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Generated audio tone -6dB, Adobe website says -12dB, client asking for -20dBFS (Confused!)
According to this Adobe help page https://helpx.adobe.com/ca/premiere-pro/using/creating-special-clips-synthetics.html on generating bars and tone, the “default level of the 1-kHz tone is -12 dB referenced to 0 dBFS.” But, when I playback the default generated tone in my timeline, it shows up as -6dB (screenshots below). Futhermore, my broadcast client is asking for, “1kHz Tone @ -20dBFS.”
So, my questions are:
1) Why is the default tone level showing on my VU not the same as what the Adobe help page says it should be?
2) Why does it seem that the industry standard of -20dBFS is neither the supposed nor actual default of the generated bars and tone?
and 3) Should I apply a gain effect to the clip or entire sequence to bring the tone (and possibly the entire sequence) levels down to -20?
Thanks!
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2 Replies
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1 – I would have to check on the settings for the meters (not in front of my system right now). It could be the meters are set to display something other than the desired output, leading to confused visual results.
2 – Can’t answer why that is not the default.
3 – Your client is asking for reference tone at that level, not necessarily content at that level. I routinely mix content for -12dBFS without delivery issues. But if they indicate they want content at -20dBFS, just supply it.
System:
Dell Precision T7600 (x2)
Win 7 64-bit
32GB RAM
Adobe CC 2017.1 (as of 8/2017)
256GB SSD system drive
4 internal media drives RAID 5
Typically cutting short form from UHD MP4, HD MP4, and HD P2 MXF. -
1 – Premier is likely generating -12dbFS tone but your seeing -6dbFS on your meters because the left and right tones are being combined to mono. Check your mixer pan settings for the tone. Combining two tone signals of -12db will give you -6db (double the volume).
2 – -12dbFS was a standard that Premier, Final Cut 7 and many cameras like the Canon XL-1 used at one time but was never acceptEd industry wide. As an FYI so were -16 and -18dbFS standards but mainly for music. The -20dbFS is not set in most NLE’s because of the different so called standards that exist. Finally -20dbFS is the most common standard that is used especially in America.
3 – No don’t apply any gain to anything, fix you mixer settings and remember that the most common standards are tone at -20dbFS and the program audio should only occasionally peak at -10dbFS. Unless you were sent different specs the program audio will bounce for the most part between -20 and -10 except for really quite passages.
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