- Posts: 4
- Joined: Sat Jan 05, 2013 2:37 pm
A few comments on the BMD Audio Monitor Unit. The unit looks great well built, sturdy and some nice features such as SDI ( SD/HD) input, HDMI output for local vision monitor using a HDMI screen, analogue input ( via phono / RCA connectors ) and a balanced AES input - all good.
The small screen is excellent for quick vision monitoring.
The Audio meter, prominent on the front of the display - is currently ( version 1.1 ) not much use to anyone - sorry.
BMD have calibrated the meter to read '0' when -18dB FS is presented to the AES input, leaving the last two leds in the scale ( marked +3 ) to illuminate 2 dB higher at -16 dBFS.
US audio operating levels in broadcast and music production are that -20dB FS is reference level, and peaks should occur no more than 10dB above this, ie -10dB FS. European levels are that -18dB FS is reference and nominal levels should go no more than 10dB above this level ie -8dB FS.
Professional music production levels tend to use the maximum possible dynamic range of the scale and professional ( rock and pop ) CDs will often be mastered to 1 or 2 dB below full scale on peak level.
The meter as it stands in this current version of software will simply be fully illuminated if one was to play any commercial DVD or CD or standard broadcast via digital input to the device giving no usable information at all.
Any chance we can have a check box to turn the meter into a proper Full scale meter where the right most red led is 0dB FS, all leds to the left of this are scaled possibly 2dB per led giving a usable range of 52dB, more than enough for most practical purposes, of course the scale could be slightly non linear below -20dB to give more range down to -60 / 70.
Standard US and EU operating levels of -20 and -18 should be accurate on the scale for line up purposes to these two international standards.
I understand that changes to the meter will affect the current legend - this is a small price to pay to make the meter usable to professionals and amateurs alike.
Thanks brian
The small screen is excellent for quick vision monitoring.
The Audio meter, prominent on the front of the display - is currently ( version 1.1 ) not much use to anyone - sorry.
BMD have calibrated the meter to read '0' when -18dB FS is presented to the AES input, leaving the last two leds in the scale ( marked +3 ) to illuminate 2 dB higher at -16 dBFS.
US audio operating levels in broadcast and music production are that -20dB FS is reference level, and peaks should occur no more than 10dB above this, ie -10dB FS. European levels are that -18dB FS is reference and nominal levels should go no more than 10dB above this level ie -8dB FS.
Professional music production levels tend to use the maximum possible dynamic range of the scale and professional ( rock and pop ) CDs will often be mastered to 1 or 2 dB below full scale on peak level.
The meter as it stands in this current version of software will simply be fully illuminated if one was to play any commercial DVD or CD or standard broadcast via digital input to the device giving no usable information at all.
Any chance we can have a check box to turn the meter into a proper Full scale meter where the right most red led is 0dB FS, all leds to the left of this are scaled possibly 2dB per led giving a usable range of 52dB, more than enough for most practical purposes, of course the scale could be slightly non linear below -20dB to give more range down to -60 / 70.
Standard US and EU operating levels of -20 and -18 should be accurate on the scale for line up purposes to these two international standards.
I understand that changes to the meter will affect the current legend - this is a small price to pay to make the meter usable to professionals and amateurs alike.
Thanks brian