Dolby Atmos for Music: Must-Know Facts for Recording Artists & Music Producers

Read time: 15 minutes

Begin Your Journey into Dolby Atmos Immersive Spatial Audio

Ready to start your journey into Dolby Atmos and immersive audio? There are some key facts you need to know, whether you’re just beginning or have already started. Let’s explore these together.

You might consider some of these points simple or common sense, but they are all very important before you spend time or a dime on an Atmos setup, and definitely before diving into producing or mixing for immersive sound.

Atmos vs. Stereo: The Fundamental Difference

Before investing in an Atmos setup or starting to produce in the format, it’s crucial to grasp the fundamental differences between traditional stereo and Dolby Atmos.

Dolby Atmos is an object-based audio format. This means it allows us to treat individual sounds as separate entities that can be precisely placed in a three-dimensional space. This contrasts with traditional production and mixing where sounds are typically confined to the space between the left and right speakers (or perhaps a bit outside, with depth added via reverb). In Atmos, we have a full 3D space to work with – it’s a whole different ball game!

There are two kinds of elements in an Atmos mix:

Beds

Bed tracks are essentially the foundational layers of a Dolby Atmos mix. Think of them as the main background sounds that provide a solid base for the music. They typically use fixed speaker locations around the listener, including front, sides, rear, LFE (low-frequency effects), and the top speakers.

• Channel-Based: They are positioned to specific channels (speakers) rather than being individually placed in space.
• Cohesive Environment: Bed tracks usually include multiple sounds that are panned across these channels to create a cohesive sound environment.
• Typical Use: In a typical Atmos music mix, you’ll often find just one bed track that combines various elements like instruments and vocals.

Objects

Object tracks, on the other hand, offer more flexibility and creativity in how sounds are positioned. Instead of being limited to fixed channels/speakers, object tracks allow individual sounds to be placed anywhere in the 3D space.

• Free Movement: Each object can be moved freely around the listener, creating a more immersive experience.
• Plenty of Options: You can have many object tracks – up to 118 mono or 59 stereo objects – allowing for detailed placement of specific sounds like a solo instrument or a sound effect that needs to stand out.
• Best Practice: While using object tracks can enhance the spatial quality of the mix, it’s often recommended to limit their number to avoid cluttering the sound. Experimentation is key here!

In summary, bed tracks serve as the core foundation of the Dolby Atmos mix, while object tracks provide additional flexibility for placing individual sounds in a three-dimensional space. This combination allows us to create rich and engaging immersive listening experiences.

Tools & Setup

Now that you understand the core concepts, you need to make sure you have the appropriate tools and a proper setup. You have two primary options for software:

1. External Renderer: The Dolby Atmos Renderer is an external piece of software by Dolby that you can purchase.
2. Integrated DAWs: Licensed and branded versions of the renderer are built into various DAWs like Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Cubase, and Studio One, offering built-in support for Atmos Music Creation and mixing.

The renderer software manages all the immersive audio processing. Compatible DAWs include built-in Atmos panners. You can truly do this entire Atmos workflow – from conception to delivery – just by using your compatible DAW of choice. You can produce a file that can be sent to your label or distributor for distribution to streaming platforms that support Atmos. At the time of this writing, this includes Apple Music, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, and a few others globally, with more being added.

But how do you listen to all this?

The Interface, The Speakers, Room Acoustics & Controllers

Well, you need a few key pieces of hardware besides your computer and the software:

1. Audio Interface: You need an audio interface with enough inputs and outputs to accommodate Atmos. Many options are available for all kinds of budgets, but you’ll need at least 16 channels in and out. Make sure you budget for cabling as well!
2. Speaker Setup: You need a speaker setup of at least seven speakers for the floor, one sub (7.1), and four speakers for the heights (7.1.4 is a common starting point).
3. Monitor Controller: Some sort of monitor controller that will let you control all these speakers is necessary.

To effectively monitor for Atmos, you also need some understanding of room acoustics, speaker placement, and calibration. And, you need to have an idea of what binaural audio is to understand how you can listen to a multi-channel, multi-object format in just a pair of headphones.

Let’s look at speakers and room acoustics first. Aim for a rectangular room, not square, if possible. Place speakers slightly off the walls where you can. Add as much absorption as you can in the room. A couch with pillows at the back is better than a bare wall or mirror. If you can afford to invest in some absorbers and bass traps for the corners, even better. There’s tons of info online and on YouTube about how and where to place acoustic treatment. Room acoustics are at least 50% of your result, so I would get cheaper gear and invest more in the room itself.

Get the best speakers you can afford. Research Dolby Atmos setups and get the speaker manufacturer’s recommendations for an Atmos setup (most likely included in the manual). Follow instructions to position them, then test and calibrate.

Headphones & Binaural Audio

Can you do this with headphones? Yes, you can, at least up to a certain level. Let me explain.

We need to understand what binaural audio is and how it applies to Atmos.

1. Binaural Audio: This is sound recorded or processed in a way that mimics how human ears perceive sound. This technique uses two microphones placed to simulate the position of human ears, capturing sound from different directions.
2. Binaural Rendering: To monitor a multi-channel/object mix in headphones, a process called binaural rendering is used. Very smart people write algorithms that trick our brains! The Dolby Atmos renderer (external or built-in) applies algorithms that simulate how sounds would reach our ears from various angles, accounting for factors like head movement and head, shoulders, and ear shape using techniques like head tracking and Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF).

And voila! You have a simulation in your headphones of how something would sound in a 3D space. Is it exactly the same as listening to speakers in a room? Not quite, but it will get you where you want to be making music in Atmos.

Audio in Space: Simple Rules

Another important thing is understanding some basic rules of audio in space – simple stuff you’ve experienced in real life but maybe haven’t paid attention to until now.

1. Distance and Direction: Sounds coming from the back and when further away are darker (less treble/high frequencies) and lower in level. If someone claps right in front of your face, it sounds bright and loud. If they clap behind you and further back in the room, it’s less bright and less loud.
2. Height: There isn’t as much naturally happening up high. Humans are relatively less prone to perceiving sounds coming directly from above. While you should absolutely experiment, I wouldn’t put a song’s main part exclusively up there.
3. Immersion vs. Mono: Things sound bigger, wider, and more immersive when they are not the same across many channels. Sending an acoustic guitar identically to ten channels all around you doesn’t give you an amazing immersive guitar; it gives you an annoyingly loud mono guitar across many speakers.

Controllers: A Cost-Saving Tip

We talked about monitor controllers earlier. Boy, some of these cost a lot, especially if they can do room treatment, speaker correction, and all that jazz. Even the more affordable ones aren’t exactly cheap.

But here’s a tip: You might not need expensive hardware controllers. Check out Ginger Audio Sphere. This software solution can handle everything you would ever need for monitoring control and calibration in an Atmos setup. It’s realistically priced software, not expensive hardware. This could potentially save you a few thousand dollars.

Atmos is a journey. The first 80% is relatively easy and happens fast. Yes, the remaining 20% is intense, but it’s an even more exciting journey. I won’t spoil the creative process for you, but I will point you to a few incredible Atmos mixes for some intense immersive inspiration.