Choosing the Best Audio Books for Children
Audio books for children compose a high percentage of the material available in the music book industry. By building a large audio library with music books for children, you can benefit both you and your children. They can be educational for your children in an entertaining way.
Audio books for children also help kids expand their imagination in ways that television and video games can not. With internet technology, you can get a wide selection of music books for children in just a matter of minutes.
Audio books for children are a great learning tool that children will undoubtedly enjoy. Kids who are not avid readers will still gain some of the advantages of reading by listening to an exciting music book.
They can also learn other skills that reading alone may not offer, such as listening skills. In addition, if your child has difficulty reading, an audio book can help them hone their reading skills by following along with the narration while having the book in front of them.
Audio books for children are ideal in that they have many of the same benefits that reading provides. By listening to an audio book, children can acquire a larger vocabulary and increase their imagination skills. Listening to a book also stimulates reading in that once a child has listened to how exciting a book can actually be, they are more likely to pick up one of their favorite books and read it.
A child music book is also a great idea for children as a bedtime story. Although it is no substitute for a parent reading a story to the child, the right selection can provide a calming atmosphere in a way that the parent might not be able to do at times.
For parents who want to evaluate what music books for children can do for their family, several websites are dedicated to helping them make informed decisions. For instance, childrensroom is a website that parents can go to where they can read reviews of books and audio books to help them make the best choice for their family.
Another site – playtime-books – offers similar services, as well as stories in music book download format. The music books MP3 format makes this option readily available from the convenience of home. Parents can also visit their local library where trained librarians can help them find the best audio books for children.
Finally, when a parent decides on a child music book for their children to listen to, they should take into consideration some other specifics. For instance, listening to the book beforehand will help a parent decide if the book is age appropriate for their child. Is it too scary for them? Will they understand the story? Are the issues too mature or not mature enough to hold their interest? These are all questions a parent should ask before allowing their child to listen to the book.
In a society where television and video games are the norm in a typical household, music books for children are an exciting and educational alternative. While entertaining, audio books for children also provide excitement that helps to expand a child’s imagination and enhance their listening skills.
With the popularity of the internet, parents have quick and easy access to a variety of titles that their children will be sure to enjoy.
Mike Selvon is the owner of various niche portals. Our audio books portal at http://audiobooks.trustprofitableniche.com is a great resource for more information on audio books for children. While you are there don’t forget to claim your free gift.
What Kind Of Computer Recording Studio Equipment Do I Need To Make Professional Sounding Recordings
Recording on your home computer has never been easier to do than it is today. With the speed of the modern day computer you can do some pretty neat things with your recordings. Modern technology will take you a long way toward success but you still need to understand what is going on if you want to have a great recording. It does not take all that much computer recording studio equipment to have a nice little setup.
To record on your computer you will need a few essential items. You must start out with a powerful computer that has a pretty decent soundcard. The next step is to go shopping for the software you need to actually get the sound inside your computer. You will find a decent set of headphones handy to have around and the most important thing you need is a good microphone. This article will take a look at these items and how they relate to home recording on a computer.
You cannot do much computer recording without a computer. Almost any modern day system will get the job done. The faster CPU and the more memory you have the better. Many people like to build a special computer just for recording purposes. This may be overkill if you only want to record one or two tracks at a time. Next you need to add a good soundcard or audio interface to your system.
There are many choices you can make when picking out a soundcard or external audio interface. You do not have to spend a lot of money to get a decent sound but usually the more expensive brands have some features that you may need. It is wise to search the Internet and forums to see what people are saying about the different soundcards before spending your hard earned money.
You will need to get some recording software to add to your computer recording studio equipment. There are many brands to choose from the free Audacity to programs costing a lot of money. If your recording needs are simple you can probably get by with one of the cheaper packages. On the other hand if you want to record a band you will probably need to spend a few more bucks on one of the more expensive software programs.
Add a microphone to this must have equipment list and you will almost be done. Get the best mike you can afford as the quality of this piece of equipment has much to do with the final sound of your project.
The last thing you will need to complete a basic set up is a set of headphones so you can hear what is being recording. Get a decent set but you can get by ok with a simple pair of headphones.
As you can see you do not have to spend a lot of money on computer recording studio equipment to get started recording on your home computer. Take your time and choose your equipment carefully and you will not have to go this again in 6 months when you have figured out that the cheap stuff you bought just is not getting the job done.
For more information on how to use a computer for recording try visiting http://www.create-streaming-audio.com where you will find tips, advice and resources about topics such as recording equipment for computer home studios.
Advanced Audio Recording Techniques
Hard Disk / Computer-Based Recording
One of the biggest trends in recent audio production has been to merge digital audio with computer technology to create a samplebased approach to sound recording. The encoding of audio data into digital memory or onto a storage medium provides us with a means for storing or manipulating defined blocks of digital data. This data can be stored as a soundfile such as .wav, .aiff or SDII.
Perhaps the most important difference that can be distinguished between a tape-based system (digital or analogue) and samplebased recording system is random access. Random access production refers to the fact that digital audio can be stored within a random access memory (RAM), or a disk based memory medium in such a way that the data can – virtually instantaneously – be accessed, processed, or reproduced in any order at any point in time.
Once developers began to design updated sample editor software, it was discovered that through additional processing hardware, digital audio editors were capable of recording digitized audio directly to a computer’s hard disk. These devices, sometimes known as digital audio workstations (DAW), serve as computer based hardware and software packages that are intended specifically for the recording, manipulation, and reproduction of digital audio that resides on hard disk.
Commonly, such devices are designed around and controlled by a standard personal computer with the addition of a sound card which provides the input and output interaction with the computer.
There are multiple advantages to using digital audio workstations in an audio production environment.
- The capability to handle longer sound files. Hard disk recording is limited only by the size of the hard disk itself (commonly one minute of stereo recording at 44.1 kHz occupies 10.5 MB of hard disk memory or 5MB / track minute).
- Random Access editing. As audio is recorded on the hard disk, any point within the program can be accessed at any time, regardless of the order in which it was recorded.
- Nondestructive editing allows audio segments (often called regions) to be placed in any order, manipulated in any fashion without changing the originally recorded sound file in any way.
- DSP. Digital signal processing can be performed on a segment or entire sound file in either real time or non-real time in a nondestructive fashion.
- In addition to these advantages, computer-based digital audio devices serve to integrate many of the tasks related to both digital audio and MIDI production. Many DAW’s are capable of importing, processing, and exporting sound files into formats such as mp3 or Real Players G2.
Recording Techniques
FILTERS
Also known as equalization or EQ, filters are used to increase or decrease the level in a specific range of audio frequencies. The most common filters are the simple bass and treble controls found on inexpensive stereo systems, which act on a broad range of frequencies. But other filters are designed to surgically boost or cut very narrow bands of the audio spectrum.
SHELVING FILTERS
As the simplest form of filter, shelving EQ boosts or cuts all frequencies above or below a fixed frequency. A bass shelving filter, also called a low-pass filter, boosts or cuts everything below its fixed center frequency. Likewise a treble shelving filter, also called a high-pass filter, boosts or cuts everything above its fixed center. A single control typically adjusts the amount of boost or cut.
These filters are useful for making broad changes like reducing boomy bass and wind noise. But encoders can easily be overloaded by too much bass or treble, so it’s often wisest to use these filters to cut high and low frequencies to prevent artifacts.
BANDPASS FILTERS
These filters can be used to boost or cut audio on both sides of a center frequency. Bandpass filters are commonly used as midrange filters, because they have little effect on either high or low frequencies. The familiar graphic equalizer is just a set of bandpass filters tuned to different center frequencies.
More sophisticated versions, called sweepable bandpass filters, have an additional control allowing you to change the center frequency. Bandpass filters are useful for increasing the intelligibility of a speaker without increasing hiss or background noise. A variation of the bandpass filter is the notch filter, which boosts or cuts all frequencies except those around the center frequency.
PARAMETRIC FILTERS
A parametric filter is a bandpass filter with an additional control to adjust the width of the frequency band being effected (fig. 3). These are the surgical tools of audio editing. They can be used to eliminate just the noise from an air conditioner, while having a minimal effect on the rest of the audio.
With all filters it’s important to follow the audio engineer’s first rule of EQ — cut rather than boost wherever possible. Cutting undesired sounds is always less obtrusive, and boosting too much can make a track too loud and lead to distortion and artifacts when encoding.
COMPRESSORS
A compressor’s basic function is to reduce the dynamic range of an audio recording, which is the difference between the loudest and softest sounds that pass through the recording chain. Simply put, a compressor is a processor whose output level increases at a slower rate as its input level increases.
By reducing the volume of the loudest sounds, a compressor lets you raise the level of the entire audio track, making it all sound louder than it actually is. Compression can be a big help in achieving intelligible audio tracks with a more uniform volume that will survive the encoding process.
A compressor consists of a level detector that measures the incoming signal, and an an amplifier whose gain is controlled by the level detector.
A Threshold control sets the level at which compression begins. Below the threshold, the compressor acts like a straight piece of wire. But when the input level reaches the Threshold, then the compressor begins reducing its output level by an amount determined by the Ratio control.
The Ratio control establishes the proportion of change between the input and output levels. If you set the compression Ratio to 2:1, then when the input signal gets twice as loud, the output signal will increase by only half.
If you set the Ratio to its maximum (10:1 or more), the the compressor becomes a “limiter” that locks the maximum level at the Threshold.
While a compressor can level out a recording, high levels of compression can also introduce artifacts including “pumping”, in which there is an audible up and down change in volume of a track, or “breathing”, which sounds like someone breathing as the background noise level goes up and
down.
EXPANDERS
An expander is the opposite of a compressor. As the level of the audio signal gets louder, the expander’s amplifier turns up further making loud signals even louder. An expander can be used to reduce noise in a process called downward expansion. In this case you set the Threshold just above the level of background noise. The expander will then raise the volume of everything above the Threshold, but won’t change anything below the Threshold, thereby lowering the perceived background noise.
NORMALIZING
Normalizing increases the gain of the audio file until its loudest point (or sample) is at maximum level. The overall signal level is now higher, which makes for clearer audio, and also gives the encoder more bits of data to work with and reduces encoding artifacts. The only downside of normalizing is that it increases the noise as well as the audio signal so it should be used carefully. It should be your last step before encoding, and you may not need it at all.
Stephanie Ciccarelli is the Vice President of Marketing with http://www.Voices.com, an online marketplace hosting more than 10,000 professional voice talents from around the world. Stephanie is the author of The Definitive Guide To Voice-Over Success, and The Voice-Over Script Collection.
The Growing Importance of Audio Books
In today fast-paced, multi-tasking environment most people can ill afford the luxury of spending hours relaxing beside an open fire with a good book. Most neither have the time nor the inclination to spend precious hours devoted to one particular task. For this reason, audio books have taken the marketplace by storm.
Audio books are recordings of the contents of a book provided either on tape, CD or in digital format. Their popularity is increasing daily as more and more people take advantage of the high performance capabilities of combining book reading with physical activity. Wireless recording and playback devices, like iPod and MP3 have opened up a whole new, virtual world to literary works and information data never before experienced.
Unabridged (word for word), abridged (some editing done) or fully dramatized with award winning soundtracks and professionally portrayed characters, audio books are gaining more and more acceptance by busy people who want to use the time spent exercising, standing in line or commuting from one place to another more productively.
Audio books, with their capabilities of providing full text self-help guides, biographies, niche-market information and even fully scripted novels are filling a gap for many busy people, proving them with the opportunity to become pleasantly distracted from some of the more routine, tedious tasks that eat away their days.
The latest, technologically advanced concept of downloading digital files to portable devices has added tremendously to the popularity and functionality of audio books. With minimal effort and basic equipment, everyone can easily take advantage of the many perks of books on tape.
Fitness aficionados are rapidly jumping on the audio book bandwagon. In addition to offering sometimes hard to get incentive for actually beginning a fitness regime, audio books via wireless devices are so captivating in some cases that people find themselves spending a little longer on the treadmill – just so they do not have to stop listening to their favorite tapes in mid- chapter.
Conversely, audio books offer a more casual pace for reading than the printed word. Typically, most readers comprehend text at a rate of about 400 words per minute, whereas most audio is provided at about 100 words per minute. This leisurely pace of absorption appeals to many people because it allows for a more easily attained artist-listener interaction. Audio interpretation of the printed word allows listeners to develop their own visual interpretations on characters and plot, thereby increasing reader enjoyment.
Although audio books are wonderful tools for providing information or respite to on-the-go people, they also take us back to a more nostalgic time when storytelling was definitely a two-way street between orator and listener.
BookAudioJunction.com is a fully-stocked online audiobook mega-store containing a vast selection of downloadable audio books in over 160 categories. Visit http://www.bookaudiojunction.com today and pamper yourself to an audio book.
How To Download Your Audio Book onto an iPod
Books on tape have been around for a long time. As technology advanced to accommodate varying media outlets, books on tape began to be referred to as audio books. Containing recordings of the entire contents of a book, audio tapes can be obtained on cassettes, CDs and, more recently, digital formats.
Now a multi-million dollar enterprise, audio books are
widely accepted for entertainment, as teaching aids for special needs students and for others who want to acquire particular information on a wide range of subjects while involved in other activities.
Audio books come in several formats such as unabridged (word for word), abridged (text edited out), and fully dramatized versions including complete casts, musical scores and sound effects.
As digital devices become smaller (e.g. iPods and MP3 players), more technologically advanced and more readily accepted by the masses, creators of audio books have developed techniques for downloading and retrieval of files.
This article will address the procedure for downloading an audio CD to an iPod, so audio book files can be played there.
1)Set optimal iTunes import settings to audiobooks.
2) Insert CD and wait for tracks to appear in iTunes. Do not select automatic. Select all CDs tracks, and choose Join CD Tracks from the advanced menu. Note: If the Join CD Tracks menu item is dimmed, you will have to re-sort the list by the track number.
3)Select Submit CD Track Names on advanced menu.
4)In the CD Info dialog box, complete information about the audio book.
5)Click OK, to submit. You may be prompted to Select CD Category, if so, choose Books & Spoken, and then click OK.
6)When the submission process is completed, all of the tracks on the CD should have the appropriate information attached to them. Click the Import button (top right corner) to import this disc, using the import settings you set up initially.
7)When the import finishes, eject the CD.
8)Switch to your Library, and find the newly imported track. There should be only one. Select it, and press Command-I to do a Get Info on the track, and switch to the Info tab.
9)Verify information is there. The song Name will be the same name as the album. Since the Name will be what you see on your iPod, you should add the disc sequence number. The shorter the format the better. (e.g. xx/yy xx being the disc number and yy being total number of discs. Add a leading zero to the disc number if the total number of discs will be more than one digit. This way, the tracks will sort correctly when sorted by Name.
10)Switch to the Options panel, and check both the Remember playback position and the Skip when shuffling checkboxes Remember playback position tells iTunes and the iPod to make the file bookmarkable. Skip when shuffling keeps the spoken word track out of your random music mixes.
11)Repeat this process for the each CD in the audio book, until you have imported all of the CDs.
12)Sync to your iPod, and enjoy.
In today hectic society with its emphasis on multi-tasking, audio books serve a dual purpose. They give busy people the opportunity to keep current with literary works while still maintaining their active lifestyles.
BookAudioJunction.com is a fully-stocked online audiobook mega-store containing a vast selection of downloadable audio books in over 160 categories. Visit http://www.bookaudiojunction.com today and pamper yourself to an audio book.