Atmos is a POINTLESS FAD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
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This video is so solid. Atmos in the perfect room with a real 7.1.4 or 9.1.4 setup is breath taking. It's so immersive that it feels surreal. However, most people getting Atmos mixes done know that it will mostly be heard on Airpods, car systems, media bars, etc. All of which are being dialed in for Atmos. I just got the BMW i4 with the upgraded sound package and it has an Atmos / Dolby / Immersive system in it.
The thing with Atmos is that most major labels are making all artists submit Atmos mixes. So if you're an engineer who's already mixing the record, having the ability to mix Atmos may allow you to book two mixes at once. And in the future I assume labels won't be hiring mixing engineers who can't deliver Atmos at all.
Last point, and maybe the only one you didn't touch on, Apple Music is basically ONLY pushing songs that have Atmos versions on all of their playlists and recommendations. Not having an Atmos mix as a major artist will definitely leave you off of some of the biggest playlists in the world on Apple Music.
Will Atmos ever truly replace stereo audio? I don't know. To get the REAL impact of Atmos it currently costs tens of thousands of dollars and having the space for a WILD set up. I think we will see that barrier of entry lower (as we already are with airpods, car systems, home sound, etc) but I am really keen to see HOW good Atmos mixes can be represented without a 18x20 ft room and $50,000 worth of speakers, cabling, and AD/DA
Don't forget the $20,000 worth of perfect acoustic soundproofing.👍
REALITY CHECK
Atmos: not happening in your mom's kitchen.
You really believe Apple Music could dictate you have to LIKE only Atmos mixes? Or do you say Apple is faking playlists and likes of listeners?
@@Mitsch76 I'm saying Apple has publicly said that they are only interested in putting songs with Atmos mixes on their official playlists and radio stations on Apple Music.
@@MakePopMusic Thanks for clarifying this ;-) .
My brother-in-law's parents have a fancy new car. They asked me "why does everything I listen to on apple music in my car sound terrible." I said "turn off Atmos." The problem was solved.
Exactly
SO TRUE!!!
Id they didn't know Atmos was on or could be turned off.. then it's very unlikely they calibrated the car system for Atmos kin fact it may not be possible in that car).
Playing Atmos through a random set of speakers dotted in odd places in an odd acoustic is going to sound stupid, as would a binuaral fold-down that a phone may be set to if it's the origin of the audio.
Not knowing how to use tech is always going to make it seem pointless .
@@natdenchfield8061 It's b/c the Atmos mixes sounded terrible. They said "this song sounds great on spotify, but absolutely terrible on apple music." Apple music defaults to Atmos if Atmos playback is available. Once the setting was changed to default to the stereo mix everything was fixed.
@@natdenchfield8061 But is going through the troubles of getting something that can support it and then having to calibrate it especially when you don't really care about it that much worth it? Not to mention you mostly wanted to hear your favorite songs that you have collected over the years and new music isn't always the top priority.
Atmos, in general, isn't a fad. It has wonderful applications. Traditional music experience, just isn't one of them. For film, video games, amusement parks, in-person experiences, etc, it is incredible. For music, I'll never buy into it. And, I don't think the general public will fully buy-in either.
Bang on
Atmos, I think is pretty pointless in the case of "in your face" music - metal, punk, most of less elaborate rock. However, it could add additional dimensions to musics, that were supposed to "envelop" vou in the first place - abient?
nailed it! Couldnt agree more
Atmos on movies/Netflix sounds great tho, it's much more immersive. When i turn of Spatial Audio on my Airpods the audio just sounds weird. Music however is just the opposite.
No, since music reproduction often happens in casual settings where it often practically comes down to mono. Few people sit down to listen to music in a "proper" listening environment. Ironically, cars may be THE environment where most people are confronted with Atmos. If it works or makes sense there is another questions.
Way more interested in how this video ages over time.
Right lol- download it for posterity.
I'm going to guess poorly. Stereo has been the norm for.. Idk.. 60 years? Surround has been around for 20 odd years (mainstream) and 90% of people still listen in stereo or even mono. In general surround mixes down to stereo poorly so you need to do 2 mixes or people will have a bad experience and not care about your content 😅 So it's at least 2x the work to make potentially 10% of listeners happier.
So much for the great democratizing home studio movement. Most home studios won’t be able to afford to compete. Good for people who can afford to spend major bucks. This is what the pro studios wanted. The clients will all come back as musicians can no longer afford a relevant home studio. This was top down driven by Dolby etc. There was no consumer demand.
This is what the big labels (who have lost all control over gatekeeping the industry) want
And it likely won't work because most artists do not really care for their music to be over-engineered, and the means of production taken away from them.
Hi Colt, Interesting video. I believe the point you make at 16:05 is why in principle, stereo fold-downs of Atmos mixes will likely never sound as good as dedicated stereo mixes, on average.
As you correctly note, when you're mixing in Atmos, you simply don't have to work as hard with EQ to make mixes fit into a small amount of speaker real estate. You can just pan!
...But, to make stereo mixes come out well, you do have to work a LOT harder to make everything fit into just two speakers.
The problem is... you're not forced to do this when you're mixing in Atmos! :-) Even if though the overwhelming majority of end listeners will be hearing the final mix on two speakers.
While all this extra sonic real estate is an awesome feature of surround sound, and is part of what makes the Atmos sound so cool, it is unfortunately *not* a benefit that is experienced by listeners of an Atmos stereo fold-down...
...and so all this extra real estate is potentially counterproductive to getting mixes to fold down to stereo well.
Think about it:
-You just listed a whole bunch of things good mixers do to make speakers work across two speakers.
-Then, you said that when you're listening in surround you *don't have to do those same things*.
-But ultimately, the average listener *will be hearing the mix on two speakers*, BUT *you didn't do all the things that make mixes work well on just two speakers*.
...That seems like a potential problem, right?
Since the largest share of the market is likely to always be stereo, it seems that the best practice for most projects would be to do a dedicated stereo mix first, and then adapt that stereo mix to Atmos afterward if you're interested in Atmos.
I agree that getting into a great room with a great surround system is an amazing experience for audio lovers. And, Atmos is clearly the best version of surround sound ever created, with the best native translation to stereo compared to past formats.
I first experienced GREAT surround systems decades ago, and even before Atmos, the experience was similarly awesome, before these welcome upgrades. I too would have loved for it to take over then and now. But I also have to be realistic.
With all that said, since we are mixing for consumers that will be 95% or 98%+ listening on stereo speaker and headphone systems, it seems like the best practice will be to continue to make a dedicated stereo mix if you want to be sure the thing will sound great in stereo! Surround will continue to be secondary for straight music consumption.
Atmos is hear to stay. No doubt about it. It's the best surround format ever created. But stereo is also hear to stay, and focusing more energy and attention on a dedicated stereo mix than on an Atmos mix seems to be the wiser way to go for the vast majority of music projects.
I hope that makes sense. Let's see where we are in 5 years, and how well this video and this comment age comparatively 🙂 Could be interesting!
Best wishes to you,
Justin
I'm skeptical - not because I don't think it would be amazing for audiophiles - but because to your average 'normie' listener, they just want to hear *a song* .
Makes me think of a time I was gigging my giant pedalboard-of-doom...and something went wrong with it mid-gig. I ended up going straight to my amp (no effects) and nobody noticed a difference.
The lesson: 90% of people view music as wallpaper. It's just something in the periphery while they pay attention to the things that they're *really* interested in.
I did a poll on Instagram a few months back. Only like 5% of the people that answered listen to music in Atmos. And most of those were engineers. 😂 Doesn’t seem like the ROI for artists is worth it.
I've spent my musical career listening to Colt's opinions and doing the exact opposite. I'm doing great.
That ship has sailed and sunk . The corporate push has failed in a spectacular fashion .
It seems to me that atmos was created to solve a problem that doesn’t exist 🤷♂️
Fancy restaurants and good food isn't a solution to a problem that exists either ... It's for fun, entertainment, life enrichment.
But yep, go back to some live bluegrass in a barn somewhere and you don't even need a stereo - devices that don't solve a problem that ever existed either
It will solve the loudness war because Atmos has to be -18 lufs 😢
@@natdenchfield8061 not quite a fair comparison imo. Fancy restaurants meaningfully enhance the experience of food. Do you enjoy music more because “wow. the guitar is circling my head”? Who cares? It’s unnecessary. Probably very good for films or something but It’s just distracting when I just want to casually listen to a song. Maybe a nice novelty but not something that’s gunna catch on in any meaningful way IMO.
Remember when 3D TV’s came out? How often do you see them now? Almost never.
@@natdenchfield8061 also.. stereo playback devices solve the problem of “convenience”.
Not everyone has access to live bluegrass whenever they want
Spot on. 😎
Dolby and Apple working together to push 12+ speakers with itunes is 100% a conspiracy by definition.
Right lol
Ignorance is bliss 😂
Who's selling the 12+ speakers, Dolby or apple?
Pity they didn't spend their time improving crappy streaming quality... I mean come on! 🙄
Dolby has nothing to do with Apple, they each have their own algorithms for Atmos.
They keep trying with Atmos. Really hard.
and all nightclubs and concerts are in Mono
I would argue that we've actually gone backwards from the days of the Beatles blowing our minds. Home pods, alexa and phones are more like going back to single speakers in the middle of untreated rooms. Atmos adoption is going to have to beat out ease of use for day to day acceptance.
"Atmos is a POINTLESS FAD" - yea, I agree. Didn't need to watch, clicked like. Cheers!
😂😂😂
Booooo
😁😁😁
Same
LOL
I have had a 7.1.4 system (all Focal except the sub & ceiling) for about 2 years now. Two issues: 1. Nobody's looking to hear their content in atmos and 2. The biggest issue is, artists feel (and I tend to agree) that we're at a point where only the binaural mixes will be heard by the average listener. That being said, I've already spent the money so I'm going to dive in! Wish me luck lol
I just hate the way it sounds, nothing anyone says can change that. That doesnt mean im not educated on the topic
Well, based on my experience in this comment section, apparently that means we are knuckle dragging Neanderthals who are afraid of change 😂. I have no personal issue with people wanting to spend inordinate sums of money to enjoy their music listening experience in 3-D, but I do have a problem with massive corporate entities telling me I can’t release music without mixing it on a sysyem nobody can afford. And before people start making excuses about the software that can be used to get around that just wait until AI ruins that too
I do too, part of that is that horrible dolby house curve. Huge suckout in the vital 300Hz-700Hz midrange and a nasty presence boost which honestly just hurts the ears when music gets loud and energetic. Maybe its there to simulate the big woofer breakup mode and strained tweeters that people know from the "cinematic experience".
I thought the “eduction” argument was rather condescending too.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, knocks harder than a good stereo recording.
Honestly, this rings very similar to the Crypto/NFT/AI Tech Bro's trying to sell a solution that's looking for a problem to justify it's existence. It's a lot of the same arguments they've made just now switching [Crypto/NFT/AI] for Atmost.
"Just do your research, bro."
Everyone’s going to schill for Atmos because Colt is supporting it, and I respect his opinion very much, but I don’t have to change mine. Atmos is a stupid and expensive disaster. Nobody is putting this crap in their home
For instance, I am now getting into the video and you are saying that this is similar to when stereo first came out. Right off the bat that is BS. A pair of stereo speakers doesn’t cost tens of thousands of dollars and require you to remodel an entire entire room inside your house
@@hockeytalk6084and neither does Atmos. While it is a recommendation, it isn't mandatory. People have this idea that you have to follow Dolby's specifications in order to listen to Atmos in speakers accurately. What is your argument for stereo engineers that do have huge expensive rooms versus bedroom producers that are making pop hits in a room that's no bigger than the size of a kitchen? You don't need a huge Atmos system to listen or mix in Atmos.
On the note about it having expensive speakers to listen to for stereo is true. Except we're having a decent pair of speakers to actually mix in stereo probably did cost you way more than most people could afford when it first came out. We live in a world where $100 speakers are accurate enough to mix with, And that are up to the quality that speakers 20 years ago would've cost you at least $500 a speaker for the same quality. And soon we will get to the point where headphones will become accurate enough to mix in for Atmos, where you only have to spend $500 for a decent pair that you can literally take anywhere with you. It's 2024 Man, do you not have any faith in the technology that has evolved within the past 20 years and what will be for the next??
@@hockeytalk6084 That was not the argument tho? It's only similar to stereo in the sense that bad mixes are a factor coming from this being something new, and that we don't really know "the correct way to mix music" for atmos yet. Just like how at one point mono was everything, then stereo came and we put the drums all the way to the left, we don't do that anymore because we matured.
Also, "Nobody is putting this crap in their home" did you not watch the video before commenting this? Colt is literally making the argument that you don't have to, because it's already there?! Like if you have an iPhone you already have atmos, or if you have a soundbar or an Alexa or Homepod. Like it's everywhere. It's fair if you don't enjoy the sound of it, but like the argument you're making is just not really making sense here...
You need to go to an Atmos outfitted studio, sit in the sweet spot and just … LISTEN.
“Atmos” on Airpods, or a soundbar - is simulated atmos; and sounds like a mess of phase and time issues in my opinion
It's not simulated Atmos. Every single Atmos setup is calculated from the bed and object locations.
Calculated playback on airpods IS Atmos. Calculated playback on a room calibrated soundbar IS Atmos .
In the case of soundbars etc, it's effectiveness is often down to the calibration algorithms though, which could be manufacturer dependent .
Ultimately one has to get out of the habit od thinking in terms of descrete channel outputs - that's not how Atmos works.
Calculated playback on a 9.4.1 system IS Atmos.
The difference in result is in the accuracy of setup and quality of speaker (and room sound)
So it’s OK if it sounds like shit? This dude Nat works for Dolby Atmos 😂
I'm pretty sure it is their horrible house curve: midrange suckout and presence boost which get's applied via a dynamic EQ/Multiband compressor. Had a phone 10 years ago with Dolby Sound enhancement and the sonic signature was the same, later an android phone with simulated Dolby Atmos and the sound signature was the same but was now being applied dynamically (but you could modify that curve and it was great to correct the phones stereo speakers). Now on my iPhone and AirPods Pro it's the same thing all again, the dolby signature sticks out but with added emptiness and sterile signature.
@@natdenchfield8061 You can't cheat physics. A soundbar will never be effective.
Not convinced and it’s not from lack of trying. I’ve listened to a lot of spatial mixes on my iPhone speakers, air pods pro, air pods max, and in cars.
My experience is that it flat out sucks. Every single time the stereo mix has more space, more depth, and more clarity than any of the Atmos mixes I’ve listened to.
You said that you spent a 4 hour flight A/B’ing stereo and Atmos mixes. You felt half of them were worse than stereo and half were better.
I’d sure love a list of what you thought was great and what you thought was bad. Every time I see a new video from you, or anybody else excited about Atmos and trying to pump it up I reach for my headphones and turn Atmos back on Apple Music and go straight to the featured Spatial Audio playlist.
I’ve not yet heard one thing that has convinced me this is the future for consuming music. It’s all garbage to me at this point, and the window is closing on making this a standard as far as music is concerned. I have a feeling it’s going to find its spot right next to quad, and 5.1 in music history.
Sales pitch and sheep it's all bs now all sumnthing this the agenda and course they follow and sale out for a check pushing bs.
It's pointless because by and large - like it or not - music consumers are moving away from conscious reception and dedicated setups. A bluetooth boombox in mono at the barbecue must do. I guess Colt's hard mixing work and five-figure investment in speakers really pays off in that situation.
Atmos will be as big for music as Dolby surround sound was. We all know how great that was. I can see how you don't wanna miss out on gigs because you want to be ready to mix anything but it's not gonna be for everyone. Stereo mixes sound fine on anything.
Well said. Listening to a great mix in a good room through a quality stereo system is a wonderful joyous thing. DA has to be better than that. Good luck.
I wish there was such a "magic foltdown" were the accoustic guitar is magically not masked or carved out and sounds fully like on an Atmos system. Well, you should go to a physics class, man. Even on multiple speakers you might have cancellation of certain frequencies depending on the room, and were you are in the room. Realize, that you only mix for a quite little sweet spot in an optimized room. Atmos will not work in home entertainment. No way.
Ikr! I’ve seen interviews with engineers lamenting their atmos mix being summed down and it absolutely destroying the sound.
4:28 The two ears argument is dumb. But here is my argument against it. I’ve had an atmos setup in my home theater since shortly after atmos first launched and I literally never sit in there to listen to music. I consume 97% of my music in the car and the other 3% in AirPods when exercising or traveling. And on my AirPods I always turn that spatial shit OFF. So until it’s available in more vehicles I will never actually use it for music listening.
Yup….You simply can’t make people want something that they don’t need, can’t afford, and never asked for….without forcing it
Hi Colt, just a slight correction about 5.1: Actually, a lot of smaller movies and especially independant movies are still done and delivered (to theatres) in 5.1.
Mostly due to budgets, time, and atmos studio fees are much more costly than a 5.1 mixing stages.
7.1
Majoritvely (at least in the UK) it's my understanding that most cinemas have 5.1 playback systems. Some 7.1, and very few atmos. In terms of the physical amount of speakers anyway.
@@TheBunkhouseStudios same in most of Asia.
...and, 5.1 will play on every home theater system....and just like Atmos, sounds amazing when mixed properly.
@@Ein-Stuck a 5.1 mix won't downmix to stereo that well though, hence atmos being a thing
We don't need to worry too much about Atmos yet. Spotify. 🙂 Seriously though, I have. to agree with the argument that Dolby and Apple are artificially pushing Atmos.
I have been making records for my entire adult life, I have never been requested by a label, artist, or management for any kind of immersive mix. That said I have never mixed sound for film or tv, which this style of mixing is killer for. But, the jury is still out for the “average” home listener. Arguably unless the listener is forced to listen in immersive they will most likely not care, need, or want it, especially if the consumer is forced to pay a premium rate. I’m sure for us engineers, I bet mixing in immersive is like our version of working in a sonic Carnival, a total blast. If you’re having fun and you can afford a real-deal system, and your clients are requesting it, more power to anyone investing in it.
Pissed me off one day I was listening on my ear pod pros I thought my iPhone was crapping out and all the music sounded terrible and low in volume. It sounded like there was a chorusey tubular effect engaged then I realized it was set to Atmos lol. I wish there was a way I could uninstall the Atmos option on my phone.
You can turn off Atmos . Got to preferences :Music/ Atmos/off
I remember commenting on an Atmos video you posted before. Atmos is incredible, but I just don't think it'll go anywhere in music. Atmos, to me, is like what 3D was in film. It was a neat idea at first, but nobody cares for it now. I'm sure Atmos is awesome in a proper listening environment, but like 3D, it'll probably die off. Atmos is a technology for film. I'm glad music producers are trying to implement the technology into the industry, and I'm all for innovation, but it's just a simple hunch of mine that says, "Yeah. It's probably not going to last."
Colt, you are not going to be bias about this. You are sinking money into Atmos (a lot of money) and you have a self serving influencer channel (I say self serving, not in a snarky way, but that is what these channels are in all honesty). It is not a conspiracy when Apple is forcing any music release on Apple Music HAS to be Atmos. Like forcing people to take a vaccine they do not want to take. I was excited for Atmos until big industry said it HAS to be in Atmos or you cannot sell on their platform.
Exactly. I respect Colt very much, but you are dead on here.
One wonders if he was "influenced $$$" to push such a message. Maybe it saved him some costs for his studio upgrade.....
@Myke you simply have to be asking those questions, especially in today’s day and age. Great point and more than likely, you are on something in my opinion….
Does anyone think the loudness wars are over because everyone is going to mix -18 lufs because of the Dolby specs 😂
Dynamic -18 lufs EDM mixes whahaha lmao 😜
Is it true that Apple Music won't accept songs unless in ATMOS format? Can't upload stereo anymore? I heard rumors of that a while back, but never thought they really did it. That would be devastating for indy artists. They'd all have to pay to have ATMOS mixes? i guess this is what Colt is gearing up for... the ATMOS mix gold rush?
"Atmos is a POINTLESS FAD" - incorrect ❌
"Atmos doesn't fit in the average listener paradigm" - correct ✅
- Sell Atmos to the user who rents an apartment - ❌
- Sell Atmos to the user who's always on the go - ❌
- Earbuds or headphones that fully support the full experience of Atmos - ❌
- Affordability of setting up a proper Atmos system - ❌
- Directing this video to rich home owners with deep pockets - ✅
Atmos is a failed corporate push
@@robertcollado2955 it definitely is and paying youtubers to advertise Atmos won't work either.
I, for one, can not wait to get a great deal on some used Focal Trio 6's in a couple years. :)
Hello Colt, can you name me an atmos mix that sounds awesome to you so i can go listen to it ? So far every single most recent big production atmos mix i listened to on my airpods sounded awfull compared to the stereo version. I honestly would love to change my mind. thx
No reply tells you all you need to know
I think the biggest thing which is missed in this video is the following; atmos mixes may well serve their purpose for post production houses mixing for surround speaker set ups for theatre and cinema viewing, in a large space, they may well be designed for mini atmos setups at home, for home cinema viewing, great, however, when listening to a band recording, in so-called 2D, as I term it, sometimes and most of the time, the audience wants to stand back and be an objective listener. Just like we prefer to stand back and look at art, not be surrounded in it. This is the same reason why 3D cinema, will always be a gimmick. The second that 3D is what drives the plot in order for it to look good, you've lost. For sound fx, fine let a knock or clang, come from somewhere behind you, briefly, however, nobody needs to hear a shaker far back speaker right throughout the mix, it simply becomes a weird distraction. The same is applied to watching actors on stage, this is known as the pros-arch vs in the round experience, sometimes we simply want to sit back and look at something presented in 2D pros-arch, and not be immersed or splashed with water, for example or have an actor jump out behind you, giving you a heart attack. Sure have people coming on from different directions, just don't have the actor delivering the speech from the back of the hall, otherwise everyone has to crank their necks turning round. So it is for Atmos audio, metaphorically, our mind is best focused facing forward and hearing in front, so-to-speak. Final note on biology and evolution, just because we needed to hear a lion creep up on us, does not mean that protection is required for audio when it comes to entertainment, the exact opposite, we want to enjoy the experience and if it's a scary film with jump sounds from behind, great it's an effect, that is all.
As a film/tv post production sound person, I must say that Atmos is NOT useless (mainly because of theatrical sound systems). But for music, i do think it makes little sense.
Interesting to hear 5.1 doesn’t exist anymore considering it’s available on almost all streaming platforms and even ota broadcast. It’s rare to find a stereo only show out there. There’s never been more 5.1 content available.
Yep. This.
Colt is making intellectually dishonest arguments so like he said, 5.1 doesn’t exist even though it does.
@@matthewgaines10 I don’t see things that way. Or let me put it like this: I at least think he believes what he’s saying, and I’m in the “wait and see” camp because I have no skin in the game. I just think he was mistaken about the 5.1 comment, which might be easy to miss if you don’t have a 5.1 system as your primary listening rig.
I respect the hell out of Colt. But the argument that this how we’ve evolved to hear sound is like saying plays, not movies, is how our eyes evolved to see - therefor plays are a better experience. I have yet to personally meet anyone who feels the music listening experience of Atmos is enjoyable. I hate it. Nothing Colt or anyone else says is going to change my mind.
Atmos is good for immersive experiences; like film, gaming, art exhibits and theme parks.
Same video over and over without his atmos being functional yet... begins to look like like something you tell yourself over and over to justify a splurge IMHO.
And have you actually heard the music he makes?? It’s the most bland generic lowest common denominator country pop you’ve ever ignored in Walmart.
Why he thinks Atmos will improve things is utterly laughable.
@@KyleBevis-u7j hahaha had no clue and I'm curious now (although I do have a soft spot for country music, just saw flatland calvary and what flores last week, pretty good stuff!).
@@joeyramonelookalike dude! I LOVE country! Grew up on Garth! But does it need Atmos? Hell no!
I think one thing we all need to look at in terms of if we should adopt Atmos and when is our client base and market. I have not seen *anybody* discussing this. Colt, it is quite obvious that you’re in a market of musicians who want to “make it”, to build a career in music. Very few musicians move to Nashville without that being their goal. They want their recordings to be competitive and modern, and it’s your job to be the top provider of those services, so adopting atmos ASAP is the best move for you. The market I’m in, despite being a great scene overall, is quite different. My clients are generally not concerned with becoming career musicians, (those who have that goal usually move to Nashville), and they more often see their music as a sort of art school project, even though they are out of school. My clients are also on the older side so atmos is often not their own personal listening environment and for now they’re not concerned with going to that level of complexity. There are local studios who are adopting atmos, but that fits with their client base. Obviously atmos will become more the standard over time but I might be retired by then, so atmos isn’t on the calendar at the moment. Your mileage may vary.
Atmos ... Not happening. Lmk when you put your extra monitors up for sale.
Hey Colt I'm a big fan and always look forward to your videos. But I'm one of those guys that doesn't think Atmos is here to stay. In the early 2000's I spent a lot of time on a message board of mostly Nashville producers and mix engineers. There was a couple there who owned a studio here in town that were Surround Sound evangelists. They were always saying things like, "Everybody might as well get used to it. Stereo mixes are a thing of the past. You guys are just old fogies. You need to embrace the change." I don't think it worked out for them like they thought. Aren't pretty much all concerts still in mono? I personally couldn't care less about Atmos or surround for music. I think surround is cool for movies though. Anyway, I'm still not convinced. But you might be right. If it makes your business money, roll with it. Keep up the cool videos.
Exactly. These strategies didn't work then, and they sure as hell don't work now.
11:42 Dirt is my favorite album. I prefer the lossless, non-atmos, stereo mix of Dirt because the Atmos version was mixed with Jerry’s massive wall of guitars was relegated to a sliver of space in the mix.
I can’t help but wonder if this is the ‘90s album Colt mentioned.
Bought it on vinyl and love it even more 👌🏼
Yeah, we can hear sonds coming from behind us. But that's more like a warning system. What we pay attention to (like a musical performance) typically happens right in front of us. So that argument is questionable in regards to music.
The big difference between Atmos and the older formats is that it's object based and not channel based. Meaning the sound sources get a "location" in 360° as opposed to a specific channel relationship ie 30% left surround and 70% right surround. That's why it folds down so well and works on different speaker counts as it's not bound to the channels but the "location" can be translated to all kinds of setups
Your explaining the point "you only have 2 ears" is not true for playing music over the air. It is just only true for listening on headphones, when you have 1 speaker per 1 ear. Whenever you play a sound over the air, it doesn't matter how many speakers you use to produce this sound. Maybe you use a wave field synthesis for example with 50 + speaker cones!? Or something like Atmos or the early surround 5.1 or whatever. So it will give new possibilities to place sound in the 3dimensional room arround you. But in fact for music there is no point for using such a system. Like history showed us. Nearly no one has multi speaker setups at home. Especially for listening to music only.
And in the car it is even more useless. The car is a pretty bad environment to enjoy listening to music, don't you think? It is for driving, not for concentrating on sound ;-)
As said before. I agree on using Atmos for movies and maybe games, but not music. This just will not work. History showed that allready, but feel free to fall on your face it again. ;-)
I would agree for the use of ATMOS when it comes to post audio for film and theaters. Which is what I do. However, for my work, I send stems to a mixing theater in LA, New York City, etc. They in turn do all the ATMOS spotting and mixing. All I need to is split out stereo tracks to Quad stems. Then they take it from there. All in 24/96K Wav audio. But in cars and music. Not a fan...:-(
If you don't have to "carve stuff up," how can it still work in a fold down? What are the physics behind that?
Magic
Easy you start the mix in stereo, then towards the end explode it out into Atmos.
@@NoQualmsTheArtist You're not getting what the question is, or how atmos works.
It's the reverse of that. And starting the mix in stereo doesn't make sense coz you have to carve stuff for stereo that you don't with mono.
The point of the question is how does atmos fold down to stereo without masking, without all the extra frequency content in all the parts getting in the way once all the elements are sharing speakers in stereo compared to having the full bandwidth of their own speaker within an atmos mix
@@UncleBenjs I run an Atmos studio and this is how it works. It's the same way that Bob Clearmountain does it (if I need to name drop to convince you). If you carve away masking properly and don't overdo it and make everything thin then it works perfectly for Atmos. Just because instruments are spread between different speakers doesn't stop them from combining in the room. You still need to control masking even in Atmos. Also your song needs to sound almost exactly the same when a consumer toggles the Atmos setting on and off for different playback systems. They should sound the same. There for they need to be mixed the same. So you start in stereo make the balances and EQ moves, flick your mix to Atmos, check everything, flick your mix to mono, check everything, flick back to stereo keep working. Over and over. Then when the mix is finished, flick to Atmos and see if there and any tweeks (heads up the side channels will need to be turned down by a few db as they are blasting straight into your ears). That's how you mix both Atmos and stereo simultaneously. It's no different than mixing stereo, just one more step, instead of checking your mix in mono, it's mono and Atmos. It's not rocket science.
@@NoQualmsTheArtist OK I stopped half way because you haven't learned to implement paragraphs and I'm not about to read a massive block of text.
You're talking as if a good stereo mix only needs a little cutting and unmasking of elements, which is totally untrue. A great stereo mix has contrast, light and dark, front and back, big and small... and you don't achieve these things with little tiny moves that would translate to atmos well.
Also, why should the atmos mix sound the same? What is the point of that?
The way you talk leads me to expect your stereo and atmos mixes are likely pretty bland and boring 😴
Alongside visual media 100% and for cars or equipment like soundbars etc cool stuff. All for it. Now for regular music this has a long way to go. I haaaaaate Atmos mixes. They do not only heavily distract me but they feel like you’re listening to the unplugged version of the song.
Exactly my thought.
I think the main issue is that we are only delivering one master file. If we were delivering 2 masters, 1 for binaural, 1 for speakers, there would be way less compromises and both experience would greatly benefit, as well as the format. Cheers!
I'll believe it when I hear it, simple as that. But, I'm just very wary of people trying to convince me that something is awesome and is "gonna change X forever". Sure, whatever, we'll see if it's gonna stick.
Gotta add that most people don't care about these things. Most people don't care about sound quality at all. They just enjoy the songs that they enjoy and the mix has relatively little to do with it. Begs the controversial take that mixing and mastering are actually not that important. They're only important for the few that care
Exactly most people don’t even understand what mixing and mastering is about. Nobody in my environment is interested in Atmos at all. If it was such a big thing at least musicians would talk about it right? Nope non of that 😂
Reason why I love atmos is when I go to a movie theater. Sometimes it's hard to focus on the actual movie because I'm normally so focused on the sound. The helicopter sounds coming from left to right 😂😂
Yepp left to right 😂
Exactly, that's were surround belongs. 😎
I have never been blown away by the immersive experience of holding my phone up to my face and listening to the speakers. That was a surprising comment. But seriously I love you and your channel!
I mean seriously on my phone. One of the speakers is the headpiece and the other two are coming out the other end it’s not even true stereo.
My biggest gripe was that Apple said there had to be an Atmos mix for a song to be allowed on Apple Music. This means that major platform are driving a form of elitism, by pricing out the young kids, the upcoming bedroom producers etc. Only labels and the rich will have the means to pay for a mix and and Atmos mix. That's the only thing for me that's not cool about Atmos.
That’s 100% incorrect. You do not have to have an Atmos mix in order to distribute on Apple Music. They are incentivizing people by offering higher reaming royalties if you provide an Atmos mix. But there is no gatekeeping happening.
@@ColtCapperrune Thanks for the clarification, I watched a misleading video from a sensationalist moron unfortunately. Why do people scaremonger??
As a club DJ, I don't even need to worry about a stereo mix, as most club systems are in mono. Atmos for films, I can see every reason for it.
Over thousands upon thousands of years human beings have become attuned to having music come from a certain spot which they would gather around and enjoy. I think it's at a point where it's almost in our DNA to experience music this way, which is more or less accurately represented by the stereo system. I agree with you that it makes sense for the immersive experience, but outside of that I think it will remain a luxury for rich folks. You wouldn't have the guitarist, organist, drummer, and vocalist on opposite sides of the room in a live show would you?
The killer app is car audio.
But, I know a number of people with ATMOS in their living room, including me, and I'm building out the studio with the ATMOS gear I won in that drawing. Music is the only tech that's remained mostly unchanged for 75 years. It's time. I'M WITH YOU 100%
Nice!!
got have a few bucks to do that in a house
"Music is the only tech that's remained mostly unchanged for 75 years" . Really. 5 years after WW2 ended to now and music tech is mostly unchanged? 1949 was the year that RCA introduced the 7" mono vinyl single-song format record in this world.
@AndiPicker I'm not talking about PHYSICAL media, I'm talking about music format. It's been a 2-channel stereo format for 75 years, regardless of how it's being delivered. Lighten up, dude.
@AndiPicker en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stereophonic_sound#:~:text=Modern%20stereophonic%20technology%20was%20invented,the%20actor%20across%20the%20screen
It'll be interesting to see how much it catches on. I've never been a fan of Apple products and consequently own, and have owned zero of them. If Android and PC etc start implementing it because people can't live without it, then it'll be a sign that it's more than previous attempts to update how we experience sound.
The problem with Atmos is that it sounds like shit.
I addressed that point halfway through the video
Saw Twisters in a Dolby Atmos theater recently. The sound was obviously amazing. But the thing that stuck with me the most was some random Jellyroll song that started playing when it ended.
I started to walk out and heard the guitar panning to the left over my head then I thought, "oh shit.. this is an Atmos mix" as I continued to listen a big smile formed on my face... Instead of leaving, I walked to the center of the theater, sat back down and was thoroughly amazed at how music sounded in the format.
That room had like 40 speakers.
I still don't think it's the future for personal use but damn is it amazing at a theater.
5 years used to be my rule as well but the problem is the rate technology changes at. In 5 years the majority of what is installed (on the tech side) will be deprecated. It is a tricky balancing act to perform being on the cutting edge of technology and still being profitable.
Atmos has been released in 2012 for Cinemas. In 12 years this standard did not succeed to take lead in music. But, in the desperate efforts of the manufacturers of mass produced TV-s and soundbars to create a "Cinema at home" experience, they adopted and implemented this standard in all their devices. In all supermarkets now, we see some ridiculous plastic cheap bars with some shitty mini speakers inside, but the are Atmos certified. All these emulations of mutiple speakers positioned in different corners of the room are like an inflatable doll to me. Atmos should stay and evolve. But for Cinemas, premium cars and for people who are willing to buy Atmos systems at home. For the rest is a bit of cheating the stupid average consumer.
We’ve seen it all before in different formats. Dolby being one of them. Every time, stereo wins. I’ll wait until it’s for real a thing before I invest that kind of money. For film and tv sure. But for a rock song? Nah. Doesn’t make since to me. But happy there are folks that are diving in head first. Not knocking Atmos, just not going to invest until I’m forced to.
The loudness wars are over everyone is going neatly -18 lufs according to the Dolby specs, I don’t think so EDM Atmos mixes hahaha never 😂
Would love to have heard what Jimi Hendrix would have done with Atmos. He was practically there in stereo
Jimmy would have rocked anybody in Mono - instead he would have cranked the volume!!
There is no widely consumed multi channel solution for the most ubiquitous form of listening to music.. headphones. Apples format of “spatial” audio is 2 channels. That’s it. Its a special folded down atmos mix. And to this day, even with all the atmos hype, 99% of us are listening to atmos mixes on… 2 channels. I don’t doubt that sitting in a perfect position, in a specific location, surrounded by 13 + speakers is an amazing experience. But when I leave that very expensive setup, I’ll get in my truck with 2 (ok 4) speakers. Sorry. Atmos for music was a great marketing pitch to apple, who bought into it, to help them differentiate their new air max headsets and air pods from their competitors and it’s NOTHING like sitting in the middle of an actual atmos setup. So that in my book is disingenuous. Also, and you know this Colt…the workflow is complicated. Learning curve is high and the cost barrier to entry is high. The atmos renderere and rules surrounding atmos standards don’t jive with the vast majority of music production. That doesn’t smell like mass adoption, especially when the kid down the street just made a viral song on his brothers laptop from 2010 with fruity loops and $99 focusrite interface. Atmos smells like the 3D TV boondoggle.
I’ve got a atmos setup for my tv. Which was previously a 3d tv. Because it made sense having immersive audio with an immersive visual experience was appropriate. Which brings me to my point. Try and buy a 3d tv nowadays
Atmos will be dead in 10yrs
5.
I only hope so.
As a legally blind person who relies very heavily on my ears, I can absolutely confirm that hearing is not like sight. You hear in a sphere centered. It’s actually not 370 degrees like Colt says. 360 is a flat circle. We actually hear in infinite degrees. That’s a sphere.
The bottom line for most people who are mixing and mastering now is that we need to master basic mixing and mastering before we worry about Atmos. So the fact that they're making new things as if we're just going to drop our regular mixing skills is hilarious
I’m sure it’s great but everyone I know is spending 800k-1m on a 1 bedroom 500 sq ft condo and they barely have room for a soundbar.
Atmos works ok on a soundbar - that's the total game changer point .. as was talked about in the video.
Does no-one watch TH-cam any more before commenting lol ?
@@natdenchfield8061 atmos is a multiple speaker system what are you talking about atmos on a soundbar?
This is how the big players kill the home studios.
Bingo. That was always the goal here
Dont worry they said! It used to be you could use certain software to simulate a Dolby Atmos mix and get through the barricades but now they are using AI to sniff that out. So unbelievably sinister and Orwellian….. I can’t believe people are shilling for this crap. This is the Big record company’s last ditch attempt to stop some guy in his basement from making better records than them
And a lot of small studios don’t have the rooms or financing to do Atomos. Look at the clients, artist and labels, what they are willing to pay and the numbers don’t make sense for an investment like this. You also have to be doing post work.
@@JohnShyloski Yeah... well in the end, the result may be the banishment of musicians with home studios to the "stereo ghetto." I can't possibly see installing an ATMOS setup in my home. What happens to my investment in stereo gear? This is another round of going deeper in debt. And sure... with treatment and other measures one can make a usable space where you can turn out decent stereo mixes... but if these big corporations succeed in shoving ATMOS down our throats and that becomes *required* very few people are going to be able to mix at home. Honestly... it smacks of a certain elitism and it's design to shift the power back to those who have both the money and space to set up ATMOS. I hope Colt can do all the mixes he has figured he needs to do to get his investment back in 5 years. If bands/musicians are coerced into having to deliver ATMOS mixes, he and those that can afford it will have a captive clientele that will have no choice to pay for ATMOS mixes. This may be where some of us who are more or less doing this for the love of it decide to get off the bus.
Another interesting aspect is that conventional wisdom is bands (especially indy bands) need to play shows and tour and sell merch these days to make any money. They're going to have to make even MORE from that if they have to pony up for ATMOS mixes of every release. Guess it's better to be a band now. You can have multiple people shoulder that expense.
Let them try. Millions of "bedroom warriors" will still prevail and put out relevant music.
About 2 years ago, one of the the owners of a major recording studio in New York told me that they were basically being blackmailed to spend over a million dollars to create an atmos mix studio because if they didn't, major labels told them they would not send their artists to record at their studio. This was being pushed because apple had a lot of meetings with the major labels and told them they would eventually not play non atmos music on their platform. I believe it's apple pushing it trying to take business away from Spotify. Don't you think that one might be able to make beautiful sounding mastered stems and then use cheap speakers to make an atmos mix with those amazing sounding stems? When atmos first started, I thought that apple was gonna come out with an apple car that had the absolute best sounding system that was ever heard on the planet. Too bad that looks like it's not going to happen. Lastly, I like listening to music the way I see it on stage. When they start hanging the guitar player with their Marshall stack behind my head and up to the left at a live show, then I'll consider spending money on an atmos system. Keep up the good work.
Love your channel Colt, I agree with 99 percent of what you say in your vids. But I’m totally on the other side of the coin with atmos! There’s only one thing that really matters: 99.9999 percent of consumers will never, ever sit in a purpose built atmos room, directly in the sweet spot, listening to 28 million speakers in all their glory. They will listen on phones, crap ear buds and in the car. That’s pretty much it.
Again, for the consumer, atmos IS A FAD.
And please, please, let’s not have a man of your skill and integrity pretend that TV’s, soundbars, Alexa, phones and headphones are genuinely immersive audio and “3D” experiences. It’s just not true man. You’re just talking nonsense on that one bro.
And do you really believe that bog standard cars that 99.9 percent of people can afford, are ever going to feature a fully equipped atmos rig? Come on man you’ve got your head in the clouds.
Most atmos mixes sound ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE. I’m yet to hear a single mix that sounds even decent on anything other than a full atmos rig.
Each to their own though mate. It is awesome for film I have to say.
I might not agree but another great vid as usual bro.
It'll be great for VR, some electronic music that's made to be beyond the natural experience , film, the occasional supermega immersive spectacle, etc. But I just don't yet see the application for the majority of musical pieces. I understand the novelty and the fun aspect but I don't yet see how ior why it should become the primary format. I will be pleased to find out if that's the way it goes though. I'm holding out hope that I can grow with the industry.
Said the guy who invested a lot of money in Atmos. It's just like when engineers said in 2004 that Surround Sound would be the future. Right. But seriously, to all the engineers who are afraid they can't afford this setup; just do Atmos mixes on headphones. That's where people will listen Atmos mixes on.
I think, when people think of Atmos in the same way as a speaker format like surround, is kind of missing the point. Because of it's flexibility and adaptability, unlike 5.1 for example, when engineer creates an Atmos mix, they automatically create a surround mix, quad mix, stereo mix, binaural mix, etc. It also can be considered as a system that allows engineers to create a universal mix that can translate to higher quantity of different devices and create different experiences, while not required to create 20 versions of one song, but have just one mix that automatically adapts to any environment.
Bob Clearmountain, mixes all his music now in both Stereo and Atmos. If it is good enough for Bob, it is good enough for me.
The technology is advancing so rapidly, that now you don’t have to do separate mixes. You do your Atmos mix push a button and it is re-rendered in three or four different formats!
Bob Clearmontain also said in an interview he never heard atmos things thru a pair of headphones and the binaural thing doesn't work for him.
I realy hope this issue with binaural will be fixed as 80% of the listeners use earphones. Up until our atmos mixes will be for a tiny fraction of the population with pricey equipment.
And don't make me wrong, when I say I hope this issue will be fixed I realy mean it as I would realy love to do true and convincing immersive audio in my own work.
@@planbrecords2466 Pretty amazing in Apple AirPods, yes, true. But the binaural rendering on non-Apple things without head tracking doesn't work (despite my many many trials on various headphones).
Oh, yes, it works when you look at the screen and see the little dots representing atmos objects. But when you close your eyes or worse when you ask to an other person to indictate the direction of the sound without looking at the screen, it doesn't work. No the flute is not "above" and the voice is not "behind" as they're supposed to be. Just enhanced stereo.
I hope it will be just a matter of time, I would realy love to make immersive compositions.
@@FLH3official the technology is new, and it is improving in leaps and bounds. The industry is embracing it BIG TIME! If you ever plan on pitching your music to Netflix, for example, they are not interested in stereo mixes. They require an Atmos mix. They require this because at this point in time you cannot buy a TV that is not Dolby Atmos capable. What should that tell you?
Bob also said "I shouldn’t say this, probably, but I think in a couple of years Dolby Atmos is going to go away”"
Surround is great in a cinema for FX shooting over your head. You don't go to a band gig and expect the bass to be coming from over the bar and the singer from over the EXIT. We like it from the front, and if possible we like it in stereo. I genuinely feel sorry for all those who have spent their hard earned cash on all the extra speakers in the fear they will get left behind. Now it seems we've gone into justification mode. The good news is there's going to be a lot of cheap monitors for sale on eBay in a few years for those who need some. Sorry... not trying to start a fight, just telling it as it is. Dolby Atmos is a dead 🦜
P.S. Shame about the clickbait... you're better than that Colt.
Great video as ever Colt. I think the nutshell statement you made was, “It doesn’t make sense to have immersive visuals with an (aural) stereo experience” right there is a mismatch.
When George Lucas was creating the first Star Wars movie, apart from creating ILM (Industrial Light & Magic) for visual effects, he also realised a disparity between the immersive visuals & a paltry Stereo mix. So he created THX (Tomlinson Holman's eXperiment) for multi-channel audio. This system predates Dolby.
I believe the same scenario is what you’re talking about.
I believe in your vision. Looking forward to seeing you develop your new frontier 😌👍🏾
So, Colt listened to some great Atmos content that 'blew his mind' and he invested. Now, he needs to protect his investment by convincing his viewers (and anyone that will listen) this is the way everyone will be listening to music.
I respectfully disagree. This is simply the music industry and Dolby partnering up to obtain a new revenue stream. I'm fairly confident the licensing fee will prevent this from gaining mass adoption just like Dolby's previous surround technologies. If you look at all of the resistance it's easy to see their plan isn't working. The truth of the matter is Pop, Rock, Rap, Country and all of the popular genres don't need Atmos mixes. It just doesn't add much value. Colt, I do hope you can recoup your costs somehow. Maybe you can mix some movie soundtracks.
Hey Colt. The Atmos thing is fascinating and confusing at the same time for me. As a new producer, I'm just learning how to perfect what I'm doing in stereo and 5.1 surround sound. I agree that this will come with a learning curve and I hope many other new producers don't feel overwhelmed at the thought of it and keep perfecting how they currently mix. Then, as I will do, introduce Atmos to the work flow and better at that. Hopefully, the demand for it doesn't balloon and we all have to get better at Atmos quicker than we are able to resulting in poor results.
I stopped the video at around 13 minutes. I was not getting anything out of it to keep me here. Currently, you're telling me that if another atmos update is released, your gear becomes obsolete? Shouldn't we focus more on growing the art of music. There's so much to work needed before we are even worried about this. ATMOS just isn't it for the future of music production.
Atmos is a POINTLESS FAD. for music yes.
Consumers have spent the past couple decades proving the majority of them don't give a shit about audio quality by listening to most music and video on laptops and phones. The industry couldn't even convince them to listen on 2 good speakers like most people did from the 60s-90s, how are they gonna convince them to care about and invest in something infinitely more complex and expensive?
Also, it just seems like a top-down attempt to reverse the democratization of music and audio production. Indie musicians should be calling bs, not falling in line - if they bother to even pay any attention at all to, yes, this fad.
Before you say, speaker companies are not behind this; you might want to realize who owns the majority of ATMOS Laboratories; Vanguard Group, Morgan Stanley, BlackRock... then realize the other companies they own and the plot thickens quickly.
3:00 yeah, but music is a frontal source. The room will add the 360 to even a MONO source on a guitar... Good argument. 5:04 To help your point, the fact that quad and 5.1 is gone, is just progress to get to atmos. We don't have rotary phones anymore. 10:05 the scaling ruins the reduction mixes.
I dont get why Atmos is even an issue.. if you want to play with a new toy. Do it. Im no gonna touch it ever. Its a new thing that someone tries to make you buy because "newer is always better".. well. through many years I can say: Nope, this is rarely the case. So ill just wait and see other use stupid amount of money on it. Its gonna go away again. Wait 10 years and come back here. Tag me if Atmos is what everyone wants at that time.
Im sorry but a soundbar or Alexa with Atmos is not even close to the same thing. The only real way to experience it is to be surrounded by speakers. You dont hear the real movement of sound unless you have multiple speakers. I love the idea of it but unless you have a car with a bunch of speakers or a nice setup at home, you are missing the real experience. The average person will never hear how its intended. Why market something for a small market?
The 2 speaker argument should also have another point added regarding to EQ changes, compresion and volume differences that the 2 Ears detect when identifing the position of the source. I think Binaural does a way better job, and with future tech that could analize the external ear of each listener, those differences in spatial positioning could be done by 2 speakers. We're already doing a decent job with depth ( low shelf on highs, higher reverb etc). Probably the tech is not there yet but it would, i think make any multi speaker arangement obsolote. At least cost/ bennefit wise
I recently heard Al Di Meola’s casino from 1970 something in Atmos and it was a life changing experience. I shit you not.
I'm really sorry, but of course there are other arguments:
1.)
No one has meant in the past 50 years, he likes the song particularly well, but only because it was recorded in stereo, or that he would never hear his favorite song in Mono - right?
2.)
Millions of people hear concerts about Mono mixed PA's - with a lot of joy and yet with feelings of happiness.
3.)
It is not always the best technique that prevails on the market. Many other factors play along.
4.)
More spatial hearing of a multi -channel reproduction always requires a certain position to the speakers.
5.)
Of course, human hearing has been outsmart with various effects for decades. So far nobody was interested.
And the young music listeners often hear about a mono party box. And what is important to you - just the bass.
6.)
It is clear to me that recording studios are forced to find or create new niches because of the favorable possibilities for "normal" people, music, in order to justify their existence.
Don't have the feeling that this is the "yellow of the egg".
7.)
I think it is not the quality of the recording and playback, but the quality and sustainability of today's music.
Best regards
wolf
Ps.: Very good videos 👍 Always a little potential for discussion.
ATMOS will not last. The home studios have taken over remember and nobody is really keen on getting special, large rooms simply because of ATMOS speakers when money in music business is now so little. And about all instruments living in their separate speakers, how is that viable given that psychologically, the human ear can only concentrate on 3 sounds at a time? May be for film, this may be somewhat of an interesting idea, but even for that one, the question will be how much investment do i have to make so that i can truly enjoy an ATMOS surround sound of my movie? i it is too high, then forget it
I’ve been mixing using the mindset of a “placing instruments/vocals in a 3D room” using the stereo (two speaker) field for many many years. I have a small home studio with not a lot of expensive equipment and I do all my recording/mixes “in the box” and I’m doing pretty good and my clients are happy. Now, what I’m concerned about, are clients going to start asking me if my studio is ATMOS capable? And because I don’t have the ton of money or the huge space, I’m going to loose those potential clients. Looks like I will just be happy with what I have and that’s okay!
Would love to hear a playlist of what you experienced as the good Atmos mixes vs the bad ones. Thanks!
I went to VK in LA and heard their Atmos system and that was an example of over $100k wasted. It did not sound impressive at all… every speaker was ATC
The majority of people in this world, are truly happy with Mp3 at 128kbps
I really want to like Atmos, I think my main criticism is in music it answers a question nobody asked. Nobody listens to music in the middle of a circle of musicians surrounding them on all sides. From the beginning of time audiences face a stage and musicians perform to that audience. The entire art form is essentially set for a stereo mix because it’s how people consume music in real life.
There have been some cool Atmos mixes that I really enjoy, and I have an Atmos rig in my media / movie room and love it for games and film.
But im still waiting for artists and musicians to use 3D space in creative, mind-blowing ways, and I just haven’t seen it yet. I’m not fully writing off Atmos for music, but I’m not holding my breath either. Feels like it just needs time in the oven and far more accessibility for the average listener.
I respect Colts opinions. I think Atmos is a neat thing to have no doubt about. At this time Atmos is more for a controlled environment such as the one Colt is making in his studio or in a theater. I think it is fine to be excited about it when you can have it for yourself. The common person does not have money to have such a system not alone the room for it. It is not practical. If Atmos can work on two speakers then you should be able to mix on 2 speakers instead it has to have a whole bunch of speakers in order to mix and listen to it to get the full effect. That alone should tell you something. When the Atmos totally works on 2 speakers, then I will say it is for the masses. The future is hopeful. -- I mean no offence to anyone and I think Atmos is neat if you have the environment for it and you can afford it.
Atmos will be the new MASTERING;
client shows up with mixes in stems -
the matrix process expands it to Format.
maybe the full 64 speakers experience will be the norm;
it will take time ...
by then , there won't be "Rendering time", just real-time automation,
editable at any point.
After you get confident in Atmos mixing can you do some comparisons of a stereo mix and a folded down mix... maybe time the fold down is better... I then want to know if you can master the fold down and do away with stereo mixing and replace it with Atmos and then a fold down and master that fold down
You absolutely can!! There are actually tremendous workflows that incorporate what is called the "2.0 Direct", which is just taking all of the channels and objects and condensing into true Stereo, without any other conversions. Many Atmos engineers nowadays are mixing in Atmos, and if they want the Stereo version only, they can create a Stereo mix from that. Crazy world we live in...
Yeah we can have some awesome dynamic EDM with-18 lufs 🤪🤣😂
@@Chaos-Dynamics you can!! Hard hitting kicks specifically!! You don't have to depend on a limiter and hard-core compression to get things loud. The only things that end up being loud or the sense with no dynamic range. But if you theoretically did create an EDM song at -18 LUFS, Soundcheck will take care of everything else and it will end up being louder than stereo masters most of the time.