PaulW wrote:My shameless pitch was not for new MCs, but for more detailed PL'ing. Some think that you can just listen to the recording for stumbles and repeats, but a conscientious PLer will also check the sample rate, the MP3 bit rate, stereo vs mono, is there enough silence at the end, make sure the intro, disclaimer and outro match what's requested in the first post, check the ID3 tags, and really take a good listen (and look) at the volume and check for DC offset using a program that displays the waveform of the file. That kind of in-depth, detailed check of the file saves much effort on the part of the MC at validation time. And it can help the reader correct technical problems with their recording setup, too, making them a more productive reader.
Maybe we need to copy into the templates the list of what to check for when PLing the work for each level of proofing, instead of just referring back to the thread about PL levels. I've seen many works that just state "Standard PL" without specifying exactly what should be listened for.
Actually, I think the template in the "Listeners and Editors Wanted FAQ" needs to be updated then. Because it does NOT specify a lot of things that, apparently, the PL'er should do, from what I gather by reading this thread. Here is what it says:
Standard Proof-listening
-- Do the intro and disclaimer match the instructions in the first post of the project thread?
-- Are there any long silences or pauses that ought to be edited out? If so, note the time.
-- Are there any stumbles or repeats that ought to be edited out? If so, note the words and the time.
-- Is there excessive background noise, a constant hiss or buzz that detracts from the reading?
-- Did you need to turn your volume up unusually high to listen to the recording? (Or did you find the recording too loud?)
-- Are the correct closing words used at the end of the recording, as per the first post of the project thread?
-- Are there 5 seconds of silence (10 if the recording is more than 30 minutes long) at the end of the file?
Some of the problems pointed out by MCs and other people in this thread will not be noted by the most helpful PL'er who sticks to these items - and the wiki doesn't add much to that either. The volume, for example - they just ask the PL'er to say if they had to turn the volume up or down, which is pretty simple and straightforward, but doesn't mention anything about checking waveforms, spikes, etc. Also, that is VERY vague - and in another thread (I think it was the Glorious Qu'ran one) I have read about now many dB it should be, minimum. That's a very useful information, I wish I had it before, though. Another example: nowhere, in the FAQ or in the wiki, they say I should check bit sample, or even if it's mono or stereo! So, I'm sorry, but I think it's unfair with the PL'ers, who will follow exactly what's asked for Standard PL thinking they are doing a great job, to later find out the poor MC had to download and fix all the files by himself, and make it look like the PL'er didn't do a good job. That seems to me a huge waste of time and energy, both the MC's and the PLer's, simply because no one asked the PLer to check some of the things that are being mentioned here.
Don't get me wrong, I think the PLer can and should check those. It's not very complicated, and takes one more load off the MC's shoulder, which is obviously what we all want. I don't want any MCs feeling overloaded, mainly because I think that if LV becomes a chore, it isn't fun anymore, and no volunteer work should be anything less than fun and rewarding. But, personally, only recently I found out one project I PL'ed following the PL requirements strictly had some of its files recorded in stereo. I felt like an idiot, because, since I had downloaded all the files, I could have pointed it out and even edited some myself, if needed. But I didn't because no one told me to, and, as all newbies, I strived to do exactly what I was told to, and now I feel my work was poorly done, and the MC will have more unnecessary work.
So, all these tips here are nice, but I think we should avoid letting them be forgotten in the middle of all other threads that will be written soon. I suggest these things be added to the FAQ (and possibly the wiki), where they can be accessed directly by all new PLers.
I'm just too darned impatient to handle that!