Comments on: My Impressions of Dolby Atmos

By: Ambiences with Dolby Atmos | Designing Sound

Ambiences with Dolby Atmos | Designing Sound — Sun, 09 Aug 2015 16:38:43 +0000

[…] with Atmos in mind or as Dolby would like it, premixed IN Atmos entirely. After reading about the impression Atmos left on Shaun at AES and trying to find a way to contribute to an already excellent month of ambient discussion, I […]

By: Gabriel Guy

Gabriel Guy — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 21:50:21 +0000

Great insights Shaun, I’d like to touch on a couple although I know this article is a couple years old at this point.

In regards to dong the subsequent downmixes (7.1, 5.1, 2.0) from an Atmos mix, we do use the Dolby RMU to create some initial 7.1 downmix stems but then it’s up to the mixers’ ears to adjust them accordingly to make the 7.1 printmaster. It’s very much the same process as making the Dolby 2-track mix from a 7.1/5.1.

Panning through Atmos can exhibit some of the phantom center shoft between surround field speakers that you heard. Part of this can be minimized with the Atmos panner Size setting which can give a slight spread at low setting and minimize this effect, especially during slow pans.

In regards to front speaker phantom center shift, I’ve found that placing a sound as an Atmos object midway between two screen speakers (even in a 3 speakers front array setup) has greatly clarity that using a traditional panner, both when monitoring in Atmos and subsequent downmix versions. I hope this is helpful.

Thanks, Gabe

By: Dolby Atmos – Taking cinema sound to a whole new level! | Fortress Square

Thu, 24 Jul 2014 15:35:18 +0000

[…] something a sound junkie had to say as he heard an audio only clip in a preview for Dolby […]

By: 003 – Shaun Farley and Valhalla Shimmer | TonebendersPodcast.com

003 – Shaun Farley and Valhalla Shimmer | TonebendersPodcast.com — Sun, 06 Jul 2014 01:22:31 +0000

[…] a Tree Liine’s Lemur for iOS Rene’s post on the Slate Audio Raven Auria for iOS ValhallaShimmer Dolby Atmos review November Issue of Game Developer Magazine featuring Shaun Farley’s Loudness […]

By: ASSG – Ambiences with Dolby Atmos

ASSG – Ambiences with Dolby Atmos — Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:27:07 +0000

By: tonebenders » Tonebenders – Episode Three – Shaun Farley and ValhallaShimmer

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 22:59:33 +0000

[…] The Slate Pro Audio RAVEN MTX Multi-Touch Production System Auria for iOS ValhallaShimmer Dolby Atmos review November Issue of Game Developer Magazine featuring Shaun Farley’s Loudness […]

By: Rune Palving

Rune Palving — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 08:15:45 +0000

Hi Shaun,
Nice writing. After the AES weekend I ended up with almost same conclusion. I can see the potential in the system especially the discreet surrounds with the front sides and bass management can be a help to tell the story. I still feel that the height surrounds are not that a powerful tool. There was a discussion later at AES where Dolby diplomatic said that some people hear heights better than others and another manufacturer claimed that we have to learn audience to listen in the height…!?!

Seablade – regarding Ambisonics there where some music engineers presenting recordings with different height surround techniques. They started the experiment with Ambisonics, one of the mikes is pointing upwards so….but they were not to happy about the result, so they ended up with a triple MS set-up where the last S is on the vertical axis. And the examples they played were convincing. You really felt you were at the venue.

Another discussion at the AES was the reverb in Atmos. Unlike some of the other 3D sound systems it does not have a reverberator to do spatialization. It is the a dry signal it spreads. Someone was anxious talking about a 128 ch Altiverb…!
How did you solve that John? Very interested to hear more from the Hobbit mix….

By: John Loose

John Loose — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 18:10:59 +0000

Hi Shaun,
Thanks for all the feedback. I am one of the people that is usually tapped for these demo, but I was out of the country when this one happened. I have been following Designing Sound for a long time, so I’m sorry I missed you. I am one of the few mixers in the world who has worked in the format and I can say it is really fun to work in. Next time you’re in SF, lmk. I’ll take your comments into account for the next demo. Right now, one of my crew is in NZ with Peter Jackson doing the Hobbit in Dolby Atmos, which should be excellent. Stay tuned.

By: Will Stowell

Will Stowell — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:08:10 +0000

Dagnabit, I was at AES and totally missed this! Oh well. Very good read!

By: Shaun Farley

Shaun Farley — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 20:57:18 +0000

In reply to Colin Hunter.

I think “too far, too soon” might be a bit of an overstatement. Dolby has created an incredibly flexible system with the potential to remain useful and relevant for a long time. I see it as more of an issue of, “just because you can, doesn’t mean you should”…and that applies primarily to the people crafting the mix. It’s up to us, not Dolby, to use the system effectively in helping to craft the story. Yes, it will take time before people really start using the system to its full potential, but it’s something that we as professionals can grow into.