How do I even know what level I am recording at? I am sure this is a dreadfully basic question
Basic, but not obvious. This AudioBook thing not a version of talking into your phone to your sister is Schenectady. You are replacing a recording engineer and studio. Which can be done, don’t let me scare you, but there are some rules.
Audacity has tools and testing to produce good voice work and also make sure you’re going to pass ACX testing without actually submitting anything. I’m thinking as I write that, we can give you a good idea of how to pass technical standards. If you can’t read out loud, ACX may reject you for voice quality issues and that’s kind of out of our hands.
The submitted file measures at -40dB RMS
Chances are good we will not be able to rescue the work, or be able to rescue it in a manner ACX will be happy with. Did you read a whole book?
Since we’ll be doing this across multiple time zones, it may take a while. It’s not unusual for someone to want us to fix the show by tomorrow because the client is waiting. Probably not, but we do have a pretty good track record.
Describe your studio. If it’s your kitchen table, say so. Which microphone have you got, which computer, and which version of Audacity? In the back of your mind, pretend I’m trying to buy what you have. Don’t abbreviate numbers. I’m using Audacity 2.1.2.
If you’re following an on-line publication, point to it.
Koz