b'MARC ZIENKIEWICZWhy Masks are aEDITOR, CREATE BY ISSUES INKmzienkiewicz@issuesink.com @mzienkieSymbol of Resiliency issuesink.comWE ENJOYED BOLSTERING morale recently by supplying a numberRecord Your First of cloth masks to staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. KimPodcast TodayKenward, our R&D manager, has been a quilter for many years, and my mom Debbie Klein enjoys sewing.It seemed like a proactive way to protect both staff and cus- PODCASTS ARE all the rage these days, but how to tomers. My mom Debbie isnt an overly avid sewershe decidedbreak into the podcast game? The good news is to make masks as a way of coping with what was happeninganyone can do it with some basic equipment and around her. She began experimenting with different designs andsimple know-how.has made over 30 masks now. You need three main ingredients: computer, Likewise, Kim had seen all the conversation about the need formic, and recording software.masks, so she outfitted her family. When our company moved toJust about any modern computerbe it a the policy of needing masks in the lab, she thought it would be adesktop, tablet, or laptopcan record audio. good idea to help out. Theres really no point wondering if your Masks have become an important safety tool that arent alwaysmachine of choice can do itthe answer is yes availableand even when they are, the standard N95 masksit can! The real issue is whether or not it has a arent as comfortable as one might hope. mic built into it. Many laptops have a built-in mic Theres something about a homemade mask that makes youthese days. This can be sufficient but wont give happy to wear one. It turns what is otherwise a horrible pandemicyou the kind of audio quality you need to be into something we can all unite in the midst of. considered a truly professional podcaster. For me, leaving the house during the pandemic is a daily riskA variety of external mics exist on the market, I must face. My work simply cannot be done from home. My hus- but my favourite by far is the Blue Yeti USB micro-band has some underlying health issues and my son has asthma.phone. As a seed analyst I have to put myself at risk to do my job, but inA simple handheld digital recorder, the kind the process, I put them at risk, too.journalists use for interviews, can also be used My mask has become a symbol of that sacrifice and what itto capture your audio. This can be useful for means to be a seed analyst on the front lines. interviews done on the fly or at locations where As someone who has been home-based since the pandemicits not practical to sit down and record using a began, Kim finds it hard to not be there in the office to help relievecomputer.some of the pressure on her coworkers. Making masks has been oneNext is the editing. There are special pieces way shes contributed to making their lives easier when she cant beof software out there designed specifically for there in person to help out. podcasts. I use an Apple laptop, which has In the end, both staff and custom- GarageBand built into it. You can also record ers have made the best of an other- your podcast right in your chosen piece of soft-wise difficult situation.ware or utilize audio youve captured on your Our customers have been patientrecording device or audio that you recorded on a and understanding, knowing wereplatform like Zoom or GoToMeeting.all in this together and doing ourAs you learn, you can incorporate sound best to ensure the business of agri- effects, music, and a variety of other bells and culture continues to be resilient andwhistles that you can use to jazz things up.get its job done despite a changedOnce youre done, you can publish your pod-world. cast quite easily. If your website is Wordpress-based, you can upload the audio file right to your site. A variety of podcast publishing platforms exist as well that you can tie directly into your website. That might seem like a lot of info to digest, CAREY MATTHIESSEN but once you jump in and start recording and OPERATIONS MANAGER, 20/20 SEED LABS editing, youll get the hang of it quite quickly. carey@2020seedlabs.ca Want some more advice? Just contact me and Ill@2020SeedLabs help all I can!2020seedlabs.ca18GERMINATION.CAJULY 2020'