Anybody here do audio mixing on ABC's Grey's Anatomy?

[nst7]

I have had this problem watching other ABC shows, particularly Agents of Shield. I had assumed it was my cable provider (Time Warner) screwing it up somehow, with all the things they do to get the channels through the pipeline.

But maybe it's something at the network itself. I don't think it would be the fault of who mixed it, as I'm sure the Bluray or DVD of these shows sound fine.

On other stations, like CBS, there are different issues, like the dialog not really being centered, but going in and out of the LR speakers as well (and I don't mean purposely).

Because of all this, I stopped watching TV in surround, and set it to stereo. Somehow the fold down process lessens the problems (though they are still there, just not as bad).

Note that I am not a Post mixer and know very little about it, but I am just stating my experience as a consumer. Good to know I'm not the only one hearing these things.

[TVPostSound]

I now mix my shows with an "edge" to the DX, to compensate. It seems to flatten out on the air.

[DJ Hellfire]

So we watched the two most recent episodes on Hulu on the Apple TV and the sound is definitely a LOT less compressed and the vocals stand out much more and is noticeably more clear. But the sound effects still seem to drown out the dialog sometimes. Like when the helicopter dropped off the parapalegic guy and his wife Polly or when the drunk teen came into the clinic and mouthed off to Alex after the guy asked "do I have the cancer". The dialog during those scenes was a bit lost in the effects and background noise. Definitely better than the network version though.

[stustan]

Absolutely re-watch the episode "On Demand".

Many "Broadcast" shows use some sort of automated variable compression that raises the room tone and Bg's/SFX whenever there is a brief pause in dialog. As soon as the dialog reappears the compressor ramps down the boosted room tones and Bg's/SFX. This "pumping" of what was meant to be low level ambience and SFX is annoying beyond belief and always masks the dialog that falls within the area where the compressor is "transitioning".

The major network show I Supervise is unlistenable on broadcast while the "On Demand" is a true mirror of our mix. I never watch Broadcast material, except my show .... just in case the Producers or Actors comment on the sound. When questioned I always, always ask whether they are listening to Broadcast or "On Demand". No one ever complains about the "On Demand" and no one ever, ever complains on the dub stage!


I am in NYC/Long Island and ..... Go Figure!!

[quadraphonics]

The issue is usually further up the line than the channel, as it is usually an issue with the main broadcaster (Comcast, ATT, Cox, etc). Since everyone is trying to be ATSC/Calm Act compliant they are slapping automated loudness control boxes across the outputs of all of their channel feeds. (This is usually in addition to anything that is being done by the network feeding those channels; NBC, ABC, etc). These boxes can take an average loudness reading over a set time (anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours) and adjust the loudness to hit a specific long term target. Also, there is usually a short term adjustment with upward expansion and downward compression. This can be adjusted to be super subtle (-+2db) to pretty aggressive (-+10db).

On top of that, many of the boxes I have seen also include a multiband compressor.

These are complicated systems to setup, and with a wide variety of content going through them, they tend to be set up to the worst case scenario.

Randall

Originally Posted by stustan

Absolutely re-watch the episode "On Demand".

Many "Broadcast" shows use some sort of automated variable compression that raises the room tone and Bg's/SFX whenever there is a brief pause in dialog. As soon as the dialog reappears the compressor ramps down the boosted room tones and Bg's/SFX. This "pumping" of what was meant to be low level ambience and SFX is annoying beyond belief and always masks the dialog that falls within the area where the compressor is "transitioning".

The major network show I Supervise is unlistenable on broadcast while the "On Demand" is a true mirror of our mix. I never watch Broadcast material, except my show .... just in case the Producers or Actors comment on the sound. When questioned I always, always ask whether they are listening to Broadcast or "On Demand". No one ever complains about the "On Demand" and no one ever, ever complains on the dub stage!


I am in NYC/Long Island and ..... Go Figure!!

[DJ Hellfire]

Wow so mixing for tv is just as bad as mixing music. You spend all this money on good mixing gear only for the consumers to listen on MP3 and cable providers to what you guys are describing.

[stustan]

Yeah and don't forget most cable boxes arrive with the default setting for compression set at high!!! You've got to dive into the cable boxes's menu to defeat the cable box compression.

DJ Hellfire .... be thankful that you have good ears, good taste, and a revealing playback system to notice the issues!!!!

Most do not even notice!!!!

[DJ Hellfire]

Yeah that over compression is one of the first things I disable. Lol. I'll try the on demand maybe tonight.

[conleec]

Originally Posted by quadraphonics

The issue is usually further up the line than the channel, as it is usually an issue with the main broadcaster (Comcast, ATT, Cox, etc). Since everyone is trying to be ATSC/Calm Act compliant they are slapping automated loudness control boxes across the outputs of all of their channel feeds. (This is usually in addition to anything that is being done by the network feeding those channels; NBC, ABC, etc). These boxes can take an average loudness reading over a set time (anywhere from 5 minutes to several hours) and adjust the loudness to hit a specific long term target. Also, there is usually a short term adjustment with upward expansion and downward compression. This can be adjusted to be super subtle (-+2db) to pretty aggressive (-+10db).

On top of that, many of the boxes I have seen also include a multiband compressor.

I've been noticing this A LOT on Fox's Exorcist. The whole show is generally very quiet with lots of whispering and mumbling, therefore all the room tone is almost constantly cranked to 11. Very irritating, and I'm 100% certain that's not how it was mixed. Even my wife, who normally doesn't notice such things, commented on it the other day, wondering why the sound was so "weird."

[DJ Hellfire]

Makes you wonder if the people actually implementing these functions actually LISTEN to what happens to the audio or if they just don't care.