I installed the 3.3.3 vers./Audacity and have tried to use my ACX check plugin but I get an error message " Not found or cannot read C:\Users\cbmchaney\Desktop\untitled when I try to apply it. Obviously it’s not on my desktop. Where did I go wrong?
Effect > Plugin Manager.
Do you show ACX Check there?
Or is it complaining it can’t find your show?
Is your show on an External, Network, Internet, or Cloud Drive?
Audacity doesn’t like working on drives other than the internal ones. Close Audacity and move your show to your internal drives (C:\ D:\ ). Then open Audacity.
Koz
Hi Koz! Here’s what I see:
Nyquist Plugin Installer Enabled C:\Program Files\Audacity\plug-ins\nyquist-plug-in-installer. in “Effects”. No ACX anything.
I warn you, I’m so new at this, I’m just a klutz…I just wanted to check my Microphone test, started following Josh Meyers on YouTube, doesn’t seem too difficult etc. but I can’t even add this ACX check plug-in. That and my playback of the test is so quiet on my laptop, I think I might need an interface(?) or some thing (AKG usb microphone may be the problem…) Don’t seem to know what I’m doing. Thanks for any advice!
Not sure I can afford Abode, so I chose Audacity—Cmchaney
Someone will correct me, but I thought ACX-Check came built-in with Audacity 3.3.3.
Launch Audacity. Somewhere up at the top it should say Effect. Click on that and the first selection should be Plugin Manager. Click on that. That should give you a listing of all the custom effects. The topmost one should be ACX-Check. You should not have to install anything, that I know of.
Koz
It’s not if everything goes OK. For a successful YouTube channel, however, you have to carefully arrange things so there are no mistakes and everything goes perfectly. You have to “Hollywood It Up.” Nobody is going to watch a YouTube channel where the presenter makes mistakes and then worse, makes the audience watch while he fixes them. It’s a safe bet that Josh Meyers is only showing you the carefully edited videos after rehearsing and pre-production.
Were you able to find the Effect clicker at the top of the Audacity work screen?
What’s your microphone by name and model number? We have to build your world in our imagination as we try to figure out what’s wrong. The more we know, the better.
Or their Exciting New Subscription Model.
Are you headed for ACX/Audible? We have a pretty good track record for getting people published.
Koz
Maybe Josh Meyer, Voice Over Master?
No “s”.
Koz
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ACX/Audible. Step One.
ACX has some not quite obvious requirements for submission that have nothing to do with sound quality.
I need to be able to buy your book on Amazon right now. Not kidding. One of the first steps in the application for Audiobook Submission is the Amazon name and purchase information. One of the forum posters insisted he was going to do both at the same time. We never heard back how it went.
Your book should not be on this list (scroll down).
https://www.acx.com/help/200878270
They won’t accept a cookbook, although one forum poster tried.
My version of this requirement is the need to have character, plot, and setting. The only variation I know of is “The Hero’s Journey” where the speakers talk about characters, plot, and setting. That counts. Terrific audiobook.
Koz
Hey Koz!
My microphone is AKG Lyra USB multimode Ultra-HD serial # AY0001134678 C44-USB I can’t discern a model number.
I am headed to ACX for producing/narrating audible books. I retired this year and must supplement my monthly retirement checks. This is what I can do–voice work.
I had a lot of Google training but nothing like this. Open Source is seemingly more sophisticated than what I’ve experienced. Can’t problem solve easily.
I have downloaded the Audacity app from the site–Windows 3.3.3 and have removed it and tried redownloading it several times with no ACX Check in Effect–just the Nyquist installer one. Really making my head spin.
Anyway, I’ve scheduled myself to get started ASAP but I’m going nowhere.
Thanks again for any advice. CM
Try not to fall over.
You are replacing a crew: Producer, Engineer, Actor. The jobs didn’t vanish, you are just trying to do all of them at once, by yourself, and you’re doing it on a home computer, notoriously unstable and difficult to use for production.
Instead of typing the instructions out myself which is what I normally do, I’m going into the Audacity Manual and see what’s there. I know I actually wrote some of it myself, I just lost it.
How is that possible, you might ask? This is new forum software. I could play the old forum with one ear tied behind me, but not so the new one…yet.
We are recommending two programs or processes. Audiobook Mastering Macro, and ACX-Check. Everybody knows about ACX-Check. It can tell you if you passed the three Audiobook technical standards: Noise, Loudness, and Peak Distortion. Lesser known is Audiobook Mastering Macro which can guarantee two of the three standards. If you record in a quiet, echo-free room, you could have noise licked and you may be done.
As we go.
Koz
I can post the two tools from kozco.com.
https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/Documents/Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt
That’s a text Macro program whose job it is to tell other programs what to do.
https://www.kozco.com/tech/audacity/Documents/ACX-Check.ny
That’s a Nyquist actual program which performs the three step-analysis to find out if you passed the audiobook technical standards.
As we go.
Koz
I think I see what happened with the appearance of the plugins. I’ve been upgrading my Audacity for billions of years and I think the add-ons just hung around from version to version If you start from dead zero, you won’t have any of these.
Koz
I think I can get the Macro working.
Download the Macro I posted. Save As a text file. I save to my desktop. Yours won’t look exactly like this. You need to convert to Windows.
Tools > Macro Manager.
Import
Desktop > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.txt > open
Open the show > Tools > Apply Macro > Audiobook-Mastering-Macro.
There is no “OK.” It just does it.
It guarantees RMS (Loudness) and Peaks. If you recorded in a quiet, echo-free room, noise may pass (-65dB or quieter) and that’s all you need.
Now for ACX-Check.
Koz
That will get you past the technical standards. You still have to pass all the theatrical standards. You’re doing a vocal performance, not just reading a shopping list.
In my particular case, I failed ACX acceptance not because of a technical problem (my submitted file was practically perfect in every way). No, they didn’t like my lip smacks, sniffs, gasps, tongue ticks, and other mouth noises.
There is one other oddity of submitting now. Back when I did it, they allowed me to submit a short voice test which they would evaluate. They don’t do that any more. You have to submit the Whole Book and pray you didn’t make too many mistakes.
That’s where the forum can come in handy. We can do voice and quality evaluations before you submit. You can’t submit a book chapter on the forum, but you can show anything that fits in 4MB.
Koz
All very helpful, Koz!
I bought a pop filter, and viewed alot of videos on creating error free (or reduced errors) narration (Josh Meyer loves using the Equalizer–swears it’s how to make the best narration and is really important) yet he has loud breaths on his videos. I watched VoiceOverAngela (on YouTube/Adobe Audition) and she has good advice for narration and expectations. The Forum has already been helpful, so I recommend it to everyone!
You can try again someday, if that’s what you really want, don’t give up.
This information you shared is great! Have an awesome weekend–CM
I got a response from the other elves how to install a Nyquist plugin.
So that will give you both the Mastering Macro and ACX-Check.
Koz
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