DTV Audio Group Launches Online Loudness Management Tutorial

The DTV Audio Group has launched an online Loudness Management Tutorial that allows television broadcast audio mixers to learn about and quantify their knowledge of the ATSC Recommended Practice A/85. Several major television networks have underwritten the tutorial, which has been developed in cooperation with the ATSC and produced by Learning Sciences Corporation with assistance from the Sports Video Group.

The Loudness Management Tutorial comprises a series of illustrated chapters that detail techniques for establishing and maintaining audio loudness for Digital Television as laid out in the ATSC Recommended Practice A/85. Topics covered in the tutorial include an overview of ATSC AC-3 audio followed by chapters on loudness metering, loudness monitoring, and practical mixing techniques. Participants must successfully complete a quiz reviewing each chapter before advancing to the next chapter. A final examination confirms the participant’s comprehension of the tutorial.

“Digital Television multi-channel audio production is different than traditional television practice,” comments Roger Charlesworth, executive director, DTV Audio Group. “This Loudness Management Tutorial is an ideal way for broadcast audio mixers to confirm their thorough understanding of the A/85 Recommended Practice to a current or future prospective employer.”

With initial underwriting from Fox Networks, NBC Universal, and Turner, the tutorial is part of an ongoing DTV Audio Group initiative to develop online training tools to efficiently leverage network-training resources to address educational requirement of operators in the field.

Turner Sports VP of Operations and Technology and DTVAG Chairman Tom Sahara explains, “These tutorials allow the networks to deploy their resources more efficiently while also facilitating education and evaluation the huge pool of independent mixers we rely on.”

Development of the Loudness Tutorial was led by Jim Starzynski, principal engineer and audio architect, NBC Universal Advanced Engineering, and Steven Silva, director, Procedures and Training, Fox NE&O, with notable contributions from Tomlinson Holman, professor, University of Southern California and Bob Dixon, director, sound design and communications, NBC Olympics.

Initially available to broadcast network engineers, both full time employees and independent freelancers, the Loudness Management Tutorial will eventually be available to visitors to the DTV Audio Group website. The tutorial is intended to be the first in an ongoing series that is currently planned to also include such topics as 5.1 mixing practices, 5.1 primer for video editors, and multichannel audio routing workflow.

Click here to visit the DTV Audio Group homepage and take the tutorial.

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