As part of my master plan to embarrass myself as thoroughly as possible diversify my income streams so I can earn a living, I'm going to try recording the audio for my books. It's entirely possible this will not work at all, but it's worth a try.
So here we have it — my recording studio!
If it looks a lot like a closet, that's because it is a closet. If I'd used the master bedroom closet, I would have had more room, but then a) I'd have to move all my clothes out, and b) I'd be trying to record five feet away from my neighbor's A/C which is always on from May until November.
So I'm using the closet in the office, which doesn't leave much room, but it should be okay. I may have to relocate the cockatiel on days I'm recording, but it's pretty quiet in there with the doors closed and a blanket draped across them. (It does heat up pretty quickly, though, so I'll have to take that into account.)
Today was my first attempt to hook everything up, and I spent a frustrating half hour trying to figure out why the microphone was producing such terrible recordings. I'd gone in with the plan of playing around with the position and angle of the microphone (which isn't super expensive, but it's decent quality), but when I played it back, I could just barely hear my voice and nothing I did made a difference.
Finally, I realized the recording software wasn't even using the new microphone. It was using the crappy microphone on the laptop three feet away. (Lesson learned: hook up all the hardware before starting the software or it won't connect to it!) After that... I'm hoping my reading ability improves quickly. At least the audio quality was better.
Will this be a complete waste of $275? Only time will tell.
Obligatory Pet Photo
My note on the Slack channel two days ago: "These babies are literally standing in the food and screaming up at the sky because they are hungry."
4 comments:
To be fair to the kittens, I do that too when I'm standing in front of the refrigerator.
Excellent idea to do the recording! You'll get the hang of it quickly.
This will be unhelpful, but I'll toss it out anyway. Many years ago I read a journal where the person recorded audio books for classic novels, perhaps those that had become part of the public domain. It seems like it paid a little bit. I throw this out in case you're looking for a way to practice and earn something. Of course, it would be helpful if I had a link or anything more to offer, but I don't. I should just go join the kittens...
The kittens are all of us in front of the refrigerator.
My "plan" is to record a couple short stories first so I can work out the process, but recording someone else's work also seems like a good idea. I'm still not sure I have the emotional/vocal range to do this, but... I'll never know until I try.
I listen to audio books in the car more than I listen to anything else. There isn't a lot of emotion in them, but giving each character a "voice" can make a difference.
I'm impressed you have a closet you can clear out and use as a recording studio! I would need a soundproof pop-up tent that I could move from room to room.
Pop-up recording booths exist for that reason, but I do live alone in a 3 bedroom house with a garage, so I have no excuse!
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