COMPLETE: Sketches of Gotham by Owen Davis -jo

[WernerHamilton]

Hello Brian,

I just uploaded my first Librivox reading, section 9. The file name may be screwed up. If so, please let me know.

Hope the reading is passable. There is much I'd like to change, but then that will always be the case.

Section 9

14:45

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb_mp3.mp3

Werner

Werner,

I enjoyed your reading. Nice voice and inflection.

I did find a few things you might want to look at:

First, your recording is a little on the quiet side. Checker shows it at 87.5 dB, and LV has a goal of 89dB. So, if you could raise it up 1.5 dB, that would be great.

Also, the silence at the beginning needs to be cut down to .5 to 1 second. The reason for this is that we don't want anyone to miss out on your recording. If the beginning silence is too short, the listener might not be paying immediate attention and miss some, and if it is too long, they may wonder if there is a problem with the recording. These are just times that have been shown to work through the year. Just as “Nature abhors a vacuum”, “Recording abhors silence”.

4:30.5 of the kind who buy diamond rings for little ladies who dance well, the words “buy diamond” are kind of jumbled, hard to make out without seeing the words. "Buy" kind of sounds like buys and the first syllable of diamonds is really lost.

8:52.5 it would be just the same. I heard you

And there is a small problem with your file name. I know exactly what happened and happened to me when I started. The suggestion is that when you save the file, just 'cut and paste' the name into Audacity from the First Post, and that works great, except Audacity automatically installs the ' .mp3 ' in the 'save box', as so at the end of it all, one has one too many ' .mp3s'. So the solution in this case is when you save the corrected file, just look and see how many mp3's you have, and make sure it is only one.

Very good first recording. Keep up the good work.

Wayne

Hi guys,

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened. Sorry for the delay. I didn't even think to check the forum until I'd submitted a reading for another project.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Unfortunately, the edit for 4:30 (now 4:27) 'of the kind who buy diamond rings...' just doesn't blend well with the rest of the reading. I tried and tried, adjusting the microphone settings and other things, but it is still noticeable. If you have a suggestion to clean it up, please let me know.

The edit for 8:52 (now 8:45) came out better.

Again sorry for the delay in resubmitting this.

Werner

[BrianFullen]

[

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened. Sorry for the delay. I didn't even think to check the forum until I'd submitted a reading for another project.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Unfortunately, the edit for 4:30 (now 4:27) 'of the kind who buy diamond rings...' just doesn't blend well with the rest of the reading. I tried and tried, adjusting the microphone settings and other things, but it is still noticeable. If you have a suggestion to clean it up, please let me know.

The edit for 8:52 (now 8:45) came out better.

Again sorry for the delay in resubmitting this.

Werner

Thanks, Werner. If you wish, and have not already done so, you can subscribe for notification as posts are made to this project's topic. Near the very bottom of this page look for the down arrow just to the right of the wrench like tool icon and select subscribe for notification.

[BrianFullen]

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened.

Werner

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

[Kalamareader]

Hi Wayne,

Thanks for the feedback! I appreciate it, there is so much to learn!! I have a couple of questions: 1. What is the checker? Is that a part of audacity? 2. Should I just re-record? I haven't recorded a separate audio file and integrated it into another before and I am a little intimidated.

Sorry if I am asking something obvious, some times I get lost in the librivox info page.

Warmly,

Kassandra

Kassandra,

I know that LV can be kind of intimidating at first. We have a guy, Phil Chenevert who has made some videos to help us on our journey to 'master' Audacity and other thing Librivox. Here is a link to one of his that may help in your journey. The one small drawback is that it was made 11 years ago with a much earlier version of Audaicy, so the interface isn't exactly the same. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9NuSuWYaWg

I found another guy who has done some videos about using Audacity, but the 'problem' with his videos is that he is recording music in 'stereo' rather than the spoken word in mono. The instructions are really the same, buy just disregard the extra 'wave form' that show up on his videos. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqazFFzUAPc7XJjOcH4iPDoIeFHA_eyKh

Maybe you can make a 'sample' recording with errors purposely in it to play around with it some before doing it on the original. The second guys idea of recording it elsewhere and then pasting it into the spot where you want it is basically what I do. I have a 'dummy' file named "unnamed.mp3" where I record the parts that need to be corrected, do Noise Reduction on them, and get the volume about right, then paste them into the original recording where they belong. That usually seems to come out OK.

There are probably as many different ways to do some of this stuff as there are readers, but as for me, I have found that using the Del key and Ctrl C, V and X are more user friendly that the tabs on the tool bar. Also, on the left side of Audacity, in the blue box, there is a small arrow named "select", that will select the entire recording as will Ctrl A.

I hope this helps some. Just ask if you have any other questions. This entire journey is an experience.

Wayne

[Kalamareader]

Hi guys,

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened. Sorry for the delay. I didn't even think to check the forum until I'd submitted a reading for another project.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Unfortunately, the edit for 4:30 (now 4:27) 'of the kind who buy diamond rings...' just doesn't blend well with the rest of the reading. I tried and tried, adjusting the microphone settings and other things, but it is still noticeable. If you have a suggestion to clean it up, please let me know.

The edit for 8:52 (now 8:45) came out better.

Again sorry for the delay in resubmitting this.

Werner

Werner,

You have run into the 'plague' of LV re-recordings. I have that same problem. It seems not only can my voice change from day to day, but from hour to hour on the same day. We just do the best we can to recreate the same situation we had when we first recorded it. So as far as that goes, the recording is fine.

But as Brian noted, your volume is a little on the loud side at about 92.6 with a goal at LV of 89.0. Brian mentioned 'Checker'. Are you familiar with it and what it does. It will tell you, among other things, what the volume is and also what the background noise level is for that recording. And your Noise level is at 24.2 which is exactly perfect.

Here is the link of where to find out about Checker and to tell you how to download it: https://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Checker

So just load the recording into Audacity and decrease the volume level under Effect then Amplify by entering -3.6 in the top box. Then save it as an MP3 file then run it through Checker again and it should be very close to right on the money.

Thank you for your efforts and your perseverance.

Wayne

[WernerHamilton]

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened.

Werner

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

Yes, normally. But not on that one. Just now I ran the MP3Gain app to apply the track gain and even out the sound. The checker greenlit it. Here it is. If it's still off, I'll work on it.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Werner

[BrianFullen]

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened.

Werner

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

Yes, normally. But not on that one. Just now I ran the MP3Gain app to apply the track gain and even out the sound. The checker greenlit it. Here it is. If it's still off, I'll work on it.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Werner

Sure. I've used MP3 Gain too but mainly analysis not to adjust volume. No problem in this situation because you were decreasing volume. Be care when raising volume with MP3 Gain that you don't introduce clipping. I prefer Audacity when increasing the gain because I know (so long as allow clipping is unchecked) that I won't introduce clipping.

[Kalamareader]

Here is the newest edit for chapter 9. It clocks in at 14:36 after some pauses were shortened.

Werner

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

Yes, normally. But not on that one. Just now I ran the MP3Gain app to apply the track gain and even out the sound. The checker greenlit it. Here it is. If it's still off, I'll work on it.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Werner

On my installation of Checker, the volume is now 89.6, so that means..................

Section 9 is PLOK

Wayne

[BrianFullen]

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

Yes, normally. But not on that one. Just now I ran the MP3Gain app to apply the track gain and even out the sound. The checker greenlit it. Here it is. If it's still off, I'll work on it.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Werner

On my installation of Checker, the volume is now 89.6, so that means..................

Section 9 is PLOK

Wayne

And that is the other thing about MP3 Gain Analysis. It will not yield the same result as Checker. When I compared its analysis with Checker's in the past the delta was typically 0.4 dB. They definitely do not use the same algorithm for gauging volume. Months ago I was using a combination of MP3 Gain for volume check and ffprobe for ensuring the other tech specs were met and then I woke up one day and said to myself why am using two tools instead of one (Checker) and one of those tools won't even give me same result (for volume) as the standard tool used by LV gives me. But I don't like to tell other people how they should do the things they need to do; as long as whatever it is that they're doing "works" I don't really care.

[JVoxMachina]

Here's section 23-
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_23_davis_128kb.mp3

Duration- 13:27

Still trying to figure out the right effects "recipe", so any tips are appreciated! Thank you!

[BrianFullen]

Here's section 23-
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_23_davis_128kb.mp3

Duration- 13:27

Still trying to figure out the right effects "recipe", so any tips are appreciated! Thank you!

Noted. Ready for PL. Effects "recipe"? Is this a follow up of an earlier post. I listened to the intro of your recording and it sounds good to me. So whatever you're cooking seems tasty. Thanks.

[Kalamareader]

Here's section 23-
https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_23_davis_128kb.mp3
Duration- 13:27
Still trying to figure out the right effects "recipe", so any tips are appreciated! Thank you!

Great Job!!! I really enjoyed listening to your recording. Great voice, phrasing and inflections and word perfect to boot, but.....

There are two little 'housekeeping' things that you need to look at. At the beginning, your intro silence is just a little long, could you cut it down to between .5 and 1 second? (I wouldn't ask you to correct it in this one since it is so close, but would just have given you a heads up for future recordings, but since you will be in this already....)

Your volume is on the low end of LV standards at 87.9 dB. If you could go into Audacity and raise it up to closer to 89dB that would be great.

Thanks for your work,

Wayne

[WernerHamilton]

Hi Werner. Do you normally run Checker on your recordings before you upload them? This one's coming in out-of-range at 92.6 dB which is why I'm asking. Thanks.

Yes, normally. But not on that one. Just now I ran the MP3Gain app to apply the track gain and even out the sound. The checker greenlit it. Here it is. If it's still off, I'll work on it.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/sketchesofgotham_09_davis_128kb.mp3

Werner

On my installation of Checker, the volume is now 89.6, so that means..................

Section 9 is PLOK

Wayne

Thank goodness! And than YOU!

I'm still learning this stuff. It took me a little time to figure out edits and inserts. What the guides say about not stopping during a reading is really true. You don't know what will make the input sound different when you try to reread a section. And then the adjustments that are needed.... Aggggh!

Thanks again,

Werner

[BrianFullen]

Thank goodness! And than YOU!

I'm still learning this stuff. It took me a little time to figure out edits and inserts. What the guides say about not stopping during a reading is really true. You don't know what will make the input sound different when you try to reread a section. And then the adjustments that are needed.... Aggggh!

Thanks again,

Werner

I've heard you on this project and on Gun Running for Casement, Werner, and I think you are doing just fine. At some point, in the not too distant future, you will develop your own style and methods, that work well for you, and you won't be so hung up on what the guides say. If you are open to some advice, why not consider doing another handful of sections and then maybe raise your hand for some proof listening. You don't have to start out doing DPL; you could look for open projects that have a tilde (~) at the start of their subject line to indicate that the BC for those is looking for help with PL. You might be surprised at how it could possibly help you with your own recordings to hear what others do. And you might even find that some of those others will ask for your help which, surprise, surprise will involve situations that you've dealt with yourself and can help them get past. Okay. I'll be quiet now, except to say that you are making great progress and are an asset to LV.

[WernerHamilton]

Thanks Wayne,

I'll think about PL'ing. Although I'm not quite there yet. (There is still chapter 20 of Gun Running for Casement to do.) And I appreciate your advice about not using many tools when one will suffice, especially when other tools use different parameters to perform a task that Audacity can do. I'll be playing with more parts of Audacity in future readings.

Thanks again,

Wernere