Atmos Demo Tracks

[TheMiltonian]

I mean all things low; KICK, TOMS, BASS GUITAR.

I am playing albums such as Rodriguez Jr Bliss and the kick drum is way way too much in the lows, same with Gordian knot, both atmos mixes. I was wanting to know if others have same experience with certain albums.

https://tidal.com/album/209702775Dolly Parton

https://tidal.com/album/206507774Amy winehouse with Daptones backing

https://tidal.com/album/189681872Queen greatest hits

https://tidal.com/album/176778296Jon baptiste

I assume that you’ve heard most of Queen in the past, so you’ll have a general idea of what levels & (bass) balance you should be hearing.

I have slightly different bass settings for movies vs music (music being flatter & movies with a small, very low bump for LFE), but in general, on a good recording most instruments should be of a similar or complimentary volume; even on hip hop & dance you don’t want so much bass that it overwhelms everything else.

I’ll listen to that recording & come back to you …

 

[TheMiltonian]

Are you listening through a receiver? do you have bass management on? are your speaker setup as full range?
I never had this issue but from what you say it could be a bass management setup messed up

And are you listening to physical or streaming media … but from the description, I agree that bass management is the most likely solution (including subwoofer settings).

 

[Lucanu]

And are you listening to physical or streaming … but the description, I agree that bass management (or lack there of) is the most likely solution (including subwoofer settings).

I have all my speakers set to full range, except for the heights that are set to small with a LPF at 120hz.

The LFE channel is set at 80hz

 

[ted_b]

I mean all things low; KICK, TOMS, BASS GUITAR.

I am playing albums such as Rodriguez Jr Bliss and the kick drum is way way too much in the lows, same with Gordian knot, both atmos mixes. I was wanting to know if others have same experience with certain albums.

Have you measured your room response with a sine sweep, etc?

 

[TheMiltonian]

I have all my speakers set to full range, except for the heights that are set to small with a LPF at 120hz.

The LFE channel is set at 80hz

That’s the most likely issue … unless you have a very large room and or very carefully managed bass, you’re going to have a lot of issues.

Why (& what) are you running full range?

 

[Lucanu]

That’s the most likely issue … unless you have a very large room and or very carefully managed bass, you’re going to have a lot of issues.

Why (& what) are you running full range?

I'm not having issues!!
It's @TheGreatRamseythe2nd and I was trying to understand how to solve his problem

 

[TheMiltonian]

That’s the most likely issue … unless you have a very large room and or very carefully managed bass, you’re going to have a lot of issues.

Why (& what) are you running full range?

I have all my speakers set to full range, except for the heights that are set to small with a LPF at 120hz.

The LFE channel is set at 80hz

derp my bad (though my response would be the same unless you know what you’re doing ) … carry on

 

[Lucanu]

Further … you have a gap from 80 to 120hz in the heights, is that on purpose?

So most likely you are “doubling up” all the bass below 80hz in your bed layer with a hole in your heights … I’d recalibrate everything with “small” speakers all around.

derp my bad (though my response would be the same unless you know what you’re doing ) … carry on

No problem

 

[WozzaDog]

Can somebody with a fully calibrated Atmos system help me? I need some tracks to demo bass, and need feedback on tracks/albums I am having problems with. Some titles I have are overwhelmed with bass, I was wondering is it my set up, or is the mix bad?

Are you using Dirac? If so consider this.
I have found that Dirac curve doesn’t have a lot of bass so I use the Harmon curves which increase bass, there is a +4, +6, +8, +10. When you get that.

I use a +6. But then my 16year old son will come over and we will listen to his R&B music sbc it has way too much bass, and I love bass. Some recordings are over the top.

Also have you learnt to measure your room with RoomEQ?

 

[ted_b]

Interesting that you are recommending more bass to someone who is complaining of too much bass.

 

[TheMiltonian]

I mean all things low; KICK, TOMS, BASS GUITAR.

I am playing albums such as Rodriguez Jr Bliss and the kick drum is way way too much in the lows, same with Gordian knot, both atmos mixes. I was wanting to know if others have same experience with certain albums.

Okay, I listened to the Blisss track, my brother would be much more interested, but it’s a nice vibe … in a properly balanced system, you should be able to play that at a reference level (85db +++ for that music) without the bass being anything but beautiful … it should definitely not be overwhelming (in fact for dance & hip hop, I usually leave my LFE bump on I it adds just that extra amount of in the club vibe (a VERY high end club with one of those monster systems).

Definitely check your bass management, you should not be standing next to the woofers at a concert.

I didn’t find the Atmos Gordian Knot, could you give more details?

 

[TheMiltonian]

And try these

https://tidal.com/album/168774332Atmos for androids

https://tidal.com/album/252763804Some Brian Eno

And if you have Apple Music, those “calibration” links above are probably useful.

Do you know technoDad on YouTube? He’s got some videos & links that might be helpful.

 

[WozzaDog]

Interesting that you are recommending more bass to someone who is complaining of too much bass.

I heard that sone tracks have too much and others not enough. I’ve seen that the ones not enough is due to room EQ, abd the ones too much are turned up in the Atmos mixing of R&B. This is a know issue, I had the problem and on those tracks I turn it down.

 

[RustyStatic]

I have a very standard script for demoing Atmos at this point, that has worked very well:

1. Gentle Giant—"On Reflection"; eye-opening beginning with the vocals isolated in the corners then swirling around the room, then a voice moving from the front of the room to overhead... double-wow for the composition itself in addition to the insane mix. Sensory overload! Bonus that those who aren't familiar go "who the hell are these guys?" and so far 100% of the time have been inspired to dig deeper.
2. From "Lost Voices of Hagia Sophia", Track #1 ("From The Office Of Sung Vespers: Final (Teleutaion) Antiphon Before The Entrance [Ps. 98:9], Mode Plagal 2"); I talk about how you can approximate the acoustics of an actual space, how this was recorded, and then we marvel once again at the performance as well as the insane decay time and power of just voices, and if you close your eyes you can really imagine yourself in the cathedral.
3. Kraftwerk—"Autobahn"; for the crispness and clarity possible with tightly produced electronic music, and just the overall power of the thing.
4. Tom Petty—"Wildflowers"; "this is how something you've heard before can be opened up, sometimes even in subtle ways, by being mixed like this."
5. Grateful Dead—"Attics of My Life"; literally a different voice in every speaker, it's a religious experience especially if you grew up with this album like I did.
6. Tears for Fears—"Rivers of Mercy"; just lush, beautiful, moving, and fully immersive, hits on every level—not to mention a bit of an "it's OK" for all of us after what we've lived through the last few years. Cathartic, and it just washed over you. In this case, pretty damn literally.
7. Yello—"Wabba Duba"; fun and goofy, an example of what you can do when writing with Atmos in mind from the get-go, and the opening bass drop shakes the entire room and people's eyes big out of their heads.
8. Regina Spektor—"Up The Mountain"; newer addition, but the reasoning is Regina Spektor in Atmos.

Time permitting and depending on the likes of the listener, we may then do Rush—"YYZ", The Doors "Riders of the Storm", Japanese Breakfast—"Paprika", Booka Shade—"Digging a Hole", Andrew Lloyd Webber—"Theme from Evita", etc.

 

[TheGreatRamseythe2nd]

Are you listening through a receiver? do you gave bass management on? are your speaker setup as full range?
I never had this issue but from what you say it could be a bass management setup messed up

AVR, speakers small, 80hz crossover.

Okay, I listened to the Blisss track, my brother would be much more interested, but it’s a nice vibe … in a properly balanced system, you should be able to play that at a reference level (85db +++ for that music) without the bass being anything but beautiful … it should definitely not be overwhelming (in fact for dance & hip hop, I usually leave my LFE bump on I it adds just that extra amount of in the club vibe (a VERY high end club with one of those monster systems).

Definitely check your bass management, you should not be standing next to the woofers at a concert.

I didn’t find the Atmos Gordian Knot, could you give more details?

Gordian Knot Blu Ray, I think on Tidal too?HiRez Poll - Goodwin, Gordon - THE GORDIAN KNOT [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

I find the kick overwhelming. Far too much deep bass. The actual bass guitar sounds great.

 

[Albert Dagger]

It really depends on the guest and their musical tastes. Despite having a long list below that can be suitable for a range of genres, I still struggle to find something more mainstream. I have to say that the first approach to surround music is best experienced with a nice discrete quad mix or a 5.1. It's almost mandatory to play The Dark Side of the Moon, or Welcome to the Machine from Wish you were here.

- a-ha, Take on Me
- Air, 10 000 Hz Legend (any track)
- Booka Shade, Dear Future Self (title track)
- Elton John, most tracks from Diamonds (my mom loved these)
- Frank Zappa (The Grand Wazoo, the track, or Waka/Jawaka, the track)
- Franco Battiato, La voce del padrone & L'imboscata (for Italian friends)
- Gentle Giant, Free Hand (probably On Reflection)
- Gwen Stefani, The Sweet Escape (Breakin' Up)
- King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King (21st Century Schizoid man or I talk to the Wind)
- Kiss, Destroyer (Detroit Rock City)
- Kraftwerk, 3D Catalogue (many tracks, Tour de France, RadioActivity, The Robots, Boing Boom Tschak
- Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory (One Step Closer, In the End, Cure for the Itch)
- Queen, Greatest Hits (Another one bites the dust)
- Robert Fripp, Under Heavy Manners (The Zero of the Signified)
- Tears for Fears, The Tipping Point (probably End of Night or the title track)
- The Doors, LA Woman (Cars Hiss by my Window, Riders on the Storm)
- The Killers, Pressure Machine (Quiet Town, title track)
- Zhu, Dreamland 2021 (Sky is Crying)

 

[ted_b]

I find the kick overwhelming. Far too much deep bass. The actual bass guitar sounds grea

I listened to my TrueHD bluray Atmos rip of Gordion Knot last night and found the kick drum to sound impactful, but rightly so. Nothing unbalanced.

 

[TheMiltonian]

I listened to my TrueHD bluray Atmos rip of Gordion Knot last night and found the kick drum to sound impactful, but rightly so. Nothing unbalanced.

Same here, tidal seems to only have the mastered for Atmos (stereo version), but regardless, the recording seems fine.

If the guitars are fine & it’s just the kicks, you (meaning the great Ramsey) may have a resonance that’s not been compensated for.

Back to the calibration.

 

[TheGreatRamseythe2nd]

Same here, tidal seems to only have the mastered for Atmos (stereo version), but regardless, the recording seems fine.

If the guitars are fine & it’s just the kicks, you (meaning the great Ramsey) may have a resonance that’s not been compensated for.

Back to the calibration.

Yeah everything sounds fine apart from the kick, way too much present. Overwhelms everything for me. The frequnecy range most dominant must be exaggerated in my room I presume that is the issue. Kick on gentle Giant Freehand for example is deep and present, but not overwhelming.

 

[TheMiltonian]

Yeah everything sounds fine apart from the kick, way too much present. Overwhelms everything for me. The frequnecy range most dominant must be exaggerated in my room I presume that is the issue. Kick on gentle Giant Freehand for example is deep and present, but not overwhelming.

I would use this mode calculator on your room dimensions. It should give you a rough idea of what they are and if any of them correspond to what you’re hearing.

http://www.mh-audio.nl/Acoustics/SG.html
This way if you added something to your past calibration, it may also tell you how to fix it.