Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

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grayb

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Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostFri Aug 23, 2013 12:59 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
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RobAshard

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostSat Aug 24, 2013 5:35 pm

So I've just looked at this on their product page.
Surely the legend could work as it stands with re-calibration, which I'm sure is only a firmware upgrade away.
It looks like a digital signal peaking at -10dBFS should be in the green range, and a signal over that would go into the yellow.
I would expect current cd's connected digitally to use all the yellow pretty much up to zero, and not the last three red segments.
Reference tone should light either the -20 segment, or the one above it for -18dBFS depending which side of the atlantic you are.
That's how you're saying it should be isn't it. If it is, I agree with you! But it could work on that scale couldn't it?
Rob.
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Mike Squires

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostSun Aug 25, 2013 6:59 pm

I thought peak in the U.S. was -12dB, not -10dB? And reference, as you stated, is -20dB.

I do agree with you that the meter scale should be able to be changed to digital levels (whether in the U.S. or EU). Even the meter levels in the ATEM software panel are correct.
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advisiontv

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostTue Dec 17, 2013 7:09 pm

I completely agree. I've just purchased this unit and am really impressed with everything about it - apart from the meter. When lining up anything that comes to us we are presented with -18 tone. If i fed that into my Audio Monitor it would come up at around +2 which to me, and probably most broadcast professionals in Europe isn't useful.

I've contacted BM support who were very helpful and said they'll put forward my request to the developers. All we need is a dropdown menu in software to change the calibration to the EBU standard. I need to see where -18 is for lineup, and where -10 is for my peak. If anything goes above -10 as far as i'm concerned then it is too loud! At present whenever the right level of programme goes into it, all the lights light up and stay illuminated!

If I had any further comments, then I'd say I'd love the attack time of the LED's to be quicker at registering. The slow decay is fine and nice (a bit like a broadcast PPM meter) but it's important to have a very very quick response to a noise as it happens.
Matthew Titterton
AdVision TV Ltd
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advisiontv

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostTue Dec 17, 2013 10:41 pm

Actually - just seen on the blackmagic website...
http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/prod ... diomonitor

"The two big bright audio level meters on the front panel feature multi colored RGB LEDs under each segment of the VU scale. You can select between VU or PPM scale and extra scales can be added in future software updates."

So how do I get a PPM scale currently!?!?!??!???
Matthew Titterton
AdVision TV Ltd
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venni

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostFri Jan 10, 2014 12:08 pm

I work in broadcasting and I purchased one unit to validate for my company. We use -18dB scale which means that 0dB test tone should light the meter up to 18dB below max value (0). Our 0dB tone lights up the +2 led of the audio meter. That is 20dB higher than what I would expect. Also the audio sounds harsh and overmodulated This level/metering issue is a major problem for Broadcast environment and should be addressed with highest priority.

There is another feature that I would like to suggest.
I belive it is possible to arrange this with firmware and it would greatly add value for broadcasters.
That is to make it possible to select an audio phase scope on the video monitor window.
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venni

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostFri Jan 17, 2014 1:17 pm

Are there nobody from Blackmagic following these threads? Can we expect a firmware upgrade to fix this "incorrect scale" issue?
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Tony Rivera

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostFri Jan 17, 2014 6:01 pm

I understand your frustrations with this subject. Unfortunately, I do not have any further info for you at this time but I will forward this along.
Support: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
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grayb

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale S/W 1.1.2

PostMon Mar 17, 2014 2:39 pm

Has anyone been able to update the unit to S/W version 1.1.2 to see if the Meter scale has any enhancements? Released 4 Feb 2014
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Jonas Bengtson

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostMon Mar 17, 2014 10:22 pm

seems like no difference sadly
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Ondrej Vitous

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostSun Aug 10, 2014 7:27 am

Yes, I would also like to have possibility to change meter scale to user defined levels - seems like no movement from BMD till now.

In addition to that I had found that any audio above -6dBFs is distorted (headphones as well as speakerboxes - no matter what is listening level). That really prevent this unit to provide correct audio monitoring, since for example CD player with digital output and normalized audio near to the 0dBFs wold sound distorted.
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Richard Courtney

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostSun Aug 10, 2014 2:19 pm

venni wrote:There is another feature that I would like to suggest.
I belive it is possible to arrange this with firmware and it would greatly add value for broadcasters.
That is to make it possible to select an audio phase scope on the video monitor window.


+1 vote
Anyone that might have output fed to a Dolby encoder needs this. However with only 2 channels
passed thru the ATEM, one may still need separate audio from an external mixer board.
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daraghbass

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostFri Aug 15, 2014 2:42 pm

grayb wrote: 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.

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.


It is very disappointing that a year after the original post BMD hasn't rectified this issue, by releasing whats should be a relatively simple firmware fix.

A company I regularly work were looking to buy 40 AMU's. Based on the spec I had read and a brief glimpse at a trade show I suggested this model. Luckily they decided to try one before ordering the whole amount, needless to say that as a result of the issue above they have since bought elsewhere.

Another client I work with is looking to buy 28 AMU's.... could I recommend BMD?

Please, any feedback from BMD would be much appreciated. Please keep us your currently disappointed customers up to date. Thank you,

Daragh
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venni

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostMon Sep 01, 2014 1:33 pm

Hi.. I want to adress this issue again. BMD needs to correct the scale of the Audio monitor. It´s not usable in broadcast as it is. Also it's not doing BMD's reputation any good to push this product with such a big hidden amatourish flaw.
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Knut Bussian

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostTue Oct 21, 2014 11:58 am

Bump +1

Definetly needed!
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Tony Rivera

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Re: Blackmagic Audio Monitor Meter scale

PostWed Oct 22, 2014 3:52 pm

I know the team responsible are aware of these requests but at this time, I do not have an update for you.
Support: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/support
Info: http://www.blackmagicdesign.com/company

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