At NAB 2016 (Booth C2333), Jünger Audio will focus attention on Smart Audio - an entirely new concept aimed at helping broadcasters embrace automated audio production, particularly in live environments.
With today’s broadcasters facing ever-increasing consumer demand for more content on more devices, the need for faster and more cost effective workflows has never been greater. In a world where resources are tight, many broadcasters face a daily battle between delivering interesting content while still maintaining the high quality that consumers rightly expect.
This is where the concept of Smart Audio comes into play. If you don’t have the resources to employ an entire team of audio engineers to manage sound quality at every position, then you must invest in simple, reliable and predictable equipment that can do the job for you, automatically.
“The importance of consistent, stable and coherent audio should never be underestimated because it is so vital when it comes to attracting and retaining viewers,” says Jünger Audio’s CEO Peter Poers. “People don’t often complain about captions, graphics or subtitles, but give them poor quality sound - in particular, poor quality speech - and they will immediately reach for the remote.”
In today’s file based environment where content is often recorded and stored for broadcast at a later date, creating high quality audio is straightforward. Many techniques are involved, but with appropriate microphone choice and placement, post-production modifications and the application of myriads of software tools that can analyze and enhance faster than real time, there is a real chance to deliver audio in good condition.
In live broadcast situations, however, things are very different. Breaking news and fast paced sports programs need to be on air as quickly as possible and there is simply no time to fix the sound in the second mix anymore.
“If you are taking in a feed from an OB truck, combining it with a local studio presenter and perhaps also a feed from a remote reporter in another location, you cannot always assume that audio levels will be consistent or compliant with relevant loudness standards,” Peter Poers adds. “With resources now so tight and audio people rarely getting the chance to listen and improve the sound, the only way to ensure that viewers receive a consistent, clear audio experience is to utilize a chain of intelligent and adaptive real time processing algorithms working together. This is what Smart Audio means: delivering high quality sound in a very efficient way, with minimal requirement for manual control or intervention from an operator.”
Poers adds that, alongside intelligent and adaptive processing algorithms, the introduction of Smart Audio also requires broadcasters to choose devices that are fully interoperable with others in the broadcast environment and can seamlessly integrate with both playout automation systems and logging and monitoring processes.
“Auto-Level, Auto-Upmix, Auto-EQ, Auto-MIX, Auto-Loudness, Codec System Metadata Management – the intelligent combination of all these Jünger Audio adaptive algorithms will create the solution that delivers Smart Audio,” Poers says, “and program loudness will also automatically match – as expected.”
Jünger Audio’s D*AP product range can deliver a Smart Audio experience because every device already incorporates a collection of these adaptive processing algorithms. Also, they are using the industry standard Ember+ remote protocol that allows seamless integration of this high quality audio processing equipment with both playout automation systems and logging and monitoring processes. This has enabled broadcasters such as Input Media in London and the ARD Tagesschau television prime time news service in Germany to reach a higher grade of efficiency and automation in production by integrating Jünger Audio’s high quality audio processing tools.
“Almost all of our D*AP processors offer automated leveling of individual sources to pre-condition the audio before final loudness based management,” Peter Poers adds. “This is combined with auto up-mix to maintain a constant surround experience and the use of auto EQ to ensure consistency of spectral balance and that all important speech intelligibility. They also incorporate Jünger Audio’s fully adaptive Level Magic™ loudness control that can adjust audio from any source, at any time, to the right level with no breathing, pumping, or distortion. Only a minimal number of initial parameters need to be set to make these processes work, which means we are already in a position to deliver the Smart Audio solutions that the industry now needs.”
Jünger Audio’s D*AP range includes natural sounding products for loudness control, audio monitoring, metadata management and Dolby® decoding, encoding and transcoding. Among them are the D*AP8 MAP EDITION surround monitoring audio processor; the D*AP8 CODEC EDITION processor that provides a viable replacement for any discontinued legacy Dolby® hardware processors; the D*AP4 VAP EDITION two channel voice audio processor and the flagship D*AP8 TAP EDITION television audio processor, which ensures consistency of loudness and sonic “character” across multiple programme sources.
For more information about Jünger Audio’s Smart Audio solutions please visit us at NAB 2016, Booth C2333, or visit www.junger-audio.om
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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.jungeraudio.com
