Workflow „luce clarius“

1. Script writing - numbering, sentence separation, a sense of separation, the main emphasis, minor

emphasis,information.

2. Recording - voice warm-up, short session, 32-bit format.

3. Cut - provisionally (distance from waste material), cut (cut-set / AKG-K271MKII – AKG-K702), 32-bit format.

4. Backup - original cut CD and external hard drive.

5. Rendering (audio-editing) - appropriate plugin-setting (fine-tuning with all available headphones), rendering,

32-bit format.

6. Mastering - harmony 1 (AKG-K271MKII), 32-bit format.

7. Backup - original cut CD and external hard drive.

8. Rendering (volume) - brickwall limiter (or a similar plug-in), 32-bit format.

9. Mastering - harmony 2 (UV22 HR / AKG-K702MKII), 32-bit format.

10. Backup - original cut CD and external hard drive.

11. Rendering (CompaktDiskNorm) - dithering, 16-bit format, 44100 Hz.

12. MP3 conversion – >>I use the switch sound file converter.<<

13. End - Original CD

Protocol

Peter Eder Verlag - Marker

The Studio – Recording Space

Audiobook Production – Questions and Answers

Equipment - Audio Book Production

Tests – MP3 Player, Headphone

Inventory List – Peter Eder Verlag

Linkpartner – Audiobook Narrators, Sound Engineers, Editors, Publishers

(The latest innovation are only on the main page - 07.03.2010)

 Workflow „in extenso“

1. Script writing
The preparatory work of script writing is an annoying necessity. But we shall see that it does
not go without proper sheet music. Such sheets of music to help us to present the text as a
liquid.

Reading from notes? More or less.The recording should proceed smoothly as possible; but
not like in a live reading, where passages are easily interpreted incorrectly. In a computerized
voice a questionable proposition can certainly be read several times. Has it made a skilled
speaker, so it is heard no more after the cut. And a audiobook narrator in his self-producing
audiobook publishing house (editing, mastering) knows immediately when recording, whether
the material is good or not. - In a recording session is to gather enough material (with
surplus), with the highest quality, in order to transform it afterwards, in a harmonious end
product.

Moreover, it is completely normal that more material is recorded. In the music industry stands
the artist so long in front of the microphone - and be it that the song is sung twenty times -
until the engineer has sufficient material and end the recording session. If the recording on
tape, cut it into a most perfect song (mixed and mastered). And it does not occur that a final
song is produced from a 3-minute recording. In this business is only the success important!

But back to the pesky task of script writing. Everyone should be to learn his own musical
notes and write themselves. So we learn (autodidactic) the text, and require less studio time
later.This makes the whole reading professional.

There are many ways for a variety of occasions: for live readings, audio book readings, radio
plays, etc.

I write my scripts in two stages:

First Stage

 Numbering of script notes (1,2,3, …).

 Separation Theorem (↕).
 Sense of separation step (I).
 Pronunciation (pronunciation dictionary).
 Useful Information (director's instructions, knowledge, …).

Second Stage

 Accentuation (with text markers).

(first page)
2. Recording
First, I perform a microphone test, to ensure the correct volume and a quiet recording room
(see questions and answers).

The warm-up of the speech organ (whole body) I do not describe further, because so many
authors do this well, and I want to write about this ridiculous sums not. - Am I ready, so I'm
taking a short passage of text (the most demanding part) of the planned daily workload and
talk them through a few times.

Then, I'll speak ten or twenty pages.The entire recording lasts no longer than one hour; a
longer working time harms the voice and we must take a break for a few days. Whether the
planned amount of work can be done, we recognize at the warm up, or in the first minutes of
recording - in a negative sense should be discontinued. Such princely recording times can
only be enjoyed in our own recording studio; must be rented a studio (plus sound engineer),
we working until the voice break (3 to 4 hours) - and then the narrator must, with his voice,
two days in rehab. To provide the entire text - I make a few short breaks (drink - lukewarm
water without gas) - should be fairly quickly worked. If the voice does not want (working), we
must stop and look for the reasons (too little sleep, sick, blond, etc.).

The recording with Cubase is quite straightforward. Effects are not added! And since
because of technical advantages (see questions and answers) in 32-bit format editing, we
used the 32-bit format when recording. The correct volume! (see questions and answers)

(first page)
3. Cut
Once we have finished the recording session and the material is good enough (the
audiobook narrator knows that), then the data to the editing and mastering computers are
delivered. There is firstly the temporary cut, where everything is cut out what definitely does
not belong: belch, cough, drink break, etc.

- After each step, a save is performed. For this section, several folders are created (see
backup).

Then the cut. It´s working with a special plug-in setting (see questions and answers).
Without interfering work! The audiomaterial is brought, with predefined "ether" time units
(0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00 seconds) and the very good wavelab tools in the right order.

Cut 1

"Bringing in the right order" means that now everything is removed from the record, which is
not needed (surplus). We have previously an "ether" recorded: Recording without recording -
a recording space-time quasi. This filling material, we divide it into different lengths of time;
once saved in Wavelab program they are always available. If an "ether" is copied, it can be
with the Paste command, used repeatedly where one wants them: Select a certain length of
time that should be removed, press insert, and already a long time, has replaced the other
(the "ether" is stored). Or simply choose a time length, and press delete. – Would we explain
the various complex steps, that borders on insanity - so "learning by doing".

For best performance, I use professional headphone from the Austrian company AKG
(excuse my patriotism - but here it is appropriate). In the edit section, I use both studio
headphones (cut 1 - AKG K271MKII / cut 2 - AKG-K702), because they sound completely
different: The first one delivers more bass, the other gives the sound dry and razor sharp
again. As a WaveLab audio editing tool, I am counting only the level change; but even in the
flyby (the audio cut should run relatively smoothly) - the manual editing done later.
Cut 2

To finish the cut, will run a complete working-process: the so-called "cut 2". I open all useful
tools (Level change, Parametric EQ, Time Correction) and work, in the cut-setting, the whole
record from beginning to end.

 Level Change – with this tool can the volume will be raised and lowered (selectively).
 Parametric EQ – this EQ is used in the problem areas to perform in different frequency
ranges increases and reductions.
 Time Correction – with the "Time Machine" can the runtime (selectively) in one direction
or another to be postponed.

After cutting, the fine adjustment is made (rendering - audio editing). And I'm taking all
available headphones (Studio-and MP3 player headphones, nearfield monitors) and try the
best possible audio quality for all kinds of hearing aids to elicit; I compare with the familiar
voices of other audiobook productions (but without plug-ins!). But this I do only once per
project (audiobook)! This would, also only once per project and the specific hardware
devices, possible - but the fine-tuning does not cost much time and will also sharpen the
senses.

(first page)
4. Backup
After each step, a save is performed. For this section, several folders are created:

I. Studio.
II. Provisionally.
III. Cut 1.
IV. Cut 2. (before audio rendering)
V. Mastering 1 „Basic-32bit“.
VI. Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
VII. Mastering 2 „Basic-32bit“.
VIII. Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)
IX. Master 16-bit.
X. Master MP3.

These are just a passing folder, which in the end only the most important will be backed up
on CD and hard drive:

 Cut 2. (before audio rendering)

 Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
 Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)

5. Rendering (audio-editing)

Is after the fine-tuning, the

correct plug-in-setting found, it
comes to rendering of the
processed audio-waves (see
questions and answers). Here
are the necessary procedures
are done to improve the audio
quality. This "rendering"
(arithmetic) runs completely
computer controlled. It has not
to be manual intervention, but
can not subsequently be
undone. Exactly fine
adjustment!

(first page)
6. Mastering
In the mastering "harmony 1" be all WaveLab tools opened and the entire recording will be
fully re-edited. In this step, I use the AKG K271 MKII.

Here is a plug-in set that governs the volume: I use the TC brickwall limiter (MD3 Stereo
Mastering Package); TC software purchases are best when it is lowered (one or two times a
year, there is -50% on all TC plug-ins). Here is again increased by 1 to 2 dB. The correct
output volume, I describe in the "questions and answers".

The brickwall limiter should already be set correctly when editing.

7. Backup
After each step, a save is performed. For this section, several folders are created:

I. Studio.
II. Provisionally.
III. Cut 1.
IV. Cut 2. (before audio rendering)
V. Mastering 1 „Basic-32bit“.
VI. Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
VII. Mastering 2 „Basic-32bit“.
VIII. Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)
IX. Master 16-bit.
X. Master MP3.

These are just a passing folder, which in the end only the most important will be backed up
on CD and hard drive:

 Cut 2. (before audio rendering)

 Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
 Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)
8. Rendering (volume)

After mastering „harmony 1“ the final

volume is adjusted. Which db value should
have this? I have in the "Questions and
Answers" as accurately described. It
should produce an equivalent volume, so
that the listener does not need to readjust
from beginning to end. Again, this
rendering process is running, when the
brickwall limiter is correctly set, completely
automatically.

9. Mastering 2
In the mastering "harmony 2" be all WaveLab tools opened and the entire recording is still
being processed one last time. Here again I switch the headphones and take the AKG K702.

Now I hear only in passing and attack only sporadically to edit. That means I'm taking the
book and listen without looking at the screen. Only the Steinberg dithering plug-in is open,
that a faint, not well audible, but constant noise adds.
10. Backup
After each step, a save is performed. For this section, several folders are created:

I. Studio.
II. Provisionally.
III. Cut 1.
IV. Cut 2. (before audio rendering)
V. Mastering 1 „Basic-32bit“.
VI. Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
VII. Mastering 2 „Basic-32bit“.
VIII. Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)
IX. Master 16-bit.
X. Master MP3.

These are just a passing folder, which in the end only the most important will be backed up
on CD and hard drive:

 Cut 2. (before audio rendering)

 Mastering 1 „Harmony 1“. (before volume processing)
 Mastering 2 „Harmony 2“. (before 16-bit-conversion)

11. Rendering (CompaktDiskNorm)

Toward the end of the mastering-
process is still made into CD format.
While this is not necessary because
we win the consumer with MP3
players; but most consumers still have
their old CD player at home, which
play only the CompaktDiskNorm (16-
bit format, 44100 Hz). After this
transformation from 32-bit format to the
smaller unit no longer processing may
be performed (all interventions should
be in 32-bit will be carried out format).
12. MP3 Conversion
Now will the audio book to be brought in MP3 format. Which converter is used (example: the
Switch Sound File Converter) is a matter of taste. Because this is a purely arithmetical
process - the MP3 format was developed by the Fraunhofer Instituteand - and almost all the
encoder to provide approximately the same audio quality.

Nevertheless, I will add a few tips:

 Not less than 128 kbps encoding. >> I adjust the size of the MP3-CD, which then fills
600MB of the possible 700MB. <<
 Constant Bitrate
 Encoding with high quality
 The functions compare: Stereo, Joint, Force, Mono. >> I encode in stereo function <<

After the conversion, should definitely be thinking about the various features of the MP3
players (see test - MP3 player, headphones). Album name and title must be specified. Some
MP3 players arrange with this system!

(first page)
13. End
Here is just an original CD burning, which can then be sent to the pressing plant. This CD is
named after the ISBN number of the audiobook.

But this is on an MP3 production is not necessary. Audio books in MP3 format are in fact
only once stored on the computer and then always transmitted from the HDD to the MP3
player. A hearing of an audio book on your own stereo system is not recommended, because
then, it best collaborations with their own eyes (read) should be. The audio book can not
replace the reading itself (except for the blind - they also have their own script), but only bring
the beloved literature, even in everyday life.

Therefore, I renounce the pressing plant and create my own audiobook CDs. This method
has something romantic for themselves - it is indeed handwork, a "Made in Austria" will be
much more personal. No machine-generated "mass trash" (as in our beautiful world so
terrible), should be created, but something individual - something human!

(first page)

Protocol

It would be recommended to lead from the

outset a written protocol (volume [average
RMS level], level amplification, plug-ins,
hardware, software). With this written
work-route, can always be traced like the
sound originated. Through this permanent
secretary-work, mature over time the
experience. And after a tedious
development time, we come the goal, bit
by bit closer: the approximate perfection! –
In addition, a potential client could need
such a protocol.