More > JRiver Media Center 19 for Windows
NEW: Improved audio analysis and volume leveling (R128)
MusicBringer:
Hello folks, I am new to this volume levelling (R128) feature.
I am confused.
Is it available to me now - if so how and where do I find it.
How do I use it; for example...what settings.
Is it still in beta and therefore subject to change.
thanks,
6233638:
--- Quote from: MusicBringer on August 19, 2013, 08:16:33 am ---Hello folks, I am new to this volume levelling (R128) feature.
I am confused.
Is it available to me now - if so how and where do I find it.
How do I use it; for example...what settings.
Is it still in beta and therefore subject to change.
--- End quote ---
1. You need to analyze (or re-analyze) your files in MC19. Right-click your files and select Library Tools > Analyze Audio. This might take a while.
2. Enable Volume Leveling in DSP Studio
There have been a number of changes thus far, so we don't really know if there will be any more. It seems like it's in a state where we aren't going to see any more changes, but you may potentially have to re-analyze your library by the time MC19 is out of beta.
Vocalpoint:
--- Quote from: 6233638 on August 18, 2013, 06:44:35 pm ---I'm not convinced that clipping is going to be a widespread issue, because most music seems to be fine when normalized to -23 LUFS.
--- End quote ---
Do remember that -23 LUFS is really designed for "broadcast" and keeping things under control in that environment. In my research on EBU 128 - I have seen several documents and studies that are promoting a movement of somewhere around -15 LUFS - being a more reasonable ballpark for music.
When I get MC 19 into my environment - I will be able to test this further....but in several previous tests with different software - i found -23 LUFS on a typical "non brickwalled" rock album to be excessive (to me) in driving down the levels too far.
YMMV.
Cheers!
VP
mwillems:
--- Quote from: 6233638 on August 18, 2013, 06:44:35 pm ---I'm not convinced that clipping is going to be a widespread issue, because most music seems to be fine when normalized to -23 LUFS.
I do think we need some way to control the amount of headroom that volume leveling has available though; 23dB is not enough for video leveling - it needs more like 30dB.
Linking the internal volume control to the target volume level, rather than applying volume after leveling has been performed seems like the neatest solution for this. (if you want -30 LUFS as a target, reduce the volume by 7dB)
--- End quote ---
I had a question about that point, if you wouldn't mind expanding on it a little. My understanding is that internal volume happens "first." I say that because most of the DSP modules have an option for "process independently of internal volume" that undoes internal volume for them (which only makes sense if internal volume happens first). So what would the advantage be (from a clipping perspective) of linking internal volume to volume leveling?
Maybe an adjustable target for volume leveling might be a more straightforward solution, although I can understand if the devs are reluctant to move off of the studio standard.
6233638:
--- Quote from: Vocalpoint on August 19, 2013, 10:46:47 am ---Do remember that -23 LUFS is really designed for "broadcast" and keeping things under control in that environment. In my research on EBU 128 - I have seen several documents and studies that are promoting a movement of somewhere around -15 LUFS - being a more reasonable ballpark for music.
When I get MC 19 into my environment - I will be able to test this further....but in several previous tests with different software - i found -23 LUFS on a typical "non brickwalled" rock album to be excessive (to me) in driving down the levels too far.
--- End quote ---
"Broadcast" includes radio - in fact that's where R128 has had the most adoption so far, I believe. Looking through the analyzed files in my library, 60% (of 15,000 files) require more headroom than -15 LUFS provides.
--- Quote from: mwillems on August 19, 2013, 12:09:36 pm ---I had a question about that point, if you wouldn't mind expanding on it a little. My understanding is that internal volume happens "first." I say that because most of the DSP modules have an option for "process independently of internal volume" that undoes internal volume for them (which only makes sense if internal volume happens first). So what would the advantage be (from a clipping perspective) of linking internal volume to volume leveling?
--- End quote ---
I thought it was generally recommended to not use the "process independently of independent volume" option for anything that is processing the audio, and it's just for visualizers/analyzers.
The issue is that, because volume leveling happens first, if it's going to run into clipping, it does not level fully.
For example, say a track has a peak level of -1dBTP, but would require a correction of +6dB to be leveled properly.
Volume Leveling will play this back at 0dB, because it cannot raise the volume any higher than that, so it's now playing at -29 LUFS.
If you reduce the volume control by 6dB, the track is now playing 12 dB lower than the target level (-35 LUFS) because the volume adjustment happens after leveling.
If Media Center's internal volume control adjusted the target level, reducing the volume control would give you additional headroom:
With the volume control at 100%, the track will still play back at 0dB, which is 6dB quieter than the target level.
If you reduce volume to 88% (-6dB) and that adjusts the target to -29 LUFS, it will still play back at 0dB, but other tracks will be up to 6dB lower, because the adjustment gave you an extra 6dB of headroom.
If you reduced the volume control to 76% (-12dB; -35 LUFS) then that track would be played back at -6dB. (because it's supposed to be +6dB from the leveling target)
--- Quote from: mwillems on August 19, 2013, 12:09:36 pm ---Maybe an adjustable target for volume leveling might be a more straightforward solution, although I can understand if the devs are reluctant to move off of the studio standard.
--- End quote ---
Well the reason I suggest that it be integrated with the volume control is that it adjusts the target level without introducing another control. I don't see why you would want to use a "normal" volume control when leveling is enabled.
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