CTV Use TSL PAM2-3G16 Audio Monitoring Units

TSL Professional Products Ltd. has announced that CatholicTV (CTV) Network is using the TSL PAM2-3G16 Audio Monitoring Units for audio signal quality assurance and compliance with the CALM Act. The PAM2-3G16 units, both Dolby and non-Dolby, provide the production and operations crew at CTV Network, a non-profit educational organization utilizing communications technology to offer 24/7 programming supporting the Catholic tradition, instant access to relevant audio streams to monitor surround sound and loudness for program distribution.
"The CTV production complex has three studios, one of which is a chapel, while the other two are used for talk shows, panel discussions, presentation segments and music programs," said Mark Quella, chief engineer for CatholicTV. "The facility offers two control rooms that can be used to produce shows from any of the three studios. With the completion of our HD upgrade, based on the 3G 1920x1080 60p standard, we needed a 3G HD-SDI-compatible audio quality assurance monitoring system able to create user-programmable listen scenarios and track loudness levels over time. We found these capabilities in the PAM2-3G16 audio monitoring units, both Dolby and non-Dolby, from TSL Professional Products. They have been real assets to our workflow and assist the station towards achieving compliance with the CALM Act."
The network's programming is distributed through cable companies across the U.S., as well as other English-speaking countries and territories, and via the Internet and Apple mobile devices through iTunes. Ensuring compliance with loudness regulations and verifying audio formats for stereo and surround, all while taking multiple audio sources and delivery methods into account, can be a difficult proposition. This led to the installation of the PAM2 units at the CTV facility.
"Access to the multiple audio streams we deal with is crucial for making informed production decisions for the wider production and operation teams," continued Quella. "The PAM2 units have performed flawlessly. Configuration and installation of the units for surround sound monitoring was simple and very straightforward, so from the wiring side of things, there was no problem. It took a bit of time for everyone to learn to program the user presets and understand the relationships of the settings, but once that was done, everything ran very smoothly and reliably. Our production team now has a real tool to help it stick to our rigorous production schedule."
The Dolby-equipped PAM2-3G16 unit is used for master control room surround sound monitoring and quality control of the loudness levels of the on-air programming chain. The non-Dolby unit is located in the satellite receive center. It helps identify and enable quality control for the many satellite audio assignments/channels coming in from the satellite receivers used for the reception of global feeds of papal travels and events.
"While our move to HD has given us the opportunity to present high-quality visual and audio programming to a wider audience, it has also made our production process more complex,” states Quella. “The PAM2 units are very powerful, yet can be simplified for different operational positions whenever time is of the essence. The units allow us to do A/B monitoring of our multichannel air chain pre-processing and post processing. Having the ability to preprogram user listening selections has empowered operators and quality control personnel to manage audio levels more quickly and efficiently. The ultimate result is a more consistent on-air presentation."
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