Author Topic: Audio issues with EP231: Solitary as an Oyster (Read 26069 times)

Swamp · **on:** December 27, 2009, 03:39:09 AM

This quote came from mrund on the EP231: Candy Art thread before I created a thread for this story:

Quote from: mrund on December 26, 2009, 06:25:03 PM

So let it be known here that I am sad because the sound quality on EP 231 is so bad that I can't understand what the excellent Alasdair is saying.

Nobilis · **Reply #1 on:** December 27, 2009, 06:32:44 AM

I have to agree. I struggled through about half of it before giving up in deep frustration. I simply couldn't understand enough of it to make sense of the story.

I hope that rather than missing out on what seemed to be a finely crafted story, another try can be taken at recording this one rather than leave it as-is. I know how frustrating production on a tight schedule can be from my own podcast, and I know that one is often faced with the daunting choice between putting out a result that is less than satisfactory and missing an important deadline.

In this case, I feel that missing the deadline would have been preferable. Yes, you would have taken some heat for not having the Christmas story up by Christmas, but it would only have affected the fraction of the people who expected to be able to download the story right away. Anyone who came to the site afterwards would not be any wiser.

I'm sorry, Steve. I'm sorry, Alisdair. I think posting this was not the best choice.

Centesis · **Reply #2 on:** December 27, 2009, 06:43:46 AM

I really appreciate the extra story,you have no idea how much.But...

  I didn't make it 5 seconds in to the story as soon as I heard it was Alasdair Stuart I turned it off knowing it would be to painful to listen to due to the same audio issues he always has.

  In desperation having listened to all the other podcasts in my player I went back and tried to listen but it was unintelligible,full of sharp high end and tons of audio distortions.

  I really like Al's delivery,his style but I have no idea whats up with his recording set up.

Also I completely agree with the person above me.

Mod: I should not have snipped out comments from this post, and I publically apologize to Centesis for doing so. In defense of Al, the problems with the sound quality on this episode are above and beyond any issues Al may have had in the past, as indicated by mrund below, and I don't believe it is a recording issue in this case, but may be wrong.

chornbe · **Reply #3 on:** December 27, 2009, 02:31:26 PM

Unlistenable.

And that saddens me. Mur's one of my all-time faves.

Quote from: Nobilis on December 27, 2009, 06:32:44 AM

I'm sorry, Steve. I'm sorry, Alisdair. I think posting this was not the best choice.

Fully agreed.

kibitzer · **Reply #4 on:** December 28, 2009, 04:33:44 AM

Sorry guys, have to agree, the sound quality is appalling. I didn't listen to more than 30 seconds which rather saddens me as I was looking forward to a Mur story.

Heckelphone · **Reply #5 on:** December 28, 2009, 07:54:47 AM

I got 11 minutes in before coming to the forum to see if it was a deliberate "special effect." Was hoping for a link to a "corrected" version. I have enjoyed everything else of Mur's I've heard (and/or read): I won't mind listening to a Mur Xmas story in January

loglogn · **Reply #6 on:** December 28, 2009, 08:38:09 AM

I have to agree with all the above comments. Unfortunately it is impossible to understand the story due to bad sound quality.

MRose · **Reply #7 on:** December 28, 2009, 12:40:15 PM

Just posting to agree with everyone else who has noted that the sound quality of this episode is unlistenably poor. It's unintelligible to me.

One hopes an uncompressed version of the sound file exists so that it can be reposted without re-recording.

cdugger · **Reply #8 on:** December 28, 2009, 04:32:57 PM

This is one instance where file size goals have ruined a recording.

I couldn't listen, and I had really been looking forward to another "Mur"y Christmas.

mgraves · **Reply #9 on:** December 28, 2009, 05:05:23 PM

I find it a little more listenable is converted to mono my simply eliminating one track. Hopefully there is a less compressed version of the recording somewhere so that it can be revived.

Yargling · **Reply #10 on:** December 28, 2009, 08:06:33 PM

I tried listening, and the little of it I could work out from the few minutes before I gave up did sound like it could be awesome, but...well, as everyone else has said, the audio quality of either the file or the recording itself is just too poor to make it listenable.

seanpeter · **Reply #11 on:** December 29, 2009, 03:58:37 AM

What's the deal with the audio??

MeshuggeKnits · **Reply #12 on:** December 29, 2009, 05:57:51 AM

Please, please post a better recording if you can! The distortion made it unlistenable.

Scattercat · **Reply #13 on:** December 29, 2009, 06:52:51 AM

I'd like to read this story. I was interested by the premise, and what I could understand of the first few minutes was intriguing, but I just could not hear a word of what was going on. This is the first story that I actually *couldn't* listen to; relative sound quality is generally almost meaningless to me because I don't hear terribly well to begin with. This was just unintelligible.

Any chance of a re-recording? Or just a text version posted somewhere...

kibitzer · **Reply #14 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:55:45 AM

Am I allowed to say: I'm a little disappointed there's been no EA response as yet?

(sigh)

Ah well. Ban away.

raetsel · **Reply #15 on:** December 29, 2009, 12:35:24 PM

If you listen on an iPhone ( or an iPod probably ) you can improve the quality by setting the EQ to Vocal Booster or Treble Reducer depending on what works for you. That and listening though noise cancelling headphones and with a bit of concentration it is just about listenable.

Only 15 mins in so far and looking forward to the point where the sound improves. The story and reading itself are good I think it will be worth the struggle.

KenK · **Reply #16 on:** December 29, 2009, 01:28:28 PM

Sounds like it was recorded by a man with a bucket over his head at the bottom of a well.

Swamp · **Reply #17 on:** December 29, 2009, 04:02:48 PM

Quote from: kibitzer on December 29, 2009, 11:55:45 AM

Am I allowed to say: I'm a little disappointed there's been no EA response as yet?

(sigh)

Ah well. Ban away.

Sorry, no bans today.

Your comment is fine. I personally don't know what the plans are for a redo of this episode, but it may be into next week (or longer) before anything is decided or announced. I know that Steve was sick over the holidays last week, so he is probably making up for lost time with family, etc.

Kaa · **Reply #18 on:** December 29, 2009, 05:13:00 PM

Another vote for "please re-record and re-post!" I wanted so much to hear this, too.

Rob R. · **Reply #19 on:** December 29, 2009, 06:34:11 PM

I have to agree with the other posters. I look forward to the Mur Lafferty Christmas episode almost as much as I look to Christmas, but the audio quality here was not up to EP standards. Please consider a re-post.

sweyhrich · **Reply #20 on:** December 29, 2009, 07:18:06 PM

Kind of reminds me of RealAudio, circa 1997.

nanr42 · **Reply #21 on:** December 29, 2009, 08:21:55 PM

Oh, Please re-record and repost this story! I want to hear it, and it is so distorted I can only make out a word here and there.
Thanks
Nan

rendall · **Reply #22 on:** December 29, 2009, 11:42:51 PM

I registered and logged in for the first time today, after listening to EscapePod since episodes in the low single digits. I've been meaning to, but you know how things happen.

Love EscapePod. Love it. My life is different today because I know that there is high-quality free audio fiction available, so if the clamor for a better-quality version confuses and dismays Steve, Allistair and crew, I would have them ignore the clamor. Really. It pales in comparison to what you all have already and will continue to bring to the table.

That said, the audio is painful to listen to, with all the squeaks and pops.

stePH · **Reply #23 on:** December 30, 2009, 04:57:31 AM

God's balls, that was some shit recording. Horribly "flanged" is what it sounded like. I almost gave up two minutes in, but since I'm at home and was sitting in a quiet room I stuck with it. Glad that it cleared up around the 29-minute mark, but shitfireandsavematches it was a struggle to understand up to that point.

I liked this story quite a lot; favorite Lafferty holiday story is still "Merry Christmas from the Heartbreakers" but I didn't like "Citytalkers" at all, and had no great opinion of the "steampunk Santa" story whose title currently escapes me.

Swamp · **Reply #24 on:** December 30, 2009, 05:17:43 AM

StePH please, we all know it sounded pretty bad. You can say that, as others have, without being quite so offensive about it. I'm glad you stuck with it, though, and liked the story.

Author Topic: Audio issues with EP231: Solitary as an Oyster (Read 26069 times)

KenK