5.1 audio in my movies

scottshackrock wrote on 2/14/2005, 9:33 PM
I'm using an aardvark Q10 (8 analog outs, so i got plenty).

I'm kinda just wondering how people monitor/mix in 5.1..

i mean, hardware wise. Does everyone have either powered monitors in all 5(.1) locations? Or are people going to a reciever with 6 analog rca inputs, and then to their 5.1 setup speakers?

I'm looking for a cheap way to do this now. I have enough speakers easily (perhaps not a good center) - but I guess I'm just looking for the reciever now at the moment (although I'll need to buy a center and a sub with it as well). With all 3 purchases, I'd like to not spend over 200 bucks.

Comments

riredale wrote on 2/14/2005, 10:00 PM
There are all kinds of ways. I've gone the "cheap" way myself, and the results have been more than satisfactory.

I have a Turtle Beach Santa Cruz 5.1 sound card in my PC. There are lots of cards from cheapo ($12!) to fancy. I like the Santa Cruz because (1) the noise floor is fairly low, and (2) it includes a built-in 10-band equalizer so I can tune my speakers to the room.

As for speakers, you can again get practically anything. I settled for a $100 set of Creative 5400 speakers because they were rated very highly for that price point. Again, no complaints, though one could easily spend 100 times that much. The whole point is to get something that sounds reasonably accurate so that you can mix correctly.

I shoot documentaries in 4-channel surround. When I encode I use Dolby 2/2. I don't care about a center and the LFE ".1" is worthless (Dolby Digital defines every channel to be full-range; the LFE was meant to be for theater effects). The surround effect is kind of unnerving at first, but once you get used to it, two-channel then sounds very odd.

Here is a photo of Yours Truly with my surround-sound configuration last summer. The rear stereo pair is recorded to a Sharp Minidisc on the back of the VX2000.
jbrawn wrote on 2/15/2005, 10:48 AM
I've got 8 audio outs on my motherboard. This connects to a Klipsch Promedia 5.1 powered monitor system. It was about $300 from newegg.com. I've spent some time with EQ on the motherboard's audio system, and I have the speakers placed in a home theater type pattern.

I'm often doing concert videos with 16 or 24 source audio tracks. I figure most of my DVD viewers will have their surround system configured in something resembling the speaker layout recommended by most home theater vendors. I assume a film audio person would gasp in horror at my setup.

This environment is nowhere near as accurate as the stereo nearfield monitors I have in the recording studio - but it is in my house, it was cheap, and I am doing this work on a volunteer basis for a set of churches.

I am definitely using all 6 speaker components when I mix.

John
busterkeaton wrote on 2/15/2005, 11:12 AM
Check out this tread about the m-audio LX4 5.1 system. These are active monitors so you don't need a reciever and more importantly all 5 speakers are matched, so you will get much more accurate results. This used to be a $500 dollar system, but some places are now offering it for $280. If you can scrounge up another $100, you will not be able to do better. You will have a 5.1 system you can live with for years. These are not just speakers but audio monitors which value accuracy over musicality. Accuracy allows you to make your audio sound good on nearly all systems, rather than just your system. They are unbeatable for this price. The left and right channels are probably better than what you have now because M-audio makes very good monitors.


http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=353789&Replies=19&Page=0
cosmo wrote on 2/15/2005, 11:50 AM
that's a great recommendation. $300 and you have a nice 5.1 monitoring system. Spend the extra hundred. I've done the whole receiver thing and it gets old cause you gotta set all these different levels and whenver things change you gotta do it again. It was cheap and it worked but I wouldn't advise it!
scottshackrock wrote on 2/16/2005, 7:18 AM
yeah I checked that m-audio thread a while ago...as well as have been visiting their site.

only problem is, I have a set of Bx5's already - which are pretty decent monitors (better than the front speakers that are included with that 5.1 set). And I also got a pair of monitors I can use for the back. The bx5's are active, the back ones are not. I was hoping for like a filler set, to make up for what I don't have. Even if I got everything but the fronts in a set like that - I'd be satisfied. I think it'd be nice to have the same m-audio decor too, ha!