I’m thinking this must have been discussed, but I don’t see anything, so…
I like to use audiobooks when traveling. But, in the RV, the “regular” radio is MASSIVELY louder than the audio books. So if you’re listening to an audiobook and switch to the radio, you get BLASTED. AND the volume range on the audiobooks (from loudest words to softest) is often so wide that soft passages are lost… SO, I set up a chain in Audacity to take each mp3file of an audiobook and adjust it. I’m looking for feedback on whether I"m doing it correctly, sufficiently, and/or if there’s something in addition I SHOULD be doing…
Again, these are JUST SPOKEN WORDS, so I’m not concerned about stereo or whether the audio fidelity is perfect… More that they’re audible and clear…
I drag the mp3 file from the folder into audacity.
When I apply the chain to a project (which is composed of a single mp3, stereo file), it goes through this…
StereoToMono
Normalize: ApplyGain=yes RemoveDcOffset=yes Level=-1 StereoIndependent=no
Leveler: dB=“-70 dB” Passes=4
Normalize: ApplyGain=yes RemoveDcOffset=no Level=-1 StereoIndependent=no
ExportMP3
At present with the Level=-1, it’s still somewhat softer than the radio, so is there any reason I can’t increase it to -.5 or -.1 or even 0 dB? Is it going to cause perceptible distortion?
Is the Leveler step adequate? I HAD it set to -80, and it worked PERFECTLY on the FIRST MP3 file after Audacity is opened. Subsequent files set the amplitude to ZERO… So, using -80dB I had to shut down Audacity between every file and restart it. Then the FIRST file only would process fine. At -70 dB, it doesn’t mess up subsequent MP3 files, but I don’t think the leveling is as strong(?) and volume range is wider, which causes softer passages to be softer…
The act of editing an MP3 causes an increase in compression distortion. Depending on which layer of AudioBook you have, the honky, wine glass distortion in the new cut may be audible.
Effect > Leveler was going to be removed from Audacity effects suite because of the distortion it causes, but was retained as a Special Purpose filter to create “airline pilot” and “taxi driver” radio distortion. I’ve done that. It works a treat.
ACX AudioBook submissions have very strict standards on loudness and presentation, so their works are always going to sound like that. Since it’s just for you, you can compress and process as you like.
Chris designed a custom compressor so he could listen to opera in the car. It’s called Chris’s Compressor. That sounds a lot like what you’re trying to achieve.
I change the first setting from 0.5 to 0.77 to get a denser sound and the presentation sounds a lot like my local NPR radio station. It may be what you’re looking for.
Fair warning that car tape player, radio receiver, and CD player electronics have individual internal volume controls. You may find you can get close but never make it because of that.
OK, lemme try stating the question a different way…
KNOWING it’s going to be “less than optimal”, in Audacity HOW BEST can I take MP3 files of spoken words and a: increase the volume to approximately 0 dB (to match the volume of the radio) and b: reduce the range of volume so when loud passages are at “normal” volume soft passages are as CLOSE to “normal” volume as reasonable? With the LEAST amount of distortion and whatever other horrors will occur…
BTW: I don’t think I have any clue to what “taxi driver” distortion sounds like, so if it’s happening it must not bother me much…