Challenges of Multichannel

[laughingbear]

Dave, how important is multichannelrecording from your chair?

I say, CD is a species on it's way into extinction. 4-5 years may be?

I think that surround sound imposes new challenges and at the same time opens new fields of highly creative potential for the engineer.

I say that it is a great challenge to mix or remix in 5.1 or higher.

I guess you had a chance to listen toJames Guthrie's SACD remix of Darkside of the Moon? To me this work is an outstanding achievement, however, milage varies and I know people who did not like it. The late Frank Zappa was recognized in 2003 for his early pioneer works in multichannel. I wonder what he would come up with today.

Just tell us a little on surround sound from where you are sitting if you like?!....

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally posted by laughingbear

Just tell us a little on surround sound from where you are sitting if you like?!....

tiny little Belgium here with tiny little production budgets .... and that about says AND explains it all. As much as I would like to see surround develop more for musical projects, I doubt that we are very close to a breakthrough. A pitty, there's so much exciting stuff to explore in that field .... unfortunately it remains on an idealistic basis rather then a commercial basis ... at least for me ....

[laughingbear]

Hi Chris

I used to live in Belgium when I studied piano in cologne and aix la chapelle.

I am thinking of a small budget installation comprising Bluesky monitors, SPL controller and a couple of Lynx cards for starters. Well, to me it's really big budget as it is my hobby only, no income from my stuff....

However, I think with decent equipped DAWs, I licensed both Nuendo and Samplitude, and the above mentioned gear, you can setup a nice 5.1 monitoring to start with.

However, unfortunately "toasting products" like discwelder chrome are at a pricelevel that appears somewhat ridiculous to me, and I can see a need for more in that field. I think the new wavelab 5 can burn multichannel to dvd, didn't check it yet.

I can imagine that the demand on studios for surround production in music is tiny at this time, but may increase substantially.

From a composers perspective, it is a big challenge to change your ways and "think" in surround when composing.

Yeah, it's all early stages, however, to me it is the most exciting development in recent times and I can not wait to get my hands dirty.

Now we can realize 24/96 recordings to choose from MLP, DTS. Dolby, and with multiple mixes that allow the consumer to choose whether he wants to listen to the "audience mix" or the "stage mix" from a menu. .........Mindblowing

Sure, the target audience for such stuff is somewhat narrow right now, but I guess it will increase and become somewhat standard to have such choices on the medium.

P.S.
Can you believe it, I found a shop here that sells duvel and chimay!

[C.Lambrechts]

Originally posted by laughingbear

Can you believe it, I found a shop here that sells duvel and chimay!

probably have to pay an arm and a legg for it too huh ?

[Jules]

ICP studios in Brussels in the 80's used to have an old Coke machine / cooler that dispenced freezing cold, Duvel, Chimay, Trappiste and Hoegarten.. it would go on the clients bill!

Made for a er.... fun end to sessions every day

[laughingbear]

Chris.... Yep .... around 3 Euro for a chimay (red-version), and 2.75 for duvel.... welcome to Ireland, one of the most expensive countries in europe. LOL

Jules.... Roflmao, what a great idea! However, I take it the hardware rooms were locked up before the cooler was used.... Duvel kicks the living daylight outa people who are not used to it....

I am moving to the atlantic coast, County Donegal in 2 weeks more good music and much nicer people than in "dirty ole town"....

How about your clients Jules? Do you get the one or other demand on multichannel already or zilch?

[Wolfgang]

Ya still have to push it. 5.1 is a hard sell. When the client takes lunch do a quick and dirty mix in surround, toss them in the sweet spot, dim the lights and they will love it.

But, 90% of the time you will hear:

"WOW! I love it, but man, we're already over budget ...."

[grahluk]

Hmmm... multichannel. Still waiting. Here's a report from comercial post where I toil in the daytime. 5 years ago we built 2 rooms fitted and geared to do proper surround, THX approved, Dolby Prologic, and all. I'd say surround work amounted to probably .5% of work in there. More early on but it seems the clients don't bother with those mixes any more after the hype died down. Almost always stereo work in there now. The center amp and surrounds are turned off. We now have another room that is a full Dolby spec'd and certified room for doing AC3 work. That room and mixer does about 15-20% of his work in surround and he's one of the go to guys for commercial surround mixing for broadcast and film. I love the surround thing. Cool stuff. I don't think I see it being a big thing until there's a demand for it. Film's a given that it will always be multichannel so there's an outlet for that work. The next closest environment you'd expect it to gain ground is in the home TV/theater front. While more and more people are wanting and putting in consumer surround systems in their home I think it's far from critical mass before surround becomes a basic requirement for production. I think it will eventually get there though. I don't know though when if ever it will be more than a niche curiosity for music production. Think about how and where people listen to music. Hardly anyone outside of audio enthusiasts would sit down in the middle of a surround system to listen to music. If they are listening at home they will more than likely using it as aural incense. Listening, singing, and dancing along while they do other things in the home. Surround is wasted there. Where else do people listen? In autos and on headphones. Again I don't see surround big in either one of those. Maybe in autos but the emphasis there seems being able to rattle your lug nutz loose in the urban mating call rather than an immersive soundscape. Obviously surround will be with us from here on out and won't go the way of quad but DVD-A and SACD seem more important to us professionals and enthusiasts than it will be to the masses where production budgets matter. Just my $.02