Hi everyone, I’m trying to convert an existing project to an Atmos project. I made the preparations according to Steinberg’s videos online, but the main out channel doesn’t play anything. When I try to set the renderer channel as the main mix, it doesn’t work because my sound card (Apollo X) only has a stereo output. The only way I’ve managed to get a normal ADM file so far is to set the renderer channel as the main mix and send the renderer to the main out channel for listening in the software, but that doesn’t seem like an ideal setup. I’d appreciate some help.
Have you tried making a 7.1.4 main output on the audio connections page(F4) and setting that as the main output? Putting the renderer on that should work fine.
Thanks. I tried, but there’s no signal because the 7.1.4 channel doesn’t know which of the card’s outputs to connect to. Can you explain more about the wiring of the outputs on the master channel you’re suggesting?
If you only have a stereo output it would seem that a 7.1.4 main output bus should probably be routed so that the first two channels of that bus go to outputs 1/2, left/right on the interface.
Then you have to downmix your Atmos mix to a two-channel format. You will obviously never hear anything in any of the other 8 channels unless you somehow reduce the format to two channels. So either just downmix to stereo, or to some sort of binaural format, either which I assume would go to outputs 1/2 by default.
It would be much easier if you could post screenshots of your actual setup and routing, meaning some of the relevant tracks, groups, outs and VST connections…
Try to set up a Binaural monitoring setup, per Steinberg. They have videos on how to set that up. Then you can actually listen to an “Atmos” mix with headphones. You NEED headphones for this to work, it will not work on monitors, it will sound horrible. You can also search this forum for a tutorial on how to set this up properly.
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Thanks. Is a binaural monitor reliable enough to give me an idea of how it will sound in the end at 7.14? I thought of another solution: send the renderer channel via send to the regular stereo out. What do you think?
וThanks. The problem with this suggestion is that it essentially reduces the format to a kind of pseudo-stereo. Plus, it doesn’t accept the 7.1.4 motion reliably. I’ll send screenshots of the audio connections and the mixer channels in the next response.
Binaural will give you a very good approximation of the final mix.
NO, don’t try to send anything to your speakers. It will sound weird. Don’t believe me? Try it.
The format you will monitor in, on headphones only, is called Ambisonics.
A downmix to stereo isn’t “pseudo”, it is stereo. The only question is if you like it. I agree with noeqplease though that binaural shouldn’t be played over speakers, that’s for headphones really.
What do you mean by “it”? An Atmos downmix to stereo should be fine.
What do you mean by “accept reliably”? Again, Atmos downmix to binaural.
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Below is a picture showing the mixer after I used Nuando’s assistant for Dolby Atmos. And also a picture of the sound card connections. In the situation photographed here, you can’t hear anything in the headphones or speakers.
Binaural, which is a stereo file “modified” according to Dolby Atmos, is the only way to hear your Dolby Atmos work if you don’t have the necessary 12 physical monitors for 7.1.4 (or downmix with 5.1.4, which isn’t ideal). Dolby recommends always checking the Atmos mix on physical monitors, although many people don’t do this.
Dolby recommends always checking the Atmos mix on physical monitors, although many people don’t do this.
Many people don’t have the requisite professional 12 speaker setup. Thus the “solution” to headphones…
The Atmos output has to still travel to another Buss, that mixes it down into Ambisonics. You may want to see that tutorial video I postead days ago, or some other ones that exist on YouTube. Just search “Setting up Nuendo Atmos on headphones”
Your set up is almost there… There is no Stereo output from Atmos. Nor in Ambisonics.
There is a “headphone” monitor bus in Nuendo, which you need to enable.
Please see this tutorial below.
Audio Channel >>> Atmos 7.1.4 Buss >>> Ambisonics Bus >>> Headphone Monitoring>>> Headphones.
The Ambisonices will correctly reproduce the space and position in “3D” around your head. Two speakers cannot do that. The psychoacoustics will be weird to listen to.
Thank you very much for the detailed and precise answer! This is very helpful. I will try it and write back the results. Is this the “official” way to monitor Atmos in a headphone environment? Or is this just some kind of workaround?
@noeqplease
Why are you talking about ambisonics?
Especially to someone that all this is clearly new too?
To mix in Atmos with headphones you generally listen to a binaural downmix. The renderer creates it for you when switching the monitoring mode.
There are ways to use ambisonics and personal encoders and personal hrtf decoders. But it’s much more complex and regular dolby binaural should definitely be your first way to do this.
Of course I do. That’s what I’m saying. But I swear that binaural rendering only gives a vague idea. A perfect idea of binaural, logically, but very imperfect of a physical 7. 1 4 or Dolby Atmos rendering, which will only be ordinary. For music, if you keep it simple, it’s fine. But for FX in cinema, video games and the like, headphones are insufficient for mixing. That’s what Dolby says. You have to understand that binaural is a listening version, very important in mixes because many clients listen in binaural. But you need to mix in 7.1.4 (and in a well-configured room) to achieve a good Atmos 5.1 to 9.2.6 rendering.
Sorry “boss”. Maybe next time, you be helpful, instead of nasty.
Merry Christmas.
The OP does not have this setup. So why keep insisting on what is clearly, not going to happen in this individual’s case?
He has not even understood how to monitor on headphones yet, let alone has decided if Atmos is even something he or she wants to do, and thus obviously, is not going to be someone who is going to shell out thousands of dollars / pounds / whatever to properly mix in Atmos?
I swear, sometimes I don’t know why I bother helping anyone on here.
Merry Christmas.
I think you must be mistaken what nasty means?
I was only writing and questioning the post you wrote that ambisonics just isn’t the first step for a beginner when talking about Atmos with headphones.
I wouldn’t call that bossy. But if you do that’s fine. I am a boss so I don’t mind.
Merry Christmas.