1. MSCE Q.A. PROGRAM
REVIEW OF A NETWORK PRODUCED MAGAZINE
IFB
3:32:77
RR/GM-CGM
tL/1.s
SMITHSONIAN
MAY, 2015
The format is correct for this magazine and most announcements are accurate as required by NLS 1-2006
and Spec 1204. As the article "Mind Meld" begins, "reading time 32 minutes" is heard twice; the second
instanceatL:54:03wasremovedonthefinal MSCEmaster. Also,weadviseleaving%tolsecondofdead
air afterthe close of the issue. In the case of this DTB, the final moment of narration, "at loc.gov", sounds
slightly clipped at the end of audio. We also recommend adopting case-specificity for navlabels in this QA
magazine (and others). For guidance, see NLS Specification 1204 section 3.2.4.3.1.
Recording levels fallwithin the required range for this issue and an average of -12d8 is present for the
narration. Inafewisolatedcases,levelsmovetothehighorlowendoftherange,butnothingproblematic
is encountered. RMS readings show an average near -19.2d8, very good. Sound quality is typically clean
and clear, though isolated mouth sounds and static clicks are sometimes detected too. Ambient noise
readings fall between -81 and -61d8, with an average in the -70s dB, very good. Most edited material is
smoothly integrated, and most punch points go unnoticed. Indexing tones are appropriately placed in the
analog version, navPoints are properly formed for the DTB and recording times are fine for all WAV files.
Dee Campbell opens this issue and does a nice job with the TOC, returning later in the issue for the feature
piece, "The Future is Here: The Body Shop", which benefits from her smooth delivery and credible tone.
Nina Baeza lends a bright tone and ample delivery energy to items like "Contributors", "Mind Meld", and
"National Treasure: Monolith". Aside from the repeated reading time for Mind Meld, the material also
enjoys solid production quality. Joan Koether's vocal flexibility and smooth navigation of potentially tricky
foreign pronunciations bolsters her work with "Discussion" and the feature piece, "Levitation Nation". Al
Kalson employs a credible tone and a conversational flow for this month's "Phenomena", handling the
article's first several sections. Good production quality accompanies his appealing delivery here. Don Viny
makes a brief appearance with three sections within "Phenomena", lending each a sincere sounding tone
plus comfortable pacing and enunciation. Wendy Pomerantz' smooth, confident delivery favorably colors
items like "Essay", "Plastic Planet", Welcome to Farmtopia", and "Fast Forward". Technical quality is stable
here as well, save for the last piece which experiences a noticeable jump in volume. Grayson Halsted
makes his QA magazine debut this month with "Phenomena: Commemoration". In addition to having a
very distinguished sounding name, he also distinguishes himself as a strong new addition to the IFB
volunteer roster with his credible, confident, and well-energized delivery of this piece. We hope this
performance is a hintof good thingsto come and lookforward to hearing more from him. Don Roth brings
a good connection to the material for his read of "Flavors: Philippines". The article enjoys careful pacing,
but some areas also feature an odd, un-conversational cadence and pockets of over-articulated reading.
Efforts to forge a more natural, conversational approach are sure to be appreciated. Paul Roseman's
upbeat energy works well for the feature article, "The Sheltering Sky". Sturdy production quality backs up
his nicely connected narration performance.
This magazine was received on 6/29/15.