June 27, 2019 How Working In Surround Sound Affected My Stereo Mixes
Guest post by Stephen Bartlett. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper
We all know the saying: “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
For me, when I’m mixing a track or an album, I feel like I’m painting a three-dimensional picture. Using panning, frequency sculpting, and volume adjustments as my tools, I’m creating something that will transport the listener somewhere else in space and time (which is why I love music so much). So surely, this three-dimensional, transformative picture is worth like ten thousand words!
Of all the memorable lessons I’ve been taught over the last 15 years, I think learning to mix in surround sound has helped me paint that picture as vividly as possible, each and every time. Here’s why.
A few years ago, I got an incredible opportunity to go work at Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands, on a multi-year placement. For those who don’t know about Wisseloord, it’s truly one of the greatest studios in the world, not just for the richness of its history (The Police, Def Leopard, Elton John), but for its spellbinding rebuild, led by engineering great Ronald Prent between 2010 and 2012.
During the rebuild, they brought back the very best of their long past, including spending six entire weeks seeking out the original wax that was used on the wood — because nothing else they tried had the same reflective qualities.
They invested in the future too. They had a new type of cable designed for them, that was oval in shape because it offered greater signal to noise ratios for their long, multi-room cable runs. Both studios 1 and 2 were configured with identical control rooms, both set up with PMC BB5 XBD speakers for 5.1, and both could be bumped up to 9.1 or 10.1 when required. For the next few years, Ronald and I switched between working the two studios, and two different consoles, never having to worry how the room or speakers sounded.
Ronald, who at the time was a co-owner of the studio, is considered by many to be one of the greatest music surround mixers of all time. Early in my stint in Wisseloord, Ronald suggested to me that every mix I do, I do in surround and stereo. Given his résumé, I acquiesced, and thus began my journey into surround.
The two consoles we used were an API Vision and a Euphonix System 5. Both of these had multiple mix busses (the 9.1 and 10.1 on the API did require some extra attention) allowing us to simultaneously mix in stereo and 5.1, with the stereo not being a fold-down of the surround. This is crucial, otherwise I would have been doubling my mixing time. The API also had linear pan controls, allowing me to quickly switch the position of a channel without having to compensate for volume change. (*Be sure to read up on panning rules and how they apply to movement within the spectrum vs volume.)
Having spent the prior decade mixing only in stereo, my first forays into the world of 5.1 channel surround sound were as subtle as being hit by a dump truck. I’d pan one guitar to the hard back right and another to the hard front left. The drums were all over the place, and I tried some panning automation that was truly gross.
My prior experience with surround sound was mostly through blockbuster movies, which tend to over-exaggerate the positioning of sounds to create an atmosphere that is larger than the room you’re in. But, and perhaps more importantly, the sounds are assisted by visuals, while the music is not. So any exaggeration in the sound is, well, like it’s being exaggerated.
“I felt like I was inside the music — not like I was in the band on the stage, with guitars, and drums around me, but like I was submerged within the music. It was the pool and I was swimming in it.”
For those who aren’t familiar with 10.1, it’s a 5.1 setup with both a quad set up in the air facing down, toward the listener, and a “voice of god” speaker directly above the listener. It is becoming more widespread in home entertainment, and Audi, BWM, and Mercedes are all beginning to add it to the sound systems in their higher-end luxury cars.
When I walked into one of Ronald’s mix sessions in 10.1, the impact was instant and game-changing for me. I felt like I was inside the music — not like I was in the band on the stage, with guitars, and drums around me, but like I was submerged within the music. It was the pool and I was swimming in it. I remember turning to my assistant and saying, “this is how music is meant to be heard.”
When you’re mixing music in surround, you shouldn’t hear the speakers, you shouldn’t know where they are in the room, you should just be in the music. That might sound obvious. That’s also how I’d felt about stereo mixes: that a good mix should seem larger, wider, and deeper than the speakers, so that they seem to ultimately disappear.
“Turning down is often more effective than turning up.”
So began my 5.1 mixing in truth. Subtly changing the panning and the front to back (which can equate somewhat to volume within a stereo mix) allowed me to create mixes which were immersive. There wasn’t a huge amount coming out of the rear speakers, but that’s alright, after all, everything we have in a studio is a tool to create. That doesn’t mean we need to use everything or turn every effect up. Turning down is often more effective than turning up.
Having extra depth and space allowed me to find more room in my stereo mixes — room that already existed, but that I hadn’t even considered filling.
So, hidden space can be used by turning things down that don’t need to be at the forefront. And you can EQ and pan things together to move them to the upper left, even if there are only two speakers. In the end, like everything involving mixing, it’s about learning how to hear differently, how to explore the tiny amount of space you have, and how to fully use it to transport the listener somewhere else entirely.
It may not be easy to get access to a 5.1 system for mixing, but if you ever do have this opportunity (or if you can seek it out), after a few days, you’ll find that your stereo mixes will vastly improve as well.
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With over 15 years of experience Stephen Bartlett has worked on multiple top ten records in 11 countries, with albums that include #1’s in Austria and Norway, and with multiple Gold and Platinum certifications with charting albums in over 20 countries. His work in music therapy research awarded him the Intelligent Health Award in 2017 and a place as a finalist in the 2018 SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards. He originally hails from Australia, where albums he worked on have received OzMusic and QMusic awards, and have been shortlisted for the Australian Music Prize.
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For what reason do organizations utilize Corporate Travel Agencies?
This may be the most fundamental inquiry for a travel organization concerning why they have to utilize offices gaining practical experience in corporate travel when there are a lot of normal travel operators in the market. Here is the significance of corporate travel organizations who have online frameworks which permit business travelers access to their total agenda.
The accompanying data is at the fingertips of the CTAs:-
full business schedule subtleties
exceptional following subtleties of flights (counting delays or rescheduling)
straightforward insights regarding extra costs, for example, things expenses or in-flight charges
travel cautions, assuming any, in the predetermined territory
complete and state-of-the-art insights concerning the visa acquisition arrangements and distinguishing proof required
cash necessity and transformation rates
What do corporate customers anticipate from Corporate Travel Agencies?
Arranged Fares
The Corporate Agencies will in general have tie-ups with lodgings, vehicle rentals, flights and so forth giving them access to bring down admissions which can be utilized just by the regular business travelers. Limited costs are by all account not the only favorable position however as they likewise offer flight overhauls, room redesigns, and VIP registration lines as required.
Top to bottom data about the travel business
Corporate travel specialists approach many travel assets and in particular, rapidly, than some other recreation travel operator. Extra data makes the work excursions helpful and agreeable.
Changes in Itinerary
At the point when an aircraft ticket needs to get rescheduled or dropped, odds are the carrier or the online specialist organization will charge elevated expenses. When booking with a corporate travel specialist, the vast majority of the occasions plan changes should be possible at zero or negligible additional charges.
Reasonable crisis contacts
It is essential for the business travelers to contact the right individual at the need of inconvenience. Corporate travel specialists have the experience and demonstrable skill to calm worry for both the traveler and the organization.
What you have to consider as corporate travel increments?
Business Travel Barometer detailed that corporate travel is seeing a quickened development. In any case, when ineffectively oversaw, it might be never again favorable position to organizations and may, in reality become a weight. There are a few elements which the enterprises and CTAs must consider to get the best out of the time spent traveling.
Embracing a travel approach
The corporate must characterize a travel approach which is pertinent to and regarded by travelers at all dimensions. This arrangement ought to be utilized to build up the measures which will follow the improvement of business travel. It will in the end help to lessen the expenses of the whole bundle.
Try not to restrain the traveler's self-sufficiency
The administration is in charge of planning the travel strategy which improves cost the executives in any case, it is likewise fundamental to give a level of self-sufficiency to the traveler. The arrangement should be sufficiently adaptable to enable the worker to adjust the excursion according to the circumstance.
Traveler's security ought to be a noteworthy concern
Business travelers need security set up. The organization needs to adhere to its meaning of principles to guarantee the representative's respectability. The CTAs should have solid accomplices (travel protection, carriers, inn networks and so on.).
Portability and computerization
To improve time and facilitate the procedures, the organization of the executives stages ought to have mechanized procedures. This implies they ought to receive portable arrangements where seek choices, travel alarms, ticket reservations and so on can be gotten to rapidly, effectively and in a hurry.
Corporate Travel Trends in 2016
Corporate travel patterns will in general change normally. 2016 has likewise not been any extraordinary and the travel the executives organizations (TMCs) and corporate travel offices (CTAs) are very engaged to give enduring if not solid pivot everywhere. A developing MICE part, interests in versatile and enormous information and improved spotlight on obligation of consideration are a portion of their regions of core interest.
Rising costs
The merged trendy expression among worldwide providers, airfares, inn rates and so on is the rising charges. It is once in a while the move of the providers to produce limits which empower travel if there is a solid decrease sought after. A positive 2016 world economy has been getting an expansion air tolls of a couple of rate focuses, inns are relied upon to see 4%-6% ascend in normal worldwide rates and the challenge will stay moderate in the vehicle rental administrations.
Obligation of consideration
Hazard the executives is one of the real purposes of accentuation for organizations. Corporate clients are enabling new strategies and improved technologies to screen representatives' area in the event of a crisis, particularly when they are traveling to outside goals. For example, Concur Risk Messaging recognizes the travelers moving around on the planet and cautions them with substitute travel course of action as and when required.
Concentrating on MICE
Gatherings industry is a noteworthy developing area and the corporate travel pattern is creating on it. The corporate travel organizations should better begin adjusting the different gathering obtainment systems with its transient travel sourcing. One of the ways could be to expand the assortment of meeting administrations by fusing impetus trips inside it.
Putting resources into technology
A more keen spotlight on expanding esteem and ending up more traveler-driven should be possible by acquiring portable well disposed technologies. Versatile and huge information are certainly the two most huge technological ventures which any corporate travel organization must concentration to make their stage all the more engaging.
Business travel examination after Brexit
Following Brexit, ACTE and CAPA shared their hypotheses. As per them, the best transient consequences for the travel business will originate from the debilitating of the pound against other world monetary forms. Greeley Koch, official chief for the Association of Corporate Travel Executives said that the business travel industry will incline on money changes; with certain organizations exploiting the more fragile pound and traveling more, while others may retain business travel until world markets locate their very own dimension.
Effect of fear mongering on corporate travelers
Travel approach producers and heads should be guided by rising psychological oppression alarm. For administrators and staff undertaking travel for the benefit of organizations, the travel operators and corporate travel offices (CTAs) ought to demonstrate the consolation for their security through the travel approaches. It is more than likely that the overviews led over corporate travelers mirror the general worry of the worldwide business travelers about the spate of fear mongering. Notwithstanding, there is no denying the way that fear monger danger is changing the examples of business travel. The key effect of this is to remember that the organizations giving travel administrations to business travelers need to improve their attention on security and the related dangers in conveying the administrations to corporate customers. As indicated by an ongoing discovering, travel supervisors have higher estimation of their arrangement's viability in tending to chance contrasted with distrustful business travelers.
Closing
In spite of the fact that the corporate travel part has kept on advancing, there are a plenty of difficulties looked by the business. A quickly changing buyer showcase, the rise of new plans of action, the effect of technology, man-made and characteristic emergencies are a portion of the support indicates that need be considered before arranging corporate excursions.