Today I realized I had not posted in quite some time. When I logged in to check, I was surprised to see it had almost been a month. Do not worry, I am here today to give a much needed update.

Step 1 of my arguably, ridiculous plan to record an audiobook myself was to create a blanket fort. The fort is meant to dampen the sound coming in and out of the computer room where I record. I hung the industrial blankets from the ceiling around my desk, and I blocked off the doorway. That particular room has no door, so I thought a double layer of blankets would help.

The setup seems to be decent with the help of demanding quiet in the house. I turned off the phone, heater, and as many other electronics in the room as I could. I also decided I would record through my laptop, so I wouldn’t have to contend with desktop fans. That ended up being a dumb idea, because the laptop fan wasn’t exactly quiet. Overall, the room noise was minimal and easily eliminated with noise reduction.

Step 2 consisted of getting all of the audio equipment set up. I bought a microphone with an isolation shield, as well as a USB audio interface. The mic has a pop-filter, which is vital for voice-over work. Overall, the mic seems to have great sound and the shield helps with the laptop noises.

Step 3 was an ongoing process over the course of more than a month. I love research, and use it in all parts of my life. In the age we live, information found via the internet, books, or journals seems limitless. So, I extensively researched the technical side of recording, including Adobe Audition, process/breakdown of actually recording, and the specs needed for publishing an audiobook through ACX. I also studied, setting up a recording schedule, voice acting, character voices, and voice prep.

Step 4 led me to dive into recording. Over spring break, I set up a schedule of recording 3-4 hours per day to get the entire book completed within 1 week. HAAA! Not only is audiobook recording mentally exhausting work, but by the end of day 4 my throat was red and swollen. I did not speak for the next two days.

Thankfully, I recorded the first 8.5 chapters of the book. Audio editing has been my life, since recording is on hiatus. The recordings sound pretty good, considering it is my first attempt at this sort of thing. I am comfortable editing all the parts together, reducing sound, and some of the other low level audio sweetening things, but I need a better handle on EQ. Yes, that does mean more research.