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timbre4

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Since 2002/2003
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A few days ago I received a note from Stephen asking if I thought any QQ members would be interested in some topics from his industry sound experience. His bio is attached and his IMDb page:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/attachments/sk-2021-bio-pdf.72693/

IMDb page for films he worked on:

> I was the first Hollywood Dolby Film Sound Consultant. I supervised and contributed to the mix of many films such as the original Star Wars. I'm credited as the .1 in 5.1. And was also one of the first to use L -R to create surround tracks.
> I am now retired and have built a 9.1.4 system in our living room. As co-founder of Eventide I have a number of their H-Series digital processors and Pro Tools HD TDM from my home studio.
> I am using the Eventides and PT to upmix music and films to 9.1.4 with very pleasing results.

Do you think any of your members would be interested in my experiences and/or programming my upmixer? Or just exchanging thoughts and ideas?

Having read that, I replied that some members here definitely would! And he included the magic words: "I am happy to answer questions."

Please post you questions in this thread to get the ball rolling and based on the activity level we go go further with this. Quite possibly the upmixer topic blossoms into it's own Surround Sound Tech Talk?

Let's all welcome Stephen!
ENGAGE šŸ˜‰
 
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How did the surround mix process vary between different films and their budgets? What are some interesting restrictions you had to work with during development?
How's life? Do you collect surround music? What's your favorite album? If you had the chance to mix one album what would it be? What's your favorite fruit? Do you like bananas?
 
Hey Stephen! Welcome to QQ. I was curious if you had any thoughts on the sound mix on the original Star Wars trilogy in blu-ray/4k compared to the six-track version you did for 70mm theatrical exhibition. Apparently there have been fanmade attempts to reproduce that 6-track mix for home theater purposes, but I'm not equipped to measure their success.

I'm also curious if you could compare the experience of working on Star Wars and Close Encounters, I'm guessing in quick succession?

Thanks very much!
 
Stephen is dealing with a severe family illness at the moment and will be join us at a future date. In the meantime, a couple tidbits he gave me to share:

"Star Wars was mixed to a 4trk mag and after the film was dubbed we went to Todd-AO where the first-ever "Baby Boom" track was created and dubbed to one of the few 6-Trak mags in town. How this was done and how BB happened is a story unto itself."

"I am very happy to share experiences and techniques, and technologies. with the group. My favorite story is the story of the processing of the voice of C3PO. And of course pre-dubbing and mixing the creative and masterful sound effects of Ben Burt."
 
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How did the surround mix process vary between different films and their budgets? What are some interesting restrictions you had to work with during development?
How's life? Do you collect surround music? What's your favorite album? If you had the chance to mix one album what would it be? What's your favorite fruit? Do you like bananas?
It was more did they have the budget for stereo. I had the discussion with many a production manager, producer, studio.

When I went to John Peters office to discuss A Star Is Born, he asked, "Does anyone even know what Dolby is?"

I asked if he had a cassette machine in his office? He took me to a cabinet. There we were on our knees looking at a cassette machine. I pointed to the Dolby Logo and told him how many million were licensed. That is how we got to do Star Is Born.

The only big turn-down I ever got was from Mel Brooks, on Silent Movie. Bet today he wished he mixed it in stereo...s
 
Hey Stephen! Welcome to QQ. I was curious if you had any thoughts on the sound mix on the original Star Wars trilogy in blu-ray/4k compared to the six-track version you did for 70mm theatrical exhibition. Apparently there have been fanmade attempts to reproduce that 6-track mix for home theater purposes, but I'm not equipped to measure their success.

I'm also curious if you could compare the experience of working on Star Wars and Close Encounters, I'm guessing in quick succession?

Thanks very much!
I was only involved in the original. It was mixed as the convention then as a 4-track. Goldwyn (now a different name) didn't even have six-channel. When the mix was done we went to the original Todd-Ao to make a 70mm print master. That was where Baby Boom was born where I opted to just put bass derived from L/C/R on speakers 2 and 4.
 
I'd be curious to know how the .1 LFE was constructed initially and how it's developed as tools and devices change along the way.
Also, you must've had (still have) a lot of laserdiscs? ;)
LOL the laser disk player is in the garage.

My Baby boom was made by combining Left and Center, to Speaker-two, and Right and Center, to Four. the combines were second order low passed at 150 hZ. I like the higher low pass. Most LF channels today are too low and just sound more like drool than boom to me. But it is all about personal taste...
 
Oh! One more question! What is the biggest mistake (multiple are also fine) that you see many 5.1 engineers make?
Divergence!!! It is where they bleed the center into the left, the left into the center, same on the right. Why not just mix it in mono because that's what you get. I hate it! Also messes with matrix's...
 
Hey Stephen! Welcome to QQ. I was curious if you had any thoughts on the sound mix on the original Star Wars trilogy in blu-ray/4k compared to the six-track version you did for 70mm theatrical exhibition. Apparently there have been fanmade attempts to reproduce that 6-track mix for home theater purposes, but I'm not equipped to measure their success.

I'm also curious if you could compare the experience of working on Star Wars and Close Encounters, I'm guessing in quick succession?

Thanks very much!
Back to back. What a thrill. Going from George Lucas to Steven Spielberg. I got to do a lot on both pictures. In the original release I was the voice on the phone, "Listen Neery..." I still have the script Steven wrote out...
 
Divergence!!! It is where they bleed the center into the left, the left into the center, same on the right. Why not just mix it in mono because that's what you get. I hate it! Also messes with matrix's...
What about the use of reverb in a multichannel environment? Any tips, guidelines, recommendation, pet peeves?
 
What about the use of reverb in a multichannel environment? Any tips, guidelines, recommendation, pet peeves?


You are so sorry you asked that but I bathe in reverb.

On Star Wars I had one-EMT plate, and a live chamber. I used a tape delay of 30 ips, There is a really good echo effect where Luke and Lea have to cross a casa void.
By coloring echo you can match it to the drama because that is what it is all about for great sound.
 
You are so sorry you asked that but I bathe in reverb.

On Star Wars I had one-EMT plate, and a live chamber. I used a tape delay of 30 ips, There is a really good echo effect where Luke and Lea have to cross a casa void.
By coloring echo you can match it to the drama because that is what it is all about for great sound.

I should add that with multi discrete channels (Star Wars was a mono surround as CE3K) you can approach how we hear in real life. With CD's it makes them more interesting to the ear and adds a new reality...
 
You are so sorry you asked that but I bathe in reverb.

On Star Wars I had one-EMT plate, and a live chamber. I used a tape delay of 30 ips, There is a really good echo effect where Luke and Lea have to cross a casa void.
By coloring echo you can match it to the drama because that is what it is all about for great sound.
I am not sorry because when I reverb my music I drown it until it's dead! šŸ¤£ Interesting to note!
 
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