I am working with a translation team that would like to initially record selected texts from Luke to use for listening groups (for example, Luke 1:26-56). After completing these recordings, they will go back and record the rest of the Gospel of Luke. Will recording in this fashion pose any difficulty? Can they export each recorded text as an individual file and then later export the entire chapter?
HearThis is very well suited to piecemeal recording. It will not pose any technical problems. Obviously, when you go back later to record the other parts, it might be difficult to get the sound of the speakers’ voices to mesh smoothly, especially if they are recording in a different setting. (Even with the same speaker in the same setting with the same equipment, there could be noticeable differences since our voices change over time and even sound different in the morning and the afternoon.)
HearThis does not currently have the ability to export based on a specified Scripture range, so if you have more than one “text” in a single chapter (or a text that crosses a chapter boundary), then you will have difficulty. If that is the case, please reply with details and we can explore some options. (In any case, exporting entire chapters later will not be a problem.)
Thanks Tom. That’s good to hear that we can do piecemeal recording. This is my first experience with HearThis, so I don’t want to encourage them down the wrong path. If they want each text to be its own file, should they export after they finish each text?
For example, let’s say today they record Luke 1:26-56. Tomorrow they record 2:1-15, 2:20-27 and 3:8-25. If they export at the end of the day tomorrow for the first time, how many files will be exported?
Each chapter will be in its own file, so as long as there is only one text in the chapter, there is no need to export them one at a time. The trouble will be with the two texts in Luke 2. Those will end up being combined into a single file when exported. Obviously, you can export after you record the clips for Luke 2:1-15 and export that much before you record the clips for vv. 20-27. That will give you what you want. But then when you record the second text in that chapter and re-export, you will end up with the two texts combined. You could use a program like Audacity to trim off the part you don’t want. If you don’t have very many instances of this and someone on the team is comfortable with Audacity (or some other program for editing audio files), that might be an acceptable solution. Otherwise, it sounds like we might be talking about a new feature request: allowing a user to specify verse ranges that define the chunks that should be combined when exporting. I think that would be doable, and I’d be willing to consider it, but it might not be ready on your timetable.
Thanks for the tips. I was introduced to Audacity a few years ago and could probably help them trim the audio.
In answer to the issue of whether to add a feature to specify verse ranges, we are promoting audio recording of the Scriptures and listening groups among 14 language programs that we are working with. Most of them are in the early stages of translation. We have modeled listening groups with them and they are all excited about using and promoting them. We recently gave each group a headset, SD cards, and held a HearThis workshop. We are also planning to have listening group leader training. The idea is for them to record books as they finish translating them and then provide the audio to the churches to be used in listening groups. Most of the listening groups will be using local radios with SD card slots. They can’t start in the middle of a file, so the translators have selected passages for the listening groups. I just looked through their list and 15 of the 24 chapters in Luke have two texts that they want to record. If this was a feature it would make this kind of recording so much easier!
We are building apps for the language programs and we want the apps to have audio also, so they plan to record the entire chapter after they finish the selected texts. Plus, they want to be able to distribute audio versions of entire books.
Thanks!
I have created a Trello card to reflect this feature request and will discuss this with my supervisor next week.
Thanks! I’ll try to follow the progress on the board.