Mixing surround 5.1 with stereo speakers
- Thread starter enrico
- Start date
I need to be able to play the mix back on another 5.1 system later, but only have stereo speakers at home for the moment to do the mix. To do an auto surround mix from the stereo mix I've started with? Obviously, a blind situation, with very general results, but is at all possible to conform a stereo mix to surround 5.1?
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10s
Veteran
You need the individual tracks that comprise the LR stereo track so they can be directed toward their new 5.1 spatial fields.
A stereo track is like taking a 12 lane highway and directing traffic to just two lanes, L & R. For 5.1 you need the 12 multiple lanes so you can direct them to a 5 lane situation. You also need a sound card that will output 5.1. You can't take a 2 track stereo L R and make it into a real 5.1 track mix.
A stereo track is like taking a 12 lane highway and directing traffic to just two lanes, L & R. For 5.1 you need the 12 multiple lanes so you can direct them to a 5 lane situation. You also need a sound card that will output 5.1. You can't take a 2 track stereo L R and make it into a real 5.1 track mix.
Noiz2
Sound Ninja
The big question is WHY do you need to do a surround mix? Especially since you don't seem to care much about the surround, based on your wanting an auto surround.
If you only need to say you have done surround then pan the dialog center, put the FX L &R and splash 5% or so through a reverb into the Ls Rs. That is basically how a lot of surround mixes have been created. Since your only monitoring in stereo you will have no chance to check for steering errors but...
So if that is all you need you can do it. You wont really know how it sounds till you play it back on a surround system. But the odds are that any producer silly enough to try and do a surround mix with out going to a stage of some sort won't have the surround set up correctly anyway and will be happy because somethings coming out of all the speakers.
If you only need to say you have done surround then pan the dialog center, put the FX L &R and splash 5% or so through a reverb into the Ls Rs. That is basically how a lot of surround mixes have been created. Since your only monitoring in stereo you will have no chance to check for steering errors but...
So if that is all you need you can do it. You wont really know how it sounds till you play it back on a surround system. But the odds are that any producer silly enough to try and do a surround mix with out going to a stage of some sort won't have the surround set up correctly anyway and will be happy because somethings coming out of all the speakers.
I'm preparing for a test screener on a big screen in a theatre, mainly to check visual cues and quality of the sound mix on big speakers. I'm happy with the stereo mix, but have never heard how it would be in a 5.1 surround context. Thank you for your clarity and set up description for a general surround mix.
Though now I'm thinking of getting a sound card and some speakers to try a mix for real, but cost is an issue. Any suggestions?
Though now I'm thinking of getting a sound card and some speakers to try a mix for real, but cost is an issue. Any suggestions?
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SMuir
Well-known member
Take the mix session to a properly set up 5.1 mixing theater. It'll cost money, but it'll be a good sight less expensive than building your own 5.1 theater. There's a lot more to building a dubbing stage than simply buying a 6-channel sound card and some extra speakers.