Atmos compatible media player apps?

[jimfisheye]

Are there media player apps available yet that anyone can comment on?

I need software only. I'm pointedly not interested in any hardware solution like an AVR with the codec built in! I have audio interface channels and amps/speakers available and I like my Apogee DACs. Just need to get the decoder codec happening. Are these still being hidden away in hardware AVR products or has this finally been made available in a media player app like a real format? I'm not necessarily expecting free at this early point. Reasonable at least would be appreciated though. I have a Mac and can run anything but native OSX would be preferred for convenience. Where's all this at today? Now that Mr Steve Wilson has a mix out I'm suddenly a little more interested of course!

 

[humprof]

Well, since the "Creators Update," Windows 10 handles Atmos natively (and plays Atmos-encoded MP4s via its "Windows Movies & TV" app, which is what Windows Media Player has morphed into).

I'm not sure what your Mac options are. I've heard conflicting reports about Atmos and VLC...

 

[jimfisheye]

I haven't actually looked at the newer OSX stuff...
I have a 10.15 install on my laptop too. I haven't touched the OS XI upgrade yet. Have to look at some stuff I guess.

Just to be clear, you're seeing all the discrete channels? (Appropriate for the number of outputs your system sees available.) You're not talking about a pass through scenario where you pass Atmos in a mp4 container to an AVR with the proprietary decoder?

 

[HomerJAU]

Hey Jim. I know you’ve been looking for something to decode Atmos with software but I think you should just bite the bullet and find an AVR. It’s like the early days of DTS when there was no other option but get a hardware decoder. It took years to finally get DTS decoding in software.

 

[jimfisheye]

Hey Jim. I know you’ve been looking for something to decode Atmos with software but I think you should just bite the bullet and find an AVR. It’s like the early days of DTS when there was no other option but get a hardware decoder. It took years to finally get DTS decoding in software.

Hmmm... Nope, not a chance!
I'd need one with digital outputs... I'll pause here for the laughter to die down... or one with DACs the quality of Apogee. I've spoiled myself but I'm also a scavenger with a limited budget.

Unless you know of an AVR-like interface with AES or ADAT/SMUX outputs available!
(Pretty sure I'm being silly to even suggest such a thing! They'd call it "The Pirate" or something.)

 

[HomerJAU]

How about a high end processor? Big bucks though.

 

[humprof]

I haven't actually looked at the newer OSX stuff...
I have a 10.15 install on my laptop too. I haven't touched the OS XI upgrade yet. Have to look at some stuff I guess.

Just to be clear, you're seeing all the discrete channels? (Appropriate for the number of outputs your system sees available.) You're not talking about a pass through scenario where you pass Atmos in a mp4 container to an AVR with the proprietary decoder?

It's the latter, actually--I think. I.e., I'm pretty sure Windows itself doesn't do the rendering. (I'm connecting to my AVR via HDMI, regardless.) Windows will also do Atmos for Headphones if you pay for it, but that's a different animal...

 

[LuvMyQuad]

How about a high end processor? Big bucks though.

I'm not even sure a processor exists with the outputs he's looking for, regardless of price. Those are Pro style outputs and you just don't find them on consumer gear regardless of how high end you go. I'd love to see a software solution too, but I don't see that happening anytime soon either. The best you can probably do is go with a high end processor with "Fisheye approved" DACs and let it do the decoding, if that even exists.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I'm not even sure a processor exists with the outputs he's looking for, regardless of price.

Storm Audio?

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Storm Audio?

If there were one, you would be one of the few who would know about it. It does have 32 channels of AES/EBU out, as an option anyway. What price stratosphere is that stuff flying in Kal? But like they say, if you gotta ask....

 

[Kal Rubinson]

If there were one, you would be one of the few who would know about it. It does have 32 channels of AES/EBU out, as an option anyway.

Yup. See the output options.

What price stratosphere is that stuff flying in Kal? But like they say, if you gotta ask....

I don't know. You will have to search it for yourself: ISP MK2 - StormAudio

 

[LuvMyQuad]

It looks like a range of $14K to $23K depending on chosen options. Is that in your budget Jim?

 

[jimfisheye]

Haha
I'm a musician and audio engineer... living in the USA...

If I was building a full large audio theater, such products would make perfect sense I'm sure.
I'm trying to infiltrate the world of creating mixes and doing proper mastering work taking advantage of the digital revolution. I have expensive tastes but I'm still a scavenger. I snipe things used. DIY stuff like cables. Repair things. There needs to be an in-between for this! An average $1k or $2k AVR would be a big ol' downgrade for me. Can't very well demo an extended surround format and appreciate a mix on a downgraded system from what I'm used to! See the problem around all this?

A Dante network solution instead of duplicating a dozen or more discrete channels of digital I/O might be an answer though! I'm definitely going that direction moving forward. (Vs. thunderbolt everything.) I'd pay something reasonable-ish for a hardware decoder if it was modular and didn't require buying the kitchen sink along with it all over again.

I'm easy to please in some ways though too. If I just had the decoder codec and the ability to derive the discrete digital outputs for all channels, I'd be happy enough to kludge along and listen to an album manually using a DAW for a media player. Just like the early days of digital surround listening for me circa 1990s.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Here's a prepro with Dante. SDP-55 | 16 Ch. Immersive Surround Sound Processor with Dante

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Here's a prepro with Dante. SDP-55 | 16 Ch. Immersive Surround Sound Processor with Dante

Supposedly it doesn't measure very well.

JBL SDP-55 Audio/Video Processor Review

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Supposedly it doesn't measure very well.
JBL SDP-55 Audio/Video Processor Review

Sure but he is measuring it through the built-in DACs. Running the output via Dante bypasses them.

 

[jimfisheye]

Yeah, $6000 worth of DACs that I don't need just sitting there is not how this is going to work.

Mind you, I don't expect to see a hardware unit that only had a couple ethernet ports. But if I did and it was more like $400 I'd consider it. Not questioning the price for that many pro quality DAC channels either. Just that I have 10 channels of Apogee DACs and another 20 channels of MOTU DACs. (And a couple more MOTU units after that.) I'm not spending money on DACs right now!

I really just want the software solution too. I understand the situation though and I'd bend a different direction a little. Not dropping a few mortgage payments on DACs right now though.

Do we actually have to wait for someone to "liberate" this?

I think the encoder plugin suite is Protools only at present. That follows the attachment to the movie industry and the proprietary model they all fell into together. When Protools kind of dropped all 3rd party support and isolated. I jumped ship and upgraded to Reaper back in 2009. All their new stuff and these plugins are their new proprietary format. I'd have to spend insane money to upgrade the pci hardware and all that and for a less capable system than I have now.

Maybe down the road someone can reverse engineer it and make a VST plugin. Or maybe Dolby will expand who they sell the license to.

I feel like I'm being teased having hardware available but no one's giving up the decoder ring!

 

[junh1024]

I think the encoder plugin suite is Protools only at present. That follows the attachment to the movie industry and the proprietary model they all fell into together. When Protools kind of dropped all 3rd party support and isolated. I jumped ship and upgraded to Reaper back in 2009.


Maybe down the road someone can reverse engineer it and make a VST plugin.

From what I gather, Dolby has made a Dolby Atmos Music Panner VST plugin (free). It works with the DAPS for mac ($300). Then you can start mixing in Atmos & encode to mp4.

https://www.avid.com/plugins/dolby-atmos-production-suite
I haven't tried this workflow tho. There might be other workflows available.

If they ever release the decoder codec

Unfortunately Dolby has discontinued their Dolby Media Decoder product.

5 saxes, 4 bones, 4 trumpets

Recorded discretely enough. (Some sectional. Not all instruments 1:1)

Your link was removed, but I can say as a general guide for panning, rhythm & leads @ front, some supporting melodies/sustains @ back.

I have at least 32 channels of outputs across a few audio interfaces. 10 are Apogee. I have some speakers I could hang from the ceiling right now.

So what speaker layout & audio infrastructure do you have?