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ATMOS MIXING with CUBASE PRO | All you need to know to get started
I Tried Mixing in ATMOS with CUBASE using my Headphones

More and more formats are beginning to move toward the Atmos audio standard.
But mixing in Atmos can be more complicated and require a lot of expensive equipment…
However, what if I told you that you could start mixing in Dolby Atmos at no additional cost to you?
With Cubase Pro 12 you can experiment with Atmos mixing right now, and in today’s video, I’ll show how I would approach mixing in this format.

What do you think about Atmos? Have you tried it yet? Let me know in the comments!

RELATED VIDEO :

Timestamps
0:00 Intro
1:40 Getting Atmos setup in Cubase
2:20 Setting sample size and buffer rate
3:00 More settings for Atmos
4:15 The Renderer plugin
4:35 Setting the downmix in Renderer for headphones
5:35 Two ways to set up your tracks
7:00 Creating objects from tracks
8:20 Comparing near, mid, and far positions
9:00 Using multipanner to place tracks in space
9:20 Using the visual element of multipanner
11:35 Listening to the panned tracks
12:50 How to bounce your Atmos mix
13:05 My thoughts on Atmos

Some of the gear and plugins I use in the studio:

STUDIO MONITORS:
HEADPHONES:

VIDEO FILMING GEAR
Video gear shared in this video

[RaneMusic]

This one of the best videos about Atmos mixing I've seen so far. The pacing/speed of the video/editing is perfect, you get straight to the point and the quality of the video is just perfect. 4k video, good mic setup and audio quality... Just a good video throughout :)

[DerekPower]

1 - Atmos has a better shot of being an easily accessible surround format that other previous ones because it can work in headphones

2 - The other advantage to using Atmos is that it brings dynamics back into the mix because you are now working with a space rather than discrete channels.

3 - I would like to mix in it in the future once I have things set up and worked out (and your video helped in a way).

4 - My general attitude regarding mixing music in Atmos is first to figure out whether you want the music to sound like it's being played live or not. After all, the principles developed for mixing certain styles of music have the end goal of making the soundstage sound close to a "live stage". Thus, you would place your objects in relation to an audience member (even better, if that audience member is in the front row or even on stage with the performer). But if you work in a style that doesn't necessitate that kind of "realism", then it's "anything goes"

Quick and dirty thoughts on this =]

[gemerman]

Thanks for the video, Chris.
I had the chance and listen to an Atmos setup at a studio here in Cologne, Germany.
I'm not your average sound engineer (nearly 60 and female) and I like certain music.
I'm not a fan of Hip Hop or dance, but there were some young engineers that blew me away.
I had never heard a Hip Hop track like that. It was mind blowing.
I think, that especially in that genre of music, the possibilities seem endless in what you can create.

[peterranallo]

Great video Chris. I wish I would have seen it when I started mixing in Atmos :). I started the day Cubase added the renderer. I now have a simple 7.1.4 setup. There is a huge learning curve to understand the entire process, but I am enjoying it so much, it is worth it. We are in the early stages and to be quite honest, just because we can work in Atmos doesn’t mean the song will be better than in stereo. That being said, as I get better in Atmos, I prefer binaural over stereo, and listening with the speakers has re-ignited my love for listening and discovering new music. Like anything else, practice makes perfect :)

[amendippanesar]

I did the same thing and enjoyed it. My first approved Dolby Atmos mix goes up on streaming next month

[rivitheadlab]

THIS! Is what I have been wanting to do since Cubase 3 back in So excited! Thanks for the step by set man!!!! The binaural setting is a blessing as money and space is at a premium!

[americanwatercolormovement]

Thanks for this - I've been thinking of experimenting with ATMOS for our new recordings, but didn't have the time/energy to even figure out where to start. This is fantastic.

[boomboxstudiosUK]

I'll probably just use this for placing thing in a standard stereo mix, just for more depth. Probably make the mix more immersive and interesting for sure.
Thanks for the info, appreciated.

[RustyR]

Great video Chris, I have Cubase 12 haven’t tried ATMOS yet

[Justin_the_Analog_IC_architect]

Thanks for this Chris. I didn't know Atmos was available in Pro 12.

[douglashazelrigg]

I've been hired to create content for an artist (sculptor) who wants to conduct a series of shows in his large, warehouse studio. His basic concept is to emulate the murmuration of birds but in the auditory realm, using an array of speakers. I've promoted the idea of using 7.1.2 (or 7.1.4) surround, but now we're taking a close look at Atmos. The challenge will be finding a speaker array that doesn't break the bank (fortunately, he's willing to spend quite a bit to realize his vision). This will be an interesting journey for me, which has started right here with your video -- thank you! :)

(As an aside, I'm surprised I'm not finding inexpensive joysticks on the market for panning... maybe I'm not looking in the right places)

[Sidharrtharun]

Thanks for this video Brother> I did not had any idea about the work flow in Cubase.

[dspoet]

I appreciate this video. I use Nuendo and do a lot of sound design for my short films.

[fotonkiy]

Wow! Very interesting and important video! Thank you

[QFXmusic]

Great to seeing new content from you Chris :) Do you know that there is now a new Atmos render that works in any Daw :)

[ricshaw]

Fantastic Tutorial, this was very informative and easy to understand

[THZORROMUSIC]

Really great, thanks a lot for this first step into atmos. Please keep on going. Would be interesting how to set up the master buss where the renderer is now on, master compressor / eq etc. before it, as usual on a stereo buss. And what levels to go for? ... However, thanks so far, I will try it out right now.

[QuaverloveStudio]

Will I be checking it out? Absolutely! The fact that Cubase Pro has it included (as standard) kind of indicates to me it is shaping up to be the way forward. I also believe there will [in the not too distant future] less expensive ATMOS monitoring available to justify the argument of it being the next 'standard'.

I KNOW I'll be having fun with FX in ATMOS!
Thanks again, o Leader of the MCC!

[kcdewinter]

On the flip side ( pardon the pun) it's interesting that vinyl, cassettes, and 70s hifi are all cool again for listening to music right now.

[MaPa]

You made Atmos make sense, tnx! So it’s a more spaceous room sound with a bit of movement, aka immersive. Quite a few more hoops to a mix, especially with big projects. Could we achieve something similar with reverbs and some automation of the panning, yes, on stereo speakers. So who will have a 7.1.2 speaker setup? Movie theaters, which are shutting down due to streaming competition. Uni’s, a few stores, and people with big houses. Will that be enough to make it popular? I doubt it, the economy is not exactly going in that direction atm. Still cool to know, and maybe I will give a mix or two a shot with the methods you show here. Does the renderer plugin and the bed plugin come with Cubase 13 Pro, or is that 3`rd party?