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

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 24th, 2019, 2:13 pm

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/storiesofthescottishborder_10_platt_128kb.mp3

9.26

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 24th, 2019, 2:14 pm

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/storiesofthescottishborder_09_platt_128kb.mp3

12.45

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 24th, 2019, 2:18 pm

Hi, Sonia. I have posted Section 10, but I seem to be having a problem with my mike which is making a strange sound from time to time. If the recording's not good enough, I'll do it again, but I wanted to get back into posting every day.

I have also posted Section 9 again because the link still wasn't right.

I must get a free standing microphone. Wearing headphones distorts how I hear my voice.

Best wishes

Judith

Post by **Kitty** » January 24th, 2019, 2:22 pm

Jhiu wrote: ↑January 24th, 2019, 2:18 pmI have also posted Section 9 again because the link still wasn't right.

the link looks correct to me

I must get a free standing microphone. Wearing headphones distorts how I hear my voice.

it might be how you are used to it. I also have a standing microphone, I don't think I could record with headphones. But it seems for many that isn't a problem.

We'll wait for what Tiffany has to say about the strange sounds.

Thanks Judith !

Sonia

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 25th, 2019, 11:10 am

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/storiesofthescottishborder_11_platt_128kb.mp3

9.20

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 26th, 2019, 5:49 am

Hi, Kitty. I have bought a new mic: a Blue Snowball, and have been testing it. I have sent a 1 minute test through to Listeners and Editors Wanted, as advised. Below is the link and the text.
KR
Judith

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhiu.mp3.mp3

Would you be kind enough to check this. I am recording with a new mic: a Blue Snowball, and I can't increase the volume to what seems to be a suitable level.

If the quality is poor, I shall return the mic.

Many thanks

Judith

Post by **Kitty** » January 26th, 2019, 6:02 am

Jhiu wrote: ↑January 26th, 2019, 5:49 amWould you be kind enough to check this. I am recording with a new mic: a Blue Snowball, and I can't increase the volume to what seems to be a suitable level.

If the quality is poor, I shall return the mic.

I think it's a very good quality. Don't worry about the volume, it's just slightly under our accepted limits (85.8 dB). I increased it with 3 dB in Audacity and made a round of noise-cleaning and then all sounded excellent.

You have Audacity, right ? You can easily use the Amplify function then in post-processing. Do you have the Checker program ? You can check your volume with it before uploading.

Sonia

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 26th, 2019, 2:47 pm

Hi. Thanks. No, I don't have the Checker program. I really haven't a clue about this kind of stuff.
I asked about installing ReplayGain, but am none the wiser, despite the best efforts of my correspondent to help.
I think I'm just going to send in my next chapter, and maybe return the mic if I still don't get the right volume.
I'm beginning to think that reading is for people who understand computers, and that doesn't include me.
KR
Judith

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 26th, 2019, 3:47 pm

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/storiesofthescottishborder_12_platt_128kb.mp3

8.08

I am not very happy with this. To get any sound out of the mic, I have to speak right into it, and it is picking up my breathing.

The problem may well be that I need a new sound card which will enable me to increase the volume. That will mean taking my computer to the engineer, so I will be without it for several days. I am unwilling to go back to the headphone mic, since it traps my voice in my head, but I may be obliged to.

Ah well. Let's see what the PL makes of it.

Thanks again for your help.

Judith

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 27th, 2019, 2:51 am

Didn't thank you for your cleaning job! How do you manage to get everything done so quickly?

I've discovered something interesting about recording. Headphones make me cough! It must be something to do with the build-up of pressure inside the ear. Recording with a free standing mic enabled me to record right through without stopping to cough more than once.

Listening to 11 and 12, I wonder if you think that the quality of the Blue Snowball recording compensates for the low volume. The quality isn't what I was expecting; I feel it's rather thin.

I must apologise for the quality of the reading, too. When I listen to the sections before sending them in, I just want to tear them up and start again. When I can stop worrying about the technology, I should be able to relax, and things should improve.

Is the Checker difficult to download? Could you give me a link?

Many thanks, and Buona Domenica.

Judith

Post by **Kitty** » January 27th, 2019, 3:00 am

Jhiu wrote: ↑January 27th, 2019, 2:51 amDidn't thank you for your cleaning job! How do you manage to get everything done so quickly?

what cleaning job ? Well, I think the "quickness" is relative, sometimes I fiddle a long time to get things right. But yes, noise-cleaning is a routine for me by now, as I run a round of noise-cleaning over each file I do.

I must apologise for the quality of the reading, too. When I listen to the sections before sending them in, I just want to tear them up and start again. When I can stop worrying about the technology, I should be able to relax, and things should improve.

the bits I listened to were fine, mostly we are our worst critics

just relax right away and don't worry too much and then you will be more at ease and it will sound better automatically

Is the Checker difficult to download? Could you give me a link?

sure, here: http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Checker
it's very easy to use. It only had the inconvenient that you first have to export to mp3, because checker only checks mp3 files. But then checker will tell you for example "Volume: 83 dB" - then you'll know you are 6 dB under the average of 89, so you go back to Audacity, highlight your file and amplify with 6. If checker tells you it's 93, you are over the limit and decrease with -3. Easy as that

here are more details on how to make Replaygain work:

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.

I first had a bit of trouble finding the file, so if you need further help, I can probably walk you through it if you tell me exactly what you did and where you got stuck.

Sonia

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 27th, 2019, 11:19 am

Sonia, you're a star. I might well be in touch about ReplayGain, but for the moment, on with the Border.

Judith

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 27th, 2019, 1:04 pm

https://librivox.org/uploads/kitty/storiesofthescottishborder_13_platt_128kb.mp3

3.54

I actually downloaded Checker (ta for the link), and the volume was 87.1 decibels. How do I increase the volume on the recording?

Judith

Jhiu · Post by **Jhiu** » January 27th, 2019, 1:08 pm

highlight your file and amplify with 6

Sorry, what do you mean?

Judith

Post by **Kitty** » January 27th, 2019, 1:22 pm

Jhiu wrote: ↑January 27th, 2019, 1:04 pmI actually downloaded Checker (ta for the link), and the volume was 87.1 decibels. How do I increase the volume on the recording?

with 87.1 you don't need to increase at all. We accept between 86 and 92. you will have noticed that Checker gave you a green PASS notification on the file, that means, nothing to change. Otherwise you would have gotten a red FAILED

With "amplify by 6" I meant, highlight the entire recording by double-clicking, use the Amplify function in Audacity (under Edit - Amplify), and input 6 in the upper box called "amplification dB". Don't change anything in the lower box. But you don't have to do that in this file, the volume is inside the limits.

Sonia