Hello,
My name is Peter Monaghan. I live in Australia, and study Chemistry at Uni. I first found LibriVox while searching for audiobooks on Google. I came across John Greenman's recordings of 'Roughing It', which I listened to while cycling, and while on my way to Uni. They were very entertaining, and I'd listen to them at night before going to sleep as well.
I listened to 'Following the Equator' next, now I'm listening to (as it's posted) 'Innocents Abroad'.
I've also listened to his readings of a few of Twain's short stories - and now cycling is associated in my mind with his recordings of Mark Twain.
I've listened to various other recordings here and been incredibly impressed with the quality, dedication and charity of the people who post, who proof-listen, the admin staff, and everyone involved.
My one-minute test recording is here:
http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/tests/test_pfnm.mp3
Kind regards,
Peter
Introduction - and one minute test recording [OK]
Hi Peter! Great to have you with us!
I listened to your test. Your tech specs are all okay, and you sound good.
You do have one issue, and that is a hum in the background that sounds like an electrical hum, which at 50Hz is probably an electrical supply.
It can be removed from your file after the fact (though not with Noise Cleaning), but its better to remove it from the mix before the fact (i.e. not record it in the first place!).
Please investigate where you are doing your recording and see if you have a large electrical source nearby, appliances, a tangle of large wires, large wires crossing at odd angles (i.e. non right-angles), any devices plugged in that you don't need absolutely such as extra hard drives, the electrical plugs for your PC sound system, fish tank, etc. etc. Basically anything that could directly or indirectly cause the hum. Turn off anything and everything you don't absolutely need while you are recording, even things across the room.
If you're on a laptop, try it in another location, to get away from the electrical supply, which can be perceived through walls and around corners by your mic.
If you do all these things and still have the hum, there are things that can be done, involving downloading a plug-in for Audacity (assuming you're using Audacity...) but its a series of steps that you hate to have to do to every file you produce, and it'll change the quality of your voice a little bit. That tutorial is here:
http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Removing_Mains_Hum
But again, it's better not to record the hum in the first place!
So, please do these things and then make another test file and post a link to this thread if you could, and we'll see how it sounds.
Samanem
I listened to your test. Your tech specs are all okay, and you sound good.
You do have one issue, and that is a hum in the background that sounds like an electrical hum, which at 50Hz is probably an electrical supply.
It can be removed from your file after the fact (though not with Noise Cleaning), but its better to remove it from the mix before the fact (i.e. not record it in the first place!).
Please investigate where you are doing your recording and see if you have a large electrical source nearby, appliances, a tangle of large wires, large wires crossing at odd angles (i.e. non right-angles), any devices plugged in that you don't need absolutely such as extra hard drives, the electrical plugs for your PC sound system, fish tank, etc. etc. Basically anything that could directly or indirectly cause the hum. Turn off anything and everything you don't absolutely need while you are recording, even things across the room.
If you're on a laptop, try it in another location, to get away from the electrical supply, which can be perceived through walls and around corners by your mic.
If you do all these things and still have the hum, there are things that can be done, involving downloading a plug-in for Audacity (assuming you're using Audacity...) but its a series of steps that you hate to have to do to every file you produce, and it'll change the quality of your voice a little bit. That tutorial is here:
http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Removing_Mains_Hum
But again, it's better not to record the hum in the first place!
So, please do these things and then make another test file and post a link to this thread if you could, and we'll see how it sounds.
Samanem
"I ask to be allowed to have a lamp in the evening;
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |
Hi, thanks for the quick reply. Okay, perhaps the hum was caused by a nearby alarm clock-radio, but I can't unplug that...because it would reset the time 
so I just moved the laptop into another room with no electronic devices in it.
If the noise is caused by the actual laptop plug, I'm afraid I can't change that because the battery on my laptop will go dead instantly if I remove the plug.
Here's the second recording.
http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/tests/test2_pfnm.mp3
Cheers
Pete
so I just moved the laptop into another room with no electronic devices in it. If the noise is caused by the actual laptop plug, I'm afraid I can't change that because the battery on my laptop will go dead instantly if I remove the plug.
Here's the second recording.
http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/tests/test2_pfnm.mp3
Cheers
Pete
Hi Pete!
You still have the hum at 50Hz, and though I didn't mention it before, you also have a smaller hum at 120Hz, which is another common electrical frequency. So, you can go back to wherever you were the first time, assuming that's your most comfortable place, and you'll just have to apply the steps in this tutorial every time you produce a recording:
http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Removing_Mains_Hum
It's really not very hard at all - once you've got the thing installed, it's easier than doing Noise Removal in Audacity. Just a few clicks and you're done. I have a place I sometimes record in that has a huge power supply node down the hall, and I pick up a strong hum.
So I would say reduce the frequency at 50Hz and also at 120Hz, going by the tutorial. It won't affect your voice as long as you keep the band narrow - say around 0.1 on the bandwidth setting.
After that, you've got some noise, but it's not bad - you could do a very light Noise Removal, using settings of, say, 8/200/0.1 (in Audacity), and you'll get a very nice clean result!
Why don't you upload one more file, and post the link here, just to make sure you got it all set up.
Thanks,
Samanem
You still have the hum at 50Hz, and though I didn't mention it before, you also have a smaller hum at 120Hz, which is another common electrical frequency. So, you can go back to wherever you were the first time, assuming that's your most comfortable place, and you'll just have to apply the steps in this tutorial every time you produce a recording:
http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Removing_Mains_Hum
It's really not very hard at all - once you've got the thing installed, it's easier than doing Noise Removal in Audacity. Just a few clicks and you're done. I have a place I sometimes record in that has a huge power supply node down the hall, and I pick up a strong hum.
So I would say reduce the frequency at 50Hz and also at 120Hz, going by the tutorial. It won't affect your voice as long as you keep the band narrow - say around 0.1 on the bandwidth setting.
After that, you've got some noise, but it's not bad - you could do a very light Noise Removal, using settings of, say, 8/200/0.1 (in Audacity), and you'll get a very nice clean result!
Why don't you upload one more file, and post the link here, just to make sure you got it all set up.
Thanks,
Samanem
"I ask to be allowed to have a lamp in the evening;
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |
Hi Samanem,
Okie dokes, I followed your instructions, and those given by the tutorial: hopefully this improves the recording somewhat, let me know if I should change anything else
http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/tests/test3_pfnm.mp3
Cheers,
Pete
Okie dokes, I followed your instructions, and those given by the tutorial: hopefully this improves the recording somewhat, let me know if I should change anything else
http://upload.librivox.org/share/uploads/tests/test3_pfnm.mp3
Cheers,
Pete
You sound great! Excellent work - you are well within the standards for Librivox recording, and you are free to roam the Public Domain, recording at your pleasure!
Great job!
Samanem
Great job!
Samanem
"I ask to be allowed to have a lamp in the evening;
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |
it is indeed wearisome sitting alone in the dark." ~ William Tyndale (1494-1536) |