When creating full range audio mixes for a variety of international broadcasters, meeting each customer’s different requirement for dynamic range, peaks and overall audio loudness can be a tricky business.
In this situation what is needed is an easy to use dynamic range processor that can create a variety of masters, but without having a detrimental effect on the mix.
Deluxe Digital Studios faced precisely this situation and its solution was to install a Jünger Audio B46 LEVEL MAGIC digital dynamics processor. The unit was supplied by Jünger Audio’s UK distributor Aspen Media and is now fully operational at Deluxe Digital Studio’s London facilities where it is being used on a range of projects, most notably foreign language dubbing.
Deluxe Digital Studios is the post production and digital film services division of Deluxe, a leading provider of entertainment industry services and technologies to major Hollywood Studios, international broadcasters and rights owners. Deluxe has laboratory and post production facilities in North America, Europe, and Australia, from which it offers a wide variety of services including motion picture film processing, printing and distribution; EFILM® digital intermediates; post production and subtitling services; titles design and digital VFX; DVD & Blu-ray compression, encoding and authoring; digital cinema services, digital asset management, digital distribution; and marketing fulfilment services.
Deluxe Digital Studios has facilities in London, LA, New York, Florence and Toronto. The Jünger Audio unit has been installed in the Soho, London office, which provides audio dubbing, conforming, restoration, subtitling, DVD and Blu-ray authoring and video encoding and asset management services for the UK and Europe.
Gerald Hinton, Technical Director of Deluxe Digital Studios, says: “We are providing an increasing amount of multi language audio services to international rights owners and one of our key services is multi language audio dubbing. With each dubbing job, be it in one language or ten, we typically create a full range mix of each language but we then have to deal with a large number of different deliverable requirements in terms of dynamic range, peaks and overall loudness. We were looking for a unit that we could set up quickly and easily to create various masters without having a detrimental effect on the mix. The system needed to be capable of handling changes to the dynamic range, level or loudness of the audio without colouring or altering the audio in any way.”
Hinton says the Jünger Audio B46 has met this requirement very well. The unit is very easy to operate as users only have to input a small number of settings. Once the settings are in place, Jünger Audio’s proprietary LEVEL MAGIC™ loudness system achieves optimum results by reviewing all other parameters necessary for inaudible processing and automatically controlling them in response to changes in the programme signal. By relying on an adaptive level control algorithm, LEVEL MAGIC™ can adjust the level from any source at any time, with no pumping, breathing or distortion. It works by simultaneously combining an AGC, a Transient Processor for fast changes and a “look ahead” Peak Limiter for continuous unattended control of any programme material, regardless of its original source.
“The B46 was very easy to install and was up and running within a couple of hours of us receiving it,” Hinton adds. “We wanted a unit to mainly work in a tape to tape domain as we are typically making clones or sub masters at differing frame rates of a Master. By routing the SDI signal through the B46 we do not have to worry about delaying the video through a separate unit as this is all handled seamlessly within the unit.”
Aspen Media played an integral part in helping Deluxe choose the right processor for its requirements. Aspen’s Managing Director Chris Collings sourced a demo unit from Jünger Audio’s German offices and was on hand to make sure it met Hinton’s needs.
“We have a long-standing relationship with Aspen Media, which began when they supplied most of the equipment for our THX approved audio suite over ten years ago,” Hinton says. “Since that time Chris and the team have always been available to help us solve any problems or make suggestions to ease our workflows. When we were looking for an audio level controller my first call was to Aspen Media, and I would whole heartedly recommend them as a supplier to anyone.”
Hinton adds that he is delighted with the results Deluxe Digital Studios is achieving from the B46.
“The ease of operation of this unit, as well as its ability to recall pre-saved configurations, is proving to be a real time saver,” he says.
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About Jünger Audio
Established in Berlin in 1990, Jünger Audio specialises in the design and manufacture of high-quality digital audio dynamics processors. It has developed a unique range of digital processors that are designed to meet the demands of the professional audio market. All of its products are easy to operate and are developed and manufactured in-house, ensuring that the highest standards are maintained throughout. Its customers include many of the world’s top radio and TV broadcasters, IPTV providers, music recording studios and audio post production facilities. www.junger-audio.com
