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This page is the instructions for how to use Converter Plus (formally NAC). As this is an ongoing project, this page is subject to updates as we improve the application and workflow.
The purpose of Converter Plus is to perform a rapid DAISY conversion, requiring as little human intervention as possible. Moreover, all required interaction takes place in one simple phase, so operators need not return to the computer to complete a conversion. The interface is clean and simple, so is entirely accessible to screen readers. Independent of any particular device or platform, a conversion can be requested from virtually any web-capable device anywhere in the world. Finally, because the original audio files are not modified, the quality of the input tracks is not affected by a conversion.
After you have concluded your onboarding and training you will be assigned titles each Monday.
Rachel will upload a spreadsheet to your dropbox that contains the URL links and the titles of your assigned books for that week. Please follow the instructions below for how to sideload a title.
If you come across an error message, stop your work completely in Converter Plus. Email Rachel the full name of the project, exactly what you did to cause the error and a full copy-paste of the error. It is important that you do not paraphrase the error message, as we will need the exact wording to know what the issue is. You will have to put your Converter Plus work on hold until we solve the error. See below for the template for your error reports.
In your Email, please include the following information.
Example of a good bug report:
"Hi, I encountered an error when splitting a track. The book is under the account for Elizabeth and entitled RoughingIt. I selected Track 14, pressed Edit, and pressed Scan. It showed a time index of 1215, which was perfect. When I pressed Split, the following error was displayed. … I closed the browser as soon as the error came up, and will wait for instructions."
If you think the program malfunctioned, please immediately stop using it. Do not look at the book, or hand it to someone else. Copy the full text of the error, close your browser, Email your team lead, and wait for instructions.
If you have an issue with the file, such as it is not divided into proper chapters or the file on NNELS is incomplete, you can pass the book to Rachel without exporting it. Please see below in Hand to Rachel
for more info, and follow the same template for reporting the issue.
If you are creating a log for feedback on usability, please include as much details as possible including:
Any questions or concerns around your work beyond this you can email Rachel directly.
It is important you go through this documentation and process carefully. This project is all about paying attention to detail and asking questions if anything is confusing.
When you have finished a book you will export it and Send to QA to Check
. The directions on how to do this are below. If there are any errors in a title you worked on, it will be passed back to you and you will receive a message on what you need to fix. If anything is unclear in this message, please reach out to Rachel directly and she will walk you through how to make the proper changes.
First, you will need to navigate to the Converter in your web browser.
nac.proisle.com
Your First Name
Login
You are now in your profile for Converter plus. On this page, you can choose to either Add a Book
or open a current project in the dropdown menu labeled Project
.
Now that you have your book uploaded you can start making any necessary changes.
You should now be on the project page that displays the file name at the top of the page with the phrase is now open
Below you will find a list of options under What would you like to do?
On the welcome screen, for your profile page, there is a button located just below your name and the Log Out
link. This button is titled Turn on Batch Mode
. This button is designed to save you time with downloading and exporting a large number of titles.
When you turn it on there is a beep to tell you it is on. The button will now read Turn off Batch Mode
. This indicates it is on.
When you go to upload or export a book in batch mode, Converter Plus will tell you immediately that it is uploaded. This is a bit of a trick, as it is simply setting it up for batch mode.
When you go back to the welcome screen the button will now read Execute # of jobs
. Press this button when you are ready to upload or export your titles. You can now close your browser, and when you come back the next day everything should be completed!
Each title needs to go through a quality assurance check before it can be downloaded and published.
When we get Audible Files they are a single MP3 file. Converter Plus does not parse these down into correct sections and chapters, so you will have to edit the file with the directions below.
You will need to have a copy of Audacity on your computer to complete these edits.
Make sure the Audible MP3 file is downloaded onto your computer and open Audacity. To open the Audible MP3 in Audacity:
File
Open
Open
buttonNow that the file is open in Audacity you need to first mix it down from Stereo to Mono. We do this because Mono files are smaller and easier to download, upload, or play on your device.
To mix the file down to mono:
Tracks
Mix
Mix Stereo down to Mono
You will need to use zoom in and zoom out to help you see the breaks in the wave files to help you find pauses that indicate new sections and chapters.
You can use the Zoom in
and Zoom Out
icons on the Zoom toolbar at the top left of the Audacity screen.
If you have a Mac you can use the following shortkeys:
command + 1
command + 3
If you are on a PC you can do similar commands with the control key.
If you have a trackpad you can use the spread gesture on your trackpad. Make sure you have two fingers on the trackpad at the same time and spread them apart to zoom in and bring them back together to zoom out.
You can use the double finger swipe gesture to move back and forth through the track in the viewer.
When you hover your mouse over the time-track toolbar above the viewer you will see a green arrow. This is your quick player. When you click down on this it will start to play from the point it is over. You can move this by moving your mouse back and forth over the toolbar.
You can also use the Pause
, Play
, and Stop
buttons on the top-right menu above the viewer.
Once you can see the track in more detail, you will be able to see the gaps in the recording that will help you to see where there are pauses between sections and chapters.
To Edit the tracks:
File>Export>Export Selected Track
Once you select Export Selected Track
a popup window for Save
. You need to save this selected track as follows:
01 Title Page
MP3
New Folder
named the title of the book to save all your files in. Constant
192 kps
Force export to mono
Save
This will take you to the metadata section. Fill out the following:
Artist Name
= Name of AuthorTrack Title
= Name of Section (example, Title Page)Album Title
= Name of the BookTrack Number
= Number in Sequence for Book Sections (example, if this is for a Title Page then the Track Number is 01)Year
= The year you are creating this versionGenre
= AudiobookComment
= Put the narrator here and enter it as Narrator: Firstname Lastname
You will then be taken to a window for Invalid Sample Rate
. Change this to 44100
and hit the Ok
button.
Track Name
and Track Number
each time.
Repeat this for each section of the book. Once you have each book section exported as its own track you can zip the file and upload it to Converter Plus.