The ABC show "Dancing with the Stars" used the Linear AcousticAERO.qc audio quality controller during its recent 10th season. The show is produced live to air from CBS Stage 46 in Los Angeles. Audio is mixed in stereo on an SSL analog stereo console, and then sent through an A/D converter into the AERO.qc, where the UPMAX-II algorithm upmixes stereo to Dolby 5.1 surround sound, which is then 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 served as production sound mixer on programs including "Dr. Phil," "The Doctors," “NFL on FOX,” "The Bachelor" and "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien."
After a positive experience with the Linear Acoustic AERO.qc on the Academy of Country Music Awards, it was music mixer Mark King who suggested the switch for upmixing this season on “Dancing with the Stars.”
“I'm glad we did," Mike Stock said. "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."
The AERO.qc enables 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 signal analysis techniques to evaluate content and make adjustments. The new UPMAX-II algorithm is included for reference-quality 5.1-channel upmixing. Full-color, front-panel metering provides comprehensive real-time loudness indication. Options include Dolby E and Dolby Digital decoding, AERO-style multiband loudness and dynamic range control, multichannel analog output with speaker EQ and HD/SD-SDI input and output.
