Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1543070
C I N E M A A U D I O S O C I E T Y. O R G 47 crying." Her creative solution involves manipulating ambient beds instead—raising backgrounds to make characters feel quieter relative to their sonic environment rather than actually lowering voices. Schooling her clients that there is more than one way to mix a track. The theatrical-versus-streaming divide reveals contrasting philosophies. Wales notes theaters enable greater dynamic range since "captive audiences let you exploit their inability to leave." Streaming demands compression—raising quiet moments, limiting peaks— because viewing contexts vary wildly. Everything becomes relative to viewing circumstances, Fehrman observes. Now, how do we cater for both? Netflix's -27 LKFS dialogue standard (±2 LU tolerance) has earned widespread acceptance. Standards matter, the panel agrees—they guarantee quality while defining creative boundaries. Deliver at -25 thinking you're clever? Netflix automatically drops you 2 dB. In doing so, Wales warns, you are sacrificing dynamic range you could have preserved. Yet Netflix represents one specification among many. Budget constraints have eliminated platform-specific mixes—stereo, 5.1, theatrical, airline versions. Even the highly regarded series The Boys, despite its success, received only a 5.1 treatment according to Fehrman. And if clients come back wanting to upmix to Atmos while preserving original intent from lower formats, this presents major challenges. The solution? Start with Atmos. "Using Atmos as the starting point, it actually does make life a lot better," Wales advocates, even for 5.1 deliveries. Now when clients inevitably return requesting that initially unaffordable Atmos version, you quote standard turnaround while secretly leveraging existing work and intent. Emerging technologies promise both solutions and complications for mix delivery. Adaptive Binaural Rendering, Apple Spatial Audio, and Sony 360 Reality Audio might enable virtual environment simulation for mix comparison—but they also change the listening experience with platform-specific formats and built-in rendering choices. Urban raises a critical concern about this trend of keeping quality as we go downstream: Do you think this weakens mixer authorship by decentralizing the final mix? Fehrman insists adequate time remains essential for format-specific mixing. Wales reinforces Atmos's future importance, noting its Sony 360RA conversion capability despite coordinate system differences— Atmos uses Cartesian while 360RA employs Polar. Wales voices deeper binaural concerns that keep him skeptical: "Are you using it to create a space inside your head, or are you also using it to do HRTF? Where's the source relative to your head?" These questions compromise the enjoyment. The panel agrees binaural belongs in headphones exclusively; and automotive applications currently would prove disastrous. McAndrew closes with exciting Dolby developments. He shares that the Dolby AC-4 codec will revolutionize Dolby Digital Plus (currently powering all streaming platforms), matching quality at one-third the data rate. Alternatively, maintaining current bandwidth yields perceptually lossless, acoustically transparent home experiences while enabling economical access for bandwidth-limited users. The message resonates clearly: Spatial will conquer stereo. Atmos offers workflow solutions. However, device proliferation and competing standards ensure mixing complexity will only intensify. The challenge ahead involves preserving creative intent across an ever-expanding playback ecosystem while embracing technologies that enhance rather than compromise artistic vision. L-R: Alexandra Fehrman CAS, Karol Urban CAS MPSE, Jonathan Wales CAS, and Tom McAndrew