Dolby Atmos on MacOS

[~dave~~wave~]

I am just trying this connection successfully using a 2017 Macbook Pro output to HDMI using a converter into the HDMI AUX port on the Marantz AVR SR7013.

WooHoo!

The stats on the Marantz indicate the input is 48 bit rate and channels are 3/4/.1 ?
(Playing Gilmour On An Island)

That's Atmos, baby!
How many speakers do you use spinning discs?
Since my AVR is limited to 5.1, somehow any content from the two extra channels is steered to the rears or fronts on one end or the other.
Sure never heard anything missing.

Where is the dialog box for "Audio Quality"

Apple Music in active focus, toolbar top left of screen to the right of icon: Music->Preferences->Playback

 

[mkt]

I saw this mentioned on ASR
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/imme...olby-truehd-atmos-on-windows-and-macos-r1092/

 

[stereoptic]

WooHoo!


That's Atmos, baby!
How many speakers do you use spinning discs?
Since my AVR is limited to 5.1, somehow any content from the two extra channels is steered to the rears or fronts on one end or the other.
Sure never heard anything missing.

Apple Music in active focus, toolbar top left of screen to the right of icon: Music->Preferences->Playback

Thanks for all that, looks like I am up and running! I don't normally connect the Macbook up to the Marantz (I either use the Oppo 203 for surround, and piCoreplayer for mono/stereo) but I may start to do it more often now!
[Sorry for temporarily derailing the thread - I will continue in the thread linked above.]

 

[Rob Wrong]

Hi guys, new to the forums and wanted to share my find. I was under the impression that I was only able to do Apple Music or Apple TV through my Mac in 5.1 but recently stumbled upon this article that got me up and running in full 7.1.4 for my recording studio to audition Apple Music playback music for reference. Not sure what file it uses, but I am getting discrete audio signal to all 12 speakers now. Had to do with my output channels being set to higher than 16 outputs in Universal Audio Console. Refer to this article and you should be able to get your setup working in full Atmos, not a DD+JOC rerender:

https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/pr...listen-to-dolby-atmos-without-costly-hardware

 

[himey]

I am trying to figure out how many output configurations are supported with this method? I simply don't have enough space for a 7.1 bed. Are 5.1.4, 5.1.2 and/or 4.0.4 configurations supported, 4.0.4 would obviously mean a down-mix. I already own one 7.1 USB DAC and one USB stereo DAC. So does that mean if I connected both, I could get a maximum of 10 channels without making another DAC purchase? I also have an analog 7.1 preamp, a 5.1 analog preamp, and a stereo analog preamp. I have 5 stereo amps. Will the main volume in the MAC, control the master volume?

I am looking for motivation to add height channels and this method, without having to spring for an Atmos receiver, may put me over the top. I have enough speakers to cover all the channels of my amps, but I don't own a Mac.

 

[mkt]

I am doing 5.1.2. I have Mac (Apple Music, etc) -> 8-channel DAC -> active speakers.

 

[himey]

I am doing 5.1.2. I have Mac (Apple Music, etc) -> 8-channel DAC -> active speakers.

Curious if there are any mix-down options for a 4.0.2 setup, or 4.0.4. Thanks.

 

[mkt]

Curious if there are any mix-down options for a 4.0.2 setup, or 4.0.4. Thanks.

I'm not sure. I see these options in "Audio MIDI Setup" for my 8 outputs. No 4.0.4.

 

[HomerJAU]

Can you pickup a cheap 2nd hand AVR with Atmos and mch preamp outputs to drive your current amps? That would be less mucking around and having to buy a Mac.

 

[himey]

Can you pickup a cheap 2nd hand AVR with Atmos and mch preamp outputs to drive your current amps? That would be less mucking around and having to buy a Mac.

I don't want a cheap receiver. A cheap receiver with Atmos and preouts are over a grand.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

I am trying to figure out how many output configurations are supported with this method? I simply don't have enough space for a 7.1 bed. Are 5.1.4, 5.1.2 and/or 4.0.4 configurations supported, 4.0.4 would obviously mean a down-mix. I already own one 7.1 USB DAC and one USB stereo DAC. So does that mean if I connected both, I could get a maximum of 10 channels without making another DAC purchase? I also have an analog 7.1 preamp, a 5.1 analog preamp, and a stereo analog preamp. I have 5 stereo amps. Will the main volume in the MAC, control the master volume?

I am looking for motivation to add height channels and this method, without having to spring for an Atmos receiver, may put me over the top. I have enough speakers to cover all the channels of my amps, but I don't own a Mac.

I'm not sure. I see these options in "Audio MIDI Setup" for my 8 outputs. No 4.0.4.
View attachment 83542

I've been experimenting with the Mac options.
From my experience I can confirm that with eight available outputs, the only configurations available are the above.
So 5.2.1 is the only thing with heights.

Unfortunately, adding another stereo pair to get to ten channels doesn't seem to gain anything.
5.1.4 is not supported.

Apple doesn't offer a config for anything between 5.1.2 and 7.1.4.
As far as I can see, to get four channels of height, it needs to find 12 outputs to use.
Thus the suggestion in @sjcorne article for a four-channel or more USB interface.
https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/2022/08/building-a-7-1-4-dolby-atmos-on-a-budget/
@fredblue got a system going using that method, now I have as well.
[using 4 channels from a Behringer 12-ch device]

From there, to get from 7 channels to 4 or 5 at ear level the challenge is to find a way in software to down-mix?

In regard to master volume, there is a slider in Loopback that can do that.
Lower left on this screen. (My aggregate device sending 7.1 HDMI to AVR and four height channel signals to powered monitors)

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Curious if there are any mix-down options for a 4.0.2 setup, or 4.0.4. Thanks.

Following up, now that the wife is awake and I can turn on the speakers.

I successfully configured a 5.1.4 ten-channel arrangement in Loopback by deleting the default feeds from the rear surround channels 7 & 8.
Dragging a second connection pair from 7 & 8 to the 5 & 6 outputs on the aggregate device at the right, it seems to be the same additive downmix a 5.1 receiver would do.

Loopback is a $99 purchase, but there's an unlimited trial period that's cleverly enforced by overlaying noise on the mix after 20 minutes until you cycle it off & on.

So possibly all you would need is a used Mac mini and the software to give it a go?

 

[himey]

Following up, now that the wife is awake and I can turn on the speakers.

I successfully configured a 5.1.4 ten-channel arrangement in Loopback by deleting the default feeds from the rear surround channels 7 & 8.
Dragging a second connection pair from 7 & 8 to the 5 & 6 outputs on the aggregate device at the right, it seems to be the same additive downmix a 5.1 receiver would do.

Loopback is a $99 purchase, but there's an unlimited trial period that's cleverly enforced by overlaying noise on the mix after 20 minutes until you cycle it off & on.

So possibly all you would need is a used Mac mini and the software to give it a go?




View attachment 83565

Excellent! Thanks. So really the only limitation is this setup only supports Apple Music, and blu-ray rips can't get this awesome treatment? Still this is very exciting. Thanks again.

 

[sjcorne]

Loopback is a $99 purchase, but there's an unlimited trial period that's cleverly enforced by overlaying noise on the mix after 20 minutes until you cycle it off & on.

If you don't want to pay the $99 for a Loopback license, another option is to use the BlackHole 16ch virtual device to route the 12 channels from Apple Music into a DAW (Reaper, Pro Tools, Audition, etc) and then out to your speakers.

 

[sjcorne]

...blu-ray rips can't get this awesome treatment?

You need the Dolby Reference Player for that, I mentioned it in the IAA piece.

 

[himey]

You need the Dolby Reference Player for that, I mentioned it in the IAA piece.

Is that what you are using for blu-ray?

 

[~dave~~wave~]

You need the Dolby Reference Player for that, I mentioned it in the IAA piece.

WTF?!

That tears it for me.
This does not seem like a consumer product.

What do we do, pretend we're professional sound engineers with recording studios?
Instead of cheap retirees.

Is this the one with a $400 annual license fee?
Plus, I would need to rip all my Atmos content?

Might be happy with what I can get on Apple Music for now and if I live long enough, save up for a used Atmos AVR.
There's not a damn thing wrong with anything I've heard on any quality Atmos mix rendered at ear level.

If you please, sir, what is it I don't understand about the below and how ordinary folks can access it?

This professional software is available for users who have purchased or have requested and been approved to receive an evaluation for the following professional software products only:

• Dolby Encoding Engine with Dolby AC-4
• Dolby Media Encoder with Dolby AC-4

 

[himey]

WTF?!

That tears it for me.
This does not seem like a consumer product.

What do we do, pretend we're professional sound engineers with recording studios?
Instead of cheap retirees.

Is this the one with a $400 annual license fee?
Plus, I would need to rip all my Atmos content?

Might be happy with what I can get on Apple Music for now and if I live long enough, save up for a used Atmos AVR.
There's not a damn thing wrong with anything I've heard on any quality Atmos mix rendered at ear level.

If you please, sir, what is it I don't understand about the below and how ordinary folks can access it?

This professional software is available for users who have purchased or have requested and been approved to receive an evaluation for the following professional software products only:

• Dolby Encoding Engine with Dolby AC-4
• Dolby Media Encoder with Dolby AC-4

View attachment 83568

Damn. I don't think they mentioned that in the article on Computer Audiophile I was reading. Maybe it's new?

 

[sjcorne]

Damn. I don't think they mentioned that in the article on Computer Audiophile I was reading. Maybe it's new?

I found about it from the Computer Audiophile piece:
https://audiophilestyle.com/ca/imme...olby-truehd-atmos-on-windows-and-macos-r1092/

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Damn. I don't think they mentioned that in the article on Computer Audiophile I was reading. Maybe it's new

So our only hope is eventually some open source or reasonably priced app is developed as an alternative?
What the heck, I've waited a long time to hear surround, I can be patient and enjoy what I can get here and now.