Getting it right in multichannel sound

Multichannel is a thing of beauty for producer and surround sound engineer MIKE NIELSEN. He explains to Karen Faux that working in multichannel is like working in full colour as opposed to the monochrome of stereo and underlines that attention to detail is all.

What is the key difference between stereo and multichannel when it comes to the mix?

The basic format in 5.1 stereo requires you to have a front speaker as well as left and right ones. It is important to consider what the centre speaker will do. Should it be used for vocals, for example? Some artists don't like this because it makes them feel too exposed, and they would prefer to be merged into the music. Experience shows there is also a danger that the centre speaker can sound disembodied. These are things to be aware of.

How do you go about getting the best result?

As an engineer I always want to use the full capability of the format. On the other hand if you want it to sound good on most peoples' systems you can't be too extreme.

The reality is that not everyone has the kind of system with the capabilities of the one I work with in my studio at Strongroom. Here, there tends to be a greater sense of dimension. The important thing is to pay attention to the spatial and frequency ranges and try to create a balance that will sound right on any home system.

To what extent do these market restraints present a challenge for the engineer?

In reality standard systems have rear speakers with a lower specification and there are other practical contraints. People are limited either by the physical amount of space they have to give their system or by the amount of money they have to invest in it. The engineer's goal is to make the mix sound as well as possible but at the same time you have to realise that you cannot second guess everything.

One of the earliest surround sound projects was Underworld's live DVD, Everything, Everything on V2. How much of a learning curve did this provide?

Venturing into DVD for the first time was very exciting – comparable to making the first stereo mixes. It was a step into the unknown. This was back in 1999 when the format was in its infancy. We didn't have a mastering engineer, the mastering formats were still being built and reverbs were in prototype.

The band were prepared to go through all the stages of production – from compressing the audio, monitoring it through encoded and decoded systems and paring the information down further to get the desired effect. We all learnt a lot through this process and it has paid off for subsequent projects.

How did you get started on the Underworld DVD?

We went into dubbing suites in Soho, London, and also into hi-fi shops to see exactly what we were catering to.

After talking to the stores we realised that the rear and centre speakers were often not set up according to the standard. So, in order to make our mixes bullet-proof, we concentrated on the left and right speakers and used the rest to re-inforce that.

The over-riding aim was to give the listener the impression that they were experiencing the music as part of an audience, and the centre speaker was used to isolate rather than reinforce the vocals. I think we succeeded as the video picked up awards for its sound, including the DVDA Excellence Award for audio quality, presentation and special features. We wanted it to convey all the excitement of the tour and I believe we achieved this.

How long do multichannel projects usually take to complete?

The Underworld video took around three months as it involved gathering concert footage and sound from the band's tour. We started working on it at the end of the year and went into the studio during January and February. So it was quite a long time.

These days the process is much shorter although it almost always involves a period of working intensively in the studio. While a stereo mix typically takes two days this is generally expanded to three when a 5.1 mix is involved as well. There is a lot of overlap between the formats. By the time you get to stereo many aspects of the sound will have already been sorted out.

With a lot of projects there is still an emphasis on stereo, and we work from this and flesh it out into 5.1.

Are artists and record companies thinking in terms of multichannel these days?

There is growing awareness that 5.1 is now its own format and needs to have its own sources. It is good to always be able to mix from the ground up and get the best result. Undoubtedly, there are now more studio albums mixed in 5.1 and bands with higher profiles are engaging in these projects.

We are witnessing the beginning of a life-cycle that has been seen before with other formats. As more people invest in decent 5.1 set-ups, more products will be produced to meet increasing consumer demand.

How does working on movie soundtracks differ from DVD projects?

The technical disciplines for film soundtracks are similar to music releases, although you have to take into account the fact that the mix is going to be heard in the physical space of a cinema.

One of the great things about film is that it provides opportunities to play around with special effects. In The Beach, for example, composer Barry Adamson, wanted to use music to reinforce the psychological break up of the main character, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, by using 5.1 in an unusual way.

We used different vocals and sounds coming from different speakers, which created a dislocated effect and worked extremely well.

Is state-of-the-art equipment absolutely necessary to produce the best results?

The simple answer is yes. The best 5.1 console is the Euphonix because it is designed for the job. It is possible to use other consoles although not all can switch to 5.1. The advantage of the Euphonix is that you can put sounds in the rear and keep the quadrant in fluent motion. For mastering it is now necessary to have a six channel or eight channel mastering machine.

At the end of the day it is worth investing in a system that has surround capability. After that it comes down to skill in monitoring.

What are you working on at the moment?

I've just completed mixing the forthcoming Underworld album, A Hundred Days Off, and I am currently writing, programming and producing new songs with Mantra recording artist Natacha Atlas. In the last couple of years, I have become increasingly interested in world music and am keen to pursue new avenues in this area. People tend to come to me because they like my work and can relate to what I have done.

What is rewarding for you personally about working in surround-sound?

It is a thrill to hear music more openly and fully. DVD is an exciting format and there is the added advantage of visuals. It takes the music experience up to the next level. SACD is also starting to have fewer restrictions from an audio point of view and there are an increasing number of projects in the format.

Now that these formats are beginning to prove to record companies that they are sellable, the creative horizons for the engineer are widening all the time. That has to be good....

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