When I bounce to new track and export, good original files become distorted.

Report · Oct 05, 2018

I am editing an audiobook in Adobe Audition. I record in Multitrack mode, which is a requirement of a Punch & Roll plugin I am using (created by @travis Baldree). To get a clean WAV file of the fully assembled chapter, I bounce to a new track, then export that to a new WAV file. I make a copy of that, and do my editing and mastering on that version.

I noticed that when I moved from Multitrack mode to Waveform, the overall level jumps up, and the audio actually sounds cleaner, less muddy. BUT -- I have just discovered that somewhere in this process, sections of the file are DISTORTED. Unfortunately, I am realizing this after hours of editing, cleaning up the voice by removing breaths, mouth noises, background noise, etc. A lot of work.

My first question is, WHY does the level jump when bouncing, and HOW can I prevent the distortion from being added?

Second question: Having completed 52 chapters, many with distortion, is there a way to repair that? I have tried Diagnostics/de-clipper, which works, but pushes the level down too far. When I raise it back up, the distortion returns. I have had some success applying the Auto Heal effect, but that has to be done in tiny chunks and takes too long.

Any ideas?

Thanks very much,

Rob

Rob Wilson

UnAuthorized Films

Audio Editing hardware/Software

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac14,4

Processor Name: Intel Core i5

Processor Speed: 1.4 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 3 MB

Memory: 8 GB

Boot ROM Version: IM144.0189.B00

SMC Version (system): 2.21f92

Serial Number (system): C02PC3LJFY0T

Hardware UUID: C20D7D89-56EB-59A6-B813-49158E1B037C

PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 Audio InterfaceTech Specs

Computer Connectivity:	USB
Form Factor:	Portable, Desktop
Simultaneous I/O:	2 x 2
Number of Preamps:	2
Phantom Power:	Yes
A/D Resolution:	24-bit/96kHz
Built In DSP/FX:	20 Native effect plug-ins
Analog Inputs:	2 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/instrument)
Analog Outputs:	2 x 1/4" (main out)
Headphones:	1 x 1/4"
MIDI I/O:	In/Out
USB:	1 x Type B
Software:	Studio One 4 Artist DAW included
OS Requirements - Mac:	OS X 10.8.5 or later, Intel Core i3 or higher, 4GB RAM or more recommended
OS Requirements - PC:	Windows 7 SP1 64-bit or later, Intel Core i3 or higher, 8GB RAM or more recommended
Bus Powered:	Yes
Depth:	1.75"
Width:	5.5"
Height:	5.5"
Weight:	5 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number:	AUDIOBOX USB 96

Intel 8 Series Chipset:

Vendor: Intel

Product: 8 Series Chipset

Link Speed: 6 Gigabit

Negotiated Link Speed: 3 Gigabit

Physical Interconnect: SATA

Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

APPLE HDD HTS545050A7E362:

Capacity: 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)

Model: APPLE HDD HTS545050A7E362

Revision: GG2AB990

Serial Number: TNS5193T3DS07H

Native Command Queuing: Yes

Queue Depth: 32

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

Rotational Rate: 5400

Medium Type: Rotational

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Volumes:

EFI:

Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)

File System: MS-DOS FAT32

BSD Name: disk0s1

Content: EFI

Volume UUID: BDC1974F-6B8C-3DAE-9DB2-3AA3C17BF506

UFI Hard Drive:

Capacity: 499.25 GB (499,248,103,424 bytes)

Available: 310.83 GB (310,831,108,096 bytes)

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s2

Mount Point: /

Content: Apple_HFS

Volume UUID: 84B395ED-6163-3197-9342-8B81428ADECE

Recovery HD:

Capacity: 650 MB (650,002,432 bytes)

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s3

Content: Apple_Boot

Volume UUID: 0FDC8C26-109B-3A85-9B0E-973BA7F4EF3C

Storage:

UF-MEDIA-006:

Available: 1.96 TB (1,962,052,780,032 bytes)

Capacity: 2 TB (2,000,398,929,920 bytes)

Mount Point: /Volumes/UF-MEDIA-006

File System: Journaled HFS+

Writable: Yes

Ignore Ownership: Yes

BSD Name: disk1s1

Volume UUID: 4FCEC94C-A258-35D5-9384-9FDA0ABE3D2E

Physical Drive:

Device Name: P9227 Slim

Media Name: LaCie P9227 Slim Media

Protocol: USB

Internal: No

Partition Map Type: MBR (Master Boot Record)

Installed Audio Software:

Pro Tools First:

Version: 18.7.0.201

Obtained from: Identified Developer

Last Modified: 8/3/18, 6:40 PM

Kind: Intel

64-Bit (Intel): Yes

Signed by: Developer ID Application: Avid Technology Inc (4UYUA773XD), Developer ID Certification Authority, Apple Root CA

Location: /Applications/Pro Tools First.app

Creative Cloud Desktop App:

Version: 4.6.0.384

Obtained from: Identified Developer

Last Modified: 8/3/18, 10:04 PM

Kind: Intel

64-Bit (Intel): Yes

Signed by: Developer ID Application: Adobe Systems, Inc. (JQ525L2MZD), Developer ID Certification Authority, Apple Root CA

Location: /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud/Utils/Creative Cloud Desktop App.app

Adobe Creative Suite.

Adobe Audition. Build 11.10.0.184

Punch And RollVersion 1.22.3.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 18.11.20055.290043

AGM: 4.30.78

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.41223

Report · Oct 05, 2018

If you've stuck with 32-bit recording and processing, then all you have to do is reduce the level.

The reason that there's a level change is because of what happens with Pan laws (it's explained elsewhere on the forum in several places) but in reality, if you stick with 32-bit Floating Point processing (the default), then you can easily correct the level difference without any loss, distortion or anything. Because the audio signal is stored in a different way, the concept of 'overload' basically doesn't exist in terms of your files. It only works on 'virtual' signals, so if you present one to your sound device, then yes it will appear to overload it - it's a real-world device, after all. But as I said, reducing the level so that nothing goes over 0dB will fix this immediately.

Interestingly, you said that the level jumps up - most people get this jumping down! What do you have the master fader set to when you do your mixdown?

Report · Oct 05, 2018

SteveG(AudioMasters) wrote
If you've stuck with 32-bit recording and processing, then all you have to do is reduce the level.
...
Interestingly, you said that the level jumps up - most people get this jumping down! What do you have the master fader set to when you do your mixdown?

Hi Steve

Thanks for the quick response!

I don't actually do a mixdown -- because these are just voice narration, there is nothing to mix down. I just have the one track, made up of all the individual clips from the recording session, which is what I bounce to a new complete track, then export to a WAV file that I then edit, clean up, etc. That's where I think the distortion occurs.

I am following ACX (Audiobook) guidelines, which require 44.1KHZ, RMS between -18 and -23db, Peak Volume at -3, and "constant bit rate." I wasn't sure about the "floating" aspect to the 32-bit setting, so have set my template at 24. (I presume that I cannot change the bit rate once the file has been created in 24?).

ACX discourages eq, and I think that's where I went wrong. I have applied Adaptive Noise Reduction, and two eq panels, which I used to try and brighten the sound a bit. Being a novice, I think I set those wrong and introduced the distortion at that stage. I'm including screen grabs of the efx settings here.

I honestly do not know at what stage the program is applying the effects in the effects panel. I suspect it is when I open the bounced WAV file to do the editing, or when I save it. In either case, I'm screwed, because the levels are then baked into the WAV file that I have painstakingly cleaned up (removing all extraneous noises, cleaning up the noise floor, etc.). Distortion would also be embedded in the file too. To correct for distortion, I have to go back to the original session and start from scratch.

As for the Mixer -- the master fader (default output) is set to 0, but as I am not really mixing anything, I presume that has no effect. But since ACX insists on absolute consistency between chapters (files), I WAS thinking of putting all 52 chapters into a group of Multitrack sessions, setting all levels and any efx the same to achieve consistency, but haven't tried that yet.

You suggested reducing the level so that nothing goes over 0dB -- is that still an option for me? I did try that, but the distortion seems to be burned into the audio and is still there -- just quieter.

Thanks for all your generous help. A lot of people owe you a big debt of gratitude.

Rob

Rob Wilson

UnAuthorized Films

Audio Editing hardware/Software

Hardware Overview:

Model Name: iMac

Model Identifier: iMac14,4

Processor Name: Intel Core i5

Processor Speed: 1.4 GHz

Number of Processors: 1

Total Number of Cores: 2

L2 Cache (per Core): 256 KB

L3 Cache: 3 MB

Memory: 8 GB

Boot ROM Version: IM144.0189.B00

SMC Version (system): 2.21f92

Serial Number (system): C02PC3LJFY0T

Hardware UUID: C20D7D89-56EB-59A6-B813-49158E1B037C

PreSonus AudioBox USB 96 Audio InterfaceTech Specs

Computer Connectivity:	USB
Form Factor:	Portable, Desktop
Simultaneous I/O:	2 x 2
Number of Preamps:	2
Phantom Power:	Yes
A/D Resolution:	24-bit/96kHz
Built In DSP/FX:	20 Native effect plug-ins
Analog Inputs:	2 x XLR-1/4" combo (mic/instrument)
Analog Outputs:	2 x 1/4" (main out)
Headphones:	1 x 1/4"
MIDI I/O:	In/Out
USB:	1 x Type B
Software:	Studio One 4 Artist DAW included
OS Requirements - Mac:	OS X 10.8.5 or later, Intel Core i3 or higher, 4GB RAM or more recommended
OS Requirements - PC:	Windows 7 SP1 64-bit or later, Intel Core i3 or higher, 8GB RAM or more recommended
Bus Powered:	Yes
Depth:	1.75"
Width:	5.5"
Height:	5.5"
Weight:	5 lbs.
Manufacturer Part Number:	AUDIOBOX USB 96

Intel 8 Series Chipset:

Vendor: Intel

Product: 8 Series Chipset

Link Speed: 6 Gigabit

Negotiated Link Speed: 3 Gigabit

Physical Interconnect: SATA

Description: AHCI Version 1.30 Supported

APPLE HDD HTS545050A7E362:

Capacity: 500.11 GB (500,107,862,016 bytes)

Model: APPLE HDD HTS545050A7E362

Revision: GG2AB990

Serial Number: TNS5193T3DS07H

Native Command Queuing: Yes

Queue Depth: 32

Removable Media: No

Detachable Drive: No

BSD Name: disk0

Rotational Rate: 5400

Medium Type: Rotational

Partition Map Type: GPT (GUID Partition Table)

S.M.A.R.T. status: Verified

Volumes:

EFI:

Capacity: 209.7 MB (209,715,200 bytes)

File System: MS-DOS FAT32

BSD Name: disk0s1

Content: EFI

Volume UUID: BDC1974F-6B8C-3DAE-9DB2-3AA3C17BF506

UFI Hard Drive:

Capacity: 499.25 GB (499,248,103,424 bytes)

Available: 310.83 GB (310,831,108,096 bytes)

Writable: Yes

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s2

Mount Point: /

Content: Apple_HFS

Volume UUID: 84B395ED-6163-3197-9342-8B81428ADECE

Recovery HD:

Capacity: 650 MB (650,002,432 bytes)

File System: Journaled HFS+

BSD Name: disk0s3

Content: Apple_Boot

Volume UUID: 0FDC8C26-109B-3A85-9B0E-973BA7F4EF3C

Storage:

UF-MEDIA-006:

Available: 1.96 TB (1,962,052,780,032 bytes)

Capacity: 2 TB (2,000,398,929,920 bytes)

Mount Point: /Volumes/UF-MEDIA-006

File System: Journaled HFS+

Writable: Yes

Ignore Ownership: Yes

BSD Name: disk1s1

Volume UUID: 4FCEC94C-A258-35D5-9384-9FDA0ABE3D2E

Physical Drive:

Device Name: P9227 Slim

Media Name: LaCie P9227 Slim Media

Protocol: USB

Internal: No

Partition Map Type: MBR (Master Boot Record)

Installed Audio Software:

Pro Tools First:

Version: 18.7.0.201

Obtained from: Identified Developer

Last Modified: 8/3/18, 6:40 PM

Kind: Intel

64-Bit (Intel): Yes

Signed by: Developer ID Application: Avid Technology Inc (4UYUA773XD), Developer ID Certification Authority, Apple Root CA

Location: /Applications/Pro Tools First.app

Creative Cloud Desktop App:

Version: 4.6.0.384

Obtained from: Identified Developer

Last Modified: 8/3/18, 10:04 PM

Kind: Intel

64-Bit (Intel): Yes

Signed by: Developer ID Application: Adobe Systems, Inc. (JQ525L2MZD), Developer ID Certification Authority, Apple Root CA

Location: /Applications/Utilities/Adobe Creative Cloud/Utils/Creative Cloud Desktop App.app

Adobe Creative Suite.

Adobe Audition. Build 11.10.0.184

Punch And RollVersion 1.22.3.

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Architecture: x86_64

Build: 18.11.20055.290043

AGM: 4.30.78

CoolType: 5.14.5

JP2K: 1.2.2.41223

Report · Oct 05, 2018

unauthorizedrob wrote
I don't actually do a mixdown -- because these are just voice narration, there is nothing to mix down. I just have the one track, made up of all the individual clips from the recording session, which is what I bounce to a new complete track, then export to a WAV file that I then edit, clean up, etc. That's where I think the distortion occurs.
I wasn't sure about the "floating" aspect to the 32-bit setting, so have set my template at 24. (I presume that I cannot change the bit rate once the file has been created in 24?).

I'm not quite sure why you're doing a bounce - I can't see any need for it in this scenario. Once you have the tracks recorded, you can just export them directly - the end result should be identical. I don't see how they could be anything else! Doesn't matter whether you mix down or export the clips, the result will be all the clips assembled, in the order and time sequence you have them in the session.

The Floating Point aspect of this is actually the important bit. It formats your signal so that the actual information is 'normalized' to values between 0 and 1 at 24-bit resolution, and the other bits are used for scaling and a sign bit, making up 32 bits in total. So the signal 'floats' on the scaling bits, hence the near impossibility of overloading it. You can overload it, but you have to add about 1500dB of gain to do so. No that is not a typo!

What this means though is that you can ramp the signal up and down without loss - the information, per se, doesn't change - just the scaling. Just recording and saving as a 24-bit file doesn't give you this advantage, as that's still an integer format. If your original files are 24-bit and not distorted, then you can re-save them as 32-bit FP without any loss - when you originally record a 32-bit file, it looks like a 24-bit one with no scaling added anyway, so if you re-save the originals then yes, you can have the benefit. FWIW, everything I process stays in 32-bit FP until I do distribution copies - right at the end. The production format is 32-bit throughout.

ACX discourages eq, and I think that's where I went wrong. I have applied Adaptive Noise Reduction, and two eq panels, which I used to try and brighten the sound a bit. Being a novice, I think I set those wrong and introduced the distortion at that stage. I'm including screen grabs of the efx settings here.

All I can see your EQ settings doing is partially cancelling each other out! You shouldn't ever use the graphic EQ for anything as far as I'm concerned; If I'm honest, I really don't know what it's still doing in Audition. It's very likely to introduce phase distortion, simply because of the way it works. It's only really a 'legacy' effect, and there's nothing you could sensibly ever want to do to a signal that the parametric EQ won't do better.

To achieve pretty much the same effect only using the Parametric EQ will look something like this:

This will introduce less artifacts, and won't have the effect of one EQ partially cancelling out the other one! You might need to adjust it a bit, and that will be by playing around with band 4. It's boosting the region between about 2kHz to 12kHz that generally brightens speech up - it's often referred to as a 'presence boost'. Really you shouldn't use too much of it, though, or it starts to sound a bit artificial. The bass cut (the HP filter) will get rid of any LF from the room, and won't affect the human voice at all, but it's generally a good thing to do with speech.

As for the noise reduction - adaptive generally isn't a good idea, because it's very likely to modulate the noise floor if the background changes for any reason. Generally you get way better results using the process-based system in Waveform view, but applying it in several passes with different FFT settings, and taking off very little at each pass. That said, it's much better to eliminate as much of this as possible during the recording process in the first place... and that's really what this is about; getting it right initially, and saving yourself a lot of unnecessary work. Also, if every track is going to have essentially the same background, then you can save the noise profiles from the first track you do, and reuse them on the others.

So an ideal scenario would be to record in multitrack, and mix each session down to a single file. Before you edit it, you can EQ it, and apply process NR as described above. If you want to do other things as well, this is the point at which to do them, but I'd caution against doing too much; if you get rid of everything that you think might be extraneous (especially breathing) then what you've got will sound unnatural, and consequently not so easy to listen to. Everybody expects you to breath!

This is all especially important if you've got a lot to do - optimising the process will save you ages.

Report · Oct 16, 2018

Hi Steve

I am re-reading this thread and I am still amazed by your generosity. Thank you.

Despite your very kind attention and guidance, I have created a quagmire. It's a bit analogous to the ischemic cascade in a stroke victim; the damage to these files just tumbles and multiplies, in the hands of a dilettante who had no business trying brain surgery. I am in trouble.

I set the file standard to 24 bit Mono, trying to conform to the audiobook standards ACX/Audible require, so the advantages of the 32-bit floating point are moot. I screwed up the original file storage so they are named in ways that do not correspond to the chapters, and have multiple copies of copies on three storage locations. I had to rebuild several chapters from those scattered originals. Still, I could not output those Multitrack sessions to WAVE, until I was advised by Adobe to bump to a new track, and export that, which worked.

After getting a folder of those original WAVE files, I started my extensive clean-up (removing mouth noises etc.) and started applying effects. Big mistake. I am an intelligent idiot. My attempts to "improve" the audio from the original files only managed to take away the rich timbre of the talent and give the voice a thin, and sometimes distorted quality. I ran them all through those equalizers and applied a notch filter to every single whistle. I then used the process I found on YouTube by Jerry Banfield, to bring the whole book into the RMS range required by ACX (-18to -23 Total RMS, a noise floor of -60, peak no greater than -3), which included the adaptive noise reduction then the Loudness processing Mr. Banfield suggested. 52 chapters I did this to. This has taken months, instead of the weeks a professional would have taken. All because we thought we could save some money.

I submitted the MP3 exports to the talent -- also my partner -- and he exploded. They suck.

I just assembled a string of short samples from the first 28 chapters, to compare their audio. It helps to see how one chapter's waveform compares to the others. The first three are passable; the rest are not. I'd be happy to share this sample assembly if you are feeling masochistic, just not publicly, since the copyright is not mine.

I am not even sure how to ask the question. The only files unaffected by all my meddling are the very first (scattered) source files. To go back to those would be logical, but horrendous. I did export the first three chapter files to a 32-bit stereo format, for what it's worth -- and they do sound good -- but I have no idea if any of these corrective measures can be applied retroactively on the remaining "processed" files I have. I wish, hope, pray -- that something can be done to these files to restore the original richness needed to pass muster and get this book to the author for the holiday market.

Can I fix these files?

With much gratitude,

Rob

Report · Oct 17, 2018

unauthorizedrob wrote
I set the file standard to 24 bit Mono, trying to conform to the audiobook standards ACX/Audible require, so the advantages of the 32-bit floating point are moot.

Nooooo! The whole point here is that what ACX is specifying is the format they require the material in. That's the final format, not the production format. Putting the files in that format is the very last thing you do, not the first! If we look at it from the POV of your 'ischemic cascade' analogy, it's like giving blood an extra tool to punch it's way through all the blockages. It's sort-of 'blood plus', as it were - still blood, but with a kick. Not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea - we send it through with a punch, and remove the punch afterwards.

If the original recordings were 24-bit, then they can be converted to 32-bit FP, and you'll have all the processing advantages. Since you appear to have a product at present that in it's current form is unacceptable, then you'll have to return to the original material, and reorganise it. For a start, do you have the sessions where you re-organised the punched-in recordings? If you have, then all you need to do initially is mix these down to a 32-bit FP format. Yes it will work - no it won't need a bounce. What you are aiming to end up with is 32-bit mixdowns of each chapter. So when you said:

The only files unaffected by all my meddling are the very first (scattered) source files. To go back to those would be logical, but horrendous. I did export the first three chapter files to a 32-bit stereo format, for what it's worth -- and they do sound good -- but I have no idea if any of these corrective measures can be applied retroactively on the remaining "processed" files I have. I wish, hope, pray -- that something can be done to these files to restore the original richness needed to pass muster and get this book to the author for the holiday market.
Can I fix these files?

I don't think you can - they will have been degraded by the processing. I think you have to go back to the chapter sessions, I'm afraid.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

One of the first couple of rules is never work on the original files only on copies (you can open the original files and then do a Save As with a different name) so that you can always go right back to the pristine recordings if there is a problem. Secondly organise your file folders before you start (if you start a new session within Audition recorded files by default go to a Recorded folder within the Session folder) so that you know where everything is. Give names to the files than clearly identify each one.

Also I normally save a new version of the files with a suitable defining name at each stage of the adding of effects so that I can always go back a stage if necessary, for instance FileA_orig.wav, FileA_DNoise, FileA_DNoiseEQ etc. Hard drive space for audio files these days is not limited so keep everything until you are absolutely sure that the project is finished. If necessary archive all the files to external storage if you need to clear space on your working hard drive.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Thank you Ry.

yes — I needed to understand the file organization better. You would be shocked and sickened if you saw the mess I created. I was having to relink all media, then sleuth it out - even doing searches based on date and time to find the right recorded files, which often failed.

Torture, but I did it.

i will study your suggestions, and thank you for those. I do think Adobe could make all this a bit more clear for of us Newbies who have put their faith in the Adobe family of apps. Audition feels like a scrap heap of disjointed and often conflicting tutorials, and a User Guide that needs a user guide. When a person dives into this mire, they are likely to sink.

R

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Steve

Thank you thank you thank you, for responding at all. I am answering at length because I can’t sleep anyway, and maybe this honesty will help others.

I agree, after listening to some of those earliest sessions, (the bounced, exported WAVE originals), that I need to go back that far. I will Just Do It.

Why the tracks had to be bounced was because because I worked in multitrack as a prerequisite of the Travis Baldree Punch&Roll extension(*) which meant the record track needed to be track one of a Multitrack session. I just labeled that “Chapters,” and did not properly setup where all the recorded files were labeled, or stored. As I reopened each session, I got gut wrenching error alerts like “252 of the 785 files in use during this session are missing.”

These files were scattered everywhere. Somehow, over a period of weeks, I managed to reassemble the sessions’ source fils, piecemealing the Waveform tracks back together by reconstructing each one manually. By then, I was already deep in the cascade.

But I had coherent, complete original recorded Wave Files.

The next tumble was, for some reason, these cobbled-together Wave files, with their individual files back in the same order as our Punch&Roll recording, would not export. I only got truncated outputs of the first take, which terminated with a mistake, a curse and a cough.

I consulted with Adobe Mumbai, and the guy was great — actually treated my struggle as his own. He was the one who came up with the idea of bouncing those disjointed WAve Tracks to a new bounce track, then relabeling it as the original chapter as recorded. That worked. In a few days I had a nice, neat folder of all 52 chapters.

I was at least smart enough to back those up in 3 places. I worked on a set of copies-to-process. Those are the ones I labored over, noise reduction, adaptive noise reduction, notch-filtering hundreds of sibilant whistles, manually inserting silence in virtually every place I heard breaths or mouth clicks. Weeks of work.

Somewhere in there my beloved cat had to be put down; worst day of my life.

And the cascade continued. When each chapter was “done,” which included the aforementioned tone-deaf use of eq — I made the mistake of saving all those changes. I had read “Save Save Save,” so i did. The Audition program saved them back on top of themselves. That meant, I realized in a nauseating moment, that now those pristine originals were ruined. All my manual fixes were useless, because the actual audio had been corrupted. As one commenter here said “Once the sugar is baked into the cake, you can’t get it out.”

So here I am. Started this two-week project in July. It was due in August. I’m almost destitute, not sleeping, and yet still confronted with this duty. I never quit, but boy do I complicate.

It will be light soon here in L.A., and the computer is smirking in the dark. I think my task, if I understand you, is to reassemble — from a clean set of originals — all the complete, unsullied chapters, mixdown to 32-bit FP, then export those as Wave files, bite the bullet, and start all over cleaning them up.

Conservatively.

I am then going to take them over to my good friend at Forensic Audio, Kent Gibson, a veteran sound designer with ProTools, and let him check my work.

What about following the wacky Mr. Jerry Banfield’s procedure for meeting the ACX RMS Standards in YouTube? Once these files are clean, they need to fit that submission requirement — which I did with the Banfield method — but is there a more safe and sane way to do that? The post-Jerry files do sound loud.

Now that you realize you’ve got a damaged mind listening to your every word — can you confirm my plan? Any advice, couched in that soothing, child-voice of a pediatric therapist, would be very welcome in this uncertain dawn.

Thanks so Much

Rob

Report · Oct 17, 2018

unauthorized wrote

The next tumble was, for some reason, these cobbled-together Wave files, with their individual files back in the same order as our Punch&Roll recording, would not export. I only got truncated outputs of the first take, which terminated with a mistake, a curse and a cough.
I consulted with Adobe Mumbai, and the guy was great — actually treated my struggle as his own. He was the one who came up with the idea of bouncing those disjointed WAve Tracks to a new bounce track, then relabeling it as the original chapter as recorded. That worked. In a few days I had a nice, neat folder of all 52 chapters.

One thing I'll do shortly is install Travis Baldree's extension and see if I can discover why exporting is so difficult. In case of difficulty, he's relatively easy to contact.

As for making tracks fit the now-outdated ACX submission guidelines (have they never heard of LUFS?), I don't think that will be particularly difficult. Having looked at the Banfield tutorial, I suggest that you ignore it - it's almost toxic, and has probably been the cause of at least some of your difficulties. I'll see if I can come up with something better, which is actually based on the reality of what you need to do. Roughly it goes like this; make sure that the files exceed the noise floor requirements, and then sort out the levels. The most I would think you'll need to do is limit the peaks and then sort the overall level out so that it meets the RMS value requirements.

Report · Oct 17, 2018

Just an update. I think my biggest, earliest mistake was applying those effects in the efx rack. Once removed, I can export new WAVE files that are clean and ready to re-edit.

I still seem to have to bump to a new track, but it gives me a nice, clean exportable WAVE file.

I will keep you posted. I THINK I now have a smart process, thanks largely to you.

Thanks, Steve. You've helped me immensely.

r

Report · Oct 17, 2018

I am replying to my own question, as a help to anybody who has this problem. With a lot of help, I figured it out. I had attached some badly set eq effects and volume settings to EVERY file (52 chapters). For various reasons, I had to bump to new track before exporting to file — and the effects got cooked in.

I am lucky to have pristine tracks from initial sessions, and I can remove the bad effects and re-bounce, export to 32 bit FP files.

Take caution: pit of vipers!

Rob

Report · Oct 18, 2018

Practice (and experience) makes perfect.

Report · Oct 18, 2018

That, honestly, is not helpful. There is nothing perfect about what I have

experienced, and I do not require platitudes.

Report · Oct 18, 2018

Sorry. Only trying to encourage you to keep going after what has been, understandably, a very frustrating time. It will get easier, honestly.

Report · Oct 22, 2018

Where I went wrong - first.

Compounding a stupid error by applying the same bad effects automatically to every export.

The foul deed, exposed: