Some future project ideas

[ingresman]

Guys,
If anyone has been reading my SQ blog thread they will see I've been on a bit of an audio processing journey !.
While I was going my research I came up with a few ideas for some conversion process such as:
1. A stereo->ambient convereter i.e. generate 2 new back channels from a stereo mix by putting a very short delay in (user controlled but 10ms should be ok).
2. A mono->stereo converter i.e. invert the mono signal and create a right channel from there. Perhaps put this through the stereo->ambient converter to get a quad from mono mix (this might be a step too far!).
3. A discrete 4 wav's to sound card player to remove the need for a DTS version of the decode.
4. Finally having got my head aound the SQ matrix decode I may have a go at a 4ch to SQ encoder.

Anyone have any thoughts around this even if it's just to tell me to stop being stupid !.

 

[JonUrban]

3. A discrete 4 wav's to sound card player to remove the need for a DTS version of the decode.

Anyone have any thoughts around this even if it's just to tell me to stop being stupid !.

Adobe Audtion lets you do this, so the architecture is there. It would be neat if someone could write a little player program that would take 4 mono files and send them to the sound card in the proper order.

 

[mandrix]

Adobe Audtion lets you do this, so the architecture is there. It would be neat if someone could write a little player program that would take 4 mono files and send them to the sound card in the proper order.

I'm sure I'm missing something here...but why do you need to play 4 mono
(wav?) at the same time? Why not just combine them-even WMP will play
an interleaved file.

regards,
boondocks

 

[JonUrban]

I'm sure I'm missing something here...but why do you need to play 4 mono
(wav?) at the same time? Why not just combine them-even WMP will play
an interleaved file.

regards,
boondocks

Sometimes, after I have recorded a Q8 to 4 mono files, I like to play them back "as recorded" to see how much, if any, NR they will need, or other "fixing". It is also helpful for identifying when the channels may be reversed or swapped. Using this method, the tracks can be rearranged and auditioned in any order.

Being able to play the 4 mono files, in sync, and delivered discretely to the proper speakers for "quad playback" on the PC in this manner is a lot easier than doing a temporary encode to DTS or temp DVD-A just to evaluate the recorded material.

 

[ingresman]

Jon,
I would prefer to use Audtion and I would recomend anyone to use it. However it's a bit expensive for me !!. I think we're along the same lines on playback avoiding a DTS encode wold be usefull. Not everyone has the playback software.

Boondocks,
Do you have any references to the interleaved files please?. I looked a bit at the professional verson of WMP and it has some dolby features. Microsoft published a standard for encodong multi-channel .WAV files, called WAVE_EX. According to the docuementation WMP and the sound card will render anything given to it which is a valid_ex. One of the specific examples given in the documentation is for a quadraphonic layout. I'll have a tinker.
Kevin

 

[ingresman]

The multichannel wav specification is at http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/device/audio/multichaud.mspx
I'll try to knock out a 4-mono->4 ch wav in the next few days. I don't know if this will replace DTS as the final destination but it at least gives another option and should be playable on the cheapest PC's around these days. let's see how it goes.
WMP will play the file and use the appropriate number of chanels, if a 4 channel file is played on a 2-ch card an "apropriate" mix will be done.

 

[JonUrban]

Jon,
I would prefer to use Audtion and I would recomend anyone to use it. However it's a bit expensive for me !!.

Not sure about this place, but they APPEAR to have AA 2.0 for $49.00!! Please note that this is not an endorsment, not where I purchased mine (direct from Adobe), but it "seems" a bit odd, their prices on everything.

http://velosipedoem.net/2343.php

 

[mandrix]

Sometimes, after I have recorded a Q8 to 4 mono files, I like to play them back "as recorded" to see how much, if any, NR they will need, or other "fixing". It is also helpful for identifying when the channels may be reversed or swapped. Using this method, the tracks can be rearranged and auditioned in any order.

Being able to play the 4 mono files, in sync, and delivered discretely to the proper speakers for "quad playback" on the PC in this manner is a lot easier than doing a temporary encode to DTS or temp DVD-A just to evaluate the recorded material.

Yeah, but "being in sync" is only a matter of combining the mono files to
an interleaved file.
I guess I'm without understanding.
Are you recording via the soundcard external inputs???
That can cause some sync problems, in some cases.
Besides, encoding to DTS is the quickest part of it to me. ?
regards,
boondocks

 

[JonUrban]

Here's what I like to do, maybe there is a better way.

1) Record the quad tape (at 24/96) into 4 mono files, in sync of course. I use a MOTU 828mkII (firewire device) and Vegas 6.0 software to get the 4 mono files.

2) Now that I have 4 mono files, I want to "listen" to them in "quad". By that I mean I want to hear them, in surround, on my computer. The reason I want to do this is to check things like: levels, mix, do I need NR?, do I have any "bad sections", etc. In the past, I would encode them to DTS and play it back. However, that is a step that I never liked doing becuase it takes time, creates an extra file, and does not allow you to "see" the wav file while it's playing.

SO - Using AA2.0, I can "import" the 4 mono files into a "session", assign each one to one of the 4 speakers that I chose, then just press "PLAY ALL", and each mono file is played back "in sync" on the PC without any extra steps. Now I have discrete temporary quad playback

I can then listen, make notes, and go and "fix" anything I hear that is wrong - BEFORE encoding the files to DVD-A or DTS.

It's just something I like to do. Maybe there is a better way??

 

[mandrix]

Jon,
Gotcha. Sounds like a good method to me.

regards,
boondocks