#10 – How to Export & Share Your Atmos Masterpiece With the World (Final Video)

Comments

1. Wade Mathias says

   July 14, 2023 at 12:56 pm

   Awesome, Chris. Thank you so much for this series. I’m sure I will be using it as a reference in the future.

   Reply

2. Fred G says

   July 31, 2023 at 10:36 pm

   There are many negative comments on Atmos and the fear that Apple and the record companies are trying to force this on us. Small studios can’t afford 10 grand and more on a concept that might die on the vine. You got free stuff. Would you be willing to invest 10-20 grand on a system now? If so, are your clients asking for it?

   I love your tutorials but the Atmos series didn’t do anything for me. I know you worked hard on it., so thank you.

   Reply

   • Chris says

     August 1, 2023 at 11:41 am

     Hi Fred, thanks so much for your feedback and questions. I love your comment, as I think you bring up many important points regarding this new frontier of music production. So I’ll address each point you made below.

     (Disclaimer: all opinions below are exactly that – opinions based on my subjective understanding and assumptions):

     1) “There are many negative comments on Atmos and the fear that Apple and the record companies are trying to force this on us.”

     I think this view of Atmos is understandable, and I suspect, quite accurate! Similarly, I too believe Apple, Dolby, labels, & others are trying to force Atmos to become the standard delivery system for music & audio.

     In some ways, I think the argument for Atmos does have weight. For example, the fact that Atmos scales itself to match the playback system, I imagine, solves a problem for professionals required to deliver multiple versions of a project (stereo, 5.1, 7.1, etc). Delivering 1-2 mixes (classic stereo and Atmos) versus many different mixes could prove to be a benefit.

     But obviously, the home producer or musician will not have the same needs or requirements as a post-production professional. So why Atmos?

     First, I think Atmos stands to win the loudness war. Because -18 LUFS is required for Atmos mixes to scale. As an Atmos mix scales from 12 speakers down to 2 speakers (such as headphones), the mix inevitably gets louder (2 speakers have to cram a lot more in than 12). Thus, Atmos necessitates lots of headroom. And since streaming will reject Atmos mixes that try to push loudness above -18 LUFS, engineers and artists are forced to comply.

     This alone I feel is good news for an industry that’s been arguing against loudness for loudness sake for a long time now.

     Second, I do feel Atmos sounds better than stereo. It all depends because there are some uninspired and lazy Atmos mixes being released. But there are also inspired and adventurous stuff out there as well. And in my humble opinion, as I turn Atmos playback on and off while listening to Apple Music, the stereo version inevitably sounds congested, flat, and weird compared to the Atmos version. Both on headphones as well as on speakers.

     So I can’t help but find it odd when folks argue against a more dynamic, more immersive musical experience. But I get it. It’s hard to appreciate Atmos when you can’t hear it on a speaker-based set-up in the comfort of your own space (though I do think listening to Atmos on AirPods Max is pretty awesome).

     To your point, Apple seems to be betting on a Spatial future. Especially with the announcement of Vision Pro, Apple appears to want us living *inside* a computing world.

     As spooky as that sounds, Apple’s not the first to try and make this happen. And I would wager there are plenty of folks of the buying public who want to play video games, watch movies, listen to music, etc in a fully immersed environment.

     Anyways – the main difference between Atmos and previous Surround formats is that the consumer is not expected to own a 7.1.4 speaker set-up. All they need is a pair of headphones. Or a soundbar for their TV. Or a Homepod. And given that Apple can turn on Spatial Audio with a software update, that means Atmos could very well be a fact of life. Whether or not consumers are clamoring for it!

     That last point, I suspect, is more important than anyone realizes. Consumers carry on, none the wiser. Listening to Spatial Audio playback on headphones, Macbook Speakers, etc… until one day, a listener ends up listening to something in good old stereo by accident. And they wonder, “What the heck? This sounds so weird (and flat and congested). What’s going on?!”

     The point – we’ll all get so used to Atmos (as Atmos content increases over time) that at a certain point, stereo will sound weird as heck. And people won’t like it.

     Does that all sound very big brother? If so, I don’t disagree. But there’s one thing we can all count on, and that change is inevitable. Ask any newspaper publisher, CD manufacturer, or horse and buggy operation pre-Henry Ford.

     2) “Small studios can’t afford 10 grand and more on a concept that might die on the vine. You got free stuff.”

     I agree 100% with this statement. And honestly, if Apple or Dolby are thinking this through, they probably both know (and are planning) for that as well.

     First – I purposely avoided Logic’s adoption of Atmos for the 1st year or so because I didn’t feel competent enough to cover it. But more so, I assumed some folks would be allergic to the idea of some internet/YouTube guy asserting expertise without the direct experience of Atmos on a speaker-based setup.

     Would I recommend a small studio drop the money to acquire the hardware necessary to get into Atmos?

     If one is strictly creating for their own personal enjoyment – heck no! It’s far too expensive just to poke around at for fun. I’d instead recommend a pair of AirPods (Pro or Max).

     If you’re aiming to get into mixing Atmos for clients – maybe. Run the numbers, and see if the clientele you attract is clamoring for Atmos versions of their music. I know engineers in my city who are doing quite delivering Atmos mixes right now.

     But I would caution users who are interested in Atmos to stick with cheaper solutions for hardware, speakers, etc rather than pricier options for now. That’s because I suspect plenty of tools are to come to make Atmos mixing better, easier, and cheaper.

     Imagined examples off the top of my head – improved binaural renderers for headphone mixing, a “studio grade” soundbar that costs next to nothing, a “Pro” setting for mixing on HomePods, etc.

     3) “Would you be willing to invest 10-20 grand on a system now? If so, are your clients asking for it?”

     10-20 grand? Absolutely not. But I will say I most likely would have built up the system slowly with budget gear over time. For example:

     – $399 – Ginger Audio’s GroundControl Sphere (speaker delays, bass management, monitor control, etc)
     – $3999 – IK Multimedia’s iLoud MTM Immersive Bundle
     – $599.99 – Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 (10 outputs)
     – $129.99 – Focusrite Scarlett Solo (or similar cheap interface)

     I would gang together the 2 interfaces as an Aggregate Device. Then I would assign the Aggregate Device as an output in Sphere for monitor control functionality and playback with both devices. All for the “tidy” sum of $5127.98 (pre-tax).

     Let’s be clear – my needs are different from many. As folks expect my assistance (or I lead myself to believe they expect my help) digging into the depths of Logic Pro. That includes Atmos, for better or worse.

     I’ve had a of couple inquiries, but no one is knocking down my door for Atmos. Right now I’m the one asking if anyone has heard of Atmos or Spatial Audio, and the answer is almost always no. So I’m educating clients as a result.

     From what I hear, folks working with major labels and artists are receiving those requests more and more frequently.

     I hope this helps! Even if you decide Atmos is not for you 👍

     Reply

     • Fred Grittner says

       August 1, 2023 at 1:09 pm

       Thanks, Chris, for your thoughtful reply. You raised many good points. I’ll take out my hearing aids and pop in my Airpods and give it a go.

       Reply