Is Chris 1.2.6 still the best?

[Unlikely]

Executive Summary:
I'm hoping you processing experts can provide some timely advise.
Is Chris's (sp?) Compressor 1.2.6 still the best among the options?
Are there any other plugins that I should explore for my purposes?

Details:
I'm processing lots of spoken word audio for audiobooks. I use the 1.2.6 version almost daily, and overall I'm happy with the results (although I have to chop off the beginning/end where that compressor adds some noise.)

When researching compression and tools, that product is the most recommended I've seen among the Audacity crowd.

I also read Chris passed a few years ago, and I found the site where it now lives (including the 1.2.7 beta version, which I do NOT use).

*******

I found a de-Esser I like better than Spitfish (which is the most recommended.)

Because software tends to improve regularly, I'm wondering if anybody else has found an upgrade or something better than Chris's. It's unusual something that old hasn't been upgraded by someone. I'm also not using the stock EQ options, as I like the KarmaFX version better. (I'm always looking for better tools, so if you know of something better, I'm all ears.)

Do you still feel that is the best compressor among the options? (assuming my application: spoken word, no music.)
Any advantages to the built-in version?

I realize I could play around with some of them, but wondering if anybody has any thoughts.

My needs are simple: Making quality audio books and compression is standard among the processing for that audio.

All feedback welcomed!

PS: I've been blown away at how helpful this community is.

[steve]

Chris's 1.2.6 dynamic compressor is still very good for spoken word and preferred by many to other compressors for this job.
The 1.2.7 version was experimental and has some unresolved issues.

I don't agree that "new" is always "better" (I know you didn't actually say that it was ) The "Amplify" effect in Audacity is virtually unchanged from the version in Audacity 1.0.0 because it does exactly what it should do and there is no need to change it. When something works really well, "New" and "Improved" is often no more than a marketing ploy (or a cheaper to make version).

[Robert J. H.]

It would certainly be worth considering if Chris' Compressor couldn't be improved such that the beginnings and endings do not stand out the way they do now.
It may be sufficient to add some silence and to trim the sound after processing.

[Unlikely]

Chris's 1.2.6 dynamic compressor is still very good for spoken word and preferred by many to other compressors for this job.
The 1.2.7 version was experimental and has some unresolved issues.

I don't agree that "new" is always "better" (I know you didn't actually say that it was ) The "Amplify" effect in Audacity is virtually unchanged from the version in Audacity 1.0.0 because it does exactly what it should do and there is no need to change it. When something works really well, "New" and "Improved" is often no more than a marketing ploy (or a cheaper to make version).

I appreciate your input! (Nice to have power users like you provide some perspective.)

I agree new isn't always better, but as a former software developer myself, I find over time most software can be improved IF someone has time/budget and desire. Sometimes it's making it faster, sometimes because the hardware is so much stronger these days, some options are available to solve complex issues that wouldn't have been realistic when this software was created.

Compression with look-ahead seems like a very complex issue to me, so it won't surprise me if someone eventually finds a few tweaks.

I want to be sure someone hadn't found another alternative they like better. I'm far from an authority on what is available as plugins these days.

That said, the current one has the minor flaw that it adds noise to the beginning/end of my tracks, and I just snip it out, no big deal. In theory someone may have taken his code base and figured out a way to remove that one minor issue OR found another add-in that works as well, but eliminates that final couple steps.

It's not that I think this is bad or missing much, but I don't want to assume since I haven't done much research on this topic. (If I could cut a step or two, it's a win for me... I'm processing lots of audio these days, with more arriving regularly.)

Nice to know that experienced users like you still prefer that compressor.

If anybody has other input (or other options they like as well or better,) I'd be interested in hearing about it.

[Trebor]

... the current one has the minor flaw that it adds noise to the beginning/end of my tracks, and I just snip it out, no big deal. In theory someone may have taken his code base and figured out a way to remove that one minor issue OR found another add-in that works as well, but eliminates that final couple steps ...

A workaround is to add a few seconds of some typical audio (copy n paste) to the beginning and end of your recording , then apply Chris's Compressor, then remove the bookends. Alternatively use the envelope tool to reshape the ends to reduce the hiss/loudness at the beginning and end which can occur with Chris's compressor.

[Unlikely]

... the current one has the minor flaw that it adds noise to the beginning/end of my tracks, and I just snip it out, no big deal. In theory someone may have taken his code base and figured out a way to remove that one minor issue OR found another add-in that works as well, but eliminates that final couple steps ...

A workaround is to add a few seconds of some typical audio (copy n paste) to the beginning and end of your recording , then apply Chris's Compressor, then remove the bookends. Alternatively use the envelope tool to reshape the ends to reduce the hiss/loudness at the beginning and end which can occur with Chris's compressor.

Yes, I tend to add a few seconds to the beginning/end then cut them out. But that does get old as I already have a set of steps and I process lots of individual files. It's not something I can automate with 'Chains' from what I can tell (I can't see how to have a Chain select things, either select all, or select X seconds, etc. BUT that should be a different thread.)

My gut tells me the issue is NOT an easy fix, or Chris would have done it as it seems to be a widely known issue. (Alternately, if it was easy, I'm guessing someone else would have figured it out in the few years it's been out and he's been gone.)

That said, someday I'm hoping to find a plugin that works as well, but doesn't add an extra set of steps. I used to write code for a living, but it's been too many years and I know just enough to be dangerous in terms of the mathematics related to sound.

I also suspect some of the commercial plug-ins (paid) can match the Chris version, BUT totally a WAG on my part. That's part of why I'm asking here, if someone else has compared I'd love to hear their experiences. (If I find something I'll report back too...)

I am VERY impressed with this community. I do appreciate your input and suggestions!

Don

[steve]

the current one has the minor flaw that it adds noise to the beginning/end of my tracks, and I just snip it out, no big deal

I don't have Chris's compressor installed at the moment, but are you sure this is not a user error?

Chris's dynamic compressor is intended to even out the "dynamics" (loud and soft), so that loud sounds become relatively quieter and quiet sounds become relatively louder.
Your description sounds like you have very quiet audio at the start of the tracks, which becomes louder when you apply the dynamic compressor, but that is exactly what a dynamic compressor is supposed to do. In order to prevent "silence" (background noise level) from being made louder you need to set the "Noise floor" to a higher level than the background "silence" level. Try raising the noise floor control and see if that fixes the problem (I'm not sure without looking if that will be moving the slider to the left or right, but if in doubt try both).

[Unlikely]

the current one has the minor flaw that it adds noise to the beginning/end of my tracks, and I just snip it out, no big deal

I don't have Chris's compressor installed at the moment, but are you sure this is not a user error?

Chris's dynamic compressor is intended to even out the "dynamics" (loud and soft), so that loud sounds become relatively quieter and quiet sounds become relatively louder.
Your description sounds like you have very quiet audio at the start of the tracks, which becomes louder when you apply the dynamic compressor, but that is exactly what a dynamic compressor is supposed to do. In order to prevent "silence" (background noise level) from being made louder you need to set the "Noise floor" to a higher level than the background "silence" level. Try raising the noise floor control and see if that fixes the problem (I'm not sure without looking if that will be moving the slider to the left or right, but if in doubt try both).

Well it's it's user error, I'd love to know the secret to eliminating it. All input welcomed.

My gut says a compressor shouldn't bring up anything that is below its noise floor. I could be missing something. Chris's doesn't have the same behavior on all the other "silence" in the file. It handles everything very well, except the silence at the beginning/end of the file, which it ALWAYS adds some sound which is NOT wanted. In my case, when the compressor is applied, those beginning/end sections are down between -50 and -60 dB (room tone), sometimes lower.

If I have 3 seconds of room tone, it doesn't bring it all up, it brings up about a half second of noise, in a repeatable pattern, just before my audio (voice) starts. Reminds me of an an ocean wave, starts low, gets louder, fades out. It repeats this behavior after the last spoken word in the file. IF there is a 6 second buffer (room tone) after the last word, the ocean wave sound happens in the first couple seconds of the silence after the last word, then the last half of the buffer section is silent again. The compressor is inconsistent within that last X seconds of "silence" and brings up only a portion of it. I've verified BEFORE applying the compressor that there is nothing in the before/after room tone that is above the noise floor.

I also figured out the same workaround someone else posted. If I extend my beginning/end silence with extra, then it's easy to snip out the extra noise after the compressor is applied.

If you listen at a low volume you may not hear it. If you listen moderately loud, it's obvious. To see it visually if I zoom in with one left mouse click on the scale.

And again, I have to suspect after all this time there is a compressor that works as well as Chris's, but doesn't have this one feature. I could be wrong, and overall I am very happy with the way it works within the audio.

I'll upload samples this weekends highlighting this. From what I can tell, it's a bug. Not a feature. I hope someone shows me I'm just doing it wrong. That would make my day since it's extra steps I don't need. Happy to be wrong! Please make my day.

[steve]

So did you try raising the noise floor setting to see what happens?

[Unlikely]

So did you try raising the noise floor setting to see what happens?

No, but I'm laughing at myself because that's worth trying and I didn't do it.

I think I didn't try that because it says "raise the floor to keep the quiet parts quiet" and I really didn't want to do that with spoken voice. I want the quiet parts to be closer to the louder parts.

Chris defaults the "Floor" to -32 and my standard is currently -28.
I settled on that after testing a few dozen audio files a couple months ago (while also tweaking the other settings.) In other words, I have raised it by 4 dB already compared to the default, but I'll try more just to see what happens.
If I understand it right: If I raise the floor high enough, it should practically leave the file alone (not bring up any of the soft parts.)

In case it make any difference, here are my other settings.
(Maybe something else I have set is effecting the output too.)

Compress ratio: .8
Comp Hardness: .35
Floor: -28
... gate falloff: 2.0
Max amplitude: .85 (depending on the file, sometimes .70)

Of course I'm open to trying it, but if I understand it, getting the floor higher means I get less compressor effect on the soft parts of my audio.

I'll let you know what I find, and I appreciate the suggestions.

Don

Audacity 2.0.6
Windows 8 (64 bit)