Exported audio file sounds different on PC and DVD

[arminio]

This is not topic strictly for this forum but I don't know where to post it and I hope someone can help.

So, I edited video and audio in Premiere and balanced volume levels "by ear" and using VU meters. No clipping, everything around -6db and sounds very fine from PC speakers. Exported WAV also plays fine on PC. But, when I encode it into AC3 or even when I put that original WAV on DVD, volume levels differs from WAV played from timeline/exported file! Some part of audio is much lower than it is when I listen those parts on PC. Now, I know about AC3 encoding, RMS, dialogue normalisation etc. - that is not problem and it was set correctly. The problem is that sound that come from PC have correct volume on all parts of video while encoded AC3 and even WAV played on DVD players (I tested 3 different players with the same result) gives pretty much different sound levels which obviously means that playback from PC is pretty much different from playback on other devices..

Now, I know that PC audio hardware in general do some audio corrections during reproduction (some kind of on-the-fly volume leveling etc.) but I never thought it will be so different. So, my question is, how to set volume of autio parts during editing and audio mixing to be sure that it will be evenly and correctly played (as it was set during editing) on anything else than PC equipment? Or, what to do to have PC playback more accurate like, for example, TV playback of the same WAV from DVD so I can mix volume levels more precisely during editing?

[Ghitulescu]

I cannot speak for all DVD players, but all of them that I owned or used were by default/factory set to DRC on. See if it makes a difference setting DRC to off.

[arminio]

I cannot speak for all DVD players, but all of them that I owned or used were by default/factory set to DRC on. See if it makes a difference setting DRC to off.

Thanks for reply! DRC is off on my player. That's first thing I did when I bought it :)
Also, my TV has AVL turned off too...

Basically, problem is that PC audio outputs (speakers, earphones... everything I tried) gives different audio levels than listening the same WAV on other audio equipment. So I can't correctly mix sound in my movie depending on my ear or VU metters in editing software (I use Premiere Pro 2.0) when result actually is not what I think (and hear) it is :(

[Ghitulescu]

Now, I know that PC audio hardware in general do some audio corrections during reproduction (some kind of on-the-fly volume leveling etc.) but I never thought it will be so different.

Who told you this?

[Ghitulescu]

Well, coming back to the point: if the WAV sounds ok on your PC in terms of dynamic, then the result should be the same on a standalone*, provided you did your homeworks. Concerning Premiere, well, it's a long time since I used it for the last time (and it was the last time :)), I'm not sure of its audio settings on export.

*it should be a difference, since studio monitors (those so-called near-field monitors) sound different from a HiFi loudspeaker and from the integrated loudspeakers (in a TV). But this difference is not the dynamic but the way it sounds. The volume also plays a role since our hearing is non-linear.

Maybe if you post some samples of both types ...

I assume you don't have PC'98 specs audio-cards, but something decent (maybe on ASIO).

[pandy]

Probably PC software decoder IGNORE all metadata - just turn OFF ignoring and PC decoding should be similar to external devices.

[Midzuki]

Maybe the actual problem is in the drivers the sound card on your PC is using...

[arminio]

Well, coming back to the point: if the WAV sounds ok on your PC in terms of dynamic, then the result should be the same on a standalone*, provided you did your homeworks. Concerning Premiere, well, it's a long time since I used it for the last time (and it was the last time :)), I'm not sure of its audio settings on export.

*it should be a difference, since studio monitors (those so-called near-field monitors) sound different from a HiFi loudspeaker and from the integrated loudspeakers (in a TV). But this difference is not the dynamic but the way it sounds. The volume also plays a role since our hearing is non-linear.

Maybe if you post some samples of both types ...

I assume you don't have PC'98 specs audio-cards, but something decent (maybe on ASIO).

I have SigmaTel card. And the fact about special processing of sound in sound cards I read in some article. Can't remember where but I know that they mentioned that audio cards have some built in compressor which prevent clipping that can damage speakers. I don't know does this affect anything in my case (I turned off anything I could in driver options) but I exported WAV and tested it in my PC and on MacPro (my friend has it) - on both computers, playback was fine and volume was well balanced on tested parts. But on TV, some parts are clearly louder than others.

Here is small sample I made: http://rapidshare.com/files/422548906/test.wav

First 5 seconds are louder than the rest of file.
On PC and Mac I tested, file sound very well balanced and you can't notice any difference. But on TV, that WAV (not AC3 - plain WAV without metadata for DRC and with DVD player with all DRC options off) played from authored DVD has big difference in loudness (if you set TV volume to have first 5 seconds in acceptable loudness, the rest of playback is in much lower volume and you need to turn volume up for comfortable listening)