If I Could Start Over ...

[Nathan Lowell]

I was chatting up one of the other authors yesterday and the question came up, "If you were just starting out, what would you do differently?"

For me, I think I'd bite the bullet and buy a Zoom H2. It's about $150 on Amazon but it has several things that would have helped me get off to a better start.

A. The mic is built in and it's good enough for what a beginner needs.
B. The recorder is silent. There's no sound card noise being introduced by the system and there's no fan noises as you'd get from some laptops.
C. It's expandable. When I'm ready to move up and invest in mic/etc I can still use the recorder in the H2.

The H4 (not the H4n) might be a better choice. The mic set up is excellent and the interfaces are much more flexible -- offering XLR inputs as well as mini plugs, but it's $100 more. A great value at the price, but you'd have to be thinking seriously about investing $250 in an activity that might or might not pay off in the long run, so I question how viable that choice might be for a beginner.

How about the other authors? If you were going to start now, what would you do?

[Patrick Lewis]

I am just getting started and have already upgraded from the Logitech USB to an mAudio Mobile Pre USB connected to a Shure SM58. I got input both from a musician friend and from the folks at Homerecording.com which are a pretty bawdy bunch, but knowledgeable. By going offline with the audio components, the translation between the audio XLR and the Digital signal for the USB is a ton less noisy. I believe this to be a function of a dedicated purpose, much like your H2. The SM58 is just amazing in keeping out unwanted noise, which is huge for me, as my recording circumstances are nowhere near ideal.

My setup cost around $300. My wife let me splurge for my birthday.

So my stuff sounds great but after recording a few tracks I found my piece needs editing. The reader (Myself) also needs a lot of practice. I'm trying to avoid some of the other recording pitfalls chronicled in many a podcast by getting uber-prepared and not taking things lightly. I'm sure I'll step in a gopher hole anyway, but at least it won't be one of the obvious ones.

By the way, this kind of post is really helpful. Anything else you'd do differently?

Patrick.

[Nathan Lowell]

Brian has some good advice re: Audacity. That is - Learn it.

I don't use many keyboard shortcuts because I really only use it to deal with waveforms -- select, delete, select, delete, select delete as I take out my flubs in reading. The amount of time it takes me to mix in the intro/outro music and chapter bridges is miniscule. Even with the envelope work. Of course after five novels and something like 75 episodes, there's a huge practice effect. :)

I think one thing that I picked up early as a trick of the trade was "read the whole episode." This was one of the earliest tips from the masters that I learned and it's been a blessing as I hear horror stories from other authors about trying to match audio levels. My levels are always consistent in an episode because they're recorded (standing up, btw) in one long go.

That *does* remind me of another thing I learned the hard way. In order to keep levels consistent across episodes, I put a mark on my preamp to record where the settings should be on each knob. It's amazing how badly things can go when you start recording with different amp/driver levels. The sharpie mark tells me where each level should be so even if I bump it (or my kids fiddle with it) I can get the levels back to where they're supposed to be.

[Brian Rathbone]

Hi Nathan,

I would probably go for the H4 since I use an XLR mic. I like the Yamaha GO46 firewire interface I currently use, since it eliminates sound card noise issues, but computerless recording sure would be nice.

I'm also a fan of dual displays on my PC. I run high resolution (1600x1200) on both displays. When I'm editing audio, I stretch the Audacity window over both displays, which allows me to see double the amount of waveform. It's not a huge efficiency increase, but it certainly adds up over time.

One other thing that I think makes a big difference is a good optical mouse. I use a Razer Diamondback, but any optical mouse should be better than tactile.

Lastly, I would learn the keyboard shortcuts for my audio editing app ASAP. CTRL + S to save is a must in Audacity, and CTRL + R is great for repeating things like amplification by a certain factor. And of course the spacebar for starting and stopping playback. I've found that using the keyboard for everything, with the exception of waveform selection, drastically reduces my editing time.

All the best,
Brian Rathbone
http://brianrathbone.com
http://twitter.com/brianrathbone

[James Keeling]

I just bought an H2... I've been really impressed with it so far... We'll see how it pans out.

[Dan Rabarts]

I rate the H2 very highly, but like Patrick Lewis, I'm getting to know both the recorder and the software before I plunge into a full-length recording.

I ran a little test in which I recorded to the H2 and shut down the computer while doing so - the resulting silence as the fans shut down was almost scary. So all my recording is done straight to the H2, at 48khz as WAV files, the record volume at about 110-115, and it produces consistently impressive results.

I'm lucky in that we live at the end of a quite suburban street, so after about 8pm it's dead quiet and perfect for recording - once I shut a couple of doors to the end of the hall.

How do other H2 users set up their recording specs? I'm very interested to know if I'm on the same track as other people.

[Evo Terra]

Not 48 kHz, I hope. 44.1, please.

[Jeffrey Kafer - Male Voice talent]

The replies here are interesting. They all focus on technical things. These might make your podcasts a little better, but it's still putting lipstick on a pig. I'm biased because I'm a narrator, so I'm obviously talking about the quality of the narration, the story-telling. I'd love to know what people are going to do move podiobooks out of "amateur podcast" realm into audiobooks that could actually compete with the big boys of Audible. Would anyone take classes to improve their performance? Maybe hire someone?

I'd rather listen to a great storyteller using subpar equipment than an dull amateur who sounds crystal clear.

[Nathan Lowell]

This is a good point.

The problem is that - as with most art - it's difficult to analyze and replicate.

My advice on that regard comes down to "tell me a story, don't read me a book."

Personally, I wouldn't hire anybody because (a) I'm too broke and (b) I haven't heard anybody I'd trust to perform the stories the way I'd like.

I *might* take a course. Not sure what that course might be.

Jeff? Tips? Suggestions? Something beyond "use a pop filter" and "speak clearly"? Help us out here.

[Jeffrey Kafer - Male Voice talent]

I've got a bunch of tips in the mentor section, but it really boils down to core acting skills and a different mindset. The mindset is to get out of "podcast" mentality. These are AUDIOBOOKS, not podcasts. That alone can elevate your show to higher quality.

But the core of audio book narration is acting. Consider a book a one-person play and the narrator has ALL the roles. Looking at it from that perspective, it's not very realistic to assume that an author has those acting chops without any training or experience. There are, of course, exceptions to that. And every author thinks they are that exception. Most are not.

So the biggest advice I can think of is to think of your book as a play. And if you don't have the chops to get up on a real stage and perform that book as a play, then take some acting classes. Hit up a community theater and get involved. Take some classes at a Junior college. Learn to ACT.

Your argument above for not hiring someone, Nathan, holds some water. At least reason A does. I've specifically referenced reason B in my blog post, but I've posted the relevant section here. Pardon the snark, it's not directed specifically at you:

If you’re one of those authors who’s so married to their debut novel that you figure you’re the only one who can truly capture the voice of Treenok the Terrible, then you’ve got a problem. Because if that is indeed true, your audience won’t be able to capture it in their minds either.

Thankfully, most writers who feel that way are incorrect. Most good voice talent are actors, plain and simple. It is their job to find the characters and bring them to life. If you think you’re as good as classically-trained Shakespearean actor Scott Brick, then, power to you...

I post this not to shill my wares. I post this to let those new to narration know that it is not simply reading a book. The best of the best are trained actors and if you want to get better at your own narration follow in their footsteps.

[Nathan Lowell]

Thanks.

And that's a good point. It's NOT just reading a book.

The point about married to the work is well taken, and I confess that I'm basing my B point less on voice talent that might be available than on voice talent I've heard. Having suffered thru many an audiobook read by professional readers before I started listening to podcasts, my opinion may not be based on what MIGHT be possible but rather on what I've experienced.

Taking an acting class is a great idea.

I need to think about whether I agree on the shift in mindset from podcast to audiobook. I'm not sure that simply looking at it from that perspective is enough. On the other hand, I may not be thinking in terms of either podcast OR audiobook when I do my stuff, either.

[Patrick Lewis]

Well, I mentioned in my kick off post that I understand that I have an issue with my own personal narration as well as the content of my writing. It was only after enough dry runs with the RadioShack $30 special mic that I realized that it just wasn't going to cut it and that to get anywhere, I'd need an upgrade. Having solved that issue, I'm working on the dynamics of the reading.

By the way, Jeff, I've read all your posts in the mentorship feed and found them to be very helpful.

While I'd love to have someone else read my stuff, I just can't afford it and given that I have no option, I've convinced myself that I want to do it anyway. Would I want to do it if I'd already sold the book and it was now being read for paid download? Nope. But since this is more of a DYI project, I'm trying to take the time and enjoy working through the process, including improving my shotty diction and questionable female voices. For me, it's like sleeping in the bed you made. Does that mean some people will find my voice annoying and stop tuning in? Probably. Can't be helped. Well... actually... it can, I just don't have the cash.

[Mike Sharpe]

I made the decision that I'd rather not spend 200 quid on some hardware I'd won't use, and use buy a £30 head set from the Local Adsa/Wal-Mart. After I did some recording and editing, I make sure My own Narration Ability was not below par. Then Buy the hardware. If you want to know H2 or H4 are actually More in the UK.

I've got a noticeable speach issue, which is reduced after editing.