Project: Build a Story from CMU Arctic Recordings⌗

Goal Create a 30–60 second audio story using only the recorded sentences in the CMU ARCTIC BDL dataset. Your task is to locate words or short phrases within those recordings, cut them out, and arrange them in a new order using Reaper.

What You’ll Learn⌗

  • Editing essentials: splitting, slip editing, crossfading, and ripple editing.
  • How to control pacing and silence to shape a narrative.
  • Creative problem-solving when working with limited source material.

Materials⌗

  • The wav/ folder from the CMU ARCTIC BDL dataset (hundreds of clean, full-sentence WAV files).
  • cmu-speech-recordings.zip contains the audio plus a CSV file of all sentences for quick searching.

click here to download audio files and CSV

Your Task⌗

  1. Find Your Words
    • Open the included CSV file in Excel.
    • Use Find to search for words or phrases and note the matching WAV file names.
  2. Import & Edit in Reaper
    • Drag the chosen WAV files into a new Reaper session.
    • Split (S) to isolate the words you need.
    • Use slip editing and fades to align them naturally into sentences.
  3. Assemble Your Story
    • Arrange the chosen words into a 30–60 second narrative or sound piece.
    • Pay attention to timing, silence, and dramatic pacing.
  4. Finalize
    • Smooth transitions with crossfades.
    • Balance levels so the story plays clearly.

Requirements⌗

  • Length: 30–60 seconds.
  • Only use the provided WAV files—no external music or effects.
  • Export a WAV at 44.1 kHz.

Submission⌗

  • Submit your final WAV file to D2L by midnight on the day of class.
  • We’ll play selected projects at the end of class.