ADM Export and Object Beds

Nuendo
1

Hey All - This relates to a previous bug relating to audio getting sent to the height channels by mistake when using an Object Bed. I came across the bug once again and thought I fixed it by resetting the Nuendo preferences.

What happened was that the bug is fixed in the internal Atmos renderer, and it plays back within Nuendo correctly - but NOT when exported to a ADM.

I am attaching a test file so maybe someone can reproduce this to validate what I am seeing. The loop is on 4 different tracks, and should sound identical and be panned/placed the same as well across the whole segment.
(I could only upload an mp3 - so replace the loop or use your own :slight_smile: )
Play it back in Nuendo - and then export the ADM and see what is happening in the production suite when you play back the master.

ADM Export Test.npr (438.0 KB)

2

A quick follow up. I worked with tech support finally and demonstrated the bug. I just verified that it is NOT fixed in the 11.0.30 release (this release was built on June 17, 2021).

I have a workaround - if you are comfortable using the Dolby Atmos Converter and modifying metadata, I can share it. Throw me a message if you like.

3

I’m facing the same problem, all my panning is a mess in the exported ADM file, please let us know your workaround.

4

Assumptions: You have a 7.1.4 object bus, and you have NOT changed the panning over time (I don’t know why you would.) Individual object panning seems to work ok. So, for example - your assignments are as follows: 1-10 = The default bed, channels 11 - 21 = your object bed (7.0.4 because of LFE/object limitation). This means that channels 11-17 are your 7 channels which will have incorrect metadata for the Z (height) coordinate. You have to change the values from “0.5” to “0.0”.

Steps (assuming your project name is “SONG”):

  1. Open your ADM master “SONG.wav” with the Dolby Atmos Converter.
  2. Export a “SONG.atmos” master. This will separate the audio, config, and metadata parts into 4 distinct files.
  3. Using a text editor, open the “SONG.metadata” file, you will see something like this:
    sampleRate: 48000
    events:
  • ID: 3
    samplePos: 0
    active: true
    importance: 1
    gain: 0
    rampLength: 0
    trimBypass: false
    headTrackMode: undefined
    binauralRenderMode: off
  • ID: 10
    samplePos: 0
    active: true
    pos: [-1, 1, 0.5]
    snap: false
    elevation: true
    zones: all
    size: 0
    decorr: 0
    importance: 1
    gain: 0
    rampLength: 0
    trimBypass: false
    dialog: -1
    music: -1
    screenFactor: 0
    depthFactor: 0.25
    headTrackMode: undefined
    binauralRenderMode: undefined
  • ID: 11
    samplePos: 0
    active: true
    pos: [1, 1, 0.5]
    …etc. etc.

  1. For ID’s 10 through 16 (they start at 0, so you subtract 1 from your actual channel numbers), you must change the. " [-1, 1, 0.5]" to “[-1, 1, 0.0]”
    Notice I kept the same character count by not using “0” to replace “0.5”

  2. Save the file - and just be careful and know what you are changing. It is fairly straightforward.

  3. Switch to the Dolby Atmos Renderer and open the “SONG.atmos” master file. The original ADM is unchanged and will remain incorrect btw.

  4. Verify that the 7 channels of your Object Bed are now correct at 0.0 (head level).

  5. Continue from that point with your normal workflow, and if you need to - go back to the converter, and convert the “SONG.atmos” master back to a “SONG.WAV” ADM master once you have done your normal quality controls stuff.

Hope this helps!