AES San Francisco 2010
Broadcast and Media Streaming Track Event B15
Sunday, November 7, 9:30 am — 10:45 am (Room 133)
Broadcast and Media Streaming: B15 - Gating Methods and the New Loudness Recommendation EBU R 128
Co-chairs:
Florian Camerer, ORF - Austrian TV; chairman of EBU group PLOUD
Steve Lyman, Dolby Labs
Abstract:
One of the most fundamental changes in the history of audio in broadcasting is underway: the change of the leveling paradigm from peak normalization to loudness normalization. This session presents two aspects of loudness normalization. The first deals with the evaluation of different gating methods that shall help to further improve the matching of the objective measurement with the subjective impression of loudness.
Dolby Labs recently began building a database of wide and narrow dynamic range program samples and evaluating their subjective loudness. The loudness was assessed using the same method that was used by the ITU to develop Recommendation ITU-R BS.1770. The object of the work is to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of any proposed gated or un-gated loudness measurement method on wide and narrow dynamic range program material. Results of the current studies will be presented by Steve Lyman from Dolby Labs.
In the second presentation the core document of the EBU working group PLOUD will be introduced in detail: EBU R 128 "Loudness normalization and permitted maximum level of audio signals." Florian Camerer, the chairman of PLOUD, will explain this groundbreaking recommendation as well as the Technical Documents about Loudness Metering and the descriptor Loudness Range. The documents will also be examined with a special focus on their practical implications and consequences. Audio examples will illustrate the concept of loudness normalization.
