Newcomer reads 'The Raven'

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » August 24th, 2012, 4:01 pm

Thanks for your encouragement and suggestions. I use Logic Pro so conversion to mono is not problem. I'll tweek the limiter at the end of the signal chain to bring down the levels a little. The reverb can be toned down. I would only suggest its use here for 'gothic' effect. I can't see it being a feature of any future recordings- especially as I hope to record several Russian short stories and they call for a much simpler and direct delivery.

I'll do the fixes over the week-end if I get time, and top and tail the reading with the required dialogue.

CaprishaPage · Post by **CaprishaPage** » August 25th, 2012, 11:51 am

Welcome! I adore THE RAVEN! I hope you enjoy it here. I will warn you that it is addicting!

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » August 27th, 2012, 9:00 am

Thank you Caprisha. I hope I'll be able to make a small contribution to the Librivox library. If it's addictive then I expect it'll be a pleasant addiction.

CaprishaPage · Post by **CaprishaPage** » August 27th, 2012, 3:42 pm

You have a lovely voice for reading! My daughter (who is 8-years-old) and I listened to your reading of "The Raven," and at the end she sad with a rapt look upon her face, "Da-Da-Dum!"

EDIT: oh, yes, a very pleasant addiction!

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 1st, 2012, 12:42 am

Thank you again Caprisha. I'm very much encouraged. I will do the final additional dialogue on 'The Raven' tomorrow and try my hand at some Turgenev. 'Bezhin Meadow' is one of my favourites.

ampalley · Post by **ampalley** » September 6th, 2012, 1:23 pm

Great recording, lovely voice, and I thought the reverb was tasteful and added great drama without at all interfering with clarity. You are a fine dramatist.

BearCares · Post by **BearCares** » September 7th, 2012, 3:43 pm

haha..! please do more

I'll listen to this one tonight as a bedtime story

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 17th, 2012, 10:23 am

Thank you all for your kind comments and apologies for not responding earlier as I've been in London for a few days.

I have promised to 'top and tail' The Raven which I will hopefully do next week-end. In the meantime I'm working on 'Bezhin Meadow' by Turgenev- a short story I have always enjoyed.

One smallish point on reverb. I live in a castle and my studio is quite large- so reverb comes with the territory! I sometimes record in the hallway where the reverb is quite delicious. That being said I do mask it (in the studio) with a a baffle- and I do ADD a splash as well (some late reflections).

I'm so looking forward to making several recordings over the next year. Eastern Europe is my chosen territory for now- and let's see where that leads.

CaprishaPage · Post by **CaprishaPage** » September 17th, 2012, 2:46 pm

piranesi wrote:Thank you all for your kind comments and apologies for not responding earlier as I've been in London for a few days.

I have promised to 'top and tail' The Raven which I will hopefully do next week-end. In the meantime I'm working on 'Bezhin Meadow' by Turgenev- a short story I have always enjoyed.

One smallish point on reverb. I live in a castle and my studio is quite large- so reverb comes with the territory! I sometimes record in the hallway where the reverb is quite delicious. That being said I do mask it (in the studio) with a a baffle- and I do ADD a splash as well (some late reflections).

I'm so looking forward to making several recordings over the next year. Eastern Europe is my chosen territory for now- and let's see where that leads.

That is so awesome! While I imagine a castle does with it's own living issues, there is that romantic inside me who refuses to see the practical.

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 18th, 2012, 8:19 am

The strangest thing has just happened on my iPhone... all my LibriVox material is playing at double-speed using Audiobooks. There doesn't seem to be an option to play at normal speed.

Mickey Mouse on amphetamine is how the readings sound. Has anyone experienced this? Or even know how to find a solution?

David Richardson · September 18th, 2012, 9:44 am

Maybe it's just that your Castle is haunted by the Ghost of Mickey Mouse

OR I don't suppose you've done what I sometimes do which is accidently press the 2x box in the top right hand corner of the audiobook player on my iphone.

There's a reconstruction of Eisenstein's film of Bezhin Meadow - with narrated excerpts from the story and music by Prokofiev specially scored for it. Stalin had banned the original film which was later destroyed but the reconstruction is made from 'short ends' and a little undamaged print material. I saw it as a kid and found it quite inspirational.

Good luck with that project.

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 18th, 2012, 1:13 pm

Thanks for the pointer David- but my version of Audiobooks, which I believe is the latest, doesn't appear to have a '2x' box in the top right hand corner. I would delete the app but I think it will take all my Audiobooks data with it.

I've never scene the Eisenstein movie. I really should. I believe it is very different to the original story- although inspired by it. The next time I'm in London I'll visit the BFI who will most likely have a copy on DVD.

As for Mickey's ghost.... he continues to haunt me.

David Richardson · September 18th, 2012, 1:21 pm

Ah - no - I meant the audiobooks section of the itunes player - I don't use the seperate app. I'll look forward to your reading of Bezhin Meadow - I didn't know Eisenstein changed it significantly from the book but thinking about it that's probably why he fell out of favour with Stalin... Do get a copy if you can.

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 19th, 2012, 12:29 pm

Ah ha! I've noticed the 'Books' section in iTunes on my desktop Mac. It has a couple of LibriVox recordings in there. 'Moby Dick' and 'Fanny Hill'. But not 'Heart of Darkness' and a few others. I must investigate. Thanks for the information.

Nevertheless my cycle rides are going to be a pain with Mickey doing all the talking.

piranesi · Post by **piranesi** » September 19th, 2012, 2:39 pm

Sadly I felt as though ditching my Audiobooks app was the only solution and re-building my library. Does anyone have an iPhone app they can recommend for accessing and listening to LibriVox material?