Recorder (free): for Android only. I know nothing about this one, as I don’t have an Android device. But it has good reviews. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.andrwq.recorder&hl=en
 * Easy Voice Recorder Free (can pay for Pro version). Android. Simple to use, records in .wav format. Can use standard ‘Share’ dialogue to transfer files off phone or USB connect to a computer. (@easegill)
 * iPadio somewhat like audioboo, you can record and upload from iPhone and Android. You get a channel and an rss feed of you phlogs. Seems to work well, but I’ve not used as much as audioboo (@johnjohnston)

For broadcasting to ds106 Radio
 * Papaya was an iphone app to broadcast to an icecast server (ds106 radio), now discontinued. The developer now produces KoalaSan which I’ve not tried/bought yet (reading the forums, it looks like KoalaSan does not support mp3 only ogg-- note ds106 does work with this app @cogdog ). ScottLo has replaced Papaya with another icecast app iCast Pro I just tested it briefly, more later, but worth checking Scottlo’s post for a gotcha  (@johnjohnston)
 * Broadcast Myself is an Android app that can send a stream to Icecast servers like ds106radio

Audio Microphones

 * Samson Meteor Mic: USB Studio Microphone for Computer Recording. It’s compact, easy to use and has great sound quality. With camera connection adapter you can use with iPad. Zero-latency when listening thru headphone jack.
 * PC Mag Review http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2386213,00.asp
 * TUAW Review http://www.tuaw.com/2011/05/17/samson-meteor-mic-usb-studio-microphone-solid-quality-in-a-comp/
 * ZOOM H4n or ZOOM H2 recording device.  These two hand-held recorders are excellent quality.  The H4 has the ability to record 4 separate tracks so you can essentially build your own song the way you could with Garageband.

Commercial Editing

 * GarageBand (Mac) http://www.apple.com/ca/garageband
 * Cubase (PC, Mac) http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/cubase/start.html
 * Presonus Studio One Artist (PC, Mac) http://studioone.presonus.com/
 * Ableton Live (PC, Mac) http://www.ableton.com/
 * Protools (PC, Mac) http://www.avid.com/US/products/family/Pro-Tools
 * Melodyne (30 dy trial version) for OS X and Windows http://www.celemony.com/cms/index.php?id=melodyne

Open Source Editing

 * Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
 * install the LAME library so you can export to MP3
 * Audacity Manual
 * Audacity Tutorial from the Audacity site
 * Audacity tutorials on YouTube
 * Creating a simple podcast with Audacity (this has good basic editing instructions)
 * Screen cast of basics of recording and using layers, effects. envelope tool in Audacity

Web Based Editing

 * Soundation http://soundation.com/ a powerful online music studio with recording, effects, virtual instruments and over 700 free loops and sounds.

Audio Content

 * 78 RPMs and Cylinder Collection- good for the silent movie era assignment http://www.archive.org/details/78rpm
 * ccMixter http://ccmixter.org
 * Find Sounds http://www.findsounds.com/
 * Free Audio clips http://www.freeaudioclips.com/
 * Free Music Archive from WFMU "It's not just free music; it's good music" http://freemusicarchive.org/
 * Free Sound http://www.freesound.org/
 * Incompetech Royalty Free Music http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/
 * Internet Archive Audio Collection – look for the old time radio shows and live music collection http://www.archive.org/details/audio
 * Jamendo http://www.jamendo.com/
 * WikiMedia Commons for Audio http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Sound

Screen Recording
Software for recording screen action to publish as a video, useful for tutorials.

Commercial

 * Camtasia http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.html
 * SnagIt (free trial versions available) http://www.techsmith.com/snagit.html

Open Source / Free

 * CamStudio http://camstudio.org/
 * Jing http://www.techsmith.com/jing.html
 * screenr http://www.screenr.com/
 * Microsoft Expression Editor (Windows) http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=24601
 * Fraps http://www.fraps.com/

Video Editing

 * UMW Digital Video site http://video.umwblogs.org/
 * Video School 101 (vimeo) https://vimeo.com/videoschool/
 * The Basics of Video Editing: The Complete Guide (LifeHacker) http://lifehacker.com/5785558/the-basics-of-video-editing-the-complete-guide
 * About.com Desktop Video http://desktopvideo.about.com/
 * Comparison of Video Editing Software (Wikipedia) http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_video_editing_software

Commercial

 * iMovie (Mac) http://www.apple.com/ilife/imovie/
 * Apple iMovie tutorials http://www.apple.com/findouthow/movies/
 * Editing with iMovie tutorial https://vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/33/video-101-editing-with-imovie
 * About.com How to Edit Video in iMovie
 * iMovie tutorials on YouTube
 * Windows Movie Maker http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started
 * Movie Maker tutorials on YouTube
 * About.com Windows Movie Maker Tutorials
 * [Older version 2.6] many people prefer this version
 * Adobe Premiere trial version http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=premiere_pro
 * Adobe After Effects trial version http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=after_effects
 * Final Cut Pro (Mac, trial version) http://www.apple.com/finalcutpro/trial/
 * Vegas (PC) http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/download/trials/vegaspro

Open Source / Free

 * MPEG StreamClip Probably the most useful for creating clips from downloaded videos http://www.squared5.com/
 * Videopad (Mac/Windows) http://www.nchsoftware.com/videopad/index.html
 * VideoLAN Movie Creator (Mac, Windows, Linux) http://trac.videolan.org/vlmc/
 * Wax (Windows) for special effects like After Effects http://www.debugmode.com/wax/

Web Based

 * Wevideo http://wevideo.com
 * Memplai http://memplai.com/
 * Creaza http://www.creaza.com/movieeditor/
 * Pixorial http://pixorial.com

Open Source / Free

 * Blender http://www.blender.org/