[COMPLETE] The Travels of Ibn Batuta by Ibn Batuta - tg

[Mayah92]

Hi,

Here is section 12, time: 43min 36secs

https://librivox.org/uploads/triciag/travelsof_12_battuta_128kb.mp3



Bye

[pattymarie]

Section 12 is PL OK. Thank you, Mayah.

[ernst.schnell]

Hello,

Could I throw my hat in for section 4 - chapter 9?

Thanks and best regards
Ernst

[pattymarie]

Hello,

Could I throw my hat in for section 4 - chapter 9?

Thanks and best regards
Ernst

You've got it. I've put you in the MW for section 4. Thank you, Ernst.

[Smriti]

I'll put you in. Thanks!

Hi TriciaG, I am almost done with section 6.

However, I wouldn't be able to read out the section 7. I hope you can remove my name from section 7.

I will post section 6 in 2 days.

Thank You

Hello! I was going through the posts and noticed that someone claimed section 6, but in the 'Magic Window' it is listed as 'open?' If it IS still open I would like to claim section 6! If it is not, I would like to claim section 7!

[pattymarie]

I'll put you in. Thanks!

Hi TriciaG, I am almost done with section 6.

However, I wouldn't be able to read out the section 7. I hope you can remove my name from section 7.

I will post section 6 in 2 days.

Thank You

Hello! I was going through the posts and noticed that someone claimed section 6, but in the 'Magic Window' it is listed as 'open?' If it IS still open I would like to claim section 6! If it is not, I would like to claim section 7!

Smitri,

Thank you for your interest, but it doesn't look like you've submitted the necessary one-minute test recording. It is just a test to be sure your technical set-up is all in line with the Librivox system so that your recordings will be usable. Please go to the Newbie Guide to Recording https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Newbie_Guide_to_Recording then to number 2 in its contents, Preliminary Test. You'll find the instructions there. The preceding section of the guide takes you through the hardware and software you need and guides you through downloading and setting up the Audacity recording program if you haven't done that. You can use another recording program if you prefer, but you'll need to submit the one-minute (roughly) test to be sure all your technical specs dovetail with those of Librivox.

Meanwhile, I'll check on the status of sections 6 and 7.

Edit: The original reader relinquished section 7 and tomorrow will be three months to the day since we heard from him, while it's stated that sections will be opened to other volunteers after two months of no contact from a claimant, so you can ask for both sections as soon as you have had your test check out.

Best regards

[Smriti]

Hi TriciaG, I am almost done with section 6.

However, I wouldn't be able to read out the section 7. I hope you can remove my name from section 7.

I will post section 6 in 2 days.

Thank You

Hello! I was going through the posts and noticed that someone claimed section 6, but in the 'Magic Window' it is listed as 'open?' If it IS still open I would like to claim section 6! If it is not, I would like to claim section 7!

Smitri,

Thank you for your interest, but it doesn't look like you've submitted the necessary one-minute test recording. It is just a test to be sure your technical set-up is all in line with the Librivox system so that your recordings will be usable. Please go to the Newbie Guide to Recording https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Newbie_Guide_to_Recording then to number 2 in its contents, Preliminary Test. You'll find the instructions there. The preceding section of the guide takes you through the hardware and software you need and guides you through downloading and setting up the Audacity recording program if you haven't done that. You can use another recording program if you prefer, but you'll need to submit the one-minute (roughly) test to be sure all your technical specs dovetail with those of Librivox.

Meanwhile, I'll check on the status of sections 6 and 7.

Edit: The original reader relinquished section 7 and tomorrow will be three months to the day since we heard from him, while it's stated that sections will be opened to other volunteers after two months of no contact from a claimant, so you can ask for both sections as soon as you have had your test check out.

Best regards

Yes, you're right I do need to record my 1 minute test. I'll get to doing that asap!

[Smriti]

I just finished doing my 1 minute recording! I have posted it to the 'Listeners & Editors' wanted section viewtopic.php?f=21&t=72564

Please do let me know how I can improve it (I have included the unprocessed recording and the cleaned versions of the recording.)

TriciaG (I am not sure how to mention someone, I am not sure if I do it just by mentioning the name like this? )

[pattymarie]

Somebody at Listeners and Editors Wanted should listen to it fairly promptly and let you know if it matches all our technical specs. I'm not competent at that - had to rely on their work myself with my test.

I've listened to the cleaned version entirely and a few seconds of the raw one. The raw one definitely needed the cleaning; it had quite a roar of background noise. The cleaned version is much better though there remains a slight hum in it. Are you recording on a computer or on a portable, hand holdable recorder. I get fairly clean recordings on a little Sony recorder that could be held in a hand though I put it on a shelf and sit beside it speaking crosswise to it with my mouth close to its level. I record in a back room of my basement apartment where refrigerator, heating unit, and outdoor traffic noises don't reach. The best recordings I've ever done were with a friend's Zoom H2 recorder that I don't have around my house any more. Recording on a computer always gives you some computer motor hum and if you're using a cooler under it you get a lot of that. I find that using even the latest noise reduction in Audacity at a high enough level to really remove all the background noise distorts my voice and makes the recording sound like its coming from inside a tin container.

Even when all your specs are in order, it's possible to produce a file that's louder or softer than the desired volume for Librivox. I always forget but I think the desired volume is between 86 and 91 dB. This program called Checker will let you check each file before you upload for volume and anything else that's necessary and give you the diagnosis of what's wrong if the file fails the check. https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Checker You just drag and drop the exported mP3 file into it and it checks it. It's sorted me out when I've forgotten to choose "mono" when I import a file from my Sony recorder and produced a stereo file which Librivox doesn't support. I think you'll soon be off to a good start recording.

[Smriti]

Somebody at Listeners and Editors Wanted should listen to it fairly promptly and let you know if it matches all our technical specs. I'm not competent at that - had to rely on their work myself with my test.

I've listened to the cleaned version entirely and a few seconds of the raw one. The raw one definitely needed the cleaning; it had quite a roar of background noise. The cleaned version is much better though there remains a slight hum in it. Are you recording on a computer or on a portable, hand holdable recorder. I get fairly clean recordings on a little Sony recorder that could be held in a hand though I put it on a shelf and sit beside it speaking crosswise to it with my mouth close to its level. I record in a back room of my basement apartment where refrigerator, heating unit, and outdoor traffic noises don't reach. The best recordings I've ever done were with a friend's Zoom H2 recorder that I don't have around my house any more. Recording on a computer always gives you some computer motor hum and if you're using a cooler under it you get a lot of that. I find that using even the latest noise reduction in Audacity at a high enough level to really remove all the background noise distorts my voice and makes the recording sound like its coming from inside a tin container.

Even when all your specs are in order, it's possible to produce a file that's louder or softer than the desired volume for Librivox. I always forget but I think the desired volume is between 86 and 91 dB. This program called Checker will let you check each file before you upload for volume and anything else that's necessary and give you the diagnosis of what's wrong if the file fails the check. https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Checker You just drag and drop the exported mP3 file into it and it checks it. It's sorted me out when I've forgotten to choose "mono" when I import a file from my Sony recorder and produced a stereo file which Librivox doesn't support. I think you'll soon be off to a good start recording.

Thank you so much for your feedback! Yes, you are right, my computer is making a rather loud humming sound (unfortunately I need to keep it plugged in otherwise it dies very quickly.) I have recorded it on the in built microphone on my computer. I understand what you mean about the voice sounding unnatural with too much cleaning, I was worried about that. I have a windows phone and have downloaded an app called 'Perfect Recorder' on it and am going to try recording on it and then uploading it to Audacity to check the specs. If there is any other app you recommend on the Windows store I will try it out! I am also going to download the sound checker. Hope to get this sorted out soon.


Best,
Smriti

[pattymarie]

Thank you so much for your feedback! Yes, you are right, my computer is making a rather loud humming sound (unfortunately I need to keep it plugged in otherwise it dies very quickly.) I have recorded it on the in built microphone on my computer. I understand what you mean about the voice sounding unnatural with too much cleaning, I was worried about that. I have a windows phone and have downloaded an app called 'Perfect Recorder' on it and am going to try recording on it and then uploading it to Audacity to check the specs. If there is any other app you recommend on the Windows store I will try it out! I am also going to download the sound checker. Hope to get this sorted out soon.


Best,
Smriti

You're progressing nicely. I've never used a phone to record, but it should be all right and probably less noisy then a computer. You'll import the files from the phone to Audacity to listen to and edit them and export them as mp3 files. I recommend using "Save Project As" to save the recording as an Audacity file using the file name given in the project template (being careful to choose a location on your computer to save it to. I've lost work by unconsciously using the default mode of saving to my Sony recorder and then removing the recorder for some reason while there was work I hadn't saved yet. Audacity can be unstable, so I click "save project" frequently during the editing. Even the best and most experienced readers have to edit little stumbles in their speech, repetitions, mouth noises and such. If you catch yourself making a mistake while recording, stop and start the sentence or phrase over; it's much easier to to just have to cut out repeated text than to to have to re-record and paste in a correction during the afterwards editing process. Somewhere in the wiki there's the suggestion of making a loud noise at the point of the error and correction by clapping or saying "mistake" loudly to cause a tall spike in the visual wave of the recording that makes it easy to locate the mistake visually. I rarely do that; I just listen to the entire recording to edit it. Whatever works best for you is the way to go.

I've read Kitty's response to your test. You'll need to follow the instructions she gave you about the volume and background noise. To do the minus or reverse amplifying, you slide the movable pointer leftwards making the numbers reduce down into the negative range; the number in the top window is what your concerned with. It's sometimes difficult to get the exact number you want. I just tried to get -3 but couldn't get the pointer to settle exactly on that; I could get 2.90 and 3.20, either one of which should work. With noise reduction you do much the same thing only there are three sliding pointers and no negative numbers. The numbers Kitty suggested sound good. When kitty or someone else in that forum approves the test, apply again for the sections you want.

I'm leaving on a trip for two and a half weeks Sunday and don't know if I'll get to do much Librivoxing while I'm gone; Tricia will respond to your request if I don't. I may not be able to proof anything while traveling, but I'll get right on to anything that's waiting when I return Dec. 12.

Your almost there. Good luck.

[pattymarie]

Tricia,

Just to let you know I'm going to be traveling from Nov. 25 to Dec. . If I can't get any listening done, I'll catch up when I get back if anything has been posted. Could you watch out for requests to record?

[TriciaG]

Will do. Thanks for letting me know.

[ernst.schnell]

Hello all,

I have uploaded my first shot at section 4 at

https://librivox.org/uploads/triciag/travelsof_04_battuta_128kb.mp3

I hope this will work. If not, please shout.

Have a nice weekend!
Ernst

[ernst.schnell]

Oops,

I am out of training. The file for section 4 clocks in at 26:39.

Sorry for that and best regards
Ernst