Universal Music to Remix Thousands of Songs Into Dolby Atmos

[admsh]

All kinds of articles popped up since yesterday about a Dolby and Universal partnership to release "thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos".

In an email to TechRadar, a Dolby representative explicitly mentioned “What’s Goin On” by Marvin Gaye, “7th heaven” by Beck, “Drive” by R.E.M. and “Mama said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J

UMG is working to remix thousands of songs in its catalog, transforming them using Dolby Atmos technology. Artists from hip-hop, pop, rock, jazz, and classical music are all getting the immersive treatment.

Here are a few of them:
https://www.techradar.com/news/dolb...e-releasing-thousands-of-songs-in-dolby-atmoshttps://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/05/23/umg-dolby-atmos-partnership/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-theater-sound-to-streaming-music/1198076001/

 

[4-earredwonder]

All kinds of articles popped up since yesterday about a Dolby and Universal partnership to release "thousands of songs in Dolby Atmos".





Here are a few of them:
https://www.techradar.com/news/dolb...e-releasing-thousands-of-songs-in-dolby-atmoshttps://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2019/05/23/umg-dolby-atmos-partnership/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech...-theater-sound-to-streaming-music/1198076001/

While the 'prospects' sound enticing for those who are currently equipped to handle 7.1 Dolby Atmos in their home systems, my question would be the actual DOLBY ATMOS Standard for dolby~atmos equipped movie theaters was 62[!] speakers and the recent D~A demo at the Capitol studios utilized 16 speakers [why 16?] so what are they trying to sell us. Is this another MQA~like enticement to sell more music....and hardware?

As we at QQ forum are well aware, it has been a long, tough and IMO, rather fruitless effort to sell Joe Q. Public on 5.1 systems for their homes/vehicles. And while more modern receivers are equipped to handle up to 11:2 speakers, there is NO current software, AFAIK, to properly test such a system. Auro 3D [9:2] remains the closest.

So theoretically, will mixing down 16 channels of music to 7:1 be even feasible with current technology if this what the Capitol Studios demo 'suggests?'

And will [gulp!] Meridian's MQA play a part in 'streaming' [squeezing?] all those channels over the internet to our home computer devices?

Yes, DOLBY ATMOS music would be wonderful for older and of course more current music 'remixes....' but are consumers who have been unwilling to even go the 5.1 route buy into this latest enticement from Universal Music which in the not so distant past certainly botched their Blu Ray Audio launch?

Dolby is also looking to entice 'other labels' meaning, I assume, Warner and SONY ......... but even if they do sign on will DOLBY ATMOS for MUSIC become as mainstream as DOLBY LABS is anticipating? And what uber~talented remix engineers are going to be tasked with the remixes and what picking and choosing of back catalogue and newer material will 'enjoy' the D~A upgrade. Sounds like another QUAD/5.1 potential disaster to me...in terms of execution.

Stay tuned for this ONE!

 

[skherbeck]

Do discs with “Dolby Atmos” mixes usually have 5.1 mixes as well? Or 7.1 mixes? I have no plans to buy more speakers, but I would purchase music mixed in 7.1 that I could reduce to 5.1 manually using Audacity.

 

[Philip Spinner]

So is this what Giles Martin has been up to since the White Album.

 

[dobyblue]

Do discs with “Dolby Atmos” mixes usually have 5.1 mixes as well? Or 7.1 mixes? I have no plans to buy more speakers, but I would purchase music mixed in 7.1 that I could reduce to 5.1 manually using Audacity.

Typically there is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 or 7.1 track encoded within the Dolby Atmos track.
Any 7.1 track would play in 5.1 on your system without the use of Audacity.

I upgraded to 5.2.4 earlier this year after adding a Panasonic 4K OLED to my HT and being determined to enjoy the object-based tracks on my new 4K Ultra HD discs, it has been wonderful. Usually I've been a purist as far as upmixing goes and will listen to CDs in pure direct stereo etc., because I found 99% of the time I didn't enjoy what PLII or Neo6 were doing, but man Dolby have been doing some work because I am now finding about 70%+ of the digital stereo files I'm listening to sound terrific with Dolby Atmos upmixing on. And existing 5.1 material sounds even better!

The only studio album I have in Atmos is Giles Martin's mix of Kick (INXS) and it sounds terrific, looking forward to whatever UMG come out with.

EDIT - oh I have BT's Electronic Opus with a 9.1 Auro3D mix too, I'll have to revisit that one and see how it sounds. The Atmos tracks on the live discs I have from Mumford & Sons and Hans Zimmer are a treat.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Do discs with “Dolby Atmos” mixes usually have 5.1 mixes as well? Or 7.1 mixes? I have no plans to buy more speakers, but I would purchase music mixed in 7.1 that I could reduce to 5.1 manually using Audacity.

I was at 7.1 and went down to 5.1...and that works the best for my space...as movies aren't a big part of my plan anymore...5.1 for audio is perfect...the audio world is starting to resemble the video world...they are trying to sell 8K displays when only a tiny percentage of viewers have embraced 4k....and as Ralphie correctly pointed out...people wouldn't even buy speakers for a 5.1 setup...what makes these people think someone is going to buy 9 or more speakers...they will be marketing the ATMOS soundbars....that will be interesting to see and hear

Technology has a long history of bad timing...just because you can build something that can do all these things...doesn't mean that you should do it now.....IMO if they would have waited to introduce 3D technology in TV's when they had reached a higher resolution...it might have had mainstream adoption....they could have had 3D without the glasses....and that would have had a chance to become popular..

 

[Clint Eastwood]

So is this what Giles Martin has been up to since the White Album.

Also...forum member Steve Genewick

 

[fredblue]

While the 'prospects' sound enticing for those who are currently equipped to handle 7.1 Dolby Atmos in their home systems, my question would be the actual DOLBY ATMOS Standard for dolby~atmos equipped movie theaters was 62[!] speakers and the recent D~A demo at the Capitol studios utilized 16 speakers [why 16?] so what are they trying to sell us. Is this another MQA~like enticement to sell more music....and hardware?

As we at QQ forum are well aware, it has been a long, tough and IMO, rather fruitless effort to sell Joe Q. Public on 5.1 systems for their homes/vehicles. And while more modern receivers are equipped to handle up to 11:2 speakers, there is NO current software, AFAIK, to properly test such a system. Auro 3D [9:2] remains the closest.

So theoretically, will mixing down 16 channels of music to 7:1 be even feasible with current technology if this what the Capitol Studios demo 'suggests?'

And will [gulp!] Meridian's MQA play a part in 'streaming' [squeezing?] all those channels over the internet to our home computer devices?

Yes, DOLBY ATMOS music would be wonderful for older and of course more current music 'remixes....' but are consumers who have been unwilling to even go the 5.1 route buy into this latest enticement from Universal Music which in the not so distant past certainly botched their Blu Ray Audio launch?

Dolby is also looking to entice 'other labels' meaning, I assume, Warner and SONY ......... but even if they do sign on will DOLBY ATMOS for MUSIC become as mainstream as DOLBY LABS is anticipating? And what uber~talented remix engineers are going to be tasked with the remixes and what picking and choosing of back catalogue and newer material will 'enjoy' the D~A upgrade. Sounds like another QUAD/5.1 potential disaster to me...in terms of execution.

Stay tuned for this ONE!

cheer up, Ralphie!
more surround music can only be a good thing, whatever flavour it comes in!

 

[stormchaser]

At the risk of sounding smug, I'm set up. Let's see what these sound like! But yeah, the path to large scale adoption of this sort of speaker setup seems.....arduous.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

At the risk of sounding smug, I'm set up. Let's see what these sound like! But yeah, the path to large scale adoption of this sort of speaker setup seems.....arduous.

You don't have to apologize for being tech savvy...my reluctance to adopt is more about my lack of space and the configuration of my listening area.....just wouldn't work in my space...

 

[Strilo]

I just got an Atmos receiver and I have a 4k player. I only have 5.0 right now, but I say bring on the content.

 

[Circular Vibes]

I feel the same way Clint. I live in a smallish 1 bedroom apartment. I am wondering what this means to me as I use an Oppo BDP-83 set to 4.0 into a quad receiver. Will there still be surround tracks on newer Atmos discs to play or should I just pass them by? I have no desire to upgrade my receiver and don't have any room for a second setup. Most new equipment won't be backwards compatible for my legacy gear and I am too heavily invested in it to start over again. I assume there will never be an outboard decoder for Atmos like there was for earlier Dolby formats.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

Do discs with “Dolby Atmos” mixes usually have 5.1 mixes as well? Or 7.1 mixes? I have no plans to buy more speakers, but I would purchase music mixed in 7.1 that I could reduce to 5.1 manually using Audacity.

Great question. I am stuck with a 5.1 system and will not be expanding to more speakers. Hopefully, this will be compatible.

 

[Bonzodog]

https://www.prosoundnetwork.com/recording/umg-to-remix-thousands-of-songs-in-atmos

 

[proufo]

Remix a thousand songs?

By a capable producer?

How many years will that take?

Or will that be derived upmixes, with little or no human intervention?

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Remix a thousand songs?

By a capable producer?

How many years will that take?

Or will that be derived upmixes, with little or no human intervention?

Human intervention...there will be a human at the controls...but having said that...with more channels...there will be more latitude about where instruments are placed....I'm sure some on here will be distraught...I can imagine the posts now...."why did they put the drums on channel 9...it's right over my head"

 

[ubertrout]

As I understand it, Dolby Atmos has a TrueHD 7.1 core, with additional object-based channel information for AVRs that support it.

I have a 7.1 setup but honestly I suspect 5.1 is all I need for almost anything. Atmos is really for movies. But still...more software is a good thing.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Human intervention...there will be a human at the controls...but having said that...with more channels...there will be more latitude about where instruments are placed....I'm sure some on here will be distraught...I can imagine the posts now...."why did they put the drums on channel 9...it's right over my head"

But I do suppose the thousand 'disparate' song releases, RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE ALBUMS THEMSELVES, is an intriguing concept in which the individual can make up their own select playlists rather than committing to an album purchase in which only a few hit songs are actually present.

As many QQers have pointed out......when the studios did release QUAD in the 70's, their one mistake was releasing NOT the hit albums themselves but rather the albums which came after which didn't contain the hits.

By just releasing individual HIT songs [which I'm presuming is the goal], that new marketing strategy just might fly.

But to paraphrase Clint ....... unless remix engineers with Steve Wilson, Elliot Scheiner, Bob Clearmountain, etc. 'credentials,' are at the helm, in the hands of lesser remix engineers [and there are plenty of them], the task of remixing literally thousands of songs into Dolby Atmos might be cringe~worthy, at best.

But kudos to Adam who did shine brightly with his statement to me ..... NO SURROUND REMIX in his opinion is a bad thing and might just open those floodgates for a new 2020 and beyond Surround renaissance!

Furthermore, LOSSY DULLBY DIGITAL will be a thing of the past ..........so let's make room for the new DADDY ...... LOSSLESS DOLBY ATMOS ........and no more bitchin' from 4~ears about the demerits of LOSSY codecs!

 

[admsh]

But I do suppose the thousand 'disparate' song releases, RATHER THAN THE ENTIRE ALBUMS THEMSELVES, is an intriguing concept in which the individual can make up their own select playlists rather than committing to an album purchase in which only a few hit songs are actually present.

As many QQers have pointed out......when the studios did release QUAD in the 70's, their one mistake was releasing NOT the hit albums themselves but rather the albums which came after which didn't contain the hits.

By just releasing individual HIT songs [which I'm presuming is the goal], that new marketing strategy just might fly.

But to paraphrase Clint ....... unless remix engineers with Steve Wilson, Elliot Scheiner, Bob Clearmountain, etc. 'credentials,' are at the helm, in the hands of lesser remix engineers [and there are plenty of them], the task of remixing literally thousands of songs into Dolby Atmos might be cringe~worthy, at best.

But kudos to Adam who did shine brightly with his statement to me ..... NO SURROUND REMIX in his opinion is a bad thing and might just open those floodgates for a new 2020 and beyond Surround renaissance!

If this kind of strategy can pave the way for a surround renaissance I'm all for it... But the thought of having just a selection of hit songs in surround makes me very worried... How frustrating it is to listen to Peter Gabriel's Play, or The McCartney Years, not being able to listen to the entire albums and just getting a taste. It's a total tease for anyone who, like me, loves listening to the albums. Is there anyone who really loves music and only listens to hit songs? Anyone who loves music enough to want to listen to it in surround sound?

 

[proufo]

By just releasing individual HIT songs [which I'm presuming is the goal], that new marketing strategy just might fly.

It hints of streaming-only or -mostly.