Hello everyone. As the title says. Is anyone mixing in atmos? Or even tried a surround setup? I'd like to know your thoughts and your setup. What hardware are you using? What interface and what monitors. I'm planning a big upgrade in my studio an i consider some interfaces etc but i'd like to avoid any issues before proceeding. Lately i'm mixing more and more in 5.1 so atmos is the next step. For my 5.1 setup i use a somewhat weird routing , as i combine 2 interfaces to route the 6 channels to a receiver acting as my amp and it's speakers as a monitoring option. I know this is totally wrong (but i still had good results checked in theatre) so the upgrade is a necessity. You can share your setup or any tips on what to avoid or be careful.
Thank you in advance.

So my thoughts is using a MOTU 16A paired with IK Multimedia's MTM immersive bundle 11 but i don't know if i also need a clock to sync motu or anything else. Also , other optins might be an RME interface with the volume comtrol too.

Any thoughts? Hit me!

 

Another option might be an interface with less analog outputs, like UAD's 4x4 or something , along with a toslink to analog convertion to get the necessary outputs

 

not worth at all, that's what I think
you can get away with cheap interface like RME UFX III (5.1.2 for start, and over 64 channels expanded), but then you'll need very good quality point-source/coaxial monitors (Genelec 8331 or at least Kali Audio IN-5), and also properly measured, built and professionally treated room (or else you'll be clueless on spatial reflections and spectral balance)
...all that for what kind of business?

 

I'm mixing mostly for TV but couple of times a year , i get a feature film for theatrical release. I'm mixing them in 5.1 but i would like to up my game. I know that atmos needs certified room , but i'd like to have at first a proper mixing setup. For the moment i'm using NS10 for my stereo mixes and NS10mm (NS10's little brothers) for surround. Room will be properly calibrated just as this season ends (june-july) but i stay as far away as i can from Genelecs (just my personal opinion). My main concern isn't the monitors but the audio interface

 

I'd be interested to see how many people on here went about it... There are DAW's that come with it built-in at software level like Nuendo...that said...

Dolby actually gives a certified approval for engineering schools and studios who meet the ATMOS specifications. I only found this out because of a conversation with a long-term associate who runs an audio engineering degree, and he recently spent a lot of time and money getting one of their University studios certified.

Start here, it's a lot of reading though:
https://professional.dolby.com/licensing/

 

Thank you @BaSsDuDe .Yes i've already spent some time through past months on research and i came along Dolby's requirements. They also have sort of course on their website which i follow along whenever i have spare time.

 

then decide how many channels, realistically, and futureproof you'd need,
very cheap route could be RME Digiface USB with ARC USB controller, and expanded with Ferrofish Pulse16 - this would give you 16 channels at 96kHz, which should be plenty for Atmos speaker config,
then software-wise, Fiedler Audio Dolby Atmos Composer is an entry-level suite for Atmos delivery, and ProTools for TV/film remains a must as a primary co-op DAW,
EDIT - by entry level I meant its free version Essential
oh and also don't underestimate importance of "binural" Atmos downmixing, heapdhones are a valid major consumer Atmos device, so on very tight budget or on the go it's definitely welcome option (again, Digiface USB meets just that with built-in headphone jack)

 

Thank you. 12 channels would be future proof as I don't have plans to expand the studio and add more speakers in the future. As for DAW I'd stay with logic which already supports atoms but I might have to add the dolby's renderer so I can be compatible with theatrical releases. (their panning is different than logic's. I think I remember reading it somewhere in dolby's course). Also I will consider the RME along with the arc.
For binaural down mixing I use a mpeg encoder (so I can be compatible with broadcasting encoders) which downmixes any number of channels to any number of outputs (stereo out, binaural headphones, full 7.1.4 etc). I'd like to avoid Pro Tools as much as I can , even if it's the standard. I only deliver stems or mixes , so no problem with collaborators.

 

then there's also one thing to consider,
if you'll use Logic Pro with Apple's own implementation of Dolby Atmos, you might as well use Apple's best AirPods Pro as it's arguably most widespread Atmos consumer device of Apple users - in which case you don't need any audio interface at all - in which case you'd need some kind of Aggregate Device layout in Audio&MIDI Setup in order to utilize both Bluetooth earbuds and studio monitors

 

Hmm. That would be if I was targeting atmos mixing for music. I'm mainly interested in mixing theatrical releases, so this option (although very smart for that kind of stuff) is not suitable for me. I will continue my research slowly and silently and as soon as this season ends and I 'll have time (and money) to invest in the studio, I'll sum up my decisions. After I finish, I might also share my setup.

 

if I were you, I'd start learning Fiedler Audio Dolby Atmos Composer Essential (as mentioned before) - it costs nothing, will let you understand needs for routing/monitoring/delivery which should help with future planning of your studio setup

 

My option is - I could care less... Atmos, at least at this point, is a phase. 5.1/7.1 was a phase as well. It still is. But, it is important to realize that 5.1 is much easier and more economical to implement for the average joe than Atmos will ever be. I have had a 5.1 system installed in my mix room for quite a while. In the times I have used it over the years it has payed for itself, but I never got rich doing surround mixes because there's not a lot of demand for it unless you're running a big time post production house.

 

Last edited: Mar 3, 2024

If you're working in 5.1 for TV but want to mix for theatrical DA & don't have plans to add more speakers, then I would say stick with your current 51 setup, but hire a certified theatrical DA room to check your movie mixes when you're almost finished mixing.

You can buy/use DAR if you like, it has has a few more options RE downmix & trims, & array mode for theatrical , but You'd need a lot more speakers to make most use of it. You can go by with just DAW DA inbuilt support.

Tip: If you want your mixes to translate better to home theatre & downmix scenarios like 5.1, then use a 7.1 bed instead of 7.1.2 (since a 712 bed has mono height depth), and objects for anything away from speakers or corners and at height.

 

Last edited: Mar 4, 2024

Yes this is something I consider.

Yes. This is my next step. If of course I go with a full 7.1.4 speaker setup.

At the moment I'm just doing TV or theatrical only. Home theatre translation isn't really a thing for now. In the future I might consider just the atmos version (instead of beds, use objects) and rely on it's ability to translate in different speaker scenarios .

Thanks anyway. Any info is welcome and considered. After all, this is the purpose of this thread

 

btw, it seems Paul Third (on YouTube) went into Atmos stuff, his recent videos cover budget setup and which interfaces NOT buy
https://www.youtube.com/@PaulThird/videos

 

Using objects only isn't really good, or meaningful for translation, for movie. it's fine for home music (for now) , but for movie, you'll need a combination of bed & objects AND use each part appropriately to make a mix that plays properly at the cinema, and translate to different speaker layouts.

Beds are appropriate for diffuse elements like ambience, reverb. Objects are appropriate for sources away from the corners, at height, and mono objects for things moving around. See "array mode" to see how beds & objects behave over speakers.

• http://web.archive.org/web/20210729.../articles/360054530652-Module-4-3-Room-Setup-
• and this picture .

Also, I'm saying that for logic, the next best thing would be a 7.1 bed, since a 7.1.2 bed has several flaws/consequences. If you do want to use a 712 bed, best to use the top channels very quietly . Set the bed type via project audio settings.

Assuming you have powered speakers, the Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 has 10 analogue line outs - enough for 5.1.4. 514 is also great for 51 mixing. If you want 714 out from this interface, you can theoretically add another stereo pair via SPDIF Coax, or more ADAT . The Scarlett 18i20 sells for about 600 USD which is a good deal. It seems that interfaces with 12 channels analogue line out natively, the price jumps to 1500 USD, if not more.

I don't have any of these equipments so ymmv.

I skimmed the video , but there was a lot of talking and not a lot of pictures. Did they have any opinions about Focusrite Scarlett or cheap interfaces for 10-12 channels?

 

Last edited: Mar 6, 2024