Dynamic range compression: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:15, 26 July 2023

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Broadcasters use compressors in order that their station sounds louder than comparable stations. The effect is to make the more heavily compressed station jump out at the listener at a given volume setting.<ref name=broadcastbridge>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thebroadcastbridge.com/content/entry/7278/using-compression-for-recorded-and-live-audio|title=Using Compression for Recorded and Live Audio - The Broadcast Bridge - Connecting IT to Broadcast|first=The Broadcast|last=Bridge|date=November 23, 2016|website=www.thebroadcastbridge.com}}</ref> This is not limited to inter-channel differences; they also exist between programme material within the same channel. Loudness differences are a frequent source of audience complaints, especially TV commercials and promos that seem too loud.

The [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) has been addressing this issue in the EBU PLOUD group, which consists of over 240 audio professionals, many from broadcasters and equipment manufacturers. In 2010, the EBU published [[EBU R 128]] which introduces a new way of metering and [[Audio normalization|normalizing audio]]. The Recommendation uses [[ITU-R BS.1770]] loudness metering. {{as of|2016}}, several European TV stations have announced their support for the new norm<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebu.ch/news/2011/loudness-france-chooses-ebu-r128|title=Loudness: France chooses EBU R128 to bolster audio laws|date=25 October 2011|website=[[European Broadcasting Union]]|language=en|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/sky-confirms-formal-adoption-of-r128-loudness-specification/|title=Sky confirms formal adoption of R128 loudness specification|last=Davies|first=David|date=9 December 2013|website=SVG Europe|language=en|access-date=8 April 2020}}</ref> and over 20 manufacturers have announced products supporting the new ''EBU Mode'' loudness meters.<ref name="EBU3341">{{Citation |url=https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/tech3341 |title='EBU Mode' metering to supplement EBU R 128 loudness normalisation |date=2016-01-25 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |series=Version 3.0 |language=en |id=EBU Tech 3341 |access-date=2019-11-03}}</ref>{{failed verification|reason=Does not support stations and manufacturers|date=October 2020}}

To help audio engineers understand what loudness range their material consists of (e.g. to check if some compression may be needed to fit it into the channel of a specific delivery platform), the EBU also introduced the ''Loudness Range'' (LRA) descriptor.<ref name="EBU3342">{{Citation |url=https://tech.ebu.ch/publications/tech3342 |title=Loudness range: A measure to supplement EBU R 128 loudness normalisation |date=2016-01-25 |publisher=European Broadcasting Union |series=Version 3.0 |___location=Geneva |language=en |id=EBU Tech 3342}}</ref>