Free Dynamic Range Meter?

[Compyfox]

Below is a (simplified) description of the DR value calculation:

+ Audio samples are read in consecutive windows of 3 seconds (RMS window size = 3 seconds).
+ The peak and RMS value of each window are computed.
+ The average of the loudest 20% of the RMS windows is computed.
+ The DR value is the difference between the peak and the average of the 20% loudest RMS windows."

As you can see, even this is only a "simplified" version, so until they publish the full spec, this is all we have to go on.

Actually, the full specs won't be revealed anymore. And the system is pretty much outdated.


What you describe is the offline measurement tool. Which does indeed only take the highest values of 20% of the track into consideration and then subtracts it from the max peak value - which then gives you a rounded down DR value.

The DR Meter was never(!) really made for suitable loudness declarations IMO, since it shifted too much in terms of the values for specific genres. Actually, the old DR map that was posted on that page was a concept I presented Friedemann Tischmeyer years ago at Musikmesse and also forwarded it through mail. I never really got credit for it - then again, I'm sure I wasn't the only one that had concerns with this concept.


Here is the thread I started years ago that debates this meter a bit more in-depth (especially the last 3 pages or so):
K-Meters are now "Dynamic Range Meters"?

But I do think metering is important, and I hope that acoustic engineers will continue to refine metering in the future, perhaps by incorporating Phons and Sones along with measurements of real music, and incorporating all of the good work done by the EBU/ITU. Jim Johnston is apparently working on a new metering scheme based on these ideas, so let's hope that comes to fruition.

Actually there already IS a metering scheme on these ideas, and that is called the "K-System v2", which uses the ITU-R BS.1770 (read the ATSC/85 or EBU R-128) metering specs as backbone, but utilizes a custom color coding and reference level.

Years ago I sat down and created this concept based upon the K-System v1 by Bob Katz and even wrote a White Paper (that I still have to update after the KVR debate, see link below) on that topic.

Basically... you use an EBU R-128 type meter, set up a custom reference level (for example -14LUFS = K-14v2) and shoot for -3LU to 0LU on Mezzoforte passages, and try not to overshoot +3LU on forte fortissimo passages on the SLk meter. The MLk meter can be ignored, and the Integrated meter should ideally give a readout around the reference level. But due to the nature of the gating system, that won't happen to 70% of the time.


But... it's more suitable for more accurate loudness measurements for music. Especially considering that the meter not only gives out True Peak, Momentary Loudness, Short Term Loudness and Loudness over given time, but also a Loudness Range(!) - which is more accurate/usable than the DR Meter ever was.

Yes - the Dynamic Range Meter is outdated.
So is the LEQ(m) meter.

In my opinion we only need three to four meters as absolute max these days:
- a digital peak meter
- a RMS/VU meter (pretty much the same thing, both at 300ms ballistics, same reference level only different scale on the meter)
- an ITU-R BS.1770-x type meter

And for measurements of the actual sound pressure level (SPL), a suitable SPL meter with A/C weighting. There... 4 meters in total.


Here is another thread of mine (interesting are the last 2-3 pages yet again):
EBU R-128 meets K-System v2, a possible future for the loudness debate

And a very interesting article on that whole topic on Sound on Sound from September 2011:
'Dynamic Range' & The Loudness War

Not exactly sure what point I am trying to make with this post, other than to say always trust your ears above any number!

I can agree on that end, but ears can be fooled.

[JC Biffro]

If not mentioned already, try out the TRacks meter.

[Compyfox]

Since when has the T-Racks meter a built in Dynamic Range meter?

(checks) Still doesn't.
Are you only mentioning it since you assume this is a "where to get a free meter" (aka: "what's the best") thread?

[Hermetech Mastering]

I've read all the stuff you posted before Compyfox! Some interesting stuff in there, for sure. But the fact is that all of these schemes measure signal power levels in analogue and digital, and none of them measure perceived loudness (even dB SPL). Until that happens (keep an eye on JJ's work) with Phons ans Sones taken into account, it's far better to rely on your ears.

I hate "DR" and have never put any faith in it, the DR database is a joke. The closest thing we have to perceived loudness are the ITU/EBU measurements, but even they can be improved.

Best meter I have seen recently is the DMG Dualism "bendymeter", very cool!

[Compyfox]

Ah... so JJ wants to port an external meter (SPL Meter(!)) into software form. Sone/Phon does need a distance indication and specific ballistics, and it's mainly for measuring noise. This can't be ported within the box yet. And it's ton of confusing for music.

Still... why take it as a measurement for music?
And why create yet another supposed "ultimate standard" if the ITU-R BS.1770 specs already fill that out perfectly?!


Come to think of it:
LEQ(m), the K-System and to a certain extend also broadcasting studios not only use ITB meters, but are also setup to a specific reference level and a maximum SPL value. So for measuring loudness "ITB" (for MP3 creation, CD creation, etc) it's more than suitable.

Loudness as in form of "what's happening post speaker reproduction" is a complete different issue.



The ITU-R BS.1770-x specs alone are currently not really made out for music, which is where my concept might help out. But yes, there are also debates currently at the AES and co to maybe up the reference level for that specific task. Then again, if you have a tool that is fully configurable, you're save already.

[JCJR]

I am woefully out of date on what features are available in plugins. Haven't used many newish plugins. And haven't recorded much lately.

I recall some years ago, motu's masterworks compressor and also possibly their multiband compressor-- dunno if the current motu implementations have the same feature--

In the vicinity of the vertical level meters, IIRC in-between the L and R meters, using the same dB level markings as the meters, was an amplitude histogram display area. This screen region displayed a histogram of "recent levels" stretching some distance into the past. At least tens of seconds or longer. Possibly the histogram would hard-reset on song start events, can't recall.

So there would be a horizontal bar displaying what percentage of the past time was an amplitude of -1 dB, another horizontal bar displaying the percentage of past time had an amplitude of -3 dB, etc down the vertical meter dB scale.

So after playing a bit of a song, the histogram would typically have a "hump" somewhere in the middle, though a song which viciously alternates between very quiet and very loud sections could conceivably display a valley in the middle of the histogram.

I found the dynamic history histogram useful to eyeball and see whether the song is spending most of its time in the high, low, or middle amplitude ranges.

Though possibly not adhering to a recognized metering standard, the histogram was very good to judge the dynamic range of a track. You could see at a glance, perhaps the song spends half its time between -9 and -3 dB, 10 percent of its time above -3 dB, whatever.

Is that constantly updated amplitude history histogram a fairly common feature nowadays? Just as an alternative to comparing rms against instantaneous peak or whatever?

[Compyfox]

Yes it is in the ITU-R BS.1770 specs, but it's measuring the loudness range, not the range between loudest average signal to maximum digital peak.


See my post on top of this page. At the bottom of that one is a link to a Sound on Sound article that shows the difference and why it makes a tad more sense to go that route.

[Hermetech Mastering]

Loads of the new meters have multiple readouts in a "History" window. Off the top of my head, iZotope Insight, TB EBULoudness and DMG Dualism all do this really well

[JCJR]

Thanks Hermetech and Compyfox!