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Old 04-22-2012, 02:42 AM
Greg Malcangi Greg Malcangi is offline
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Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 511
Default Re: 5.1 mixing Pro Tools 10

This is really a question for the Post & Surround forum.

You can create Dolby Digital encoded 5.1 mix, look at the plugins from Neyrinck. However, for theatrical release (35mm film) you need a Dolby Digital encoded Print-Master and this can only be created by a Dolby Approved mixing facility. For digital cinema a DCP (Digital Cinema Package) is created which doesn't require any type of Dolby encoding, just straight wav files. The major problem is one of translation, a 5.1 mix created in anything other than a mix stage specifically designed for the purpose will not sound the same when played back in a cinema. The further you are away from the large theatrical mix stage, the further you're going to be from an acceptable translation. Even a professional (5.1 equipped) music studio won't do, so with a home or project studio you really don't stand a chance.

Pro Logic is a home (consumer) format rather than a format designed for theatrical release. Although it is closely related to Dolby Stereo, which is an old cinema format still created as part of the print-mastering process and printed on the 35mm film but today is almost never used for primary playback. I'm not sure whether Pro Logic II would actually work or not on a cinema decoder (probably, with certain limitations) but it's certainly not the primary method used to distribute a 5.1 theatrical mix.

G
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