TM Cast 1.0 - Patreon Exclusive

I think a possible cause of comment warriors is that, in this era of alternative facts and fake news, some people are overcorrecting, and this manifests in an unslakable thirst for TRUTH in whatever form that might take. Whatever one puts online will draw a certain amount of anxiety from anxious people. Don't worry about it, do what you do. There are plenty more who love it.

I really enjoyed this. Thanks so much for adding that RSS feed. I drive a lot, and I like listening to these Patron exclusive videos/audio, and being able to put them in a podcatcher and not having to open YouTube is really awesome, can't wait for the next one!

And don't get me started on the lack of imagination in stereo mixing over the last 4 decades. Loved the Mission Impossible videos. If you are looking for votes, count me in.

I got no problem with any of your videos. If anything, I wouldn't mind them being longer, whether you're exploring a fascinating piece of old technology or just one of these fireside chats. Carry on and I will enjoy watching your shows.

I really enjoyed it. About the audio: I use Sound Source from Rogue Amoeba a lot. Maybe it helps you in your search for sound quality you actually like: <a href="https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://rogueamoeba.com/soundsource/</a> All their apps are nice. I also use Fission and Audio Hijack... Hope it helps.

really enjoyed that. I much prefer spoken word when driving or dog walking to music. This time I was bodging a bit of code at work and it kept me company.

Really enjoyed that (whilst doing the ironing). Also, thanks for mentioning my C64 Space Walkers game 👍

"Things I Don't Understand" made me laugh out loud.

I liked this format, it was fun to listen to on my commute. Did you cut out silence in between sentences, it sounded a bit off.

loved it just the kind of think i like to hear in the car or on a run

i like the audio only. it would be nice to be able to download it though.

Regarding the monotony... you could slap in a little tune or two here and there you know. :)

Andromeda strain is a classic, have a huge movie collection but think it’s about time to let most of it go, that’s probably one that will stay... need to make way for having a family... rightfully so wife doesn’t see the reason for having shelves and shelves for movies last count was 1k plus. Think I’ll trim the collection to down to 1 bankers box of movies. Man this was a random comment

I can empathize with the misses my wife snores like a gravel mill

Audio only on Patreon is the way to go.

As for trolls and nasty comments, it is not being sociopath to not listen to the sociopaths who themselves don't care about your feelings.

If you are not showing anything then audio is enough. It is better for listening while driving or doing other things, and it takes less data/bandwidth so can be listened to from a smartphone.

This voice-only version is nice, but I do prefer seeing you do this talk as well. I agree with the comment Thomas Adam provided.

Hey Mat. Interesting take on one or two people's comments from the last time you produced one of these updates. I am favouring those who prefer video. From that, it's easier to let them listen to audio only. You wouldn't necessarily need to produce an audio version yourself. Plenty of free tools out there to do that already. One interesting point of note is that I got my missus listening to this, as you were 'not just talking about cassette tapes'. Hehe, that's more reflective on my tastes than yours, but it does highlight an interesting point, Mat, people want to listen to you. It's great you've got the personal touch with these. Keep it up, please!

I think I prefer the video version, it's nice when you can show some stuff on screen while talking about it. I also noticed you've cut out some pauses/erms (I assume) which makes it sound very unnatural compared to the video versions. I don't mind the extra minute or so. Anyway I'll gladly listen to you talk for hours anyhow ;)

Complaints about "ekcetera", eh? What's next: Complaints about you having a British accent? Sheesh. Your audio-only format is for me the perfect background for browsing eBay!

Do more of these

I just listened to this while working on a picture puzzle. I'll just say this about the Comment Section Complainers, I can see how you got the inspiration for the muppet in the leather jacket. But just remember, no one who is doing better than you complains about what you're doing; it's usually that tiny section of nobodies with access to ALL CAPS and no accountability who pipe up with unhelpful comments. Don't let them get you down. You can't get rid of them, but you can ignore them.

Oh, and Brin Vale (Brinvale.com) do hedgehog food by post!

I enjoyed the audio only format, sound very good (down to creaking chair and rustling noises I initially attributed to the dog dragging her bed around the house) I think I do miss the video side, if only to confirm that I’m not the only one who works in a little room by himself all day!

Downloaded mp3 to listen to whilst traveling to work. GRRRREAT!!!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I liked the audio. Just laying on the couch watching nothing. I use my eyes too much with screens, so this gave my eyes some rest. I could do that with the video version, but FOMA (fear of missing out) I guess... One question: where are the promised links in the “video” description? I didn’t get the name of the retro-guy you mentioned at the end...

You are listening to Radio Techmoan - All Talk - No Nonsense. 🙂

Well, I enjoyed this audio talk. I think I prefer the videos as you have an engaging way of speaking - body language and facial expressions being important parts of communicating. I suspect the reason some people nitpick grammar and punctuation is that many of us want to be an 'expert' without making any effort, (just as so many young people want to be famous without going to all the trouble of actually achieving something) and pointing out small errors and repeating vaguely remember facts and half truths not only fulfills that need, but also allows them to put one over on someone (ie you) who clearly has made a great deal of effort to research and present their findings into particular topics, and is considered by many to be an expert . I know that expertise is all relative and the more one looks into a subject, the more one realises that one doesn't know about it, but compared to most of your subscribers, you are an expert, Mat. Thanks for the audio-cast, I look forward to more whether video or not.

Phil Hendrie, a fantastic American radio guy who has amazing talent, said something long ago that I've always remembered when talking about talk radio. He said people that call into talk radio aren't the same people that listen. Meaning callers aren't the general audience and thus you shouldn't really place any value into their point of view. You got the following you have by being yourself and as you said not chasing likes or views, so just keep doing what you enjoy doing and that comes through in the videos, and thus it attracts more viewers.

What’s Nietzsche got to do with turntable cartridges? 🤔😅

I just wanted to tell you that under your recommendation, I am now the proud owner of a Sony TC-D5M! It is the greatest.

Forgot to say - was amazed to hear that hedgehogs are endangered in the UK ... in New Zealand they're considered a pest, because they eat the eggs of endangered native birds, and eat endangered native snails, etc. (They're introduced, here). But it's still impossible to be annoyed at them, they're too cute.

I will give you (at least partial) credit for me giving out cassettes with some of my interviews on them as promo items. Also, I picked up some of those USB light chips you reviewed a ways back, so you’re making a difference there.

Do these in whatever way makes YOU happiest. I prefer the video versions, but I'm not you. :-) Also, you probably have obstructive sleep apnea. I have it (mostly because I could stand to lose 10 or 50 lbs); you probably have it because of bad nasal plumbing. Get it checked. If you have it and they prescribe a CPAP machine your wife will no longer need earplugs (my wife and I went through that) and you will feel tons better. Tons and tons. (is that a North America-ism? Is it "tonnes and tonnes" over there? "Stones and stones"? "Kilos and kilos"?) I finally gave in and talked to my doc about a "sleep test" when I realized I was napping on the way to work. Not a big deal if we had still lived in Chicago and I was riding the train to work but we hadn't lived there for more than a year at that time and I drive (myself) to work here ... Napping is not good while driving.

Hi Mat, like many others I enjoy watching you 'present' a chat, just like you would watching a presentation in real life. i'm listening to the podcast though as i type this so the audio format does have a use...

Hi Mat, Yes, please keep doing update videos. Seeing your face makes it feel like we're having a personal one on one chat. Audio only just feels more impersonal. I agree that it can be used as a backup though. Great job as always. Looking forward to the next update video. John

Hi, Mat, Personally, this does not work for me. I'll happily sit and watch you rambling on for an hour, but I'm afraid I lasted only a few minutes into this. Maybe watching you is easier for me. Being retired, I have more time to watch - I don't need to multi-task, but I think it's also that facial expression and body language add to the experience. It's that thing of "knowing you and thinking of you as a friend" I've mentioned before. It requires that visual element. Sure you can chat with friends 'on the phone', but it's much more congenial to sit with them, face to face. S.

I miss your face. Thanks again for taking the time to make these updates. I really do appreciate them and if the longer updates are audio only, I will consume them just the same. Thanks Mat!

Thanks Mat. This is NOT a complaint. Personally I like watching videos. I confess I got 20 mins in looking at an almost black screen and saved the MP3. I'll wait until "The Dragon" volunteers me to do the ironing. I'll get you in glorious stereo on the HiFi! Best wishes. (I enjoy ironing so another MP3 cast is fine here!)

I enjoy the videos but this was also nice. Is it just me or is the Patreon audio player a bit 'dogdy'? It kept pausing and returning to the beginning. Or maybe it's just my phone.

Mat, I agree with Aairria. I like the videos a lot.

This is really missing your facial expressions and gestures which make listening to and watching you talk all that more interesting. Those patreon videos have a nice feeling of sitting by a table with you and listening to some behind the scenes stories. An audio-only version, in my humble opinion, really diminishes the value of it.

Just also want to say... the subtext and tone of what folk say is not necessarily angry, gruff, or negative when they try and correct you. I found I was doing this when reading text via conversation or messages online, and it took some head slapping but I learned NOT to always read comments assuming a negative or crass tone. In many cases, even with correction, they're not angry or annoyed or being a smarty pants, they're just pointing out something you might be unaware of. . Do you think I sound annoyed or something saying this? Ask yourself why, if that is the case. In my mind I am saying this as I would say it to a friend, concerned and trying to offer insight. But it could be read VERY differently depending on one's outlook. .

Hard to listen to audio only. My attention wanders to other things and I have to skip back again and again.

The audio cast is great Mat! I can do Techmoan in the car now! Thank you for all you do. Loved the recent VHD video as well.

Audio works, but it is getting some audio bounce from the walls on this which makes me cry into my coffee (lol j/k). I am kool with the audio or video cast, as what you are doing is more than what a lot of patreon creators do. So I will NOT complaint for content. I do prefer the video as it feels more like a face to face conversation. If there are a lot of folk wanting a audio only podcast, why not just post both and each can take their own? I know audio only is easier, but going the video route and pulling audio out would be fairly quick and easy. Or you can be a bastard and only do a live stream of these and drive everyone craaaazy :D

Regarding your remarks about social media, you may be interested in a book by Jon Ronson called "So You've Been Publicly Shamed', also available as an audio book via Audible. A lot of it is about the consequences of social media pile-ons and how lives have been ruined by the escalating consequences of sharing mildly tasteless jokes on line.

Sennheiser MKH-416

Prefer the videos but will probably get used to the audios if you continue that way. For some reason sitting down on my couch with a video is just a bit easier to concentrate that with audio! Interesting comments on social media ... I've had a very different experience on twitter, made quite a few friends (not that I have a huge amount of followers, only 300 or so) and it's a place I can discuss things that I don't really talk about/wouldn't feel comfortable talking about with regular friends. It's got me through some tough times having that supportive ear, so it does have its uses for me. :)

I was sceptical {there's no obligation to look at the screen during a video) but this worked well. It was worth it just to see 'that's what I call drivel' on the display of my car radio.

I can see it now, techmoan the audio book series read by Stephen Fry!

Audio only works for me, I download the audio file to my android phone and listen to it and do my daily things on the to do list.

Just watched the Hedgehog footage, my other half will enjoy that, it's so cute and she loves Hedgehogs :)

Radio TechMoan: "The hedgehog chronicles". As others have said, you don't give yourself enough Credit. The audio only works fine for me as I could listen in the background whilst working away at my normal "Monday" tasks. I could not get Pink Floyds Have a Cigar and Welcome to the Machine out of my head whilst listening to this. I would agree that the negativity is only a minority, the trolls of the internet. Sadly the new school bullys. They are few but sadly very vocal and therefore can drown out the rest. It gets tiring and I have a really difficulty in trying to drown these a--h--es out even though I know that feeding the trolls just spurs them on. On the topic of stereo sound, I think its because of the loud war and now most music is so heavily compressed that the left and right look identical, also there are aren't many audio visualisers any more, be it VU meters, Spectrum Analyzers etc.

Hi Matt. I really enjoy these Patreon updates and I don’t mind either format. The audio version allows me to concentrate on other tasks better and the video version allows you to show us items to give better context. I was able to listen to the audio only quicker than the video as I don’t need quiet time to consume.

Personally, I've been enjoying the videos, settling down late evening, with a nice glass of something. And of course, we get the wry facial expressions! And like another commentator above, my Sony Walkman (MP3 one, sadly!) is chock full of podcasts and content I've yet to get round to.

Since English isn't my first language, I sometimes find it hard to follow audio-only material. I definitely prefer video material because it is often easier to understand a person when you can read their face, and/or use Youtube's automatic subtitles. The subtitles doesn't catch everything but quite often it helps - especially in situations where I can't use headphones. Also, I have enjoyed the behind the scenes footage in some of the exclusive videos, it gives a bit of perspective to the whole thing.

This is going to sound really stupid, but my Podcast listening is filled to the brim so finding time to listen to this going to be a bit limited. However, if this had been a video it'd get watched the same day. Any reason why you can't create the video and hive the audio off that?

Great "podcast" - good to listen to while I was doing other things. I like the format! I was unhappy watching 2001 on BluRay, because the quality was so high you could see the spaceships were paper cut-outs.

Hey Mat, this actually works really well. I even put some "cafe sounds" behind it to make it a little bit more 'comfy', very ASMR. And you are correct, modern pop music has created this mindset that everything needs to be: Vocals centred, rhythm instruments left and right channel and boss and percussion centre also. I meet some people who when they listen to independent music recorded in a more 3D style, they are confused and think it sounds terrible. As if trying to have a band sound like a bunch of people actually playing together is terrible. Also don't listen to people about length, the video is on YouTube. All Youtube players remember where you are in the video and condensing info is only going to be detrimental.

Thanks for the Techmo-Cast! I really enjoyed it. I love the hedgehog thing, you are a man with a heart. Until next time and sincerely thank you for making my life more tolerable.

Haven't listened yet, but PLEASE tell me that the "hedgehog footage" isn't because of me...also, I'd prefer the YouTube video, because I often prefer to listen to these sped up from normal speed, and having it as an audio file makes that more difficult (I need to bring out the big guns, a.k.a. Audition), whereas if it's on YouTube it's a simple keyboard press to change the speed.

This is fantastic. Interesting to hear you speak without seeing you on camera. It's missing the visual expressions you're known (at least to me) for. But listening to this with my headphones on is a little surreal. Just starting it now, but I can already say I'm in favor of this kind of content from you.

I rather watch a video of you rambling on about all sorts of nonsense then listening to a man telling me interesting stuff for an hour. If I would have a vote I would vote for video. Nevertheless, this is your work, you decide....

Downloaded into my podcast app. Perfectly happy with audio only

Happy to watch / listen in either format - I always look forward to these, but I definitely prefer the video format.

Personally prefer video, but just please continue doing these updates whichever is easier.

Great stuff. I have not got around to watch your latest Patreon vids, but this worked perfect for me listening from the phone on a sleepless night in bed. I didn't miss the video part at all, and I did not fall asleep either. So I'm all for you continuing this format. Well done!

You are superb and don't really give yourself enough credit for how creative and interesting you are. I enjoy ALL the stuff you do including this audio experiment for Patreon subscribers. Thank you!

I didn’t know about the Blink cameras. I have been using Eufy cameras. 1 year use on a single charge and you can schedule notifications. I didn’t think I would like an audio only thing but I actually enjoyed this audio MoanCast.

OK.. Just finished listening to the whole thing. I agree with much of what you say about social media. Also, I relate to something you said about people wanting to sell you junk or send you ebay links. I get so many ebay links that it is in my FAQ on my website that those go straight to the trash. I don't even look at them. 99% of the time people are just thinking I want to bid on every piece of vintage tech on ebay. And I also know how frustrating it is to say that you couldn't find something in time for a video, and then you get like 100 people wanting to send you the item or show you an ebay link for the item like 3 weeks later. Like you said... it's too late by that point.

Great work as per the usual. I really don't mind what format (Audio/Video) you do for these.

I have to echo some of the people here that I really like the video better. Having the visuals are nice to have to me.

I liked the video chat, I like the audio chat. I pretty much like everything that you do. I wouldn't worry about the few peanuts in the crowd. It's like when news says that there's a Twitter outrage over something, and they cite 7 people with 500 retweets. Does that actually mean anything?

I’m a big fan of these Patreon only chats whether video or audio only. Glad you’re still doing them. I love to hear about all the nut-job complainers.

I think you worry about the less than 1% who are trolls, and you should forget them! - and your audio and video is always world-class - It's ironic, that one of my other favorite youtube channels, is an odd automotive channel which is growing very fast but he takes special care to ridicule all of his troll viewers, and he even takes one day a week - "Nut-Fest Friday" to dedicate an entire video to making fun of his trolls, with a top 10 troll comments and awards a "cock of the week" award to the biggest moron. Maybe you could watch a few of these for therapy, I really think it would help you to not worry about what anyone thinks! - This youtuber is quite well spoken and intellectual, but he also takes no prisoners! - Give this a watch, they are rather addictive. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuGXybgAbqk&t=33&list=PLnjhI4Ajj3UMfNrQK1NmFOHJGtScFUjDU" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuGXybgAbqk&t=33&list=PLnjhI4Ajj3UMfNrQK1NmFOHJGtScFUjDU</a>

I prefer the video chats over the audio chats like this one, but this is still enjoyable and I think it would be great if you could maybe alternate them with video one month and audio the next. Better still if you could do both a video and audio each month, but whatever you do, I'll probably like it.

As a devout audiobook listener, I have no trouble listening to the same voice for HOURS haha! Really enjoyed the format. I like the video myself, but whatever is easiest and works best for the audience :)

Just to prove that you can't please everyone - I've got hearing loss so find it much easier with video and audio together. Especially since YouTube has captions.

I'll be curious to see what the consensus is here. I've thought about doing the same thing. After all, it's sort of boring to just stare at anyone (unless they are a beautiful woman) and listen to the speak for an hour. So, when I watch these videos I am often doing the same as others have mentioned, I'm working on something else while listening. If I think you are showing something on screen then I'll glance over to see what it is. Now, your regular YouTube content, of course, I watch without interruption because there is a lot of stuff to see. And for me, producing the audio content would probably be easier. No camera to setup. No files to download from the camera, or video to render. Just record and upload. I haven't actually listened to this yet, I'll do that shortly.

Interesting talk as always, but I kinda do miss the video. I used to put it on my 2nd monitor and listened while playing a game or something and when you showed something I could glance over, I miss that a bit. On a side note, I've sent you a email containing a Cuba Baion remix at the start of this month, I hope you got it and liked it!

I have downloaded the MP3 and look forward to listening on my next drive to work. Great Hedgehog video.

Please make the videos! I know that you probably don't like editing them, but they make my day so much better.

Sad to see no video :( – though if people were moaning about it for some reason, fair enough. If you’re going down the podcast route, though might be good to have an RSS feed, as the Patreon player is terrible.

The audio quality is outstanding. I usually prefer videos but this is such a joy to listen to, the quality is excellent.

I downloaded the file and played though Google Play Music, which allows better control than Patreon. I always have trouble with audio files played directly through this site.

The audio is great, but I think you need a new camera, the picture was pretty crappy.

Maybe it's just me, but I prefer a video, even if the runtime is beyond an hour.

Certainly not opposed to audio! Although it's a bit irksome that the Patreon app turns off the sound whenever my phone/tablet screen turns off, at least on Android. Playing on a computer or downloading the mp3 works of course, but dang it Patreon lemme stream things

I like the concept keep up the good work.

Just got it and so far so good!

Great idea! If it’s not too much work, could you send out the RSS link email from Patreon for these, please? Other content producers have done this to enable subscribers to download via podcast apps.