IBC 2010: Linear Acoustic, RadiantGrid Target File-based Loudness Control with AERO.file

Linear Acoustic has introduced the AERO.file Ingest Loudness Manager powered by RadiantGrid. AERO.file brings Linear Acoustic multipass scaling, loudness range control, and UPMAX-II upmixing and downmixing to file-based workflows, without the need for external hardware devices.

AERO.file was designed in collaboration with RadiantGrid Technologies, which develops transcoding, transformation, and new media automation service platforms. It’s the first of several new solutions aimed at loudness and audio control in file-based workflows that the two companies will unveil at IBC 2010.

“Until now, loudness scaling was the only option available for customers working in the file-based domain,” says Tim Carroll, founder and president of Linear Acoustic. “For myriad reasons, scaling alone may not be enough. By combining our AERO.qc processing with RadiantGrid transwrapping and TrueGrid transcoding technologies, users will be able to correct and format converted audio all within one very fast solution.”

AERO.file uses RadiantGrid transwrapping functionality to pass through video streams of any type while separately performing audio functions via the AERO.qc Loudness Correction module (a software version of the AERO.qc hardware product). The triple-pass approach enabled by working in the software domain allows the loudness target to be met independent of other processing choices and preserves the quality of the original content.

Options include Dolby Digital (AC-3) and Dolby E decoding and encoding, plus a host of codecs for other audio formats.

“We are honored to be working with an industry leader such as Linear Acoustic to help bring loudness correction into the file-based realm,” says Kirk Marple, president and chief software architect, RadiantGrid Technologies. “Users have requested a means of processing audio without the need to decode and re-encode video files. With our faster-than-real-time transcoding and transwrapping, combined with the high-quality audio control solutions by Linear Acoustic, users will have all the tools necessary to process files for deployment, regardless of the file format and means of delivery.”

In their just-announced Version 6.0 release, RadiantGrid has added these same new capabilities.