When assembling a gapless ATMOS album, I received the following prompt when adding files:
“The Trim and Downmix metadata are different among ADM files. All clips will need to adopt the same metadata. Continue only if you are certain of your actions”
When I inspect each ADM file under the “Trim Downmix” editor I find all the setting to be the same. So I don’t understand this warning/objection.
It appears there are other parameters other than just the Trim and Downmix settings? The bed sizes are the same. Slightly different number of objects. Is that an issue?
You are right. This is the wrong message. Two message texts have been swapped by mistake. In your case, the message should have read the following:
This editing mode requires uniform binaural render modes for channels sharing the same index. Some channels currently differ and will be normalized, potentially altering the original binaural rendering.
Now my question is, “ in what way will the binaural render modes be normalized”? Will a differing file have its binaural settings reset to the proceeding file’s settings? Does it try to keep as much of the original but change a few settings? What may we expect in the potential alteration?
Good question.
In a simple way:
There are 128 possible channels; each one can be mentally represented as a slot.
WaveLab evaluates all clips in the timeline order.
If clip #1 has 50 channels, then the first 50 slots will be set.
If clip #2 has 60 channels, then slots 51 to 60 will be set.
If clip #3 has 40 channels, there are no slots left to set.
etc.
This is why all ADM files must look as much as each other.
Therefore, the gapless montage is appropriate to edit live recordings or audiobooks (a single ADM file to edit).
In the future, WaveLab will probably adopt the same method as in the latest Dolby Atmos Assembler, to be able to sequence very different ADM songs with crossfades, but this Dolby technology is not yet available for use.