First of.. there are quite a lot of X-CURVE / FILM-CURVE posts on my blog and others... just do a search and you'll probably having reading material for a week.
in general the x-curve came about because
A. There was a lot of hiss in the old playback systems
B. The old amplifiers couldn't recreate Bass all that effectively due to power limitations.
What's left of the x-curve is that it is used to this day to match calibration in a bazillion different theaters around the US and around the world. If a theater is calibrated properly its "supposed" to should like every other calibrated movie theater that was calibrated. that's about it ... its all about DUBSTAGES and THEATERS sounding alike, and all those movies we love to listen to, all sound the same, no matter which theater we walk into, and no matter where it was mixed.
the dreaded x-curve is not really inserted into the mix. A professional dub stage and for that matter a good professional broadcast room should be calibrated. There are a lot of specifics to calibration other than just the EQ curve used in the room.
Rooms vary, not only according to size, but to shape, RT times, and a number of other variables. All need to be taken into account when designing a new room or simply fixing an old one.
No phenomenon here. Just plain acoustics. If you are going to play a product like your mix in a big theater, you need to either mix it in a big theater or set up a comparable room that "sounds like" a big theater. No other options than to simply guess at your end product while mixing, or as some do, after mixing a lot of project, adjusting their
perceived mix so that it "works" in the theater.
Frankly, I'm mixing a small low budget 20 min short and I'm taking it to SoundTRAX in NY to mix in the A room for this very reason. It's just a short but the client wants a theatrical mix, so he's getting one.
Professionals use the correct tools to do professional quality work. Don't skimp on the tool set. It like trying to build a car with a single adjustable wrench. you might be able to do it, but I wouldn't want to be your knuckles when you get done.
cheers
geo
