Loudness and the Listening Experience

During the 137th International Audio Engineering Society (AES) Convention in Los Angeles, CA, a session on the Broadcast & Streaming Media Track discussed “Loudness for Streaming and Radio.” Thomas Lund (TC Electronic), an expert and longtime promoter of the loudness standards currently implemented in TV broadcast, chaired the session, which included an interesting angle from Bob Orban (Orban) and Frank Foti (Telos/Omnia).

Visual audio metering and monitoring specialist, RTW, introduced its new RTW Mastering Tools software in the U.S., as part of Avid’s Connectivity Partner Pavilion at the 137th AES convention. The software package is a powerful tool for mastering, metering and loudness measurement, also available for use right within Avid Pro Tools.

During the 137th AES Convention in Los Angeles, NUGEN Audio is introducing MasterCheck, a loudness tool specifically designed for music production using the new loudness normalization and true-peak limiting techniques that streaming services now require. Also featured will be version 2 of Visualizer with many highly-requested user interface features and the latest techniques for comparative audio analysis and usability.

The IBC 2014 show in Amsterdam signaled the world premiere for the new Lawo mc²36 all-in-one mixing desk with its powerful DSP micro-core with internal 512x512 port audio matrix, and integrated I/O, natively equipped with RAVENNA/AES67 technology.

Our October edition of audioXpress is full of great articles on current topics and trends in audio electronics, acoustics, and technology innovations. Our October cover story highlights the start of a new series on Wireless Audio. In another timely topic, our usual “Speakers” column turns to the fascinating subject of “Audio for Mobile Devices.” We review NUGEN Audio’s Loudness Toolkit Bundle and Rick Silva from Audionamix explains audio source separation using its new software, ADX TRAX. For our DIY audio readers, we bring you a shunt-type level control project, a one-of-a-kind guitar amplifier and tone controls for a three-channel tube-based guitar preamplifier.

Focal Press announced the publication of the 3rd Edition of Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science by Bob Katz. Completely reorganized to focus on workflow, this third edition details mastering by providing a step-by-step approach to the process. First covering practical techniques and basic theory, this industry classic also addresses advanced theory and practice. The book’s new approach is especially suitable to accompany a one- or two-term course in audio and mastering.

During the IBC 2014 show, TC Electronic introduced a new aNorm algorithm and loudness processing meter – the Butterfly Meter – as part of the new LoudnessWizard II license for the DB6 Broadcast Audio Processor. aNorm is a hi-resolution loudness adjustment technology that TC says it represents an advance over first generation streaming correction which relied on heavy processing to achieve a desired loudness target value, or to soften transitions between programs.

iZotope introduced its new audio repair and enhancement suite, RX 4 at the IBC 2014 show in Amsterdam. RX 4 update’s introduces significant new features like non-destructive Clip Gain and RX Connect, while Dialogue Denoiser is now a standard feature. RX 4 Advanced adds a new Leveler, Ambience Match, EQ Match and Loudness processing.

The IBC 2014 show in Amsterdam (12-16 September) will be a special moment for NUGEN Audio, celebrating its 10-year anniversary and introducing the new DynApt technology for Dynamic Audio Repurposing. NUGEN will also show Version 1.1 of its MultiMonitor software solution and much more.

RTW, the German experts in visual audio meters and monitoring devices, recently announced that the company is expanding into new applications with three product segments – software and hardware – thus enabling a larger pool of professionals to access the company’s award-winning metering tools.