Does your software allow you to set Dialnorm [
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialnorm ]?
At the risk of overstating the obvious, It's best not to attempt mixing
a surround sound production without a surround sound monitoring environment.
If you're creating a 5.1 mix, then your narration would typically only
appear in the Center channel. Unless you're trying to achieve the
unnatural effect of the narrator being beside or behind the viewer.
If the listener has a different speaker arrangement than 5.1, the
decoder in the playback system should downmix that center channel to the
appropriate available speakers. (Such as for 2-channel playback.)
If you have 4-channel or 5.1 channel location ambiance, then that should
be assigned to L, R, Ls, & Rs at matching gains. The ".1" channel is
called LFE (Low Frequency Effects), which describes well it's intended
use. Some home theater systems with small speakers channel all low
frequencies through the LFE channel as a cost-saving measure, but that's
not the original intent.
Is your narration always going to be the loudest thing in the program,
or are there ambient, sound effects, or music tracks that get louder at
times? If there are, then you want to set the Dialnorm level for the DD
encoder appropriately to indicate the average RMS level of your
narration and any other dialog. One of the proposed standards for
broadcast television would set Dialnorm, and thus the average level of
narration and dialog, at -24_dB-fs.
I know I've seen books on good surround sound mixing techniques, but I
don't nave the references with me at the moment.
On 11/16/2011 05:44 AM, rterry_uk wrote:
> Hello to all
>
> My new video editing software is able to record in 5.1 sound format
> (DD) and I was wondering if there is any 'best guide' as to sound levels
> for the finished production.
>
> As an example, if I record say the narration track at about 0dB (5
> PPM) should the front L&R be the same or lower say -4dB (4 PPM) and what
> of the surround levels -4dB (4 PPM) again? (all in UK scale)
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Ron
|