Support

We designed our products to solve your audio automation needs and we’re committed to achieving just that. Check out our frequently asked questions below.

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Emotion Systems

Engine FAQs

Where can I download Engine evaluation software?

Please download it from our Download a Trial page

Where can I download the Engine brochure?

Show me a basic guide to configuring Engine

Show me a video on detailed configuration options

Eff FAQs

Where can I download the Eff User Manual?

Where can I download the Eff brochure?

Where can I download Eff evaluation software?

Please download it from our Download a Trial page

Eve FAQs

Where can I download the Eve brochure?

Where can I download Eve evaluation software?

Please download it from our Download a Trial page

General FAQs

Which Operating Systems are supported?

All Emotion Systems products are designed to be cross platform, and to run on Microsoft Windows 10 and Server 2016, and Mac OS from 10.13 to 10.15. Our software is also available on request to run on a range of Linux platforms. Contact us for further information, but in general we regularly update versions for Centos 7, with Ubuntu being updated periodically. Windows versions of our products need 64bit versions of the operating system.

Note that Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 8.1 are not supported. Mac OS 10.12 or older is not supported.

What hardware do I need?

Our products are supplied as software for you to install on to your own hardware. All products require Intel computers.

Eff will run on a dual core, recent specification hardware, with a minimum of 8 GB memory, with 16 GB recommended if you are using the optional LRA processor.

Engine should be used on quad core systems, and fourth generation Core i7 or equivalent are recommended. 8 GB is the minimum recommended memory per ESP, suitable if you are doing loudness compliance on short-form, rising to 24 GB per ESP if you are doing loudness compliance processing on long-form content.

Computers running Engine must have two hard disks installed, with the extra hard disk being reserved for Engine use. A 1 TB 7200 RPM or faster disk is recommended. An SSD is ideal.

We recommend using a monitor with at least 1920 * 1080 resolution, to provide full access to the Engine user interface.

Can I test your products?

Evaluation versions of all products for Mac OS and Windows can be downloaded from this page. This software is fully functional, but only runs for 10 days from when the evaluation license is activated. Software is provided for evaluation purposes only, and we ask that you do not carry out commercial work with this trial software.

How do I purchase your software?

All products can be purchased directly from ourselves, by contacting or phoning +44 1635 522 786. Alternatively, we can put you in touch with an Emotion Systems dealer in your area.

How do I install evaluation software?

Our evaluation download is either an exe installer on Windows, or a pkg installer on Mac. In either case, double click the downloaded installer and accept default choices where possible. On Windows, the software is installed into your Program Files folder, and on Mac the app is placed into your Applications folder. Both versions install a license (in the form of a Ticket file) into a shared folder on the computer and place a profiles database and supporting files into a separate folder in your shared folder.

How do I activate licenses?

The first time you try to run any of our products, after the installation process is completed, it tries to connect to our internet-based activation server. If it can connect, then a dialogue is displayed asking for contact information, and then a 10-day license is activated by our server. If your system is unable to connect to our server, a dialogue is displayed offering the option for ‘Manual’ activation. Selecting this will display a “request number” that should be emailed to and we will send an activation code.

The activation process for evaluation and purchased licenses is similar, except that purchased licenses use a unique serial number per license, and this serial number must be entered during the activation process.

Where do I get my unique serial number?

Serial numbers are included on delivery notes for all purchased products. Please retain the delivery information as this will be required if you need to reinstall the license at some future time.

How do I move a license to a new computer?

For all customers with a valid support contract, contact and we will assist. The process varies depending on whether you are reinstalling the operating system onto the same computer, or whether you need to change the hardware (which includes having to install a new system disk). Tell us what happened and we can advise on the best approach.

Dolby FAQs

What types of Dolby encoded audio do you support?

Eff supports Dolby E within files (option).

Engine supports Dolby E encoded audio and Dolby Digital Professional and Dolby Digital Plus Professional (audio).

Can I loudness correct Dolby tracks?

Yes. Dolby support is an option for Eff and Engine. With this option, tracks containing Dolby E are processed in the same fashion as PCM tracks. The new file that we create will have identical Dolby metadata to the source file, apart from the dialnorm parameter. We have chosen to correct the loudness in Dolby tracks by gain adjustment, then setting the dialnorm to the correct value, rather than leaving the levels unchanged, and setting metadata to indicate the level of change to apply in a downstream process.

I have files that contain Dolby E, but I do not need to change the Dolby portions. Do I still need to purchase your Dolby option in order to process these files?

No, the Dolby option is only necessary if you wish to change the levels within encoded Dolby. If you do not have the Dolby option, and you configure Eff or Engine to ignore the tracks containing Dolby, then a Dolby license is not required.

Do you provide access to Dolby Metadata?

Eff will display Dolby metadata as part of analysing files containing Dolby E encoded tracks, and it is also included in XML and PDF reports. It is not possible to edit this metadata.

Engine lets you obtain all Dolby AC3 metadata which can be included in an XML report, if you have the ‘Examine’ option.

The Dolby E Encoder option within Engine lets you configure AC3 metadata profiles and provides access to all metadata parameters.

Do you handle Dolby Guard Band?

When Engine is used to Dolby E encode, the guard band is a user configurable setting. As the ideal guard band position is different for every different video format, the user needs to enter a suitable value as part of building a Profile.

Engine also has an optional Dolby E guard band correction module. This analyses the Dolby E frame structure and the video frame structure for appropriate file types, and lets you advance or retard the Dolby to ensure optimum alignment of the audio and video frames. This option also lets you advance or retard by up to two frames.

Downloads

Which file types are supported?

Our products are based around ‘professional’ file types, so we try to support all file types commonly used by Broadcast professionals, and we do not attempt to support the very varied range of file types used in the consumer space. As our products do not change the video, we are generally agnostic to video format, and the important factor is the way audio is encoded within the file. Therefore we support most MXF and MOV/QT files, as long as the audio is PCM, 16 or 24 bit, and 44.1 or 48 KHz. With the relevant option, we also support files containing Dolby E. We also support LXF and GXF, and AIFF and WAV. Our wav support includes BWAV, and RF64. We support up to 16 channels of audio in any of these file types. Eff also supports MPEG program stream files, where the audio is encoded as MP2. With MPEG files, support is restricted to either one or two stereo pairs.

What can I do if a file is rejected by your software?

If you have a file that appears to be a supported type, but cannot be opened, firstly check that it is a ‘good’ file. The most common problem we see is files that have become truncated during an FTP process. If you have a current maintenance contract, you might like to check you have the latest version of the software, as updates are issued fairly regularly. If the file is definitely good, then please contact for assistance. Normally we would request a sample file (and we are happy to sign an NDA if applicable) so that we can analyse it and determine the problem. If the file is clearly a type that should be supported, we aim to provide a new release within two weeks to correct this. However if the file type is outside our normal range for support, for example files with compressed audio, we will let you know.

I need advice on loudness specifications. Can you help?

We try to keep up to date with everything relating to audio loudness. We don’t have all the answers, but we’ll try to help with your questions.

How fast is your software?

We can only give guidelines as there are many variables. A typical installation of Eff on a modern computer, with all files being stored locally, is faster than real time for all video files, and substantially faster than real time for audio only (i.e. WAV and AIFF) files. Where files contain Dolby E there is an impact on processing time, and around real time is a reasonable expectation. Processing with network attached storage is slower as network speeds are always slower than local access.

Engine can run a range of processes and complex workflows. A single loudness only workflow in Engine is just as fast as in Eff. However a multi-step workflow will be slower. The best way to tell is to download our evaluation software and set up a real configuration, and test with your own files, network and hardware.

Do you sell hardware and software or just software?

Emotion Systems provides software that you run on your own hardware. This saves you money compared to having to purchase hardware that is dedicated to a single task.

Do you have a support contract?

All our software is sold with one year maintenance. This means that for one year you have access to all updates to your product, apart from new features that are introduced as cost options. You also have access to our Support team, who may be contacted by email, telephone, live chat, and Skype. Our support team have TeamViewer licenses so can log on to your computer to help solve problems if requested.

At the end of the year, you have the opportunity to purchase another year of maintenance. This costs 15% of the list product price. The Customer Support team is available for normal UK working hours, but additionally emails to normally get a quick response in evenings and over weekends and UK national holidays.

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