RTW adds video demos to Website, notches key win with German broadcaster

RTW has incorporated video demonstrations of its entire product line to its Website. The videos, available in both English and Chinese, were filmed during various trade shows during the year and offer visitors an up close look at the products in action.

“In addition to our commitment to producing innovative solutions for today’s broadcast technology needs, we are also firm believers in education,” says Mahmoud Chatah, director of sales and marketing, RTW. “Our website is a reflection of this commitment and it is why we decided to incorporate video demonstrations of each of products. Each video lives alongside each product’s specs, images and technical information, that way when a customer or potential customer visits our site, they receive a 360 degree view of our products.”

RTW’s current roster of products includes its groundbreaking TouchMonitor line of next generation loudness-compliant professional audio signal meters that consists of the TM3, TM7 and TM9 units. The TM3, the latest model, includes features of the larger TM7 and TM9 TouchMonitor versions, and is controlled using a touch-sensitive display. With its budget-friendly base price, a 4.3-inch touch screen and stylish exterior allowing for horizontal and vertical placement, the TM3 is a highly appealing, compact solution for editorial offices, edit suites, and small control rooms.

In addition, RTW’s SurroundControl and SurroundMonitor series both continue to be popular solutions for today’s broadcast needs, implementing all major loudness standards, including EBU R128, ITU-R BS.1770-2/1771 ATSC A/85 and ARIB. RTW’s Loudness Range (LRA) instrument features the MagicLRA mode, a simple and intuitive view displaying integrated loudness and loudness variances within short time periods.

The company has also announced the recent sale of 100 TouchMonitor TM3 units to Cologne Broadcasting Center (CBC), a television production and broadcasting company with offices in Cologne, Munich, and Berlin. CBC purchased the TM3s to help meet the German government’s upcoming loudness requirements for TV shows. Schmitronic, a Cologne-based expert provider of professional audio components, supplied the units, which CBC has already begun to install.

CBC initially planned to purchase approximately 80 TouchMonitor TM3 units, but after further studying its requirements, increased that number to a total of 100 units. According to Jürgen Mölders, head of post production at CBC, who manages nearly 70 post-production suites, when it came to purchasing new loudness meters, CBC, already a longtime user of RTW equipment, felt RTW was the obvious choice.

“When we tested a prototype version of the TM3, we were quite taken by its simple and intuitive operation,” he says. “We typically use the TM3 units in editing suites. As the monitoring device is a separate hardware unit, the main screen is reserved for the primary edit applications at any time.”

Since the TM3 installation at CBC spans several stages, Mölders insisted on having the first shipment delivered late in May. “Internally, we already transitioned our production to the new loudness-metering systems in June,” he explains. “This means that our editing suites already comply with EBU R128, but for the time being, we’ve adapted the levels in Final Cut Pro to our previous standards, which are still applicable. Thus, we were well prepared for when German regulators began to enforce loudness regulations for all major TV stations at the IFA in Berlin on August 31.”

Jochen Wellnitz, senior sound engineer at CBC, says he and his team are very happy with the experience they’ve had during their first few weeks with the TouchMonitor TM3. “Operating the device locally using the touch screen is simple and quick,” he says. “When browsing presets, the graphical preview feature is truly handy.”

According to Mölders, in order to avoid operating errors, his team decided to use a single preset that the editor cannot change or modify at the workplace. “This ensures that the metering is based on the same specifications at all our editing suites,” he notes. “On the other hand, there are other workplaces such as post-production suites or special-purpose systems where multiple presets are available to our creative team.”

Andreas Tweitmann, CEO of RTW, says his company is thrilled with the sale. “CBC’s acquisition of the 100 TouchMonitor TM3 units reaffirms the company’s faith in RTW’s loudness monitoring systems. We are very happy about that. We are convinced that the latest member of our extremely successful TouchMonitor series will meet and surpass all expectations in practical use.”

The RTW TouchMonitor TM3 enables quick and easy loudness metering. The system comprises a display unit featuring a 4.3-inch touch screen for horizontal or vertical use and a separate interface box. The easy-to-learn operating concept allows for fast selection of presets that are configured using RTW’s Devicer DC1 software, which is available for Macintosh and Windows. In addition to PPM and true-peak instruments, the TM3 offers comprehensive loudness metering in compliance with all globally relevant standards, including EBU R128, ITU BS.1770-2/1771, ATSC A/85 and ARIB. Instruments include single-channel and summing bar graphs, loudness range and numerical displays. The TM3 stereo version handles analog and digital audio; in addition, the TM3-6CH version also supports six-channel digital input. An upgrade option for stereo units is available.