• Registered: 2023-03-12
  • Posts: 27

Topic: ADI-2 DAC FS: Question regarding Loudness implementation

Hello!

I'm a pretty happy new user of ADI-2 DAC FS. I like the amount of possible configurations - especially around loudness function, which I'm currently trying to optimize and I think I could find a good entry point at which loudness correction should end (regarding a high gain power amp (T+A A200) with auto ref enabled).

But there is another point I'm not so happy with: It's the starting point of the high frequency gain of loudness function. According your documentation, it starts at ~ 1 kHz and the cut off frequency is around 2 kHz.

Based on the equal-loudness contours https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lindos1.svg, the emphasis should better start at ~ 5 kHz (if I got this right) instead of ~ 1 kHz. The actual starting point overemphasizes the frequencies between 1 kHz and 5 kHz.

My question therefore is: is there any possibility to move the starting point to another, higher frequency?

Thanks for any hint or explanations!

  • Registered: 2023-03-12
  • Posts: 27

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS: Question regarding Loudness implementation

Sorry for coming up again with this issue, but I am surprised that RME has not reacted to this issue yet.

In my opinion, the current loudness implementation neither fits into the overall quality picture nor into the fundamental claim of RME.

Here is another document https://mycourses.aalto.fi/pluginfile.p … nal%20.pdf that describes a, from my point of view, much better (correct?) loudness implementation based on the existing scientific foundation.

Can I still hope for a reaction?

3 Reply by KaiS (edited by KaiS 2023-03-15 07:02:09)

  • KaiS
  • DAW Mastermind
  • Offline
  • From: Germany
  • Registered: 2020-02-05
  • Posts: 3,525

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS: Question regarding Loudness implementation

The reception of audio is a very personal thing, further influenced by the audio transducer‘s and room‘s characteristics, a lot of other factors, and not at least the type of music one listens to.

Even if you look at the Aleksi Myoehaenen paper you quoted, there are a significant number of very different Loudness Correction approaches mentioned.


For the moment I suggest to experiment with ADI-2’s Bass/Treble and/or PEQ if you feel the need for tweaking the loudness function beyond it’s given parameters.

You could, e.g. set Loudness‘ Treble Gain to zero, and use the “Treble” (of Bass/Treble) to create your own curves.

If you store and recall “Setups” you can easily compare different versions too.


Feel free to report back your findings, would be interesting to see your results.

KaiS's Website

  • Registered: 2023-03-12
  • Posts: 27

Re: ADI-2 DAC FS: Question regarding Loudness implementation

Well, that's not really a usable solution, because it isn't dynamic.

Nevertheless I tested just for fun the following EQ configuration:

B1: 90 Hz, 0.5 Q, 6 dB, Shelf
B2: 300 Hz, 0.7 Q, 1 dB
B3: Q1, 0 dB
B4: Q1, 0 dB
B5: 12 kHz, 0.5 Q, 5 dB, Shelf

This gives a graphe which is mostly flat between 600 Hz and 6 kHz (according figure 4 of Aleksi Myoehaenen paper)

https://i.ibb.co/PC41Tjb/Screenshot-20230315-211752.png

I tested between -30 dB and -50 dB (DIM). But the right solution would be to add two more parameters to the existing loudness function to provide the frequencies of the linear mid range (here: 600 - 6 kHz instead of ~ 200 - 1.5 kHz).