[COMPLETE] France at War by Rudyard Kipling - smijen

smijen · Post by **smijen** » June 18th, 2015, 3:58 am

Hi Tim,
You can post in Error Reports: viewforum.php?f=29
Let them know you've fixed the file (you can even upload it to my folder if you like, and then post the link). Whoever has time will fix it in the database.

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » June 18th, 2015, 11:20 am

Thanks, done

An unforeseen benefit to producing a "video" version...

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » June 21st, 2015, 7:36 pm

Chapter 5 uploaded https://librivox.org/uploads/smijen/franceatwar_05_kipling_128kb.mp3 should be 14.0MB 15:21

kathrinee · Post by **kathrinee** » June 24th, 2015, 1:02 pm

The volume of section 5 is a little bit low (around 84). Great reading - everything else is PLOK

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » June 24th, 2015, 2:00 pm

I've compressed it again and uploaded the new version, it is now 88.6, though I prefer not to compress twice, fearful it reduces the variation in volume too much.

kathrinee · Post by **kathrinee** » June 25th, 2015, 12:39 pm

Thank you, section 5 is now PL OK

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » July 2nd, 2015, 11:04 pm

Section six ready for PL https://librivox.org/uploads/smijen/franceatwar_06_kipling_128kb.mp3 16:20 14.9MB

kathrinee · Post by **kathrinee** » July 3rd, 2015, 12:25 pm

Section 6 is great! The volume is a little bit low at 85.7. Everything else is good

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » July 3rd, 2015, 2:17 pm

I had already compressed it, but have run the compressor over it again. I have uploaded it with the temporary filename: https://librivox.org/uploads/smijen/franceatwar_06_kipling_128kbXTRACOMPRESSED.mp3 so someone can decide which version sounds better. The figure for the new file is 89.8, so in terms of pure numbers it is closer the target, but I wonder if that makes the differences between quieter and louder parts too small.

kathrinee · Post by **kathrinee** » July 3rd, 2015, 2:41 pm

Thank you, Tim. I listened to a bit of the extra compressed version, and to tell you the truth, I don't hear much difference between the two recordings when it comes to their louder and softer parts. (So you might have to ask someone else to check...) (You might ask smijen to listen, perhaps, or post in the listener wanted forum or the need help forum.) To me, the one you just uploaded (also) sounds great.

And the volume of it is just about perfect.

The reason I mention the volume while I PL is that in many projects I have DPLed where I have not paid attention to volume, the MC asks the reader to amplify or de-amplify sections when the project is ready to be catalogued if not all of the sections are within the acceptale volume. As far as I understand, MCs don't like to (or are unable to?) catalogue files that don't have volume within the acceptable range. (Sorry about these clumsy sentences. I feel more like a non-native English speaker than I have for a long while

)

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » July 3rd, 2015, 4:48 pm

Thanks

I have mixed feelings about it, on one hand I have been annoyed by BBC and ABC podcasts that have sections that are too quiet to hear in the car, on the other I like to keep a bit of variability of volume as well as pitch. I'll leave it for Smijen to decide!

I hate to think how much clumsier my French sentences are (it's the only language apart from English I am at all fluent using)!

smijen · Post by **smijen** » July 3rd, 2015, 5:51 pm

Sorry I don't have time to listen to the files right now, but in general:
-it's true listeners don't like big differences between quiet and loud parts as they listen at the gym, on the bus, etc.
-it's true MC's need files to be very close to 89db. Small differences can be fixed at cataloging time (using mp3Gain), but larger differences need to be fixed by hand.
-someone needs to check the tech specs (volume, bit rate, etc.). In a solo, yes, it's usually the DPL. In a group project, it can be the DPL or the BC, as long as they work out ahead of time who's going to do it.

Will have a listen to the files when I get a chance.

smijen · Post by **smijen** » July 12th, 2015, 8:19 pm

Hi Tim,
I am so sorry - this fell off my radar for a few days. I hope you weren't waiting for me before recording any more! I would go with the second version for sure. As Katherine said too, the difference between the loud and soft parts isn't that noticeable. The first version is definitely too quiet, and you can't do a straight Amplify on it because of the louder parts. I know some people (and I have done it myself) will manually de-amplify the loud parts and then amplify the whole thing, rather than run the Leveller, but that would be a lot of work for this file.

More important issue: your settings must have accidentally gotten changed, as your sampling rate from chapter 4 onward is 48,000Hz (should be 44,100Hz). If you still have the .wav or .aup, I think you can just change the setting back, then re-export them all as mp3's.

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » July 13th, 2015, 5:51 pm

The last/first section is now ready for PL. At: https://librivox.org/uploads/smijen/franceatwar_00_kipling_128kb.mp3 it is 5:07 and 4.68MB I don't really enjoy reading Kipling's poetry, so please feel free to be more critical of the reading, so I can improve it!

tim bulkeley · Post by **tim bulkeley** » July 13th, 2015, 5:56 pm

I have edited the introduction again, please either of you (or anyone else who happens to read this before the book is finished) suggest or make improvements