Selecting DSP program

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Squishman

Squishman

Audioholic Samurai
I have a Yamaha RX-A1060. With a DD program, whether it be a DVD or TV, I usually select "standard", or "drama". If it is a 2.0 program I usually, if not always select "7 Ch stereo". Music, whether an LP or mp3 is always "straight" of course. 15 years ago, we had Dolby Pro Logic, to synthesize 5 channels. Is that what the "Dolby Surround" function does, same as what PL used to be?
With 7 ch stereo, I enjoy how you can sort of joystick back to front with the Android app. But is there another sort of Dolby Pro-Logic type function that would be more appropriate with a non digital signal?
What rule of thumb do you guys use for different applications?
 
Music: 2 channel stereo
Movies: Whatever it's encoded in.

I don't like 7 channel stereo for pretty much anything. Maybe if I had a house full of people and wanted some background music... I don't mess with any of the enhanced DSP modes outside of Audyssey and Dynamic eq because it just colors what's actually there and you don't get a true representation of what the artist intends for you to hear.
 
With 7 ch stereo, I enjoy how you can sort of joystick back to front with the Android app. But is there another sort of Dolby Pro-Logic type function that would be more appropriate with a non digital signal?
Pogre said:
Music: 2 channel stereo
Movies: Whatever it's encoded in.

I don't like 7 channel stereo for pretty much anything. Maybe if I had a house full of people and wanted some background music... I don't mess with any of the enhanced DSP modes outside of Audyssey and Dynamic eq because it just colors what's actually there and you don't get a true representation of what the artist intends for you to hear.
Click to expand...

That is very much or at least partly my motivation for this post. I don't want to interfere with the integrity of the production. So what makes the most sense to maintain that? I do not mind trying out what sounds best for non-digital shows though. What is the closest thing to Pro-Logic (that we have now) for that purpose, btw?
 
Squishman said:
With 7 ch stereo, I enjoy how you can sort of joystick back to front with the Android app. But is there another sort of Dolby Pro-Logic type function that would be more appropriate with a non digital signal?


That is very much or at least partly my motivation for this post. I don't want to interfere with the integrity of the production. So what makes the most sense to maintain that? I do not mind trying out what sounds best for non-digital shows though. What is the closest thing to Pro-Logic (that we have now) for that purpose, btw?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure if I quite understand what you mean by joysticking? You just sit there and play with levels and make the sound go back and forth or front to back? Are you trying to get surround sound for movies and television? How do you listen to music? Where does 7 ch stereo come into play?
 
Music is always 2 ch or straight (same thing as 2 ch stereo when source is music/2 ch). The joystick (my word for it, not Yam) is only functional in 7 ch stereo. You can move it left or right, front to back. I do not move it left or right, just a little back for staging. I have seriously great rear speakers.
If the source is Dolby Digital, then no. I don't use that function.
One good example of when I use 7 ch stereo is with my hundreds of self-made DVD's taped from TCM for example. Those are just 2.0. Tried "mono movie" option, but I don't like it.
 
I always use Dolby surround for stereo content and Neural x for multichannel content.

Stereo is really a flawed format, even for music. The only way to get proper imaging is to sit directly in the sweet spot. With Dolby surround, you get that same imaging no matter where you sit. Dolby surround is a hell of a lot better than Prologic II. I've done some A/B tests comparing a discrete multichannel mix to a stereo down mix using Dolby surround, and Dolby surround almost always manages to extract the surround information that was down mixed with startling accuracy, well enough that I would be hard pressed to discern it wasn't discrete multichannel in the first place. Neural X does a much better job of discrete object tracking with 5.1/7.1 mixes, its nearly as good as real Atmos. DSU tends to add more ambiance, with less overhead panning with multichannel content. I don't use neural x for stereo because it is a comb filtering, channel leaking mess. I have no idea what they did to screw up 2ch upmixing, since multichannel upmixing works fantastically.

The only reason I'd used 7ch stereo is maybe for party music, even then probably not.

Most DSP programs in receivers suck. The only one I kinda like is onkyos theater dimensional. It does a pretty good job of mimicking 5.1 with a 3.1 setup.

Sent from my 5065N using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
yepimonfire said:
I always use Dolby surround for stereo content and Neural x for multichannel content.

Stereo is really a flawed format, even for music. The only way to get proper imaging is to sit directly in the sweet spot. With Dolby surround, you get that same imaging no matter where you sit. Dolby surround is a hell of a lot better than Prologic II. I've done some A/B tests comparing a discrete multichannel mix to a stereo down mix using Dolby surround, and Dolby surround almost always manages to extract the surround information that was down mixed with startling accuracy, well enough that I would be hard pressed to discern it wasn't discrete multichannel in the first place. Neural X does a much better job of discrete object tracking with 5.1/7.1 mixes, its nearly as good as real Atmos. DSU tends to add more ambiance, with less overhead panning with multichannel content. I don't use neural x for stereo because it is a comb filtering, channel leaking mess. I have no idea what they did to screw up 2ch upmixing, since multichannel upmixing works fantastically.

The only reason I'd used 7ch stereo is maybe for party music, even then probably not.

Most DSP programs in receivers suck. The only one I kinda like is onkyos theater dimensional. It does a pretty good job of mimicking 5.1 with a 3.1 setup.

Sent from my 5065N using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Thx Yep. That is the kind of reply I was hoping for!
 
I previously thought that 7 ch stereo puts the same signal to front and surround channels. But recently noticed that on some 2 ch recordings yamaha a1070 puts some instruments for instance to front left channel and some to surround. Sometimes this sounds like 5.1 audio.
 
Andrein said:
I previously thought that 7 ch stereo puts the same signal to front and surround channels. But recently noticed that on some 2 ch recordings yamaha a1070 puts some instruments for instance to front left channel and some to surround. Sometimes this sounds like 5.1 audio.
Click to expand...

7ch stereo normally puts L/R signals to the left and right mains and surrounds respectively, and combines the L/R signal into the center. Are all your speakers the same? Could be level differences as that I believe they're all fed an equal signal using the 7ch stereo mode. Here's what your manual says about it:

"Use this program to output sound from all speakers. When you play back
multichannel sources, the unit mixes down the source to 2 channels, and then
outputs the sound from all speakers. This
program creates a larger sound field
and is ideal for background music at parties."
 
lovinthehd said:
7ch stereo normally puts L/R signals to the left and right mains and surrounds respectively, and combines the L/R signal into the center. Are all your speakers the same? Could be level differences as that I believe they're all fed an equal signal using the 7ch stereo mode. Here's what your manual says about it:

"Use this program to output sound from all speakers. When you play back
multichannel sources, the unit mixes down the source to 2 channels, and then
outputs the sound from all speakers. This
program creates a larger sound field
and is ideal for background music at parties."
Click to expand...

This what i thought but looks like yamaha does some smart processing. Saw this with a860 as well. Levels are the same. And in most cases front and surround respective apeakers play the same. But sometimes for instance solo goes to left surround mostly.
 
Andrein said:
This what i thought but looks like yamaha does some smart processing. Saw this with a860 as well. Levels are the same. And in most cases front and surround respective apeakers play the same. But sometimes for instance solo goes to left surround mostly.
Click to expand...

You have no other dsp engaged? Doesn't sound too likely that Yamaha did something outside of what they explain in the manual....
 
lovinthehd said:
You have no other dsp engaged? Doesn't sound too likely that Yamaha did something outside of what they explain in the manual....
Click to expand...
Realized i have virtual back surrounds On. Not sure this matters.
 
Andrein said:
This what i thought but looks like yamaha does some smart processing. Saw this with a860 as well. Levels are the same. And in most cases front and surround respective apeakers play the same. But sometimes for instance solo goes to left surround mostly.
Click to expand...

Levels as measured how? Your speakers are all the same/same sensitivity?
 
I used to be a meater. I gave it up for another profession.
 
Squishman said:
Music is always 2 ch or straight (same thing as 2 ch stereo when source is music/2 ch). The joystick (my word for it, not Yam) is only functional in 7 ch stereo. You can move it left or right, front to back. I do not move it left or right, just a little back for staging. I have seriously great rear speakers.
If the source is Dolby Digital, then no. I don't use that function.
One good example of when I use 7 ch stereo is with my hundreds of self-made DVD's taped from TCM for example. Those are just 2.0. Tried "mono movie" option, but I don't like it.
Click to expand...
Fwiw 7 channel stereo isn't stereo. It's basically 7 channel mono. If your critically listening, either movies or music, it should be played as intended, ie music 2.x , movies whichever format that it's mixed in ie DDx or DTSx
 
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