[Feature Request] MLoudnessAnalyzer Units and match loudness target and afclip

[distante]

Hello! I would like to as for two feature requests/suggestions regarding MLoudnessAnalyzer

FR 1: Units

While working in mastering for specific targets, one will encounter some guidelines to follow regarding the loudness, this always are given in LUFS units for the digital world.

I know (for the manual that) in MLoudnessAnalyzer 0 = -23LUFS, but sometimes changing this on your head so the INTEGRATED value reaches the target value is kind of distracting.

For instance, spotify ask for a Integrated Loudness of -16LUFS that will be a value or 7 in MLoudnessAnalyzer's Integrated value. In the other hand, while working in a CD master for specific genders, there are some recommendations like the ones from Tischmeyer where the loudness for a Pop song should be between -10 to -12 LUFS, as you see all working always in LUFS.

So the request/suggestion would be to add a label that also shows the LUFS value and/or show the meter in LUFS

FR 2: Match Loudness Target

Following the FR 1, sometimes you are mastering a song that will be both streaming X and CD master, and you would need to know how it will (approximated) sound in the streaming platform.

The request/suggestion here will be to add a button that can match the current Loudness (Integrated value) to the target value (like the -16LUFS of Spotify)

FR 3: True Peak AfClip

The technical part here maybe is the hardest of the 3 request, following FR2, if the target platform is iTunes (-16.5LUFS) the Mastering for iTunes guide recommend Apple's afclip algorithm to calculate the True Peak Values. I don't know if this is propriety or free (since Apple mastering tools are free...but only for MAC ) but an option to turn on or set the true peak to afclip would be appreciated

I hope you take in consideration some of this suggestions

Best Regards

[MeldaProduction]

Hi! Well, so:

FR1: Sorry, but LU is the currect units by specification. By the difference is really only the offset, so you can just use the Offset parameter .

FR2: Well, I'll think about it, but right now I'm not very keen to do this to be honest. You should do that in the limiter. And you should do that by ears. If Spotify asks for a specific integrated loudness (which to me is quite weird, because loudness models are extremely simplified, especially this one), you will have to adjust the limiter anyway and you don't know how much - changing drive in a limiter doesn't change the output loudness linearily.

F3: Sorry but I'm simply going to deny this. The true peak measurement in generally is actually riddiculous - you will never know if the target device will cause such overload and in most cases it won't. The fact that Apple recommends their own utility is pretty irrelevant. You want to ensure the output won't clip. So simply ceil it at -0.5dB, then the "true peaks" would hardly exceed 0dB (even if that would actually be so relevant).

[distante]

iTunes also ask for a -16.5LUFS why? well I don't know !

in any case, for FR3, -0.5 ins't quite safe better -1dBFS

To be honest, I overlooked almost all the FR here, but now with iTunes, Spotify, Pandora (etc) using loudness normalization I'm kind of force to keep those guidelines.

Thanks for reading and the response anyway!

Cheers

[MeldaProduction]

Well, they want all the song have the same loudness, but since the model is so inaccurate, it's ridiculous...
Anyway, you can just do the calculation yourself, it's just x-y. Though at the end it will be more complicated, since gain in the limiter just doesn't equal output gain.

[distante]

I hear ya! but until the a new way to measure loudness sets a standard we can just use what we got.

At least the loudness war seems to be kind of over... kind of!