New 5.1 software upgrades for DK-Technologies‘ flagship MSD Series of high-end audio meters (MSD600M++, PT0600M, PT0660M and PT0660M-LS) will be on show at IBC 2007 at the company‘s stand 8.560.
The new software is loaded with useful features to help audio professionals to improve audio quality for surround sound, stereo and mono. These include loudness measuring methods that provide new additions to the LEQ (m) and Flat Filtering methods already available in earlier software versions.
Measuring loudness is currently a hot topic for those audio engineers who are aiming to control levels in individual recordings in order to prevent disturbing changes in volume for the listener. DK-Technologies‘ new software allows engineers to measure loudness according to the recently proposed ITU recommendations, as well as to the widely used LEQ(a) used with Dialnorm for measuring dialogue, thus making it ideally suited to radio and television broadcast and post production applications.
DK-Technologies has also recognised the importance of the SMPTE timecode, which in audio post production applications can be used to define the start and stop of the loudness measurement. With this new software, the SMPTE timecode can be displayed directly on the main display. This feature supports the direct spooling of the audio to the desired position in the recording. By utilizing the dual ballistics of the PPM, the audio engineer is able to simultaneously monitor the correct level on a conventional audio scale and to secure that the level does not exceed the margins decided by the digital signal.
DK-Technologies‘ new software also allows an integral matrix in the audio meter to determine the downmix of the surround sound signal to a stereo and a mono signal. This feature allows the audio engineer to monitor and optimise the downmixes while working on the surround sound signal.
For automatic logging of the audio signal, DK-Technologies has introduced DK-LevelRead, a PC programme that reads the levels from the audio meter and stores the measurements on the PC, together with the accompanying timecode. The measured values are used to determine and display the maximum levels. Alarms originated by too high levels or missing signal are detected and marked on the readings for easy identification.
All new audio meters from DK-Technologies will be delivered with the new software, while for existing users an update package is available, which will enable them to upgrade earlier audio meters with the new features.
