Newbie needing some guidance

[IzaBeltran]

Hi everyone. So I'm working on my first recording and I have recorded it 3 times already. My voice starts getting hoarse towards the middle which makes it sound like a different person by the end (Im exaggerating). Since I had read that it's best to record without stopping, does anyone have tips on how not to sound hoarse after reading a while. I honestly don't think it's even that long...a little over 2000 words.

Also, I can hear myself taking a breath before I start a sentence. I have a pop screen which makes me feel like it's not doing anything but it is a good one per the reviews on Amazon. Should I remove those when I edit?

One more, if I hear that a sentence was said incorrectly, do I have to re-record the whole thing or is there a way to just record that section and insert it? I'm using Audacity.

I appreciate your help!

Beltran

[ChrisGreaves]

Hi everyone. So I'm working on my first recording and I have recorded it 3 times already. My voice starts getting hoarse

Hi Beltran.
Take as look at this text https://archive.org/details/jsbach00widogoog/page/311/mode/1up?view=theater
I get hoarse in English, Italian, German, and Footnotese! 5,000+ words.

But I fight back!

I record each page as a separate WAV file in Audacity; this give me time to sip water, stretch my back (my chair creaks something awful) and so on, before I start recording a fresh track for the next page.
Some of my sections were 23 tracks.

Of course, I am then faced with the task of gluing all the tracks together, one after the other, and in the correct sequence.

There is an Audacity command to do this, and with it a little Audacity macro.
You may want to record three tiny tracks with "one", "two" and "three" - about two seconds each.
Then start a new project (File, New) and choose File, Import, Audio, and select your three tracks in the correct sequence.
Finally you could write and run this macro, or just execute the Audacity commands one after the other:-

Code: Select all

SelectAll:
Align_EndToEnd:
ExportWav:

For me this works well. If I want/have to I can re-record a single page in about two minutes, and then just re-assemble the files; I don't have to mess around pasting edits into a 45-minute track.

I hope that this helps you
Chris

[ChrisGreaves]

One more, if I hear that a sentence was said incorrectly, do I have to re-record the whole thing or is there a way to just record that section and insert it?

I learned this from other LibriVox members:
When I make a mistake while recording, I use the "X" key to stop Audacity and leave the play cursor where I am. I sometimes exclaim "Oh Bother" or something similar in a loud voice; that relieves some of the stress and frustration.
Then I back up to the start of the latest sentence; Set the play cursor there; use Shift-End to select the last few seconds; <Del> key to delete them, and finally the letter "R" to continue the recording.
That's my little secret; just don't tell my BC or my PL, OK? (grin)
Cheers
Chris

[TriciaG]

Hi everyone. So I'm working on my first recording and I have recorded it 3 times already. My voice starts getting hoarse towards the middle which makes it sound like a different person by the end (Im exaggerating). Since I had read that it's best to record without stopping, does anyone have tips on how not to sound hoarse after reading a while. I honestly don't think it's even that long...a little over 2000 words.

Also, I can hear myself taking a breath before I start a sentence. I have a pop screen which makes me feel like it's not doing anything but it is a good one per the reviews on Amazon. Should I remove those when I edit?

One more, if I hear that a sentence was said incorrectly, do I have to re-record the whole thing or is there a way to just record that section and insert it? I'm using Audacity.

I appreciate your help!

Beltran

Like any other muscle, your vocal chords will get tired if they're not used to so much exercise. They'll strengthen up with use. You can stop if you're getting hoarse. Not stopping isn't a rule; it's just that one's voice will sound more uniform by recording in one setting than by recording bits and chunks at different times. But in your case, when your voice is changing during the recording session anyway, it may be best to stop. Maybe record in 10-15 minute chunks.

No worries about breaths. We all breathe. Unless you wheeze like an asthmatic rhinoceros, it's not a problem. I think of breath sounds like the squeak an acoustic guitarist makes when changing chords. You don't notice it until you start noticing it, and then you REALLY notice it. Ha ha! If you do have heavier breaths, then you could highlight the breath and de-amplify it (effects/amplify and put in a negative number) rather than cutting it out. By cutting it, you're changing the natural timing/rhythm of your speech. I've often heard readers do this, and I feel a bit jumpy - they're reading faster, with few pauses between sentences, and not breathing.

Editing in pick-ups (corrections) is a necessary skill. No reader gets through a whole section error free! Redo the sentence or the phrase. If you don't catch it when you are recording the first time but later on when editing, you can still record the correct line and patch it in. The art here is getting your volume, vocal quality, and expression to line up so it's seamless. It takes practice but can be done!

[philchenevert]

Since I had read that it's best to record without stopping

Not really true. I stop many many times during every recording session; just pause the recording, get some tea, talk to my cat about not bothering me, or maybe take a nap, etc. then come back and pick up right there. Notice I don't stop when I make a mistake, just repeat the phrase until it sounds right and keep right on going. Editing is just cutting out those parts that don't fit or are wrong.

Relax, this whole recording thing isn't as super sensitive as you may think. People are listening to you tell a story, not to your breathing. Keep on doing it and we want to hear lots of your stories here!

[mightyfelix]

I'll echo what Tricia and Phil said. It does not have to be too complicated, and we want you to have fun doing it!

I'll also add that your pop filter is probably working just fine. It isn't intended to make your breaths quieter. What it does help with is plosive noise, when your breath could forcefully hit the microphone on a 'p' sound or something similar, and make that horrible windy noise.

Enjoy your time here, and keep asking questions! The more you practice, the more you will begin to relax and enjoy the process, and of course, the better at it you will become.

[sjmarky]

To add to what Phil said, I don’t know here you read you should read through without stopping. I stop constantly. I also take a break after about 25 minutes. Always take a break if you sense any hoarseness.

[IzaBeltran]

Wow! You all have been such a huge help and I feel such relief knowing I’m not alone and that there is a way around it. Thank you so so much. Wooosaaaa

[lurcherlover]

I find that if I speak more quietly it not only sounds better but my voice lasts much longer and I can record several pages in one go . You need maybe to increase your gain a little to compensate for speaking quietly.

[paullawleyjones]

Also, I can hear myself taking a breath before I start a sentence. ...

No worries about breaths. We all breathe. Unless you wheeze like an asthmatic rhinoceros, it's not a problem. ...

I've found that breathing with the diaphragm (expanding your belly) instead of expanding your chest, helps reduce those breath-intake sounds. Diaphragmatic Breathing has other health benefits, too.