Have I mastered my mastering suite? Requesting feedback on Sample File

I’m wearing all the hats (producer/narrator/engineer) for the first time, having been a single hat-wearing narrator up to this point. I have learned SO MUCH from this forum already that I was inspired to be brave and post a sample of my own. Thank you in advance!

The book I’m recording is in the can and I’m about to go through and master. I’ve developed a mastering suite, see below (lord help me!). I used the ACX Mastering Macro 3.6 for those 3 steps but found my de-clicker settings increase the peak level so I moved the normalization & limiter to after the de-click. I then export to mp3 based on ACX specs. It sounds good to my ear but would love feedback before making a macro and processing the rest.

  1. Overall, how does this mix sound?
  2. I purposely haven’t gone through and corrected little things I can still hear. Is this up to ACX standard in terms of QC, or do I need to go through and hand edit to further reduce distracting sounds?
  3. Any feedback on the mastering suite that could help, I can share levels if needed

Noise Gate to reduce breath
Filter Curve EQ (settings are from 3.6 ACX Mastering Macro)
De-clicker (I run 1 pass two times; 2 passes in one go slows or crashes larger files)
Desibiliator
Loudness Normalization & Limiter (settings are from 3.6 ACX Mastering Macro)

PS Don’t get excited, this clip is from a very G rated thriller novel :slight_smile:

RAW

EDIT MASTER

Sounds like you’re juggling more roles than a window cleaning service at a skyscraper! The workflow looks solid, but hand editing might help polish those distracting sounds for ACX standards.

I’m going to go look again, but the clip I saw was in video standard, 48000 sample rate, not audio 44100. How are you shooting this?

36Mastering should be the last thing before you inspect the work with ACX-Check.

Mastering guarantees RMS (Loudness) and Peak. If you shot in a quiet, echo-free room, you may pass noise and that may finish the chapter.

I’m going to go look for a little class I wrote of what reading for a chapter looks like if nothing goes wrong. Then I performed it once to make sure it worked.

I need to go look.

Koz

I gotta get organized
`

Read your chapter with wired headphones in a quiet, echo-free room. Repeat whole sentences if you make a mistake.

Stop.

File > Export the work, errors and all, as a WAV (Microsoft) file for protection.

Edit the work to get rid of word-o’s, stumbles, stutters, tongue ticks, lip smacks, and other errors.

Tools > Apply Macro > 36Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.

ACX-Check. If it passes and you like the way it sounds, Export a new WAV (Microsoft) file as Edit Master and go on to the next chapter.

Koz

We are cautioned not to take Mastering apart or change the components. It’s a matched suite of tools. They clean up after each other. Nowhere is it written you can’t apply mastering twice.

A chapter that passes theatrical listening, Mastering, and ACX-Check can be converted to the appropriate MP3 file and submitted.

Is that raw file really right from your lips to a sound file? No other clickers, etc?

Koz

It sounds like no, no I have not mastered my mastering suite :slight_smile:

I’m going to go look again, but the clip I saw was in video standard, 48000 sample rate, not audio 44100. How are you shooting this?

I knew you were going to mention that 48k sample rate! I’m recording with a condenser mic and Focusrite pre-amp. The 48k is the sample rate set for exporting my WAV files. I go to 44100 when I convert to MP3. Sounds like I need to stick with 44100 for WAV (and double check things I learn from random you tubers?).

We are cautioned not to take Mastering apart or change the components. It’s a matched suite of tools. They clean up after each other. Nowhere is it written you can’t apply mastering twice.

Respectfully noted! Sounds like moving Filter Curve before de-click step wasn’t accomplishing anything. I had done that based on a recommendation that pre-filtering with an EQ can help isolate and reduce the intensity of unwanted clicks. Perhaps that makes no sense for Filter Curve EQ b/c it’s dealing with low tones. Anyway, I am learning learning and this is good to know that I can keep the mastering macro as is and run at the end.

Is that raw file really right from your lips to a sound file? No other clickers, etc?

Yes… why do you ask? bites fingers nails

Going back to listen again on the big office system.

The tonal filter at the front of 36Mastering is a rumble filter suitable for earthquakes, thunder, and very large trucks. It doesn’t do a thing for tongue ticks and lip smacks.

Koz

Technically, 48000 does have very slightly better sound quality than 44100, but there’s no shortage of bets and wagers about being able to tell the difference. Nobody can.

In this case 48000 is not recommended because you know your mastered product is 44100 and you’re just courting disaster of failing to convert once by accident. That and one goal of reading is to expend the least amount of work.

And that brings us to the other filters and effects. I don’t hear any lip smacks or other mouth noises in Raw.

What are you doing for the gasping? Noise Gates are super difficult to adjust so they do their job and then vanish.

Koz

I’m nit-picking here, but I can hear (and see) resonance.
mother forbade, before-after
https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/multi_view.html

(before-after)
A plugin to treat resonance is Sonible’s PureEQ, (30 day free trial).
It’s dynamic control reduces resonance and sibilance … https://youtu.be/YUgNBNVTFvU?&t=323

OK that got me suspicous that I had uploaded a processed file mistakenly. I double checked and it’s the original, no de-click. Here’s a longer RAW sample. I feel like I must be missing something because I hear mouth noises in the RAW particularly between words.

What are you doing for the gasping? Noise Gates are super difficult to adjust so they do their job and then vanish.

I’m doing a pass w/ Noise Gate @ -28dB threshold. Goal was to reduce breathing so it’s less intrusive but hopefully not effect the overall sound too much… ??

Head exploding. You have solved the mystery of the line on the spectrogram, I didn’t know what it was till now, thank you. I can’t hear it per se (or maybe just don’t know what I’m listening for), do you mind sharing how that resonance is effecting my output/vocal quality? Wonder if it’s something I can leave or need to deal with.

Makes total sense, I hadn’t even thought about the whole reducing points of failure aspect. No need to export at 48k if no one can tell the difference and it’s an extra step. Thank you for the sanity check and saving me that bit of time in the future.

How about what can cause that in the studio so you won’t need plugins?

Koz

That’s what I would do.

Gates have some interesting problems. Not so much doing their job, but starting and stopping. Cutting off the ends of valuable words at the application, and the beginning of valuable words at the end.

-atskill -arms and Catski- Farm-

So that’s what to watch for.

Koz

Correct me, but you have performance history before this? You could have the problem a recent poster had. Your natural voice sounds like a broken microphone.

Koz

That’s an interesting comment. You’re responding to how my voice sounds in the RAW? I haven’t heard that feedback before, although my voice is naturally a bit scratchy. Perhaps my mic is actually broken? Here’s some samples of other books in case you care to compare, recorded in various studios. The first one was recorded in a booth at Audible, these are from a few years ago so perhaps age/experience is scratching up the old pipes.

https://www.audible.com/search?searchNarrator=Kathryn+Merry

As a side note, my voice does have more low tones IRL and I’ve noticed it’s a bit lessened in the RAW which I planned to try to address with different mic placement on the next project.

It shows up on the spectrogram and spectrum plot …

Strong resonance sounds like Darth Vader. Yours is just slightly Vaderish.
The “after” version here has the resonance reduced, (and a different EQ) …


(before-after)

Removing slight resonance is akin to giving a final polish, (your competitors will be doing it).
The automatic de-resonance plugins range from $20 to $200. The one I mentioned varies in price from $20 to $40, (with a very generous 30 day free trial).

Even profe$$ional booths benefit from dynamic EQ to reduce resonance … https://youtu.be/T9g7bpOJ4l4?&t=449 . When it comes to resonance you can get more bang for your buck with a plugin than acoustic treatment, (even de-esses to boot).

I wasn’t so much thinking of resurfacing the walls as leaving the Coke cup, coffee mug, or wine glass outside. That’s the origin of the “talking into a wine glass” honky effect.

Also see.

That blue thing is a furniture moving pad-doubled over. That can do wonderous things for echoes and resonances. There’s a slap effect of your voice reflecting from the table or desk.

Is the floor carpeted? You can roll one of those moving blankets out when you perform.

`

That voice problem was a different forum poster. I don’t hear any problems with your postings. I’m going to go listen to your older work.

Koz

I use a towel like this. The ridges absorb the echoes that would bounce off the table.

Got it, I can def make some improvements along these lines. Nice to know that I can see the resonance now and test for the right set up.

The discussion will prob continue but I just have to pause here and thank you and the other posters for these insights, can’t say how valuable it is and how much I appreciate.