TC Electronic Updates Its Loudness-Monitoring Technology

By Dan Daley

Here’s more input on the loudness debates we’ve been keeping you up to date on. Today at the NAB Show, TC Electronic announced version 2.0 software for its DB4 and DB8 loudness processors. The new software, which integrates the company’s LM5D radar loudness meter, is now available as a free download for all current DB4 and DB8 users on the company’s Website.

The DB4 and DB8 processors are capable of real-time loudness and format control for multiple optimized transmission feeds, such as HDTV, SDTV, mobile TV, Internet, etc. Both processors automate loudness control and 5.1 upmixing while ensuring station compliance with current loudness standards (including the latest ITU BS.1770 measurements).

The LM5D meter with the DB4 and DB8 processors can monitor level changes on an intuitive interface and observe these changes over a definable period of time ranging from one minute to 24 hours. The LM5D software is part of the universal ITU concept, whereby audio may easily and consistently be measured and controlled at various stages of production and distribution.

These TC processors are also capable of working cohesively with equipment made by other manufacturers that adhere to the same global standard. TC has some useful technical papers available at its online library, which you can check out at http://www.tcelectronic.com/TechLibrary.