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  #1  
Old 02-29-2008, 12:33 AM
yazoo yazoo is offline
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Default Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference level

Hi All!

Im trying to figure out the best way to mix my projects for different channels regarding dialog level and overall dynamics.

Im currently working on a commercial that is going to be delivered to a german channel(RTL, Kabel 1), when I read the Technical Recommendations for that channel I only get confused;

"The crucial tecnical details correspond in general to what the EBU recommends"

Where do I find this?

"The maximum recording level is 0db = 100% and must correspond to the calibrating tone of the respecive movie or tape. This level must not to be exceed during production."

I want to know the level I should mix the dialog(leq a) and the overall peak level so I know what my dynamic range is.

regards
benny
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Old 02-29-2008, 03:32 AM
Frank Kruse Frank Kruse is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

German broadcast specs are pretty straight forward.

1) There are no LEQ requirements (at least I´ve never heard of them)

2) Ref-tone 1k@ -18dBFs. Maximum Level -9dBFs, this is the 100% they refer to. (peak-metering DIN Scale, 10ms integration time)

3) stereo-korrelation between 0 and +1 (QC is pretty tough on phase problems so keep phase on the plus side of your phase-meter)

frank.
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Old 02-29-2008, 05:04 AM
tj_davies tj_davies is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

For commercials I keep the Leq(a) on Digidesign's PhaseScope at around -18.

Hope it helps,
Timothy
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Old 02-29-2008, 05:49 AM
Frank Kruse Frank Kruse is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

Let me add that I was referring to regular program (films, docus etc.)

Maybe they have LEQ-rules for commercials but I hardly ever do those for TV so I don´t know.

frank.
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Old 02-29-2008, 06:09 AM
yazoo yazoo is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

Thanks thats great!

--------------


Quote:
For commercials I keep the Leq(a) on Digidesign's PhaseScope at around -18.

Hope it helps,
Timothy
Ok sounds like very hard compressed dialog or VO then?

Im currently working on a infomercial with long show parts of dialog.


i tried to keep the dialog at -18 on Leq(a)and with peaks at -10 but thats not possible with out overcompressing the dialog.

Im a doing something wrong here?
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Old 02-29-2008, 06:55 AM
tj_davies tj_davies is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

Like Frank said - I don't think there is a rule for Leq(a) in Germany either (at least not that I know of).
It's just my experience, that the mixes survive in the German loudness war. Saying that, that doesn't mean that's a rule for others to apply.

Yep, to get -18 signals are compressed and limited several times along the routing.
Anyway, compression isn't the only thing that forces the Leq(a) to -18. Try eq-ing. Especially a boost around 900Hz and higher (3000Hz eg)! And cutting the low end helps, too.

Hope it helps,
Timothy
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Old 03-01-2008, 05:53 AM
Richard Fairbanks Richard Fairbanks is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference le

Quote:
i tried to keep the dialog at -18 on Leq(a)and with peaks at -10 but thats not possible with out overcompressing the dialog.

Im a doing something wrong here?
That's the way it is! Without some kind of sound filling in all the holes between words, an Leq(a) reading drops by a couple of db usually. This is why I have such a problem with Leq in the first place, it does not reflect what is real. Put pink noise or music behind the same dialog and watch the reading go back up! Faster speech reads higher than slower speech, too, all else being equal. If you don't have a specific number target to satisfy, I'd say to make your best judgement keeping all this (including EQ manipulation) in mind. It is a far more difficult task to compare an entire show's dialog to a commericial, in terms of loudness. The variables involved are vastly different. The amount of set noise becomes a major problem with extreme compression, since there is often nothing to hide it behind (no music, little or no ambience, little time to caress each word with eq and level rides). I think seamless mixing is more important than maximum leq.
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Old 04-04-2011, 08:26 AM
filmsound_no filmsound_no is offline
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Default Re: Specs for Broadcast, Leq(a), Peak audio and reference level

My best advice is to download a commersial, extract the audio and normalize it to the max peak your provider wants, and then compare it with your sound normalized to the same levels. best thing is to find a commersial that is somewhat the same, like if it has only dialogue, find an only dialoge commersial and so on. just don't overcompress it, it'll sound really really bad when the broadcaster tries to compress it even more. If a commersial is music only I try to maintan 21-22 Leq(A), max peak is -12dBFS here. sounds ok with me. Personally I would like to see levels more like 24-26, but that's not gonna happen before someone(broadcaster) says that this is the way they want it.
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