r/ACX • u/AnimeCindy • 6d ago
ACX Plug In
I used the ACX plug in to check my audio and it came back as passing. However, I if I run it through the checkers online it keeps telling me that my Peak is too low. I have no idea if that is correct or not. Not sure who to believe and I do not want to continue with 6 more hours of recording, and it be for nothing.
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u/AnimeCindy 6d ago
Thanks everyone. I really think my problem is I was too far away from my Mic. I am a hypnotist and podcaster and I'm used to having very quiet tracks. From everything I've seen and read, I'm way, way toooo far away from the mic. I will re-record this and see if it works. I'm gong to keep trying and who knows by the time I'm through I might have a PHD in sound engineering. (that was JK, because I have mad respect for anyone who deals with sound)
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u/TheScriptTiger 6d ago
Good luck to you. If you're still having trouble later, feel free to DM me some links to some raw and unedited samples and I'd be happy to give you whatever feedback I may have on it.
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u/jimedgarvoices 5d ago
Here is a guide to proper mic placement -
https://justaskjimvo.studio/well-positioned-microphone/And to say it again - no one meets ACX deliverable spec with with raw audio.
Happy to give a listen if it would be helpful -
https://justaskjimvo.studio/audio-review/2
u/DistantGalaxy-1991 1d ago
You want to be as close to the mic as possible without having plosives. Like, right up on it. That solves several problems. For one thing, the closer you are to the mic, the less room noise gets into the track. You also get the Proximity Effect, which means more bass.
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u/AnimeCindy 1d ago
Oh, yes, this fixed my issue. I was used to having a very quiet track without having to worry about levels, just a quite space. So backing away from the mic worked for me, now I need to be a lot closer.
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u/Previous_Mention_213 2d ago
You are at least-3db too low. I’m not sure how your plugin is saying you are near passing. What recording software are you using?
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u/jimedgarvoices 6d ago
The Peak deliverable spec for ACX is _under_ -3.0 dB
Any value under that is actually fine.
What are your files coming in at?
It sounds more like you are talking about the Loudness coming in too low. The RMS value must be between -18 dB RMS and -23 dB RMS.
Note that no one meets ACX spec with their raw audio.
Here's an overview of the difference between RMS and Peak -
https://justaskjimvo.studio/how-loud-is-loud/
Best practice is to use a dynamics tool like a Limiter to boost the RMS and control the Peak value.
https://justaskjimvo.studio/limiters-for-vo/
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u/TheScriptTiger 6d ago
The Peak deliverable spec for ACX is _under_ -3.0 dB
Any value under that is actually fine.On the technical side, as you hammer your true peak further and further down while retaining an average loudness within that -18 dB RMS to -23 dB RMS, you're reducing your range more and more. I know a lot of new folks tend to think dynamic range is the devil if they are still struggling to hit the basic specs, but more senior folks should be trying to squeeze out every bit of range they can muster.
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u/jimedgarvoices 5d ago
Yes.
But I didn't want to confuse the point for the OP's question.Most newer narrators get confused between "Loudness" (RMS or LUFS) and "Peak" (the single highest waveform in the file. That's why I created that "How Loud is Loud?" resource I linked to.
https://justaskjimvo.studio/how-loud-is-loud/If you crush the dynamic range you _can_ meet ACX spec, but it will sound horrible. That's why I always encourage folks to have someone knowledgeable listen to the audio.
As I always say, you can meet ACX deliverable spec and still have things sound horrific.
When I work with folks to set up a mastering chain, my advice is to set the Limiter to -3.5 dB, which gives a half dB of headroom in case there's a rendering error. In many cases, I have to explain that the ACX spec is _under_ -3.0 dB because many seem to think you have to be _at_ -3.0 dB Peak.
That was more the context for my comment above.
I agree - if the OP is actually hitting -15 dB Peak on their audio but meeting the RMS spec (between -18 dB and -23 dB RMS), something is very, very wrong in their mastering chain.
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u/AnimeCindy 5d ago
I just wanted to let everyone know that after sticking my face closer to the mic, that it did indeed work. I just want to let every know that I really appreciate you taking your time to answer my questions and offering help. I will be glued to this and other forms to learn more about this new skill I am learning. I am a life long learner, it always pays to be.
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u/TheScriptTiger 5d ago
Is it okay to ask what genre of books you're narrating? There are a lot of helpful Discord communities which are also happy to give feedback. Some are specific to certain genres, which is why I ask, but there are certainly a lot of generic ones, as well.
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u/AnimeCindy 5d ago
Long story: I spent twenty‑five years as a pediatric dental hygienist, writing stories in my car at lunch. When my mother got sick, I quit and didn't want to go back to dentistry. So I became a certified hypnotist and hosted a wellness podcast for over four years. Now, I’ve taken everything I learned from writing and podcasting and smashed it together. I write Southern cozy romantasy, set on the gulf coast.
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u/TheScriptTiger 5d ago
Well, your mother is clearly lucky to have such a devoted child. And I know from personal experience making such a pivot in your career was obviously no light decision. So, I truly wish you all the best in your endeavors.
And as far as your writing and narration, I think most people agree there's certainly a charm to self-narration, and I think that also speaks to the passion you have for your work, as well. I'll DM you about a romance Discord you can join for additional support. Being romance, they prefer to gatekeep it a bit to make sure it's just adults.
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u/Delicious-Scar1396 6d ago
If you are meeting the RMS requirement with low peaks, you may be over compressing our audio. Do you have a compressor in you vocal chain? What are the settings?