surround/5.1 - anyone using it?

[Steve Roitstein]

Hi Folks,

Since I'm doing a semi-complete overhaul of my studio I thought I'd think about working in 5.1 sometime soon. Anyone doing it?

What kind of hardware and speakers are you using?

How's DP work for 5.1?

Thanks,

Steve Roitstein

[BKK-OZ]

I have been using DP (41.) for awhile now - I do everything in surround.

When the new version of Logic came out my exceptionally wonderful retailer rep actually came out to my little studio and he and I looked @ its surround capabilities vs. DP and it really was no contest - DP is much more fully featured.

I dunno about Nuendo or Pro Tools surround capability, but in terms of mid-range software, DP has to be the one if you are doing surround work.

In terms of hardware, I have a pretty minimal set-up here. I use a domestic reciever hooked up to the individual outs of my 828 as my monitoring solution (I do all my mixing in the box). I have a Denon AVR 3803. My environment here will never be fully controllable sound-wise, so I tend to run off mixes, encode them on a DVD and then I ck the mixes out on as many other set-ups as I can. While this might not make the purists out there happy, my view is that my audience isn't going to come into the studio to hear and see my stuff, so why spend a fortune making my stuff sound good here?

My speakers are also domestic (same reasons I suppose, plus I occiasionally use the set-up for recreation too!).

Assuming you are also working with video, trust me, if you don't already have one, get a nice big juicy g5, or you will be struggling with performance issues.

[stephentayler]

I have mixed several concerts for DVD, and some experimental soundscapes for video/sound installations.

I have a Genelec monitoring setup - 5 1029As and the 7060Asub, using an SPL 2380 surround monitor controller. This seems to be a really clean signal path.

I am using an ageing G4 (733m!) with a 1224. It is struggling a bit for surround, I find I need to BTD various elements along th way.

My room is nothing special, no acoustic treatment, but I still manage to get great results. DP's surround tools seem to be quite comprehensive.

kind regards

Stephen

[mrgkeys]

Hi Steve,
I've been using DP for surround for a while (4.52 now) works great everything is beautiful. I'm using a Blue Sky 5.1 system for monitoring, coming from a Tascam 1884 (5.1 outs + a stereo pair) as a controller and for 18 chans. of in and out to DP. Audio Bundles is cool as you can make a quad bundle for verbs and such, LR surround for stuff that's just in the surrounds and so on..... very cool, very easy. Once you start mixing in surround it's hard to go back. I'd be happy to answer any questions.....

HTH and good luck

mg

[BKK-OZ]

hope this isn't OT-

Mrgkeys-

I had never thought of using bundles like that - I had only ever gone as far as setting up my main 5.1 bundle and then taking my stereo tracks and bussing them to that bundle for output.

If you have a minute, I'd really appreciate learning just a tad more about what sort of configuration you normally use, I think you may have just made my life mucho better with that one little idea - dunno why I never thought of it b4!

Thanx!

[mrgkeys]

Okay,
I usually setup a couple of different bundles, a quad that altiverb (or my new favorite, 2 UAD plate 140s) gets bussed to, maybe a front stereo, and a rear stereo too, for stuff I know I want in just those. Sometimes I'll do a stereo dum mix and use a LR bundle for that... (you just never know what some folks use for a center channel....) To nitpick here, I know I can vary the tri-panner from sharp to diffuse for the same effect in a 5.1 bundle, but sometimes it's easier this way for me. Note you'll have to create a lot of auxes to handle these, and then buss those auxes to the 5.1 channel, so maybe it's more of a hassle than it's worth, but it helps me, sometimes. And sometimes not, for example, the live DVD I'm working on now, has none of that and only the 5.1 bundle... YMMV of couse, HTH, etc... please don't play with Happy Fun Ball in direct sunlight...

mg

[BKK-OZ]

thanx for that.

I set up a template ages ago to use as a starting point for my work, methinks it is now time to fix it up a bit.

BTW, did you mean stereo dRum mix, or was it some kinda Fruedian slip, with you thinking, mmmm real drummers are usually...

(I'd apologize to drummers in advance, if I thought they would get the joke.)

[Timeline]

I have a question...

If you have a traditional stereo mix together and you have stemed various stereo bundles to an outboard mixer which have been calibrated ro be unity, is there a way to also route these to a 5.1 bundle set of IO's for a dual mix, stereo & 5.1 ITB?

If so how?

Thanks

<small>[ April 13, 2005, 01:19 AM: Message edited by: Timeline ]</small>

[Tim Casey]

I record and work on my projects in stereo. When they're all done (or almost done, if I'm getting itchy for it), I make a copy of the project (NOT all the audio I've recorded, though) and save it as the surround project. Then I go wacko and mix in surround to my heart's content.

Stereo is SO mono nowadays.....

<small>[ April 13, 2005, 03:01 AM: Message edited by: Tim Casey ]</small>

[BKK-OZ]

I started working in surround about 3 yrs ago, and it seems as tho in the last 6mos or so a lot more people are doing the same (as in project studios and not just the bigger places).

It would be great to find a place where one could see a listing (and some feedback) on the growing number of AU/other surround sound plugs/software.

Anybody know of sucha listing?

[twistedtom]

Me too, I use the outs of my 2408 to the ins of a surround recever. I also send a stereo to the ld in of the dvd in put of the recever, This is all set up in bundles. I use near field monitors, it is importent to use the same near feild monitors. Remember Dolby takes 48k.

[Jim]

I just did my first surround mixes a couple of weeks ago. I brought my Traveler and laptop to my client's theater, and plugged in. It was fun! It only takes a few minutes to learn the surround capabilities of DP, because they're so well thought out and dummy proof. The experience has me wanting to set up my own surround system at my home studio, but I really don't see a big demand for surround mixes in my (mostly corporate video/audio post) business yet. Once HD video for the masses catches on, the two will go hand in hand, and there will be a lot more demand for it in my market (I hope).

.

[BKK-OZ]

there are some things that I found easy to understand, but it did take me awhile to start using effectively - e.g. the 5.1 delay plug. Easy to use, but once you really start to play with it, there are a lot of things it can do.