With surround sound becoming an integral tool in professional film, television and music recording, it’s imperative that you first determine the scope of the project at hand. Before doing anything else, assess the technical aspects in relation to the end user’s needs.

When you’re on a project, you need to know and trust the monitors. If you don’t properly calibrate monitoring, your project will come out skewed and won’t deliver the proper mix to the listener. For instance, if your rear speakers are below proper level, you’ll find yourself always trying to compensate by adding information to the surround channels. Later on, you’ll find out that everything is heavy to the rear, throwing the whole project out of kilter. When you can’t trust what you’re hearing, you end up wasting your creative energies trying to compensate.

Different types of program material and delivery formats often have specific needs and can present distinct limitations. For instance, if you’re working on a DVD-V project with music accompanying a live performance and you know it’s going to be put down in Dolby AC3 format, it’s best to monitor AC3 samples of your mix to make sure nothing is getting lost in the translation to compressed audio. If you’re losing elements, adjust the mix/compression parameters for the most satisfying result.

I find this to be a critical step to the success of all of my productions. Visualize the soundstage-the area in which you place the instruments and the effects-by determining the size of the “space,” where the elements will be positioned within the space and by identifying the listener’s perspective. Do I want to be the listener in the 10th row, or do I want to be on-stage looking at the audience? Having a clear view of where you’re going and the space you’re creating will result in a convincing sonic environment.

When considering the available elements, pay careful attention to whether there are enough to create the soundstage you desire. If you’re working with a minimal amount of information, you’ll need to determine what additions to the available source you’ll create to turn this into something that sounds natural in the big space you’re creating in the surround environment. There are a number of different approaches you can take. You can use effect generators, which simulate more space from a mono or stereo source. There are ways to split one track into five or six tracks, divide it off by frequencies and then simulate the sensation of more tracks. And then there might be times when you’ll want to play the source back into a larger environment and re-record it in 5.1, thereby giving the project more space. Additionally, keep in mind that the elements may not be clean enough once they are exposed in the surround mix, and you may need to pay attention to adjustments in the sources. This is also the time to address which elements will drive your LFE channel.

Simply figure out if the space exists in the recording (ambient tracks) or if you need to create the space. Typically, the one thing you’re looking to ensure is that you have a comfortable atmosphere for your mix to reside in, whether it’s a natural acoustic ambience or a sonic experience from another universe!

There is an old adage in film: “Don’t let the presentation distract the viewer from the plot.” Similarly, surround sound is meant to enhance the program, not distract from it. This applies to a pure music production, where the format should embellish the song or live performance, and to video production, where the audio enhancement makes sense and extends the story. As the industry shifts from SD to HD, it’s important that the audio quality match the video quality. The two are partners, and hopefully the combined result lifts the audio/visual experience to a higher level. Take caution that the format doesn’t distract the listener from being engaged in the program.

Work carefully to create a mix that makes sense from various listening positions; the audience isn’t always going to be directly in the center. For music mixes, I don’t like to pin the vocal in the center channel (typically the dialog channel for film). I find that anchoring surround mixes firmly in left front/right front will ensure that the audience will experience the benefits of surround sound from any seat in the house.

Jeff Glixman
Executive Vice President
StarCity Recording Company

Jeff Glixman is a Grammy-nominated producer, president of StarCity Productions, and executive vice president of StarCity Recording Company, a world-class facility located in Bethlehem, PA. For more than 30 years, Glixman has dedicated his life to music. From playing keyboards in a progressive rock band in the 1970s to producing and engineering some of the most recognizable and listened to artists in music history, he has helped shape the sounds of popular music for generations. Glixman is accomplished in all areas of music production and mixing.

Jeff Says Keep in Mind…
With surround sound becoming an integral tool in professional film, television and music recording, it’s imperative that you first determine the scope of the project at hand. Before doing anything else, assess the technical aspects in relation to the end user’s needs-is this project for DVD, broadcast or audio disc-and then focus on the appropriate production values for your project. For example, if this is a recording/mixing project, you need to start by thinking about how you’re going to record the event so your mix in the surround domain will deliver the best experience to the listener. This is also the time to think the project through from start to finish, including the technical issues. Are you going to mix the project within the software of a workstation or in a large-format console? Once you’ve figured this out, it’s time to start.

StarCity Recording Company
www.starcityrecording.com
3935 Rabold Circle South
Bethlehem, PA 18020
ph. 610.865.9455