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Tone in FCP
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[Chris Poisson] “I was told a long time ago by several post houses here is that -12 is for analog masters and -20 for digital”
Chris,
This is incorrect. -12 came about because this was one of a number of level settings that have been acceptable with digital devices. The bottom line is that it doesn’t matter, as long as your audio mix matches a range valid for the reference tone provided. If you are working against a reference of -12, you theoretically have 12dB of headroom before clipping. If you work against -20, then you have 20 db. In reality, for video as opposed to pop records, you would never want to go all the way up to digital 0 with peaks in a mix. You want to stay within about 6 to 10 db over your reference for going to digital tapes. So, if you set your tone to -20 and your mix averages around -12 to -10 on peaks, you’ll generally be OK when going to a Digibeta.
Unfortunately, this isn’t correct when you go to Beta-SP. Here you have a different type of meter (different ballistics on peaks) as well as less headroom. The general rule here is to set your FCP tone to -20 and then set your Beta-SP record levels to 0 VU with the deck’s limiter turned OFF. Then adjust your mix so that the peaks run no higher than +3 (as measured on the deck’s meter). Now turn ON the deck’s limiter. This should give you a pretty good mix onto Beta-SP.
The one caveat to this discussion is that a number of broadcasters and networks are adopting the Dolby Dialnorm values for mixes. That pretty much invalidates all of this common wisdom and requires that you either purchase the expensive Dolby monitoring or go with an audio post house that properly understands how to deliver a mix according to these specs – with or without the Dolby gear.
Sincerely,
OliverOliver Peters
Post-Production & Interactive Media
Orlando, FL
http://www.oliverpeters.com -
[Oliver Peters] “Unfortunately, this isn’t correct when you go to Beta-SP. Here you have a different type of meter (different ballistics on peaks) as well as less headroom. The general rule here is to set your FCP tone to -20 and then set your Beta-SP record levels to 0 VU with the deck’s limiter turned OFF. Then adjust your mix so that the peaks run no higher than +3 (as measured on the deck’s meter). Now turn ON the deck’s limiter. This should give you a pretty good mix onto Beta-SP.”
yep, that’s what we find here, good point.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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My 5 pence worth here in the UK, set everything to -18db for digibetas as most machines have been modified.
Peter
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[Peter Wiggins] “My 5 pence worth here in the UK, set everything to -18db for digibetas as most machines have been modified.”
well, you guys DO have to be different over there after all. -12 and -20 were already taken, so make it -18 just to screw with us on “the other side of the pond.” 🙂
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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What DVCam deck are you mastering to?
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I am mastering to a Sony DSR2000 DVCAM deck.
-Justin
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Cool, and on the front of that deck there should be some audio meters that have a little triangle as to indicate where tone should be. Where are they? -20?
Jeremy
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For what it’s worth, Mr Biscardi is correct..I’ve worked at both HBO and Discovery (my best friend actually was a QC tech at HBO as well)…never heard of anything but -20 for broadcast.
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[Proper Modulation] “Mr Biscardi is correct.”
First of all, it’s Walter, and there’s a bunch of us on here who have said -20db so it’s not just me being “correct.” Except of course for Peter who has pointed out that in europe he delivers -20.
But that is strange because we’re delivering a show overseas right now and they want -20db.
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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[walter biscardi] “Except of course for Peter who has pointed out that in europe he delivers -20.”
I’m sorry, he delivers -18
Walter Biscardi, Jr.
https://www.biscardicreative.com
HD Editorial & Animation for Food Network’s “Good Eats”
HD Editorial for “Assignment Earth”“I reject your reality and substitute my own!” – Adam Savage, Mythbusters
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