IBC 2013: RTW to support IBC technology team with loudness metering tools

RTW is pleased to announce that it is providing the IBC 2013 show’s technology team with TM9 and TM7 TouchMonitor audio meters to support audio in the IBC Big Screen auditorium, as well as four TM3 TouchMonitor units to support the IBC News team’s live and studio coverage of the show.

“We have long assisted the IBC show with equipment from the RTW product portfolio and are happy to be doing so again this year,” says Andreas Tweitmann, CEO, RTW. “The IBC show represents the best and most advanced technology offerings in Europe within the broadcast industry. We are honored to have the show organizers select meters from our TouchMonitor line of products in order to help support the audio in the Big Screen auditorium, as well as for IBC News broadcasts.”

The IBC Big Screen auditorium, which debuted in 2003, will host several of IBC 2013’s top events, including the keynote presentations, awards ceremony, exhibitor and conference sessions, as well as free movie screenings for attendees. Designed to the IBC’s specifications, the auditorium is equipped for 4K and stereoscopic 3D digital projection and Dolby 7.1 surround sound audio.

The IBC technology team selected the RTW TM9 for signal monitoring in the IBC Big Screen projection booth. The TM9 will be equipped with several software modules, including RTW’s Multichannel Mode, Loudness and SPL Display, RTA Real Time Analyzer and SSA Surround Sound Analyzer.

“By utilising the TM9, we will be able to check the audio’s signal path at various points within the system during any event being held in the Big Screen area,” says Terry Nelson, technical resources, IBC. “For us, it truly is ‘confidence monitoring.’”

In addition, Nelson and his team chose RTW’s TM7, equipped with RTW’s Multichannel Mode, Loudness and SPL Display, SSA (Surround Sound Analyzer) and Radar Display modules, to monitor signals alongside the Midas PRO 9 digital console surface used in the IBC Big Screen. While this version of the TM7 is equipped with the same analogue and digital inputs and outputs as the TM9, for this application, as a general rule, the audio team only monitors the main eight outputs.

The four TM3 meters were selected for their similar capabilities, along with their more compact size, which is more suitable for use in the various production centers (including the master control room) that the IBC News team uses to broadcast its live and studio coverage from the show floor.

“The IBC News team specifically requested the compact-sized TM3s for the first time last year,” says Nelson. “They were impressed with the meters’ precision, reliability and ease-of-use, and have chosen to bring them back again this year to monitor the main signal outputs during broadcasts.”

The TM7 and TM9 feature seven- and nine-inch touch-sensitive displays, respectively, and provide unparalleled flexibility and modularity combined with intuitive control. The software visualises multiple sources simultaneously. Both support displaying the same signal on multiple instruments in parallel, each with dedicated defaults, and the capability for both horizontal and vertical operation. The system visualises up to 48 channels depending on the installed interface combination (analogue, digital and 3G SDI). They also feature the innovative Magic LRA instrument, specifically designed by RTW for intuitive visualisation of the loudness range and integrated-loudness parameters.

Controlled using a touch-sensitive display, the TM3 has a 4.3-inch touchscreen and a stylish exterior allowing for horizontal and vertical placement. It includes a large number of graphical and numerical instruments showing single-channel, stereo and multichannel audio. It also offers summing-loudness bargraphs, PPM, TruePeak, SPL, loudness range (LRA), dialnorm and correlation. It is a highly appealing compact solution ideal for editorial offices, edit suites and small control rooms. The TM3 also features the Magic LRA instrument, PPM and TruePeak instruments.

Along with the TM7, TM9 and RTW’s entire TouchMonitor range, the TM3 was created to help adhere to all major industry loudness standards, including EBU R128, ITU BS.1770-3/1771-1, ATSC A/85, ARIB and OP-59.