The Dolby Atmos Music Curve

[@alex_ayers]

I think a great idea for any producer/engineer in this format is to not only calibrate the system to what feels best, but also (if you have the ability to do so) create a monitor profile for the Atmos curve. Similarly to how some studios use Avantone MixCubes for reference (or at least an EQ curve similar to them in your DAW), I think it is also good to reference with the Atmos curve. I have heard people using their stream deck with DADman to switch between bass management on/off as a reference as well. But like you mentioned in the video, learning what your speakers sound like in the room with reference mixes and listening to other music in comparison is probably the best way to go!!

[@rsauder]

Every now and again I totally happen upon a great new video/channel....this is one of those rare times! Subbed.

[@foxytv4896]

@goingto11 how do you actually listen in your studio to Atmos Mixes? Does your PT rig decode it? In my case, using standard RME interfaces, the only way to do this would be to stream the music via my AV receiver (Marantz SR6015) and then route the the Marantz preamp outs through my RME interface. I am really wondering.... Thank you for your work!

[@goingto11]

I'm glad you are enjoying the videos. This is how I listen to Atmos from Apple Music in my studio. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZbSpH13jLtpY9E

[@OneThenNone]

Great video!! I'm putting my room together and this topic is peaking in my head. I would imagine it is so content dependent. One mix with a build up of surround high frequencies will be effected different than a more sparse project.

[@goingto11]

I think the idea is that it is for use with all content because it's a tuning for the system.

[@OneThenNone]

I'm feeling like my binaural mix will not agree with my speakers when this curve is in place. I will revisit this conversation when I finish mounting speakers.

[@lisan_al-ghaib]

I'm thinking though, the high frequencies don't travel far and fall off. It's like being in concert grounds, the farther you are the less high end you hear so I'm wondering why they would recommend a rolloff when cinema speaker are very far apart from the audience.

[@ralphverdult]

Awesome, thank David! How did you get the Atmos curve into Smaart to compare? Can you download a plot for that or did you make it?

[@goingto11]

I think I had to create it myself in Smaart using the values I had from Dolby.

[@Peeties]

Dear Dave you have create your own Dolby Music Target Curve with more bass en lower roll of high frequencies; is it possible to get your curve for a measurement in REW

[@goingto11]

Well, to be honest, I'm not very familiar with REW and wouldn't know quite how to do that. I think the way it has worked is about a 3 dB / octave tilt down from 100 Hz and up. Below 100 Hz it rises to a haystack on the subs that is about +10 dB around 40-45 Hz.

[@Peeties]

@@goingto11 hello Dave your are talking about a haystack with a top of 10db with 40-45 hz? And you call it a haystack so it means starting at lower level by deep bass 10 etc; but more known target curves are starting in deep bass 4-6-8 or more Db than 75 db and go slowly down to 100 hz; did you discussed this issue with the dolby enginers? Want i do not believe that this is not with a reason, on fors will be suggested because of not so effective subs, but in HT we have all good subs? I am very curious about this

[@goingto11]

I have not spoken with Dolby about it. It's really just taste. If I do not have a bunch of low end in my room, I will overcook it when I mix. When I recalibrated last week for the new acoustic treatment, the end result looked very similar to Carl Tatz phantom focus curve, but with more bottom from the subs.

[@simonecorelli7371]

Is this curve for Studios, for Homes or both? Is it for Atmos movies too? Thanks!

[@goingto11]

Music studios mixing Dolby Atmos.

[@simonecorelli7371]

@@goingto11 are you saying home theater owners and movie studio engineers should not use this equalization? only Music Studios? thanks

[@goingto11]

Dubbing stages have their own curves and recommendations.

[@MrPilarek]

Is there a Dolby procedure available for downloading somewhere that explains how to calibrate speakers using Smaart?

[@goingto11]

I don't believe they have published anything for music studios. There might be documents for calibrating cinemas, though, which are very similar in process.

[@MDHeleniak]

Good vid Dave. I like the fact you calibrate yourself plus yo go out and listen to compare. How can a guy like me not trust a guy like you? :-)

[@paulovmendes]

I had a room calibrated to the Dolby Atmos Music Curve and some of the speakers sound different from others at the mix position when playing pink noise one at a time. I find it a bit weird. Even if you turn around your chair and face them directly, instead of just sitting looking at the front LCR. Do you experience that in your room?

[@goingto11]

If I fly pink noise around my room, it feels natural. If you keep looking at your center channel and put pink noise in different speakers, it will probably sound different because frequency perception changes as things go from front to back. Another thing you could be hearing is comb filtering from reflective surfaces in your room. When I first started working on big PA's, when playing pink noise, as I'd walk front to back in the room it was alarming to me that the pink noise would change. Then someone explained to me how the floor bounce was doing that for me and if my ears were down on the floor I wouldn't hear that. These kinds of things can make using pink noise tough to judge things by ear. What might be a better test is to take an instrument and fly it around the room and see if it feels natural to move it from front to back along the walls.

[@paulovmendes]

Hi Dave, thanks for your comments. Ya, well, I forgot to mention that the room EQ to the Dolby Atmos Music Curve is done on the Dolby DAR, not on the B Chain. Although the B Chain is calibrated by the Genelec GLM, as the room has a Genelec setup. So it´s kind of a curve superimposed on another calibration. But I have to say that the same effect that I´ve mentioned, was already noticeable before the room was calibrated to the Dolby curve. As you, I have mixed feelings about the Dolby music curve. For the some people, me included, having the curve applied for the sake of translation on other facilities is not the primary goal, instead it´s the way it translates to the end consumer listening device/setup is what really matters. If you for example, don´t have the curve inserted on the B Chain, you´re going to listen to Apple Music in Atmos 7.1.4 straight from the MAC/Interface to your studio speaker setup without the curve. So why not reference against to that instead? Makes more sense I guess, provided that your room acoustics are capable and the speaker setup is calibrated and frequency tuned to the room acoustics. I´ve been listening to some good Atmos stuff that is already released on streaming platforms on that room without the Dolby curve and it sounds great. I mean, as you´ve mentioned regarding the X Curve, those types of big cinemas don´t exist anymore and a lot of film content is now being enjoyed at the home in Atmos HE, where there´s no X Curve on the receivers, not to mention that a lot of people don´t even have a proper Atmos setup at home, it´s basically Soundbars and headphones/binaural when on the go. Same goes for the Music Curve in my opinion for music content.

[@Kirk-Monteux-Production]

So when this dolby curve has the idea to compensate a lot of air and long standing low frequencies in large rooms like a theater, why the heck we even care about this sitting in small studios producing tracks played on headphones, cars, living rooms? I really don't get it.

[@goingto11]

You're not alone....

[@isak6626]

Why is it called the Atmos MUSIC curve? Why not just the Atmos curve? Does Dolby have a different opinion about Atmos movie mixes that are to be played back at people's homes?

[@goingto11]

According to the Dolby Atmos Home Entertainment Studio Technical Guidelines: 2.7.2 Speaker EQ Acoustic room treatment should be installed to address any acoustical problems. Corrective speaker EQ should also be applied if room coloration remains. Target curves should be applied as relevant. For rooms with volume exceeding 125 m3 (approximately 4,400 cu ft), we recommend applying the modified X-curve standard. Refer to SMPTE 222:1994.

[@isak6626]

@@goingto11 Thank you. Do you know if there is a target curve recommendation for smaller rooms? I mean, when a movie Atmos mix is done for home entertainment purposes, isn't the studio about the size of a living room, just like where Atmos music mixes are made? I suppose they check movie mixes in large theater environments as well, but most of the work happens in a studio, even when the mix is intended for movie theaters, or?

[@goingto11]

@@isak6626 To my knowledge, there is currently one target curve recommendation for music. These are good questions, and I think I might do a follow-up video on this.

[@isak6626]

@@goingto11 Thanks! Yes, not least considering that some movies have a lot of music in them. In the home theater community, there is a lot of talk about EQ systems (Dirac, Audyssey etc.) and target curves, but most of the talk revolves around the "Harman curve" and variations of that.

[@adissabovic]

After screwing up cinemas Dolby is about to screw music too? Dolby needs to be stopped!