COMPLETE: Two Years in Oregon by Wallis Nash -jo

[Kalamareader]

Larry,

Just after volunteering I find out that I will be out of town until Tuesday, but should be able to totally catch up on Tuesday. I hope that will be OK.

[silverquill]

Larry,

Just after volunteering I find out that I will be out of town until Tuesday, but should be able to totally catch up on Tuesday. I hope that will be OK.

Absolutely fine.
I'm so grateful for your assistance.

[Kalamareader]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_16_nash_128kb.mp3

Time is 21.4

Betty

Hi Betty,

I enjoy your readings. However, in this one, there is a problem with some really bad background noise that occurs only when you are speaking. It is hard to describe. Kind of like maybe over modulating, but not really. Kind of like plosives, but not really. This first starts after your Intro. That sounds great, but then when the book starts it is really pronounced and distracting. I don't know if you listen to your recording through earphones, but if not, try it and see if you can hear what I do.

Also:

2:09 A very interesting repeat. I think you might want to delete it.

4:26 about forty miles north of this, I heard about twenty miles north of this,

7:01: When you are reading these second sets of numbers, it would seem to me that it would be helpful to the listener for you to again say each month so that the numbers are more easily followed. But it is your call on this.

16:01 At this point there is kind of a long silent space. At the end of this where you started recording again (it sounds like a different session) the above noted background noise stopped, and then about 16:24 it started again.

19:45 Again it sounds like a new recording session, and again the background noise stopped. And again about 20:18 it started again through the end of the recording.

Your pronunciations were spot on except one: Corvallis. Core-val(rhymes with Pal)-us

Good luck. All and all very well done.

Wayne

[silverquill]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_16_nash_128kb.mp3

Time is 21.4

Betty

Hi, Betty!

After reading Wayne's comments, I thought I'd take a listen to that noise.
I don't think it is background noise because I hear it only when there is speaking, not in the spaces. It could be some artifact from the microphone, or some distortion in the post production. It is not quite what I hear in aggressive noise reduction. Maybe from compression; I don't know. It isn't anything that requires a redo by any means.

The tables, though, I think are an issue. By saying, "Four columns" and then reading the headings just once gets very confusing because by the time you get to the third or fourth entry, of forgotten what they are and all I hear is a string of numbers. This is from the listener's point of view. I apologize for not giving you some guidance on these. My fault.

Here is how I would read the first table:

January rainy days 14 to 6; snowy days 1 to 8; rainfall 5 to 1 inches
February rainy days 14 to 4; etc. etc on down the table.

I realize that is a lot of extra reading, but it is the only way it will be clear to the listener.

The tables for the temperatures are similar. There are are two sets of three years which would be read:

1874
January: Highest 56 degrees, Lowest 26 degrees, Range 30 degrees
February: etc.

Then do the next year in the same way.

An alternative is to read each month straight across, giving the year for each one.

January 1874: Highest 56 degrees, Lowest 26 degrees, Range 30 degrees. 1875 Highest 53 degrees, Lowest 3 degrees, Range 50 degrees. 1876 -- etc. then each month going down.

That might make more sense in order to get the side-by-side comparison. I think I would go with that. The important thing is to read the heading for each entry so the listener can follow what the numbers are.

Let me know what you think.
I really appreciate your work in this!

[Kalamareader]

Hello knotyouraveragejo and silverquill !

I've finished my recording. Please let me know if any changes are needed.

Section 25
Length: 17:58
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_25_nash_128kb.mp3

Thanks,
Laura Kumanov

Laura,

This is an amazing contribution for your first. A hearty welcome to Librivox. I hope you continue on this amazing adventure.

First, the reading is great. You have such an easy voice to listen to and your enunciation is outstanding.

There are a couple of small things that I noticed.

The ones about pronunciation are kind of up to you. We Oregonians and former Oregonians are a little picky, so do what you want to. I am amazed that you got Kalama correct (note: that is where I now live).

At the beginning of your recording you need to have at least .5 seconds but not more than 1 second of silence. You can 'copy and paste' a quiet section from elsewhere in the recording.

From :27 to :49 there is a very loud background noise. I chose the 'loud' section from about :43.5 to about :44.25 and used that as the “noise profile” and then ran Noise Reduction over the above noted parts by again selecting Noise Reduction and clicking on OK, and that completely solved the problem. Noise Reduction is (if you are using Audacity) under the "Effect Tab" at the top of the screen.

4:19 Clat(like flat)-sup

5:12-5:21.5 Out of nowhere comes a very loud background noise. What I did was used the Noise Reduction to solve it. With this I did the same thing as above but I took a small sample of the non-speaking recording between 5:16 and 5:17, and used it as the "noise profile" in Noise Reduction and completed as noted above. That also solved the small problem here.

5:49 Maybe you could shorten the long quiet stretch.

9:06 Another long pause that might be shortened.

16:14 Flavel Fla(like duh)-vel with the accent on the last syllable.

17:06 This gap probably should be shortened because it is in the middle of a sentence.

End of recording need only five seconds of silence.

As you will note, no 'reading' corrections. Fix these small things and I will get back to you.

Wayne

[BettyB]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_16_nash_128kb.mp3

Time is 26.24

I have re-read the tables, corrected the reading of Corvallis and the other errors.

Hope all is well...
Betty

In all my years of recording I have never heard that background noise. Could not hear it without headphones. Sounded like "jungle drums"
And the reading of the charts comes from my other recording life. Tha'ts how we read tables in textbooks. We don't "coddle" them.

[Kalamareader]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_16_nash_128kb.mp3

Time is 26.24

I have re-read the tables, corrected the reading of Corvallis and the other errors.

Hope all is well...
Betty

In all my years of recording I have never heard that background noise. Could not hear it without headphones. Sounded like "jungle drums"
And the reading of the charts comes from my other recording life. Tha'ts how we read tables in textbooks. We don't "coddle" them.

Betty,

Great job. As for the temperature readings, that isn't how I would have naturally done it, but I really like Larry's advice and that is, by far, the best way to do them.

Chapter 14 is now definitely PLOK

[silverquill]

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_16_nash_128kb.mp3

Time is 26.24

I have re-read the tables, corrected the reading of Corvallis and the other errors.

Hope all is well...
Betty

In all my years of recording I have never heard that background noise. Could not hear it without headphones. Sounded like "jungle drums"
And the reading of the charts comes from my other recording life. Tha'ts how we read tables in textbooks. We don't "coddle" them.

Right!
I appreciate your hard work on this chapter!
You're the best!

And thanks to Wayne for the PL.

[laurakumanova]

Thank you Wayne for your kind and thorough feedback!

Truth be told, I did look up "Kalama" to hear how it was pronounced. I couldn't find anything easily on Clatsop - thanks for the tip!

I am working on the edits now. Again, really appreciate your kind words.

Laura,

This is an amazing contribution for your first. A hearty welcome to Librivox. I hope you continue on this amazing adventure.

First, the reading is great. You have such an easy voice to listen to and your enunciation is outstanding.

There are a couple of small things that I noticed.

[Kalamareader]

Thank you Wayne for your kind and thorough feedback!

Truth be told, I did look up "Kalama" to hear how it was pronounced. I couldn't find anything easily on Clatsop - thanks for the tip!

I am working on the edits now. Again, really appreciate your kind words.

Laura,

One thing I should have mentioned, and maybe it is too late for this one, but it really works a lot better, when you are editing a reading after a PL, if you work 'backwards' on the editing, that way the 'time stamps' won't change if you make a part of it shorter or longer due to the editing.

Wayne

[laurakumanova]

Uploaded a new version!

Section 25
Length: 17:51
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/twoyearsinoregon_25_nash_128kb.mp3

I have uploaded a new file with edits - hope it sounds good! I was a little confused with the Noise Reduction (even after watching a few Youtube videos...) so I hope I was able to execute it properly. Please let me know if the background noises are still apparent.

Wayne, I did not fix the pronunciation suggestions, as I feel it was taking me long to turn around these edits. Hope it's okay!
And thank you for the great tip on editing backwards - I will certainly try that next time as it makes it much easier

[Kalamareader]

Laura,

Your did a great job with your editing. It sounds great. There are still some background noises in some places, but not enough to worry about on this recording. Again, your voice work is outstanding.

Section 25 now PLOK

This is what I do when recording. As I am recording the section, as I catch a mistake, missed word, mispronunciation etc., I stop right then and go back and correct it. For me, if I wait till later, my voice is often different and doesn't match the same. Then after recording the entire piece, I go back and listen to it, correcting the mistakes I made that I didn't catch during the initial reading, matching the voice as closely as possible. I then 'export' it as an mp3. I then run it through MP3Gain (http://mp3gain.sourceforge.net/). The first thing to do is to check the "normal volume range" the default is 89, LV's goal. You then select "choose files", choose the file you want, then click on 'Track Analysis". It will load the file and then tell you what the current dB level is and how much they suggest it needs to be raised or lowered to come close to the 89dB. Then click on "Track Gain" and that will alter the file to the level they suggested. I then go to Audacity and choose "import" then Audio. Then click on your current file and it will import it. That will import the file that you have increased (usually) the total volume on. Then 'select' the last five seconds of your recording ('silence'). Then click on Effect on the top bar, then choose Noise Reduction. Then click on "Get noise profile". That will use your 'loud' last five seconds as a 'sample'. Then click on 'select' at the bottom of the blue section of where the visual of your recording shows up in Audacity. That will select your entire recording. Then go back into Noise Reduction and click OK. That will reduce the excess noise in your recording. Then "export" it again as a mp3 file. Sometimes that system will take a little too much volume out so I always run it though MP3Gain again, just in case, following exactly the directions above. Then I run it through "Checker" (https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php?title=Checker) as a final check.

I know this is a lot of writing, but it really takes longer to write it than it does to do it.

I hope this helps. Keep up the great work.

Wayne

[silverquill]

Thank you Laura and Wayne!

I've orphaned Section 28.
The person he claimed this three weeks ago still has not logged in to LV since, and this was her one an only post. I may post this in the orphans thread, or may read it myself, but for now it is up for grabs.

[LoganLore]

I’d like to try finishing the book with section 28. And this time I’ll try to say “Willamette” correctly.

[silverquill]

I’d like to try finishing the book with section 28. And this time I’ll try to say “Willamette” correctly.

That would be so great!
Thank you so much.