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:

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:

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.