You might be running into the problem where Macros can’t make a decision.
If you’re using Normalize, you might try Amplify instead. They’re sister tools. If you just run Amplify with no settings, it will boost volume until it can’t any more because there’s no room.
If you’re trying to tame a bunch of wild, completely out of control sound files, this may be a lot more work than just ganging two or three filters together.
You might investigate the audiobook mastering tools. They set loudness and don’t pay any attention to the peaks or spikes. Then they come through and clean up the peak errors later.
This is the manual tool set.
https://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Audiobook_Mastering
There’s even a Macro for it.
SelectAll:
Equalization:CurveName=“Low rolloff for speech” FilterLength=“5007” InterpolateLin=“0” InterpolationMethod=“B-spline”
RmsNormalize:mode=“Independently” target=“-20”
Limiter:gain-L=“0” gain-R=“0” hold=“10” makeup=“No” thresh=“-3.5” type=“SoftLimit”
The only reason this didn’t take over the whole world immediately, is RMS Normalize. It’s not included with default Audacity and you have to go get it and install it.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/rms-normalize/45334/1
Koz