New 5.1 setup

[the19thbear]

Im setting up a new 5.1 facility, mostly for sound design, not generally mixing. I want 5.1 capability.

Currently i have Pro tools 12HD, Avid omni, mac.
I will be using the omni as a 5.1 monitor controller/volume control.

I dont need super big speakers (small room) and i already have 2 adam a7x's (which i like). I plan on getting 2 ax3's for Ls/Rs and another a7x for center.

I also need a sub. I am thinking of getting a the sub8 or sub10 Mk2.
The sub only has stereo inputs, which gets me thinking that the sub is meant for a bass management system?



Im not super knowledgeble in the bass management department, but im thinking that i'll just output the avids .1 output (channel 4 in my setup), to the left input of the sub and im good to go?

I'll be feeding all the other monitors directly from the avid outs, not through the sub.

Does this make sense and seem correct?
Thanks:)

[reichman]

Looks like that sub only does stereo bass management. The Omni doesn't do bass management (as far as I know).

So if you want to run true 5.1 bass management, you'll need to do one of the following:

•do it in software (Waves 360)

•do it with a device that goes between the OMNI and your speakers.

•do it with a sub that works in surround. Yes, they're expensive, but it's a good investment.

[the19thbear]

But i actually dont want to do any bass management. (or why would i? please enlighten me:)

Why wouldnt this sub work with surround? Its just a single channel that i send to, after all.

I might not be understanding this, so feel free to explain. Thanks!
:)

[reichman]

Check out the Sticky's on the topic on Gearslutz.

To make a long story short, bass management is a method for splitting a full range signal between the sub and the satellites. Nearly every consumer 5.1 system uses it, and unless you have a stunning set of 5.0 speakers, you probably want it on while working.

LFE is a totally separate thing. It's special access for mixers direct to the sub. Nothing to do with bass management. If I was in your room cutting SFX across the LCR space, I would probably be itching to hear that bottom octave that the Adam satellites can't provide, but a subwoofer can. I don't own A7x's but judging by the size alone, I'm sure they can't reproduce deep bass.

[the19thbear]

I think i kind of get bass management. It takes what ever is below a certain freq and sends it into the sub, no matter what channel it is in. So it isnt a discrete channel in this case. Its a sum of all the channels below a certain freq.

I know in our 5.1 mixing room we have bass management disabled, so the re-recording mixer can decide what he sends into the sub.
Why cant i just work the same way? He will take over my session anyway.

If i can work that way (bass management disabled), cant i just get the adam sub and send the .1 channel into the left channel only?

i'll read up on the topic on gearslutz. Thanks!

Thanks and sorry for my noobness:)

[quadraphonics]

In small room you will need bass management because your 5.0 speakers cannot faithfully reproduce the low frequency content you will be sending to them. They are probably good to about 50 - 60Hz and then start rolling off (your surrounds being 4" woofers will start rolling off around 80Hz, if not higher). If you don't bass manage, you won't be able to make accurate mixing decisions on anything in that range since your speakers won't reproduce it.

By feeding that to the sub (it doesn't get printed into the LFE channel of your 5.1, just routed to the sub for monitoring- which is different) you let the 5.0 channels focus on the frequencies they can handle.

Randall

Originally Posted by the19thbear

I think i kind of get bass management. It takes what ever is below a certain freq and sends it into the sub, no matter what channel it is in. So it isnt a discrete channel in this case. Its a sum of all the channels below a certain freq.

I know in our 5.1 mixing room we have bass management disabled, so the re-recording mixer can decide what he sends into the sub.
Why cant i just work the same way? He will take over my session anyway.

If i can work that way (bass management disabled), cant i just get the adam sub and send the .1 channel into the left channel only?

i'll read up on the topic on gearslutz. Thanks!

Thanks and sorry for my noobness:)