[Nfb-history] Recordings at Convention

[Peter Donahue]

Hello everyone,

    Since returning from convention the list has been quiet. I'd be curious 
to know what everyone was able to record at this year's national convention. 
I'll start this show.

    One activity that has been requested to be recorded for several years is 
the annual employment seminar. I'm pleased to announce that this was done 
with success. Details on how one can obtain copies of this seminar will be 
posted later. I also recorded the Seminar for Spanish speakers and the 
Writers' Division Annual Meeting.

    I'm sorry to report that due to the inability to connect to the sound 
system in the room where it was being held plus not being ready by start 
time the recording of this year's Back to Basics Seminar was aborted. 
Although I brought my own sound system with me it could not be used 
successfully in those Panzicola Rooms as they were quite large. The Back to 
Basics Seminar was held in one of those rooms. Without a direct connection 
to the sound system I could not obtain a high-quality recording. Keep in 
mind that these seminars have been posted on our national Web site hence the 
need for them to be of the highest possible quality.

    I've discussed this issue with Mike Freholm before and during the 
convention. He plans to discuss it with Dr. Maurer and Mrs. Jernigan during 
the coming year in the hopes we can find a favorable solution which will 
allow us to "Bleed" in-room sound systems without first visiting the local 
mortgage company.

    I've had several brain storms and have a few possible work-around for 
this problem especially next year since the national convention will be back 
in Dallas. As it happens our state affiliate has its own sound system. If 
there are affiliates that want their activities recorded perhaps they could 
be scheduled in a room where the sound system could be set up to avoid the 
costs of patching in to the hotel sound system. As I recall the sound system 
in the Wedgewood Room at the Hilton Anatole had problems.

Perhaps Florida could do likewise assuming they have their own sound 
equipment and would be willing to allow it to be used to provide sound for 
convention activities and so these activities can be recorded. Many of the 
smaller rooms at the Rosen Shingle Creek did not have P.A. systems in them. 
It's a darn good thing I was able to finance the purchass of a small pear of 
speakers so I could not only record the above activities but provide a sound 
system for these rooms.

    a dreamer's  approach would be to find equipment that could capture live 
audio from an in-room sound system for recording without the need for a 
physical connection to the in-room P.A. system. If the in-room sound systems 
are digital this might be possible. Since I have an entire year to research 
this possibility I will do so. There are hardware and software solutions 
that allow audio and video signals to be sent from a PC to  a T.V. or a 
stereo system for playback without the need for a physical connection to the 
receiving device. I need to see if there are such solutions to do the exact 
opposite and how expensive they are and their transportability. One way or 
other we need to whip this problem so the issue won't keep coming up every 
year.
    These are my recording adventures at this year's national convention. 
All the best.

Peter Donahue