PROGRAM

LOUDNESS N U T S & B O L T S

Jean Paul Moerman

• forced to keep the remote at hand ... turn up the volume during conversations

... our friends have the same remarksM en K Lippens

• “man bijt hond” ... who put that noise on the tape?

why must the music be so disturbing?R Cools

• something wrong with the soundquality since the news is in a new studio ...

anchor with duller voice and ‘s’-sound ... unclearerS Vervoort

• renovated news ... soundlevel clearly lower than before ...C Vanhoute

• disturbing soundlevels during programchangesH D’Hollander

• TV1 “sound-problem” loudnesslevel has to be correctedY Fredericckx

• please, broadcast “recht op recht” with subtitlesD De Meester

• “recht op recht” music to loud ... conversations incomprehensibleB De Mondt

• new-year concert higher dynamics, nicer soundimage, balanced on Ned2 ...

mix VRT-recordings less carefullD Andries

• clients complain rightly about the VRT-sound is to faint against the otherskabelmaatschappij Limburg

75% COMPLAINTS=

SOUND

proposal for

UNIFORMITYof

TV-SOUND

the viewer

Loudnessproblem

Tekst

9dB

+2

-2-10

+1

+3+4

PPM

-9

TV1 Canvas VT4 VTM K2 NED1 NED2 BBC1

Abs peak

+7

+5+6

+8+9

+2

-2-10

+1

+3

+7

+4+5+6

VU

+8+9

-3

-3-4-5-6

-7-8

loudnessproblem

0

-3

-6

-9

-12

-15

-18

trailer

op

en

ing

sco

re

vo

ice o

ver

inte

rvie

w 1

bu

mp

er

inte

rvie

w 2

en

d s

co

re

dBFS VU

PPM

Peak

conclusions

• processor

• uniformity

conslusions

• processor

• uniformity

• metering levels

• monitoring

• modulation rules

= training & dialogue

metering

VRT norm en ref.levels

metering

analogue

digital

analogue

PPM 10ms

adaptive metering

integration time + scales

monitoring

monitoring

monitoring

monitoring

• 10ms PPM

metering

• 1 sample

• 300ms VU

movie

• Reference 83dB SPL = 0VU

DVD = 77dB SPL

home

• Reference 77dB SPL = 0VU

spl studio = spl home

+ =

80 phon

reference monitoring

postproductie

jean-paul.moerman@vrt.be kwaliteitsproject geluid

jean-paul.moerman@vrt.be kwaliteitsproject geluid

the viewer

voice as reference

loudness

average

• voice pres. –3/+1dB PPM

• p’s and t’s +3dB PPM

• loudness voice 73dB SPL

• rest is relative to the voice

modulation

tijdsduur impuls PPM dBFS frequentie

4 samples – 0,1ms +9dB 0dB 5-10kHz

1ms +6dB -3dB 1kHz

10ms 0dB -9dB 1kHz

300ms - continu -9dB -18dB 400Hz

modulation

tijdsduur impuls PPM dBFS frequentie

4 samples – 0,1ms +9dB 0dB 5-10kHz

1ms +6dB -3dB 1kHz

10ms 0dB -9dB 1kHz

300ms - continu -9dB -18dB 400Hz

modulation

modulation

CALIB.TONE LEVEL -9dB PPM

MAX. LEVEL +9dB PPM

dynamics

homevoice on 50cm

shout

normal

whisper

studio18 > 14

Mono / NICAM14 > 12

DVB-T 2.0

14 > 14

production

post productiontape + off line

autopromo

St1 / St3 / St5St7

St17&19

AT

OB vanK2 & K3

Continuity

MCRmononicamdigital

MCRmononicamdigital

Continuity

play outserver

PRESETS

Tresholdlevels:

TX-LIM 0dBFS (+9PPM)Multib. LIM –5dBFS (+4PPM)Multib. COM –19dBFS (-10PPM)Ratio 1:1.4Make-up gain +3 tot 4 dB

master control room

DVB-T 2.0

DVB-T 2.0

ITUloudness

standard

• SPPM (abs peak) not applicable

• QPPM (10ms) only speech

• VU (300 msec)

• RMS (600 msec)

• RMS weighted (dbA, LeqA, LeqM)

• Psycgoacoustic (Prof. Zwicker ISO 532 B, Stevens et.al.)Norm only applicable for stationary signals

• NEW NORM: ITUIRT (Spikowski/Klar): statistic average QPPM

standard loudness measurements

Loudness Metering - RMS

• Unweighted RMS = ENERGY

• simple approximation of perceived loudness

• In comparison to SPPM =very useful visualisation of compressor/limiter’s influence

• “Must-have” TOOL FOR serious CD / DVD Mastering(3 Reference Volumes / 3 scales:- broadcast, pop, classic) Katz Scales: K-12 / K-14 / K-20

Very useful solution:

display of 2 Informations at the same time

one for TECHNICAL attributes + one for CONTENT

• SPPM & VU (300 msec)

• SPPM & True RMS (600 msec)

including K-System scale

– “Integrated Approach to Metering, Monitoring, and Levelling Practices” by

Bob Katz

– 3 different scales for wide range, pop and broadcast material (3 REFERENCE VOLUMES !)

• QPPM (10ms Attack) & IRT Loudness

workgroup SRG 3 WP6P(ITU)

• extensive listening tests with 100 samples

• Ca. 100 fragments TV/Radio

• by 5 independent institutes

• coord listening tests Gilbert Soulodre / Communications Research Centre, CRC, Kanada

• 08/2003 discussion first results

• „Draft for Recommendation“ end Q1/2004

Participants SRG 3 (ITU)

• folowing manufacturers have delivered assistantce for these loudness measurements

• DAG2000 / IRT

• Dolby Laboratories• Dorrough

• NHK/

Yamaki

• Opticom• Pinguin

• TC Electronic

• DK Audio

resultsVRT project

+2

-2-10

+1

+3

+7

+4+5+6

+2

-2-10

+1

+3+4

VU

PPM

+8+9

-9

TV1sep

NED1 NED2 BBC1

Abs peak

+7

+5+6

+8+9

-3

-3-4-5-6

-7-8

TV1nov

TV1apr

coles4104

lipmic

• meter levels

• monitoring

• modulation rules

serge bert

marckurt

ronny

pol

ben

hugo

dirk

tom luc

hubert

serge

standard project for studio 1

ER St1 LCT Ant

viewing figures

news oct > apr

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1 21 41 61 81 101 121 141 161 181 201 221

Series1

St1 Ant

news oct > apr

apreciation figures

LCTER

• forced to keep the remote at hand ... turn up the volume during conversations

... our friends have the same remarksM en K Lippens

• “man bijt hond” ... who put that noise on the tape?

why must the music be so disturbing?R Cools

• something wrong with the soundquality since the news is in a new studio ...

anchor with duller voice and ‘s’-sound ... unclearerS Vervoort

• renovated news ... soundlevel clearly lower than before ...C Vanhoute

• disturbing soundlevels during programchangesH D’Hollander

• TV1 “sound-problem” loudnesslevel has to be correctedY Fredericckx

• please, broadcast “recht op recht” with subtitlesD De Meester

• “recht op recht” music to loud ... conversations incomprehensibleB De Mondt

• new-year concert higher dynamics, nicer soundimage, balanced on Ned2 ...

mix VRT-recordings less carefullD Andries

• clients complain rightly about the VRT-sound is to faint against the otherskabelmaatschappij Limburg

• news still with headsets ... which results in exagerated breathing noises and pops, anoying the audience ... the former deskmicrophones sounded much more

professional

W. Van Marck

viewer complaints reduced from 140 to 2 or 1,4%

• beslissend moment voor broadcasters

• nood voor ‘loudness recomendation’

jean-paul.moerman@me.com