Re: Checklist to prepare for broadcast

Not quite accurate....Correct you cannot go over 6ppm, as that will get an instant rejection, BUT you can't simply whack on a compressor and pump the heck out of it either.
In the UK I know the stations now use loudness analysers which can work out the relative loudness of dialogue and music - if you are out of the approved range you fail.

Like Michael, I too do everything...audio, video, motion graphics, grading, etc (and i'm uk based) so have first hand experience (built up over 20+ years) - I had my first audio rejection this year when a commercial i mixed was just too full-on to pass, even though it was peaking several db below the limit.
I could have stumped up £700 for Dolbys plug meter but just decided to remix it first and see what happened. It passed because being made aware of what failed, i could compare it to previous stuff i'd mixed and had passed.

You may also find that rules for programmes may be slightly different to those for commercials, so you need to be aware of the rules relevant to your particular job.

I would never attempt to do a mix for broadcast in FCP, its simply the wrong tool for the job. I use Protools LE (don't need the £20k hd setups for my work), and a hardware PPM meter. Excellent monitoring is a definite must - and that does not mean decent hi-fi speakers. Your monitors MUST have a clear accurate representation of the audio, without artificially sweetening the sound.

For me, the most valuable plug-in is Waves L2 Ultramaximiser - (used as the final plug on the master mix )settings of output limit - -9db, Ultra noise shaping, dither 20bits, and varying the threshold to give a gain reduction (on the red meters) of around 3-4 db has worked every time for me. This is applied AFTER i have done my compression, eq's and balancing - not instead of.

And off air, the ads hold up well against their peers.

Depending on the material you are doing, the possible pitfalls of doing audio with no experience could easily cost you more (both in time, money, possible missed air dates) than booking a session at a posthouse. Thats how I learned...as a video editor on several shows I spent many hours in a mixroom watching the dubbing mixer, asking the occasional pertinent questions, and reading everything i could around the subject. It takes time, study and practice.

I would seriously recommend phoning the Senior Transmission Engineer at whichever station your material is being transmitted from, explain your situation and ask for their advice. They would much rather you asked and got it right than blindly kept on sending and crossing your fingers. A little humility can go a long way!

Good luck, and stick with it...experience is the only way to learn.
adam


Adam Taylor
Video Editor/Audio Mixer/ Compositor/Motion GFX/Barista
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK

www.sculptedbliss.co.uk