[ursamtl]

The following is a list of the various guides and methods posted in this forum for converting stereo to surround sound. It is meant to provide readers with a listing of all the methods posted as well as useful, related information.

Surround discussion and additions
For general discussions related to stereo-to-surround conversion, the methods, or for questions, you can post in the thread specific to a particular method or in the following general forum:

Additions and comments on "GUIDE LIST: Stereo-to-surround Conversion.."

An Overview of Plogue Bidule-based Methods
Many of the methods documented in this forum use a software package called Plogue Bidule, available from http://www.plogue.com. This program is currently free to use because it is still in a beta testing phase. The better you learn to use Bidule, the more successful your stereo-to-surround conversion will be.

For a detailed, step-by-step guide for conversion using Bidule-based methods, see Step-by-Step Instructions for Plogue Bidule-based Stereo-to-Surround methods

A basic overview of the conversion method is as follows:

1. Install and configure all related software.
2. Plan your project.
3. Prepare your source file.
4. Load the .bidule layout file and make any adjustments.
5. Load your source file and use Bidule to create a 6-channel .wav file
6. Process using Besweet
7. Encode using AC3 or DTS encoding software

Server for surround projects
Most of the software and PDF versions of most guides with step-by-step instructions are available at Daphy and @ndy's server:
http://www.needfulthings.webhop.org/. If you have problems with this server, try ftp://daphy.mine.nu/. You can also check for announcements concerning the server status in the announcement thread, Needfulthings - dedicated 2.0to5.x host.

Daphy has put together a helpful Besweet installation package.

Visual guides
You can also check out some helpful Shockwave-based (Flash) visual guides:
6-wave Bidule-based process by Daphy
Splitting a 6-channel wave file into six single mono wave files by Daphy
Shockwave demo of using SIR Impulse Response Plugin with V.I by UrsaMtl
Shockwave demo of using Nuendo routing with V.I by UrsaMtl

List of methods
General methods
UpmiX: tool to automate stereo to 5.1 conversion (v0.71) by Kpex
Experts multichannel mixing by Arturjose
MaroonMike's Goldwave method by MaroonMike

AVISynth-based methods
BeHappy/MeGUI - AviSynth based audio transcoding by dimzon

NEO:6 methods
Encode 5.1 Wav with Creative DTS NEO 6 in Graphedit by fat0n3s and wonderbra.
DTS NEO:6 upmixing/Audigy 2 by asscore

V.I-based methods
GUIDE: V.I Stereo to 5.1 Converter VST Plugin Suite by UrsaMtl
GUIDE: Using the V.I Stereo to 5.1 Converter in Nuendo and Cubase by UrsaMtl
V.I Stereo-to-5.1 Converter Suite version 1.1 released by UrsaMtl
GUIDE: Converting stereo to 5.1 surround for FREE by UrsaMtl
Creating a Pseudo 5.1 Mix from Stereo Source Using V.I. (uses Sound Forge and Vegas) by videohelp.com forum user guns1inger]

Steinberg Wavelab-based methods
GUIDE: Using Wavelab to create 5.1 files by UrsaMtl
NEW ->GUIDE: WaveLab 5 - Stereo to 6.1 (V.I Suite) by Elektra999

Adobe Audition-based methods
GUIDE: Using Adobe Audition 1.5 or 2.0 to create 5.1 files by UrsaMtl
Adobe Audition My Chosen Method by tlavell
CCE settings by soundz
Stereo to 5.1 AC3 by SurroundBoy and Amnon82
Stereo to 5.1 Surround (NEW METHOD) by DSP8000
My Guide For Stereo to 5.1 by SurroundBoy
Update to SurroundBoy's method by SurroundBoy
5.1 Surround Method for Motown Fans (Using Acapella & Instrumental sources) by SurroundBoy

GraphEdit/DirectX-based methods
Encode 5.1 Wav with Creative DTS NEO 6 in Graphedit by fat0n3s and wonderbra.
Guide: 2- to 5-channel upmix using Dolby Pro Logic II by Bleo
Guide: Stereo to 5.1 upmix using DPLII (2nd Ed.) by Joshbm.

Ambisonics-based methods for real B-format files
Decoding B-format in Nuendo by UrsaMtl.

Stereo-to-surround methods using Ambisonics plugins on non-Ambisonic material
Ambisonic Bidule layout using Panorama VST encoder by Kempfand
Bidule layout using 3_B-Pan and 3rd_order VST plugins by Specise_8472
TrapVector's Guide to switching 2.0 songs to 5.1 by Trapvector
A Guide for Ambisonic processing using CoolEdit and Aurora by Eye of Horus
Bidule groups based on 3rd-Order Ambisonics by Kempfand
All-in-one VST with Ambisonic surrounds and Center by Specise_8472

Ambiophonics-based methods
Ambiophonics by Specise_8472
Ambiophonics version 1.5 by Specise_8472
Circle Surround II to Neo6 by Specise_8472

Miscellaneous methods
LCR Upmix Bidules by Kempfand
SAD5.1 Bidule by Eye of Horus and Kempfand
Mono-to-Stereo by Specise_8472
Voice Center, Voice-Non Center or Instrumental, & Instrumental bidules by Eye of Horus and Kempfand

List history
The original version of this list was proposed by Ursamtl on July 1, 2004 and then co-compiled by Ursamtl and Eye of Horus. The list was updated and put in a new "sticky" thread with moderator approval on October 12, 2004. Updates and categorizations were requested by moderators on October 13-14.

Additions or changes to the list
If you have any questions or comments about specific methods, please post in the forum related to the method. Send any additions, changes or comments concerning this list in a private message or email to UrsaMtl.

For a discussion of this guide list, you can also post in the following thread:

Additions and comments on "GUIDE LIST: Stereo-to-surround Conversion.."

Updates
Because the system does not display an unread message icon when an existing message is updated, I'll post a message at the end of the thread whenever there are updates to the list. When it's time to update again, I'll delete the existing update message, and post a new one. I'll also place a "NEW" or "UPDATED" beside an affected items in a different color.

This way, you'll always be aware when there are changes to the list.