OT: R128GAIN - Fast loudness analyzer

NickHope wrote on 12/9/2014, 12:35 PM
Here's a good time saver...

I didn't want to sit through the whole of my 90-minute video to measure the integrated loudness on the loudness meters so I had a look for a faster way and I found R128GAIN. It measures the loudness of an audio file really quickly and the integrated loudness results match what I'm getting with the VP13 meters.

One thing to beware of is that the sign for the LU value seems to be inverted. It's negative when it should be positive and vice versa, unless I'm misunderstanding something. I've arrowed it in the 2nd screenshot. Go by the LUFS result and you are good to go.

It can also render and attenuated or amplified file if you specify an "output" but I've just used it for measurement so I can make my appropriate volume corrections in Vegas.

There is a new version called BS1770GAIN but it's experimental and there's no GUI.



Comments

wwaag wrote on 12/9/2014, 8:47 PM
Another way. Using V13, simply render audio only and make sure that in Metadata Options you check "Save Loudness log...". Then open in Notepad and go to the end where the overall values will be shown. Too bad that these summary values are not shown at the beginning of the text file.

wwaag

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NickHope wrote on 12/9/2014, 11:32 PM
Nice tip! I didn't know about that one. Thanks wwaag.

It would be nice if it also showed the true peak and the loudness range.
VMP wrote on 12/9/2014, 11:58 PM
Why go through so much hassle? (If you have little time)

1. Master your total audio track (as you did before the loudness war), render out the final audio file.
2. Import it into Nugen LM Correct, autocorrect and render out the file (it renders faster than real-time).
3. Import it back to Vegas (on the Vegas timeline mute the other audio tracks and solo the corrected file on a new track).

Done.

(Side note, be sure to disable all audio FX on the track and on the master bus/mixer, set volume sliders to 0db, so that Vegas doesen't change the audio output of the corrected file)

http://www.nugenaudio.com/lm-correct-loudness-correction-automatic-quick-fix-plugin-aax-au-vst_19

Haven't heard any complaint from any TV station yet.

I really wish Vegas or Sound Forge has this option!

Mixing and mastering is time well spent.
Hours and hours of manual loudness correction is a big waste of creative time IMO.

VMP
NickHope wrote on 12/10/2014, 1:19 AM
Nice, but it's USD 399. And it does involve an extra lossy render.

Why should loudness correction in Vegas take hours and hours? It's just one volume adjustment, once you know how much you need to adjust by (which only takes a minute by the above methods).

Agreed, it would be very nice if Vegas and/or Sound Forge had a feature to automatically adjust the master volume to a chosen loudness standard, or to do it at the render stage.

By the way it's nice that Vegas gives you a loudness log even when rendering ac3.
VMP wrote on 12/10/2014, 3:07 AM
It is indeed expensive Nick, I agree.

But it does the job well for its price.

Why do you consider the render to be lossy?
I use an uncompressed wave file: 96.000 Hz; 24 Bit; Stereo; PCM, as far as I know the file coming out of Nugen should not be lossy.

Indeed we all use limiters and compressors, so why not an automation system for the loudness as well, I am sure that it will be a part of Vegas in the near future.

VMP
NickHope wrote on 12/10/2014, 4:31 AM
Why do you consider the render to be lossy?

I was assuming that a Vegas render followed by a volume change and re-render in Nugen would in theory lose quality compared to getting the volume right in Vegas before any rendering. I think it depends on what FX are on the audio and whether you are making it louder or quieter. If you have some major FX on the audio in Vegas and then do a big increase in volume in Nugen, I'm pretty sure it would be theoretically cleaner to get it right first in Vegas.
DeadRadioStar wrote on 12/11/2014, 9:36 AM
Just to mention, I also use Steinberg WaveLab 8 for this (yes, it's pricey too, but you also get ..... WaveLab 8!). Render the final audio, load into WaveLab 8 and apply the "Loudness Normalizer", render and re-import into Vegas. Quick, easy, and guaranteed to work.
VMP wrote on 12/11/2014, 3:55 PM
Adobe audition has this function too.

SCS is behind with their software with this function.

VMP
rraud wrote on 12/11/2014, 5:43 PM
Alternately, an audio mix or video can be opened in SF-11 Pro. Selecting "Tools> Statistics" gives the loudness as well as the other usual dB and TL details without playback.
Example:
Cursor position (Time) 00:00:00.000
Sample value at cursor (dB) -Inf.
Minimum sample position (Time) 00:06:13.757
Minimum sample value (dB) -7.250
Maximum sample position (Time) 00:05:31.314
Maximum sample value (dB) -7.822
RMS level (dB) -24.748
Average value (dB) -84.288
Zero crossings (Hz) 1,539.19
Maximum true peak sample position (Time) 00:01:11.992
Maximum true peak sample value (dB) -7.119
Maximum filtered true peak sample position (Time) 00:00:08.054
Maximum filtered true peak sample value (dB) -6.682

Integrated Loudness (LUFS) -24.19
Loudness Range (LU) 4.90
Maximum True Peak Loudness (dBTP) -7.12
Maximum Short-Term Loudness (LUFS) -20.57
Maximum Momentary Loudness (LUFS) -17.47