Using Tablets

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ColleenMc
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Post by ColleenMc »

I have a laptop computer, an iPad tablet and a smart phone and I use all three sometimes in my LV processes.

I only record using the laptop, with Audacity software. As far as I know there's no tablet or "app" version of Audacity or Checker. Also using a keyboard and mouse feels pretty crucial for those. I also use it to upload the finished recordings, and to do longer forum posts that have more formatting and such.

I use my iPad to browse or quickly check the forums, as a screen to read from when recording (I download epub format books from Project Gutenberg and PDF files from Internet Archive and use the Books app from Apple to open both. I have found mobi files to have formatting issues too often, plus my main reading library is on Kindle with lots of books, and I only use Books for public domain stuff, so it's easy to keep separate). I find it more comfortable to prooflisten in a comfy chair or propped up in bed so I often use my iPad for that rather than the laptop.

However, I've found that when I open files to prooflistening (in a window on the Chrome app on my ipad), I have to open the text in another window and use that to read along with. If I open the Books app (where the text is usually more readable for my aging eyes) the recording stops playing after a few minutes. If I really want to use the Books version of the text (a necessity sometimes with scanned Internet Archive books with tiny print) then I will use my phone's Chrome app to access this site and play the file, and then follow along on my ipad.

So my questions are for tablet users:

--Do you use your tablet for other parts of the recording and editing process, and if so, how? Different apps or? I'm particularly curious about editing, although I suspect that that requires either staying with Audacity and the laptop or switching to another recording software that has an iPad app version...

--Is there a trick to being able to play the files when prooflistening while looking at the text in a different app on the tablet?

--Does anyone exclusively use their smartphone or tablet to "do Librivox" and if so, how does that work for you?

Thanks!

Colleen
Colleen McMahon

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iBeScotty
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Post by iBeScotty »

I am nearly all iPad in my librivox workflow now, since I do not have a laptop and my desktop/iMac no longer can sit near my recording space, but will say it is a mixed bag.

Overall I love the convenience of editing anywhere and find using a touch interface instead of mouse very organic and quick but the big drawback is the apps available. As you say, no Audacity or checker (iOS does not allow Java for malware reasons) nor many other DAWs like Reaper which is what I use on iMac.

The closest thing to Reaper I could find is Auria which has a lot of good features but in a far more limited way than Reaper; the biggest for me being the ‘Auto Punch’ feature is very restrictive and almost useless for narration (it is designed with music recording only in mind) so no punch and roll style recording and no flexible edit points. Also the mastering effects are much more limiting unless you purchase expensive plugins, but that is okay for me as I’m not so picky on EQ and compression, etc. also, Auria seems a little glitchy sometimes.

My general workflow is having a mic into an SSL2 audio interface into an iPad Pro via a powered USB hub. I use Auria to record, edit and master the file then mixdown a wav file, then since Auria doesn’t export mp3, open the .wav in the app Twisted Wave to convert to mp3 and save to iCloud. (I should say as part of mastering, I eyeball a levels meter in playback to rough in around -18dB rms to get the approximate 89dB shown in Checker.) If I want to double check in Checker I have to open that app on the iMac, calling up the mp3 from iCloud. Since i forgot my librivox password though, i don’t login to the site from the computer as the iPad remembers my login 😆

I then upload the file using the ipad. To listen to files I usually don’t use a browser but play them from the files app on the iPad and then other windows can be simultaneously displayed full screen if necessary.

I hope that helps. I am still frustrated with a few things but have mostly found workarounds.

Scotty
ColleenMc
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Post by ColleenMc »

Thanks, that's very interesting! Definitely would be a challenge -- I'm not versed at all in audio engineering so the very specific Audacity directions here save me -- I wouldn't know how to translate that to another app where you might have to figure out these workarounds you describe! I'm impressed!

I have never used the files functionality (that I know of, I'm sure it's going on behind the scenes) directly, I will have to see if I can figure that out so I can use Ipad to prooflisten and look at the text in Books at the same time.

Colleen
Colleen McMahon

No matter where you go, there you are. -- Buckaroo Banzai
philchenevert
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Post by philchenevert »

Veeeery interesting! I use a PC but am not thinking of buying a Google Pixel or Surface tablet to record/edit with as a change of pace. It would enable me to play/work in the same room as my wife which would help her peace of mind. hmmmmmm. So many things to try, so little knowledge of how to use them. :D
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lurcherlover
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Post by lurcherlover »

I had/have a very cheap Amazon tablet that does nothing but try and sell you rubbish, is hard to use, and in fact totally useless. So it went into the bin, got retrieved but has not been used again. I mostly print out text on A4 sheets but this is wasteful, although useful as you can scribble on the paper when recording and mark up any edits needed. (I record in a separate room into a recorder and not into the computer). So nothing is perfect. I haven't tried my wife's iPad yet - maybe one day ...
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Post by sjmarky »

I read all my text from an iPad and record into a laptop. This allows me to set my reading material at a proper height preventing neck strain (laptop screens are too low for safety) and the text is easier to read. When PLing I usually just do it all on my laptop.
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lurcherlover
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Post by lurcherlover »

I take 2 tablets a day, but they do nothing to improve my reading ...

The iPad I would like to try, but probably won't because it might mess up what is on there and my wife would mess me up if I damaged her programs like Zoom. Mess up Zoom and it would be doom, and RIP for me ...
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