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Suround Sound
Mixing for discrete s-lx channel
speakens
reproduction:
matched us. specialized
While most speaker systems for monitoring music in surround use the same speaker
cabinet in all positions, both front and rear, keep in mind that most consumer video
surround installations use a different speaker in the rear dunnels. These rear
speakers typically do not have the same directionality or wide frequency response of
the ML Actives. When mixing for film, speakers with a broad ambimt, non-
directional response are used to mimic the multi-speaker situation in most movie
theatres. Keep this in mind when making music mixes with ftrll-range high-power
speakers like the M1 Actives as the surround speakers.
The difference between music surround and video surround playback has a long
history:
.
D- olby Pro Logic, whidr works best with dipole (i.e., speakers splayed in different
directions out of phase) surround speakers, has been ltre standardiot surround
sound in the home for L0 vears.
.
The most accepted home playback medium, VHS videotape, can only play back
(mono) surround in Dolby Pro Logic. VHS will not support Dolby Digitai or
DTS.
.
T...
"-T:"ly
two playback mediurns, laser disc and DVD, that support Dolby
Digital (discrete) and DTS (discrete). After 20 years in existence, lasei disc has
only a 2% market share. Some digital satellite broadcasters have started
broadcasting in Dolby Digital, but these discrete broadcasts will be reserved for
blocl$uster movies initially.
r
D. iscrete Dolby Digital, DTS and Sony,s SDD6 are most commonly mixed for
theatrical release using surrotmd, not monopolar (direct) monitois.
r
Among the recording engineers who have recorded audio-only, the consensus
seems to be that the role of the surround speaker is to give the listm er a sense of
immersion in the musical evmt. This is done by reserving the rear ctrannels {oi
audience so'nds, in the case of a live recording, or perhaps by reproducing the
reverberant acoustics of the recording environment itseU. Other-
mgineer/producers prefer using five identical full-range speakers and mixing
primary inskuments and vocals into the surround channeli.
so, our basic recommendation for rnixing an audioonly six channel recording is to
intentionally lirnit the frequency response of the rear speakers using a graphii
equalizer or high-pass (100 Hz rolloff)/low pass (12 kHz rolloff) filter on your mixer.
This will help you get a rough idea of what i home system playback williound
like.
This arrangement will also allow your mix to sound best over a well set up car audio
syslenu
fhis
is because professional installers have learned that a mobileiystem
performs.besl v/hen they concentrate on producing a soundstage across thefont of
the vehicle. They do this by placing high quality ddvers in the front of the vehicle
which producerrequencies from the mid bass (about 80Hz) on up. In the rear go the
subwoofers and sometimes, small full range drivers which provide,,fill,,. So, in
essence; today's best car audio systems are designed to produce an mveloping
environment very similar to that of a home theater.
IUII ACTUE Rffi
IIIAilUAL
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