Some LtRt quesitons

[Newpostguy]

Hi all, thanks again for helping me when I was thrown into my first LtRt Mix. That was an experience to say the least. Anyways a few things came up and I want to know what the proper way to deal with them are/is.

Fistly ref tone. Is it supposed to read -20 dBfs when its just an encoded stereo file OR is it supposed to read -20dBfs when its DECODED into Pro Logic surround. Seems impossible to have it read the same both ways no?

Secondly, I mixed with SurCode Sitting on my mix stem so I can hear how it would sound. But then it came to printing. I was not able to route the output of my 5.1 aux to a stereo audio track to print the encoded mix. Instead I printed the mix with the SurCode bypassed and then copied the settings I used to the stand alone version and encoded that way. Is there a way to route inside of PT and print real time to a stereo audio track?

In order to check that the stand alone encoding sounded alright I had to pop it back into protools. But the only way to get PT to allow me to shove Surcode onto a Stereo audio track was to throw a copy of the Waves UM (up mixer) which changed that tracks outputs to 5.1, I then bypassed the Waves UM and tossed on SurCode to decode and check the mix. Had to bust out some quick thinking cause it was late in the night but it did the trick. Seems messy though, is there a better way?

Cheers guys!!!

[originalscottyg]

To print your encoded LtRt stereo mix, output your mix stem to a 5.1 path. Then create a stereo track and assign its input to a mono-subpath (L & R) of the 5.1 path you are outputting to. If you want to listen to the decoded mix in real-time as you are mixing/printing, create a 5.1 aux track and assign its input to another 5.1 path. Then output your stereo LtRt track to a stereo-subpath of that 5.1 path and insert a SurCode plugin on that aux and set it to decode.
As far as the tone, are you putting -20 1k on each channel of your 5.1 mix feeding into the encoder? See this post. Postman's answer describes the expected behavior for tone running through the encode/decode process.

[Newpostguy]

Thank you!!

[Newpostguy]

Hey guys, is there a clean way to get dialogue to play on L+R with phantom center in an LtRt mix? Im trying to get interview subjects in a doc to be phantom center with stuff coming from the diegesis to be dead center speaker.

[Postman]

No, not unless you completely destroy mono compatibility.

[Newpostguy]

Have been considering that, what would be the method to do so? Slightly pan it to one side?

[kd_special]

I have always used SurCode. As a stand alone PLug...

So I mix in 5.1 checking it in stereo down mix and in Mono (The most important part of 5.1). And If they are good in those downmix positions I know that my LTRT will be perfect.

I then take the 5.1 stems throw them into Surcode (standalone) create the file (Non real time) and then just import it back into pro tools. and decode with dolby Box.

kd

[Newpostguy]

Just curious, KD what method do you use to check your mix in mono. To check stereo I use the SurCode or SoundCode dowmixer plug but in mono? what are your methods? thanks

p.s. Postman I replied above about the dials in L and R

[Postman]

Have been considering that, what would be the method to do so? Slightly pan it to one side?

Try that and you'll see how ineffective it is. In order to keep material out of the center speaker, you must make left and right channels non-coherent. Traditionally, this has been done with a DDL between L and R. Send mono to Left directly, and to Right through a DDL. If short enough and with relatively ambient material, the delay may not be too noticeable. I personally hate the effect. The decoder's steering mechanisms may have trouble, too, and may behave in unexpected ways. This is the major compromise with LtRt matrix'd audio.

[Newpostguy]

Damn that blows, I guess we gotta save the good stuff for the DVD. Thanks man.

Curious whats the best way to check 5.1 in mono? Stereo downmix - > stereo tool panning L and R to center?