Music versus Atmos

[DanDan]

I believe for music release Atmos is unsuitable. I believe and hope it will go the way of Q Sound, Quad, and MQA.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I can't decide if Elliot is just having a hard time with the industry going in a new direction. Perhaps, pushing back on new technologies because they aren't they way he did it back in the 70s and 80s? He seems a bit jaded....

I say that, without knowing up from down when it comes to music production. And, of course, I have tremendous respect for the man and his accomplishments.

 

[DanDan]

He does sound his age. However all the points he makes are pretty much self evidently correct.

 

[JStewart]

Was he against the format or all of the things he cited that make it less than?

Ive not heard an atmos music only mix. If there are sounds panned, especially overhead, for most music I don’t think I’d like it. Any music I’ve seen live the band is in front, the room provided ambiance.

I can see some genres using it as part of the original art and that’s great, but I’m with Elliot when he says no to bad remixes just to sell an inferior copy of a stereo recording.

 

[DanDan]

I think Dolby and Apple are trying a coup, however well intentioned. Dolby's attempt at a standardised listening response is laudable in terms of the Circle of Confusion IMO. Their acceptance that Flat Response in the Control Room is a nonsense, I warmly welcome. Some of us have been saying that for years. But it strikes me as a fantasy to think that any large number of listeners would invest in a space and multi speaker system to hear what is created in a DA Control Room.
The Mix in Music is part of it. It is illuminating view Mastering Stereo Music using M/S Tools, that the vast majority, say 80-90% of the energy is Mono.

 

[Todd Anderson]

There's an Atmos encoded song on the Dolby demo disc that's insane. But, I'm not sure how common that kind of experience is...

 

[VinceHoffman]

I've purchased some fantastic music-only Atmos releases in the past year and a half... along with several disappointing ones. The best music only Atmos release I've heard to date from a production standpoint is most definitely the Blu Ray Pure Audio version of the album Point by the venerable Krautrock outfit, Yello. While not Yello's best work musically the Atmos mix is flat out jaw dropping and so much fun. Off the top of my head, a few other recent music only Atmos Blu-Ray purchases I've really enjoyed were Tears For Fears latest release, The Tipping Point and Everything But The Girls' latest, titled Fuse. Though neither of the latter's productions are quite up to the standard set by Yello's Point.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

If you have an AppleTV and an Apple Music subscription, there are a handful of albums to listen to that show how effective the use of Atmos for music can be, when mixed correctly, and you can do so without making additional purchases.

Take a listen to the new Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Atmos mix, or ODESZA's Better Now.

By most critiques we also shouldn't have stereo music releases, either. In the early stereo days, there were crappy stereo mixes. In the early digital days, there were some really crappy CD releases. In the early Atmos days, there have been some really crappy Atmos mixes (both movies and music). It will take time for the professionals to really learn the mechanics and the philosophies of the tools, best practices will be standardized, and the overall quality of product will improve.

 

[Aburguy]

If you have an AppleTV and an Apple Music subscription, there are a handful of albums to listen to that show how effective the use of Atmos for music can be, when mixed correctly, and you can do so without making additional purchases.

Take a listen to the new Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Atmos mix, or ODESZA's Better Now.

By most critiques we also shouldn't have stereo music releases, either. In the early stereo days, there were crappy stereo mixes. In the early digital days, there were some really crappy CD releases. In the early Atmos days, there have been some really crappy Atmos mixes (both movies and music). It will take time for the professionals to really learn the mechanics and the philosophies of the tools, best practices will be standardized, and the overall quality of product will improve.

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I totally agree with you, I just listened to Dark Side of the moon last night. It’s noticeable different, and very well mixed.

 

[Todd Anderson]

Have you ever heard the 5.1 SACD Dark Side of the Moon?

Its spectacular. I wonder how it would compare to the Atmos version?

 

[Aburguy]

Have you ever heard the 5.1 SACD Dark Side of the Moon?

Its spectacular. I wonder how it would compare to the Atmos version?

Yes I have at my friends house on his system. That is an entirely different level IMO, but this streaming version for streaming is fantastic.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I was just reading an article in Stereophile where Steve Wilson from Porcupine Trees is doing a lot of Atmos recording with various artists. Some of his music is supposedly on Prime music. I've been meaning to check it out.

 

[Travis Ballstadt]

I was just reading an article in Stereophile where Steve Wilson from Porcupine Trees is doing a lot of Atmos recording with various artists. Some of his music is supposedly on Prime music. I've been meaning to check it out.

He’s a genius.

 

[Todd Anderson]

I was just reading an article in Stereophile where Steve Wilson from Porcupine Trees is doing a lot of Atmos recording with various artists. Some of his music is supposedly on Prime music. I've been meaning to check it out.

There’s a reason for this. Apple is paying artists higher royalties for songs that stream in Atmos. They’re incentivizing, if not forcing, artists to pursue Atmos.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I'll have to refer to the article again, but I believe several of his mixes are available on Prime Music.

 

[DanDan]

Many have pointed out that these Historic Works of Art are, well, Historically signficant. The Work is the sum of the parts. Replacing some of those parts/people to create new mixes seems wrong to me , even if better in some aspects.

Mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain: “I shouldn’t say this, probably, but I think in a couple of years Dolby Atmos is going to go away”

“I think people will say, ‘OK, the headphone thing doesn’t really do anything, I can’t afford to put an Atmos system in my home, and stereo’s fine’”

www.musicradar.com

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I am ashamed to say, I've still not heard any Atmos music tracks, at least not outside of what may have been in a movie, but I wasn't listening for the effects of the Atmos mix. It seems I am already immersed in the music (stereo) with my system as it is, so I'm just not sure how it can be better. The problem is most of what I listen to is not recorded in Atmos, so about 90% or better of what I'll be listening to will be new for me. If all works out, I plan to find some on Amazon Prime this week and listen. I am particularly interested in The Harmony Codex by Steve Wilson. I like the music on that album, so it should be interesting to listen to it and compare it as one of the 10% I have heard without Atmos.

 

[DanDan]

Atmos has always been available. Can be easily grown in a hot climate.....

 

[ddude003]

Atmos has always been available. Can be easily grown in a hot climate.....

LOL...

I like some of his own music and not so much of his "re-masterings"...

 

[Mike Schramm]

Many have pointed out that these Historic Works of Art are, well, Historically signficant. The Work is the sum of the parts. Replacing some of those parts/people to create new mixes seems wrong to me , even if better in some aspects.

Mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain: “I shouldn’t say this, probably, but I think in a couple of years Dolby Atmos is going to go away”

“I think people will say, ‘OK, the headphone thing doesn’t really do anything, I can’t afford to put an Atmos system in my home, and stereo’s fine’”

www.musicradar.com

That's a really interesting point, Dan. I honestly never thought of Atmos remixes as altering the art itself. Normally I LOVE Atmos music (the tracks that are done well, that is). Thinking of it from that perspective changes things. I won't be changing my listening habits any time soon, but it is a viewpoint that I never considered before.

 

[DanDan]

That's a really interesting point, Dan. I honestly never thought of Atmos remixes as altering the art itself. Normally I LOVE Atmos music (the tracks that are done well, that is). Thinking of it from that perspective changes things. I won't be changing my listening habits any time soon, but it is a viewpoint that I never considered before.

Tx. Every day I wake up and look at myself in the mirror, shaving, and say. " Am I an Artist?" I am convinced that Immersion can be created in the Playback Rig.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

If you have the setup right with the right listening position... it should be immersive. I know mine is immersive. I've listened to a few Atmos tracks, but they've not done anything special for me thus far. Maybe I just haven't heard the right tracks yet.

 

[Mike Schramm]

I know a lot of people feel that Spatial Audio is gimmicky. And honestly I see where they are coming from. The thing is I like the gimmick. It’s fun to hear background vocals or instruments coming from the surround speakers, in my opinion of course.