X-Git-Url: http://shamusworld.gotdns.org/cgi-bin/gitweb.cgi?a=blobdiff_plain;ds=inline;f=include%2Fmetering-in-ardour.html;fp=include%2Fmetering-in-ardour.html;h=56f930a531d569e55228fa2f0485697373448a24;hb=2098e011e638b5c86c56e68df7757975fc4d728f;hp=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hpb=0e127ce41d7120d505f3aa9ae18dce679f403a3f;p=ardour-manual diff --git a/include/metering-in-ardour.html b/include/metering-in-ardour.html new file mode 100644 index 0000000..56f930a --- /dev/null +++ b/include/metering-in-ardour.html @@ -0,0 +1,175 @@ + +
+ An engineer reading and using audio level meters compares to a musician + reading or writing sheet-music. Just like there are virtuoso musicians + who can't read a single note, there are great sound-engineers who just + go by their ears and produce great mixes and masters without ever looking + at a single meter. +
++ Yet, if you want to work in or with the broadcast industry, it is + usually unavoidable to use meters. +
++ Audio level meters are very powerful tools that are useful in every + part of the entire production chain: +
++ A general treatise on metering is beyond the scope of this + manual. It is a complex subject with a history... + For background information and further reading we recommend: +
++ There are different metering standards, most of which are available in Ardour. In short: +
+ ++ Various conventions for DPM fall-off times and dBFS line-up level can be + chosen in Edit > Preferences > GUI. +
++ These loudness and metering standards provide a common point of + reference which is used by broadcasters in particular so that the + interchange of material is uniform across their sphere of influence, + regardless of the equipment used to play it back. +
++ For home recording, there is no real need for this level of + interoperability, and these meters are only strictly required when + working in or with the broadcast industry. However, IEC-type meters have + certain characteristics (rise-time, ballistics) that make them useful + outside the context of broadcast. +
++ Their specification is very exact, and consquently, there are no + customizable parameters. +
++ Meters are available in various places in ardour: +
++ They all share the same configuration and color-theme which is available in + preferences and the theme-manager. Settings for the Peak and RMS+Peak meters + as well as VU meter standards are found in + Edit > Preferences > GUI > Metering. +
++ The type of meter and the metering point (the place in the signal chain + where the meter taps the signal) are configurable in the context menu of each meter. + Depending on the Edit > Preferences > GUI > Mixer + Strip settings, the metering point is also accessible via a button in + each Mixer strip. +
+ ++ Regardless of meter type and standard the meter display will highlight red if + the signal on the given channel exceeds the configured peak threshold. +
+
+ Left on the peak-indicator button resets the
+ peak-hold indicator of a single channel.
+ Left resets a whole group, and
+ Left resets all meters.
+
+ The figure on the left shows all available meter-types in Ardour 3.4 when fed with a + -18 dBFS 1 kHz sine wave. +
+ + + + ++ Due to layout concerns and consistent look&feel all meters available in + Ardour itself are bar-graph type meters. Corresponding needle-style meters + — which take up more visual screen space — are available as + LV2 plugins (see image on the right): + meters.lv2. +
+