Focusrite Red Suite plugins

Does anyone have experience with the Focusrite Red Suite plugins? I got five of them included with the Scarlett interface. I’m recording an audiobook and want to do my own mastering. A foolish plan for a newbie, granted, but audiobooks are much simpler than multitrack music.

I only plan on using the EQ, the compressor and maybe the gate. I have an Audio-Technica 2020 condenser and the Scarlett interface. My raw tracks are nice and quiet. The room is around -50 db. The analyse/contrast tool shows a difference between silence and voice of 39.3.

I think I need to normalize, then EQ, then compress, but what settings I should start with is a mystery. Audible.com says that they want minimal effects, but I’ve listened to samples of professionally narrated books on their site and I hear some effects. I think what they mean is don’t overdo it.

DISCLAIMER - I’ve never made an Audiobook, I only know what I’ve read.

For Audiobooks there is an [u]ACX Check Plug-in[/u]

only plan on using the EQ, the compressor and maybe the gate…
…I think I need to normalize, then EQ, then compress

You should normalize. The ACX Requirements say your peaks should be -3dB.

If you need to bring-up the RMS level, compression or limiting can bring the peak and RMS closer together. With linear volume adjustment, the ratio (difference) between peak and RMS does not change… If you decrease the volume by -3dB, the peak & RMS will both drop by -3dB.

From what I understand, a noise gate might make your file fail. (Some noise reduction may be acceptable, or even necessary.)

You should only need EQ if something is wrong with the frequency balance.

. Audible.com says that they want minimal effects, but I’ve listened to samples of professionally narrated books on their site and I hear some effects.

What effects are you hearing?