[FICTION] The Dark Star by Robert W. Chambers -jo

[kokopetey]

Hi folks,

Here is my test link:

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/New_Recording.zip

[Scarbo]

I am new to librivox and would like to try a chapter of Dark Star. I am using an iPad for recording and just submitted my test. Please let me know next steps.

Here is my test link:

https://librivox.org/uploads/tests/New_Recording.zip

Hello, and welcome to LibriVox! If you could post your link in the Post Your 1-Minute Test Recording Here forum that Jo directed you to, someone will be able to give you feedback on your recording setup.

Since you're a new reader, I'd recommend starting off with one of the shorter chapters of this project, maybe chapter 30. Let me know which one you'd like to claim, and feel free to ask if you have questions about anything!

[kokopetey]

Hi Jo,

I can start with Chapter 30.

Thank you!

[Scarbo]

Hi Jo,

I can start with Chapter 30.

Thank you!

Chapter 30 is all yours. Thank you for claiming! I will second what Jo said and recommend that you wait until you get an OK on your 1-minute test before you start recording this chapter.

[kokopetey]

Hi Sarah,

I could not find your name in the drop down menu so I posted the link below to Jo’s

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_2Chpt_30_Dark_Star.zip

This is Chapter 30 of Dark Star. Hope it sounds ok!

[Scarbo]

Hi Sarah,

I could not find your name in the drop down menu so I posted the link below to Jo’s

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_2Chpt_30_Dark_Star.zip

This is Chapter 30 of Dark Star. Hope it sounds ok!

When you have a chance, could you upload the file again using the directions in the first post for this project? The filename needs to be darkstar_30_chambers_128kb.mp3. Could you also let me know how long the recording is? Let me know if you have any questions about the process.

[PotaszNC]

Hello!
I have completed the first edition of Chapter 31!


Upload link is here: https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/darkstar_31_chambers_128kb.mp3
and the runtime is 14 Minutes and 40 Seconds.

[Scarbo]

Hello!
I have completed the first edition of Chapter 31!


Upload link is here: https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/darkstar_31_chambers_128kb.mp3
and the runtime is 14 Minutes and 40 Seconds.

Thank you for this chapter! It's nicely done, and I enjoyed the expressiveness you gave Neeland and Sengoun's dialogue. Here are my PL notes:

- At 1:09, "Over there," I hear "Oh there"
- At 2:10, "and he attempted to bribe the drivers of a couple of hansom cabs to permit him and his comrade to take the reins and race to the Arc de Triomphe," I hear "and he attempted to bribe the drivers of a couple of hansom cabs permit him and his comrade to take the reins and race the Arc de Triomphe"
- At 2:17, "Failing in this, he became profusely autobiographical," I hear "Failing in this, he became profusely autobiographal"
- At 2:56, "The other two whose countenances I desired to slap?" I hear "The other two whose countenances I decided to slap?"
- At 3:15, "But Kutchuk Saïd and Kiamil Pasha requested me not to," you say "But Kutchuk Saïd and Kiamil Pasha refused me not to"
- At 3:38, I can't quite make out "Should have pulled Abdul’s lop ears"
- At 3:39, "Now, everything in Turkey," I hear "Now, everything is in Turkey"
- At 5:04, "I must never forget I’m a diplomat among these sales Boches," I hear "I must never forget I’m a diplomat a gun these sales Boches"
- At 5:34, I can't quite make out "Positively the only thing German a Russian can––"
- At 7:10, I can't quite make out "He’s looking at us now"
- At 7:22, I can't quite make out "may be telling that gambler...."
- At 7:42, "'Which would make it very lively for everybody,' he added with a boyish smile," I hear "'Which would make it very loudly for everybody,' he added with a boy smile"
- At 8:44, "when every train and every road would be watched within an hour of the time that the robbery was committed," I hear "when every train every road be what within an hour of the time that the robbery was committed"
- At 11:33, "and every guest in the neighbourhood," I hear "and every guest and neighbourhood"
- At 12:17, after "And he folded his arms dramatically," could you include the line "Somebody said, from a neighbouring table:"?
- At 12:51, after "Here?" could you include the line "Certainly, sir"?
- At 13:59, "between tables where lowered eyes seemed to deny any curiosity," I hear "between tables where lowered eyes seemed an eye any curiosity"

[BritishNickVO]

Here is the edited version of Chapter 11

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/darkstar_11_chambers_128kp.mp3

length: 19.07

thanks
Nick

[Scarbo]

Here is the edited version of Chapter 11

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/darkstar_11_chambers_128kp.mp3

length: 19.07

thanks
Nick

PL OK! Thank you!

[kokopetey]

Here is Chapter 30. It is 19:30 in length.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_2Chpt_30_Dark_Star-1.mp3

[Scarbo]

Thank you, kokopetey! I wasn't able to listen today, but I hope to have your chapter PL'd by the end of tomorrow.

[Scarbo]

Here is Chapter 30. It is 19:30 in length.

https://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_2Chpt_30_Dark_Star-1.mp3

Thanks again for chapter 30! It's very nicely done, and I appreciated your clear and measured style of reading. I have some PL notes, but please don't be discouraged by them! There's always a learning curve with the first recording, but after this it will get easier.

- At 0:29, after "Chapter 30," could you say the chapter title, "Jardin Russe"?
- At 0:52, "and the city’s haunting brilliancy stretching away in bewitching perspectives," I hear "and the city’s haunting brilliant stretching away in bewitching perspectives"
- At 1:38, "and that the stars he had discovered at odd hours of the early morning," I hear "and that the stars he had discovered at odds hours of the early morning"
- At 3:31, during "and Sengoun looked around for a partner," there's a dinging sound in the background. Would you mind retaking that line?
- At 4:07, "and, seating herself, leaned on the table," you say "and, seated herself, leaning on the table"
- At 4:21, there's a dinging sound during "'but I’m likely to do most of my dancing on your pretty feet' 'Merci!'"
- At 4:25, "Merci! In that case I prefer a cigarette," I hear "Merci! In the case I prefer a cigarette"
- At 6:33, "it’s a gipsy’s trade to know everybody and everything," I hear "it’s a gipsy trade to know everybody and everything"
- At 7:07, "'James!' exclaimed Sengoun" I hear "'James!' explied Sengoun"
- At 8:20, "Sang dieu!" you say "Sang dwee!" I'm generally not too worried about precise pronunciation of foreign words, but pronouncing it as "Sang dyuh!" will help the phrase be recognizable to listeners who are familiar with it.
- At 9:46, “'You’re very clever,' retorted Neeland, quite out of countenance," I hear "'You’re clever,' retorted Neeland, quite out of continence"
- At 10:11, "And, if so, why is there no war there?" I hear "And, if so, why is there nowhere there?"
- At 10:31, "What about that, pretty gipsy?" I hear "What about that pretty gipsy?"
- At 12:55, there's a dinging sound during "and with intense pleasure to himself"
- At 13:09, "But the slight gloom which invaded him came from resentment toward those people who had followed him," I hear "But the silent gloom which invaded him came from resentment toward those people who had followed him"
- At 13:28, "of Scheherazade," could you pronounce her name as "Sha-hair-a-zod"? She frequently appears in this story, and this will help her name be recognizable to listeners.
- At 13:39, "there was nothing in his subsequent conduct on which he could plume himself," you say "there was nothing in his subsequent conduct on which he could plum himself"
- At 15:03, "Where is that Yellow Devil now?" I hear "What is that Yellow Devil now?"
- At 16:32, "The word flew as fast as the robber’s taxicab," I hear "The word flew as fast to the robber’s taxicab"
- At 16:45, "From the Trocadero," I hear "From Trocaduro"
- At 16:51, "from the Bois," I hear "from the bore." Pronouncing it "from the Bwah" will help the word be recognizable to listeners who are familiar with it.
- At 17:38, "looking absently at the dancing which had begun again," I hear "looking absently at the dancing which had begun"
- At 18:17, "She’ll get the Seraglio medal for this day’s work," I hear "She’ll get the Seragillo medal for this day’s work." Pronouncing it as "Sair-al-yo" will help the word be recognizable to listeners who are familiar with it.
- At 18:47, "One drinks good beer there," I hear "One drink good beer there"
- At 19:17, "and pointed tragically at the empty goblets," you say "and pointing tragically at the empty goblets"
- Could you change the filename to darkstar_30_chambers_128kb.mp3?
- I'm seeing in Checker that the bit rate is 192 kbps instead of 128 kbps, and the sampling rate is 48 kHz instead of 44.1 kHz. Luckily you don't need to re-record the entire chapter in order to fix this! If you configure your Audacity settings according to these specifications and then export the file again, that should do it. After that, you won't need to worry about adjusting these settings again for future recordings unless you download Audacity again.

When you record the edits, I would recommend working backwards (that is, starting with 19:17, "and pointed tragically at the empty goblets," then going to 18:47, etc.). That way the timestamps will stay in the same place as you edit and it will make things much easier for you.

Let me know if you have any questions!

[kokopetey]

Hi Sarah,

So after working with Audacity, I think I have more figured out. Here is Chapter 30 of The Dark Star again.

ttps://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_Chpt30_Dark_Star.mp3

I have adjusted both the Sample and Bit rates. It is 20:03 minutes long.

[Scarbo]

Hi Sarah,

So after working with Audacity, I think I have more figured out. Here is Chapter 30 of The Dark Star again.

ttps://librivox.org/uploads/knotyouraveragejo/New_Recording_Chpt30_Dark_Star.mp3

I have adjusted both the Sample and Bit rates. It is 20:03 minutes long.

Thank you! There are just a few more things to take care of, and then you'll be all set:

- It appears that you've recorded the whole chapter again instead of re-taking individual lines. Generally, it's preferred to re-take just the lines that you have notes on instead of recording an entire chapter again. That way it saves a lot of time and effort for you, as well as for the proof-listener! If you do re-record, though, please let the proof-listener know. Let me know if you have any questions about editing individual lines.
- At 0:57, during "still unexplored," I hear some pages shuffling that might keep the phrase from being audible to listeners. Would you mind re-recording that phrase?
- At 1:00, "From every fairy lamp," I hear "From every fair lamp"
- At 4:30, "In that case I prefer a cigarette," you say "In the case I prefer a cigarette"
- At 7:15, "'James!' exclaimed Sengoun," I hear "'James!' explained Sengoun"
- At 7:48, could you edit out the "pointedly" before "pointed indignantly at the empty goblets"?
- At 11:22, "'Good Lord!' exclaimed Neeland," I hear the beginning of "explained" before "exclaimed"
- At 12:31, "The gipsies searched his palm with intent and brilliant gaze," you say "The gipsies searched his palm with intent and brilliance"
- At 13:18, "and sang it lustily and with intense pleasure to himself," I hear "and it sang it lustily and with intense pleasure to himself"
- Could you change the filename to darkstar_30_chambers_128kb.mp3?
- I'm seeing in Checker that the bit rate and sampling rate are still different from the required technical settings. Let me know if you have any questions about configuring your Audacity settings to export at 128 kbps and a constant sampling rate according to these instructions.
- I'm also seeing that the volume is 76 dB, which falls below the target volume range of 87-92 dB. In Audacity, you can amplify your recording by going to Effect>Amplify. Let me know if you have any questions about adjusting the volume level!