[COMPLETE]SOLO Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt - kit

Solo or group recordings that are finished and fully available for listeners
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Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Stories of the Scottish Border by William Platt ( - 0).

This project is now complete! All audio files can now be found on the catalog page for this project https://librivox.org/stories-of-the-scottish-border-by-william-platt/
Nothing seems to be known about Mr and Mrs William Platt, the writers of Stories of the Scottish Border. What they produced is an eccentric guidebook and history, seen partly through the ballads of the region. The book recounts the military stratagems, treachery and courage of those who struggled for control of the Border lands and of the whole country, and tells of the triumphs or tragic fate of those who took part on both sides. It also tells us stories of the Border Reivers, raiders who lived by riding out and stealing their neighbours’ livestock. Their lives were governed for several hundred years by a form of rough justice, and they showed an even rougher wit. While their adventures, though cloaked by the writers in romance and chivalry, were often petty and bloodthirsty, the ballads which distill their experience are, at their best, haunting and intensely moving. The Borders and Northumberland have changed little in aspect over the centuries, and I suggest following the book with a map and images of the places described, to give some idea of the wild remoteness and imaginative power of this Border land. (Jhiu)
  • Text source (only read from this text!): http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/38845
  • Type of proof-listening required (Note: please read the PL FAQ): standard



    IMPORTANT - soloist, please note: in order to limit the amount of languishing projects (and hence the amount of files on our hard-pressed server), we ask that you post an update at least once a month in your project thread, even if you haven't managed to record anything. If we don't hear from you for three months, your project may be opened up to a group project if a Book Coordinator is found. Files you have completed will be used in this project. If you haven't recorded anything yet, your project will be removed from the forum (contact any admin to see if it can be re-instated).
    Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!


    Magic Window:



    BC Admin
    ============================================
  • The reader will record the following at the beginning and end of each file:
    No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording!
    START of recording (Intro):
    • "Section [number] of Stories of the Scottish Border. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
    • If you wish, say:
      "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
    • Say:
      "Stories of the Scottish Border, by Mr and Mrs William Platt. [Section]"


    For the second and all subsequent sections, you may optionally use the shortened form of this intro disclaimer:
    • "Section [number] of Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain."
    • If you wish, say:
      "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
    • Only if applicable, say:
      "[Section title]"
    END of recording:
    • At the end of the section, say:
      "End of [Section]"
    • If you wish, say:
      "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
    • At the end of the book, say (in addition):
      "End of Stories of the Scottish Border, by Mr and Mrs William Platt. "

    There should be ~5 seconds silence at the end of the recording.
  • Example filename storiesofthescottishborder_##_platt_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the section number (e.g. storiesofthescottishborder_01_platt_128kb.mp3)

    Transfer of files (completed recordings)
    Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
    • Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader Image
      (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
    • You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: Kitty
    • When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
    • If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.

    Any questions?
    Please post below


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fiddlesticks
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Post by fiddlesticks »

I would love to DPL :D
~Tiffany
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Many thanks!
fiddlesticks
Posts: 5668
Joined: September 8th, 2012, 10:54 am
Location: somewhere with my nose in a book
Contact:

Post by fiddlesticks »

Looking forward to it! I have a little bit of Scottish in me, so I am always interested in stories like this!
~Tiffany
Kitty
LibriVox Admin Team
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Joined: March 28th, 2014, 5:57 am

Post by Kitty »

I love Scotland too :9: still remember fondly my two car trips up there. I can MC this. Interesting stories in there.

Sonia
Kitty
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 38860
Joined: March 28th, 2014, 5:57 am

Post by Kitty »

all right, MW is up and running.

I have made a change in your title which was not complete (you only had "Stories of the Border"). Also the author credits should go to William Platt and Mrs William Platt ;) since this sounds a bit long, you could probably consider saying "Mr and Mrs William Platt". :hmm: Since you have to say it in every intro, maybe that's an easier alternative.

I see you have much less sections than chapters in the book, are you planning on putting some stories together in one section ? If so, it's best to say "Section Number" instead of "Chapter Number" in the intro. I also changed that.

It seems this is the first time you are BC of a project, so if anything is unclear on how to update the MW, please ask questions. If you click on "BC/Admin" underneath the MW you should get access and put the chapter names in. You probably have to push the "forgot password" button, then you'll get a new password via email to enter the MW.

Let me know if you need any help still.

I also put fiddlesticks in as DPL. Welcome aboard. So I will soon move us over to Going Solo, since the team is complete.

Sonia
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Thank you for your help, and for correcting the errors.

I don't intend to group the sections, and any inaccuracy in my numbering was simply that. The book is divided into two parts: the introduction, in three chapters, and the 49 chapters of stories.

I shall follow your guidance on the author credits. I have been unable to find any trace of the writers, but will stay on their trail.

As yet, I have only the vaguest idea of the style, though I am familiar with some of the tales and ballads. Can I write the summary when I have finished the recording?

Many thanks again.

Judith
Kitty
LibriVox Admin Team
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Joined: March 28th, 2014, 5:57 am

Post by Kitty »

Jhiu wrote: October 16th, 2018, 1:01 pmI don't intend to group the sections, and any inaccuracy in my numbering was simply that. The book is divided into two parts: the introduction, in three chapters, and the 49 chapters of stories.
well it's easy to change the number of sections if you need more or less in the end
I shall follow your guidance on the author credits. I have been unable to find any trace of the writers, but will stay on their trail.
yes I was browsing a bit as well, no definitive luck so far. Do you have access to the British Library database ? They may have something there
As yet, I have only the vaguest idea of the style, though I am familiar with some of the tales and ballads. Can I write the summary when I have finished the recording?
of course, no problem. As long as it's in there when we archive ;)

Sonia
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Hi, Sonia.

I was so nervous recording for the first time after a gap of several years, that my recording may have all manner of issues.

I have had problems with noise on my recordings, but I have now discovered that disconnecting my laptop from the mains resulted in silence. Unfortunately, the battery on my laptop has such a short life, that I may have to record in short bursts! ( A new battery may help.)

I was also rather worried about the volume of my recording. If I turn the volume down, some parts sink into a murmur, if up, my emphasis hits the ceiling. Still, something to work on.

The introductory poem is in the recording at the beginning, before the first part of the introduction. I hope that's the right place for it.

Anything else, just let me know. I can do it again if need be.

Kind regards

Judith
Kitty
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 38860
Joined: March 28th, 2014, 5:57 am

Post by Kitty »

Hi Judith
I was so nervous recording for the first time after a gap of several years, that my recording may have all manner of issues.

yes I can understand the being nervous thing. But there is no need, just be relax, tell a story :) There's not much that can't be corrected with an editing program.

Do you have Audacity ? Then I can help if you need any hints.
I have had problems with noise on my recordings, but I have now discovered that disconnecting my laptop from the mains resulted in silence. Unfortunately, the battery on my laptop has such a short life, that I may have to record in short bursts! ( A new battery may help.)
ha ! I have just the same problem with my laptop, my battery doesn't load up to full 100% anymore and so the time to record is severely limited. I wonder if it's easy to just replace the battery. :hmm:

But yes, recording with the laptop unplugged will greatly reduce the noise of the fan ! Highly recommendable.
I was also rather worried about the volume of my recording. If I turn the volume down, some parts sink into a murmur, if up, my emphasis hits the ceiling. Still, something to work on.
I ran the file through checker and the volume is indeed a bit over our accepted limits: 92.1 dB, I would suggest you decrease it by -2, then you are more inside the norm. Also the background noise will be reduced as well ;)

Do you have ReplayGain ? It calculates the amount you need to increase to get to 89 dB. If you have Audacity I can send you the link. I use it all the time, it's very efficient.

But yes, you need to take care not to fluctuate your volume while recording. Always best to check the waves while reading, so you see immediately when you are getting louder and can adjust.
The introductory poem is in the recording at the beginning, before the first part of the introduction. I hope that's the right place for it.
yes I think that's a good way to start. I didn't listen to it all yet, since I will not meddle into the DPLers job here. But I noticed a few things already, which you need to take care of.

1) Please use the standard intro as stated in the first post. Not "Introduction of ..." But "Section 1 of ...". Then you can say the title "Introduction" after the official disclaimer is done (all this you can read in the template example)

2) at the end we leave 5 seconds of silence, you only have 2 which is a bit abrupt

Other than that, I let fiddlesticks check out the text. :) Your reading was nice, from the snippets I listened to :9:

3) could you always paste the link in the Magic Window and change the status to "Ready for PL" so one sees at a glance that something new is in ? You are in charge of the MW, you also need to fill out the titles of the Sections. ;)

That's it. Have a nice weekend. And if you need help with anything, just holler !

Sonia
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Thanks, Sonia, I would be grateful for the ReplayGain link.

I'm a bit confused by the template. Because I didn't know if the exact word 'section' was to be used, or if it was in the template as a genetic term, I listened to a few first section recordings, and heard a variety of openings: 'chapter one', 'introduction of' and others. Are these openers not correct?

To get it straight, the correct opening would be:

'Section one of Stories of the Scottish Border.
This is a Librivox recording... etc
Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt.
Introduction, 1 The Character...'etc

Sorry to harp on about this, but it adds to the stress if I'm in doubt.

Didn't fill in the MW, because I thought I might have to do the recording again.

Thanks for your patience.

Judith
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Forgot to say at the end of the section: 'End of Introduction, 1 Character of the Borders'. I'd better put that in and submit again.
BW
Judith
Kitty
LibriVox Admin Team
Posts: 38860
Joined: March 28th, 2014, 5:57 am

Post by Kitty »

Jhiu wrote: October 20th, 2018, 9:18 amThanks, Sonia, I would be grateful for the ReplayGain link.
here it is with instructions how to run it:
Replay Gain plugin for Audacity: - http://forum.audacityteam.org/download/file.php?id=4668

1. Save the file to your computer - your desktop or somewhere where you can easily find it.
2. Now browse to the folder in which Audacity is installed. It's probably in C:\Program Files\Audacity) and then open the Plug-Ins folder.
3. Drag the file you saved into the Plug-Ins folder.
4. When next you start up Audacity, you will be able to select the whole recording (Ctrl+A on Windows), then go to Analyze | ReplayGain, and it'll tell you how much to amplify your file to get to about 89 dB
once it's installed, use the function "analyze" (not "normalize") then it will give you a number and that's the amount you need to amplify with.
I'm a bit confused by the template. Because I didn't know if the exact word 'section' was to be used, or if it was in the template as a genetic term, I listened to a few first section recordings, and heard a variety of openings: 'chapter one', 'introduction of' and others. Are these openers not correct?
in some books where there are chapters, people opt to say "chapter xx", but if for example you have to divide a chapter into two, because of the great length, it would be best if you called them all "section xx", because you will not be correct in the numbering otherwise. (am I making sense ?)

So a variety of possibilities can be correct. I think section would be best for your project, because you start with the intro.
To get it straight, the correct opening would be:

'Section one of Stories of the Scottish Border.
This is a Librivox recording... etc
Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt.
Introduction, 1 The Character...'etc
yes that's how I would have said it

and for the next part then you can use the shortened version (as stated in the 1st post): "Section 2 of Stories of the Scottish Border by Mr and Mrs William Platt. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain. Chapter 1. Bamburgh and its coast"
Sorry to harp on about this, but it adds to the stress if I'm in doubt.
no need to stress and worry about it. :) it should be fun. And you're doing great so far. The reading itself is excellent
Didn't fill in the MW, because I thought I might have to do the recording again.
oh ok but you can always put in the links. Since you will all name them the same way, the new file will automatically replace the old file in the MW.
Forgot to say at the end of the section: 'End of Introduction, 1 Character of the Borders'. I'd better put that in and submit again.
at the end you only need to say: "End of Section 1". No need to repeat the title. That's the easiest way to use "section".

Sonia
Jhiu
Posts: 230
Joined: June 15th, 2009, 4:07 am
Location: Durham UK

Post by Jhiu »

Thanks for the link to Replay Gain. I have tried to access it, but my computer tells me that it can't open the file. When I go onto the internet, what opens is https://www.file-extensions.org/filetype/extension/name/digital-camera-raw-files. I can't actually find the file you mention. The page is full of download buttons that are adverts.
Perhaps I'll leave it.
Judith
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