DialogCheck AI Dialog Intelligibility Meter Enhances Speech Clarity

Improving Dialog Intelligibility with AI Technology

Dialog intelligibility is a critical aspect of film and television audio, yet many viewers struggle to understand speech clearly. Studies indicate that nearly half of audiences prefer subtitles due to poor dialog clarity. To address this challenge, DialogCheck offers an AI-powered dialog intelligibility meter designed to provide objective measurements of speech clarity in audio mixes.

How DialogCheck Supports Audio Engineers

Audio engineers often face difficulty predicting how dialog will sound to first-time listeners after working extensively on a scene. DialogCheck combines advanced ‘Listening Effort’ technology from Fraunhofer IDMT with a history view inspired by NUGEN Audio’s VisLM loudness meter. Developed alongside Netflix and powered by dual AI neural networks, this plug-in delivers clear, intuitive data to help engineers make informed decisions when mixing dialog.

Factors Affecting Dialog Intelligibility

Several elements influence dialog clarity. Some, such as language barriers, dialects, listener hearing ability, and listening environment, are beyond an engineer’s control. However, factors like dialog loudness, background audio levels, audio signal quality, and effects such as reverb can be managed during post-production. By optimizing these controllable factors, the overall intelligibility can be significantly improved.

Using DialogCheck to Enhance Speech Clarity

DialogCheck functions as a measurement tool rather than an audio processor. It provides objective values indicating where improvements can be made, such as adjusting the balance between dialog, music, and effects or applying noise reduction and audio cleanup techniques. In some cases, it may highlight the need for additional dialogue replacement (ADR). Furthermore, DialogCheck can be integrated into pre-production workflows to ensure source audio meets clarity standards from the outset.

Listening Effort Meter Technology

The core of DialogCheck is the Listening Effort Meter developed by Fraunhofer IDMT’s Oldenburg Branch for Hearing, Speech and Audio Technology (HSA). This technology combines automatic speech recognition with psychoacoustic modeling and has been validated through extensive listening tests. Its metrics correlate strongly with subjective assessments of listening effort, providing reliable and actionable data for audio professionals.

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