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Wrapped in Sound

27/02/2023
Post Production
New York, USA
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Sonic Union's Joe O’Connell on the evolution of immersive sound

As you stream your favourite movies, television, and music, you’ll likely see technical terms such as “spatial, immersive or 3D audio”. All of these are examples of object-based audio technology, in which individual sounds can move within a virtual 3D space, providing a distinct sense of direction and place in the overall listening experience. For example, imagine you’re watching a movie with a jungle scene. There is the steady hum of insects and wildlife all around you, the flutter of a bird's wings passing overhead, a monkey screech echoing off  to the left, thunder in the distance and the rustle of the leaves in the canopy as something is moving quickly above and behind you. Instead of hearing it all coming from the same place, you hear it coming distinctly from different directions and positions. It makes the viewing experience more real as if you are actually part of the scene. 

The most well-known of the immersive formats for creating this effect is Dolby Atmos. First launched in 2012 it was initially developed for the film industry. Back then, elaborate speaker-filled theaters were once the only place people could experience this new “object-based” format. 

I remember the first time I heard a Dolby Atmos demo. The clarity and positioning of the sounds create movement and the feeling of being inside the mix as opposed to in front of it. It is the addition of height channels with immersive formats that provides a more spherical sound field. Listening to songs, like Elton John’s “Rocket Man”, The Beach Boys “Good Vibrations” and many other classic tracks that were some of the first to be re-mixed in Dolby Atmos is a very different and incredible experience. 

My immediate thought was that I wished everyone could hear mixes this way. Fast forward a decade to where we are now and the tools for professionals and consumers alike have made that possible.

Compact, sophisticated sound bars from Bose, Sonos, Samsung, Sony, and others have brought immersive audio into living rooms everywhere without need for a roomful of speakers. And thanks to Dolby's partnership with Apple, spatial audio can even be reproduced with an iPhone and Airpods Pro (2nd Gen) or AirPods Max. 

It is the ability to experience immersive audio with headphones that enables us to share Dolby Atmos mixes online. We’ve done this with brands like NASCAR for the introduction of their NextGen cars. Instead of the customary shots of NASCAR drivers roaring by at 200 mph, the spot features slow pans of the impressive NextGen cars while the music and sound design take you on a sonic rollercoaster. The low end impacts that start the spot utilize the entire Atmos soundscape, enveloping the listener while the engine ominously revs (more like growls, really) serving as a launch pad into the music and mayhem. The sound design is a combination of accelerating engine sounds and synth risers which are panned to follow the flickering lights, creating movement that propels the listener along a virtual race track. The cacophony ramps to a finish with the detailed sounds and panning complimenting the intricate graphics of the NASCAR logo. 

Immersive content has evolved as well with popular TV shows, countless new and re-mastered music titles, podcasts and live music events. Netflix was the first platform to stream in Dolby Atmos and is now joined by Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Apple Music and the list continues to grow. 

We had the privilege of mixing the CBS eye mnemonic rebrand (the iconic eye-shaped logo for CBS) in Dolby Atmos. The impactful sonic update for the network included Dolby Atmos versions for news, sports as well as general programming for use on immersive audio streaming services. 

While companies like Netflix have helped get the spatial audio ball rolling there’s still a lot to look forward to. Updated broadcast specifications for live television are going into effect across the US and around the world delivering 4K Ultra-HD video along with immersive audio. 

I’m inspired by where it’s all going and grateful for the talented, dedicated team we have helping to make our way forward. And of course we couldn’t do it without our amazing clients - collaborators in the mission to create exceptional work while having fun doing it.


Joe O’Connell is partner | sound designer | mix engineer at Sonic Union 

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