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Topic: DVD Studio Pro

Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2001 02:29 AM

I don't expect this topic to get many replies, but what the hell, here goes:

Does anyone know if DVD Studio Pro for the Mac will let you mix 6 channel Dolby Digital? I have read that it can (it has an official Dolby AC-3 encoder), but when I ask around the Mac community, they don't seem to know what I am referring to since they are not in the theatrical biz. Dolby Digital is Dolby Digital. But I want discrete control here. Maybe some day I'll be good enough to mix sound for such immensely talented filmmakers like Jerry Bruckheimer and Michael Bay! Oh wait. I already exceeded that level with my boombox 18 years ago!

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Brad Miller
Administrator

Posts: 17775
From: Plano, TX (36.2 miles NW of Rockwall)
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2001 03:38 AM

That would be cool. We need to mix "Interlocking 102" in 6 channel sound with EX encoding.

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Randy Stankey
Film God

Posts: 6539
From: Erie, Pennsylvania
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-15-2001 10:21 AM

I'm using iMovie and QuickTime Pro to make movies. Thus, I don't know much about other programs.
I wish I had the $$$ to get something else. (Media Cleaner, for example.)

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2001 10:37 AM

Screw Media Cleaner. What can it do for you that Quicktime Pro can't? The only thing it could possibly offer are more codecs and maybe a faster encode time. I don't like how the "EZ" version does not let you pick your resolution. It just asks "big, small or medium?". Nor does it let you choose frame rate. Options like this are absolutely necessary for Quicktimes like Interlocking 101, which was anamorphically shot and the Quicktime was at a non-1:33 resolution. Pro gives the best options.

I downloaded iMovie 2 for free (OS X version) and it has a couple of things Final Cut Pro does not. Like the fancy zooming titles and stuff I would never use. I'm sure I could do the same thing in FCP, only the method would be much different. Worth the $$$$$$$$$$

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-15-2001 12:25 PM

Back to the original question: why do you need Dolby Digital (which, in this case, probably just refers to the AC-3 compression scheme)? Can't you just make a discrete 5.1 mix and worry about the encoding issues later? Certainly I can edit 16mm mag film and (painfully and slowly) create six discrete tracks to be mixed and encoded at a mix facility which has the Dolby encoding box. Surely you could do the same thing on the computer, but would be able to skip the mag dubbers.

At the very least, you could output the 5.1 mix to something like a DA-88 or other multitrack recorder and send the tape to a mix facility to AC-3 encoding, right?

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2001 04:28 PM

No problem! Let me just pull that spare hundred thousand dollar bill outta my pocket!

Actually that method would be a pain.

Why does anyone need stereo? Can't we edit two mono tracks and worry about it later? Surely we can just mix the two discrete tracks onto a fancy multitrack recorder and send it off to a mixing house to create our stereo CD-Rs for us!

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Scott Norwood
Film God

Posts: 8146
From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas)
Registered: Jun 99

posted 05-15-2001 04:39 PM

Oh, I get it. This wasn't supposed to be a "how do I do this" question, but rather a "how do I do this without spending any money" question. I don't know the answer, then.

Doesn't the AC-3 compression scheme have to be licensed from Dolby, anyway? I know that the matrix stereo encoding does, at least if you want to be able to put "Dolby Stereo" in the credits and on movie posters.

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-15-2001 06:27 PM

The software program in question already has an official Dolby AC-3 encoder. Check out my first post. My question is simply if it is a stereo encoder or a full 6 channel encoder. That's what I want to know. Dolby Digital is capable of encoding in many different modes, but are all included? The question of if it is an official Dolby licensed product is not really the issue.

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Joe Schmidt
Expert Film Handler

Posts: 172
From: Billings, Montana, USA
Registered: Apr 2001

posted 05-16-2001 02:15 AM

I have a much less expensive solution. Create your movie as a silent replica, complete with cards for the dialogue, and have it scored on a theatre pipe organ. This also not having all those annoying sync problems.

Now THAT would be different!

{ I suppose this will get me flamed too. sigh.. }

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Joe Redifer
You need a beating today

Posts: 12859
From: Denver, Colorado
Registered: May 99

posted 05-16-2001 10:41 AM

Well I finally heard back from someone who has the program in question and he says:

quote:

Yes, it will allow you to use all 5.1 channels. Whatever program your using for audio mixing should allow you to save each channel to it's own file. Then you just import them in one at a time into whichever channel they belong.

Now all I need is to get the ca$h and I'll start annoying the world with my Dolby Digital mixes!

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