Why is everyone so jazzed about ATMOS?

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More than one musician thought the mono mix was/is the correct one, John Lennon, for example. They were/are, quite simply, wrong.

Doug
Their accountants would disagree with you. Also consider the fact that, at least through Sgt. Pepper, the Beatles were only present in the room for the mono mix.
 
I remember in the mid-60s factoring in the extra dollar on the price of a stereo album, the fact that all my 45 rpm singles were mono, as was my bedroom record-player.

It was only since I got my 5.1 system running that I realized my entire treasured collection of vintage Jamaican reggae re-issues on CD are mono. Pretty obvious when the DPLII surround sound field collapses to the center speaker decoding mono.

Happily switch to 5-channel "stereo" to fill the room with duplicate track from every speaker.

To get this thread back on topic ;) :
Now we have Atmos, can folks do the same thing and get all 9.6.4 speakers blasting a Phil Spector "dome of mono sound?"

That might get me a little "jazzed." 🤓
 
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I remember in the mid-60s factoring in the extra dollar on the price of a stereo album, the fact that all my 45 rpm singles were mono, as was my bedroom record-player.

It was only since I got my 5.1 system running that I realized my entire treasured collection of vintage Jamaican reggae re-issues on CD are mono. Pretty obvious when the DPLII surround sound field collapses to the center speaker decoding mono.

Happily switch to 5-channel "stereo" to fill the room with duplicate track from every speaker.

To get this thread back on topic ;) :
Now we have Atmos, can folks do the same thing and get all 9.6.4 speakers blasting a Phil Spector "dome of mono sound?"

That might get me a little "jazzed." 🤓
Phil Spector’s vision was the Wall of Sound. As great as that was, we QQers view a single wall as a serious limitation.
 
I have been laying low on this thread as I have recently transitioned into retirement bliss... (not a good excuse for not contributing). Many people had different reason for expanding their surround listening capabilities. My first 5.0 system came about after two factors; 1)My brother bought a new system with DVD-A and I loved the surround and 2) to enhance my movie listening experience. Never looked back and technical enhancements through the years to get my current 7.2.4 configuration. I really like the Atmos mixes I hear in music and movies but I want to say how much ALL non-Atmos material sounds better with an Atmos setup. Yes my Marantz is synthesizing stereo or 5.1 input to fill all the Atmos speakers but I really, really like it! People should consider that an upgrade to Atmos is not just for the current crop of Atmos material but for everything you listen. At least that is what I have found and enjoy about an Atmos setup.
 
I have been laying low on this thread as I have recently transitioned into retirement bliss... (not a good excuse for not contributing). Many people had different reason for expanding their surround listening capabilities. My first 5.0 system came about after two factors; 1)My brother bought a new system with DVD-A and I loved the surround and 2) to enhance my movie listening experience. Never looked back and technical enhancements through the years to get my current 7.2.4 configuration. I really like the Atmos mixes I hear in music and movies but I want to say how much ALL non-Atmos material sounds better with an Atmos setup. Yes my Marantz is synthesizing stereo or 5.1 input to fill all the Atmos speakers but I really, really like it! People should consider that an upgrade to Atmos is not just for the current crop of Atmos material but for everything you listen. At least that is what I have found and enjoy about an Atmos setup.
I fully agree with this. I upmix all my two, three, four and five channel material to 9.2.4 via my Marantz 8805 via the Dolby Surround upmixer, which invokes all 13 channels. I could never go back to the original source. The degree of improvement varies with the source material and the number of original channels, but it is always better, more immersive and more involving.
 
I would never use the "just adding more equipment at more expense" argument and if I were younger (I will be 70 in October), I would be all over Atmos. I just don't think I could handle the ceiling speaker installs anymore.

Doug
I didn’t add ceiling speakers to an existing room in my previous house, but now that I’m retired and we bought another house, I re-purposed a bonus room into a dedicated theater. Basically a gut job that involved a floating floor, ceiling speakers, and lots of conduit.

My equipment still won’t decode or drive the added speakers, but it’s in the works. FWIW, I did most of the work at age 72. I’m 74 today, but I realize I’m doing a lot better than most of my contemporaries. I chose ancestors who achieved old age pretty well (both of my parents are alive and deep into their 90s).
 
I didn’t add ceiling speakers to an existing room in my previous house, but now that I’m retired and we bought another house, I re-purposed a bonus room into a dedicated theater. Basically a gut job that involved a floating floor, ceiling speakers, and lots of conduit.

My equipment still won’t decode or drive the added speakers, but it’s in the works. FWIW, I did most of the work at age 72. I’m 74 today, but I realize I’m doing a lot better than most of my contemporaries. I chose ancestors who achieved old age pretty well (both of my parents are alive and deep into their 90s).

Happy Birthday Mr Barfle! You are quite chronologically blessed. Oh, and your project sounds pretty interesting. Maybe post some pics??
 
I am aware the Beatles were pretty much involved in only the mono mix. That doesn't necessarily make the mono mix the definitive mix.

Doug

Only the last few albums the Beatles made COULD have been remixed to something more than stereo. The others were made by bouncing tracks on mono, 2-track, and 4-track recorders.

The only original albums made that have a good stereo mix are
- Revolver
- Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- The Beatles (White Album)
- Yellow Submarine
- Abbey Road
- Let It Be

The others are basically ping pong (all parts are on either the left or the right).

Let It Be and Abbey Road actually sound good in RM. There were enough parts panned to enough positions and post-multitrack added reverb effects to do this.

Yellow Submarine was probably made on multiple Foley or Moviola film tracks. Those machines can be connected and synched together to have as many tracks as they have machines.

The earlier albums have stereo mixes made from bounces made between two 4-track machines.

And the Beatles HAD to be involved in the mixes on all of these albums, since the bounced parts were recorded at different times. There could be no final mixdown made from all of the parts. The mix had to be known from the beginning to plan the sequence of bouncing.

From a 4-track tape, only the pan positions of the final 4 tracks can be adjusted to make a stereo or mono mix.

I have done a full surround mix using two 4-track machines. But I had to plan ahead to know where I wanted everything panned in advance, since I was bouncing stereo pairs.
 
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I didn’t add ceiling speakers to an existing room in my previous house, but now that I’m retired and we bought another house, I re-purposed a bonus room into a dedicated theater. Basically a gut job that involved a floating floor, ceiling speakers, and lots of conduit.

My equipment still won’t decode or drive the added speakers, but it’s in the works. FWIW, I did most of the work at age 72. I’m 74 today, but I realize I’m doing a lot better than most of my contemporaries. I chose ancestors who achieved old age pretty well (both of my parents are alive and deep into their 90s).
Good job. I retired at 62 and then my body basically was done. The only thing it's good for now is cross country skiing, E-MTB cycling, listening to music, watching sports and drinking beer. ;)
 
Good job. I retired at 62 and then my body basically was done. The only thing it's good for now is cross country skiing, E-MTB cycling, listening to music, watching sports and drinking beer. ;)

ahh.. they all sound like much more fun than work 😍 and the usefulness of your body in such happy pursuits is not to be underestimated! 😂🍺🤤🚴 🏈 🎶💘🤗
 
RE: the old age and activity stuff. I'm a little shaky on a ladder but I recent ran those cable raceways around my listening room (up and around french type double doors) for my rear and height speakers. I also hung my height speakers. It's not fun but I'm driven to make my music listening better especially if it's sweat equity vs money from a fixed income..
I haven't quite caught up with Mr Barfle but I'm 71. Good days and bad days, you just do it sometimes I guess because you need to.
I admire all you other old farts that just do stuff instead of bitching about it....or even just doing it AND bitching about it... also completely understand the physical challenges many of us now face doing things we never would have even thought about in younger days. So it goes.

As far as Atmos goes there's good, bad, and mediocre mixes but such is the same for your basic 5.1, huh? Some Atmos mixes (for me) require a little bit of "critical listening" to discern the benefits of Atmos as the effects can be subtle and others are in your face. It's all good. Hearing slipping but the damn volume knob still works!
 
RE: the old age and activity stuff. I'm a little shaky on a ladder but I recent ran those cable raceways around my listening room (up and around french type double doors) for my rear and height speakers. I also hung my height speakers.
AMEN.
It took me a week plus plus to get the tracks and the 4 speakers up for my Atmos rig.
A job I could have seriously finished in less than a day back some decades ago.
But there are times you just do what you gotta do at this time in life. ;)

"Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
Dylan Marlais Thomas
 
Watch the first minute or so and you can tell how this is going to end😬


Dude is not my cup of tea anyway. I prefer the term' Audio enthusiast' or home theater lovers myself.

Atmos is much better than 5.1 when done right in my view. I do however agree with Elliot Scheiner; most Atmos mixes are being done by inexperienced engineers who have never dealt with surround sound before. Many I am disappointed by. I find alot are almost great but need tweaking, which I can not do. Most of my favourite mixing engineers now have Atmos studios so that is great for the future.
 
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