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Loudness Configuration

There are several loudness features available in the Audio Editors:

  • Loudness Processing in the Clipboard

  • Loudness Meter (EBU-128)

  • Loudness Track

  • Loudness-Compliant Saving

Table of Contents

Activate Loudness Features

Requirements

The editors need at least one configured LoudnessSet that defines whether audio material is loudness compliant or not. To set up such a LoudnessSet and loudness relevant configuration, please refer to the manual LoudnessInDigaSystem_AdminManual.

The files LoudnessDLL.dll and LVC.ocx must exist in the editor directory for the loudness features to work. LVC.ocx has to be registered using regsvr32.exe.

Global Loudness Sets

A loudness set can be set as default settings for all Audio Editors. Based on this set, the editors will perform all loudness relevant calculations and metering. The key can be defined on GLOBAL, LOCAL and USER level in the |Common|Loudness| folder:

 Key

Description

EditorLoudnessSet

The entered value is the name of the loudness set (which is the folder name |Common|Loudness|<LoudnessSetName>|). This set is used by the Audio Editors as basis for any loudness calculation.

Note for MTE: If this entry is missing all loudness features are disabled for the corresponding customer/computer/user. If the Loudness Set is invalid or incomplete, a message will be shown at editor startup indicating the source of the problem and that all loudness featured will be disabled.

Loudness Normalization and Analysis in the Clipboard

To activate these features, the Audio Editor user needs the new right MTE_LoudnessProcessing, which you can create under Objects|Actions by selecting New from the context menu in the Actions list and then typing the name of the right. The right is then selectable for all users under <User>|Rights|Actions|.

Loudness normalization via the context menu of a clipboard element is available without any additional parameter.

Automatic loudness analysis can be enabled by the parameter:

…|…Track|Settings|Loudness|ClipboardAutoLoudnessAnalysis=1.

When set to 0, the automatic loudness calculation is disabled, but still available via context menu.

Loudness Meter

In the editor open the menu "View -> EBU-R128". The Loudness Meter can be embedded anywhere in the GUI or be displayed in a separate window.

To activate the feature the Audio Editor user needs the right MTE_LoudnessMeter, which you can create under Objects|Actions by selecting New from the context menu in the Actions list and then typing the name of the right. The right is then selectable for all users under <User>|Rights|Actions|.

The user right MTE_ChangeLoudnessDisplaySettings (under |User|<user>|Rights|Actions|) allows the MTE user to call the Loudness Meter settings via a right-click anywhere in the Loudness Meter pane.

Loudness Track

Displaying the loudness track requires the user action right MTE_LoudnessTrack, which you can create under Objects|Actions by selecting New from the context menu in the Actions list and then typing the name of the right. The right is then selectable for all users under <User>|Rights|Actions|.

Loudness Track can be displayed through View -> Loudness track menu item and toolbar button 

.

Loudness-Compliant Saving

The activation of this feature requires a parameter under |Settings|Loudness|:

Key

Description

CheckBox_SaveLoudnessCompliant

Default=2.

Show Loudness compliant checkbox in the audio save dialogs. The value 0 deactivates the check box feature, a value of 1 activates the check box and automatically selects it. With the value 2 the check box is available, but not checked. 3 means that the check box is selected and the user can not remove the check mark.


Loudness Visualization Controls Set

Limits describing the maximum loudness compliance values are taken from a Loudness Set Core (as described in LoudnessInDigaSystem_AdminManual) and the name of the set to be used is defined by the parameter Common|Loudness|EditorLoudnessSet . An incomplete core set triggers a message when MTE starts and disables all loudness features:


All other settings concerning the individual loudness controls (tolerances for visualization and their corresponding colors) are bundled in a Loudness Visualization Controls Set (LVC), which is an optional extension of a Loudness Set.

Parameter Name

Default Value

Description

LVC_Color_ILK_Above

rgb(155, 155, 155)
(dark gray)

ILK meter: Color above (Target Value + Tolerance). See IntegratedLoudnessTarget and ToleranceForIntegratedLoudness (both in Loudness Set Core).

LVC_Color_ILK_Below

rgb(215, 215, 215)
(light gray)

ILK meter: Color below (Target Value - Tolerance)

LVC_Color_ILK_Tolerance

rgb(65, 176, 223)
(petrol-blue)

ILK meter: Color between (Target Value + Tolerance) and (Target Value - Tolerance)

LVC_Color_LRA_Above

rgb(243, 178, 0)
(orange)

SLK meter: Color above Maximum. See MaximumLoudnessRange in Loudness Set Core.

LVC_Color_LRA_Below

rgb(215, 215, 215)
(light gray)

SLK meter: Color below Maximum

LVC_Color_MLK_Above

rgb(155, 155, 155)
(dark gray)

MLK meter: Color above (Target Value + Tolerance). See MaximumMomentaryLoudnessLevel (Loudness Set Core) and LVC_MLK_Tolerance.

LVC_Color_MLK_Below

rgb(215, 215, 215)
(light gray)

MLK meter: Color below (Target Value - Tolerance)

LVC_Color_MLK_Graph

rgb(160, 128, 64)

Loudness graph: Color for MLK curve

LVC_Color_MLK_Tolerance

rgb(65, 176, 223)
(light petrol-blue)

MLK meter: Color between (Target Value + Tolerance) and (Target Value - Tolerance)

LVC_Color_MLK_LimitLine(implicitly calculated)MLK meter, MLK graph, and loudness track: Color of the limit line. The default color is calculated from other colors in the current UI scheme.

LVC_Color_Numeric_Invalid

rgb(0, 0, 0)
(black)

All numeric meters: Text color in invalid state (when data of prior analysis is displayed, but data has changed meanwhile)

LVC_Color_SLK_Above

rgb(155, 155, 155)
(dark gray)

SLK meter: Color above (Target Value + Tolerance). See MaximumShorttermLoudnessLevel (Loudness Set Core) and LVC_SLK_Tolerance.

LVC_Color_SLK_Below

rgb(215, 215, 215)
(light gray)

SLK meter, SLK graph, and loudness track: Color below (Target Value - Tolerance)

LVC_Color_SLK_Graph

rgb(0, 128, 160)
(petrol-blue)

Loudness graph: Color for SLK curve

LVC_Color_SLK_Tolerance

rgb(65, 176, 223)
(light petrol-blue)

SLK meter: Color between (Target Value + Tolerance) and (Target Value - Tolerance).

LVC_Color_SLK_LimitLine(implicitly calculated)SLK meter: Color of the limit line. The default color is calculated from other colors in the current UI scheme.

LVC_Color_TP_1

rgb(243, 178, 0)
(orange)

TP meter: Color between values of parameters MaximumTruePeakLevel (Loudness Set Core) and LVC_TP_Range1

LVC_Color_TP_2

rgb(155, 155, 155)
(dark gray)

TP meter: Color between values of parameters LVC_TP_Range1 and LVC_TP_Range2

LVC_Color_TP_3

rgb(215, 215, 215)
(light gray)

TP meter: Color below value of parameter LVC_TP_Range2

LVC_Color_TP_Above

rgb(255, 46, 18)
(red)

TP meter: Color above value of parameter MaximumTruePeakLevel (Loudness Set Core)

LVC_MLK_Tolerance

1.0

Momentary loudness tolerance. See LVC_MLK_Target.

LVC_SLK_Tolerance

1.0

Shortterm loudness tolerance. See LVC_SLK_Target.

LVC_TP_Range1

-3.0

dbTP meter: Color range border between MaximumTruePeakLevel and LVC_TP_Range2.

LVC_TP_Range2

-9.0

dbTP meter: Color range border between LVC_TP_Range2 and lower limit. See Loudness Set Core.

The color values in hex format RRGGBB are equivalent to rgb(r,g,b) with r, g, b in decimal. (For example, #ffff00 or #FFFF00 is equivalent to rgb(255, 255, 0)).

Note: Colors not depending on loudness values are part of MTE's GUI color sets, as described in Section 4.2 below.

Loudness Visualization Controls Layout Set

The layout of loudness controls is bundled in a rectangular grid, as seen in the Loudness Meter and the Loudness Track header. The grid consists of a list of rows, each containing a comma-separated list of controls which share the width of the row equally. Each control may be used only once (with the exception of Empty) in the complete grid. The grid layout can be defined in parameter sets. In MTE there are two sets defined:

  • LoudnessPane_ (layout of the Loudness Meter)

  • LoudnessTrack_ (layout of header content in Loudness Track)

Supported controls

  • Numeric data display of current value: CurrentTP, CurrentMLk, CurrentSLk (synonym: CurrentdBTP)

  • Numeric data display of maximum value: MaxTP, MaxMLk, MaxSLk (synonyms: dBTP, TP, MaxdBTP, MLk, SLk)

  • Numeric data display: ILk, LRA, dBTP, MLk, SLk

  • Bar graph display: dBTPMeter, MLkMeter, SLkMeter

  • Control bar with start/stop buttons and time display: ActivationControl

  • Loudness history graph: HistoryEnableControl, HistoryControl

  • Loudness ear showing the loudness quality: LoudnessEar

  • Empty spaces: Empty. (This is intended for creating an empty space in the layout and may be used multiple times. You can add a number in braces to set a fix width in pixels (e.g. "empty (2)"))

Example Configurations

For MTE's LoudnessMeter

LoudnessPane_Row1 = ILk, LRA

LoudnessPane_Row2 = dBTP, MLk, SLk

LoudnessPane_Row3 = dBTPMeter, MLkMeter, SLkMeter

LoudnessPane_Row4 = ActivationControl

LoudnessPane_Row5 = HistoryEnableControl

LoudnessPane_Row6 = HistoryControl

For MTE's LoudnessTrack

LoudnessTrack_Row1 = ILk, LRA

LoudnessTrack_Row2 = MLk, SLk

LoudnessTrack_Row3 = dbTP, Ear

List of MTE Specific Loudness Settings

All MTE-specific loudness settings are listed in the table below. Many "Common" parameters can be evaluated by other applications supporting loudness features, too.

Parameter Name

Parameter Location

Default Value

Description

EditorLoudnessSet

Common|Loudness

(none)

Specifies the name of the loudness set from |Common|Loudness|<LoudnessSetName>| (used by all editors).

If this parameter is missing, all loudness features are disabled in the Audio Editors.

DisableLoudness

Common|Loudness

FALSE

Enables/disables (TRUE/FALSE) loudness features.

ClipboardAutoLoudnessAnalysis

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

(none)

Controls if the loudness analysis is launched automatically for each audio coming into the clipboard.

LoudnessPane_Row<num>

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

(none)

Defines the configuration for loudness controls displayed in the Loudness Meter. If not set, a default layout will be applied. For each row one parameter must be set where <num> is incremented consecutively starting with 1.

LoudnessTrack_Row<num>

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

(none)

Defines the configuration for loudness controls displayed in the loudness track's head. If not set, a default layout will be applied. For each row one parameter must be set where <num> is incremented consecutively starting with 1.

GUILoudnessUnit

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

"LUFS"

User GUI option for loudness unit (requires user right MTE_ChangeLoudnessDisplaySettings). Possible values: "LU", "LUFS"

GUILoudnessScale

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

"Plus9"

User GUI option for loudness scale (requires user right MTE_ChangeLoudnessDisplaySettings). Standard values are "Plus9", "Plus18". Since MTE version 7.5.1551.0, the value of this parameter can be a custom scale (see GUILoudnessCustomScale_n parameter near the bottom of this table).

GUILoudnessGraphDisplayValue

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

"Slk"

User GUI option for displayed values in loudness graph (requires user right MTE_ChangeLoudnessDisplaySettings). Possible values:"Slk", "Mlk", "Mlk + Slk"

IntegrationInitiallyActive

MultiTrack\Settings\Loudness

0

Activates/deactivates the integration by default. 1=active, 0=inactive

LoudnessTrackVisible

<AppName>|Settings|UIMultiTrack

0

Defines whether the Loudness Track of the MultiTrack page is visible (1) or not (0). This value is written to the USER registry by MTE when the user interactively displays or hides the Loudness Track.

LoudnessTrackHeight

<AppName>|Settings|UIMultiTrack

56

Defines the height of the Loudness Track of the MultiTrack page in pixels. This value is written to the USER registry by MTE when the user interactively changes the height of the Loudness Track.

Checkbox_SaveLoudnessCompliant

<AppName>|Settings|Loudness

2

Determines whether the "Save loudness compliant" checkbox is visible in Save dialogs: 0=invisible; 1=visible and initially checked; 2=visible and initially unchecked

HistoryVisible

Multitrack|Settings|Loudness

1

Stores the user’s last setting regarding visibility of loudness meter's history control. The setting is loaded at program restart.

0=invisible or 1=visible (initially checked).

GUILoudnessCustomScale_n<AppName>|Settings|Loudness(none)

Describes a custom loudness scale. Any number of custom scales can be specified by setting n to consecutive integer numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.). The value is a string with 3 sections, separated by vertical bars (|):

  • Section 1 is the name of the custom scale which is displayed in the GUI.
  • Sections 2 and 3 are the minimum and maximum values for the loudness axis, in LU units.

Names should be unique across all custom scales. Whitespace, case, and most punctuation are ignored for name equality.

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