How do you read

johnb2 · Post by **johnb2** » November 22nd, 2016, 10:57 am

I have been gone for 4 years and I am back to reading again. I am curious to know how most people prefer to read the material, do you download and print or use one of the Gutenberg many selections right off the screen. I can't find any info on this topic in the forum. Which is the best choice?

john

tovarisch · Post by **tovarisch** » November 22nd, 2016, 11:53 am

I read off the computer screen. Most materials I copy from the provided source and make more convenient by highlighting, formatting, etc., and some (smaller part) I read from the source directly. Since I read at home, at my desk, where I have internet, I don't bother with printing (not to mention wasting time, toner, paper). It does limit the options for placing the microphone, but somehow I manage.

To answer your question, the best choice is the one you find the most convenient, and keep in mind that it can actually change over time. Where do you keep your hands when you drive? Has it changed from the first time you sat behind the wheel of a car? And how would knowing where I keep my hands help you?

Post by **TriciaG** » November 22nd, 2016, 12:02 pm

I read directly from the screen. If it's a solo or other project where I'm doing a lot of sections, I'll save the PDF or web page of the text and thus have it "offline". If it's one or two sections in a group project, I'll read it from the "live" website.

I agree 100% with Tovarisch. It's personal preference. Some people have a really loud computer, and thus read as far away from it as they can. Some have eye problems and cannot read from a screen. It's all personal preference.

DACSoft · Post by **DACSoft** » November 22nd, 2016, 5:43 pm

I agree that it comes down to personal preference. I do ALL my pleasure reading (even outside LV) on a 2nd generation Kindle, so I download the Kindle (with images) ebook option from PG, and read from the Kindle (reading from the PC screen tires my eyes after awhile).

Don

BjornTHV · Post by **BjornTHV** » November 22nd, 2016, 10:52 pm

I download the texts myself and load them up in NotePad++, there I set the background to black and the lettering to white, so my eyes don't tire reading it, also improving the contrast greatly. I can even change the size of the font and font itself if I wanted to.

This allows me to cut the text into ready-to-read sections, add notes, etc...

I usually never record a story in one go, but in sections, so if I foul up (and I usually do

) I only have to re-record that perticular section.

But that is just my MO, I guess everyone has to find his or hers what he or she finds to be most preferable.

tony123 · Post by **tony123** » November 23rd, 2016, 1:19 pm

I read from the computer screen. If I'm downloading a reliable text, I convert it to rich text, .rtf, with the free version of Jarte, a word processor based on Windows WordPad, but with a few extra perks.

Since I frequently record books that have a lot of dialogue and adjust for different voices, I make a file folder into which I put a dialogue page that lists each named character and lists color highlight codes for each along with ideas on each voice. I break down the text into the number of sections I'm going to use and add the intros and outros (since with my spacey mind, there's no telling what I'll say if I don't have it all down on the page).

If I read from a PDF scan, I put a note where each section ends but don't do much else. I prefer text files so that I can go crazy marking them up and giving myself advice.

Monaxi · Post by **Monaxi** » November 23rd, 2016, 7:48 pm

I love this kind of question, because I always learn something new from the answers!

As stated by others above, I'll read short sections for group projects right off the internet, but I use pdf for longer and solo sections, so that I can make pronunciation notes before I begin recording.

I haven't printed since my first project, but I've not tried reading off the Kindle. That would be easy on my eyes, but I'd miss my notes.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » November 24th, 2016, 1:39 am

Printed on paper, I'm afraid.

It's easy to make notes. I haven't got a Kindle (and am not too likely to get one, as I like using paper books).

My microphone's on a stand, so I can read standing up (less constriction on the chest cavity than reading sitting down), and can move it further away from the computer.

Peter

Monaxi · Post by **Monaxi** » November 24th, 2016, 9:30 am

Peter Why wrote:Printed on paper, I'm afraid.

It's easy to make notes. I haven't got a Kindle (and am not too likely to get one, as I like using paper books).

My microphone's on a stand, so I can read standing up (less constriction on the chest cavity than reading sitting down), and can move it further away from the computer.

Peter

I would love to record standing up! Please tell me more about your mic stand.

Peter Why · Post by **Peter Why** » November 24th, 2016, 10:42 am

I use a Blue Yeti microphone on a stand rather like the Stagg MIS-1120BK Mic Stand that you can see on Amazon (I can't remember the manufacturer of the stand that I actually use). The solid base makes it more stable than the three-legged ones, though it can still be knocked over. I've seen that some of our readers use a stand with a boom, which would be useful for reading when you're sitting at your computer ... so the stand doesn't pick up computer noise through the desk, as it might with a desk-top stand.

I do put the stand on a foam pad, because otherwise the microphone can pick up creaking noises from the floorboards as I shift my weight. I'll see if I can add a link to a photo. Here you go (I've put it onto a free cloud storage site): https://www.mediafire.com/?driyhhg8u48boyu

Peter

BjornTHV · Post by **BjornTHV** » November 24th, 2016, 11:27 am

Peter Why wrote:so the stand doesn't pick up computer noise through the desk, as it might with a desk-top stand.

I have mine on a desktop stand, and as long as your microphone is in a proper shock-mount, there is no noise whatsoever....

Monaxi · Post by **Monaxi** » November 24th, 2016, 11:46 am

Thanks, guys! I do need to try recording while standing. At my desk, I'm scrunched over to be near the mic. As for background noise, I'm dealing with trains, planes, and jack hammers. I've mastered fan noise. But creaky floor...I do want to avoid that!

Newgatenovelist · Post by **Newgatenovelist** » November 24th, 2016, 4:10 pm

This is fascinating! I'm enjoying hearing what others use.

For short poems, I will usually read off the screen with the text enlarged. For long works, I prefer to have the text printed out. I also prefer to read from scanned pdfs of printed books, as I find them easier to read than transcribed/OCRed texts. Internet Archive versus Project Gutenberg can make a difference as to whether I print out or not.

I hadn't thought of reformatting PG texts, and I think I'll try that! I don't mark up my texts directly. What I do have is a stack of notebooks with directions to myself, character traits so I stay as consistent as possible throughout a solo, phonetic pronunciation notes, live recording scribbles (things like 'alternate takes between 25.00-25.30') and so on.

Erin

Carolin · Post by **Carolin** » March 19th, 2017, 4:20 am

I dug this thread out because a reader just asked me about this. Does anyone have any more insights to share?

lurcherlover · Post by **lurcherlover** » March 19th, 2017, 9:37 am

I'm surprised at how many people read from screens.

I always print out to paper (poems and short stories). This is because (1) I record in my "studio" where there is no computer (2) I find screens tiring and can print out in 12 or 13 point (3) I like to mark up my prints with file numbers, red marks for mistakes, PL OK comments, notes about which mic I've used and any other technical comments or changes in levels, green markers for some possible re-takes, notes about where I might have used swear words on the recording etc., etc.

i can then keep these print outs in a lever arch file for future reference with upload dates, file sizes, duration of story and links to source material and final file name for the MP3 file.

I have already in four months almost filled a large lever arch file.

So you can call me a pedant if you like, as I probably am! (This also goes back to music recording where you have to keep a lot of notes on the score and in pads - otherwise it's a nightmare when you make the final edit). And musicians are a fussy and a difficult lot when it comes to making CD's. Some would say a pain in the A...