Hi guys, I’m having issues with my ACX compliance. Can anyone suggest noise level setting to help with this ACX analysis?
Peak Level: -0.38 dB FAIL
RMS Level: -23.78 dB FAIL
Noise Floor: -42.56 dB FAIL
Any suggestions or pointers would be appreciated.
Cheers. Ray
We have some automated audiobook tools, but we’re messing with the availability because of the new forum service.
Where did you get those numbers? ACX Audio Lab?
Do you have ACX-Check and/or Audiobook-Mastering-Macro?
Do you have a way to display or post an audio file separate from the forum?
Koz
Before I leap into action, can I buy your book on Amazon right now? That’s one of the requirements of creating an ACX Audiobook. You can’t do it out of order.
Koz
If that’s accurate, the signal is only ~20dB louder than the noise-floor,
that would sound like this …
If your recording does not sound that noisy, then it’s possible for the ACX check plugin has given a false high value for your noise floor.
I think it’s a good bet they’re not using ACX-Check. To be determined,
Koz
Lets see how far I get freehand without my web site.
Son of a !@#$%^. The new forum will not allow me to post a zip file.
I need to come up with a new way to do this.
As we go.
Koz
Thanks Koz. You’re right. My book isn’t available on Amazon. I’m rectifying that right now.
Select your chapter or sound sample and File > Export > Export as WAV. That’s your perfect quality protection backup file in case something nasty happens. Save it somewhere safe.
You are urged strongly to make your computer reveal filename extensions—the three characters following the dot in filenames. Windows likes to hide them “for your convenience.”
https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/Documents/Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt.zip
Download and double-click on Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt.zip. You may see it as Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt. It should decompress into a second file called Audiobook-Mastering-Macro (really Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt).
Audacity > Tools > Macros… > Import > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt > Open
Close.
Open your chapter or sound sample > Select it > Tools > Apply Macro > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.
There’s no OK. It just does it. You should see your chapter blue waves suddenly snap to new settings.
Install or run ACX-Check. The first two readings Peak and RMS (Loudness) should be perfect. What does your noise read?
It’s too late to do this on coffee…
Koz
Thanks Koz. I’ll let you know. Ray (Australia)
I come from the land up over.
Koz
If that’s your raw reading, it’s massively too loud. We suggest real-time, raw readings with the blue waves peaking about -6dB to -10db. Roughly 50% on the timeline vertical scale.
Noise is going to be an exercise. On the old forum, we would look at one of your sound files, tell you how to fix it, and everybody goes home. Apparently, we can’t do that here.
I’m not sure how I’m going to deal with that…
Koz
So am I. I’ll need to look at that in the morning.
Koz
I found one and-a-half errors and a missing caution. Not bad for full-speed technical writing just before bed.
The Caution:
Do you have your machine set to reveal filename extensions? That’s the three (or more) characters after the dot in file names. If all you ever do is write letters to your mum and watch YouTube, you would never need them, but the instant you go for more complicated or out-of-the-way jobs, they become a Big Deal.
I bet you never got the Mastering text file from all that shuffling files around, but if you don’t see the .txt extension, you would never know.
You downloaded Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt whose real name is Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt.zip.
Double click on it (there’s the error) and it will add Audiobook-Mastering-Macro whose real name is Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt. You see how missing those three letters starts digging you a hole?
That should install with Audacity Macro tools and start working.
I’m going back up and correct the original document. That’s normally forbidden, but not when you’re a forum elf making mistakes.
Note we still may have performance noise problems ffffffff behind your voice. We can deal with that, too.
As we go.
Koz
There is one other common caution about publishing audiobooks. They can’t be on this list.
Scroll down.
https://www.acx.com/help/200878270
So no, you can’t publish a cookbook, although one forum poster tried. My fuzzy rule is needing to have characters, plot, and setting. One of my favorite audiobooks of all time is “Hero’s Journey” where Joseph Campbell talks about characters, plot, and setting. That counts.
As we go.
Koz
We found it insanely handy to be able to listen to a sample of your voice work, but the new forum doesn’t seem to allow that. I wrote a note to the Very Important Elf to see if there’s a way around that.
This is the format for a ten-second sound file we used to use.
https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/TestClip/Record_A_Clip.html
Unless you have a way to post sound files independent of the forum, we will be limited to secret sharing of email addresses behind the barn. Awkward…
Koz
What’s the time shift between you and me? I’m in Los Angeles with Pacific Saving Time.
Koz
I can’t tell if you’re on Windows, but if you are, this is how you used to manage filename extensions.
Hidden File Extensions Revealed - Windows
– Start > My Computer > Tools > Folder Options > View > [ ] Hide Extensions for Known File Types (deselect)
– Apply (to this folder) or Apply to All Folders
– OK
Koz
Thanks for all your input Guys. Fixed
