Humble beginning questions

[alanmcmurray]

I realize I'm over my head. The gap between my experience and most of your knowledge here is vast. If no one cares to babysit me, I totally understand. I'm simply a retired musician/engineer that as a hobby helps a local theater and church. I guess everyone thinks they need a "video" these days.....just like in my time they needed an album or cd. One project I recorded the audio for is wanting to have a DVD made of their production. The audio was recorded well; it was simply mixed to stereo since in the beginning this really wasn't going anywhere special. However, they've hired a (very arrogant) video editor to author their DVD and given him the video files. But since I mixed the original audio, he is requesting:

1-Left stereo
2-Right stereo
3-Left surround
4-Right surround
5-Center
6-LFE
7-Left rear surround
8-Right rear surround

I have a humble native setup. But I have the capability of running speakers in 5.1 via PT HD 11. I've mixed a bazillion projects since the days of tape. But nothing ever for surround sound. So I have questions that are total newbie to you guys, I'm sure.

For starters, is this even possible. Second, will I need different plugins.....(he's telling me I need a lot of Neyrink plugins that I'm reading up on). Furthermore, I assume what he is requesting is normally planned for and recorded as such from the beginning. In other words, more inputs and sources than just the band, vocal and stereo audience mics/lines this project was recorded with. So how does that translate into making a surround mix?

My first reaction was to blow this off and give him the tracks and let him deal with it. However, I'm intrigued at something new.....so...Thanks to anyone willing to patiently impart some knowledge.

[soundworx]

Standard DVD's don't support 7.1 audio, so he's being cocky. I think you have three options:

Smile and give him the stereomix

Invest in upgrading your PT system, speakers, subwoofer, monitorcontroller, plugins and room acoustics. Let a pro calibrate the system, give it your best shot with no previous surroundmixing experience and hope for the best. (it really is very different and comes with it's own set of rules and limitations).

Run the stereomix through an upmix plugin like: http://www.iosono-sound.com/vstaax-plug-ins/ , smile and give him a 7.1 version

[Brandonx1]

Originally Posted by soundworx

Standard DVD's don't support 7.1 audio, so he's being cocky. I think you have three options:

Smile and give him the stereomix

Invest in upgrading your PT system, speakers, subwoofer, monitorcontroller, plugins and room acoustics. Let a pro calibrate the system, give it your best shot with no previous surroundmixing experience and hope for the best. (it really is very different and comes with it's own set of rules and limitations).

Run the stereomix through an upmix plugin like: http://www.iosono-sound.com/vstaax-plug-ins/ , smile and give him a 7.1 version

Penteo or dts neural upmix are other upmixing plug ins I like a little better.

[soundworx]

Originally Posted by Brandonx1

Penteo or dts neural upmix are other upmixing plug ins I like a little better.

Must confess I only use upmix plug-ins for music in surround projects. Running a full mix through any of them sounds like poo to me, but hey, there's sound coming from all speakers ;-)

[nst7]

Alan, I sent you a private message.

[Craig F]

it's not even a standard order
SMPTE: L R C Lfe Ls Rs
Film: L C R Ls Rs Lfe
DTS: L Ls C Rs R Lfe

mix it 2.0, monitor it through a Pro Logic decoder
tell the client that the mix is surround and stereo compatible

[sw rec]

Run the stereomix through an upmix plugin like: http://www.iosono-sound.com/vstaax-plug-ins/ , smile and give him a 7.1 version

THAT's intriguing! I have Minnetonka Dolby ProLogic Surcode on the way to ENCODE discs so they'll play normally as a CD, or Dolby 5.1 when an encoder is present. Would this be a nice supplement to actually CREATE the surround mixes? Any idea about the US exchange rate? Only saw the price in Euros...

[Southsidemusic]

$1 = 0.78c Maybe 5c plus or minus
€100 = 126 USD plus minus a few dollars




How much was it as we are very interested aswell

Thanks
Christopher

[philper]

1st question: do you have a multitrack original to remix a 5.1 version from? Or by saying it was recorded to stereo you mean that the stereo mix is all that there is for this show? For me, if you CAN remix from multitrack to 5.1 then it's worth a try if you want to do it for what they'll pay you. If you have only your stereo mix then I'd pass that along and not do any sort of upmixing to 5.1 or etc. Making that process not improve your stereo mix into a ruin takes some experience, could be overkill for the project anyhow, and you will need a calibrated 5.1 setup to do it correctly. The editor will have to take what you give him in any case, right?

philp

[alanmcmurray]

Originally Posted by philper

1st question: do you have a multitrack original to remix a 5.1 version from? Or by saying it was recorded to stereo you mean that the stereo mix is all that there is for this show? For me, if you CAN remix from multitrack to 5.1 then it's worth a try if you want to do it for what they'll pay you. If you have only your stereo mix then I'd pass that along and not do any sort of upmixing to 5.1 or etc. Making that process not improve your stereo mix into a ruin takes some experience, could be overkill for the project anyhow, and you will need a calibrated 5.1 setup to do it correctly. The editor will have to take what you give him in any case, right?

philp

Sorry for the unclear details. I meant it was a multi track recording previously mixed to stereo. So yes, I have access to the multi tracks. However, remixing to 5.1 is perplexing to me as there really isn't any "surround" information other than left and right audience mics. Placing instruments clearly "onstage" in rear channels seems a bit disconcerting to key taste. So I guess some things placed left, right or center based on the visual aspect would be appropriate.