Dual Release (Binaural + Stereo) Project Page Tip

[Craig Anderton]

Let's face it, most people (by far) don't have surround systems. But they do have headphones, and Stereo One's Atmos functionality can create and render binaural mixes. With headphones, binaural mixes give more depth and space than stereo mixes. So, lately I've been releasing two versions of songs on my YouTube channel - a binaural mix for headphones, and a stereo mix for speakers.

Although Atmos can render a mix in stereo, it doesn't sound as good as a dedicated stereo mix. My workflow is to create the best stereo mix possible, copy the song, enable spatial audio in the copy, and add the spatial elements that can be done only with a binaural mix.

This is where the tip comes in. I want the mixes to sound as close as possible, within the constraints of the formats. So, I create a Project and update the stereo and binaural mastering files. The two files end up next to each other in the Project, which makes it easy to compare them. If you need to make a tweak, simply click over to the associated song, make the change, and then return to the Project page to compare.

Here are two examples of why this is useful:

• After doing both mixes, the stereo drums sounded flat compared to the binaural mix. Using binaural pan on the stereo drums couldn't duplicate binaural's depth, but it could add the sense of space.
• The binaural mixes have a somewhat different EQ curve. I insert a Pro EQ for the stereo master, and adjust the tone of the stereo mix to be as close as possible to the binaural mix.

If you haven't played with binaural mixes, give it a try. The sound isn't surround, but it's superior to conventional stereo. Hope this helps.

 

[TDF1981]

Let's face it, most people (by far) don't have surround systems. But they do have headphones, and Stereo One's Atmos functionality can create and render binaural mixes. With headphones, binaural mixes give more depth and space than stereo mixes. So, lately I've been releasing two versions of songs on my YouTube channel - a binaural mix for headphones, and a stereo mix for speakers.

Although Atmos can render a mix in stereo, it doesn't sound as good as a dedicated stereo mix. My workflow is to create the best stereo mix possible, copy the song, enable spatial audio in the copy, and add the spatial elements that can be done only with a binaural mix.

This is where the tip comes in. I want the mixes to sound as close as possible, within the constraints of the formats. So, I create a Project and update the stereo and binaural mastering files. The two files end up next to each other in the Project, which makes it easy to compare them. If you need to make a tweak, simply click over to the associated song, make the change, and then return to the Project page to compare.

Here are two examples of why this is useful:

• After doing both mixes, the stereo drums sounded flat compared to the binaural mix. Using binaural pan on the stereo drums couldn't duplicate binaural's depth, but it could add the sense of space.
• The binaural mixes have a somewhat different EQ curve. I insert a Pro EQ for the stereo master, and adjust the tone of the stereo mix to be as close as possible to the binaural mix.

If you haven't played with binaural mixes, give it a try. The sound isn't surround, but it's superior to conventional stereo. Hope this helps.

And let's never forget to tell people that a stereo mixdown of an Atmos project will not include the LFE while the binaural render does. This is very important.