[COMPLETE] The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson - tg

[kilpatrick83]

The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson (1857 - 1909).

This project is now complete! All audio files can be found on our catalog page: https://librivox.org/the-testaments-of-john-davidson-by-john-davidson/

The oft-maligned Testaments of John Davidson work as a sublime, psychopathic post-Nietzchean (Zarathustra was merely Davidson's springboard into a deeper transcendence) prologue to his impending suicide in 1909. After a warmly receptive life of ballad making and the like (benevolent pedagogy and inclusion in the chintzy Rhymer's Club), a by then poverty-stricken, neglected Davidson could sharpen his mind toward the completion of a more pristine art. Subsequently, we are given the meanest gap between symbolism and modernism (an expressionistic, Schopenhauerian materialist monism in monologic profile a la Browning, a demented Kipling) on record, a Marlowe-level blank verse masterwork of the now, warping into a demented, ironically (intended or not, certainly unfunded and ignored by anyone in charge) nationalist individualism, a system of self-deification, the final scream of a decaying genius.

• Text source (only read from this text!): 1-3. Vivisector, Man Forbid, Empire-Builder: https://archive.org/details/testaments00davigoog/page/n150
  4. Prime Minister: https://archive.org/details/testamentofprime00daviuoft
  5. Excerpted opening from Theatrocrat: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/53941/pg53941-images.html
  6. Testament of John Davidson: https://archive.org/details/testamentofjohnd00daviuoft/page/n9
  6. extra (thematic relation) St. Valentine's Even: https://archive.org/details/cu31924013469345/page/n9
• Type of proof-listening required (Note: please read the PL FAQ): standard
  
  
  
  IMPORTANT - soloist, please note: in order to limit the amount of languishing projects (and hence the amount of files on our hard-pressed server), we ask that you post an update at least once a month in your project thread, even if you haven't managed to record anything. If we don't hear from you for three months, your project may be opened up to a group project if a Book Coordinator is found. Files you have completed will be used in this project. If you haven't recorded anything yet, your project will be removed from the forum (contact any admin to see if it can be re-instated).
  Please don't download or listen to files belonging to projects in process (unless you are the BC or PL). Our servers are not set up to handle the greater volume of traffic. Please wait until the project has been completed. Thanks!
  
  
  

  Magic Window:

  
  
  BC Admin
  
• The reader will record the following at the beginning and end of each file:
  No more than 0.5 to 1 second of silence at the beginning of the recording!
  START of recording (Intro):
  • "Section [number] of The Testaments of John Davidson . This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
  • If you wish, say:
    "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
  • Say:
    "The Testaments of John Davidson , by John Davidson. [section title & text]"
  
  
  For the second and all subsequent sections, you may optionally use the shortened form of this intro disclaimer:
  • "Section [number] of The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain."
  • If you wish, say:
    "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
  • Only if applicable, say:
    "[Section title & text]"
  END of recording:
  • At the end of the section, say:
    "End of Section [number]"
  • If you wish, say:
    "Recording by [your name], [city, your blog, podcast, web address]"
  • At the end of the book, say (in addition):
    "End of The Testaments of John Davidson , by John Davidson. "
  
  There should be ~5 seconds silence at the end of the recording.
• Example filename testaments_##_davidson_128kb.mp3 (all lower-case) where ## is the section number (e.g. testament_01_davidson_128kb.mp3)
  
  
  Transfer of files (completed recordings)
  Please always post in this forum thread when you've sent a file. Also, post the length of the recording (file duration: mm:ss) together with the link.
  • Upload your file with the LibriVox Uploader: https://librivox.org/login/uploader
    (If you have trouble reading the image above, please message an admin)
  • You'll need to select the MC, which for this project is: TriciaG
  • When your upload is complete, you will receive a link - please post it in this thread.
  • If this doesn't work, or you have questions, please check our How To Send Your Recording wiki page.
  
  Any questions?
  Please post below

[kilpatrick83]

Hi, I have a collection of Davidson's book-length poems (that go together, as he loosely intended) already recorded and being trimmed up (read solo). I've posted an info page below, perhaps incorrectly. The files should be ready for any possible review in a week, if approved. I've read before in an anthology and recall most of the technical aspects. Thank you. (Sorry for any mix-ups, the whole thing will be a little over five hours, specific sections, track list, and links included)

Sections
1. The Testament of a Vivisector (15mins)
2. The Testament of a Man Forbid (13mins)
3. The Testament of an Empire-Builder (50mins)
4. The Testament of a Prime Minister
5. The Testament of John Davidson
6. (extra.) St. Valentine's Eve from Fleet Street Ecologues

Or Tracks
1-3 short enough to be full tracks
4. The Testament of a Prime Minister pt1 (40mins)
5. The Testament of a Prime Minister pt2 (40mins)
6. The Testament of John Davidson prologue (30mins)
7. The Testament of John Davidson pt1 (40mins)
8. The Testament of John Davidson pt2 (40mins)
9. The Testament of John Davidson final (22mins)
10. St. Valentine's Eve (8mins)

Links
1-3. Vivisector, Man Forbid, Empire-Builder: https://archive.org/details/testaments00davigoog/page/n150
4. Prime Minister: https://archive.org/details/testamentofprime00daviuoft
5. Excerpted opening from Theatrocrat: http://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/53941/pg53941-images.html
6. Testament of John Davidson: https://archive.org/details/testamentofjohnd00daviuoft/page/n9
6. extra (thematic relation) St. Valentine's Even: https://archive.org/details/cu31924013469345/page/n9

[kilpatrick83]

1. The Testament of a Vivisector -

[TriciaG]

Welcome to your first solo project! I've set this up for you. Some items of note:

1. You'll have to rename your audio files using the structure in the template, and upload them to my folder rather than the "tests" folder. That folder is for - wait for it - tests. Project audios cannot be uploaded until you have an MC, so you know which folder to upload to.

2. I'm assuming from your last post that your project will have 10 sections. If this changes, please let me know.

3. I modified the intro/outro wording a bit in the template. I'm not sure exactly what you have in your files. If they're very similar to the wording in the first post, then we're good to go. If you've not included the intro/outro, please add them in.

4. Before cataloging, we'll need some sort of summary. Think of the old intros on the back of paperback books or on the book flap of hardcover books. It needs to be a public domain one, so something you've made up, or maybe your DPL can help with it when you get a DPL. We can't use something off Amazon or Goodreads or Wikipedia, since they've got restrictions on their free use.

5. As you're the soloist, you're in charge of updating the Magic Window. Detailed Instructions for accessing the Magic Window can be found in the document linked here: Instructions for Soloists

Video showing how to use the Magic Window (read the above document first - it has the information on how to log in for the first time, which this does not have):
Magic Windows / Section Compiler: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOP4tcr1kl8

I've entered the first two sections for you as an example. You can fill in the rest.

When you upload a chapter, put the file duration (mm:ss) in the Notes field and the uploaded URL into the Listen URL field, and mark it from Assigned to Ready for PL.

I think that's all the instruction I need to give at this point. Let me know if you have any questions.

[kilpatrick83]

Thanks very much, great to see you again. I've filled in the window and uploaded most files. Summary forthcoming, thanks again. Will also fill in the track lengths, etc.

I think all tracks are ready for review except 4 and 5 and numbered below, I think I named them almost near the template, which I can't seem to find, and can redo, apologies.

[TriciaG]

You can keep those file names; I can fix them at cataloging time. (For future reference, the sample file name is in the first post, in all those instructions - towards the bottom, before the uploading instructions.)

You'll need to put them into the Magic Window. Copy the link into the "Listen URL" field, add the file length in minutes:seconds to the Notes field, and change the last column from "Assigned" to "Ready for PL".

I'm going to move this to Going Solo now.

[kilpatrick83]

Ah, great, thanks. Now I see, I might need to fix some of these for technical blips and anything the reader finds, and can change the file names as well, then, to save you time, if you see fit. Got them up in the window now. Thanks.

[kilpatrick83]

Everything's finished, I've touched up most of the files, changed the file names, and finished the last one, combined the Prime Minister file as one and added a new short section for track five called Theatrocrat. Logging these in now with the proper file names
Thanks

[kilpatrick83]

Noise reduced as well, and all are in the magic window now, those split in to sections being of the longest piece, the rest standing somewhat alone but linked in the overall series of his later mode, thanks highly, I'll be on standby for any corrections.

[TriciaG]

OK, great. I've advertised for a PL'er. Hopefully someone will come along soon and listen to your files.

[KevinS]

OK, great. I've advertised for a PL'er. Hopefully someone will come along soon and listen to your files.

I can PL a few sections if you all wish. I just can't serve as DPL at this time.

If a dedicated DPL is preferred, that's fine with me.

[TriciaG]

Please do what you can. A DPL isn't required. Thanks!

[silverquill]

Hey, Kevin . . . Maybe between us, we could get the PL done.
Let me know what you're doing, and I'll try to do some of the rest.

[KevinS]

Hey, Kevin . . . Maybe between us, we could get the PL done.
Let me know what you're doing, and I'll try to do some of the rest.

I'll take Sections 1 and 2 ... and we can go from there. How's that?

[silverquill]

Hi, Sean

Just checking these for specs, and full PL on 3, which is okay for reading.

Noise: I find the background noise too loud in most sections, worse on some than others. I would strongly consider noise reduction on them all.

Intros:
The intros are inconsistent, which makes it confusing to the listener. This is especially true when we get to Sections 6-9 where you introduce then just as Section 1, Section 2, etc. I would suggest just using the format outlined in the instructions, including the full disclaimer at the beginning:

"Section [number] of The Testaments of John Davidson . This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
"Recording by [your name], [
"The Testaments of John Davidson , by John Davidson. [section title & text]"

For the second and all subsequent sections, you may optionally use the shortened form of this intro disclaimer:
"Section [number] of The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain."
"Recording by [your name]
"[Section title & text]"
========================
So, Section one would be,
"Section ONE of The Testaments of John Davidson . This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit: librivox DOT org"
"Recording by [your name], [
"The Testaments of John Davidson , by John Davidson. [The Testament of a Vivisector]"

Section 2 would be:
"Section TWO of The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain.""Recording by [your name]
"The Testament of a Man Forbid"

Section 6 would be:
"Section SIX of The Testaments of John Davidson by John Davidson. This LibriVox recording is in the Public Domain.""Recording by [your name]
The Testament of John Davidson (Section1) [Although I would recommend “Part 1” instead of “Section 1” to avoid confusion, but it’s okay.
And so on for the remaining sections.

The endings should have “End of Section Number” although you can also include the title as well.

Silences:
Nearly all of the sections have silences that are too long at the beginning and the ending, especially at the end, and these do need to be adjusted. Simple to trim.

At the beginning, no more than ONE second.
At the end, about FIVE seconds.

Volume:
I found three sections with a volume above our acceptable range – 1, 3 and 4. And Section 2 is too low.
Our target is 89 db with a range of 86 – 92 dB
You can use our little Checker program to measure the volume (and other LV specs) and use Amplification in Audacity, or other program, to bring them down.
You might want to check the others as well, and make them as consistent as possible.

Bit Rate:
In addition to the low volume, Section 2 has the wrong bit rate -- 64 kbps 22,050 Hz
Instead of 128kbs 44100 Hz You can just export it again at the correct rate.

I would strongly suggest that you make all of these corrections and upload the new files, note new file lengths in the MW, before we go any further in the actual proof listening.

Just ask if you have any questions about this, or need any help. We just want you to have the best solo recording that you can.
~Larry