In his new book, "Mixing in Dolby Atmos - #2 Using Pro Tools", Edgar Rothermich dives into all the details of how to configure Pro Tools for mixing in Dolby Atmos with in-depth explanations about routing and panning, using easy-to-understand diagrams and illustrations.
"Mixing in Dolby Atmos - #2 Using Pro Tools" is part of a three-book series, with the other two books already released. "Mixing in Dolby Atmos - # 1 How it Works" explains all the details around the Dolby Atmos format with all the information about the underlying technology, configuration, system setups, delivery formats, and comprehensive coverage of all the elements of the Dolby Atmos Renderer app. "Mixing in Dolby Atmos - #3 Using Logic Pro" explains both approaches, mixing in Logic Pro with the Dolby Atmos Renderer and using the integrated Dolby Atmos Renderer.
All books are full of rich diagrams and illustrations to help explain the concepts and functionality. Here are a few examples from this new book "Mixing in Dolby Atmos - #2 Using Pro Tools", which is available as pdf, iBook, Kindle, and printed books with all the links on the author’s website.
Basic Routing Concept
This diagram shows the basic routing between Pro Tools and the Dolby Atmos Renderer:
The up to 128 audio channels are routed from Pro Tools to the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
The monitoring system is connected to the output of the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
The Master File of your mix is "recorded" in the Dolby Atmos Renderer.
The second "pipeline" between Pro Tools and the Dolby Atmos Renderer is the bi-directional network connection that transmits metadata from Pro Tools to the Dolby Atmos Renderer (mainly pan information of Object Tracks), but it also transmits metadata from the Renderer to Pro Tools (channel and group information and).
Aux I/O Routing
The recent Pro Tools update 2022.9 introduced an amazing new feature, "Aux I/O". It provides much more audio routing flexibility. The following diagram from the book shows a configuration with the Dolby Atmos Renderer that utilized the Aux I/O capabilities.
Signal Paths
Pro Tools uses a very powerful concept of Paths that connects the physical audio channels of the selected hardware audio interface (or virtual audio device) with the internal routing paths "inside" Pro Tools. The essential part any Pro Tools user needs to understand is the role of a Bus Path. It can function as an Internal Bus Path or an Output bus Path (representing an output channel of the audio device via an Output Path). With a Dolby Atmos mix, a Bus Path can also represent a third type, a Renderer Bus Path, that creates the handshake to the Dolby Atmos Renderer for bi-directional metadata transmission.
This is the diagram that I used in the book to explain all those routing paths.
I/O Setup Dialog Configuration
The configuration in the Pro Tools I/O Setup dialog can be very challenging when dealing with complex sessions. A Dolby Atmos session takes it to the next level and requires a deep understanding of all the little details in that dialog. I spend a lot of time explaining all that with marked-up screenshots and special naming conventions with emojis to untangle those routing configurations.
In this diagram, you can see that there is even a fourth type of Bus Path, the "Bed Bus Path". Again, lots of in- depth explanations in the manual.
Divergence
Divergence is a panning concept that will be new to many engineers starting to mix in surround or immersive mixing. In addition to explaining how it works and what the controls do, I illustrate the outcome with a series of screenshots of the level meters based on five pan positions (five columns) with three different settings (three rows) of the divergence control.
Bed Tracks vs. Object Tracks
The following diagram shows the difference between Bed Tracks and Object Tracks regarding the signal routing and their corresponding Surround Panner and Object Panner.
And if you wonder how to switch a track between being a Bed Track and an Object Track, that is demonstrated in the next diagram with the status of the Bus/Object Toggle and how it affects the Track, the Panner, and the Routing Path. A lot of little details around that super potent button that I explain in the book.
Object-based Mix Workflow
The next diagram provides a more detailed view that I use to explain the various files that you will work with when mixing in.
Downmix/Render Options
This last example is a diagram from a chapter where I explain all the various bounce and render options. You can create a Dolby Atmos Master File (ADM BWF) and Re-Renders directly in Pro Tools (instead of creating them in the Dolby Atmos Renderer), and you can monitor your Dolby Atmos mix directly in Pro Tools even without being connected to the Dolby Atmos Renderer. However, this requires a proper understanding of the difference between Rendering and a Fold Down and the related settings that are available for either one.
Further Reading
The previous examples show my approach of using easy-to-understand diagrams in my books to explain concepts and functionality of software applications. This is something that you won’t find in the standard user guides.
I also wrote the comprehensive 1,160 pages book "Pro Tools 2020 - How it Works" using the same approach of rich graphics to explain every aspect in this DAW.
The books in my Graphically Enhanced Manuals (GEM) series are available as PDF, iBook, Kindle, and printed books with all the links on my website. Use the button below.