Audio Metering Display - Blackmagicdesign HyperDeck Shuttle Installation And Operation Manual

Using Blackmagic UltraScope
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6. Audio Metering Display

Audio Metering Display shows you the audio levels in the embedded audio of the HyperDeck Studio Pro's
video signal. 8 channels of embedded audio from your HyperDeck Studio Pro are de-embedded and then
displayed in either dBFS or VU format. The VU button switches between dBFS and VU audio metering
standards.
dBFS is essentially a meter of the overall digital audio signal and is common on modern digital equipment.
The VU meter shows average signal levels, is easy to use and very common on older equipment. VU is
calibrated to the SMPTE recommendation of a 1 kHz tone test signal set to -20 dBFS.
The right hand audio scope can monitor two channels of audio. The audio scope presents audio in an X-Y
view so you can see audio balance issues, out of phase conditions and whether an audio track is mono
or stereo. Mono audio should appear as a single, vertical, "in phase" line. If the line is horizontal, then
your audio is "out of phase" and could cancel out (i.e. loss of audio) when received by downstream
equipment. Audio phase is one of the most common audio faults in large facilities, where cables can be
Audio Metering Display
incorrectly connected.
When monitoring stereo audio, the Audio Metering Display will puff out a little like a flower, highlighting the
difference between the left and right audio channels. The more stereo sound is contained in the audio track,
the more circular the display will appear. If the audio contains minimal stereo content, then the display will
appear more concentrated around the vertical axis.
While spoken dialog tends to appear as a vertical line, music with plenty of stereo content will puff out.
This is because mono audio is L+R, and will display on the vertical axis, whereas stereo content is L-R, and
will display on the horizontal axis to show the stereo difference.