Being part of the entertainment world, video games, gaming consoles and computers are everywhere. More and more people play on home theatre systems and believe that good sound plays a major role in their gaming experience. The topic of mixing will be approached from technical, artistic and aesthetic standpoints. Levels and measurement tools will be presented and explained.

1. Game Connection, Paris, October 29th, 2014

2.  The DIALOG
 The VISUAL
 The STORY
 The EMOTION
LESS is BEST
SUBTRACTION is an ADDITION

3.  Distracting Perspectives
 Distracting Elements
 The « Exit Sign Effect » (5.1)
 Abusive Panning
« ESTABLISHING »
« NOT PLAYING UNTIL…»

4.  AAA Titles
 Home Entertainment System
 Audience and Type of Game
 Level Consistency
 Perception of Loudness
 Peak Normalization and Peak Metering
 Digital Media and the « 0 dBFS »
« Ceiling » Instead of « Target »
We lost our « 0 Vu »

5.  RMS (Root Mean Square) is an unfiltered
measurement
Square Root of the Average of the Squares
Dorrough Meters persistence range
 LUFS applies K-Weighted Filtering in the
measurement path
Based on the ITU-R BS.1770 algorithm
98% correlation with perceived loudness

6. A

8.  ITU-R BS.1770 (2006): LKFS units used to give a
measurement of the loudness averaged out over the full
duration of a programme
 EBU R 128 (2010): Defines the need for three types of
measurements.
Programme Loudness
Momentary: 0.4 sec Window (Not Gated)
Short-term: 3 sec Window (Not Gated)
Integrated: Full Duration (Gated)
Maximum True Peak Level
Loudness Range

9.  EBU R 128 (EBU - TECH 3341, December 2010)
Introduces: LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale)
LU (Loudness Units)
LRA (Loudness Range)-Dynamic Range in
LU
Inserts “GATING” in the measurement chain
Absolute: Threshold set to -70 LU
Relative: Threshold set to -8 LU
Relative to the Measured Momentary
Loudness
Gate Inserted Post Summation
 At that point: LKFS = Ungated Measurement
LUFS = Gated Measurement

10.  LU vs dB
A LU is a dB measured through K-Weighted
Filtering
 ITU-R BS.1770-2 (March 2011)
Gate at -10 dB (ITU and EBU Agreement)
From that point on: LKFS = LUFS
 ITU-R BS.1770-3 (August 2012)
Change to the True Peaks Calculation Method

12.  Variations of Loudness in a Programme OR Loudness
Dynamic
 Range of the “Persistence Range”
 Statistical Loudness Distribution
Eliminates the “Extremes” (Lower 10% and Upper 5%)
 Two Gates in the Measurement Path
Absolute: Threshold set to -70 LU
Relative: Threshold set to -20 LU below the Absolute
Integrated Loudness of the programme
More? EBU - TECH 3342 (August 2011)

14.  Digital television broadcast standards are now
stated in LUFS and require that the full length
average measurement of a programme should
be at -24 LUFS, with a tolerance of + 2 dB and
true peaks limited to -2 dBTP, by the North
American ATSC standard, and -23 LUFS + 1 dB,
with -1 dBTP true peaks based on the EBU R
128 Recommendations in Europe.
 The tolerance parameters create an overlap
between both which somewhat makes them
compliant with one another.

15.  Sony ASWG (Audio Standards Working Group)
recommends that loudness measurement
should be at -23 LUFS + 2 LU for PS3 and -18
LUFS + 2 LU for their PS Vita portable console
with true peaks being limited to -1 dBTP and the
loudness range not exceeding 20 LU.
 Nintendo recommends an average loudness
level of -24 LUFS or lower for the Wii U and
sets a reference level (VU level) of +2 VU with
respect to the SMPTE standard where 0VU = -
20dB.

16.  ATSC A/85 Recommended Practice: Techniques for Establishing and Maintaining Audio
Loudness for Digital Television.
 EBU Recommendation R 128: Loudness Normalisation and Permitted Maximum Level of Audio
Signals.
 EBU Tech Doc 3341: Loudness Metering: ‘EBU Mode’ Metering to Supplement Loudness
Normalisation in Accordance with EBU R 128.
 EBU Tech Doc 3342: Loudness Range: A Descriptor to Supplement Loudness Normalisation in
Accordance with EBU R 128.
 EBU Tech Doc 3343: Practical Guidelines for Production and Implementation in Accordance with
EBU Technical Recommendation R 128.
 EBU Tech Doc 3344: Practical Guidelines for Distribution of Programmes in Accordance with
EBU R 128.
 ITU-R BS.1770-1, ITU-R BS.1770-2 and ITU-R BS.1770-3: Algorithms to Measure Audio
Programme Loudness and True-Peak Audio Level .
 Sony ASWG: R001 Recommendation: Average Loudness and Peak Levels of Audio Content on
Sony Computer Entertainment Platforms.
 AES Audio for Games 2013 (February 2013, London, UK): Measuring Loudness in Interactive
Entertainment by Gary Taylor.

17. THANK YOU  !