This should be relatively straightforward all things considered.
If you’re a podcaster, and want to use Ardour but don’t have the money for any commercial plugins, I have a setup that could potentially work. They’re all FOSS plugins too, so this is something to keep in mind.
I’m using this on Artix Linux (I recently ditched CachyOS for Artix), so all commands to download software will be pacman commands. You can potentially do similar with other distros. If you have any recommendations for anything here, you can make changes as you see fit for yourself.
In order of what’s used:
- Noise Gate: LSP Gate Mono
- Usually, I set it to -40 to -44 dB for the curve threshold, -6 on the curve zone, and -12 on the reduction
- Compressor: LSP Compressor Mono
- 2:1 ratio, -8 dB knee, -12 dB threshold (sometimes down to -32 dB)
- EQ: LSP Parametric Equalizer x8
- 8-channel parametric EQ (I don’t use the higher number of channels), and likely just cut anything below 80hz, considering the mic I use (Samson Q9u via USB), and cut unnecessarily high frequencies
- Other channels thereof I just tune to what’s needed
- DeEsser: Airwindows Consolidated, DeBess mode
- FOSS deesser, strange algorithm (though it works)
- Don’t understand this version too much at the moment
- Noise Suppression: Noise Repellent
- Designed for the purposes of rejecting background noise
- I use the adaptive version, though it might not be the best (I need to find another suppression plugin that’s likely LV2, don’t mind other formats, though)
- Limiter (x2): x42-dpl or LSP Limiter (both mono versions)
- x42-dpl
- Simple yet easy-to-understand limiter
- LSP Limiter
- Limiter with more modular control, should that ever be needed
- I tend to use x42-dpl more than LSP Limiter, though I do use both at different times on occasion
- Master Channel Mastering: Podcast Plugins Master
- Just as it says, a mastering plugin by Klaus Scheuermann
- Sister plugin to Track (also by Scheuermann)
- Throw that onto the Master channel, set some things as needed, and it’ll automatically do this over time
NOTE
My setup might not work for you the best. You could have your own, and that’s perfectly fine, even if with proprietary plugins (I did this with proprietary plugins a bit as a test, but went back to FOSS, as those work well for my needs.