AC-3 encoder questions.

[CAMAFE]

Hi all,

I've read the guide from SomeJoe and have a few little questions:

I have ACID PRO Ver. 4.0e (build 408) and AC-3 Encode 1.0 (build 430).
When I create a 5.1 project and do RenderAs I get 2 templates: Stereo DVD and 5.1 DVD.
When press Custom I get NOTHING. No Audio Service, Bitstream ... ...

WHY?

Acording to the Guide, the Value for Dialog normalization is the average RMS value that we get (for ex.) in SoundForge.
This is clear for me in a stereo track.
For a 5.1 created in ACID wher do I get the value for the dialog norm.?
From the L,C,R or the SL,SR ?

In the Dolby encoder from SONIC Scenarist what should we put in Bitsteram info- Center mix level and surround mix level?

Wher I can get a good guide for this encoder?

Thanks
Carlos

[SomeJoe]

Generally when I want to create a new template in the ACID AC3 encoder, choose an existing template, go into each tab of the dialog box and change settings like you want, and when you get back to the main page of the settings, you can "Save As" as a new template. This template will then be listed in the pull-down menu.

For 5.1 sound instead of 2.0 sound, there are multiple ways you can get the RMS level:

1. If you have a 6-channel WAV, you can load that into Sound Forge/CoolEdit and get the RMS level the same way as you do a 2-channel WAV. This is not a very accurate method, since the information in the surround and LFE channels shouldn't really be counted in the RMS level of the program.

2. You can load the L/R channels by themselves and get the RMS level. This is a better method. Information in the surround and LFE channels then doesn't contribute to the measured RMS level/dialnorm level.

3. Truly, if you have a 5.1 mix where all dialog is in the center channel, measuring the RMS of the center channel only will work. In reality, the dialnorm parameter is supposed to be representative of dialog, not the entire soundtrack.

Different 5.1 mixes may work better with one of those 3 different methods, or may work with some custom combination or minor adjustment to the measured RMS level.

The bitstream level surround mix and center mix metadata tells the decoder what attenuation level to apply to the surround and center channels on playback. I haven't researched this too much, but I believe this is designed to compensate for speaker placement in the home vs. the theater. Home surround speakers and center channel speakers are closer to the listener than the corresponding speakers in the theater, so the default for these settings (-3 dB) causes those tracks to be played slightly softer in the home to avoid too much emphasis on the surround sounds. This is just my guess on these parameters, so don't hold me to it. ;)

[Eye of Horus]

Originally posted by CAMAFE
Hi all,

I've read the guide from SomeJoe and have a few little questions:

I have ACID PRO Ver. 4.0e (build 408) and AC-3 Encode 1.0 (build 430).
When I create a 5.1 project and do RenderAs I get 2 templates: Stereo DVD and 5.1 DVD.
When press Custom I get NOTHING. No Audio Service, Bitstream ... ...

WHY?

Acording to the Guide, the Value for Dialog normalization is the average RMS value that we get (for ex.) in SoundForge.
This is clear for me in a stereo track.
For a 5.1 created in ACID wher do I get the value for the dialog norm.?
From the L,C,R or the SL,SR ?

In the Dolby encoder from SONIC Scenarist what should we put in Bitsteram info- Center mix level and surround mix level?

Wher I can get a good guide for this encoder?

Thanks
Carlos


Don't think a guide is necessary , because the "Help" contains all important parts !
Personally I think these setting are the best :
http://home.wanadoo.nl/appyhappy/44.jpg
http://home.wanadoo.nl/appyhappy/45.jpg

(only thing not done here is the "dialog normalization")

kind regards,

EoH