COMPLETE- Moral Letters by Seneca, Vol. I-maryann

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 2nd, 2014, 7:54 pm

Good to hear that the problems are solved, and that you're enjoying the reading so far. I'm about 40 years too young to have the ideal Seneca voice, but I'm trying my best with what I've got.

Here are two more sections:
04 (8:08) https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_04_seneca_128kb.mp3
05 (6:36) https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_05_seneca_128kb.mp3

The reading in these doesn't seem quite as good to me as in the previous ones, but oh well.

From now on I hope to upload one section per day, but please don't feel obligated to PL that often--I won't mind posting ahead of the PLs now that I've got those problems worked out. Thanks again for PLing.

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 3rd, 2014, 7:36 am

MaryAnn, I just noticed I did not assign a genre I should have: "Classics (Antiquity)". I edited it into the OP, but I wanted to let you know in case you have to add it in to the catalog.

TimoleonWash · Post by **TimoleonWash** » October 3rd, 2014, 10:11 am

PL Report Sections #4, 5: All A OK. I am looking forward to more and I do not find your voice too young

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 3rd, 2014, 9:52 pm

Section 06 (05:39) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_06_seneca_128kb.mp3.

And thanks--I'm going for that Stoic sound. By the way, if you have any more constructive criticism on the recording, the editing, or the reading itself, please let me know. I'm new around here, so all tips are appreciated. (Thanks again for those you've given so far.)

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 4th, 2014, 6:56 pm

Section 07 (09:33) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_07_seneca_128kb.mp3.

Section 06 re-uploaded because of a tagging error.

Question: what's the acceptable volume difference between different sections? So far (according to Checker) they range from about 89 to 91.7 dB.

Post by **MaryAnnSpiegel** » October 4th, 2014, 7:49 pm

Volume: That range is fine. We target 89 dB but 87-91 is ok. When I am cataloging, if I see a jump from 87 to 91 in consecutive files, I will adjust them. But from what I've read, it differences of 1.5 or less are not noticeable to listeners. You just don't want someone with headphones to get a shock going from a relatively soft section to a relatively loud section.

MaryAnn

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 5th, 2014, 5:26 pm

Thanks, MaryAnn.

Section 08 (07:39) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_08_seneca_128kb.mp3.

Section 06 re-uploaded, new time 05:22. I removed a footnote that, after I thought about it, seemed pointless.

Yesterday I recorded three sections in advance... then I had to delete them because I noticed short gaps of a fraction of a second, with increasing frequency. (For example, "This -brivox recording is the Publ- -omain.")

I changed some settings in Audacity (mainly lowering the recording rate from 32 bit to 16 bit) and started a new project because it seems like the bigger my first project file got, the more it skipped. But I still got a few tiny gaps here and there in my re-recordings, though fixable so far. Should I ask about this in a separate thread?

Post by **MaryAnnSpiegel** » October 5th, 2014, 6:08 pm

Filipe,
There is a thread here: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=40238 for help with Audacity. It's monitored by people who are very familiar with the program. I suggest that you post there.

MaryAnn

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 5th, 2014, 7:12 pm

Thanks MaryAnn, I posted my problem there.

TimoleonWash · Post by **TimoleonWash** » October 5th, 2014, 11:56 pm

PL Report, Sections #6, 7, 8: All A OK.

Your renditions started out good to my ear, and they keep getting better

For example, your voice sounds more natural and flowing now. Your tempo and cadence are coming into their own. And the subject matter, well, what can I say but "Seneca."

I am very much looking forward to more and I hope that when this project is completed, you begin another in the same vein.

P.S. Though I cannot hear it, my Checker program complains when noise is over 40 or so dB.

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 6th, 2014, 7:55 pm

Section 09 (16:51) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_09_seneca_128kb.mp3.

Thanks, Timoleon, for the compliments. I feel more natural too when I'm reading... although I'm still often re-reading badly read sentences which I afterwards edit out.

No problem, I raised the noise removal parameters a bit, and now I believe it's under 40 dB.

Yes, I'm fortunate to able to read Seneca and contribute a first version reading at the same time... sadly the third volume won't be in the public domain for a few years yet. I'd like to read some of Dr. Johnson's essays at some point. The challenge will be not only to read his peculiar English, but to find someone willing to proof listen it.

TimoleonWash · Post by **TimoleonWash** » October 7th, 2014, 2:20 am

PL Report Section #9: I suspect you might have done what I have done so many times when recording such great material; become so transported in the words and thoughts that I get a bit distracted. Thus:

At 4:46 the sentence beginning, "Let us now return..." is missing.
At 5:08, a sentence is repeated.
At 13:53, the sentence, "My goods are all with me" is missing.

The first time I reworked a recording I made the mistake of changing the recording from the beginning to the end. When I made the first change it moved the recording so that the next sentence I wanted to fix was no longer at the time noted in the PL report but later because I had added some seconds in my first modification. Then I modified a section which made it shorter than it was and this also moved the time point of my next stop to edit.

Eventually I learned that for me it is better to start at the end of the recording and make edits there. By doing so the time stamp on all the other places of note does not change. Maybe my experience here can help you save yourself the aggravation I felt hunting around for the place editing was needed.

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 7th, 2014, 7:38 pm

Thanks, Timoleon, for being more careful in listening than I was in editing.

I re-uploaded Section 09, new length 16:51. In these cases, should I change the status to "Ready for spot PL"?

EDIT: Your advice, by the way, was very helpful and saved me frustration I'm sure.

I also re-uploaded Section 08 (new length 07:39) because in that and 09 I said the chapter number right before the title, whereas I hadn't been doing that in previous chapters. (I fixed both.)

EDIT: Now that I think about it, I actually should do that in every chapter since originally the letters had no titles and the more standard way to refer to them is by number--and the number appears before the title in the text. I'll do that tomorrow.

Also, Section 10 uploaded (04:11): https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_10_seneca_128kb.mp3.

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 8th, 2014, 8:04 pm

Section 11 (05:58) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_11_seneca_128kb.mp3.

I haven't edited in those numbers yet. (When I do, I'll be sure change the track lengths in the MW.)

fvogel · Post by **fvogel** » October 9th, 2014, 8:31 pm

Section 12 (09:52) uploaded: https://librivox.org/uploads/maryannspiegel/morallettersvol1_12_seneca_128kb.mp3.

That one has quite a few footnotes and quotes. I'm not usually saying "end footnote" or "quote...end quote"--does this make it confusing?