immersive mixing

5.1.4 mixing of my projects ... So, the process of explaining begins. First off, I'm a Nuendo user. That's my baby! The second device that makes this all possible is my Steinberg UR816C interface. It makes it possible to drive all of my 10 (9.1) speakers from one volume control, using an interface that costs $600 instead of $6000.

here is the routing for 7.1.4 in nuendo (12/14/2024)

main studio out is not connected

monitor levels and routing for 7.1.4

The next part is to use a pink noise generator or track segment to calibrate your levels throughout the 7.1.4 speakers setup and then adjust your levels (roughly at the speakers themselves first, if you want). I do this using the Nuendo MixerDelay plugin. The last step is to measure the distance from the mi head position to each speaker (in cm). The most distant speaker becomes your 0 reference and enter in the corresponding delay  for each speaker. This last step is way more important than you might think, as it really brings the 7.1.4 mix into sharp focus.

mixer delay for 7.1.4  (12/14/2024)

Over the years, I have found three things:

1. It's not absolutely necessary to match all of your speakers throughout the system, but it really helps to lock the overall sound, placement and imagery of the room together.

2. It's important to balance the levels off all of your speakers at the listening position with an SPL meter

3. It's EQUALLY important to time align the speakers throughout the room. This is done my physically measuring the distance of each speaker to the listening position (down to the last cm). The speaker with the longest distance becomes your zero reference and all other speakers will be delayed by the distance, so that the sound arrives at the listener position at the exact same time. You might not think it, but it's the difference between a fuzzy and a razer-sharp soundfield.

Since Nuendo doesn't band-limit the LFE channel, the StudioEQ can be inserted and then routed "ONLY" to the LFE channel.

The biggest factor that is changing the way that I work can be traced to a few factors:

1. New speakers! I've replaced my expensive, mismatched speakers with the JBL Series3 305p Mk2 speakers. These pups can be bought for around $100 each on sale and sound FANTASTIC! 

2. level balancing using my spl meter and MixerDelay in Nuendo

3. delay balancing (time allignment) using MixerDelay in Nuendo.

With all of these in place, I can finally hear what's in my mixes with relative certainty ... I haven't had this in over 10 years! I'm a happy guy!

The next part of the equation, for when you want to check your mix over headphones. is the use of the Dear VR Monitor binaural immersive  system that allows me to listen to 1 9.1 mix over headphones. This is done by setting up Nuendo in the usual fashion, while placing Dear VR Monitor into the 5.1.4. studio monitoring plugin chain. Put on your headphones and off you go! I have modified my monitor settings from the standard ones ... here's a screen shot.

when using the monolyth heaphones here are the nuendo monitor match settings