[GOTHIC] The Castle of Otranto by H. Walpole - availle

Solo or group recordings that are finished and fully available for listeners
LCaulkins
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Post by LCaulkins »

Chapter 4 is PL OK :thumbs:

and Happy Thanksgiving to you, if you're in the U.S.
~Lynette * -
Fancy some fun character recording? Small parts needed in these dramatic novels: Clouds of Witness | Ivanhoe (DR)
chymocles
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Location: Youngstown, Ohio, and Saint John, New Brunswick
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Post by chymocles »

Section 5 can be found here: https://librivox.org/uploads/availle/castleofotranto_05_walpole_128kb.mp3

This part was really difficult. Please tell me, Lynette, whether the women's voices sound too phony. I had a hard time forcing myself into the molds of a daffy or terrified maid, a grieving matron, and a saintly virgin with eyes cast up to heaven.

Availle, I am now going to work on the cover, already claimed.

Tom
LCaulkins
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Joined: October 6th, 2019, 10:22 am
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Post by LCaulkins »

Hi, Tom!

This section may have been difficult, but it turned out terrific.

No, the women's voices do not come across as contrived or phony. Your silly, frightened maid was on spot, as were the others.

My only PL comment is regarding the fade out at 30:12 (and his next phrase at 30:18) - at the mid-point volume I was using, I couldn't hear what he was saying. I could hear it fine when I turned up my speaker volume. I would recommend increasing the volume of these spots just a little so that listeners at mid-volume don't lose those two portions.

And by the way, your use of effects is extremely good throughout the audio files - very appropriate to the story and enhances the listening. I've thoroughly enjoyed proofing these for you.
~Lynette * -
Fancy some fun character recording? Small parts needed in these dramatic novels: Clouds of Witness | Ivanhoe (DR)
chymocles
Posts: 1274
Joined: March 23rd, 2011, 6:30 am
Location: Youngstown, Ohio, and Saint John, New Brunswick
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Post by chymocles »

Actually I am in Canada, alone with only my reading to engage my full attention, and my Thanksgiving dinner was a vegetarian bratwurst (ugh!) and three slices of Spam. I intended to eat out but when the moment came, I watched Netflix instead. Availle, our administrator, is moving today and won't be back online, she says, for two weeks. Meanwhile I've created a cover for the novel and am moving on to another project, the medieval poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

Tom
LCaulkins
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Joined: October 6th, 2019, 10:22 am
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Post by LCaulkins »

Aww. We have no fridge (been dead since mid-Sep, and factories are all backed up - supposed to get one Dec 6th) - so we went out yesterday. Was pretty good. Otherwise, super quiet here, too.

Give me a holler if you'd like a DPL on the new project.
~Lynette * -
Fancy some fun character recording? Small parts needed in these dramatic novels: Clouds of Witness | Ivanhoe (DR)
chymocles
Posts: 1274
Joined: March 23rd, 2011, 6:30 am
Location: Youngstown, Ohio, and Saint John, New Brunswick
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Post by chymocles »

Good luck with that refrigerator. It's hard to live without one.

I have fixed the volume problem:
It happened because I was trying to give the impression that the microphone was hastening after the lad as he rushed from one room to the other. The effect actually still works partially since the microphone's position affects the sound in more ways than volume. I'm very glad you pointed this out, for I have always been unhappy with the general volume of Librivox recordings. I am losing my hearing, and in the car I simply cannot follow speech unless I massage the file beforehand by leveling out the volume throughout, reducing differences in levels. Audacity permits one to "limit" the volume and then to "normalize" it, and three or four of these maneuvers gradually reduces the distinction between loud and soft passages to the point where every word can be heard. All LibriVox files require this accordion-like compression and expansion process to make them audible to me. When the problem is apparent to a person with normal hearing, it MUST be corrected.

I have been more than satisfied with your work, Lynette. Keep your eye peeled for Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. I would be pleased for you to undertake that PL job too.

Tom Copeland
LCaulkins
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Joined: October 6th, 2019, 10:22 am
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Post by LCaulkins »

Ahh, that is much better, and still has the effect you describe looking for. :)

That sounds like a lot to go through for each section you want to listen from audiobooks. Very nice that you know how to manipulate the files to help out, though.

I do get frustrated often while "recreationally" listening to LibriVox books. I do PL files at breakfast and lunch, or when I want a break from work during the day, when I can also keep an eye on the source - and then I'll run what I call "recreational" audiobooks while I'm quilting, doing dishes, pulling weeds, etc.) And frequently, if the decibels on a file are only 86, 87, I can't hear what's going on, even with the volume cranked all the way up. There are times you want to listen when you're not tethered near a great speaker, you know? And earbuds give me nasty earaches if I use them, so that doesn't work for me. I'm always ridiculously happy when I'm PL'ing, and the first section from a new person is nice and solid at 89-91 decibels. People can turn their volume down if a book is louder than they like, but you can't do anything about increasing volume on something that's super soft to start with, you know? Unless you download files and mess with them like you describe. I may have to do that the next time I start listening to a book that's been done very softly. :lol:

Anyway, I'm marking Chapter 5 PL OK :thumbs:

Which means you're finished!! Congratulations - it's a really terrific audiobook! :clap:
~Lynette * -
Fancy some fun character recording? Small parts needed in these dramatic novels: Clouds of Witness | Ivanhoe (DR)
annise
LibriVox Admin Team
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Post by annise »

Ava is still internetless so I'll catalogue this and add the cover at the same time .....
annise
LibriVox Admin Team
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Joined: April 3rd, 2008, 3:55 am
Location: Melbourne,Australia

Post by annise »

All done :D and I have added your cover. Thank you both :clap: :clap:

This project is now complete! All audio files can be found on our catalogue page https://librivox.org/the-castle-of-otranto-by-horace-walpole-2/

Anne

Let me know if there is something you wish changed.
LCaulkins
Posts: 7441
Joined: October 6th, 2019, 10:22 am
Location: Colorado, USA

Post by LCaulkins »

Nice cover, Tom!
~Lynette * -
Fancy some fun character recording? Small parts needed in these dramatic novels: Clouds of Witness | Ivanhoe (DR)
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