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It is helpful to know whether your volume is correct ''before'' exporting your recording to an MP3 file. There is a plug-in for Audacity called '''ReplayGain''' which allows you to do this.
It is helpful to know whether your volume is correct ''before'' exporting your recording to an MP3 file. There is a Nyquist plug-in for Audacity called '''ReplayGain''' which allows you to do this. It also provides a facility for Equal Loudness Normalization (ie for amplifying to the required level).


The latest version of [http://forum.audacityteam.org/download/file.php?id=4685 ReplayGain.ny] both analyses ''and'' has the facility for Equal Loudness Normalization (i.e. amplifying to the required level), and appears in the Effect menu in versions of Audacity 2.1.0 and later.
===ReplayGain: installation===


There is an earlier version of ReplayGain.ny which analyses the volume only and indicates by how much you need to amplify + (or de-amplify -) to achieve the desired volume of 89 dB. This version appears in the Analyze menu in 2.0.3 and in the Effect menu in 2.1.0. 
First, download the latest version from [http://forum.audacityteam.org/download/file.php?id=4685  '''here''']. You may need to right-click on the link and select Save Link As. Save the file (called ''ReplayGain.ny'') somewhere, then follow the relevant instructions below:


To install this plug-in,
====Installing on MacOS 10.14 Mojave====
* Save the file to your computer - your desktop or somewhere where you can easily find it.
* Now browse to the folder in which Audacity is installed. It's probably in C:\Program Files\Audacity) and then open the Plug-Ins folder.
* Drag the file you saved into the Plug-Ins folder.
* When you start Audacity, look for ReplayGain under the Effect or Analyze menu.  If you don’t see it, go to Analyze | Manage, find ReplayGain and “enable” it.  It will then appear in either the Effect or Analyze drop down menu (depending on the version you have installed).


'''<font color="red">N.B.</font>''' Please be aware that this plug-in does not warn you if amplification will cause [http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Setting_Recording_Input_Level#Peaking_.28Clipping.29 clipping] when you Normalize. Check by '''View | Show Clipping''' and then '''View | Fit in Window'''. If red vertical lines are showing, this means that the audio has reached a level of volume where your voice may be distorted. If this happens, click 'Undo' to undo the Normalization, and use the '''Effect | Amplify''' feature '''without''' the 'Allow Clipping' box checked.
First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from [https://www.audacityteam.org/download/mac/ here]. When you install Audacity on Mojave you may get a warning message saying that the program will not work on future versions of MacOS. That can be ignored. Hopefully by the time Apple goes beyond Mojave, Audacity will have been updated as well.


There is an explanatory video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz4GF3HEXV4 here] which walks you through how to use this plug-in.
Ignore older instructions telling you where to save the ''ReplayGain.ny'' file: it actually needs to be stored ''within'' the Audacity.app package itself. You'll probably find that in /Applications, called Audacity, and though it looks like a single file it is in fact a package that can be opened.


Installation on Windows 10 is discussed [https://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=63102 here].
* Go to the /Applications folder, and find Audacity
* Right click on it, and select Show Package Contents
* Double-click on the contents folder, and go to the plugs-ins subfolder
* Copy ''ReplayGain.ny'' there
* Restart Audacity
* You should find ''ReplayGain'' as one of the items under the '''Effect''' menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).


The author of these plug-ins explains the use of the plug-in in the Audacity forum [http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?p=167758#p167758 here].
If you can't see the entry, make sure that ''ReplayGain'' is enabled via the '''Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins''' menu option.
 
====Installing on earlier versions of Mac OSX====
 
First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from [https://www.audacityteam.org/download/mac/ here].
 
* Browse to ''~/Library/Application Support/audacity/Plug-Ins'' and go open the plugs-ins subfolder
* Copy ''ReplayGain.ny'' there
* Restart Audacity
* You should find ''ReplayGain'' as one of the items under the '''Effect''' menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).
 
If you can't see the entry, make sure that ''ReplayGain'' is enabled via the '''Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins''' menu option.
 
====Installing on Windows 10====
 
First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from [https://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows/ here].
 
* Browse to the folder within This PC. in which Audacity is installed: it's probably under OS (C:), and within that Program Files (x86). You should find an Audacity folder at the top, or near it
* Go to the Plug-Ins subfolder and copy ''ReplayGain.ny'' there
* Restart Audacity
* You should find ''ReplayGain'' as one of the items under the '''Effect''' menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).
 
If you can't see the entry, make sure that ''ReplayGain'' is enabled via the '''Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins''' menu option.
 
Installation on Windows 10 is also discussed [https://forum.librivox.org/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=63102 here].
 
====Installing on earlier versions of Windows====
 
First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from [https://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows/ here].
 
* Browse to the folder in which Audacity is installed (it's probably in somewhere like ''C:\Program Files\Audacity'' or ''C:\Program Files (x86)''), and go to the Plug-Ins folder
* Copy ''ReplayGain.ny'' there
* Restart Audacity
* You should find ''ReplayGain'' as one of the items under the ''Effect'' menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).
 
If you can't see the entry, make sure that ''ReplayGain'' is enabled via the '''Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins''' menu option.
 
===Using the plugin===
 
The author explains use of the plug-in in the Audacity forum [http://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?p=167758#p167758 here].
 
There is an explanatory video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz4GF3HEXV4 here].
 
'''<font color="red">N.B.</font>''' Please be aware that this plug-in does not warn you if amplification will cause [http://wiki.librivox.org/index.php/Setting_Recording_Input_Level#Peaking_.28Clipping.29 clipping] when you Normalize. Check by '''View | Show Clipping''' and then '''View | Fit in Window'''. If red vertical lines are showing, this means that the audio has reached a level of volume where your voice may be distorted. If this happens, click Undo to undo the Normalization, and use the '''Effect | Amplify''' feature ''without'' the Allow Clipping box checked.
 
===Old versions===
Note that old versions of the plugin didn't have the ability to do amplification, and some were accessed via the Analyze rather than the Effect menu. That's only likely to be relevant if you are running an outdated version.
 
===Further reading===
* More technical details for the ReplayGain plugin can be found [http://wiki.hydrogenaud.io/index.php?title=ReplayGain here]
* General instructions on installing various plugins within Audacity are [https://manual.audacityteam.org/man/installing_effect_generator_and_analyzer_plug_ins_on_mac_os_x.html here]. (soem of these instructions are out of date)

Revision as of 21:37, 4 February 2019

It is helpful to know whether your volume is correct before exporting your recording to an MP3 file. There is a Nyquist plug-in for Audacity called ReplayGain which allows you to do this. It also provides a facility for Equal Loudness Normalization (ie for amplifying to the required level).

ReplayGain: installation

First, download the latest version from here. You may need to right-click on the link and select Save Link As. Save the file (called ReplayGain.ny) somewhere, then follow the relevant instructions below:

Installing on MacOS 10.14 Mojave

First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from here. When you install Audacity on Mojave you may get a warning message saying that the program will not work on future versions of MacOS. That can be ignored. Hopefully by the time Apple goes beyond Mojave, Audacity will have been updated as well.

Ignore older instructions telling you where to save the ReplayGain.ny file: it actually needs to be stored within the Audacity.app package itself. You'll probably find that in /Applications, called Audacity, and though it looks like a single file it is in fact a package that can be opened.

  • Go to the /Applications folder, and find Audacity
  • Right click on it, and select Show Package Contents
  • Double-click on the contents folder, and go to the plugs-ins subfolder
  • Copy ReplayGain.ny there
  • Restart Audacity
  • You should find ReplayGain as one of the items under the Effect menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).

If you can't see the entry, make sure that ReplayGain is enabled via the Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins menu option.

Installing on earlier versions of Mac OSX

First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from here.

  • Browse to ~/Library/Application Support/audacity/Plug-Ins and go open the plugs-ins subfolder
  • Copy ReplayGain.ny there
  • Restart Audacity
  • You should find ReplayGain as one of the items under the Effect menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).

If you can't see the entry, make sure that ReplayGain is enabled via the Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins menu option.

Installing on Windows 10

First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from here.

  • Browse to the folder within This PC. in which Audacity is installed: it's probably under OS (C:), and within that Program Files (x86). You should find an Audacity folder at the top, or near it
  • Go to the Plug-Ins subfolder and copy ReplayGain.ny there
  • Restart Audacity
  • You should find ReplayGain as one of the items under the Effect menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).

If you can't see the entry, make sure that ReplayGain is enabled via the Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins menu option.

Installation on Windows 10 is also discussed here.

Installing on earlier versions of Windows

First, make sure you are running the latest version of Audacity, 2.3.0, obtainable from here.

  • Browse to the folder in which Audacity is installed (it's probably in somewhere like C:\Program Files\Audacity or C:\Program Files (x86)), and go to the Plug-Ins folder
  • Copy ReplayGain.ny there
  • Restart Audacity
  • You should find ReplayGain as one of the items under the Effect menu (towards the bottom, under the horizontal divider).

If you can't see the entry, make sure that ReplayGain is enabled via the Effect | Add/Remove Plug-ins menu option.

Using the plugin

The author explains use of the plug-in in the Audacity forum here.

There is an explanatory video here.

N.B. Please be aware that this plug-in does not warn you if amplification will cause clipping when you Normalize. Check by View | Show Clipping and then View | Fit in Window. If red vertical lines are showing, this means that the audio has reached a level of volume where your voice may be distorted. If this happens, click Undo to undo the Normalization, and use the Effect | Amplify feature without the Allow Clipping box checked.

Old versions

Note that old versions of the plugin didn't have the ability to do amplification, and some were accessed via the Analyze rather than the Effect menu. That's only likely to be relevant if you are running an outdated version.

Further reading

  • More technical details for the ReplayGain plugin can be found here
  • General instructions on installing various plugins within Audacity are here. (soem of these instructions are out of date)