One of the many presentations on the Avid booth at NAB 2019 was a workshop on learning the tools and techniques for creating immersive audio in Dolby Atmos and Pro Tools MTRX interface.
In this free video tutorial, Avid's Jeff Komar presents the tools and techniques for creating immersive audio in Dolby Atmos using Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools MTRX interface, with option cards and EUCON control.
What Is Dolby Atmos
Dolby Atmos is an immersive experience that utilises up to 64 channels. The speakers completely envelop the audience from behind the screen, on the walls and overhead. Dolby Atmos is designed to enhance the conventional 7.1 format by adding an additional stereo overhead array and up to 118 “sound objects”. These objects can be moved through the theatre in all 3 dimensions. Dolby Atmos Cinema processors take into account the exact specification and dimensions of any playback auditorium so that the effect is the same in each theatre. Watch this video as Dolby explain it much better than we could in words.
As well as a 9.1 channel based system, every speaker can be individually assigned. This is essential, for the second part of the Dolby Atmos system - the objects. You can have up to 118 objects, that are separate sound elements that, any one of which, you can position around the theatre at will. So a Dolby Atmos mix consists of three primary elements:
Audio Beds: 9.1 Channel-based premixes or stems (including their multichannel panning)
Object Audio: 118 soundtrack elements that can be panned anywhere in the 3D space of the theatre by using the x, y and z axes. Dolby Atmos metadata is used to store the panner automation of the objects. The system takes the objects and uses the Dolby Atmos metadata to steer them around the 3D space. On the mixing stage this metadata is processed by the Dolby Rendering and Mastering Unit otherwise known as the RMU.
More About Dolby Atmos
In this exclusive everything-you-need-to-know guide to mixing music in Dolby Atmos we look at what it takes to make your studio suitable, as well as our exclusive 6 part tutorial series on setting up and using Pro Tools Ultimate and Dolby Atmos Production Suite to work together in Dolby Atmos.
In this article, community member Chris Testa is going to share his recent transition from using Pro Tools natively with the Dolby Audio Bridge, to a Dolby Atmos HDX Hybrid Engine system. This new system allows him to utilise the power of the HDX DSP with the Hybrid Engine along with the computer’s native power while mixing in Atmos all on the same computer with the most recent version of ProTools Ultimate. Over to you Chris…
PerfectSurround has released another update of their Penteo 16 Pro upmixing and downmixing all-in-one plugin, to make it is the only upmixer that supports all Dolby formats natively from Atmos 2.1.2 to Atmos 9.1.6 so that now it supports 930 channel up/downmix combinations.
PerfectSurround has released an update of their Penteo 16 Pro upmixing and downmixing all-in-one plugin, adding Ambisonics decoding and downmixing to any supported format, a Tilt mode allows more forward control for the overhead channels and an LFE full bypass option.
Want to learn how to mix music in Dolby Atmos? In this free expert tutorial, Matt Lange walks you through, in detail, how he mixes a track in Dolby Atmos. He has made the Pro Tools Session available for you to download for free. Don’t worry if you don’t have Pro Tools Ultimate or the Dolby Atmos Production Suite because there is a free 30-day trial bundle available as well.
2020 was the year Roger Guerin moved up to Dolby Atmos. Here are some key products which helped in this transition. See what made the list.
Dolby has announced the release of a new version of the Dolby Atmos Production Suite. We have the details…
What is the point in creating content in Dolby Atmos if consumers do not have the equipment to take advantage of the immersive object-based format? In this article, we will investigate the take-up and benefits of delivering content to the consumer in Dolby Atmos.
Following our article Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment - Everything You Need To Know we were asked about the business model behind upgrading to Dolby Atmos. In this article we outline the business case for Dolby Atmos by asking industry experts, mixing in Dolby Atmos to share their business reasoning for investing in Dolby Atmos.
One of the costly elements of setting up a Dolby Atmos studio is the need for a 7.1.4 monitor controller.What if you could use the DSP in an audio interface to create a Eucon enabled monitor controller which was much cheaper than the alternatives? Nathaniel Reichman and Mike Crehore worked out how to achieve this using Metric Halo interfaces. Here’s how they did it.
Have you ever wanted to try mixing a Dolby Atmos production but don’t have access to any content? If so, Netflix has made an Anime production - Sol Levante to help the industry better understand 4K HDR and immersive audio in anime. In addition, they have released the raw materials used in Sol Levante for download and experimentation and you can download the video and Pro Tools session assets, learn from the professionals and then try mixing it for yourself. We have all the details…
Are you used to mixing in stereo, or maybe you are mixing in 5.1 for broadcast or OTT channels like Netflix and now you want to migrate to mixing in Dolby Atmos for home entertainment content? In this article, we look at what it takes to make your studio suitable to mix in Dolby Atmos, whether you need certification, what hardware and software you will need, how to build or convert your studio to Dolby Atmos, as well as our exclusive 6 part tutorial series on setting up and using Pro Tools Ultimate and Dolby Atmos Production Suite to work together in this excli=usive everything-you-need-to-know guide to working in Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment.
In this series of free video tutorials, brought to you with the support of Avid, Post-Production Specialist and Immersive Audio expert, Alan Sallabank shares tips and tricks to help you get to grips with the audio post-production workflows for content to be delivered in Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment, which will be especially useful if you are delivering to the likes of Netflix and Amazon. In part 6, we progress to the end game - Mastering.
More About Pro Tools MTRX Interface
Avid Pro Tools MTRX Highlights
Digital Audio Denmark’s (DAD’s) AD and DA converters are renowned for delivering clean, transparent, and detailed sound. DAD has partnered with Avid to take their AX32 and turn it into the Pro Tools MTRX, meaning that the MTRX picks up that pedigree enabling you to get the best sound quality possible from your Pro Tools HD system up to super-high-resolution 384 kHz DSD. But the MTRX doesn't stop there because it does double duty as both an audio I/O and monitor interface.
With the MTRX you can take full remote control of all sources, monitors, and speaker sets directly from Pro Tools S6, other EUCON-enabled control surfaces, and the included DADman software. Pro Tools MTRX includes Pro Mon 2, providing complete monitoring, talkback, summing, and fold-down control, whether you’re mixing in mono, stereo, 5.1, 7.1, 9.1, or even a 64-channel immersive audio mix.
Like its DAD cousin the AX32, the Pro Tools MTRX is fully modular, so you can customise it with a variety of I/O and interface options. From analog inputs, outputs, and high-quality mic pres, to Dante, MADI, AES3, 3G-SDI, and more, you have the interface versatility to connect any type of gear and route any signal between the various I/O formats.
Using DADman software, you can route, split, and patch audio quickly with a matrix capacity of up to 1,500 x 1,500 cross points. You can feed any input to any output, or even send audio to multiple outputs simultaneously, giving you unlimited workflow possibilities. You can remotely control all sources and monitoring directly from Pro Tools Ultimate, Pro Tools EUCON-enabled control surfaces.
For post production, this enables you to record very high quality voiceovers, ADR, and Foley in the studio, as well as capture audio on location, and then monitor your soundtrack mix using very high quality audio converters in the industry.
The MTRX includes sophisticated software that puts complete monitoring, talkback, summing, and fold-down control at your fingertips, whether you’re mixing in stereo, surround, or Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
You can also create multiple monitor profiles, making it easy to switch multichannel audio formats for the project at hand, from stereo and 7.1, up to 64-channel Dolby Atmos.
The MTRX is modular, enabling you to configure all eight of its card slots to connect your gear as you see fit. From analog inputs, outputs, and high-quality mic preamps, to Dante, MADI, AES3, 3G-SDI, and more, you have the connection versatility you need to support ADR, Foley, sound design, re-recording, and mixing workflows, and the flexibility to route any signal between the various I/O formats.
To handle the variety of workflows, gear, formats, and environments post production needs, the MTRX can become audio command centre, from which you can route, split, and patch audio quickly using DADman software, with a matrix capacity of up to 1,500 x 1,500 cross points enabling you to feed any input to any output, or even send audio to multiple outputs simultaneously.
With the MTRX, you can connect your Pro Tools HDX or HD Native system to any Dante network. Not only is Ethernet considered economical, especially where long cable runs are required, it allows for a versatile workflow that uses your facility’s Ethernet infrastructure to route audio between rooms and devices.
Need some help using the DADman software? Not sure how to set it up? In this article, we have set about bringing as many of the DADman related resources as possible together in one place, including many that you won’t find anywhere else.
The Avid MTRX and MTRX Studio interfaces are complicated devices. This article offers resources to help you get the most out of them in your Studio.
We are creatives but most of us are not computer network specialists. However, with the growth of Audio Over IP and Eucon people may be using technology that we may not fully understand. In this article, we aim to explain, as simply as possible, tips you can implement to reduce problems with trying to get too much data reliably across your office or home network.
In this article and free video tutorials, Mike Thornton shows how you can use the free Room EQ Wizard software and a low-cost USB measurement mic, to measure your speakers in your studio, take those measurements and convert them into EQ Settings, which can then be imported into a DAD/Avid SPQ card used in the DAD AX32, Avid MTRX and Avid MTRX Studio interfaces.
In this article, Mike Thornton shows how to use the free Room EQ Wizard software to create the EQ Filter settings based on the speaker/room measurements and then transfer those EQ settings to the Avid/DAD SPQ card.
In this article, Mike Thornton shows how to use the free Room EQ Wizard software to analyse your speakers and room and then be able to EQ your monitoring chain.
In this article, Mike Thornton shows how to download, install and set up the free Room EQ Wizard software in conjunction with a UMIK-1 USB measurement mic from miniDSP for $79, ready to be able to analyse your speakers and room, to be able to EQ your monitoring chain.
Avid has announced that version 5.4.5 of the DADman software, which is needed if you are using an Avid MTRX or MTRX Studio, is now supported with macOS Big Sur and Pro Tools 2021.3. We have the details.
James Richmond has recently taken delivery of a new Avid MTRX. In this article, he explains why the Avid MTRX was the interface for him and why he chose the MTRX as opposed to its new little brother the MTRX studio.
At NAMM 2020, Avid is showing their next interface, developed in partnership with DAD. It’s a 1U interface and monitor controller. In this article, we share all there is to know.
What happens when you bring together a super quartet of musicians, a legendary engineer and producer to record 7 songs over 3 days in the revered Studio A at Power Station Berklee NYC? In this article we discover how the sessions worked, how all the creative people worked together in a great studio using a Pro Tools super system set up for the project.
One of the many presentations on the Avid booth at NAB 2019 was a workshop on learning the tools and techniques for creating immersive audio in Dolby Atmos and Pro Tools MTRX interface. In this free video tutorial, Avid's Jeff Komar presents the tools and techniques for creating immersive audio in Dolby Atmos using Pro Tools Ultimate and Pro Tools MTRX interface, with option cards and EUCON control.