Audiobook Woes: The PreSonus Interface
The Price of Subpar Equipment
LORE ARCHIVE | ATAR
THE BOOK OF MORALITY | THE SACRAL COMPENDIUM
Know the amoral by the lies they speak, the truth they obscure, and the helpless cries they ignore.
In this article, we’re taking a pause for the cause and discussing the next setback in the world of creating audiobooks. Let’s see the blood of it.
Establishing the Facts:
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know I’ve had more than my fair share of setbacks while recording the audiobooks. And in true grimdark fashion, the problems are a much deeper rot than I imagined.
Before we get into it, if you haven’t already, it’s time for you to grab your copy of Decimation Protocol. The sequel to The Demon’s Fate is almost upon us. It’s available for presale on all major retailers including Amazon.
A stolen ship, an unauthorized mission, and a galaxy to tear apart.
PreSonus Audiobox 2:
The first roadblock came with a faulty piece of equipment and the drawn-out fight to get PreSonus to replace the defective device. After about a month, I finally got the replacement. Guess what? Wrong device. Not only that, but it was worth half of the cost I initially paid. I got the usual hubbub about the device I had was no longer manufactured, so it was a use it or lose it.
So, I used it, and I started recording Red Creek. Being a novice with the software Logic Pro X, mistakes were made, and I had to re-record a few chapters, either because I accidentally deleted something by not joining a track after recording, or the quality wasn’t up to my perceived standard. But no worries. We were on track, and I started knocking chapters out.
Fleshing out character voices was a little slow going, but I settled on something I liked, which eventually had a soft mutation into Maro’s voice now. It’s not all that uncommon to hear a narrator change during the events of a recording, but it’s subtle.
I digress…
Radio Frequency Interference:
Then, that dreaded moment where I heard radio frequency in the recording, that high-pitched Morse Code while I’m splicing tracks together to make the whole chapter. You know the one I’m talking about. Well, I went back in and re-recorded those lines. No harm, no foul, but I had to figure out where it was coming from and fast, or it’d be a much bigger problem. Here’s a sample of it now…
If you can’t hear it, then that means it’s either too low on the volume scale, or your headphones may auto-block that frequency. However, if anyone’s listening with great headphones, or loudly in a car, they’d hear it.
When I record, I don’t use headphones. It throws me off, so I don’t actually hear anything until I get done and listen. This is why I was missing the RF while it occurred and had to do pick ups.
So, I continued troubleshooting and recording, and each subsequent chapter got worse and worse. Like the tech-dog I am, I unplugged everything, powered it down, and slowly worked up to adding everything back. I checked the Minami Gold mic cable. It’s good. The microphone. Not the problem. My computer? Nope. The lights in my recording booth? I wish.
It’s the freakin’ PreSonus Audio Interface…again!
At this point, I’m done. I will never buy another PreSonus product for as long as I live. And you know what? I know a few other authors who are looking to record their own books, and they’re asking me what I bought for my setup. You know what I’m warning them not to buy?
So, what did I do? I got on Sweetwater’s website and started perusing. Long story short, I ordered another audio interface—third time’s the charm, right?—and it’s due to arrive soon. I need to get it plugged in and set up, check the levels, then I’ll be off to the races.
What does that mean for you, dear reader? A delay in my first audiobook. I’m re-recording all the chapters I had done. Four are complete, and I stopped working on the fifth one just because it was so bad, but there’s a glimmer of light for you.
Since I’m re-recording those chapters, I will release these 4 chapters for free to you. I will start next Monday, May 18th, and a chapter will follow each Monday until all four are released. When you see these posts hit your app or inbox, share it. ReStack it. Put it in front of someone who listens. Everyone’s got a friend who loves audiobooks. Tell them to have a listen and comment. Word of mouth is the most powerful tool at our disposal.
What I want from you:
This is the perfect moment for you to help craft something special: direct feedback to me, the author, as I’m recording. I have to re-record these chapters, so if you hear something you like, or don’t like, or if you have a suggestion about these rough drafts, let me know pronto! Post a comment. I will try to engage with as many as I can.
These recordings aren’t bad, but an astute listener will pick up on the RF within. As someone who expects things done right or not at all. I can’t abide a faulty product. I have a standard, and I meet it or not at all. Not a purist, not a perfectionist, but maybe an exactist. Anyway, a faulty product would kill future endeavors, which I want to do with all Maro Prakk novellas, The Dark Portal, and possibly more.
I’ve had some feedback already from paying Members and the Ko-don tier, and it’s an equal split of people liking Avardi or Horace. I enjoyed voicing everyone’s characters, but I’m partial to Maro, but maybe that’s because I see a lot of me in him.
Recap:
Expect a chapter at 5pm CST on the following Mondays…
May 18th—Chapter One: One Fine Fellow
May 25th—Chapter Two: Charming Lad
June 1st—Chapter Three: No God of Mine
June 8th—Chapter Four: One Cheap Bastard
Session timed out; we’ve spared what we could for intercepted transmissions. That’s all I have for this round—short, sharp, and sweet. I shall return…
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