Exploring the DOLBY A Trick with the Dolby A301, Dolby 361 and Standard Audio Stretch

Explaining the "Dolby A Trick" and reviewing the classic Dolby 361, the original Dolby A301, and the new Standard Audio Stretch. We try the Dolby Trick on vocals, drums, and even strings and explain it all with Pete the Bearded Dragon. Mixing tips and secret weapons? Sure!
Music Producer and Mixing Engineer, David Peters walks through it all from his home recording studio, Oak House Recording in Pasadena, CA.
In this video we just cover the hardware units, but there are also plugins available like the Overloud Dopamine, Acustica Nebula patches, and even just a standard multiband compressor can approximate the effect.
www.oakhouserecording.com
IG and FB: @oakhouserecording
Featuring the song Turkey Vulture from the band Under the Rug. ‪@UnderTheRugMusic‬

[@ThisGuyDude]

What an incredibly delightful video. Absolutely the best video I've seen on the Dolby trick, and I'm so happy to see that you did it with two versions of the original hardware and those super awesome looking standard audio stretch devices. It's almost impossible to find a Dolby trick video using the actual hardware in a way that's not just a playthrough of a little bit of program material. Instead you have us a full expose of the history and the considerations and the possibilities. It took me two years to finally find a Dolby 365 and get some cool mod cards. It's such a delightful device, really great to see that that Stretch device is able to capture so much of the original! Thank you so much for this. It's literally a perfect KZbin video, and is what this platform was created for.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Wow, thank you. I'm trying to keep it light and fresh while still being useful. I'm glad it's landing! I really appreciate the comment.

[@Kharrari]

Sooooooo goooooood

[@briankehew579]

Acoustic guitars on some Eagles records were done this way, one track normal, one track with EnCoded Dolby A, blend to-taste,. It brights out brightness on the low-level stuff while keeping back brightness on anything loud.

[@davidpetersmusic]

I didn't know that! ...but it makes sense. I like a touch of the dolby on things like finger-picked acoustics, mandolins, etc unless they were tracked overly bright. But a ribbon mic plus a little dolby can be quite nice.

[@markblack2365]

Great info. I love the saturation of the 301 in full band mode.

[@davidpetersmusic]

RIGHT?!?! That low-mid splat can be special on things like snare especially.

[@markblack2365]

​@@davidpetersmusicIs the 301 a borrowed piece or is it yours? Just wondering because I would love to send drum stems and have you apply that.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@markblack2365 It’s mine!

[@GrimmusiKRecords]

Such a well made video tutorial- been curious about these units and treatments for a long time - really helped me understand what’s going on

[@davidpetersmusic]

Awe, shucks! I'm glad you could interpret beyond the bearded dragon and that it helped! Enjoy!

[@ErikAnders]

Wow those stretch look cool AF

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@ErikAnders They’re fun and helpful too!

[@lovebirdsmusic]

man i think you create the best content on this platform. great presentation, great gear that hasnt been shown many times on here ... its fantastic! thanks from berlin!

[@davidpetersmusic]

That's as high a compliment as I could ask for! Thanks you for the support. It means a lot, especially on these first videos!

[@martinsmith3978]

One of the best education and demonstration videos I have seen. The A/B comparisons as well realtime adjusting controls while playing tracks were clearly audible and connected to your explanations perfectly. I loved the lizard and the humour (kudos to your animator😊). Thanks for sharing your knowledge and the work that entails ✌🏻

[@davidpetersmusic]

That's a thoughtful bit of praise and not lost on me. Thank you! I'll tell the animator you approved of his work. 😎

[@Rhuggins]

How strange the universe can be. I was randomly thinking, “man, a comprehensive video on the Dolby Noise Reduction technology would be super interesting”. There isnt a lot out there that breaks it down in a technical way. With Dolby Atomos, it got me thinking about Dolby as a company and how long they have been around. That was just a few days ago. Then bam! You release this video. How cool. Absolutely love your setup there by the way. Great choices

[@davidpetersmusic]

My favorite piece of studio kit is the implant I put in your brain! But really, thank you, I sincerely appreciate the appreciation. I was thinking the topic might already be covered more than enough, but I noticed there was no demo of a 301 or the Stretch. I should do a video on those studio choices. They took a long time to figure out.

[@stubrakon9683]

Great video thanks! Always used to record with Dolby b/c on and turn it off for playback on cassette 4 track years ago. My friends did the same. 😀🤘😎👍

[@davidpetersmusic]

These youngsters just don't understand! 😉😎

[@brucema12]

Brilliant! JUst by happenstance I stumbled on your channel and love your approach and vibe. Being a somewhat "age-challenged" audio engineer, I have used the Dolby units for the exact purpose you demoed. Found out about this in the 90's from one of Mutt's techs, and you are indeed correct in regards to his use of the same. Great demos. I look forward to hearing more from you.Peace!

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@brucema12 Glad you stumbled in! If used well, age simply becomes wisdom. I’d rather be age-challenged than wisdom-challenged! Thanks for the comment and support.

[@paulov9626]

Just discovered your channel, subscribed after the first few minutes. Love the concept of "misusing" bits of equipment in a creative manner, versus just reaching for the latest "flavour of the month" plugin.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thanks! I'll be misusing another piece of kit in the next video as well. All of these are well-established misuses, but that shouldn't stop us from searching for new ones!

[@paulov9626]

@@davidpetersmusic Completely agree. I often misuse DSP algorithms for interesting audio effects. An example, the Dolby dBx A and B NR systems used in the 70s and 80s, I have a pretty good approximation as a plugin I wrote and have made provision for variable de-emphesis. It can go from completely over the top and sibilant to a more gentle setting of just adding some "air" to a track or mix.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@paulov9626 I love that you can create unique tools for yourself by writing software!

[@CalebMcLellan]

Dude. Your channel is going to blow up. Great content, keep it up!

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@CalebMcLellan Thanks for the encouragement, I’m glad you’re digging it! Don’t have tons of free time to make videos, but hopefully more to come!

[@CalebMcLellan]

@@davidpetersmusic I totally understand that. I produce videos for a living and I'd love to start a channel, I just never seem to have enough time to get something up. Thanks for sharing what you can. I love your approach. You've got a great vibe.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@CalebMcLellan If I can find ways to get more efficient with the whole process, that would be a great start. You pr support means a lot!

[@shaferproducergod]

This is the second video of yours that ive watched that you knocked out of the park keep it coming we locked in now!! 😂🔥🔥

[@davidpetersmusic]

Deep thanks and welcome! Working on the next one now but I don't think there will be any bearded dragons cartoons, sadly.

[@revokdaryl1]

Very nice! Does this also work with DBX noise reduction units? Incidentally, back in the day, some musicians, producers and engineers preferred DBX to Dolby because DBX worked across the whole frequency spectrum. Vangelis was noteworthy for having DBX units in his Nemo Studio, which can be verified on the Nemo Studios website. However, he did use Dolby A for the final stereo master after the multitrack DBX tapes had been decoded. Apparently he liked the sound the DBX units gave his recordings.

[@davidpetersmusic]

I've never tried the DBX and don't hear about it much. BUT... that could be one of those undiscovered secrets!

[@KoendeJong]

I liked the ''Sever-en'' joke so I subscribed

[@davidpetersmusic]

This is my new favorite reason to subscribe. I appreciate it!

[@ronpaulismyfriend]

Great video - I love using my Stretch on drums and synth

[@davidpetersmusic]

I haven't tried this track on synth yet, I'll have to do that!

[@markseagraves5486]

Great video. This was a fairly standard technique in film and TV for dialogue for years. Many dub stages in LA had a kind of DIY rig with a small fader box patched up to a card cage. Really great on soft spoken voices. Easy to over do…

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thanks! I think I included a photo of one of those boxes you mentioned with the card cage, but I didn't remember it was a film-centric thing. This is why KZbin can be fun, collecting additional insights!

[@tihinter]

Afaik, in film there was a commercially available regular product called Dolby Cat43A, that was this fader box mentioned. It was not DIY. Anyhow, many people built something similarly for themselves, surely.

[@SamIntharaphithakOFFICIAL]

Awesome VDO. Thank you very much. I have an Looptrotter Emperor 500, which does a similar thing but does't have as many settings as the Stretch.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thank you! I'll check out the Looptrotter as well!

[@tythesoundguy]

The animation is so good! Loved it! Great explanations, great audio examples, great vid! Looking forward to seeing your journey!

[@davidpetersmusic]

Many thanks! Hopefully I'll find time to share some more fun stuff from the studio. I'll tell my boy you complimented his animation!

[@adee2569]

Great video! I use the Audiothing "TYPE A" plug in all the time. Hopefully I'll be able to get some 361's one day.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Where are you located?

[@adee2569]

@@davidpetersmusic Northwest Indiana

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@adee2569 I'm selling my 361's, but I'm on the other side of the country and you're probably thinking more in the future.

[@gabrieleponticiello6842]

EXCELLENT content! Thank you for introducing me to the Stretch.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thanks! It's not as well known as I'd expect.

[@gabrieleponticiello6842]

@@davidpetersmusic I dug a little bit online... S.A. declares the Stretch "inspired by modified noise reduction units from the 1970’s and 80’s"... I understand 361, rather than 301...In fact in your video the 301 has such a vibey sound to it (maybe overloaded?) that the other two units simply don't have. Thanks again for the great test!!!

[@paulmisty8998]

Overloud Dopamine is a very good plugin emulation.

[@davidpetersmusic]

I shall check it out!

[@KevinSimpson031]

Great video, I've been a fan of the Gem Audio Dopamine for years. Please do a walkthrough of how to get those settings on your MB compressor to get the sound.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@KevinSimpson031 Thanks! It’s hard to know exactly what Dolby was doing in there, but if I wanted to approximate a 361 I believe the crossover points are 80Hz, 3k and 9k. I’m not sure how much they boosted them or the attack/ release settings, though I believe they are quite fast. However, I’m not sure the exact settings are the important thing. It’s more about the concept. Boost highs on a multi-band compressor, compress them aggressively, then blend to taste in parallel. It doesn’t need to sound just like the old units to be a successful approach.

[@tihinter]

Great video. Next up could be the history of the Aphex Aural Exciter. I own two of the mid-earlier units, being the Broadcast II. Afaik there were at least two models before these, each sounding quite different. The earliest had a tube amp stage!

[@davidpetersmusic]

I've never owned one or even heard one! Perhaps I can find one to borrow. I'm borrowing for the video I'm working on now, and I'm glad I did!

[@bandrewes]

wow that really is the 70s crispy drum sound

[@davidpetersmusic]

"Crispy" is a good word for it, especially if using the mod version.

[@Pteradactylist]

Very cool, never knew about this! Would love to grab those proQ presets 😅

[@davidpetersmusic]

I just winged it on the ProMB examples. I think the Dolby units crossover at 80Hz, 3k and 9k. If you search the internet a little you might find the approximate curves of each band. I think you can create your own settings to taste though! Just push some level and compress anywhere 3k or higher. The basic idea is simply blending in compressed high end.

[@LYSHEmusic]

What a great video! And you released it almost the same time with the new tape-emulation plugin from AirWindows (it's free and from independent developer), which has built-in flexible encoding-decoding stages of his variation of Dolby system. So it was nice to hear these real life examples of actual hardware units in this context, as well as your thoughts on it. I'm new to your channel, and seem like it's really great! Subscribing:)

[@davidpetersmusic]

Big thank you! This is the second comment about the fortunate timing of this video. The stars must be aligning in Dolby-World!

[@TheAzurefang]

What's the plugin from AirWindows called?

[@LYSHEmusic]

​@@TheAzurefang ToTape7 And also he has Dolby as a separate plugin if you don't need other features, it's called Dubly2.

[@Dysjoint]

​@@TheAzurefang toTape7

[@Soso-km8er]

I even think this trick was used on almost everything pop/rock in the 1970s - the top studio scene is pretty small and engineers and producers had an incentive to get top notch results every time - it was big money. All this 70s bubble gum pop has some of it for sure. I was thinking if regular multiband compressor wouldn’t give similar results wit lower bands disengaged.

[@davidpetersmusic]

I think you could definitely get similar results out of parallel multi-band compression on the top bands! I almost included that, but it just ended up being too much for one video. Part of the magic in the Dolby units is the audio transformers, especially in the big 301. That that shouldn't stop you from using the concept with any multi-band, hardware or software!

[@Zenvo-uu9tm]

Excellent video, big like

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@Zenvo-uu9tm Big thanks in return!

[@fastpeak]

awesome stuff david!

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@fastpeak Thanks! I’m so happy it’s landing!

[@Kateandcorey]

Keep going man! Loving your channel

[@davidpetersmusic]

It all depends on how many more dragons my kid is willing to animate! ;-) Thanks for the channel love. More to come!

[@Kateandcorey]

@@davidpetersmusic A true hero's journey awaits 🙂

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@Kateandcorey I find this comment surprisingly effective and motivating

[@Kateandcorey]

@@davidpetersmusic every word was carefully chosen and focus grouped to achieve just that effect

[@tihinter]

Interesting side fact: the Dolby 360 and 361 frame that holds those actual Cat-cardriges, has a significant influence in the units overall tone. I've got both, and whilst they only differ slightly in circuitry, they deliver very different HF tonality when swapping the Cat22 card between them. Might be a combination of silghtly different output transformer plus different PSU?

[@davidpetersmusic]

Agreed! The Input and Output stages in each chassis has a big influence on the tone, and the tone influences how each blends in the mix. It might seem subtle on the surface, but in context you really notice it.

[@kingyasofficial]

Have you checked out Gem Dopamine plugin? I think it's emulating the Dolby 361

[@davidpetersmusic]

I have not had a chance to hear it yet. I have used an Acustica Nebula patch of the 361 I liked a lot though.

[@JackNance22]

Another excellent post, David, I'm impressed with all the vintage Dolby hardware you assembled to compare, what a sonic and visual treat. Audio tools never cease to amaze me, and this was a new angle with nice results. The trick reminds me a little of the Aphex Aural Exciter, which were originally designed to add sparkle back to analog tape that had lost some luster. I'm surprised there isn't an Aural Exciter in your studio yet, would love to hear your take on those.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@JackNance22 I have never tried an Aural Exciter here! …or at least it’s been a long time. I have a goal of reducing my setup as much as I can without compromising what I can do and also doing as little processing in the box as possible. Simplicity is my new ‘thing’, but it’s a complicated journey to pull all that off!

[@JackNance22]

@@davidpetersmusic I hear you on reducing setup. Vintage Aphex gear can sell for super cheap and sounds awesome, that's why I still buy it. It's my only hardware that says "Made In Los Angeles" on it too, I dig that;)

[@davidpetersmusic]

I've always been impressed when I heard the vintage Aphex stuff.

[@siniswhatitis]

Awesome video! ❤

[@davidpetersmusic]

Glad you liked it!!

[@siniswhatitis]

@@davidpetersmusic yes very much so. I’m going to pick up the standard audio stretch because of your demo. I was looking into the 361s but with the added features of the stretch (and blend control) I have found what I’ve been looking for. Thanks.

[@davidpetersmusic]

Very cool! The easy presets and blend knob make them very effective indeed.

[@kellymichael9567]

The original Dolby units that use Dolby B I think. Are they worth modding or trying this trick.i have two. One is for a two track tape deck or reel to reel. The other is for an eight track.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@kellymichael9567 I wish I had experience I could share but I’ve never used Dolby B in this way. That said, I’m guessing all the units do some version of the same thing. You can always try plugging in a Dolby B unit and just encoding with that and see if you like it. I often use mine with no mods, so it’s just like plugging in anything else.

[@gabrieleponticiello6842]

Hi! If you mean "original" in the style of the 301 as seen in David's video, I had a chance to pick one up years ago but it did not work the way the 301 does. According to the manual, its principle of operation is different. But hey... give it a go. You might like what it does.

[@kos.studio9304]

Nice video. Thanks for all the hard work. Is that unit mono? so if you wanna use it on mixbus or something, you will need 2 unit?

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thanks! The 361's and Stretch units are each mono, but I have two of each in the video. The big A301 is two channels.

[@kos.studio9304]

@@davidpetersmusic 🙏

[@mhdighermuntazar]

Pete should be an industry standard

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@mhdighermuntazar Everybody needs one!

[@Powell19119]

Used Dolby C for vocals too

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@Powell19119 Interesting. Is there are particular machine you used?

[@Powell19119]

@@davidpetersmusic Fostex B-16 for Dolby C and my studio partner reminded me we got the E-16 soon after and that the Dolby S was a lot better and breathy. We never told anyone we’d used it. I learned it from a studio course with Dolby A for “air” and iirc he learned it from someone who worked with John Fryer of NIN etc notoriety

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@Powell19119 Sounds like the Dolby process itself was pretty consistent and could do the same basic job across revisions. Perhaps just the curves, crossovers, number of bands, etc, were adjusted over time.

[@Powell19119]

@@davidpetersmusic B to C was a big jump in character. Tapeheads is probably a good source for graphs and ratios. The info you seek is out there! :)

[@mathenoo]

Wow, RCA 44 + A301 without the card is istant john lennon's Alan White drums

[@davidpetersmusic]

There ya go! It's a fun sound.

[@pb3662]

Can you provide any more info on the Dolby 361 vs 363 please?

[@davidpetersmusic]

I think the 363 uses the "SR" processing cards instead of the "A" processing. Being newer, the SR was probably better for noise reduction, but maybe not as cool as an outboard effect. ...but, I've never tried it!

[@ThisGuyDude]

@pb3662 just chiming in here as a total non-expert who's had the SR and 22 cards for just a few weeks. It seems that only the 22 cards are typically modified; the 22 ones that I have are switchable modified so that you can click in and out the various Dolby tricks amongst the bands. But the SR cards that came with this 365 are not modified, and I don't really see any information about modifying the SR cards in the same way that the 22 cards are modified. I have played through the SR cards and in my decidedly inexpert opinion they sound like a more sophisticated and polished version of what David played through with his unmodified Cat 22 card. I actually *really* like the SR effect blended in parallel, it seems to bring up detail but not squash the perceived dynamic range as much as the Type A Cat 22 cards.

[@beyondgrooveproductions]

You should absolutely try the sr cards, they are amazing on drums, i actually prefer them than the cat22 cards for drums, in parallel obv cause they're quite drastic! Got the a301 too, love it too.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@beyondgrooveproductions Great insight on the SR, I’ll have to try that!

[@robertstevens1766]

@@davidpetersmusic Cat No 300 modules are both SR/A selectable by a toggle switch and work in the 363 chassis. I tend to use mine for their designed purpose but have experimented in the past. The A is useable but the SR I find to artifacty.

[@peterorany]

thank You!

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thank YOU!

[@matteonolli]

Wow, best video on Dolby processor ❤

[@davidpetersmusic]

Thank you, sir! Pete the Dragon gets all the credit though.

[@els1f]

Wait🤔 So they used OTT in the 70's too?! 🙃😋

[@JaviBello]

361 owner here! That littleunit it's one of my secret weapons!

[@davidpetersmusic]

They do a special thing when it's needed!

[@stubbadubs]

do you have the PRO MB presets perchance? best

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@stubbadubs I just guessed on the ProMB settings to roughly illustrate visually what’s happening. I believe the Dolby A crossover points are 80Hz, 3k and/or 9k. The compression also seems pretty fast and aggressive. Think of it as regular parallel compression but with only the highs active and boosted.

[@timrandolph3022]

great video! would be interesting to hear the same source material through a plug in version (gem dopamine or pro-mb?) vs the hardware. when doing my own comparisons, some hardware v software differences are negligible while others not at all (e.g. level-or v devil-loc). not in to cut into the sponsorship $ dolby is giving u (haha, i make joke). much love!

[@davidpetersmusic]

I agree! I did actually have some of that in the video initially but it got too long and complicated and direct comparisons were a challenge with level matching, etc. That said, the ProMB can do a nice job at consistent top end, but lacks the particular flavor (if you dig it). I've never tried the Dopamine plugin but I do have Nebula captures of the 361 which I've used a lot and like.

[@timrandolph3022]

@@davidpetersmusic check out gem it's cool. never had the chance to compare to real hw hence my interest :)

[@ksteiger]

It sounds compressed and brighter, lol.

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@ksteiger Because that’s exactly what it does! But in its own special way that can help… sometimes.

[@analoguewings]

Anyone know if Ace Frehley used the dolby trick on vocals? His vocals on Kiss songs have this really cool toppy but not harsh sound

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@analoguewings That trick became pretty common in the day I imagine. But also, you can pin the highs on an EQ when you’re working with tape and get away with it a lot more.

[@808chadda]

You have a twin 😂 lemme know if you wanna see, dude lives in Ireland

[@davidpetersmusic]

So many people I meet say they know someone who looks just like me! I've even had people stop me thinking I was someone they knew. Have you ever watched the early 2000s remake of Battlestar Galactica? I could be a Cylon copy.

[@imdanielchae]

i hit that subscribe

[@davidpetersmusic]

Many thanks! More stuff to come as time allows.

[@stevenbrown5695]

Why isnt this a plugin?

[@davidpetersmusic]

There are plugins of this! Search the comments and you'll find some favorites. I'm not too familiar with them myself.

[@ArloTarr]

Be cool to hear Overloud’s Dopamine plugin compared to these

[@davidpetersmusic]

That's been a popular request. I have not heard it yet myself. I do have an Acustica Nebula patch that works pretty well.

[@konradkarolczyk9138]

@@davidpetersmusic what's the name of this patch?

[@envisagefilmshouston]

WHEN YOU HEARING GHOSTS

[@davidpetersmusic]

I'll need this comment explained to me!

[@zvotaisvfi8678]

borrring

[@davidpetersmusic]

@@zvotaisvfi8678 This comment is Russian disinformation :-P