0 PPM on FCP Volume Meter (Dbfs)

[Ty Ford]

Hello Emanuel and welcome to the Cow Audio Forum.

I usually post all my audio to -2 or -3 dB (below zero).

Here in the US, I’m told TV broadcasters expect peaks at -12 dB. Satellite slightly lower. Discovery has a very complicated formula for how loud and how soft an audio track can be. If they don’t get it, they kick the project back for remixing. They are trying to make sure the audio levels are the same from one element to another.

In the end you need to know what the receiving party expects and give it to them.

Regards,

Ty Ford
Audio Forum Leader

Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide

[Emanuel Ach]

I am told the peaks have to be under 0 ppm… how do I figure out this one with FCP 7?

[Ty Ford]

don’t go over 0

Regards,

Ty Ford

Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide

[Emanuel Ach]

0 dbfs you mean, Ty Ford, right?

Thanks,

[Ty Ford]

right.

anything above 0 dbfs is wrong.

Now where your destination wants the level (how far below 0 dbfs) is up to them

Regards,

Ty Ford

Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide

[Emanuel Ach]

Thanks for all your help.

now DB goes all the way up to +12 right? and dbfs is only up to 0 right?

so that means that 0 dbfs is 0 db right?

Thanks,

[Richard Crowley]

I’m not quite as confident as Mr. Ford. There appear to be several different PPM scales, and many of them do not even include “0” anywhere in the range. And those that do include “0”, don’t agree on what it means.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_programme_meter#Table_of_characteristics

Without a definition of what “0 PPM” means TO THEM, I believe this “spec” is ambiguous at best, and quite possibly meaningless.

Who exactly is giving this “spec”? It that everything they offered? No reference? (Reference in both senses: Audio level reference; information reference such as a URL or spec document number, etc.)

What country are they in? Perhaps you could guess the reference from the country and/or broadcasting entity, etc. Do they possibly have a website with technical specs posted, etc?

[Ty Ford]

Mr. Crowley,

with what do you take issue here?

“I usually post all my audio to -2 or -3 dB (below zero). Here in the US, I’m told TV broadcasters expect peaks at -12 dB. Satellite slightly lower. Discovery has a very complicated formula for how loud and how soft an audio track can be. If they don’t get it, they kick the project back for remixing. They are trying to make sure the audio levels are the same from one element to another.

In the end you need to know what the receiving party expects and give it to them.”

Regards,

Ty Ford

Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide

[Emanuel Ach]

Thanks to both of you for trying to help.

As a bit of an update, I asked them to tell me in DBFS however, they replied this:

“The peaks on DBFS should be up to 6 DB”

This seems crazy to me, if my peaks are around 0 dbfs, theoretically speaking, my peaks will be distorted. How can they say it’s fine up to 6 DB?

Thanks,
Emanuel

[Ty Ford]

and here’s another interesting site

https://www.sengpielaudio.com/calculator-db-volt.htm

Even so, it still comes down to what your client needs to see.

Regards,

Ty Ford

Cow Audio Forum Leader
Want better production audio?: Ty Ford’s Audio Bootcamp Field Guide