I first make sure that every file has the start date and time of the record=
ing in the filename, followed by the location. That information is also ann=
ounced at the start of each recording, but that won't help me sort through =
the files quickly. I use this date format - yyyymmddhhmm - so that the file=
s sort chronologically.
Then I make a copy to work on, and never touch the originals.
I mainly use Audacity to process my recordings. I start by adding a label t=
rack, and I transcribe my voice notes into it at the positions I made them.=
I record date, time of start and end (as a check), location, coordinates, =
temperature, wind estimate, cloud cover, and a description of background no=
ises (traffic, wind in trees, running water, etc).
I used to add another label track and add the time of day every minute, so =
I could easily tell what time of day I was up to, but I found that Audacity=
doesn't deal well with hundreds of labels in very long recordings. It beco=
mes very sluggish when I add more labels and when I save (which I like to d=
o every few minutes). I haven't decided what to do about this yet. Options =
include breaking the files into shorter ones, only putting time labels in e=
very 5 or 10 minutes, or using the time shift function and having no time l=
abels.
I use the spectrogram view as I listen. As David mentioned, this can remove=
the need to listen to a lot of it, as you can start to recognise calls on =
the spectrogram. I can just press Page Up to skip forward if the spectrogra=
m doesn't show anything interesting. It can help to scan through once showi=
ng the full frequency range, and again zoomed into the low frequencies (wit=
h different spectrogram parameters to show the low frequency calls more cle=
arly). Low calls like button-quail and boobooks are barely visible when zoo=
med out, but can be very clear when zoomed in.
I add a species label each time something interesting comes up. I also add =
labels for unwanted noises in a separate label track - e.g. gunshots, cars,=
planes, etc. That helps me avoid those sections later when I'm picking a s=
ection to put on soundcloud.
Because Audacity stores the labels in a plain text file, I can do a file se=
arch for species later if necessary.
I'm also experimenting with Raven Pro. This lets me put the labels directly=
onto the spectrogram, so I can identify the frequency range as well as the=
time range. It's fiddly though, and lacks good shortcuts for transport con=
trols, so I'm not sure how happy I am with it.
I am, unfortunately, badly lacking in time to sit at a computer to do all t=
his, so I have a big backlog to work through. I wish I could access the sam=
e sort of software on my iPad. I've experimented with converting recordings=
into scrolling spectrogram movies so I can work through them on the iPad, =
but then of course I have no annotation facilities.
I suppose a good workflow should include regular backups.
Peter Shute
> -----Original Message-----
> From:
>
> Sent: Monday, 14 September 2015 8:06 AM
> To:
> Subject: [Nature Recordists] Workflow
>
>
>
> Howdy folks,
>
>
>
>
> My wife and I just completed a hike of the Long Trail in
> Vermont. It took us 5 weeks, and it was incredible.
>
> I brought along some recording gear on the trip, and now I
> have about 300 hours to sift through. Before I begin, I want
> to do so in a systematic way, much like what Bernie Krause
> describes in Wild Soundscapes, but I'd also be eager to hear
> the group's thoughts.
>
>
>
>
> Specifically:
>
>
>
>
> 1. What software (e.g. database) do you use to annotate your
> library? I'd love to use a web-based database product. That
> way I can input data on any computer anywhere there's internet.
>
> 2. Does anyone tag .WAVs directly?
>
> 3. What metadata do you include in your database for each sound file?
>
> 4. Do you include locations (e.g. exact timings) of what you
> hear in the metadata?
>
> 5. Does anyone have suggestions for speeding up the process?
> Has anyone had success listening at faster speeds?
>
>
>
>
> I'm looking forward to hearing the expertise of this excellent group!
>
>
>
>
> Best,
>
> Oliver
>
>
>
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