The only thing that can output Atmos tracks that can be used directly on disc or theatrical DCPs is the standalone renderer that you lease from Dolby, and they do that on purpose to make sure any post house that creates those tracks has been certified and approved by them. Davinci Resolve is able to create IMF packages with Atmos .wav files (for someone like Netflix) but that’s it and it’s only in the Studio (non free) version. You could probably wrap that .wav into an MKV but I don’t know what would be able to actually play it.
I think Davinci Resolve Studio ($300 for two computers and lifetime updates) is the best third-party solution, at least for now.
Additionally, there is a Dolby Atmos Conversion Tool that is free to download. Quoting from the website, it “can be used to convert Dolby Atmos content for cinema or home theater. Use it to convert one master file format to another, edit or join masters as a composition, or perform other operations such as applying frame-rate conversion”.
The Dolby Atmos Conversion tool converts between master file types only. It does not output anything that can be played back on consumer devices (such as TrueHD, DD+JOC or AC4).
What does the Davinci Resolve Studio output that can be played back by a consumer device? IMF is a master file format. It would still need to be converted to one the file types I listed just above.
What’s the end-goal in listing the consumer level Atmos capable devices?
If for verifying and testing how your mix will sound, here is my workflow that covers the majority of formats a small/one-man shop composer will encounter:
1 - Start in Nuendo (Windows for me) with a 7.1.4 mix, rather it be stems or net new project with midi instruments (orchestral style).
2 - Export ADM, with appropriate trim and binaural mixdown settings.
3 - Copy ADM to shared drive/cloud/etc.
4 - Open ADM on Mac Dolby Production Suite.
5 - Export to .mp4 with black video
6 - Play .mp4 on Mac and stream to AppleTV and listen on AirPods, Atmos sound bar, Amazon Studio.
7 - Once it sounds good on the aforementioned devices, prep for AvidPlay distribution.
8 - Mixdown a stereo version (just to satisfy AvidPlays requirement to have a stereo version if you have an Atmos track).
9 - Publish to AvidPlay to all Atmos capable services, for the ultimate verification, then do a take down once you have verified it (if you’re not happy with it).
Use Cavernize (Free and Open Source) to convert MKV to ADM. We then have the spatial coding objects: The LFE is the only discrete channel, the rest are objects.
Not exactly. The standalone renderer that you can buy through Avid can export MP4 files with Atmos enabled Dolby Digital Plus audio. That’s pretty much it. For any kind of TrueHD or AC-4 tracks you need to use the subscription Media Encoder. You’d just export ADM files from Nuendo, open them in the renderer, and export.
I went to the Avid site. They’re only listing PT as the compatible DAW, while the Dolby Site lists all the others. On the Dolby Site it says Nuendo “Requires Dolby Atmos Music Panner.” and “Customers running Dolby Atmos Renderer on Windows must run on a separate computer from their DAW and use a hardware solution to route audio to/from the DAW.” Could they make this any more of a PITA for PC based studios to use? It is at least a one time purchase, right? Not subscription?
Has anyone here used the AWS cloud option? How is that for ease of use, security for client materials, etc.?
It is at least a one time purchase, right? Not subscription?