LANCASTER, Pa. (USA) -- July 27, 2010 -- Linear Acoustic, the leader in television audio control from production to transmission, today announced that ABC's hit show "Dancing with the Stars" used the Linear Acoustic AERO.qc(TM) Audio Quality Controller during the entire 2009-2010 run of season 10.
"Dancing with the Stars" is produced live to air from CBS Stage 46 in Los Angeles. Audio is mixed on an SSL analog stereo console, and then the stereo mix is sent through an A/D converter into the AERO.qc, where the UPMAX-II(TM) algorithm upmixes stereo to captivating Dolby(R) 5.1 surround sound that is transmitted to affiliates.
This year brought two new audio engineers to the show: Mike Stock, A/1 production mixer, and Mark King, music mixer. Stock is one of television's most successful audio engineers, having served as production sound mixer on a variety of other television programs including "Dr. Phil," "The Doctors," NFL on FOX, "The Bachelor," and "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien."
"King used the AERO.qc during the telecast of the 'Academy of Country Music Awards' and suggested that we switch to the product for upmixing this season of 'Dancing with the Stars.' I'm glad we did," said Stock. "Unlike other upmixers I've used, the AERO.qc did not corrupt the original program; the downmix back to stereo so closely matched the original. In fact, many of my industry friends thought I mixed the show in true 5.1 discrete."
"While the AERO.qc has presets, I loved that the upmix parameters are adjustable -- center width, amount in rears, and low end -- so I could get just the surround effect we needed," added Stock. "The AERO.qc is way ahead of what I used to upmix 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.'"
The AERO.qc allows users to monitor and fix loudness problems automatically in real time during production or as audio enters the plant for ingest. It couples the ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement standard with proprietary signal analysis techniques to evaluate content and make adjustments. The new UPMAX-II algorithm is included for reference-quality 5.1 channel upmixing. Operator intervention can range from full control of measurement and audio adjustment to highly automated processing that requires little oversight. Full-color front-panel metering provides comprehensive real-time loudness indication. Options include Dolby E and Dolby Digital decoding, AERO(TM)-style multiband loudness and dynamic range control, multichannel analog output with speaker EQ, and HD/SD-SDI input and output.
"Dancing with the Stars" returns this fall for season 11 with the Linear Acoustic AERO.qc.
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About Linear Acoustic
Linear Acoustic is the leading authority in television audio control from production to transmission. The company designs and manufactures the AERO(TM) range of audio processing and loudness control solutions, and MetaMAX(TM) metadata processing products. The company licenses and OEMs key technologies to other companies in the broadcast industry. The company is actively involved in standards and practices creation as a member of the ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee) and as a sustaining member of SMPTE. Linear Acoustic is proud to be a premier member of the Sports Video Group and is one of the founding members of its DTV Audio Group. Linear Acoustic provided its upmixing products and technical services for NBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Games and provided 24 AERO.qc(TM) units and technical services for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games. More information about Linear Acoustic is available at www.linearacoustic.com.
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