Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/990701
60 CINEMONTAGE / Q2 2018 in Atmos; I find that the sweet spot is higher and off the screen. I prefer to have the music as a broad left-right spread across the Atmos soundfield and into the sides, with secondary music cues as objects placed high up and separate from the music bed. I am constantly checking the Atmos/5.1-channel compatibility to make sure that the latter is not surround-heavy." King adds, "We get a lot done in a short period of time; we also handle trailers and promos!" For the new season of Westworld, the mixers pushed the dialogue and added new soundscapes. "With native Amos, we have new textures that the show didn't have last season," Rogers explains. "We have been getting more aggressive with the sound without it being too obvious. The show is story-driven and very dynamic, yet subtle in areas with new textures for the soundtrack." Currently, the mixing team does not use a nearfield monitor path, mixing instead on the stage's large loudspeaker system. "Our confidence in Dolby's downmix algorithm is high," King maintains. "However, we have configured a nearfield stereo Genelec 8050 setup for those occasions where the 2.0 reference is critical — usually due to issues that arise upon review in the picture-cutting rooms. It's common to run into audio systems that aren't always tuned or calibrated to spec, thereby creating translation problems when producers and picture editors review our mixes back at the office. And, on occasion, we make QuickTime videos of our mixes to check playback on computers or smartphones, since there is an entire generation of folks who listen to our hard work exclusively on those types of devices." ATMOS MIX AND 5.1-CHANNEL DELIVERABLES According to Rogers, the Dolby RMU can deliver two modes of downmix: standard and direct. "We opted to use 5.1-channel direct mode because it preserves the Atmos imaging by moving the mix towards the front soundscape and away from the surrounds," he says. "We felt that such a mix better serves the home audience that is listening in 5.1-channel surround" or a stereo downmix from set-top boxes and AV receivers. "The direct mode keeps the sound energy forward to the screen channels and is more true to the original Atmos mix," elaborates King, who adds, "We deliver a very theatrical mix. I keep one pre-dub bucket open for Atmos SFX objects that are scene- or case-specific. My choice of what goes in the bed or is treated as an object depends upon our entertainment criteria. They can be helicopter flybys or more subtle — flies on dead animals, for example — or used for ambiences that include birds and critters. I pan sounds like gunshots and explosions to match their on-screen positions." Instead of using the ICON's joysticks to control Pro Tools' Atmos software panners, King says he prefers to use a mouse for panning. "And while checking Atmos/5.1 compatibility, I listen for sounds that are key to a scene," he says. "For example, we placed rope creaks into the overhead channels [during a hanging scene]. In 5.1-channel, I need to determine where they end up and that they are not distracting the audience's attention." King recalls that Westworld's showrunners were looking for "an open, 'wild west' sound in key scenes, with a very live feel — gunshots in the surrounds, for example. "I used ambience to pull effects off the screen with left and right panning," he adds. "I also spun the entire soundfield by 180 degrees vertically into the height channels during the hanging scene. Atmos is a great mix configuration because you have control over wide open space to create a detailed immersive environment, which the producers enjoy. They have been very receptive to our ideas. To let us develop a consistent sound, we re-recorded the first four episodes of Season Two prior to our playback sessions. The showrunners loved what we had done with just a few notes." For the new season of Westworld, the mixers pushed the dialogue and added new soundscapes.