The impact of the new US Calm Act on broadcast audio loudness has led Hollywood-based Larson Studios to add two Jünger Audio T*AP Television Audio Processors to its transfer rooms.
Larson Studios is renowned as a full-service postproduction sound company specialising in digital mixing for SD and HD TV, film and multimedia. From its two buildings in the heart of Hollywood, it offers ADR/Foley stages, sweetening rooms, edit suites and seven Chris Pelonis/George Massenburg-designed 5.1/7.1 surround mix stages. In addition to award-winning television and film audio post that is fully Calm compliant, Larson also offers complete audio restoration, remixing, repurposing and pre-mastering.
Prior to investing in Jünger Audio’s T*AP units, Larson Studios conducted its own research into available loudness control products and reached the conclusion that T*AP offered the best all-round solution: ‘We did a shoot-out between Jünger Audio and two other loudness control boxes from major manufacturers and eventually chose the Jünger Audio units because they sounded better,’ David Dondorf, Larson Studios’ Chief Engineer, says. ‘Our testing showed that they were completely accurate, especially from the aspect of dialnorm. They were also easier to use and offered a clear path to creating the presets we needed. The default presets sold the box, along with the fact that you can go into great depth – or not.’
Larson Studios delivers product to all major broadcast and cable networks and, as an extremely busy facility, does not have time to constantly re-deliver audio material that doesn’t comply with the regulations specified by the Calm act.
‘Before we invested in the T*AP processors, we were wasting hours fixing shows that were being rejected because they were one tenth of a dB out,’ Dundorf adds. ‘These units have not only saved valuable time but they also allow us to deliver audio material that sound as good as our customers expect.’
The T*AP Television Audio Processor incorporate Version II of the Jünger Audio’s Level Magic adaptive loudness algorithm, which is compliant with all current broadcast audio loudness recommendations including ITU 1770 (v1 and v2), ATSC A/85, ARIB TR-B32 and EBU R128. Based on a Multi-Loop dynamic range control principle where slow changes (AGC), fast changes (transient processing) and Look Ahead peak limiting are handled simultaneously, Level Magic offers level management without coloration, pumping, breathing, distortion or modulation effects.
Primarily designed for TV playout, T*AP focuses on automatic and adaptive loudness control, Upmix and surround sound processing for up to eight channels of audio (8x1, 4x2, or 6+2). Optional Dolby Decoding and Encoding (D, D+, or Pulse), as well as metadata management, are also provided along with 5.1 Downmix and Jünger Audio’s 5.1 UpMix circuit.
Larson Studios’ units were supplied by Jünger Audio’s US distributor Group One. According to Dundorf, they have completely solved the facility’s Calm compliance issues. ‘Now, when we receive a client delivery spec, we know we will meet it exactly, quickly, accurately, and with minimal negative change to the original mix. We are using T*AP on all Deliverables from both our facilities,’ he says.
More: www.junger-audio.com
