Pitfalls to avoid when broadcasting a live audio event
- 1. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Pitfalls to Avoid When Broadcasting a Live Audio Event Presented by: Mike Smith @sacsmitty Director of Solutions Engineering Mirror Image
- 2. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN What’s Your Source • Balanced versus Unbalanced • External Audio Interface • Adapters and Cables • Be Prepared!!! You can text questions to me at any time during the presentation +1-916-773-1999
- 3. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN What To Avoid • Unbalanced Audio • Incorrect Adapters • Overdrive • Input Clipping
- 4. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Recommended Input Source • Balanced Audio @ +4dB • Balanced TRS Cables or XLR • External Audio Interface • Balanced versus Unbalanced • Adapters and Cables • Garbage In = Out You can text questions to me at any time during the presentation +1-916-773-1999
- 5. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN A Word About Video and Audio • The quality of the video rapidly deteriorates if the sound quality is poor. Camera microphones are not good enough because they collect the sound from the whole room, creating too much “noise” that is hard to filter out. • Our ears can filter that noise out, but microphones can not. You can text questions to me at any time during the presentation +1-916-773-1999
- 6. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Why Is Audio Important • Listener fatigue (also known as listening fatigue) is a phenomenon that occurs after prolonged exposure to an auditory stimulus. Symptoms include tiredness, discomfort, pain, and loss of sensitivity. You can text questions to me at any time during the presentation +1-916-773-1999
- 7. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Introduction of Artifacts • Musicality, especially on the radio, contains musical aspects and artifacts that arise from non-musical aspects (dynamic range compression and sonic balance). The introduction of these sonic artifacts affects the balance between these musical and non-musical aspects. • When the volume of music is higher, these artifacts become more apparent, and because they are uncomfortable for the ear, cause listeners to "tune out" and lose focus or become tired. • These listeners may then unconsciously avoid that type of music, or the radio station they may have heard it on.
- 8. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Using A DSP • A Digital Signal Processor (DSP) is used for gain control, dynamics processing and sound equalization.. RAW Audio Compression Sample 1 Compression Sample 2 Encoded Sample 32Kbps
- 9. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN A Word About Balance • Too much signal processing... – Causes Listener Fatigue – Degrades Encoded Audio Quality
- 10. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Codecs and Bitrates • Know your target audience • Device and App Compatibility • Don’t confuse transport stream and codec • Cost of bandwidth versus codec used and bitrate You can text questions to me at any time during the presentation +1-916-773-1999
- 11. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN The Dreaded “B Word” • Bandwidth – Know your bandwidth • Shared or Dedicated? • Wired or Wireless? • DSL, Cable or Fiber? • Why – Even though audio is relatively low bandwidth, you may need to encode multiple versions from your source encoder. – Do you have enough upstream to deliver to your CDN?
- 12. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Reaching Your Target Audience • No one content aggregator is alike. – iHeart Media (Icecast/MP3 and HLS) – TuneIn (RTMP and Icecast/MP3) – iTunes Radio Directory (Icecast)
- 13. Tweet at us! @MirrorImageDDN Questions? Write to: marketing@mirror-image.com