If you’re not done obsessing yet, I found a way to use Noise Gate without doing too much damage.
You have to download and install it.
https://wiki.audacityteam.org/wiki/Nyquist_Effect_Plug-ins#Noise_Gate
Noise Gate suppresses sound lower volume than a setting.
This message thread describes how I did it.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/audio-sample-noise-issues-2-3-2/54239/46
I used Mastering to get the work in range of Noise Reduction, and then gentle Noise Reduction to get the work within range of Noise Gate. Both Noise Reduction and Noise Gate are set for very modest affect, but still, between them you can get about 18dB of noise reduction, serious noise suppression and nobody can hear what you did.
Have we filled up your dance card yet?
Let’s see. Announce the work > export a safety WAV > cut or edit and correct it > Master it > DeEss it > Noise Reduce it > and Gate it. These steps should not affect ACX Check, or if they do, it should leave the work still within range. DeEssing in particular might reduce the peaks slightly. Peaks are a limit, not a range. As long as they don’t go louder than -3dB, you’re good to go. Essing should not affect RMS (loudness) at all.
If you miss any of the steps, you have to start over because some of the corrections depend on the order of tools.
It’s strongly recommended you export each raw performance as WAV and move it to a safe place as backup.
If you do read a book, the chapters must match, so you have to do all that to each chapter exactly the same way.
Koz