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Hello from Colorado

Posted: September 30th, 2017, 1:02 pm
by lizJns
Hi All,
I'm excited to get started, but a bit nervous about the tech end of things. I found Librivox as I have been homeschooling my son and it has been an awesome resource for introducing classics to a 13 year old. I figure I will start off slowly with recording and see how I progress. My next step is the one minute test. I'm sure the answer has been given somewhere that I missed, but what is the best way to avoid "page turning" noise? Do you simply find the material online?
Thank you....

Re: Hello from Colorado

Posted: September 30th, 2017, 7:01 pm
by ToddHW
Our material is almost always online, though some people print it out to read from. I finally do read off the screen, but then you have to worry about mouse noise - sometimes electronic buzz, not just the audible clicks.

The best way to get rid of noises in the final file is to just figure that you are going to have such noises in the original recording and allow for them as you read. This is not acting - you don't have to be "perfect" for your listener in real time. Stop talking as you turn a page or scroll up. Then get rid of that gap you left in the file as you edit your recording; when you do so you are also automatically cutting out any noise from those page turns, scrolling, (taking a drink of water, the airplane going overhead, the phone ringing, etc.). This is much much easier than trying to make a perfect original without any noises or mistakes. Can't be done. My original recordings are still about 50% longer than my final uploaded file - I edit out scrolling gaps, eliminate flubs, try different readings of paragraphs, repeat sentences where I don't like the inflection or mis-pronounced a word badly, try to change accents for different characters (always a nuisance to get a character fixed in your mind and then about the 10th time the character talks the text says "he said in his low gravely voice" when you've been doing a light tenor....).

The second best way is to just relax and realize that our recordings are made by humans that have breathing noises and maybe a page turn sneaking through now and again. Our goal is everything made available in an audio book, not reaching some unattainable standard of lifeless perfection at the same time.

Enjoy, Todd

Re: Hello from Colorado

Posted: September 30th, 2017, 9:16 pm
by Lynnet
Hi Liz and welcome.
Don't worry about not being tech savvy... few of us are when we start. The best starting point is submitting a one minute test and the team there will guide you on getting your setup right. http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/1-Minute_Test
Lynne

Re: Hello from Colorado

Posted: October 1st, 2017, 4:33 pm
by lizJns
Thank you Todd and Lynn! Your advice is so good to know and much appreciated.
Cheers-