DialogCheck is an AI-powered dialog intelligibility meter that provides objective speech clarity measurements, combining Fraunhofer IDMT’s Listening Effort technology with a history view inspired by VisLM.
Purpose
DialogCheck serves as an objective measurement tool for dialog intelligibility, addressing the common issue of unclear speech in film and television. It offers audio engineers a reliable reference point to assess how a mix might sound to audiences, counteracting the challenge of familiarity after hours of listening to the same material.
The plug-in provides a numeric readout of listening effort, derived from dual AI neural networks and developed in collaboration with Netflix. It does not process audio; instead, it gives clear data to support mix decisions.
Key Capabilities
The plug-in measures intelligibility in real time, displaying a momentary clarity readout and a median value over time. A timecode-locked history graph allows engineers to review intelligibility across a scene, with user-definable upper and lower percentile readouts for detailed analysis.
It supports up to 7.1.4 channel configurations, making it suitable for immersive mixes. The technology is based on Fraunhofer IDMT’s Listening Effort meter, which uses automatic speech recognition and psychoacoustic modeling, validated through listening tests.
Workflow
DialogCheck is intended to be inserted on a mix bus or dialog track to monitor clarity alongside loudness metering. The real-time bar meter and history graph give immediate feedback, while percentile readouts summarize long-term performance.
Engineers can use the data to guide adjustments such as balancing dialog against music and effects, applying noise reduction, or even recommending ADR. It fits into a post-production workflow as a second opinion, offering an objective check.
Practical Applications
In post-production, DialogCheck helps identify scenes where dialog may be masked by background audio or effects. It can highlight when reverb or processing reduces clarity, prompting corrective action.
It is also valuable in pre-production to ensure source audio meets a target clarity level, and in broadcasting to verify compliance with intelligibility standards. It serves as a quality control tool for final mixes before delivery.
Key features
- Supports up to 7.1.4 channel configurations
- Real-time bar meter for immediate feedback
- Timecode-locked history graph for scene review
- Momentary and median clarity readouts
- User-definable upper and lower percentile readouts
Best for
DialogCheck is best for audio post-production engineers, sound supervisors, and broadcast professionals who need an objective measure of dialog intelligibility. It is particularly useful in film and TV mixing, where clarity is critical, and for quality control during final mix review, helping to ensure speech remains understandable to audiences.