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Audio Levels for DTV
When I’ve been mastering my audio for our TV Broadast,(Long story Short) I’ve been compressing and raising the audio levels to about -1db in Soundtrack Pro. We are somewhat new to DTV broadcasts, we have been recording to Beta SP for so long now. I was told here recently that for digital broadcasts we need to send a -20db tone and have our ceiling at -10db. When mastering in Soundtrack Pro it doesn’t make it easy for you to do this. Should I master it like I have been doing and bring the gain down -10db so that the peak is no longer at -1db? Or should I master it so that the Peak is at -10db.
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10 Replies
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>I was told here recently that for digital broadcasts we need to send a -20db tone and have our ceiling at -10db.
what you should do first is find out the specific delivery specifications of the broadcaster who is going to air your programme.
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you could continue on the way you are,, and bring your master level down 9db when you marry your audio back to video in FCP. or master it in STP to peak at -10. Either will work as long as its done before you go to tape. I would do it right in STP rather than wait.. If you are going through the prossess of doing a proper audio edit, best to finish it to spec in the audio application IMO rather that fine tuning in the video app..
but again,, either or will work.
Colin McQuillan
Vancouver BC -
What have you guys been doing for this?
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as Andy said, you really need to contact the broadcaster,, or if you arent in contact with the broadcaster,, then either the producer or post-supervisor should know the specification of the deliverable media..
-20 with a shelf of -10 would probably get you by for regular broadcast,, but I have had to submit audio to many different specifications,, from -12 tone to -20 , with peaks maxing with tone,, to entire mix’s compressed to a +/- of 8db. Lets say the broadcaster sets your -20 tone to -12 for boradcast,, now your peaks are getting pretty darn close to 0db,, which is a very bad thing..
Colin McQuillan
Vancouver BC -
And keep in mind that 0db on an analog scale is very different than 0db on a digital scale. The reference to -20db tone for broadcast is -20db on a DIGITAL scale, not on an analog one. If you run tone at -20db onto an analog machine, say a Betacam SP deck, your overall audio levels will be very low for broadcast. Make sure you are not talking apples while the broadcaster is talking oranges. Be sure that you are both using the same reference for your settings, either analog or digital and take it from there.
Tom -
No, I understand that 0db digital analog is different than 0db digital. I’m wondering what everyone else is mixing in Soundtrack Pro for their master? I know what our broadcasters want, it’s how to get there is what I’m wanting to hear from other editors on.
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the guys at FedX have always been helpful!
okok bad one there…
[Devin Crane] “I know what our broadcasters want, it’s how to get there is what I’m wanting to hear from other editors on.”
what exactly do you mean,, exporting from STP to FCP?? conforming your mix to their specifications? My personal audio workflow??Colin McQuillan
Vancouver BC -
You Canadians think your so funny!
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and better looking too!
I dont really use STP all that much,, I’m more familiar with pro tools,, but you should be able to create a sub-master fader,, patch what ever tracks to it,, and use it to lower the overall level of your composition. I would imagine the master gain controll would work just fine aswell. In a protools session I would usually create a sub-master for all my Dialogue tracks, another one for SFX, another for BG, and one more for music, for finer control over overall mix.
I would imagin someone in the Soundtrack Pro Forum could better answer any STP Q’s you have!
Cheers,
Colin McQuillan
Vancouver BC -
[Colin McQ] “and better looking too!”
I’ll back you up on that one, Colin.
;O)
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