Loudness jumps between program items is a well known phenomenon for broadcasters and content producers, including multimedia or game audio. Since the introduction of modern loudness standards, the tedious task of leveling by ear, especially when content is collected from more than one source is a thing of the past. International demand for a loudness measurement standard led to the ITU LKFS loudness descriptor, which formed the core of Grimm Audio's LevelOne software, offering both EBU R128 and ATSC A/85 compatible loudness normalization.
With its smart preset based interface and unlimited batch file processing, LevelOne, developed by BeatRig in cooperation with Grimm Audio, improves post production processes by performing level normalization tasks automatically and accurately. Users have the choice of normalizing to ITU/EBU LUFS loudness target levels, Dolby Dialog Intelligence levels, true (over-sampled) peak, sample peak or PPM peak. Automatic compliance to the EBU R128 recommendation or the Calm Act specifications is also easily achieved. LevelOne warns you users when a file exceeds defined maximum levels after normalization.
Perhaps the most striking feature of LevelOne is its capability to match narrow and wide loudness range content, allowing items from different sources in broadcast or multimedia programs to be sequenced seamlessly. Since Grimm Audio contributed significantly to the EBU PLOUD loudness working group, LevelOne was the first file normalizer in the world to offer EBU R128 compliant processing. At the same time LevelOne is also ideal to check music masters for True Peak levels. This will predict if they risk becoming distorted by lossy codecs or DA converters, a major problem with modern mastering styles.
The new LevelOne Version 2 still offers the same fast drag and drop loudness analysis and processing of files and folders, in compliance with the EBU R128 and ATSC A/85 recommendations. But on customer demand BeatRig added a few exciting features. First of all is a True Peak Limiter function that offers normalization to programs that peak too high. Even more interesting are multiple ‘hot folders’, a feature normally only found in much more expensive products. Files that are added to these folders will automatically be analysed or processed, according to the stored hot folder preference. This is a very powerful feature that offers perfect integration of LevelOne V2 in any work flow. The third improvement is FFmpeg compatibility, so many more file formats (like MXF) are now supported.
A license for LevelOne V2 can be bought in the BeatRig Web Shop for €99. In trial mode the program has a 14 days evaluation period. Information about the full feature set, and free demos, can be found at the BeatRig Website.
www.grimmaudio.com
