Let me hear your voice!

What IS a good program for recording? All I know are crappy ones. I've been practising my reading for the last few hours, so all I need is a good app and a little luck. Also, Screech.

I am going to write about this tonight and crowdsource it. I'm sure *someone* has had a good experience with this sort of thing. I've used audacity to flub mp3s to remove coughs and such, and to splice two recordings into one, etc. Ideally, I would *like* to be able to recommend an open-source package that creates a karaoke effect by heavily compressing the signal.

This idea is made of awesome and I am in.

I love this idea. I've recorded several of my poems and posted them on my site as streaming audio, and every poem I've done that with has been a bit hit. I've always used Audacity to record my pieces, but lately it's been buggy -- though I'm not sure if that's my computer or not.

This idea is most definitely made of win! I think I will have to add the new area to my site - those tales would fit this better.

I've heard Garage Band is good, if you have a Mac. All I learned in my one attempt was my mic gets a lot of static, and my reading is very syballent.

I am intrigued despite myself. I'll be reading your blog for tips especially, though I know I'm in decent shape because I have Garage Band and a good mic (good enough for Skype, anyway). I guess I have to start thinking about a holiday story!

I'm in. Even have a goodish microphone, just need to build a noise-reducing box for it.

Oh, by the way, y'all rock! I threw together a number of concerns into a post, basically so that people could comment on them, offer advice, derision and etc, which I will then expand individually in the next couple days. Garage Band is awesome tech if you have the technology! (which I don't... ;_;)

And apologies to everyone who is doing NaNoWriMo this year - whenever I start out a post "I'm going to keep this short..." I never do, and this is actually all just an elaborate hoax to sabotage your efforts anyway

[http://piershollott.blogspot.com/2009/11/is-audacity-enough.html]

Piers, thanks very much for the posts on how to do it. As soon as we started talking podcasts, I was thinking I wanted to try it, but had absolutely no idea about the tech, and since having no idea about the tech tends to turn a neat idea into what seems like an insurmountable obstacle in my head, I was kind of giving up, or at least putting it on hold. Now for sure I'm going to try it on my existing work. If a holiday story comes to mind I'm in, but no promises. Thanks again.

I'm in. I'm even considering singing for it. (It'll sound terrible. I am not a singer. =p)

Is Audacity the way to go for Windows? I don't have a Mac.

@Karen, thanks! I can't wait to hear your voice, whatever you are reading.

@jmchoras, nobody is actually "not a singer"! So far, it looks like the recommendation is Garage Band for Mac, Audacity elsewhere, and at some point I will write a post about bitrates and things of that nature.

Thanks everyone!

I've been using Audacity with my Windows machine for recording my voice acting lines.

Works well enough for what I need. I can record multiple raw takes on different tracks, then cut and paste the good takes and export as WAV and/or MP3 for my directors.

And for those who plan on singing, it works well as a pretty decent karaoke machine. So long as you have a good instrumental track, you set up the preferences to play a track while you record and end up with something like this.

I have one I use for my voice acting recording. Made from a comic book half-box.

Lemme know if you want details.

Do want!

Go to your local Guitar Center (or similar place that sells music recording equipment) and purchase some acoustic foam. (1.5 inch is a good size).

Foam will come in large panel sizes and those sizes will vary. You'll want enough to use in the half-box.

If it helps, take measurements of the box's interior and calculate the size of acoustic foam panel you'll need from that. You'll be using the box standing on end so that the opening will face you as your record.

Measure the two sides. Then measure the top, taking into account the 1.5 inch of space the side panels will take.

Once you have your large panel of foam, cut smaller pieces according to your side and top measurements.

To assemble, simply slide the side and top panels in place, put your microphone inside the box, run the mic cable/wire through an opening in the back of the box, and you're all set.

You can see it here.

The cheap "pop filter" used to minimize the sounds of plosives (b's and p's) was made from a wire hanger and an old pair of my wife's stockings. You can buy a real one that clamps to the mic stand. Typically runs about US$25 or more.

For those interested, my mic is a Snowball USB mic. Runs about US$100.

I love my Snowball. I'm going to be making an acoustics box and thanks for the stocking pop screen; I totally need one.

Use a wire hanger and the the bottom part of an old stocking.

Un-twist the hanger near the hook. A pair of longnose pliers helps. Twist and bend one end into a rough approximation of a circle and slide the end of the stocking over it. The other end can be bent and twisted into a makeshift base.

I did that on mine and hooked part of the base to the Snowball's tripod. That kept it steady, more or less. I also tucked the pop screen portion between the "grooves" of the foam in the box to keep it in front of the mic. (see picture--I think it shows there.)

I found this guide, some of you might be interested!
Also, I think I'd like to participate, even though I'm not an author, is that allowed?

http://editorunleashed.com/2009/11/04/the-savvy-authors-guide-to-podcast...

Maybe you can read an author's work who's hesitant to read/unable to record? I bet someone would really appreciate that.

(Also spreading the word is a humongous help. Dunno how many people know about this aside from the core #WebLit group!)

"Maybe you can read an author's work who's hesitant to read/unable to record? I bet someone would really appreciate that."

@JanOda I would appreciate someone reading for me

I'd be happy to contribute some singing! I don't have any holiday-themed stories for reading, so I'll do some favorite songs, if that's alright. Need the deets on when and where and all.

My spoken english is terrible, I really have a horrible accent, so I won't butcher someone else's work. Have spread word already, so that's covered...
But I might do a little something with the original tales of my grandfather... I'll think about it.

@JanOda the original tales of your grandfather sounds truly wonderful! I do like the idea of people reading their own words, but I also like the idea of people pitching in whatever they have to offer, grassroots-style.

I have been remiss in the *spreading the word* department recently, so thank you! I feel a twinge of guilt about pestering people when I know so many folks are busy with NaNoWriMo (and I'm not ;_;). I am trying to come up with a reasonable way to target potential listening audience, since, when it comes down to it, aside from some technical issues, that's the hard part.

People taking part in NaNoWriMo should hang a "do not disturb" sign on their twitter avatars!

Thanks everyone for all of your feedback and suggestions!

p.s. acetachyon, are you McGyver? That's some amazing advice!

The sound booth I cribbed off Harlan Hogan's portable booth and another DIY link I found. I simply adapted it to my purposes.