2024.3: new "custom re-renders" Offline Bounce doesn't work?

[Fabi]

So, according to the release notes of 2024.3, it should be possible to offline-bounce the newly added "custom re-renders" (Dolby ATMOS functionality). However, I can't seem to get it to work.

Context: For a radio drama series that is mixed in Stereo, I want to use some binauralised elements very sparsely in some of the episodes. Instead of sending my whole mix through the ATMOS Renderer (into a stereo bed or something), I only want to use the Renderer as a kind of "binaural Send FX" - I send a couple of Tracks as Objects to the renderer and return a binaural custom re-render via AUX Return back into my Session. There it is combined with all the other non-ATMOS Elements into a Master Mix Bus (Stereo).

--> all this works as intended during normal playback and when printing the Master Mix Bus in to an Audio Track in realtime. But every time I try to offline bounce this same Mix Bus (or the Output, to which it is routed), the custom re-render Return is silent.

things I already double checked:
* I'm using the internal Renderer
* I created a new "custom re-render", not the default "stock re-render" (headphones)
* I tried different playback engines on different workstations (PT Ultimate and Studio behave the same way)

Could be that there is something really simple I missed, but I'm at my wits' end right now. Any help or ideas for further investigation are greatly appreciated!

(I'm using PT Ultimate 2024.3 with macOS Ventura on a M2 Mac Pro and HDX Hardware)

[foret_sombre]

Are you choosing beds + objects in your re-render window ? The right groups as well ? Are your object tracks in "play" mode ?

[its2loud]

https://avidtech.my.salesforce-sites...ion&popup=true


Can I bounce the main output of my session to get a Dolby Atmos mix?

Not directly. While it is true that the output of the internal Dolby Atmos renderer does feed your Monitor Path, if you choose your Monitor Path as your “Mix Source” in the Bounce Mix Window, you will only bounce signal from the session that is routed directly to this output. Similarly, if a live re-render is assigned to a track input, and then that track’s output is bounced, signal from the re-render will not be included in the bounce.

If you would like to bounce a channel based mix of your session, the correct way to do it is to bounce a re-render. This is also accomplished in the Bounce Mix Window. Instead of choosing “WAV (BWF)” as the File Type, you choose “WAV (Dolby Atmos)”. From there, you can enable the “Create Re-Renders” checkbox. You can optionally create a Master File (ADM) file at this time, but it’s not required. If you have not configured any re-renders yet, you must do so before adding them to the Bounce Mix window by clicking the “Configure” button. This is important because it allows you to choose the format of the mix that you’ll be exporting, as well as any other specific elements of the mix that you’d like to include or exclude. The great thing is that you don’t have to bounce just one re-render at a time. You can configure multiple variations and export them all at once.

[Fabi]

thanks for the replies!

@foret_sombre: I did choose "full mix" as content for the custom re-render (beds an objects are included), I don't have any groups assigned and the objects are correctly routed. Everything sounds like it should sound during normal playback. Only when offline bouncing, the re-render is silent.

@its2loud: I'm aware of the avid article you cited. But this article is from before the release of Pro Tools Version 2024.3 - which introduces the "custom re-render" Functionality I'm writing about. From the release notes of 2024.3:

Custom re-renders
[...]
Do not follow the mutes in the Dolby Atmos renderer window.
Can be bounced from the Bounce Mix window.

I don't want to offline bounce the re-render only by itself. I want to offline bounce the Mix Bus of which the the re-render is a part of.

[foret_sombre]

So you use the renderer as an insert inside your session? If so I can understand the conflict PT is having, it's not usual to use the result of the renderer mixed with the rest (as non-Atmos tracks). Maybe PT processes Atmos tracks differently as normal tracks in offline renders as you can choose Wav (Atmos) or Wav (BWF) in the offline renders parameters.
I think you don't have the choice but to first re-render your objects which are binauralised by the renderer in one track (as a Wav (Atmos) in the offline renderer), then your Mix Bus which isn't meant to be rendered by the Atmos internal renderer (without the objects of course) as a Wav (BWF).

edit : there are plenty of binaural processing plugins if you don't want to make multiple offline renders (and more lenient than the Dolby atmos renderer).

[Fabi]

yeah, I think your're probably right. It's not that big a deal, because we always print the Master in realtime and in that case my routing setup works. But it would be nice to be able to quickly export intermediate versions via offline bounce.

In the past I often used the free sennheiser AMBEO Orbit Plugin for binaural sfx - maybe i'll switch back to it for future projects.