Seminar tackles developments in audio measurement

TTi is sponsoring an audio measurement seminar and training session at The Officers' Mess at Duxford, near Cambridge, on Wednesday 16th June 2004.

TTi (Thurlby Thandar Instruments) is sponsoring an audio measurement seminar and training session at The Officers' Mess at Duxford, near Cambridge, on Wednesday 16th June 2004.

The session will concentrate on three main subjects: Dolby digital decoder evaluation; Class D power amplifiers; and PC audio devices.

Use of Dolby digital encoded audio has now spread into digital TV, home cinema, PCs and even the automotive world.

Dolby certification currently relies on slow, incomplete test methods with little control over the IEC-61937 data.

The seminar session will illustrate how these problems can be solved using new Audio Precision equipment which allows full high-speed, real-time, closed-loop and automated Dolby digital generation.

Speed increases of up to ten times compared with current test methods are possible.

Switch-mode audio power amplifiers are becoming increasingly popular due to their smaller size, lower weight and improved efficiency.

They are now progressively displacing more traditional linear designs in mainstream applications such as home entertainment, automotive sound systems and professional installations requiring high quality audio.

Measuring the performance of switch-mode amplifiers presents new and unique problems.

They inherently generate ultrasonic artefacts and spurious signals with slew rates that provoke nonlinear behaviour.

Effective measures to prevent worthless and inaccurate results will be discussed and demonstrated at the seminar.

Testing the audio performance of a PC audio device or sound card presents some unique challenges.

Many digital signals exist only on high-speed buses internally with no direct access.

It is also difficult to establish levels and there may be problems with the integrity of the audio stream.

At the TTi seminar, these challenges will be examined and techniques presented to meet them.

Some typical measurements will be performed to illustrate problem areas.

Speakers will include Bruce Hofer, a founder of Audio Precision with a worldwide audio engineering reputation, and Tony Dal Molin, Director of Product Development at Audio Precision.

Technical support personnel from TTi will also be available.

Attendance at the seminar costs GBP 70.00 (plus VAT) including lunch and refreshments.

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