Listening mid-November 2023 - recently learnt that a huge kerfuffle had happened in audiobook world ..... with A.I. readers, actual human narrators will now be paid ridiculously less for their work because the fake stuff is going to be equally cost-effective. Productions like this one are most-likely going to become rare for a while, either until a strong-enough backlash occurs, or (gulp) the technology gets indistinguishable and higher in quality than it is now. This recorded presentation - like any others we get here to listen to - are gems. We need to acknowledge this fact.
I bought this on audio cassette when it first came out. Sadly, the tape eventually got snarled by by tape player. So glad to see and listen to this here! Thanks so much!
I myself recorded it off-air on cassette (badly) at the time - I was very glad when I finally got a nice, clean digital copy of it. Glad to have reunited you with it!
😅 Hi i did have NAD STEREO CASSETTE DECK AND A NAD STREREO TUNER I USE TO RECORD HUNDREDS OF C90 CASSETTES BACK IN THE LATE 70s long before smart phones and mp3 players were availaible nowdays i listen to alot of radio dramas as my samsung phone has an mp3 playler built in Ah the wonders of Modern Technology every thing today is so conveniant.
@@colinglass1342 I began recording plays in the early 1990s but even then it meant huge stacks of audio tapes. As you say, technology has completely changed that!
Then you'd probably enjoy the BBC radio series of Salem's Lot, produced by the same people a couple of years earlier. I no longer have that on this channel but the channel Finest Music Drama has just uploaded all seven episodes if you're interested to hear it: th-cam.com/video/KJ9_of4k7oc/w-d-xo.html
I have a copy of this that hasn’t been pitch shifted up if you would like an original copy of this audio drama. I don’t know if it’s been pitch shifted by TH-cam or if that is just a copy that you have but I would be happy to share
@@janebrown7231 I'm actually slightly perplexed because you're not the first person to say this - but I don't seem able to hear the problem others do. Can you tell me, do you find this to be the case through the whole duration? Also, do you feel there's a problem because you've heard another recording of this drama that didn't sound the same? Or is it just that it sounds 'off' to you? I originally recorded this play back in '97 and I'm honestly not able to hear a difference in this recording and the one I had on tape all those years - except that this version is slightly longer, coming from a rip of the old 1990s CD release. But human memory is fallible of course so I'm aware that I might just be being old and oblivious - and if there's a problem with this recording then I'd look to replace it...
www.youtube.com/@kaitlynamira3916 That's very kind of you (sorry for the delay in getting back to you). I'm a little puzzled as my version doesn't appear to have been significantly speeded up or slowed down compared to my original sound files, or other versions uploaded on YT and elsewhere - except for one which, to me, actually sounds too fast. I do wonder if perhaps the BBC versions of US accents simply sound a little too drawling and give the impression of having been slowed down. Could you give this one a ten-second listen and let me know if this is what your version sounds like? th-cam.com/video/QK6yzkwQf8o/w-d-xo.html
@mysteriousmagpie Thanks for being inquisitive, as Magpies are! Yes, it's consistent throughout the whole recording. I was interested to explore this further, especially as two of us here were struck by this, and several other commenters expressed their dislike of the voices and sound. I know I am always super-sensitive to sound, but so many other people have noticed that something is 'off'. I now think it's likely that the original was pitch-changed, probably to shorten the broadcast time. But I'm very interested by the existence of Kaitlyn's version. I followed your link and immediately knew that recording was at the same annoying pitch as your copy. I found another one which was also at the same pitch. I do feel sure that it has been pitch-changed, because I know their voices, and I have today compared it with the actors' natural speaking voices when being interviewed - links below. If you slow down your recording from normal to 0.75, although the pitch change is only minor, the voices immediately sound like the real voices of the actors. The whininess and sharpness are removed, or reduced at least, and the fullness of the voice tone is restored. The same applies (strikingly) to the child actor's voice. Of course, listening at 0.75 does mean that the speed reduction is the most noticeable change. But I found it very definitely worthwhile to listen at the slower speed even so. At normal speed, it was hard to bear the voices and background sounds at the slightly increased pitch. And their very emotional performances were dulled to banal! The small change made a huge difference, imo. In the Stephen King recording, these weren't BBC versions of American accents... I agree neither sounds American. Briony Glassco uses her native accent (Torontonian), and that's John Sharian's natural accent too, even though he's British-Armenian. Links to the actors' natural voices (these are classically-trained, very well-regarded actors): John Sharian th-cam.com/video/3WAn47kiUpU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RiTI9_6cNeEyavu0 Briony Glassco th-cam.com/video/FcfuLuMNDAM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HLKLQBWy11OconxW (Start at 17 seconds plus - Briony is the blonde on the left.)
@@mysteriousmagpie this may be something that TH-cam does when things are uploaded I’m actually not sure. I’m right now uploading the version that I have. I downloaded it back in 2005 from an FTP server that a friend of mine had. That’s fascinating that the recording you have from 97 sounds the same as the one on TH-cam. I would imagine that a version recorded onto a cassette tape should sound the same as when it was recorded. As soon as it’s upload I will share the dropbox link and you can see if there’s a difference. My ears are very very attuned to pitches and different sounds so it could just be that I am extra sensitive
Such a shame this copy has been pitch-shifted. It destroys all the actors' voices. Nobody is 'whiny' or shrill really. The answer is to liaten at 75% speed. I found it worked brilliantly - the vocal range was perfect, and I could really appreciate the qualities of the voice actors, who were fantastic. I've never heard a Stephen King before - never been attracted to his reputation - but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of his character writing. I had hoped for a more subtle ending, and that wasn't helped by the sound blips for the last 15 minutes. But overall I found it very worthwhile. I don't remember hearing either of the principal actors before. I was surprised that John Sharian is Armenian-British. All the actors including the child were excellent, but the star was undoubtedly Canadian Briony Glassco, playing a very emotional role so well.
Listening mid-November 2023 - recently learnt that a huge kerfuffle had happened in audiobook world ..... with A.I. readers, actual human narrators will now be paid ridiculously less for their work because the fake stuff is going to be equally cost-effective. Productions like this one are most-likely going to become rare for a while, either until a strong-enough backlash occurs, or (gulp) the technology gets indistinguishable and higher in quality than it is now.
This recorded presentation - like any others we get here to listen to - are gems. We need to acknowledge this fact.
Your right but the AI lacks emotional conviction and it sounds robotic , their will always be a place for a human perspective
Nothing can replace imagination and human creativity.
I bought this on audio cassette when it first came out. Sadly, the tape eventually got snarled by by tape player. So glad to see and listen to this here! Thanks so much!
I myself recorded it off-air on cassette (badly) at the time - I was very glad when I finally got a nice, clean digital copy of it. Glad to have reunited you with it!
😅 Hi i did have NAD STEREO CASSETTE DECK AND A NAD STREREO TUNER I USE TO RECORD HUNDREDS OF C90 CASSETTES BACK IN THE LATE 70s long before smart phones and mp3 players were availaible nowdays i listen to alot of radio dramas as my samsung phone has an mp3 playler built in Ah the wonders of Modern Technology every thing today is so conveniant.
@@colinglass1342 I began recording plays in the early 1990s but even then it meant huge stacks of audio tapes. As you say, technology has completely changed that!
The program can be found on cd.
Lost the tapes I bought for $70+ off EBay about a decade ago. So I will listen to it here also.
For fans of the story, the full audiobook reading by Michael C. Hall ("Dexter") is excellent!
Thank you for posting these audio dramas👍
The minute I sense AI I delete. Thanks for the human voice.
I have listened this like 10 times… I love this book. Thank you.
Geez Louise this was so good.
Love this audiobook!!!!
Then you'd probably enjoy the BBC radio series of Salem's Lot, produced by the same people a couple of years earlier. I no longer have that on this channel but the channel Finest Music Drama has just uploaded all seven episodes if you're interested to hear it: th-cam.com/video/KJ9_of4k7oc/w-d-xo.html
This story is my deepest fear 😢
Loving this...
It was very good until last bit, then the sound track got choppy and repeated bits of dialogue over and over.
I’m glad you posted that because I thought it was just me. Maybe the Wendigo didn’t want us to finish it lol
@@Eric_1991 .....I'm coming for you Rachel.....
It was initially a 4 hr segment, then it cut till two hours
I have a copy of this that hasn’t been pitch shifted up if you would like an original copy of this audio drama. I don’t know if it’s been pitch shifted by TH-cam or if that is just a copy that you have but I would be happy to share
The pitch shift is really tough to listen to. I'm having to listen at 0.75 to shift the pitch back to normal, and tolerate the incorrect speed... 😢
@@janebrown7231 I'm actually slightly perplexed because you're not the first person to say this - but I don't seem able to hear the problem others do. Can you tell me, do you find this to be the case through the whole duration? Also, do you feel there's a problem because you've heard another recording of this drama that didn't sound the same? Or is it just that it sounds 'off' to you? I originally recorded this play back in '97 and I'm honestly not able to hear a difference in this recording and the one I had on tape all those years - except that this version is slightly longer, coming from a rip of the old 1990s CD release. But human memory is fallible of course so I'm aware that I might just be being old and oblivious - and if there's a problem with this recording then I'd look to replace it...
www.youtube.com/@kaitlynamira3916 That's very kind of you (sorry for the delay in getting back to you). I'm a little puzzled as my version doesn't appear to have been significantly speeded up or slowed down compared to my original sound files, or other versions uploaded on YT and elsewhere - except for one which, to me, actually sounds too fast. I do wonder if perhaps the BBC versions of US accents simply sound a little too drawling and give the impression of having been slowed down. Could you give this one a ten-second listen and let me know if this is what your version sounds like? th-cam.com/video/QK6yzkwQf8o/w-d-xo.html
@mysteriousmagpie Thanks for being inquisitive, as Magpies are!
Yes, it's consistent throughout the whole recording.
I was interested to explore this further, especially as two of us here were struck by this, and several other commenters expressed their dislike of the voices and sound. I know I am always super-sensitive to sound, but so many other people have noticed that something is 'off'.
I now think it's likely that the original was pitch-changed, probably to shorten the broadcast time. But I'm very interested by the existence of Kaitlyn's version.
I followed your link and immediately knew that recording was at the same annoying pitch as your copy. I found another one which was also at the same pitch.
I do feel sure that it has been pitch-changed, because I know their voices, and I have today compared it with the actors' natural speaking voices when being interviewed - links below.
If you slow down your recording from normal to 0.75, although the pitch change is only minor, the voices immediately sound like the real voices of the actors. The whininess and sharpness are removed, or reduced at least, and the fullness of the voice tone is restored. The same applies (strikingly) to the child actor's voice.
Of course, listening at 0.75 does mean that the speed reduction is the most noticeable change. But I found it very definitely worthwhile to listen at the slower speed even so. At normal speed, it was hard to bear the voices and background sounds at the slightly increased pitch. And their very emotional performances were dulled to banal! The small change made a huge difference, imo.
In the Stephen King recording, these weren't BBC versions of American accents... I agree neither sounds American. Briony Glassco uses her native accent (Torontonian), and that's John Sharian's natural accent too, even though he's British-Armenian.
Links to the actors' natural voices
(these are classically-trained, very well-regarded actors):
John Sharian
th-cam.com/video/3WAn47kiUpU/w-d-xo.htmlsi=RiTI9_6cNeEyavu0
Briony Glassco
th-cam.com/video/FcfuLuMNDAM/w-d-xo.htmlsi=HLKLQBWy11OconxW
(Start at 17 seconds plus - Briony is the blonde on the left.)
@@mysteriousmagpie this may be something that TH-cam does when things are uploaded I’m actually not sure. I’m right now uploading the version that I have. I downloaded it back in 2005 from an FTP server that a friend of mine had. That’s fascinating that the recording you have from 97 sounds the same as the one on TH-cam. I would imagine that a version recorded onto a cassette tape should sound the same as when it was recorded. As soon as it’s upload I will share the dropbox link and you can see if there’s a difference. My ears are very very attuned to pitches and different sounds so it could just be that I am extra sensitive
you should warn people that your Content is HEAVILY abridged
You do understand that this is a radio play, not a reading, right?
Oh dear. Lots of blips on the recording at the end. Shame
👍
1:17:00
2:11:13
Such a shame this copy has been pitch-shifted. It destroys all the actors' voices. Nobody is 'whiny' or shrill really.
The answer is to liaten at 75% speed. I found it worked brilliantly - the vocal range was perfect, and I could really appreciate the qualities of the voice actors, who were fantastic.
I've never heard a Stephen King before - never been attracted to his reputation - but I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of his character writing.
I had hoped for a more subtle ending, and that wasn't helped by the sound blips for the last 15 minutes. But overall I found it very worthwhile.
I don't remember hearing either of the principal actors before. I was surprised that John Sharian is Armenian-British. All the actors including the child were excellent, but the star was undoubtedly Canadian Briony Glassco, playing a very emotional role so well.