12.1 & Audiences (was: Mastering in General (was: RPM08 Mastering?))

[Martin Naef]

Hi Michael

Michael Z. - Noiseconformist wrote:
>> The recording itself is first order ambisonic - meaning 4 channels to
>> represent the sound field. At work, I play it back through a calibrated
>> 12.1 speaker system,
> 
> sweet!  I'd like to listen to this!!  :-)

Come to Glasgow then... It does sound pretty sweet indeed, but it's hard 
to describe. We don't have any demos that "show off" the 3D audio 
effect, but mostly real ambisonic recordings or simulations (anechoic 
recordings with convolution), but it's really quite an experience as you 
really feel like you were sitting in the audience.

> The 12 speakers, how are they set up/situated?

Imagine 3 levels: Ground, ear height, and ceiling. Each with 4 speakers. 
Ground and ceiling have front, left, right, back, whereas the ear-level 
is rotated 45 degree, giving front-left, front-right, back-left, 
back-right. All speakers are set up at an equal distance to the 
sweet-spot, although the playback system does compensate for some 
differences. Then there is the sub.

> Is there a standard for this?

"Standard" is eight speakers in a cube, but there are a lot of other 
arrangements, depending on the space and goal of the installation.

> On what did you put the recording?

Not sure I understand what you mean. I recorded the concert on an Edirol 
R4-Pro (four channels). We play it back through Max/MSP, so there's a PC 
driving the playback - so the recording sits on a harddisk.

>> Well, if the living deads are mostly dead - meaning: quiet - I don't
>> mind so much when attending a classical concert, where it's all about

> I can get grumpy just when one of the people next to me start skimming
> through the programme.

Oh yes, sounds very familiar... People don't seem to notice how much 
noise this actually makes.

> For instance in a concert with the Klangforum Vienna usually it's so quiet
> you could hear a pin drop. But then again, they do (rather) funny pieces
> as well which causes quite different reactions in the audiance.

Well, I like to see a reaction to the music - but that's quite different 
from the rustling and shuffling...

Bye
Martin