Hi Lynda
I'm really nervous now, I hope I have done this right. Here is my recording that is 8.43m long.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/lifeandadventuresofsantaclaus_11_baum_128kb.mp3
Cliona
Hi there - here is my PL feedback - please do not be concerned with the volume - it is mostly instructions on how to do a couple of things -
Great reading! I enjoyed listening to it!
There are a couple of mostly technical issues that need to be changed/updated.
1. There should only be .5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording. Please cut out the extra silence by highlighting it and pressing delete on your keyboard. Same with the end of the recording – there should only be 5 seconds – so please cut out the extra seconds there too.
2. At the beginning and end of the recording you say Chapter 4 – you should say Chapter 11 as that is the number on the right side of the Magic Window of the title that you are recording. The easiest way to fix this is to open an Audacity session, record “"Chapter Eleven” and then leave some space and then say “End of Chapter Eleven” then highlight the first recording and copy (Edit > Copy), Now, go to File > Open on the Audacity Window and open your recording and highlight where you said Chapter 4 at the start of the recording. Now select (Edit > Paste) and the new recorded snippet of Chapter Eleven will be inserted. Repeat that process with the 2nd snippet you recorded now and Export the Recording to save it before doing the next set of instructions which are technical in nature.
3. So, there is a some noise in the recording in addition to spikes in your recording volume. First we will deal with the volume spikes so that we can then increase the volume - the high and low wave forms of your recording. We need to get them a bit more even. So with your recording highlighted (either with the mouse or use Ctrl-A), go to the menu item Effect > Compressor. Leave all the settings as they default except the Ratio – set that to 8:1 by pulling on the bar. Press OK.
4. Now for the noise - keeping the whole recording highlighted, go to Effect menu item > Noise Reduction and select the button at the top Get Noise Profile. That will review your recording for noise. Now, with your recording still highlighted, go back to that same Noise Reduction menu item and key in the following numbers in the fields on the lower half of the form – 6, 9.0, 3 and Reduce. You should see the places in the recording where there is no sound become straight thin lines. Now, Export your recording and see what your noise and volume levels are – you can use the Checker program to do this.
5. If no one has given you the checker program (assuming you are on a PC) here is a link to it.
https://cgjennings.ca/checker.html
6. Install it and then open it up and go to File then Check Files and find your new Exported recording. It will then load the recording and tell you if you Pass, Passed with Warnings or Fail. If you Pass, you are done! I suspect though it is going to say Passed with Warnings and that your volume is too low.
7. To increase your volume go back to Audacity and highlight the recording and then select Effect > Amplify. This is where you can play with the volume – BOTH up and down. To go up (which in this case you need to do) enter a number that is between 0 and the default number in the window. To go down you enter a minus – and then a number such as -2. On my test of your recording, I see you at 83.9 dB volume in Checker so you will need to get closer to 89dB which is the middle of the range of 86–92 dB. Enter 3 and press OK.
8. Now Export the file and check it in Checker (if you over wrote the file then all you need to do in Checker is highlight the file and select Edit > Check File Again. This time you should be greater than 86 dB. You might get a noise warning as you have increased the volume however at this time, if you are not having a volume warning, please Upload the file with the correct naming format and post the link to the forum and I will have a look at it and see what next that needs to be done, if any.
9. I hope this information helps you - I do have one item to note from your recording though – generally we do not allow sounds to be recorded – we just record the spoken voice – either reading or singing. So the sound of a tap, toilet flushing, doors opening and closing and the like are not allowed. I am going to leave your knocking in this recording as it was not too obtrusive however it is something you do need to watch out for future recordings.
10. So I hope these technical issues are not overwhelming and that once you get these down pat, you will have no problems recording and editing in LV! Please let me know if you have any questions….
Lynda