2023-07-06 06:30:00
Invited by Dolby, the leader in immersive audiovisual experiences, we spent two days at their European HQ in London for a high definition interview. Meeting with Anaïs Libolt, Europe Broadcast director and Jane Gillard, Europe music manager.
Dolby has specialized in sound technology for over fifty years. What characterizes the latest, immersive 3D sound Dolby Atmos?
Anaïs Libolt: What attracts attention is the precision and clarity of the different sounds, where I hear them in space and the immersive side of the “3D sound bubble” type of course. Even if you don’t listen to the sound on a Dolby Atmos system but in 5.1 or in stereo, the precision remains the same. In the way of mixing Dolby Atmos, each sound has its place, it remains intelligible at the level of the timbre, the sound of the voices, the instruments… Often, people do not manage to describe it with words, but do it by the through a physical emotion: it gives chills, the bass makes the body vibrate, etc.
Jane Gillard: We work with creatives to mix in Dolby Atmos, we respect the artistic intent, how they hear the sound, where they hear it. This is the key to the particularity of Dolby Atmos.
After the sound, you also embarked on the improvement of the image. What is special regarding Dolby Vision technology?
AL: The color grading work (post-production stage which consists in harmonizing the colors and the luminosity on all the images that make up a film / a series, editor’s note) is something very precise, it is done under conditions of references. With HDR (High Dynamic Range) and more particularly Dolby Vision, the image seems more real and more alive. You don’t notice it right away, but it’s following watching HDR for a while, when you go back to an SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) image that the difference is obvious, as if you had put a dirty window in front of the screen. It manifests itself in the colors: more saturation and nuances. The texture of the clothes is more visible, there is almost a relief aspect of the image since the eye sees more differences. There is also contrast. We can have very bright areas and at the same time details in dark areas (textures, folds). In SDR, it’s just a solid black. The world of consumer TVs is a bit like the Wild West in terms of screen capabilities. The Dolby Vision format ensures that we have something calibrated each time: the colors and contrast ratios remain faithful to what was created and the general perception is more qualitative.
JG: People often expect it to be more dynamic and colorful, but a story has narrative value. A creative invigorates a story through the colors he uses. We put all the tools at their disposal so that they give free rein to their creativity.
What device do content creators need to put in place to mix in Dolby Atmos?
AL: First of all, the mixing tool called digital audio workstation must include Dolby Atmos. It must offer mixers the possibility of creating with sound objects. If we want to see it a little like in a video game, we have a joystick and we will move the sound in 3D with the joystick. Once the mix is done with the spatialization of the sounds, the creator can export the Dolby Atmos master which has all the sounds with all the spatial displacement information. It’s like a big file with the cooking recipe that explains how to mix them. Then there is monitoring, listening. The creator must be able to listen in Dolby Atmos on speakers or on his headphones.
How has Dolby Atmos been received in the music industry?
JG: The use of Dolby Atmos in music has been phenomenal. We grew very quickly and reached over 100 studios around the world. When we work for the first time with a new label, the artists tell us regarding a new project and tell us which mixer they usually work with. In general, we find that they enjoy working with this new format, at least for most of the major commercial and international labels. This was the case a year and a half ago. The UK has grown from five studios to 150 in the space of a year, every two days, so there’s a new studio we have to work with. Today, there are all types of studios and projects, so it’s very accessible for musicians
Is there the necessary equipment to listen to Dolby Atmos on a daily basis, from our TV, our speakers and especially our smartphones?
AL: The equipment receiving the audio stream must understand the format, so equipment that is compatible. Even if it’s traditional 5.1 equipment that isn’t Dolby Atmos, there will still be sound, just not in three dimensions. To have the best experience, it needs to understand the format and render Dolby Atmos. There is a block called the “renderer”, it’s the same as in the studio. It distributes the sound to the speakers present in the room. If it’s a home cinema, it knows where they are and distributes the sound. If it’s on a television or a sound bar, therefore rather positioned in front, the equipment has the intelligence to know how to use the sound information to reproduce the sound stage, even on the sides and at the back.
JG: From a music perspective, a lot of its consumption is on mobile. All devices in the Apple ecosystem are compatible with Dolby Atmos. You don’t need to have brand name and very expensive headphones. Apple Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal Hifi, etc… have Dolby Atmos, we have a total of sixteen music streaming service partners worldwide. And of course, our ambition is to have all consumers’ favorite music streaming services join the adventure.
“WE HAVE RECEIVED AEROSMITH, USHER AND SOON BRUNO MARS…” – JANE GILLARD
Dolby specializes in cinema, music, podcast, gaming and more recently automotive sound. Are you going to extend your know-how to other industries?
AL: In these areas, there is still a lot to do. Then, we will have the connection with virtual worlds: is it a new genre or the extension of gaming and virtual concerts… Applications outside of entertainment are not necessarily our priority at the moment.
JG: We are also developing live music. We have a team in a concert hall in Las Vegas, the MGM Park. There’s an Atmos experience in space, from a music perspective, it’s a very big industry for artists, so we have to see how that develops in the future.
What regarding Instagram reels or TikTok videos?
AL: Anything that’s going to be User Generated Content, so user-generated content, yes. We already have the possibility of creating in Dolby Vision with iPhones and other phones like Xiaomi from the smartphone camera application. It records by default in Dolby Vision and you can watch it at home. These videos can be shared in Dolby Vision on Vimeo, but not yet in other services (in France). These are the first stones to have content in Dolby Vision on social networks.
Precisely, at CES in Las Vegas on January 5, the Imagine Dragons concert was mixed and played live in Dolby Atmos. How was this technology installed to cover the entire space?
AL: So it’s a partnership with the Park MGM, the hotel where there is this room. It has a capacity of 5200 seats. We worked with them on the sound part and they did the light part, this installation is permanent. Artists are programmed throughout the year and there is work with them to develop the Atmos side of the concert.
Will this system be implemented in other rooms?
AL: It’s a test phase to see how it worked, how it was received by the public and the artists, if it’s something that might interest other venues and how to deploy it concretely. It looks promising!
JG: It’s a real experience. The feedback from both viewers and performers has been absolutely amazing. We also received Aerosmith, Usher and soon Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 will perform.
By Gabrielle Langevin
Photos David Monteith-Hodge
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