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  #1  
Old 01-15-2011, 12:01 PM
d.f. d.f. is offline
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Location: Bristol, UK
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Default Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Hello there.

Very long time user of Pro Tools for music production here, but I have just got a job doing work in the broadcast industry. Kinda want to keep it!

A couple of questions, if I may:

1. When preparing for UK broadcast we have to keep it all peaking below +6 PPM. I was wondering what the preferred limiters are to do this job (on the final mix bus) for the DUC community.

2. Do you ever chain up limiters to do this job? In music production I will use Real Tape saturation into a McDSP ML4000 DL1 into a Sonnox Oxford limiter on the mix bus. All these on light settings.

3. What is the largest difference allowed between lowest peak and highest peak? (does this make sense? ie: quietest bit to loudest bit).

3. When importing the omf file from the online editor I have been finding that stereo tracks come in as two separate mono tracks. Is there a way to make sure that these stereo tracks come in as stereo (is this something that the online guy needs to do?). Is there anything else I should know about importing omf files?

Many thanks in advance..


David.
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  #2  
Old 01-15-2011, 12:10 PM
tom_lowe tom_lowe is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

1. The L2007 is quite popular, well priced and works well, but unlike music, you don't want to slam everything in to the limiter, rather use it to catch any overs. You should do most level control through volume automation and put a limiter on each stem, rather than just one on the buss for your full mix.

You could put a limiter on the full mix buss, but if you've done the job properly and mixed stems properly, this shouldn't be needed, but could be used as a precautionary measure.

2. I never chain them up on the full mix buss, but by use one on each stem, as mentioned above.

3. There is currently no loudness range specified in the UK, but this might change with the introduction of EBU R.128 (if it ever comes to the UK). The BBC recommend that your dialogue levels average around PPM 3.5 - 4.5 (I think - you can double check this) - although that is only guidance, not an actual spec that must be adhered to.

3 (did you mean 4?). OMFs only use mono tracks, just make a new stereo track and move the 2 mono clips on to it.
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  #3  
Old 01-15-2011, 01:04 PM
d.f. d.f. is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Thank you so much Tom. I will try this approach. I had a hunch that this way you describe may be the way to do it.
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  #4  
Old 01-16-2011, 05:23 AM
d.f. d.f. is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

What settings / ratios do you tend to use on the L2007, or other limiters?
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  #5  
Old 01-16-2011, 09:00 AM
tom_lowe tom_lowe is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Quote:
Originally Posted by d.f. View Post
What settings / ratios do you tend to use on the L2007, or other limiters?
Whatever sounds right for the content. I;m sure every song you've done has had different settings, same goes for film and TV post. There isn't a "magic" setting that does it all for you.
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Old 01-16-2011, 10:18 AM
HD2 HD2 is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Quote:
Originally Posted by d.f. View Post
3. When importing the omf file from the online editor I have been finding that stereo tracks come in as two separate mono tracks. Is there a way to make sure that these stereo tracks come in as stereo (is this something that the online guy needs to do?). Is there anything else I should know about importing omf files?

Many thanks in advance..


David.
I have tried different configurations to get stereo tracks to import as stereo but no luck even though the manual says you can import stereo tracks. I think it is something to do with protools not liking stereo interleaved files.
But besides that I ALWAYS import the omf tracks, lock them and leave them exactly as imported and then highlight and control/option and drag them down onto my template tracks which I have set up with the stereo and mono tracks I need. That way I always have the original omf tracks to refer back to if needed, which have the regions muted and hidden in the session.
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  #7  
Old 01-16-2011, 11:29 AM
d.f. d.f. is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Quote:
Originally Posted by HD2 View Post
I have tried different configurations to get stereo tracks to import as stereo but no luck even though the manual says you can import stereo tracks. I think it is something to do with protools not liking stereo interleaved files.
But besides that I ALWAYS import the omf tracks, lock them and leave them exactly as imported and then highlight and control/option and drag them down onto my template tracks which I have set up with the stereo and mono tracks I need. That way I always have the original omf tracks to refer back to if needed, which have the regions muted and hidden in the session.
Great. Thank you very much. The locking original omf tracks and duplicating them tip is a great one.

How does your template work? Do you have, say, x number of stereo and y number of mono tracks set up to start with, (with processing on inserts on every track) that then are bussed to final mix track or do these tracks bus to aux tracks (which have processing on inserts) and then these bus down into final mix track?

Just looking for the simplest and most efficient template for ergonomics, control and automation that your hard-won experience has taught you.

Also do you tend to run the main clock as timecode (with a sub-clock of mins / secs) and have the grid set to to frame?

This may all seem very, very basic, and if so I apologise, but I have what looks like a baptism of fire happening tomorrow (movie trailers) and such helpful tips are enormously appreciated.

ps: does anyone use Izotope Ozone 4?
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  #8  
Old 01-16-2011, 06:14 PM
HD2 HD2 is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Quote:
Originally Posted by d.f. View Post
Great. Thank you very much. The locking original omf tracks and duplicating them tip is a great one.

How does your template work? Do you have, say, x number of stereo and y number of mono tracks set up to start with, (with processing on inserts on every track) that then are bussed to final mix track or do these tracks bus to aux tracks (which have processing on inserts) and then these bus down into final mix track?

Just looking for the simplest and most efficient template for ergonomics, control and automation that your hard-won experience has taught you.

Also do you tend to run the main clock as timecode (with a sub-clock of mins / secs) and have the grid set to to frame?

This may all seem very, very basic, and if so I apologise, but I have what looks like a baptism of fire happening tomorrow (movie trailers) and such helpful tips are enormously appreciated.

ps: does anyone use Izotope Ozone 4?

My track templates vary depending on the show. Most will have a combination of mono & stereo audio tracks and then aux tracks for dial, music, fx & bg's that are then bussed to stem recorder tracks which maybe stereo or 5.1 again depending on the delivery requirements. Really there is no "one" way to do it as it will depend on how you like to work. I have looked at other peoples templates and would not know where to start but it makes sense and works well for them.
I just run with the main clock on TC and I hardly ever switch to grid. While editing I will work with frames, 1/2 frames, 1/4 and subframes.
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  #9  
Old 01-16-2011, 06:19 PM
d.f. d.f. is offline
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Default Re: Limiters used in preparing for UK broadcast

Thank you very much indeed.
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