Full album now in Atmos
Listening to in Dolby Atmos Streaming, via Tidal/Apple/Amazon
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Maybe this isn't quite the right thread (I thought about putting it in it @~dave~~wave~'s headphone spatial audio thread), but it certainly speaks to issues that have come up here from time to time. Yesterday I stumbled upon a 2021 article that features a long testimonial from one of my favorite surround mixers, Nathaniel Reichman, who has mixed many of minimalist composer John Luther Adams's recent recordings in Atmos. (Several of them are available--some of them exclusively--on Apple and Tidal.) It's worth quoting at length. He's talking about doing a deep-dive on Tidal during the early days of the pandemic:
Here's the full article:
https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/production-expert-1/apple-spatial-audio-is-it-all-hype
Not having an Android device, I couldn’t listen to TIDAL in binaural. And as an Atmos mixer myself, I’d never been that thrilled with the binaural sound coming out of the Dolby Atmos Production Suite. So I will admit that I had turned up my nose to the binaural music experience.
While preparing an album for distribution on Apple Music, a very generous and thoughtful Dolby executive reached out to me and encouraged me to refine the binaural mix parameters in my ADM files. He was right. If I put a bit more effort into what worked and didn’t work in binaural, I could find that happy place in the Venn diagram where the loudspeaker mix was great, and so was the binaural.
I set up my DAW so I could switch between straight stereo and binaural quickly, and found that in some cases, I was making a better-sounding binaural mix in headphones than my finished stereo mix in headphones. That was a surprise.
A couple of months later, I found myself on the couch with Apple Music, my favorite pair of Grado headphones and my iPhone, toggling back and forth between the stereo and Atmos binaural mixes of St. Vincent’s outrageous new album Daddy’s Home. While it’s not my genre of music, the binaural mix of that album is hands-down better than the straight stereo. No contest. It’s funnier, more exciting, sexier. And on loudspeakers…? A hundred times more fun.
If the popular press is panning some immersive albums and praising others, they’re right. It’s not good just because it’s “immersive.” Immersive is a big new canvas, with a host of production pitfalls that I and my colleagues have fallen into (and climbed out of in most cases, I hope!).
Don’t blame the technology. Dolby worked really hard on the construction of this canvas. Now it’s our job to learn how to paint on it.
For me, the loudspeaker experience on Apple Music and TIDAL is very similar in sound. Some outstanding Atmos albums from my late-night listening sessions include Deutsche Grammaphon’s Albrecht Mayer: Mozart, Nidarosdomens Jentekor’s Magnificat (Morten Lindberg’s stellar work), Steven Wilson’s The Future Bites, Fantastic Negrito’s Have You Lost Your Mind Yet, Booka Shade’s Dear Future Self, Rhye’s Home, and my Best New Artist of 2020 pick: Pink Sweat$’ Pink Planet.
Here's the full article:
https://www.pro-tools-expert.com/production-expert-1/apple-spatial-audio-is-it-all-hype
Bretho72, I am questioning the meaning of your post...and you are liking it??
than = then
Yes, and need = needs, but still makes no sense to me. Sorry for being dull.
Just listened and it's pretty good. Plenty of discrete action in the heights, less so in the surrounds. The good news is it's definitely not an upmix!
I believe this is due a November release.
Trevor Horn mixed the album in Dolby Atmos himself, so hopefully it will be present here. At moment it’s showing Lossless only but that’s probably because many of the ancillary tracks will be lossless.
I think there’s disappointment that the Atmos version isn’t being released in physical format with the special edition version CD release coming.
Trevor Horn mixed the album in Dolby Atmos himself, so hopefully it will be present here. At moment it’s showing Lossless only but that’s probably because many of the ancillary tracks will be lossless.
I think there’s disappointment that the Atmos version isn’t being released in physical format with the special edition version CD release coming.
Last edited:
Bretho72
Well-known Member
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Sorry, was trying to type on phone but what I meant was that if the Atmos mix on Abracadabra isn’t great as it is a song that is made for Atmos with all the sound effects then Apple will never get it right.
This weeks new release from Aussie hip-hoppers exceeded my expectations.
Definitely not shy on utilizing the rear speakers- particularly for vocals it is an album that builds well both in content - and the audacity of the Atmos mix.
For those not familiar with Aussie hip- hop stylings it is certainly idiosyncratic- particularly in comparison to recent Afro- American hip hop artists and production techniques.
Noticeably it is far less sub-bass focused and far more choral delivery method- and this is where the rear speakers are used to good effect.
To be less jarring to those not familiar with the duo, I suggest to start with this track:
Those familiar with Linkin Park’s excellent track:
Will recognize guest vocalist Chali 2na which really enhances this recommended lead-in Hilltop Hoods cut.
Other standouts are the excellent Mamma Cass sample laden:
And the usage of a burst out of Speakers on the track:
Another great feature of the album is the excellent lead-in interlude elements labeled’ ‘The Thirst’ that on more than one occasion gave me those rare spine- tingling moments of immersion.
For non hip- hop traditionalists, give this album a go . You might end up liking it.
Definitely not shy on utilizing the rear speakers- particularly for vocals it is an album that builds well both in content - and the audacity of the Atmos mix.
For those not familiar with Aussie hip- hop stylings it is certainly idiosyncratic- particularly in comparison to recent Afro- American hip hop artists and production techniques.
Noticeably it is far less sub-bass focused and far more choral delivery method- and this is where the rear speakers are used to good effect.
To be less jarring to those not familiar with the duo, I suggest to start with this track:
Those familiar with Linkin Park’s excellent track:
Will recognize guest vocalist Chali 2na which really enhances this recommended lead-in Hilltop Hoods cut.
Other standouts are the excellent Mamma Cass sample laden:
And the usage of a burst out of Speakers on the track:
Another great feature of the album is the excellent lead-in interlude elements labeled’ ‘The Thirst’ that on more than one occasion gave me those rare spine- tingling moments of immersion.
For non hip- hop traditionalists, give this album a go . You might end up liking it.
scope for some Surround fun with this one but instead we get more Warner fakery
sounds nice enough but from a Surround pov i wouldn't call it absolutely brilliant, at all..
But Apple doesn't make the mixes.
Checking Bandcamp this morning for Bandcamp Friday I noticed this:
Which is exciting as the 10th Anniversary of Valtari resulted in it getting an Atmos mix, plus with the non answer of "nothing to announce at this time" when asked about more Atmos mixes... (and my vinyl copy has horrible surface noise. Apparently there was an official replacement program but I learned about it too late to use it...). The one bonus track is up on Apple Music as a (lossless only) EP...
I suppose I should share some Atmos releases here instead of talking about a potential one so: found this scrolling at 11 PM last night. More for those who want ambient:
Which is exciting as the 10th Anniversary of Valtari resulted in it getting an Atmos mix, plus with the non answer of "nothing to announce at this time" when asked about more Atmos mixes... (and my vinyl copy has horrible surface noise. Apparently there was an official replacement program but I learned about it too late to use it...). The one bonus track is up on Apple Music as a (lossless only) EP...
I suppose I should share some Atmos releases here instead of talking about a potential one so: found this scrolling at 11 PM last night. More for those who want ambient:
alansanchez86
800 Club - QQ All-Star
I would have loved a physical release of this, but at least we're getting a digital one...
Sigur Ros - ( )
Sigur Ros - ( )
harync
Senior Member
Not a huge fan of Ms. Grande, but the Atmos mixes are decent and the title track has some amazing bass on my system.
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