Unix Software for Recording Prose? 19
Dan Lyke asks: "Friends and I have gotten into reading short stories to each other. I'd like to start recording these. There are tons of decent audio recording apps out there for music and sound effects, but what I really want is something more oriented around recording prose; organize a longer recording session into sequences of "takes", with the edit decision list made in mostly real time (ie: that sentence was good, or re-take from the last checkpoint). A prototype is only a few tens of lines of wrapper code around one of the command line recorders, but I'd rather be building on other's efforts. Anyone out there got suggestions for Un*x recording apps centered around spoken word and prose?"
Re:Naturally (Score:1)
Recording audio is recording audio... (Score:4, Informative)
My suggestion would be to record your prose sessions and name them accordingly. Once you have all your source files, begin to sift through them and add region markers to the tracks, labelling them accordingly. Then go back and begin to cut and paste different regions together into one master track. Once you have your master track you can begin to smooth out the transitions between takes, sweeten the audio and save out a final audio file.
By approaching the recording session this way you aren't wasting time going back and forth between recording and editing, allowing you to focus on getting the audio perfect the first few tries and learning how to sweeten audio better in post production.
Now, I am not saying that recording music uses the same gear and setup as recording speech, I'm just saying the process is very similar, especially on a DAW or similar prosumer recording application on the PC. Micing properly is key to recording a successful audio session.
Re:Recording audio is recording audio... (Score:1)
Re:Recording audio is recording audio... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Recording audio is recording audio... (Score:2)
Instead, have your script in email or another text format, and sync that with waveforms like the other respondent to this message suggested.
Re:Recording audio is recording audio... (Score:1, Offtopic)
Snack Sound Toolkit (Score:4, Informative)
Once it's completed, you can bundle your application into standalone form, so your friends don't have to install the toolkit or Tcl/Tk to use your program.
Good luck!
How about vi? (Score:4, Funny)
I would highly recommend vi as a suitable tool for recording prose. It runs on most operating systems, unix-like and otherwise. I believe there is even a version for EMACS!
Or did you want to record performances of prose?
Obligatory ed response (Score:3, Funny)
Ed, man! !man ed
ED(1) UNIX Programmer's Manual ED(1)
NAME
ed - text editor
SYNOPSIS
ed [ - ] [ -x ] [ name ]
DESCRIPTION
Ed is the standard text editor.
---
Computer Scientists love ed, not just because it comes first alphabetically, but because it's the standard. Everyone else loves ed because it's ED!
"Ed is the standard text editor."
And ed doesn't waste space on my Timex Sinclair. Just look:
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root 24 Oct 29 1929
-rwxr-xr-t 4 root 1310720 Jan 1 1970
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root 5.89824e37 Oct 22 1990
Of course, on the system *I* administrate, vi is symlinked to ed. Emacs has been replaced by a shell script which 1) Generates a syslog message at level LOG_EMERG; 2) reduces the user's disk quota by 100K; and 3) RUNS ED!!!!!!
"Ed is the standard text editor."
Let's look at a typical novice's session with the mighty ed:
[damn lameness filter]
Note the consistent user interface and error reportage. Ed is generous enough to flag errors, yet prudent enough not to overwhelm the novice with verbosity.
"Ed is the standard text editor."
Ed, the greatest WYGIWYG editor of all.
ED IS THE TRUE PATH TO NIRVANA! ED HAS BEEN THE CHOICE OF EDUCATED AND IGNORANT ALIKE FOR CENTURIES! ED WILL NOT CORRUPT YOUR PRECIOUS BODILY FLUIDS!! ED IS THE STANDARD TEXT EDITOR! ED MAKES THE SUN SHINE AND THE BIRDS SING AND THE GRASS GREEN!!
When I use an editor, I don't want eight extra KILOBYTES of worthless help screens and cursor positioning code! I just want an EDitor!! Not a "viitor". Not a "emacsitor". Those aren't even WORDS!!!! ED! ED! ED IS THE STANDARD!!!
TEXT EDITOR.
When IBM, in its ever-present omnipotence, needed to base their "edlin" on a UNIX standard, did they mimic vi? No. Emacs? Surely you jest. They chose the most karmic editor of all. The standard.
Ed is for those who can *remember* what they are working on. If you are an idiot, you should use Emacs. If you are an Emacs, you should not be vi. If you use ED, you are on THE PATH TO REDEMPTION. THE SO-CALLED "VISUAL" EDITORS HAVE BEEN PLACED HERE BY ED TO TEMPT THE FAITHLESS. DO NOT GIVE IN!!! THE MIGHTY ED HAS SPOKEN!!!
?
Re:Obligatory ed response (Score:2)
Ha Ha!
The lameness filter kicked in while trying to submit a post extolling the virtues of ed(1).
There is a god! (and he uses vi)
Uhm, I'm sorry, but how incompetent are you? (Score:1, Funny)
The easiest would be 'cat
Easier solution (Score:2, Insightful)
But seriously, any half-decent recording software will let you do this. Whether it's prose, or rap, or a bunch of powder-nosed sampler whores that need 42 takes to get each line right, the machine doesn't care what your voice sounds like. It's going to take whatever you dare input through the mic, and let you edit until your ears bleed. Sound forge, Cool Edit.. heck there are others but those are my faves.
Now tell me more about these short stories ? Typically the only short stories I'd share with my buddies are the ones involving alcohol, drugs and gratuitous sex =)