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Old 19th May 2004, 18:45   #435  |  Link
ursamtl
Registered User
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Montreal
Posts: 729
Hi,

As I mentioned in another thread earlier today, I've been playing around with the various stereo-to-5.1 methods presented in the forum here. I've tried the Ambisonics guide several times, along with some of the variations presented throughout the thread. So far, I've not been at all impressed with the results. I've read the statements that the method presented here may not be to everyone's liking, but I've also read other comments from people who describe the ambisonic approach as providing a nice soundstage that gives a sense of a defined space, etc. All I've been able to get so far is a greatly narrowed stereo field that borders on mono with the same thing duplicated in the rear surround speakers. I don't think it's a case of bad connections as I've retried it several times according to the instructions. Plus, if I play with the controls in b_pan and bprocedit, I can hear the soundfield move around from one speaker to the other, but I don't get a sense of width to the sound. It's almost like panning a mono signal around four or five channels.

I'm not looking for instruments coming out of all speakers. Ideally I want as close as possible to the same big, immersive sound I get from a nice 5.1 DVD sountrack. I want the surround channels to reinforce the front and give me the sense that the instrument is playing on a soundstage in front of me, as if I'm in the room. The positive comments I've read about ambisonics seem to indicate that this is what people are getting, but I'm not!

I've gotten a far more pleasing result by creating a bidule that more or less duplicates the calculations in the Matrixmixer DirectX filter (from sourceforge) and then adding SIR to the back (with another dummy SIR on the front channels) and loading it with an impulse recorded from a Lexicon 960 that I found at www.noisevault.com. The impulse called "big wooden room" seems to work very well with the right levels. I'm at work now on my lunch break so I have no access to my files, but I'll try to post the bidule when I'm home.

In closing let me echo some other comments I've read here in saying that all the work you people are doing is truly amazing. I've learned a lot and am thoroughly enjoying all this experimenting! Keep it up!

Last edited by ursamtl; 19th May 2004 at 20:08.
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