COMPLETE Poems by Hattie Howard -ck

[Carolin]

thank you nemo!

[MillionMoments]

Here is section 47:
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3

Melanie,

First, let me say your reading of this was wonderful! .... word perfect, nice pacing and I could hear that you had a sense of the poem as well.

However, before I can PL it OK, a couple technical things (those darn things!)

I'm assuming you are using Audacity, so my notes are based on that.

This is very soft. The dB on this is 83.7 and we like to be around 89 (between 87-91) If you are using Audacity, do a Ctrl +A to select the entire track, go up to “Effect”, then “Amplify” and using the slider bar set this at 5.0 and then click OK.

There is also some background noise that could use cleaning. The dog barks you can’t do too much about, but the traffic noise and howling can be cleaned up a bit without distorting your voice (too much noise cleaning can play havoc with your voice!).

Select the last 5 seconds of your track which is just pure background noise, then go up to “Effects”, then “Noise Reduction” and under Step 1, click “Get Noise Profile”. Then do a Ctrl +A to select the entire track, go back up to “Effects”, then “Noise Reduction” and under Step 2, set each of the three slider bars to maybe “6“. (You can play with these, but I’ve found between 5 and 8 works pretty well for noise reduction.) - Then click OK

That's it! .... if you could make those adjustments and upload again, that would be great!

Thank you!

Nemo

I fear next doors dog will be the bane of many a recording. I quickly redid this when he was out for his walk and I applied the noise cleaning automatically as you suggested, I hope it is a bit better (though I can hear my breathes, I might need to re-position the microphone!)

https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3 2 mins 21 seconds

AND the dog is barking again , so will have to have a go again tomorrow if it needs more work Thanks for your help.

[NemoR]

I fear next doors dog will be the bane of many a recording. I quickly redid this when he was out for his walk and I applied the noise cleaning automatically as you suggested, I hope it is a bit better (though I can hear my breathes, I might need to re-position the microphone!)

https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3 2 mins 21 seconds

AND the dog is barking again , so will have to have a go again tomorrow if it needs more work Thanks for your help.

Hi Melanie,

I think you may have uploaded the old file again ... it is the same length (2 mins, 17 secs) as the first time and the dB's and noise level are the same .... the dog even barks at the same spot

Can you please check and upload your newer recording? .... and don't worry about the breaths too much unless you personally don't like them. You are not getting any "plosives" and they sound very natural and soft. I've PL'd some that sound like a hippo in mating season! ..... for me personally, I'd rather hear soft breathes like yours than a cold, sterile recording that sounds like AI!

Nemo

[BettyB]

https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_11_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:47)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_64_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:5)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_73_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:1)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_78_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:11)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_84_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:26)

Betty

[Carolin]

Thank you all

[Toya]

Hi Carolin,

I am assigned section 48 and 49. Both the sections relating to the same poem "Thanksgiving". How do I end the sections since both are related to the same poem? Do I end it as 'end of part 1 of Thanksgiving' for section 48?

Toya

[Carolin]

hi toya, you are right, and this is a coincidence we dont come across so often (though there are often several poems named "song" or "sonnet" within the same collection). you neednt do anything about it though, just follow the instructions for the right intro in the first post. the intro will be the same for both poems but the section number and the actual poem will be different, so thats not a problem

does that make sense? thank you!

[Toya]

Thanksgiving.



Nature, erewhile so marvelously lovely, is bereft
Of her supernal charm;
And with the few dead garlands of departed splendor left,
Like crape upon her arm,
In boreal hints, and sudden gusts
That fan the glowing ember,
By multitude of ways fulfills
The promise of November.

Upon the path where Beauty, sylvan priestess, sped away,
Lies the rich afterglow
Of Indian Summer, bringing round the happy holiday
That antedates the snow:
The glad Thanksgiving time, the cheer,
The festival commotion
That stirs fraternal feeling from
The mountains to the ocean.

O Hospitality! unclose thy bounty-laden hand
In generous dealing, where
Is gathered in reunion each long-severed household band,
And let no vacant chair

[Pg 99]

Show where the strongest, brightest link
In love's dear chain is broken—
A symbol more pathetic than
By language ever spoken.

Into the place held sacred to the memory of some
Beloved absentee,
Perchance passed to the other shore, oh, let the stranger come
And in gratuity
Partake of festal favors that
Shall sweeten hours of labor,
And strengthen amity and love
Unto his friend and neighbor.

Let gratitude's pure incense in warm orisons ascend,
A blessing to secure,
And gracious impulse bearing largesse of good gifts extend
To all deserving poor;
So may the day be hallowed by
Unstinted thanks and giving,
In sweet remembrance of the dead
And kindness to the living.

Thanks for getting back Carolin. But actually it's just one poem. There's no other poem entitled Thanksgiving in this collection, so I am kind of still confused. Will you please help me out? Thanks a ton!

Toya

[NemoR]

https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_11_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:47)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_64_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:5)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_73_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:1)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_78_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:11)
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_84_howard_128kb.mp3 (2:26)

Betty

Thanks very much Betty, these are all PL OK!

Nemo

[Carolin]

Thank you nemo!

[Carolin]

Thanks for getting back Carolin. But actually it's just one poem. There's no other poem entitled Thanksgiving in this collection, so I am kind of still confused. Will you please help me out? Thanks a ton!

Toya

Indeed. Looks like i cant count

I have deleted the extra. Ill have to rummage in the mw a little tomorrow to close that gap and nit mess up all following section numbers. Sorry about that, and also sorry for not understanding the problem right away Thank you!

[Toya]

Thanks Carolin

[MillionMoments]

Third time lucky I hope!


https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3 2 mins 21

[NemoR]

Third time lucky I hope!


https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3 2 mins 21

Mellanie .... almost there but not quite yet!

A great reading of the poem again and you nailed the noise reduction perfectly.

However, this is still too soft, even a bit softer than last time. It is at 82.5 dB and needs to be around 89.

Please refer back to my original PL notes on how to amplify. You do NOT need to record it again, just use this same recording and bump the dBs up by 6.0 .... it only takes a few seconds and is very easy.

While you have the file open, please trim 3 seconds off the ending silence. You have 8 seconds there and it should only be 5 seconds

Don't be discouraged, we are almost there and you have a great recording sound .. just need to tidy up these technical things a bit.

Nemo

[MillionMoments]

Thank you! Done, now 2 minutes 18:
https://librivox.org/uploads/carolin/poems_47_howard_128kb.mp3