Fixed RMS, Peak level for ACX but now all mp3 files are ssshhhhhhh - no voice heard!

Newbie. The original file was .WAV. ACX request files to be MP3 so I converted them and the audio I could hear.
But, all my mp3 files sound ssssshhhhhh after I adjusted the RMS and Peak Level. These passed with ACX so I’m puzzled. ACX approved to stage 1 and I’m now to adjust Noise level as dB is too high. I still cannot work out if my mp3 files are meant to be ssssshhhhhh?

That’s a little confusing… There is no voice, just noise?

Usually MP3 compression works fine. What version of Audacity are you using?

Or, you can convert WAV to MP3 with Kabuu Audio Converter or TAudioConverter. Both of these can batch-convert multiple files at once and once your output-format and output-location are set, it’s just drag, drop, and click.

When you amplify (or attenuate), the Peak, RMS, and noise floor ALL change by the same amount so if you boost the RMS level you are also boosting the noise.

Noise is almost always an issue if you aren’t recording in a soundproof studio with good equipment. There are a few noise reduction suggestions here and if you follow the recommended procedure the Low Roll-off For Speech will reduce low frequency noise.

The converted files from .wav to .mp3 were fine. It was when I adjusted just the RMS first that I got no voice anymore but sssshhhhhh sound instead. Being new to all this, I thought that’s the way it sounds at the forefront and the voice is in the background after adjusting the RMS level. Yes I noticed when I Amplified the Peak and RMS they tend to pass pretty much in sync, most of the time. And all these 15 x audio files passed pre-ACX stage. But now the Noise Floor has been raised (ACX Stage 1). And since then all the levels are no longer Pass status. I followed alot of videos last few days, many hours. Adjusting the Loudness Normalisation, Limiter and Noise Reduction. But no matter what I adjust the Noise level sticks to -info dB (it was high but since my last post here I worked on it again). I tried the Apply Label Sounds (from one of the videos I watched) - this was not clear and kept deleting the whole track instead. The version I am using is Audacity 3.2.5. I will try the Converter links you sent. However Himself has no patience and got someone outside to do this … but I want to do it too as he has another audiobook lined up later too. I also told him the last studio engineer should not have recorded this at a Racecourse!

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