1-Minute Test

[sarahbond]

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/Test_Audio.mp3

I am using Audacity on a Mac operating system. My microphone is a Rode NT1 5th Generation Mic with USB.

[InTheDesert]

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/Test_Audio.mp3

I am using Audacity on a Mac operating system. My microphone is a Rode NT1 5th Generation Mic with USB.

1 Minute Test Feedback:

Welcome to Librivox Sarah and thanks for posting your test file. We look forward to you joining the community!

Reading Feedback:
You have a clear, bright voice.

Technical Feedback:

• 00:00 The volume of this track is 92.53dB. LV requires the overall volume for the track (measured by ReplayGain - you can try this tool if you want to check the volume) to be between 86-92dB (with 89dB being the ideal). The easiest way to fix this automatically is to use the 'Loudness Normalization' effect (set to -19LUFS in 'perceived loudness' mode) in recent versions of Audacity before exporting the track as an MP3. If you use RMS normalization, set it to -21dB. Another way to fix it would be to use the Amplify effect set to -4dB.
• 00:00 Note (no change needed): This file contains some clipping. This is where the maximum possible volume is exceeded (possibly because you were too close to your microphone but possibly because the 'gain' for the channel in Audacity was pulled up above 0.0). It can't be changed after recording (unless it was caused by the Audacity gain problem) though a compressor might make it less noticeable.
• 00:00 It sounded like you were very close to your microphone. This can lead to noises from bumping it or loud breathing. About 6 inches from the microphone is a good distance.
• 00:00 Your plosives (p, b, t, d, c etc. sounds) tended to 'pop' in this recording which generally means you are speaking directly into the microphone rather than at a slight angle. This can easily be improved with a change in microphone placement or using a pop filter. It can also be improved in post-processing by applying the High Pass Filter effect set to 120Hz and -12dB.
• 00:00 There was some hiss on the recording. It might be the result of a low input volume from the microphone which you have subsequently amplified to hit the Librivox volume range, in which case you might want to look into increasing the source volume (moving closer to the microphone or making sure the microphone is at full volume). Another solution you can apply is noise reduction. This will reduce the hiss after recording but it does degrade the quality of the audio. Be gentle on the amount (I'd say a maximum of 6dB reduction but less is better) - many people overdo it. Another option is a noise gate.

Once you've tweaked these settings, upload the file again using the same filename (uploading to the same filename is important when you are submitting Librivox files) and post in the thread and I'll check it for you again!