[group] THE CHILDREN'S BOOK OF CHRISTMAS STORIES - philc

[loon]

Section 5:

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_05_dickinson_128kb.mp3

16:52

Coleen -
Chapter 5 - The Telltale Tile - PL OK, thanks.
Your initial silence was a bit short - it should be somewhere between half a second and a full second, and your chapter was a bit under that. For future chapters please allow more silence at the very beginning. So you know, Checker reports your volume for the chapter as 89.3 dB - right where it should be.

And with this chapter over half of the sections in the book are complete. Yay!

[Dtcastid]

]

Here is section 8 Toinette and the Elves.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_8_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 32:3.

Diane -
I note four things
1) Your filename has '8' instead of '08', so:
childrensbookofchristmasstories_8_dickinson_128kb.mp3
should be:
childrensbookofchristmasstories_08_dickinson_128kb.mp3
(This makes it easier for a computer to sort the chapters in order!)
2) There were a few places in the chapter where your track reached 100% - clipping. These happened to all be where you were using Thistle's voice. Lucky you - the raspy sound clipping can give a track were hidden in the raspy voice you gave Thistle. This is something to be careful about in future recordings. (You can have Audacity highlight any cases of clipping by selecting 'show clipping' in the 'view' menu.)
3) I heard a few places in the chapter where your breath makes the microphone pop a little (not very badly, in your case). Again, this is something to be careful about in future chapters. You can often avoid popping of your 'p's and 't's by moving the microphone a bit up or around to the side so your plosives don't blow directly into the mic.
4) 'Checker' reports your chapter has a lot of DC offset, which is to say when you are recording absolute silence you are not recording zero volts but a constant - teeny-tiny - positive voltage. This doesn't prevent your chapter from passing a prooflisten, but it does bother my engineer heart. If you want to fix this it's way easy in Audacity: you could use the 'Normalize' filter with only the 'Remove DC offset' box checked or you could use the 'High Pass' filter with the frequency set to something like 100 Hz.

The only thing that needs to be fixed is to change the file name and upload again. If you want to try to fix the DC offset with a filter go for it. In any event I'll do a spot PL once you've re uploaded.

Hi Rich,
Thanks for the valuable feedback and will take into account in the next chapter/section I'm getting ready to record.

First, I apologize for the mislabeling of the file. I uploaded it again with the correct "08" and list it below. Runs at the same 32:3.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_08_dickinson_128kb.mp3

I also have a couple of questions for you. Would you suggest that I automatically use either the "Normalize" or "High Pass" options to correct the DC bias? Or is there some number or range I'm looking for on the Checker as a guide of when or when not to use it? This recording showed +160 (+0.04889%), so I'm wondering what to look for.

Definitely will move the microphone away a bit to help with the clipping.
Diane

[Dtcastid]

]

Here is section 8 Toinette and the Elves.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_8_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 32:3.

Diane -
I note four things
1) Your filename has '8' instead of '08', so:
childrensbookofchristmasstories_8_dickinson_128kb.mp3
should be:
childrensbookofchristmasstories_08_dickinson_128kb.mp3
(This makes it easier for a computer to sort the chapters in order!)
2) There were a few places in the chapter where your track reached 100% - clipping. These happened to all be where you were using Thistle's voice. Lucky you - the raspy sound clipping can give a track were hidden in the raspy voice you gave Thistle. This is something to be careful about in future recordings. (You can have Audacity highlight any cases of clipping by selecting 'show clipping' in the 'view' menu.)
3) I heard a few places in the chapter where your breath makes the microphone pop a little (not very badly, in your case). Again, this is something to be careful about in future chapters. You can often avoid popping of your 'p's and 't's by moving the microphone a bit up or around to the side so your plosives don't blow directly into the mic.
4) 'Checker' reports your chapter has a lot of DC offset, which is to say when you are recording absolute silence you are not recording zero volts but a constant - teeny-tiny - positive voltage. This doesn't prevent your chapter from passing a prooflisten, but it does bother my engineer heart. If you want to fix this it's way easy in Audacity: you could use the 'Normalize' filter with only the 'Remove DC offset' box checked or you could use the 'High Pass' filter with the frequency set to something like 100 Hz.

The only thing that needs to be fixed is to change the file name and upload again. If you want to try to fix the DC offset with a filter go for it. In any event I'll do a spot PL once you've re uploaded.

Hi Rich,
Thanks for the valuable feedback and will take into account in the next chapter/section I'm getting ready to record.

First, I apologize for the mislabeling of the file. I uploaded it again with the correct "08" and list it below. Runs at the same 32:3.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_08_dickinson_128kb.mp3

I also have a couple of questions for you. Would you suggest that I automatically use either the "Normalize" or "High Pass" options to correct the DC bias? Or is there some number or range I'm looking for on the Checker as a guide of when or when not to use it? This recording showed +160 (+0.04889%), so I'm wondering what to look for.

Definitely will move the microphone away a bit to help with the clipping.
Diane

Hi Phil and Rich,
Here's Chapter/Section 17 A Christmas Star. Rich, I tried to incorporate your suggestions.

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_17_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 10:50.
Thanks,
Diane

[loon]

Hi Rich,
Thanks for the valuable feedback and will take into account in the next chapter/section I'm getting ready to record.

First, I apologize for the mislabeling of the file. I uploaded it again with the correct "08" and list it below. Runs at the same 32:3.
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_08_dickinson_128kb.mp3

I also have a couple of questions for you. Would you suggest that I automatically use either the "Normalize" or "High Pass" options to correct the DC bias? Or is there some number or range I'm looking for on the Checker as a guide of when or when not to use it? This recording showed +160 (+0.04889%), so I'm wondering what to look for.

Definitely will move the microphone away a bit to help with the clipping.
Diane

Diane -
Chapter 8 - Toinette and the Elves - is now PL OK.

Yes, I suggest you use one of those - out of habit I use a High Pass filter on my recordings. There is no part of my voice - or yours - down below 100 Hz anyway and such a filter can reduce any very low frequency rumbles in the recording (as well as the DC).

It doesn't much matter where in your editing process you use this filter - just pick some point that makes sense to you and get used to doing it consistently. The +160 Checker is showing you is a pretty large number for the DC bias, and will be pretty much unchanged as long as you keep your current microphone / preamp / computer - it's an electronic thing in one of those components. Other chapters in this book are getting DC Bias readings of 0, +1, -1, +3, etc.

You are using Checker! Good for you. When I'm ready to submit a chapter, I export it to MP3 and look at it with Checker. If the Volume reading is not close to 89.0 (like in the 88.0 to 90.0 dB range) I'll go back to Audacity and use the Amplify effect to boost or reduce the volume of the entire track. (Of course you only need adjust the overall volume if it falls outside the 86 to 92 dB range. Be sure that the Amplify effect is set to not allow clipping.)

I see you have another chapter in this book coming up - I'm looking forward to it.

[loon]

Hi Phil and Rich,
Here's Chapter/Section 17 A Christmas Star. Rich, I tried to incorporate your suggestions.

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_17_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 10:50.
Thanks,
Diane

Aha - you added a chapter while I was typing. I'll get right on it.

[loon]

Hi Phil and Rich,
Here's Chapter/Section 17 A Christmas Star. Rich, I tried to incorporate your suggestions.

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_17_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 10:50.
Thanks,
Diane

Wow, this story doesn't turn out the way the beginning makes it seem! About 2/3 the way through I thought "uh-oh".

Chapter 17 - A Christmas Star - PL OK. Thank you.

Your recording still has some DC Bias, but there's no clipping this time.

[2839reader]

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_27_dickinson_128kb.mp3
19:24
https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_28_dickinson_128kb.mp3
13:56

[Dtcastid]

Hi Phil and Rich,
Here's Chapter/Section 17 A Christmas Star. Rich, I tried to incorporate your suggestions.

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_17_dickinson_128kb.mp3, which runs at 10:50.
Thanks,
Diane

Wow, this story doesn't turn out the way the beginning makes it seem! About 2/3 the way through I thought "uh-oh".

Chapter 17 - A Christmas Star - PL OK. Thank you.

Your recording still has some DC Bias, but there's no clipping this time.

Right? I had to read the last chapter several times in practice to get past my teary voice!

Those are great suggestions, with High Pass as a routine editing technique and checking/editing volume with Amplify.
Thanks again for your help.
Diane

[loon]

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_27_dickinson_128kb.mp3
19:24

Chapter 27 - The Cratchits' Christmas Dinner - PL OK.

Aaaahh! Dickens, yay.

[loon]

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_28_dickinson_128kb.mp3
13:56

And also Chapter 28 - Christmas in 1776 - PL OK.
Thanks for both chapters.

[cgiff]

Hello, I completed my chapter and uploaded. Thank you!
- Corrie


https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_19_dickinson_128kb.mp3

[philchenevert]

Hello, I completed my chapter and uploaded. Thank you!
- Corrie


https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_19_dickinson_128kb.mp3

Ignatius, the LibriPenguin of Happiness will put this into the Magic Window for proof listening.

[loon]

https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_19_dickinson_128kb.mp3

Carrie -

Chapter 19 - Old Father Christmas - is PL OK. Thank you.

Notes:

At around 6:49 I hear you hit the microphone (or its stand or something). It's a bit distracting, but doesn't throw the chapter into the fail category. This is a case where wearing headphones as you record can alert you to such mishaps so you can re-record the line and remove the bad one while editing. Depending on your setup, however, this might not work for you - if the signal gets digitized and then re-analog-izated between the mic and headphones there may be too much delay to listen to while talking.

Your closing silence could be a bit shorter - most readers leave 5 seconds but anything between 5 and 10 meets the spec. (Yours was 7 seconds.)

[loon]

P.S. on chapter 19 - length is 23:07.

[AmeliaKatherine]

Hi again,

Here is chapter 24: https://librivox.org/uploads/philchenevert/childrensbookofchristmasstories_24_dickinson_128kb.mp3 (duration is 17:56)

Let me know if there are any issues,

Thank you