[Bloody beginner] How to create a 5.1-audio test CD/DVD?

[testor]

Daphy, Steve - I'd like to apologise for my tone and for flipping out. I guess it could have something to do with the fact that on my job (Ads, Prepress) I am used to work with professional software, and it is part of my responsability to keep things functioning there, with any problems to be solved very rapidly. On my job I am also engaged in teaching other people how to »get along« with Prepress related computers and software - where it is mandatory to give sufficient advice leading to a given result within hours ... Of course: My fault to compare those two environments. So, sorry once again.

May be I'll be able to kind of compensate the forum for my rant later. If the day will come when I finally have a perfect working 5.1-test-CD in my hands :D then I will write a detailed step-by-step resume of the whole process to be posted here.

Thanks
testor

[ursamtl]

No problem. I can certainly relate to high-pressure work environments. I look forward to your contributions to the forum once you get your test CD worked out. In the meantime, don't hesitate to ask if you have questions and we'll continue to help as best we can.

Have a good weekend!
Steve.

[testor]

Originally posted by ursamtl
In the meantime, don't hesitate to ask if you have questions and we'll continue to help as best we can.Thanks, Steve. Well, here we go :D

I believe I orderly created some 6CHWAVs using BeSweet. The log say this:


BeSweet v1.5b29 by DSPguru.
--------------------------

Logging start : 01/28/05 , 15:07:43.

C:\Programme\GordianKnot\BeSweet\BeSweet.exe -core( -input g:\Cool\Test51\MonoTest\100er\100er.mux -output g:\Cool\Test51\MonoTest\100er\100er.wav -6chwav -logfilea C:\Programme\GordianKnot\BeSweet\BeSweet.log )

[00:00:00:000] +------- BeSweet -----
[00:00:00:000] | Input : g:\Cool\Test51\MonoTest\100er\100er.mux
[00:00:00:000] | Output: g:\Cool\Test51\MonoTest\100er\100er.wav
[00:00:00:000] | Floating-Point Process: No
[00:00:00:000] | Source Sample-Rate: 44.1KHz
[00:00:00:000] +---------------------
[00:02:24:994] Conversion Completed !
[00:02:24:994] Actual Avg. Bitrate : 4233kbps
[00:00:21:000] <-- Transcoding Duration

Logging ends : 01/28/05 , 15:08:04.



But then, for the next step, HeadAC3 does not give me the option to chose AC3-WAV as output if I define any of the freshly created 6CHWAVs as input :-(. The pull-down is listing AC3-WAV, ok, but selecting it won't stick - it jumps to WAV immediately after. No idea why that is. Do I need specific additional DLLs for converting 6CHWAVs to AC3-WAV?

http://www.arcor.de/palb/alben/58/905358/1152_3065616535336634.jpg


Cheers
testor

[daphy]

use the latest version of headac3 this one is buggy and was replaced a long time ago -> on needfulthings you will find the latest (maybe down we´re about to change some hardware....)

the ac3enc.dll is missing but again: don´t use this version of HeadAC! :scared:

see PM ;)

temp. download (http://s6.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=021BBVNXMP7OE3IHCPJTUTY6R3) link to the latest HeadAC3 (freeware), same as at needfulthings

Edit: AC3WAV bug is the same as in the old version - I will contact programer - sorry folks :angry:

[testor]

So there's finally some progress! Just created my first 5.1-Audio-CD :cool: :) :cool: :)!!

After pressing PLAY on the DVD-player the AV Receiver happily indicated a 5.1 source! The test tones can be heard from the respective loudspeakers ... great!

The procedure was roughly like this:
• Feeding the 6 mono WAVs via MUX-listing into BeSweet to be converted to AC3
• Feeding those AC3s into HeadAC3 to be converted to AC3-WAVs
• Burning the AC3-WAVs to Audio-CD using NERO

Still have to verify if the volume level of all channels remain unchanged throughout the process.

Big thanks!!
testor

[ursamtl]

Well congratulations testor. Glad to hear it worked out. It'll be interesting to see how your level results turn out.

[testor]

Originally posted by ursamtl
It'll be interesting to see how your level results turn out. Well, by now I wonder if that level issue should bother me at all. There seem to be some level corrections in my AC3-WAVs, like

Dialog normalization: -27 dB
Center mix: -3 dB
Surround mix: -3 dB

But may be that is sort of a standard correction that is applied to all industry made 5.1 material? In that case I should not try to re-correct that for my testing, right?

testor

[ursamtl]

Well depending on your encoder, you can shut these corrections off. For example, the -3dB on the surrounds is, as I understand it, meant to counteract a +3dB boost that professional cinema soundtracks feature to account for their large viewing room size. For home threatre, it's certainly not required. Dialog normalization depends on your source. If you check the other threads on here or do a search, you'll find methods for calculating dialog normalization levels depending on the average loudness of your source material. Check the sticky thread on AC3 encoding. It provides a lot of great information.

Regards,
Steve.

[daphy]

The procedure was roughly like this:
• Feeding the 6 mono WAVs via MUX-listing into BeSweet to be converted to AC3
-> the conversation can be done with HeadAC3 -> 6WAV to AC3, please try out which sounds better :rolleyes:
• Feeding those AC3s into HeadAC3 to be converted to AC3-WAVs
DarkAvenger (http://forum.gleitz.info/member.php?u=921) had confirmed this way as only working solution - AC3 ->AC3WAV should work lossless, but he is about to rewrite the whole engine, so stay tuned.

Link to the German thread (http://forum.gleitz.info/showthread.php?p=168646#post168646)

[ursamtl]

Thanks for the info, daphy. My less than rudimentary German is getting even worse with age, but did you ask him if the rewrite will support 32-bit files?