Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Sound Issues with "No" and "The Sapphires"

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Posted by Michael Putlack (Member # 6523) on 05-11-2013, 08:58 PM:

So, we just recently had our new digital equipment installed. We've got doremi servers but are only hooked up with stereo surround. We've had problems with the sound dropping out 100% on both of these movies mid-movie and then kicking back on.
Sometimes, there seems to be a whisper of audio coming through, but it mostly seems to be just gone. Our tech thinks it might have to do with a DCP mixed in stereo and the Doremi only being able to output in 5.1 or 7.1, but I don't think it would change mid movie from 5.1 to 2.0 and back.

Has anyone experience similar problems with these or any other movies?

Posted by Harold Hallikainen (Member # 5405) on 05-12-2013, 12:35 AM:

What sound processor are you using? Are you just driving left and right speakers with the left and right channels? Are you playing a 5.1 DCP? Most dialog, I believe, is placed in the center channel. Some processors (like the USL JSD-60) can combine several channels to yield an output. With others, an external resistor network can be used for this. I've mostly seen this for mono - surround systems.

Good luck!

Harold

Posted by Gavin Lewarne (Member # 5397) on 05-12-2013, 04:40 AM:

We have played both these films.

"No" is mixed with the intent to sound like a 1980s vidoeo tape and hence has a strange audio quality. We were not getting much more than L C R when we had it. It also had inconsistent volume.

"The sapphires" on the other hand we found to be a very good 5.1 mix.

We have a Dolby server and a cp750 processor going to 5.1 speakers.

Don't worry about "no" it is not a film to judge audio quality with!

Try some audio test DCPs like a sweep pattern and see what happens.

Posted by Gavin Lewarne (Member # 5397) on 05-12-2013, 06:35 AM:

We have played both these films.

"No" is mixed with the intent to sound like a 1980s vidoeo tape and hence has a strange audio quality. We were not getting much more than L C R when we had it. It also had inconsistent volume.

"The sapphires" on the other hand we found to be a very good 5.1 mix.

We have a Dolby server and a cp750 processor going to 5.1 speakers.

Don't worry about "no" it is not a film to judge audio quality with!

Posted by Dave Macaulay (Member # 813) on 05-12-2013, 09:00 AM:

What do you mean by "only hooked up with stereo surround"? What channels are you actually playing through speakers?
What sound equipment are you using - D-A converter and sound processor?
Does this happen at the same point in each film, meaning is the problem on the sound track or is the sound system failing (very unlikely to happen twice at the same scene).
I have not had any problem with a Doremi server dropping sound out. I think the problem is more likely in the sound track or system.
Since it's a new installation I'll assume the server has up-to-date software and firmware (sw 2.2.5-0, fw 21.3r, sm 1.6.22 for a non-IMB system). There were issues with earlier software regarding audio watermarking but that didn't cause dropouts as I recall; distortion I think.