One of the cautions of generating a corrections list like this is accidentally making it so it only works on one chapter. If you want another chapter you have to hand-tune it again.
In the revised list, the first limiter sets the volume for the compressor.
Is the only difference you left out step one, Amplify? Which limiter settings did you use? The two limiter versions are different.
Koz
I’ve not tested this specific audio sample, but as a general rule I’d recommend using noise reduction before compression / limiting effects.
If compression is done first it tends to cause the noise floor to fluctuate, which then requires slightly more aggressive noise reduction than would be required if you did the noise reduction first.
You’ve fallen for LadyLee04 's siren call.
Do you have any wax handy? It’s too late for international FedEx.
I bet you’re expecting the tools and filters to act rationally.
In the last example of a correction we both did on the same clip, her pathway produced an overly aggressive RMS or loudness, so she left out the Amplify step and everything settled in. Except my pathway worked and there’s no step or combination of steps in my posting which can do that.
Dum dum dummmmmmmm.
@LadyLee04
Be clear if you found something that worked, you should certainly stick with it. Further, there’s no reason not to continuing reading. I think it’s certainly possible to tame whatever you do, given there are no additional surprises.
@Steve
That’s the process format I was looking for. I’m not in love with what I got.
Can Chains to conditional branching? IF acx-rms is less than 19dB to 23dB, THEN sob in a towel.
Koz
did the noise reduction first.
Watch me and get off the bus one stop before I do.
You won’t know you need noise reduction until volume boosting and other processing is done.
Koz
Hi, okay so I went ahead and applied all the steps to my rough readings which was like 10 more chapters. It worked every time and passed the ACX check. I then went ahead and applied them all to my husband’s recordings and it worked again. I’m going to do some more rough draft readings with the reading tips supplied and will see if I can avoid those big spikes. Learning how to read with a mic in a more practical way that will save me in the editing process.
Now to see if ACX rejects me when I submit it all. Oy!
I will go and try your revised list with the new limiter and see what happens, this is so helpful. I don’t know what to do with Steve’s advice, I shall press on.
That’s thread wander. There are two different conversations going on. You get used to it.
My temperament is to grab what works with white knuckles and hold on. You can mess with variations if you want, but the goal is to get you published, not generate the most elegant process.
Koz
…save me in the editing process.
Exactly correct. You’re doing sort of a one-off, but people who plan on reading a lot quickly tire of rescuing each and every chapter. Much better a studio reading where you can adjust the volume and walk away.
Koz
What gets you past Human Quality Control is natural sounding reading. ACX Check just gets you past the robot at the front door.
Koz
Submitting the files to ACX now… here’s to hoping they don’t slam the door shut after the robo cop scans the files!!!
Chances are good if you passes ACX-Check, you should make it through the ACX Robot Testing. As long as you didn’t do anything to cause voice damage, Human Quality Control should pass it.
Koz
Well, ACX kicked it back to us for some minor changes, rookie mistakes really.
All in all… 15 minutes of editing and on our way. Just waiting for the author to clear her end with ACX!!
Paying attention to the instructions is not an Audacity filter. You have to do that.
Koz
Well, we still haven’t heard back from ACX and the author. I just had my husband send the author a quick message to see if she heard anything. I haven’t read anyone having this long of a turn around without a peep. Is no news good news or is no news suspicious?
Not hearing back from the author is cause for concern particularly if they’re writing the checks.
Not hearing from ACX doesn’t surprise me. Every third posting on the forum is from someone seriously considering reading for ACX AudioBooks. Extrapolating that to the general population that’s several million people.
Worse, many of them have very serious production problems.
Koz
Just heard back from ACX… apparently there are clicks at the beginning and end of a lot of chapters. This sound is inaudible to our ears no matter how loud we turn it up to try and hear what they are hearing. The author doesn’t hear anything either, bless her heart.
I’m honestly waiting for the RH to just give up and fire us. 
That just happened to another poster. Something is causing what I’m calling “gritty” sound. It sails right by most of us.
I gotta come back to this.
Koz
This is me catching up.
This problem was solved recently with De-Clicker.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/updated-de-clicker-and-new-de-esser-for-speech/34283/1
That was applied to fix a problem in this posting. The improvement is audible, but the problem is not immediately obvious.
https://forum.audacityteam.org/t/sample-wav-file-evaluation-requested/42970/1
Koz
Awesome!!! Thank you! I will implement the de-clicker and see what happens!
I would just like to thank KOZ and a few others that chimed in on the thread. After being rejected twice by the ACX human (once for random clicks, and another for not following head and tail instructions) I AM FINALLY LIVE AND ON RETAIL SHELVES. I don’t know if I’ll venture into the land of audio book production again, though if the author asks us to do her 2nd book we might… but wow!! Without this thread and website I would have failed and been up S#!t creak without a paddle!!!
THANK YOU!!!
So this is a snap, right? You’d recommend everybody get into audiobook reading?
It makes me crazy seeing all the equipment packages available and nobody once mentions the room or environment.
Big surprise.
Koz