PRO G R AM

LOUDNESS
NUTS & BOLTS

Jean Paul Moerman

• forced to keep the remote at hand ... turn up the volume during conversations
... our friends have the same remarks
M 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 ... unclearer
S Vervoort
• renovated news ... soundlevel clearly lower than before ...
C Vanhoute
• disturbing soundlevels during programchanges
H D’Hollander
• TV1 “sound-problem” loudnesslevel has to be corrected
Y Fredericckx
• please, broadcast “recht op recht” with subtitles
D De Meester
• “recht op recht” music to loud ... conversations incomprehensible
B De Mondt
• new-year concert higher dynamics, nicer soundimage, balanced on Ned2 ...
mix VRT-recordings less carefull
D Andries
• clients complain rightly about the VRT-sound is to faint against the others
kabelmaatschappij Limburg
75% COMPLAINTS
=
SOUND

proposal for

UNIFORMITY
of

TV-SOUND
 the viewer

Loudnessproblem
9dB

Tekst

+9
Abs peak +8
+7
+6
+5
+4
VU +3
+2
+1
+9 0
+8 -1
+7 -2
+6 -3
+5 -4
+4 -5
+3 -6
+2 -7
+1 -8
0 -9
-1
-2
-3 PPM
TV1 Canvas VT4 VTM K2 NED1 NED2 BBC1
 -9
-6
-3
0

-18
-15
-12

dBFS
trailer

opening score
loudnessproblem

voice over

interview 1

bumper

interview 2

end score

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

metering
• 1 sample

• 10ms PPM

• 300ms VU
 movie
• Reference 83dB SPL = 0VU

DVD = 77dB SPL

home
• Reference 77dB SPL = 0VU
 reference monitoring

80 phon

+ =

spl studio = spl home

postproductie
jean-paul.moerman@vrt.be kwaliteitsproject geluid

jean-paul.moerman@vrt.be kwaliteitsproject geluid

 the viewer

voice as reference
loudness
average

modulation
• voice pres. –3/+1dB PPM
• p’s and t’s +3dB PPM
• loudness voice 73dB SPL
• rest is relative to the voice
 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

voice on 50cm
home
shout

normal

whisper
 Mono / NICAM
14 > 12
studio
18 > 14
DVB-T 2.0
14 > 14

production

MCR
mono
post production St1 / St3 / St5 Continuity nicam
tape + off line St7 digital
autopromo St17&19

play out
AT server

OB van
K2 & K3 MCR
mono
Continuity nicam
digital
 PRESETS

Tresholdlevels:

TX-LIM 0dBFS (+9PPM)

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

DVB-T 2.0

DVB-T 2.0
 ITU
loudness
standard

standard loudness measurements

• 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: ITU
IRT (Spikowski/Klar):
statistic average QPPM
 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
 results
VRT project

+9
Abs peak +8
+7
+6
+5
+4
VU +3
+2
+1
+9 0
+8 -1
+7 -2
+6 -3
+5 -4
+4 -5
+3 -6
+2 -7
+1 -8
0 -9
-1
-2
-3 PPM
TV1 TV1 TV1 NED1 NED2 BBC1
sep nov apr
 coles
4104
lipmic
• meter levels
• monitoring
• modulation rules
kurt marc pol hugo

dirk ronny ben hubert

serge tom bert luc

standard project for studio 1

serge
 viewing figures
news oct > apr

ER St1 LCT Ant

apreciation figures

news oct > apr

60

50

40

30 Series1

20

10

0
1 21 41 61 81 101 121 141 161 181 201 221

ER St1 LCT Ant

• forced to keep the remote at hand ... turn up the volume during conversations
... our friends have the same remarks
M 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 ... unclearer
S Vervoort
• renovated news ... soundlevel clearly lower than before ...
C Vanhoute
• disturbing soundlevels during programchanges
H D’Hollander
• TV1 “sound-problem” loudnesslevel has to be corrected
Y Fredericckx
• please, broadcast “recht op recht” with subtitles
D De Meester
• “recht op recht” music to loud ... conversations incomprehensible
B De Mondt
• new-year concert higher dynamics, nicer soundimage, balanced on Ned2 ...
mix VRT-recordings less carefull
D Andries
• clients complain rightly about the VRT-sound is to faint against the others
kabelmaatschappij 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