I have been trying to do an audio file for audiobooks. I got over 50% of the narration done and was sent an email yesterday giving specifications for audiobooks. I decided I needed to use ACX plug in to help me see if my tracks fit the criteria. Several problems: I can download the ACX plug in, but it never shows up in my Effects or analyze menue. How do I get it into Effects? I also noticed that Audiobooks requests a 1-3 second dead zone at the start of a track and 3-5 seconds at the end. I have already edited each track and I have used the Noise reduction effect. If I add a dead zone to the front and end of each track, it will be different then the sound profile already in place. Does this matter, or will ACX use these silent zones to determine how much sound to remove, thus distorting the already edited track? This is my first audiobook try and trying to get up to speed. Please give me advice, as I am stalled. I am using Windows 10 with 2.3.3 Audacity. Thanks
Both ACX Check and RMS Normalize (get both) are Nyquist type plugins.
I’m not a Windows elf, so this is the instructions for installing plugins to Windows.
Audiobooks requests a 1-3 second dead zone at the start of a track and 3-5 seconds at the end.
That’s “Room Tone,” the noise the room (and microphone system) are making when you stop performing. So no, it’s not just dead.
The short answer is build Room Tone of the appropriate length from whatever you used as Profile for Noise Reduction.
This will get a little recursive. Whatever you used for the Noise Reduction Profile Step now has your normal Noise Reduction applied to it. Carefully Copy the now processed Room Tone and Paste-Paste-Paste at the beginning and end of the chapter until you get it long enough to satisfy the requirements. It should match the performance because it came from the performance.
will ACX use these silent zones to determine how much sound to remove, thus distorting the already edited track?
ACX isn’t going to process anything. It’s up to you to produce perfect, publication-ready sound tracks. You are required to provide MP3 sound files at 192 Quality and it’s strongly suggested you submit in mono (one blue wave) and not stereo (two waves). ACX is going to resample and create other products and services from your work which is why your MP3 needs to be such unusually high quality at the beginning.
The sound quality is going to decline as they publish.
Whatever ACX told you for response time is probably optimistic. With the shutdowns, everybody on earth is trying to publish audiobooks from home and they are swamped. They said so.
In your ACX document, did they mention submitting a short sound test? They used to let you do that instead of dumping a whole damaged book on them.
They will not banter with you. If your submission succeeds, congrats and you’re rolling. If it doesn’t, it’s up to you to fix whatever they complain about.
Koz
Thank you, Koz! Still not able to download Nyquist tool plug in. I have followed the instructions and in the window given in the Tools menu, I enter C:\Users\username\Destop\untitled. I always get this message File path not valid. I have tried repeatedly with different commands and always the same message. What am I missing? Thanks
Click the “Browse” button in the Nyquist Plug-in Installer to locate the downloaded plug-in file.
See also: Nyquist Plugin Installer - Audacity Manual
Thanks for all the help! I have everything working like it should now. One more question: Some of these tracks I am working with are over 60 min. long. ACX cannot check a long track apparently. If I have applied all my settings that has been recomended for audio books, is it important to check the complete track with ACX to make sure it is correct, or is a short segment enough? So far every track I have checked has been compliant with Audio books.
Open the whole chapter. Drag-select the first half. Check it. Drag-select the second half and check that. You should have finished making your new Room Tones that ACX Check will have enough silence to work with.
If you used the Audacity Audiobook Mastering tools, I expect everything to pass, But you know the first time you fail to check…Boom!
You should know that the technical tests are only the first half. That gets you in the door. You also have to pass Human Quality Control where a real person listens to the work for P-Popping, tongue ticking, slurring speech, and other theater problems.
You have to pass everything.
Did you find enough Room Tone in the performance to build it out to the right number of seconds before and after each chapter? You don’t have to Paste, paste, paste. You can leap-frog. Paste your way to two or three Room Tones. Then select that and Copy, Paste. That gives you 3, 6, 9, instead of 1, 2, 3. Then select those and Copy, Paste. 9, 18, 27.
It keeps the generating process from becoming a career move.
Koz
Thanks! Yes I have managed to get the room tones added. Your help is much appreciated! 
No short performance test description in the notes? I know how they used to do it, but I also know they changed it and made it much harder for a casual user to produce. This is their reaction to the sudden workload increase.
Koz