Hello there!
Please check my 1-Minute Recording here: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
Recording Software: Audacity
Operating System: Windows
Mic Type: USB
Audio channel: mono
Audio bitrate: 128kbps
Audio sample rate: 44100 Hz
Thank you!
1-Minute Test by jhnplzzz [OK]
-
- Posts: 4206
- Joined: February 4th, 2022, 4:50 pm
- Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Contact:
Welcome to LibriVox, jhnplzzz!jhnplzzz wrote: ↑January 8th, 2025, 8:28 am Hello there!
Please check my 1-Minute Recording here: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
Recording Software: Audacity
Operating System: Windows
Mic Type: USB
Audio channel: mono
Audio bitrate: 128kbps
Audio sample rate: 44100 Hz
Thank you!
Your voice is pleasant, animated and clear, and your test meets almost all of the LibriVox technical standards. LibriVox requires audio that is 128 kbps constant bit rate MP3, 44.1kHz sample rate, mono, and between 86 and 92 dB, preferably 89-90 dB. Your test meets all these standards except for the volume, which is too low at 81.4 dB.
While it might be possible to "amplify" or "loudness normalize" the volume on this test in Audacity, doing that would also increase the background noise to an unacceptable level, requiring more tinkering to fix it. It also sounds to me as if you're speaking at some distance from your mic, which adds a bit of an echoey sound to your recording.
I suggest you check out the "Set volume in the Audacity Gain Slider and on your mic" section of this page, adjust your recording volumes as outlined there, and then re-record your test. Try speaking about 6 inches from your mic, and to one side (not straight into it) to avoid creating plosives (pops) on your p sounds. Upload the new file and paste the link from the Uploader into a response to this post, and I'll come back and check it out.
You're nearly there!
Cheers,
Winnifred
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
Hello Winnifred,
Thank you for checking and the feedback.
Here's a re-recording and I hope this is good now: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
again, thank you!
Thank you for checking and the feedback.
Here's a re-recording and I hope this is good now: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
again, thank you!
-
- Posts: 4206
- Joined: February 4th, 2022, 4:50 pm
- Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Contact:
Hi John-Paul,jhnplzzz wrote: ↑January 17th, 2025, 8:03 am Hello Winnifred,
Thank you for checking and the feedback.
Here's a re-recording and I hope this is good now: https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
again, thank you!
The volume is now good but the background noise is just a bit too high. There's an easy fix for that.
You can reduce this background noise by running Noise reduction on your file as follows:
1. Select five seconds of the silence at the start of your recording.
2. With that section selected, click “Effect > Noise Reduction....” Under Step 1, click “Get Noise Profile.”
3. Select the entire recording, then check your Noise Reduction parameters under Step 2. Mine are set as follows, and I’ve never needed to change them:
Noise Reduction (dB): 12
Sensitivity: 6.00
Frequency smoothing (bands): 3
Noise: Choose "Reduce"
4. If they’re set to this already, just click OK.
That will bring the background noise down to an acceptable level.
In future, you can pre-check your audio yourself by downloading the free Checker app: https://cgjennings.ca/projects/checker/ ("Passed with Warnings" is a fail with regard to volume.) With Checker open, go to Validation>Choose Validation Methods and tick Background Noise. Be sure to leave 5 seconds of room silence at the end of your recording, as that's what Checker looks at to assess background noise. If that noise is above 45 dB, you can run noise reduction on your recordings to bring it down.
Please run noise reduction as described above, and re-upload your test. I'll check it out. You're almost there!
Thanks,
Winnifred
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
Hello there!
Apologies for getting back a little late. I thank you once again for the feedback. I did as you suggested and it's now ready for your re-checking
https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
Apologies for getting back a little late. I thank you once again for the feedback. I did as you suggested and it's now ready for your re-checking

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
-
- Posts: 4206
- Joined: February 4th, 2022, 4:50 pm
- Location: North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Contact:
No need to apologize; we all do LibriVox on our own schedules! That test is now a-ok and you're ready to start recording.jhnplzzz wrote: ↑February 4th, 2025, 6:13 am Hello there!
Apologies for getting back a little late. I thank you once again for the feedback. I did as you suggested and it's now ready for your re-checking
https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/test_jhnplzzz.mp3
I suggest heading over to the "Readers Wanted: Short Works (Poetry & Prose)" forum to find your first recording. There are lots of short options there in all genres. Let the book coordinator of your first reading know if you want a different name than jhnplzzz in the Librivox catalogue.
If you have questions along the way, the "Need Help? Got Advice?” forum is a useful place to get answers.
Happy reading!
Cheers,
Winnifred
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
Readers Wanted
The Mark of Cain (Carolyn Wells mystery)
22 bit parts still open in The Wouldbegoods (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)
NEW! But filling up fast! Wet Magic (Dramatic reading of E. Nesbit children's story)