AXON Launches Loudness Logging to Compliance Recording System TRACS

AXON’s compliance recording system TRACS has been enhanced with a loudness logging and monitoring option.

This  loudness logging and monitoring option, according to the ITU-R BS.1770-3, EBU R128, ATSC A/8 or ARIB TR-B32 standards, will enable monitoring and logging of loudness measurements of all audio channels on TRACS recorders (including existing installations) without additional hardware requirements.

AXON boosted its compliance recording system TRACS with a loudness logging and monitoring option.

During the real-time encoding process, before audio compression, all relevant audio loudness levels (up to 8 stereo pairs) are measured, driven by the advanced Emsytech Hummingbird® loudness meters. Measurements are stored in the MPEG stream, for synchronized loudness monitoring, and in separate loudness data files for easy (automated) detection and retrieval.

During live play or playback of the recorded content, the Momentary, Short-term and Integrated measurements are shown in audio bars, in sync with the video. The course of the loudness levels during a user defined period of time can be shown in a loudness history graph. This graph also shows a calculated Integrated Loudness level over the user defined period and can be exported to a .png, .pdf or .csv file.

Besides monitoring and logging, the TRACS loudness option also makes the compliance recorder function as an integrity checker for loudness levels. Loudness violations can be reported by means of e-mails or via SNMP statuses as well as visual statuses in the client.

The launch of this option coincides with a number of new customer wins for TRACS; Netplay TV (UK), Channel 9 (Mexico), TV Oost (Netherlands), TVB (Hong Kong) and GBC (Gibraltar).

“We have had numerous requests for loudness logging because of loudness regulations throughout the world”, says Jelle Wesseling, Axon’s Product Manager TRACS. “This new option in TRACS enables broadcasters to easily show their loudness control activities over time”

This new feature will be on display on Axon’s stand 10.A21 at IBC2014.