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#1
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
I know that Dolby Digital has set standards for the film industry.
-20dBFS = 0VU = 85SPL Is it true when delivering final mixes (assuming the editor is laying back to tape), there must be a -20dBFS 1kHz tone in the final mix (whether digital or not) in order to calibrate the layback machine? My follow up question is: Are there broadcast standards for audio? I've heard that it depends on the station. Where can these be found? And what's the general work flow in terms of delivering audio for broadcasting? Thanks in advance |
#2
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Ryan wrote:
I know that Dolby Digital has set standards for the film industry. -20dBFS = 0VU = 85SPL I'm not sure about Dolby, but SMPTE has a standard that calls for -20 dBFS nominal level with no peaks above -10 dBFS. Monitoring level is supposed to be calibrated so that -20 dBFS gives an SPL of 83 dB per channel (which works out to 85 dB with both channels running pink noise). Is it true when delivering final mixes (assuming the editor is laying back to tape), there must be a -20dBFS 1kHz tone in the final mix (whether digital or not) in order to calibrate the layback machine? With digital, dBFS is absolute. It doesn't matter where the recording came from, If it's recorded at -20 dBFS it'll play back at -20 dBFS. That can represent any analog level to which the playback end is calibrated, so a -20 dBFS tone is not really necessary. It's not like an analog recorder where the magnetic field strength at the record head can be adjusted to wherever the user wants it (as long as the recorder works that way). We put a calibration tone on an analog tape at the nominal reference flux level (what equals 0 VU) so the playback electronics can be calibrated to match. My follow up question is: Are there broadcast standards for audio? Oy! If only stations would follow standards! There are FCC regulations saying how much you can overmodulate, but that's about it. And what's the general work flow in terms of delivering audio for broadcasting? These days, usually e-mail them a link to a file or send a CD. -- If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo -- I'm really Mike Rivers ) |
#3
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Ryan wrote:
I know that Dolby Digital has set standards for the film industry. -20dBFS = 0VU = 85SPL This is actually a SMPTE standard. Is it true when delivering final mixes (assuming the editor is laying back to tape), there must be a -20dBFS 1kHz tone in the final mix (whether digital or not) in order to calibrate the layback machine? It's a very good idea, and I recommend it. In some shops, it may be the standard policy. In others, it won't be. I'd do it anyway, because it doesn't take much effort and it can prevent finger pointing. My follow up question is: Are there broadcast standards for audio? I've heard that it depends on the station. Where can these be found? Ask the station, or the network. A lot of them have actual standards on paper. Others do not, and have only oral tradition. Nobody ever got fired for providing a test tone and a tape at 48 ksamp/sec. And what's the general work flow in terms of delivering audio for broadcasting? That's also very site-specific. In lots of cases these days, everything goes into the AVID and then stuff comes out the other end, like a kind of sausage grinder for video.... --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#4
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard
life would be sorta easier... |
#5
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Ryan wrote:
Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard life would be sorta easier... Don't think about it that way. Think instead, "How can I use this confusion to bill my customer more?" --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#6
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Ryan wrote:
Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard life would be sorta easier... You could look through this site:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/radio.shtml Possibly not terrifically relevant if you're in the USA, but the BBC have been doing this for over fifty years. For final delivery, you need to liaise with your client as to which format they want. -- Tciao for Now! John. |
#7
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
John Williamson wrote:
Ryan wrote: Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard life would be sorta easier... You could look through this site:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/radio.shtml Possibly not terrifically relevant if you're in the USA, but the BBC have been doing this for over fifty years. For final delivery, you need to liaise with your client as to which format they want. I recall hearing about another dialogue normalisation standard of -23dB averaged over the course of a whole program ...? geoff |
#8
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
On Jul 29, 11:09*pm, John Williamson
wrote: Ryan wrote: Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard life would be sorta easier... You could look through this site:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/radio.shtml Thanks John! Yea I AM in fact looking for something like that BUT for the USA. That's nice of the BBC to do that |
#9
Posted to rec.audio.pro
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
Ryan wrote:
On Jul 29, 11:09 pm, John Williamson wrote: Ryan wrote: Thanks Mike and Scott! Very helpful. If only there was a true standard life would be sorta easier... You could look through this site:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/dq/contents/radio.shtml Thanks John! Yea I AM in fact looking for something like that BUT for the USA. That's nice of the BBC to do that The advantage of having a state controlled broadcaster that used to be a monopoly. Most of the commercial stations here use the BBC standards for source material (In theory, anyway.) The BBC were told to open up to receiving material from independent producers a while ago, so they published their internal documents to help keep up standards, saying that if programming didn't comply with their technical standards, it wouldn't be accepted. At one point, they even refused to accept programming on CD-R not written to their own approved discs. -- Tciao for Now! John. |
#10
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Audio Standards for Broadcasting
geoff wrote:
I recall hearing about another dialogue normalisation standard of -23dB averaged over the course of a whole program ...? That's in the ballpark - perhaps on the high side - for natural vox humana. I posted something on this a loooong time ago. geoff Kind regards Peter Larsen |
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