NLC5.
Welcome Thanks for purchasing the DaySequerra NLC5.1ST. Differences in audio levels between TV programs, or between programs and commercials, are a constant annoyance to viewers. NLC5.1ST permits broadcasters to establish a consistent loudness level across all audio programming and minimize viewer complaints.
Table of Contents Important Safety Information Service Information Technical Specifications Introduction Measuring Loudness Installation Front Panel Rear Panel HD/SDI Meter Display Home Screen Loudness Control Parameter Presets Editing Presets Factory Defined Presets 4 4 5 7 8 11 12 13 15 15 16 17 17 Programming Menu I/O Menu Audio Input Menu HD/SDI Mapping Menu Network Menu Diagnostics Menu Alarms Menu Faults Firmware Update Procedure NLC5.
Important Safety Information Indoor use only. Not for use in wet or damp environments. Maximum Relative Humidity: <80% Class I Equipment (grounded type) Electrical rating: 100-120/220-240V~50-60Hz 18W Internal circuit breaker for continuous short circuit protection AC Mains supply voltage fluctuations are not to exceed +10% of the nominal voltage Operations temperature range -40C to 70C Maximum altitude: 3000m (9843ft) Equipment suitable for continuous operation Weight: 3.
Technical Specifications Inputs 3 AES-3 PCM inputs for 5.1 surround 1 AES-3 PCM input for 2.0 AUX Stereo 1 AES-3/AES-11 input for external AES sync 1 HD/SDI Input with option Outputs 3 AES-3 PCM outputs for 5.1 surround 1 AES-3 PCM output for 2.0 AUX Stereo 1 AES-3/AES-11 pass-through for AES sync 1 HD/SDI Pass-through output with option Audio Input and Output Interface AES/EBU, 75ohm, unbalanced BNC HD-SDI input for SMPTE 259M, SMPTE 292M, SMPTE 424M, ITU-R BT.656 and ITR-R BT.
FCC Part 15 Regulatory Statement This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for Class A digital device pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction's manual, may cause interference to radio communications.
Introduction Broadcasters need a solution to effectively measure, and ultimately control the abrupt changes in loudness that sends viewers diving for their remote controls during commercial breaks and action scenes. The DaySequerra NLC5.1ST surround loudness control simultaneously measures the perceived loudness of 5.1 surround program audio along with 2.0 auxiliary stereo using the industrystandard ITU-R BS.1770/1 loudness measure or the DTS-Neural Loudness Measure (NLM) algorithm. NLC5.
Measuring Loudness Human perception of the sensation of an audio signal is properly called “loudness”. As early as 1933, research by Fletcher and Munson showed that human hearing sensitivity is largely based upon the frequency of the sound, as well as the sound pressure level (SPL). As humans do not hear sound using standard measures of intensity, measuring loudness based upon SPL or the root mean square (RMS) voltage of the electrical signal will not agree with human perception.
Weighting Curves To achieve a more accurate loudness measurement, the method should include critical bands in the measurement. Critical bands describe auditory filters within the human cochlea. (J. Allen, 2010). To illustrate this, a subject is presented with a single tone of a certain energy level, and more tones are added with equal energy in the critical bands – the total signal energy is kept constant regardless of the number of tones.
Bronwyn Jones and Emil Torick created a revised CBS loudness meter in the early 1980s that consisted of eight filters, each covering three critical bands. This approach did prove to deliver better subjective modeling than traditional SPL or RMS measurements (Jones & Torick, 1982). In 2004, Nielsen and Skovenborg published an AES paper that expanded upon the ideas of critical band loudness measures.
Each Leq(x) revision results in a different level of correlation between the objective measure and the human listener’s assessment of loudness. The lowest mean error score was achieved by the Neural Loudness Measure Work Cited 1. Fletcher, H. & Munson, W. A. (1933). Loudness, its Definition, Measurement, and Calculation. 2. 3. 4. 5. Allen, J (2010 May 20). Nonlinear Cochlear Signal Processing. Johnston, J. (2006). Loudness Tutorial. Jones, B. L. & Torick, E. L. (1982).
Rack Mount Installation The NLC5.1ST chassis has four rack mounting holes and has been designed to fit in a standard 1RU space. Plastic ‘finishing’ washers are recommended to protect the painted surface around the mounting holes. Locate the air vents on each side of the unit, and be sure to keep them clear so the unit may have adequate ventilation. Power Connection The AC power cable supplied with NLC5.
FAULT - Red LED indicator illuminates when NLC5.1ST has discovered a hardware fault. An error message will be displayed on the display and fault status may be viewed under the DIAGNOSTICS menu. ALARM - Red LED indicator illuminates when NLC5.1ST has discovered an alarm condition is occurring. An error message will be displayed onscreen with the specifications on the alarm.
passive output are present when this option is installed. Supported formats include SMPTE 259M, SMPTE 292M, and SMPTE 424M as well as ITU-R BT.656 and ITU-R BT.601. See the HD/SDI section of this manual for more details. The AES-3id-1995/SMPTE 276M standard dictates a 75 unbalanced connection and requires proper termination. The termination should occur at the destination of the signal (that is, on the inputs to NLC5.1ST).
PSU 1 / PSU 2 – Two IEC320 C14 ports to connect to AC Mains. The internal power supply is auto switching and will work on 120VAC-60Hz or 240VAC-50Hz electrical power systems with a maximum total current draw of 25W (>.25A 120VAC or >.15A 240VAC). HD/SDI NLC5.1ST can use an optional factory-installed HD/SDI I/O module to de-embed audio programs from a HD/SDI stream for loudness processing. The HD/SDI module contains 3 GB/S SDI technology and will auto-detect the signal, whether SD, HD or HD 3GB/S format.
Home Screen Typical home screen on NLC5.1ST NLC5.1ST has been designed with ease of use in mind. Most of the common settings are available for modification right on the home screen. While the unit is at this screen, press the HOME key to invoke the home screen selection mode; a selection box will appear. Turn the rotary encoder to move the box to the desired field to be changed and press the ENTER key to modify the value. Rotating the encoder again will cycle through the available options.
Loudness Control Parameter Presets Parameters that define how loudness control is applied to the input audio can be set by way of presets. NLC5.1ST contains three factory defined presets as well as space to save 4 user-defined presets. The factory defined presets have been designed as general starting points and may not be appropriate for all types of audio. Editing Presets Presets may be modified directly on the unit by way of the edit preset menu.
and are not managed by the loudness processing to avoid bringing up the noise level. Input signals above the Noise Floor are considered valid and are managed by the loudness processing. Attack / Rise: Controls how quickly the processing will respond to sharp onsets in loudness level. Note: A compressor is present after the attack time processing to catch any short-term loudness peaks which may pass through. Release / Fall: Controls how quickly the processing will respond to sharp drops in loudness level.
Parameter Correction Ratio Upper Threshold Lower Threshold Dead Band Noise Floor Attack/Rise Release/Fall Frequency Shaping Compressor Threshold Compressor Ration NLC Measure 5.1 Target Level ST Target Level Default 1.00 0 dB 0 dB 1.0 dB -50.0 LKFS 15 ms 60 ms 0 3.0 dB 0.8 dB NLM -24 dB -24 dB Parameter Correction Ratio Upper Threshold Lower Threshold Dead Band Noise Floor Attack/Rise Release/Fall Frequency Shaping Compressor Threshold Compressor Ration NLC Measure 5.
The root display shown on NLC5.1ST when first entering the menu is demonstrated above. To enter the root programming menu, press the ENTER key from the home screen while the unit is unlocked. From the main menu screen you may navigate to the desired sub-menu by pressing ENTER. Algorithm Meters Menu Algorithm Meters Display The Algorithm Meters menu contains all the real-time loudness readings that NLC5.1ST generates for the audio—both before and after processing.
ST Out Correction: The amount of attenuation or gain that was applied to the auxiliary stereo input signal in order to bring the loudness within the target. ST Out Compression: The amount of dynamic range compression that was applied to the auxiliary stereo input signal in order to bring the loudness within the target. Enable Keylock Selecting Enable Keylock will enable they keylock immediately and exit to the home screen, inhibiting all key or rotary encoder inputs.
System Menu System Menu Screen Navigating to SYSTEM MENU from the main menu will allow adjustment of I/O audio handling, network settings, diagnostics, alarm settings or information on the unit. I/O Menu I/O Menu Screen The I/O Menu will allow you to tailor NLC5.1ST to suit your specific audio processing application. Audio Input: Navigates to the audio input configuration sub-menu. 5.1 Output Mode: Determines if the 5.1 signal flow is subjected to loudness control.
Clock Source: Defines where NLC5.1ST gets the timing signal to sync its internal clock. 1/2: Processing with be synchronized with the clock recovered from the AES 1/2 Input. (Default Setting) 3/4: Processing with be synchronized with the clock recovered from the AES 3/4 Input. 5/6: Processing with be synchronized with the clock recovered from the AES 5/6 Input. ST: Processing with be synchronized with the clock recovered from the AES 7/8 Input.
HD/SDI Mapping Menu HD/SDI Mapping Menu Screen For NLC5.1ST to make proper loudness corrections, the audio channel assignments need to be properly maintained. If your HD/SDI audio channels are embedded in a non-linear assignment, NLC5.1ST will need to be configured with the correct channel mappings. Select the input channel pair to be modified and press ENTER. Scroll the rotary encoder to the desired HD/SDI channel pair and press ENTER to confirm. Repeat for the other channel pairs, as needed.
Changing the DHCP configuration or static IP Address requires a reboot Diagnostics Menu Diagnostics Menu Screen Current Faults: Displays any error states that NLC5.1ST may be in. For help in interpreting these messages, see the FAULTS section of this manual. DSP Utilization: Shows the current load on the NLC5.1ST DSP. Algorithm Latency: Shows the current latency of the loudness control algorithm. LED Test: Turns on all front-panel LED indicators to verify their functionality.
Output 1-2: Allows for testing of the internal signaling circuit within NLC5.1ST. The two fields displayed represent each output, 1 and 2, respectively. When set to ON, the relay will close. Input 1-4: Shows the current state of the GPIO inputs. Four fields display the status of each GPIO input, 1-4, respectively. ON is only shown when a signal has been detected. GPIO Test Menu Screen Alarms Menu Alarms Menu Screen Channel Loss Alarms: When enabled, NLC5.
Faults Although your NLC5.1ST will provide you with years of trouble free service, occasionally problems may occur. Below is a listing of the most common fault conditions and some pointers about where to start your trouble-shooting before calling for support. No Sync: AES sync has been lost. Please check the source equipment and all cable connections. Ensure that NLC5.1ST is operating in the proper input mode for your application and is configured for the correct input port. CRC Error: NLC5.
Firmware Update Provided that you have completed warranty registration for your NLC5.1ST on our website, we will notify you as new firmware updates become available. The notification will contain the announcement of new firmware, issues corrected, and instructions on how to retrieve the update files. Update packages will be available as a single .ZIP file for download. Compatible archive programs include Winzip (www.winzip.com) or WinRAR (www.rarlabs.
NLC5.1ST Remote Dashboard The DaySequerra NLC5.1ST Remote Dashboard software runs on a Windows XP computer on your network and will allow remote monitoring and logging of audio loudness data as it is measured by NLC5.1ST. The Remote Dashboard software’s main objective is to log your program audio loudness and have those measurements available for compliance verification. Logs are saved in Tab delimited format and can be imported into any database application that supports the importation of external data.
Remote Dashboard Troubleshooting If the Remote Dashboard software is not working, please check the following items before contacting DaySequerra technical support: 1. Is the NLC5.1ST on the same physical network and subnet as the PC running the application? Make sure the subnet mask is configured to a broad enough scope. 2. Is there a software firewall running blocking access to the UDP port 44600? Make sure the port is open, or the Remote Dashboard software is in your firewall’s exclusion or white list.
DaySequerra – One Year Limited Warranty DaySequerra warrants this product to be free from defects in materials and workmanship to its original owner for one (1) year from the date of purchase. DaySequerra will repair or replace such product or part thereof that upon inspection by DaySequerra, is found to be defective in materials or workmanship subject to conditions contained herein. DaySequerra products are sold worldwide, through a network of authorized DaySequerra dealers and distributors.
Manufactured under license from DTS Licensing Limited. DTS and the Symbol are registered trademarks and the DTS logo is a trademark of DTS, Inc. Product includes software. © DTS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 32 NLC5.
