ZOOM Discussion Thread

[msfry]

I'll get back to you in a PM later today, if that's OK.

I think I figured it out. We'll see soon enough.

[williamjones]

I'll get back to you in a PM later today, if that's OK.

I think I figured it out. We'll see soon enough.

Atta girl!!

[williamjones]

I'll get back to you in a PM later today, if that's OK.

I think I figured it out. We'll see soon enough.

Atta girl!!

[SowasVon]

If anyone is interested in using the de-clicker and de-esser plugins mentioned in the chat today, here's some more info:

The De-Clicker removes mouth clicks and most likely also mouse clicks
The De-Esser dampens sharp, hissy "s" and "sh" sounds

Both can be downloaded at the bottom of the first post in this thread:
https://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?t=79278

Since they are Nyquist plugins (please don't ask me what that is, I don't actually know), you need to do the following to install them:

"1. Download the plugin in question.
2. Open Audacity, and go to Tools > Nyquist Plugin Installer
3. Click Browse and locate your downloaded plugin
4. Click Open and then OK and OK again.
5. Restart Audacity
6. The plugin should now be available in the plugins list."
Source: https://support.audacityteam.org/basics/installing-plugins

If these two effects don't show in the effects menu, you may have to enable them in the plugin manager:
1. Click Effects > Plugin Manager
2. Scroll through the list till you find the De-Esser or De-Clicker.
3. Select it.
4. Click Enable.

To use them, highlight a section containing the offending click/hiss - from my experience, it works best to select more than just the sound you want gone so the plugin has some kind of baseline of what is "normal" so it can recognize what to remove.
But with the de-clicker, make sure not to include "t", "p", "k" and possibly "b" sounds, because otherwise, they'll be "de-clicked" as well - it'll often make them too soft.
With the de-esser, I'm not sure whether you can actually even select the whole track to catch all the sharp s/sh sounds in one go. I read warnings about de-essing possibly making normal, non-hissy "s" sounds lispy, but it didn't always do that for mine. "Versuch macht kluch" (Trying it out makes you smart), as we say here - feel free to try it, just no guarantees from me.

[williamjones]

Thank you for this very helpful posting!

[msfry]

Thanks for these tips. I downloaded both D-click and D-esse to my downloads file, then copied theim into my Programs/Audacity/Plug-In's folder, enabled them using the Add/Delete Plugins at the top of the Effects menu, and they appeared in my Effects menu (down near the bottom). Didn't have to do anything with Nyquist in my version of Audacity (3.1.3) I will be playing with these soon and crossing fingers they help get the squelch out of my ss's, and clicks out of my words which are very pesky to find and delete.

Next I want to learn now to avoid adding those esses and clicks in the first place.

[silverquill]

Thanks for these tips. I downloaded both D-click and D-esse to my downloads file, then copied theim into my Programs/Audacity/Plug-In's folder, enabled them using the Add/Delete Plugins at the top of the Effects menu, and they appeared in my Effects menu (down near the bottom). Didn't have to do anything with Nyquist in my version of Audacity (3.1.3) I will be playing with these soon and crossing fingers they help get the squelch out of my ss's, and clicks out of my words which are very pesky to find and delete.

Next I want to learn now to avoid adding those esses and clicks in the first place.

So sorry about tech issues on my end, and my lousy internet connection, but glad to get in on the session a little bit. I'll have to do some more work on the camera problem, and next time go over to the house for the internet -- a bit far away where we have the RV parked. Another month and we should be settled in California for the winter.

I've been told keeping the mouth well hydrated during recording helps reduce clicks. But, I think we all have different routines about what to eat and drink before or during recording.

I think you might be able to put together your own 'library" of sounds, etc. Just make your own recording in Audacity and save it. Note the times for the various elements, and then you can have the file open when you record and then copy and paste as needed. I don't think that would be any more cumbersome than having them accessible within Audacity itself.

I did like the tip about control-R to bring up another track for recording those corrections! That could save me considerable time in my editing process!

Hope I can make the next one.

Thank for ALL you do for LibriVox, Michele!

[williamjones]

<snip
I did like the tip about control-R to bring up another track for recording those corrections! That could save me considerable time in my editing process!
<snip>

Larry, the keystrokes to be used are SHIFT+R
This was shown to me a hundred years ago by Michele herself when I was just getting started.

[msfry]

Larry, the keystrokes to be used are SHIFT+R
This was shown to me a hundred years ago by Michele herself when I was just getting started.

Actually, Shift R appends text to the end of the file. R opens a second track at the location of the cursor, as demonstrated today. I may have set this myself at some point, but just hover your cursor over the red Rcord button and it will tell you what's what.

[williamjones]

Larry, the keystrokes to be used are SHIFT+R
This was shown to me a hundred years ago by Michele herself when I was just getting started.

Actually, Shift R appends text to the end of the file. R opens a second track at the location of the cursor, as demonstrated today. I may have set this myself at some point, but just hover your cursor over the red Rcord button and it will tell you what's what.

I have just demonstrated with one of my files that SHIFT+R creates a new track under the one in which the cursor is current IF THERE IS A SELECTED PORTION of that file.
If there is no selected portion of the file then, yes, it does APPEND at the end of the file just as tho the record button were pressed without the shift key..
But, the examples put forward in the zoom session were concerned with replacing a portion of an existing file. The process you showed me and which I've been using these many years goes like this:
1. select the portion you want to replace.
2. press SHIFT+R a new track will appear
with its cursor at the starting point of the selected audio
and you will be in RECORD mode
3. when you're done recording the replacement audio,
stop recording
4. cut (Ctrl-X) the portion of the new audio that you want to put into the old audio
5. close the new track
6. select the old audio you want to get rid of
7. Insert/Paste (Ctrl+V) and you're done.

As I said at the start, I have at this very moment done these steps and, as in the past 5 years, the desired and expected results have occurred.

To repeat:
"R" APPENDS NEW AUDIO
"SHIFT+R" goes into record mode at the track's end if no portion is selected
OR on a new track at the starting point of the selection if there IS a portion selected.

Unless you've changed your Key Stroke Settings that's the way the R and Shift+R used to work and that's the way I've kept them.
I just proved it here on my machine. I don't trust my memory anymore, so I had to prove it.

[msfry]

Bill,

I don't select a segment of track before I hit record. I simply set the cursor where I want the recording to begin and hit the red button, or R. It opens a new track under the 1st track at the point specified.

I specifically don't recommend making a selection, because the new recording may exceed the selected time, such as if you stumble and have to repeat, and you will lose anything beyond the length of your selection. Also, if you have to add in a missing phrase or sentence, you don't know ahead of time how long that may be.

It's easy to tell what your machine will do by hovering over the red button and reading what it says. Mine says:
Record/Append Record (Shift+R)
Record opens a new track with the cursor just under where the original cursor is placed.
Shift+Record starts recording at the end of your original file, then you have to copy it, then try to find where you were to paste it in.

Of course, you do what works for you. But above is what I demonstrated and what I do.

[williamjones]

Bill,

I don't select a segment of track before I hit record. I simply set the cursor where I want the recording to begin and hit the red button, or R. It opens a new track under the 1st track at the point specified.

I specifically don't recommend making a selection, because the new recording may exceed the selected time, such as if you stumble and have to repeat, and you will lose anything beyond the length of your selection. Also, if you have to add in a missing phrase or sentence, you don't know ahead of time how long that may be.

It's easy to tell what your machine will do by hovering over the red button and reading what it says. Mine says:
Record/Append Record (Shift+R)
Record opens a new track with the cursor just under where the original cursor is placed.
Shift+Record starts recording at the end of your original file, then you have to copy it, then try to find where you were to paste it in.

Of course, you do what works for you. But above is what I demonstrated and what I do.

Thanks, Michele!
Apparently your keystroke list has changed... you've probably improved it!
Mine hasn't changed and I've learned to just live with what you gave me.
I still use that old Audacity-keys.xml file you sent me back in 2016.
Here are the contents of that file relating to the RECORD functions
----------------------------------------------
<audacitykeyboard audacityversion="3.1.3">
. . . .
<command name="Record1stChoice" key="R"/> [=APPEND record]
<command name="Record2ndChoice" key="Shift+R"/> [if something is selected, open new track and record into it otherwise just Append record]
<command name="TimerRecord" key="Shift+T"/>
<command name="PunchAndRoll" key="Shift+D"/>
. . . .
</audacitykeyboard>
----------------------------------------------
I have no idea what Record1stChoice and Record2ndChoice are supposed to mean though!!! I would bet a plate of Oatmeal cookies (crispy, no raisins) that it has to do with whether there is a selected area of the wave form. All I know is how they've worked for 6 years.

[msfry]

I've been told keeping the mouth well hydrated during recording helps reduce clicks. But, I think we all have different routines about what to eat and drink before or during recording.

This gives me an idea! I keep a "dry mouth spray" from Walgreens by my bedside at night, and a squirt or two removes that odd discomfort. I never thought to use it for recording purposes.

It was really good to "see you" at the session today, camera or no. You could still see and hear, and be heard, and screen share.

[msfry]

I have no idea what Record1stChoice and Record2ndChoice are supposed to mean though!!!

Neither do I. I have no recollection of doing it this way or of ever sending you this, but no matter. Whatever worls for you, stick with it.

[PhyllisV]

Larry, the keystrokes to be used are SHIFT+R
This was shown to me a hundred years ago by Michele herself when I was just getting started.

Actually, Shift R appends text to the end of the file. R opens a second track at the location of the cursor, as demonstrated today. I may have set this myself at some point, but just hover your cursor over the red Rcord button and it will tell you what's what.

I have just demonstrated with one of my files that SHIFT+R creates a new track under the one in which the cursor is current IF THERE IS A SELECTED PORTION of that file.
If there is no selected portion of the file then, yes, it does APPEND at the end of the file just as tho the record button were pressed without the shift key..
But, the examples put forward in the zoom session were concerned with replacing a portion of an existing file. The process you showed me and which I've been using these many years goes like this:
1. select the portion you want to replace.
2. press SHIFT+R a new track will appear
with its cursor at the starting point of the selected audio
and you will be in RECORD mode
3. when you're done recording the replacement audio,
stop recording
4. cut (Ctrl-X) the portion of the new audio that you want to put into the old audio
5. close the new track
6. select the old audio you want to get rid of
7. Insert/Paste (Ctrl+V) and you're done.

As I said at the start, I have at this very moment done these steps and, as in the past 5 years, the desired and expected results have occurred.

To repeat:
"R" APPENDS NEW AUDIO
"SHIFT+R" goes into record mode at the track's end if no portion is selected
OR on a new track at the starting point of the selection if there IS a portion selected.

Unless you've changed your Key Stroke Settings that's the way the R and Shift+R used to work and that's the way I've kept them.
I just proved it here on my machine. I don't trust my memory anymore, so I had to prove it.

Thanks for the great explanation. I have a question though - I had a spot where I needed to correct a word that I mispronounced. I placed my cursor at the starting point of my selection and did the SHIFT+R - it opened a new track and started recording - however it ALSO started playing the original track, right from where I had placed the cursor. So although I was able to record the correct word and cut and paste it into my original track, it was difficult to record while listening to my mistake. I’m not sure what I did wrong. I suppose I could just remove my earbuds when recording the corrected phrase, but something tells me it’s not supposed to happen that way. Any advice as to what I’m doing wrong?