Jonno2006

I just switched from Analog to Digital with an Monster THX optical cable from my DVD to my Yamaha HTR-5920 AV receiver.

And while i was watching The Host last night i really had to keep the receiver remote in my hand since i had to greatly lower the sound when music or the creature was on screen and put the sound back up when the characters were talking since i couldn't hear them(thank god for subtitles...)

I mean sure the sound was crisp and clear and sounded great but it kinda sucks to always be lowering or raising the sound when watching a movie.

Is there anything to be done with that?


thanks in advance!

DVD Polizei

Well, that's the problem with audio engineers on particular movie audio tracks. Each one has their own standard of how a track should sound. It's one of the more irritating problems in the movie industry.

The only thing you can do is compensate and unfortunately in some cases, revert to a "5-Channel Stereo" mode which blends all channels equally so you don't have the extreme audio problems.

shadowhawk2020

I have noticed that as well on my movies... What I have done is turn my center channel up (most of the voices are on center) and made sure to put the center at a good angle and height so that the sound is directed at me. Still can't hear it sometimes but it is better.

Mr. Salty

I agree with shadow. Bumping the center channel up a few decibels helps a lot.

Spiky

Is it calibrated properly? Start with that, then bump the center if necessary.

Brian Shannon

I agree with Spiky this is the place to start.

Also, what kind of speakers and are they matching? Is it possible that the different input has a different default sound setting to it? Are you sure you were still listening to some type of surround format?

Jonno2006

It's the speakers that came with the set...

It was a home theater system in a box. that receiver plus 5 speakers and a subwoofer.

How do i know if they are calibrated or not?

EmpireScreen1

If these came with the system chances are 9 times out of ten there matching and you just wasted your money in some respect you where misguided. No matter you can start again you can ether follow the guidelines or simple disregard them.

It takes a lot more than just setting up a few loudspeakers for LCR it’s a science, but it surly isn’t rocket science, it can be achieved but certainly not over night it takes days to set up correctly and it takes days to EQ as well, while using 1/3 octave.

You’d be far better of with matching loudspeakers matching amplifiers an AVR that supports Dolby-EX dts-ES and the newest Dolby dts deciding techniques for the HD world, THX as well is benefit.

A loudspeaker management system to customize the LF and HF as well as surrounds sub bass extension and LFE.1, into something that is more close to what you’d hear in professional cinemas. Room treatment is another advantage to be considered.

Brian Shannon

In order to calibrate them you would need to run the test tones built into the receiver. Then you adjust the levels of the center and the surrounds to match the front right and left speaker. If you can borrow or buy an SPL meter it can help instead of just doing it by ear.

You can also try some of the disc optimizers found on many discs, like the Star Wars DVD's that will walk you through some set up procedures.

EmpireScreen1

Doing it by ear is only useful when using an SPL db metre otherwise without an SPL db metre you could be miles off.

The test tones on the THX discs doesn’t stay on long enough for a more rigorous sound test check. For this you need an all propose disc with full band frequency response. I use the dts music and demonstration disc to set the levels. Plus there’s sine wave frequency sweep from 10Hz to 20KHz a few spot frequency checks 1KHz and 100Hz.

If I wanted to use more sine wave tones I’ll set-up the TrueRTA and use the signal generator to produce any frequency I wish and then assign it to the loudspeaker or loudspeaker surround arrays, not to mention sub bass.

Jonno2006

Wow i have no idea what you just said.. way to make it user friendly :P

EmpireScreen1

No such thing, setting up home cinema can be a gruelling pain in the neck! Just recently I modified my JBL loudspeakers with the use of (loudspeaker management system) WOW the difference this can make over night, but still takes long hours of practice to achieve near perfect tone on the HF and LF when passing the automatic pink noise sequencer to cycle the LCR, surrounds are just a little bit off but that will soon be corrected, soon!

JZ1276

there is no technical explanation needed here. some dvd's just have very low dialog from the center channel. 2 that comes to mind are raging bull and the ring 2.

EmpireScreen1

Well I’ve devolved a technique around this with some fairy complex films.



Here’s something that might be of sound interest, we always read too much from members about favourite scenes in the movies so I thought I’d add picture stills and text to describe that particular scene.

One of my favourite listening subjects is complex Dolby film mixers where the discrete soundtrack offers a few sequences that might go unheard to most of users, for example HEAT 1995.

There’s a moment at the airport where Neil is running across a busy runway with a DC-10 panning from left to right screen channels only! While presented in the centre channel we hear nothing but the Foley work of footsteps panting and breathing that on most home cinema systems this would be severely masked by the aircrafts noisy jet engines!

This presents very little difficulty here with the help of the Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system and its use of features like dynamic EQ audio limiters crossover filters and basic general EQ and much more, for setting up a perfect or near perfect than what you heard before. The matching fronts in my screen array are JBL control 5 LCR fronts placed up front and have been in use since I brought them back in 1990.

Audio masking is one of those headaches most of hath to deal with and thou there are ways around to a small degree it takes a great deal of patience and careful listening.



As the DC-10 pans from left to right with smooth loudness rather than a shrilly too much for taking sound that would normally be encountered in most home cinema rooms, it presented no trouble with the matching JBL control 5 LCR along with matching Alesis RA300 amplifiers and the brains of the taming all this the affordable Behringer DCX2496 for which none of this would have been possible.



As Neil runs across the runaway breathing and panting along with footsteps that can be easily heard with the settings on the DCX2496 it makes the whole sequence fresh and exciting to listen to rather than struggling with turning the centre channel up which is what most would do but without some to tame the sound when it gets too loud, you simply back at the beginning again.



As Neil gets nearer towards us the breathing gets a little louder but being soft and gentle at the same time as the DC-10 pans off to the right Neil runs towards safety in the airfields back felids. I have to say you can really get into it at this moment and the heals on the shoes really hit that concrete nicely.



As the music reaches a climatic high, with Neil and Hanna in the mist of breathtaking backdrop too what was brilliant cop thriller from the 1990’s and one of many best Dolby stereo digital soundtracks from that era.

(Moby’s) “God moving over the face of the waters” has a nice tranquil feeling a spiritual feeling that suites last moments of the film until (Eliot Goldenthal) score fades in on the closing credits.

I’m not sure if the settings that I made to the DCX2496 would be of any use to someone who owns this fine little unit or if this thread is wetting someone’s appetite to starting over fresh again with there home cinema with matching amplifiers matching fronts LCR and a Behringer DCX2496 loudspeaker management system to make the magic come alive. Or maybe you have matching loudspeakers and amplifiers but haven’t brought the amazing DCX2496 which as been out for several years now.

This is why 9 times out home cinema 10 users always moan why I can’t hear the centre channel but it goes further than a lot further.

Draven

One word: yikes

I go for bare minimum when it comes to my home theater setup. Bump up your center channel.

EmpireScreen1

You can try, but then you’ll be faced with an even worse problem! Most sounds are either hard panned to left and right in a discrete Dolby mix or there panned between left and centre or half panned.

The delay setting fools the ear very effectively and works very on the DCX2496 so far with films like HEAT chapter 16 “Dead Man Talking” when “Roger Van Zant” gets phone call the tone is heard from the centre channel as well as the left channel.

Here the tone can be heard from the left channel just as it was in the cinema from the conventional optical Dolby stereo soundtrack. The Dolby digital track presents a lot more and few hidden Easter eggs sound surprises that I doubt you’ve even heard before on this rather complex Dolby film mix.

TGM

did my mom start this thread?

I keed, I keed.

Mr. Salty

I agree. The OP is obviously new to all this and is looking for basic advice. EmpireScreen1 is either unwilling or unable to provide advice that is aimed at anyone other than professionals, and even then his writing is muddled.

So, the stripped-down advice: Pick up an inexpensive analog sound meter (SPL stands for Sound Pressure Level) at Radio Shack and use your receiver's built-in test tones are all at the same level. Once this is done, if you still have a problem, bump up the center channel so it's to your liking.

Numanoid

Way to ruin the end of Heat.

EmpireScreen1

Well if you have no visual guide or reference to look for you’d still be ending up with less than perfect sound. So get your copy of HEAT out and play the up scene and let’s see if you can hear the details of complex Dolby film mix over the LCR, now then.

Mr. Salty

You're missing the point yet again.

Your posts ruin the end of a movie, for no good reason. Someone clicking into this thread has no warning. If they haven't seen "Heat," they're not going to be happy.

EmpireScreen1

Oh I’d be more than happy it’s the same if you heard the film score on CD before seeing the film, except the images aren’t present in the CD mix once all the elements are in place and synchronized the result is just perfect. If I had mentioned it without pictures you’d be thinking what scene was that? So there it is, now you have something to work on, so don’t stare get cracking you’re home cinema needs re-tuning.

Mr. Salty

You'd be more than happy to what? Edit your posts and delete the images that give away the ending of "Heat"? Because that's what you need to do.

EmpireScreen1

Hmm let me think about that one I might edit two pictures and some text, but as sharing the formal only select group have that information.

Spiky

Goto Radio Shack. Spend ~$40 on an analog SPL meter. Place meter where your head is when you watch movies. Play test tones from receiver or DVD. Make each speaker the same volume, as measured by the meter.

Done.