8.0
Included Effect Plug-ins
Surround Plug-ins
142
4. By activating and deactivating the Bypass button in the MatrixDecoder, you
can compare the decoded mix with the encoded stereo mix, and make
adjustments in the MixConsole as necessary.
The main goal is to produce a mix that sounds good in both the encoded and the
decoded version. To compare the encoded or decoded mix with the unprocessed
mix, switch off both the MatrixEncoder and the Decoder.
IMPORTANT
The encoding/decoding process produces significant signal loss compared to the
unprocessed mix. This is normal, and does not indicate that something is not working
properly. However, with careful tweaking of the mix, you can decrease the signal
degradation to a much more acceptable level. You have to adjust levels and other
settings before the signal runs through the MatrixEncoder, because neither the
encoder or decoder can control the mix in any way.
5. If you are satisfied with the result, bypass the MatrixDecoder, or remove it from
its effect slot.
6. Connect a master recording device to the stereo mix output and perform a
mixdown as usual.
RESULT
The resulting encoded stereo mix is compatible with common home systems that
use the Pro Logic standard.
Using the MatrixEncoder with the 5.0 Surround Format
There are situations where you may want to mix for several surround formats. For
example, you might need to mix the same material for 5.1 and LRCS.
5.1 is similar to LRCS. Omitting the LFE channel is easy, but more of a problem is
that LRCS only has one surround channel whereas 5.1 has two.
For this reason, the MatrixEncoder sums up the surround channels to a mono signal.
PROCEDURE
1. Create your mix for 5.1.
2. In the VST Connections window, create an output bus with a 5.0 channel
configuration and route it to the physical outputs of your audio hardware.
3. Run the mix through the MatrixEncoder.
RESULT
First, the two surround channels are merged to make the mix compatible with LRCS.
Then, the four resulting signals are encoded as usual. This way, far fewer
adjustments are necessary when working with 5.1 and LRCS at the same time.