Best Audio level for premiere

[John Heiser]

Depends on your video’s final destination. Based on my experiences:

If you’re making a TV commercial, the standard in the U.S. is actually -24 LKFS; this is a measurement designed to keep commercials from overpowering program content (look up “CALM Act” sometime), and isn’t measured on the meters in the timeline or the audio track mixer. Instead, you put an effect called Loudness Radar (Special>Loudness Radar) in the Master channel strip of the audio track mixer. I’m not an expert in its use, but that’s the method. Look up Loudness Radar tutorials on YouTube for some help. On the meters in the timeline, -24 LKFS often can look like an average level betwen -18 and -16, with momentary peaks at -12, but that depends on the content of your mix.

If you’re sending your video to the web or desktop playback, I’ve read in other forums that -16 LKFS is a good place to be.

And now, since I’m not an audio engineer, please stand by for replies to follow which will fill in the gaps or correct my information.

John

[Adam Berch]

Hi,

Right now I am editing a wedding. It’s probably going to be put on a DVD.

Thanks

[Pat Horridge]

Controlling dynamic range is key and running just under peak during post.
That maximises the bit depth during post.
Then drop the gain as required for export.

Pat Horridge
Broadcast & Post Consultant, Trainer, Avid Certified Instructor
Free online Tutorials at VET digital media academy online https://vimeo.com/channels/752951
pat@vet.co.uk