Home-recording of audio book - seeking suggestions or tips
Uncle Clover
I'm an aspiring science-fiction author, and I've decided that the best
way for me to tell my stories is to just speak them out loud. That
gave me the idea to publish them as audio books on the web first,
before having them transcribed to text format.
I'm sure there are methods and formula that book readers use when
recording professionally, but I am just one person in my own home and
so I have no idea if I'm doing it right or not. I figured that if
anyone knew what makes for good audio recording, it would be someone
for whom audio is their primary means of receiving information. So I
thought I would ask these questions here, I hope that's okay. If not,
just ignore me. :-)
That said, here are my questions:
Are there things you look for in audio recordings that laymen like me
might not think of off the top of their head? For instance, I'm sure
background noise is a factor, as well as rhythm and meter.
Is a consistent accent important? Because I have some acting tenancies
and tend to speak "in character" sometimes, and I don't always stop
the accent at the end of the quotation from the character.
I guess that's it, I'm not sure what questions I should be asking. If
there is anything I'm failing to consider, please feel free to point
it out to me. For publishing on the web, I'm using a R.C.A. RP6-120
digital voice recorder in the highest quality possible, recorded in my
own living room. I'll be running it through a noise-reduction filter
in Audacity before publishing it. Do you think that will be
sufficient?
Thanks to any and all for your response, and you may reply either here
or to my private e-mail as you see fit. Taking out all spaces, my eee
male address is uncle clover at yahoo dot com. Hope to hear from you
soon! :-)
Thanks,
Bill
http://www.USENETHOST.com 100% Uncensored , 100% Anonymous, 5$/month Only!
burt henry
Well, I and many others love a good story told....
On 10/31/2009 8:43 chela, Uncle Clover wrote:
> Hello!
>
> I'm an aspiring science-fiction author, and I've decided that the best
> way for me to tell my stories is to just speak them out loud. That
> gave me the idea to publish them as audio books on the web first,
Of course, you need to copyright your recorded work so someone doesn't
steal your ideas.
I'd like a shot at listening to your work/don't know how you plan to
publish, but for the chance to listen I'd give feed back at least.
l
> before having them transcribed to text format.
>
> anyone knew what makes for good audio recording, it would be someone
> for whom audio is their primary means of receiving information. So I
> thought I would ask these questions here,...
I know that there are audio book fans on this group. .
>
> That said, here are my questions:
>
> Are there things you look for in audio recordings that laymen like me
> might not think of off the top of their head? For instance, I'm sure
> background noise is a factor, as well as rhythm and meter.
>
> Is a consistent accent important? Because I have some acting tenancies
> and tend to speak "in character" sometimes,
That's good. A bit of character/ acting makes for a good listen.
and I don't always stop
> the accent at the end of the quotation
I think you should be careful there. It can be confusing depending on
the writing style, more or less so, but keep the accent consistent
through out the reading, or go in to role reading, but keep it logical.
(no one will know your "natural voice",so you can try an accent. You
don't have to do all of the characters in their own voices. Maybe one or
two that you do well. Also, I have heard good reading done in duet/
take a couple of roles each, and lesser characters can be read straighter.
> I..
... For publishing on the web, I'm using a R.C.A. RP6-120
> digital voice recorder in the highest quality possible, recorded in my
> own living room. I'll be running it through a noise-reduction filter
> in Audacity before publishing it. Do you think that will be
> sufficient?
>
>
Don't know recorders, but I'm not worried about the tech. You can clean
up the small stuff. If you are going to do voices; be consistent.
Meter does matter. If you want to send a sample or two to me before you
spend many hours reading, I will give an honest opinion.
burt1...@theworldsbiggestsearchsitesmail.com
(can you saygmail) R
Burt Henry
BTW-this is maybe better on alt.disability.blind.social, as I don't know
exactly where to find a group for blind audio book fans. Sure there are
mailing lists, but can't think of a usenet group.
B.H.
Brian Gaff
replies, but here goes.
I do a piece weekly on the local TN, and record using Goldwave at a
reasonably low level with a small ti clip type microphone. I then edit all
fluffs out and apply some compression etc later on in the process.
Obviously the talking in character is not something I'd do, and to be
honest, if one cannot do it correctly, I'd rather not have it at all as it
can be distracting and confusing.
Again, you need to be able to present the work properly, disjointed bits and
pieces can be annoying. Have you ever though of writing it first, and
getting a good volunteer to read it instead?
Background noise is not usually a problem if you can keep the machine
doing the recording away from the microphone. The worst thing is often
keyboard noise if you are doing anything while recording, which is why post
edit is the way to go if you are doing it yourself.
Brian
--
Brian Gaff - bri...@blueyonder.co.uk
Note:- In order to reduce spam, any email without 'Brian Gaff'
in the display name may be lost.
Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Uncle Clover" <Uncle...@SpamMeNot.com> wrote in message
news:pqspe552lrskkn5hf...@4ax.com...
J. P. Gilliver (John)
>Hello!
>
>I'm an aspiring science-fiction author, and I've decided that the best
. Good (as long as it's proper SF of course!) ...
>way for me to tell my stories is to just speak them out loud. That
>gave me the idea to publish them as audio books on the web first,
>before having them transcribed to text format.
. Well, of course, you will have to expect to lose any revenue from
them, but that may not matter if you're just using this as a means of
getting established. .
. However, you say "before having them transcribed" - do you mean you're
going to do them entirely from memory? I don't know you of course, but
most people speaking in this manner - especially with something like
fiction - don't have the ability to speak free flow. Of course, you can
edit out your ums and ahs and mistakes, but I suspect that will make for
a rather odd-sounding recording, and in practice will take far longer
than writing it down (well, typing it into the computer) anyway. I fear
that that tedious stage is one you can't really avoid! If you're not a
good typist, then yes, have it transcribed - but don't use that
recording as one you're hoping to distribute, but only for the
transcriber.
Having said that, I really don't know you, so try it: do say 15 minutes'
worth, and listen back to it, and see if you would honestly like to
listen to it yourself. Maybe you are a born storyteller who can do it!
..
>
>I'm sure there are methods and formula that book readers use when
>recording professionally, but I am just one person in my own home and
>so I have no idea if I'm doing it right or not. I figured that if
>anyone knew what makes for good audio recording, it would be someone
>for whom audio is their primary means of receiving information. So I
. Yes and no. Where audio is the primary means, it is the content that
is important, and acting is secondary: of course, acting is nice too, as
long as it doesn't interfere with clarity. (Maybe you don't intend to
attempt a broad Glaswegian, or US equivalent.) ..
>thought I would ask these questions here, I hope that's okay. If not,
>just ignore me. :-)
. As the other poster said, I think the 'social 'group might be a better
place to ask, but I'll reply here since you started here. I thought of
cross-posting, but decided not to. (Incidentally, I'm sighted, but have
several blind friends and a keen interest in technology that is of
benefit to - I didn't say just "for" - the blind.) ..
>
>That said, here are my questions:
>
>Are there things you look for in audio recordings that laymen like me
>might not think of off the top of their head? For instance, I'm sure
>background noise is a factor, as well as rhythm and meter.
. I'm sure there should be NO background noise - even the odd click is
distracting. Rhythm, you have to get a medium level: there's nothing
worse than a monotonous reader, but also extreme variation in pitch and
volume is also distracting (and also can oblige the "reader" [listener]
to have to keep adjusting the volume so as not to be deafened and not
miss bits). ..
>
>Is a consistent accent important? Because I have some acting tenancies
>and tend to speak "in character" sometimes, and I don't always stop
>the accent at the end of the quotation from the character.
. As the other poster said, I'd strongly advise against that tendency.
Unless you use the method which used to be common but now sounds - to my
ears at least - rather old-fashioned of following each bit of quoted
speech by "said Fred", then the reader has no way of knowing when you've
finished quoting the character, if you stay in accent. ..
[]
>own living room. I'll be running it through a noise-reduction filter
>in Audacity before publishing it. Do you think that will be
>sufficient?
. I would question whether it's necessary; if you're talking about noise
from the recording machine, then assuming you're using a good
microphone, well positioned (either a clip one or a stand one), I
wouldn't have thought it necessary - there shouldn't be any perceptible
hiss from a digital recorder used at highest quality, and such
processing often introduces some characteristic that isn't quite
natural. If you're talking about background noise, you need to find - or
build - somewhere else to record. You also need to avoid the resonances
of the room: I'm not a professional recordist, so don't know how easy it
is to not pick them up. (Do you have absorbent wall-hangings?) Most
professional recording studios - and places like radio studios - have
sound-absorbent material on the walls; in the UK, places like student
radio stations use egg-boxes stuck to the walls (it's partly the fairly
absorbent material egg-boxes are made from here, and partly the shape
consisting of lots of little projections). It might be worth treating a
small room in this way - or possibly a corner. (Mike, are you reading
this, and if so am I spouting nonsense?) ..
>
>Thanks to any and all for your response, and you may reply either here
[]
. I thought I'd reply here so others can dismantle what I've said ...
>http://www.USENETHOST.com 100% Uncensored , 100% Anonymous, 5$/month Only!
(I bet is isn't 100% anonymous!)
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **
"I'm a self-made man, but I think if I had to do it over again, I'd call in
someone else." - Roland Young
chris mcmillan
>
>I'm an aspiring science-fiction author, and I've decided that the best
>way for me to tell my stories is to just speak them out loud. That
>gave me the idea to publish them as audio books on the web first,
>before having them transcribed to text format.
>
>I'm sure there are methods and formula that book readers use when
>recording professionally, but I am just one person in my own home and
>so I have no idea if I'm doing it right or not.
>
microphone relatively cheaply (in UK terms about 300 pounds) but I
wouldn't suggest you try doing this at all. Reading and recording
yourself when you're not a professional is *painful*. Both for you doing
it and for the person who hears it. For anything audio editing is all,
never mind the reader/s.
>
What I would do is find a good amateur actor who had an interest in your
material, ask around for your local talking newspaper or similar, and
then pay a decent sum to both and have it done properly. You probably
couldn't afford to hire a sound engineer who's skilled in voice work but
that is what you should be aiming at with your good amateur reader.
You'd be looking at at least 30 pounds an hour (in UK terms), but more
likely you'd be looking at around 50 pounds an hour.
>
If you live somewhere where you're near to a national organisation for
the visually impaired who will have libraries of audio material you
could try selling your stuff to them, though certainly in the UK getting
books recorded/produced for the VI specifically is now not a novelty and
is rarely done.
>
I'm speaking from personal experience here as we have a voice quality
studio and I know how long it takes to produce voice work (haven't done
books, only poetry), and it all takes an awful lot longer than one
thinks.
There is one other idea. There is an on line organisation which reads
books loaded to the web - and I can't think of their name. John
Gilliver and I know someone who's involved with it. (John: its Niles,
but I can't remember the name of it, bet you can't either). Not
Gutenberg: that's for out of copyright books).
Sincerely Chris
--
Chris McMillan
sig line taking a holiday
chris mcmillan
(John)" <G6...@soft255.demon.co.uk> writes
>In message <pqspe552lrskkn5hf...@4ax.com>, Uncle Clover
><Uncle...@SpamMeNot.com> writes:
>>Hello!
>>
>somewhere else to record. You also need to avoid the resonances of the
>room: I'm not a professional recordist, so don't know how easy it is to
>not pick them up.
>
it so that it doesn't pick up external noise - but it does depend on
where you live so you don't have windows open thus keeping out aircraft
and nearby traffic etc.
>
> (Do you have absorbent wall-hangings?) Most professional recording
>studios - and places like radio studios - have sound-absorbent material
>on the walls; in the UK, places like student radio stations use
>egg-boxes stuck to the walls
>
ever see *egg boxes* on the wall? It looks like egg boxes but its some
sort of sound absorbing foam material we have on our walls in the
studio.
>
>It might be worth treating a small room in this way - or possibly a
>corner. (Mike, are you reading this, and if so am I spouting nonsense?)
>..
Sincerely Chris
J. P. Gilliver (John)
<spam...@ntlworld.com> writes:
[]
>> (Do you have absorbent wall-hangings?) Most professional recording
>>studios - and places like radio studios - have sound-absorbent
>>material on the walls; in the UK, places like student radio stations
>>use egg-boxes stuck to the walls
>>
>Really John! I know its a long time since you were here but did you
>ever see *egg boxes* on the wall? It looks like egg boxes but its some
>sort of sound absorbing foam material we have on our walls in the studio.
. I wouldn't expect it in _your_ home (for those that don't know,
Chris's husband Mike is a professional sound recordist), but I have
indeed! The aforementioned student radio station, for one. ..
[]
. The potential recordist could prepare some portable panels in this way
(either egg-boxes or proper absorbent material - or even just
polystyrene ceiling tiles will do _moderately_ well), that could be put
away in the shed when not in use, perhaps. But see other posts, from me
and others, on whether recording your own work in this way is a good
idea anyway.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G.5AL-IS-P--Ch++(p)Ar@T0H+Sh0!:`)DNAf
** http://www.soft255.demon.co.uk/G6JPG-PC/JPGminPC.htm for ludicrously
outdated thoughts on PCs. **
Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.
chris mcmillan
(John)" <G6...@soft255.demon.co.uk> writes
>In message <uFHJFrKxPd7KFw$W...@chris.mcmillan>, chris mcmillan
><spam...@ntlworld.com> writes:
>[]
>>> (Do you have absorbent wall-hangings?) Most professional recording
>>>studios - and places like radio studios - have sound-absorbent
>>>material on the walls; in the UK, places like student radio stations
>>>use egg-boxes stuck to the walls
>>>
>>Really John! I know its a long time since you were here but did you
>>ever see *egg boxes* on the wall? It looks like egg boxes but its
>>some sort of sound absorbing foam material we have on our walls in the
>>studio.
>
>. I wouldn't expect it in _your_ home (for those that don't know,
>Chris's husband Mike is a professional sound recordist), but I have
>indeed! The aforementioned student radio station, for one. ..
>[]
of thing cost - but ours has been hanging on the walls for 25 years now.
Not sure now how she solved it when she set up a Council run radio
station not long ago - but I expect it was in hundreds rather than 10s.