Convert Stereo Soundtrack -> 5.1 DTS

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saurabh

saurabh

Audioholic
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
First off, you need to use a PCM WAV as opposed to any other format. Even the slightest disparity within an mp3 file will result in phasing.

Secondly, forget about Dolby - DTS 5.1 is the only real option to create Surround-Sound CDs.

I used Goldwave to create the different channels. If you don't have it, you should get it. Its free (there is a permanent nag screen but the program is fully-functional). Visit Goldwave.com to get the latest version.

01. Rip a CD track to a WAV file and rename it master.wav (you don't have to rename it, it just gets confusing!);

02. Open the master.wav in Goldwave;

03. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Left". The left-channel waveform will be highlighted;

04. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "left_front". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

05. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Right". The right-channel waveform will be highlighted;

06. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "right_front". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

07. At this point, the right-channel waveform will still be highlighted. On the Goldwave toolbar, click on "Effects" and then "Invert";

08. Click on "Edit", "Channel" and "Both". Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "right_back". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

You've just created a right-channel OOPS file! For more information on the OOPS effect, click here.

09. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

10. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

11. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Left". The left-channel waveform will be highlighted;

12. On the Goldwave toolbar, click on "Effects" and then "Invert";

13. Click on "Edit", "Channel" and "Both". Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "left_back". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

That's the hard part over and done with!

14. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

15. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

16. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Low/Highpass" option and click it;

17. In the Filter options, click the radio button which says "Dynamic". The default option is for the filter is "Lowpass" but if this isn't already selected, make sure that it is!;

18. Change the initial Hz to 80 and the final Hz to 120 (you can just overtype the values). The default "Steepness" is 5, which is fine. Click "OK";

19. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "lfe". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

20. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

21. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

22. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Maximise" option and click it;

23. Half the volume of the file by clicking the "New maximum" radio button, adjust the slider to 0.5 and then click "OK";

24. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Parametric EQ" option and click it;

25. Choose the "Presets" option named "Treble boost" (its towards the bottom of the screen) and click "OK";

26. 19. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "centre". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed".

You now have six (5 + 1) channels from an originally stereo source! Okay, its not perfect but its really, really convincing.

Just a few notes...

The left and right OOPS files are the only means of creating background "ambience" from a stereo source. They sound odd on their own, but great when mixed together.

The actual DTS protocol specifies that the Subwoofer frequencies should be no higher than 120Hz - I did do some reading on this.

I decreased the volume of the center file, so that when I raise the treble, it doesn't distort. The treble sounds great raised on the middle channel because this is where vocals and guitars are usually placed. The OOPS files in the left and right background take care of any high frequencies which aren't slap-bang in the middle (such as panned tambourines and cow-bells).

Once you have your 6 files, you do need to mix them to a DTS WAV file - download the SurCode DTS CD demo at SurCode.com to hear how it wil sound.

So that's the recipe for converting stereo WAV files to 5.1 DTS Surround Sound CDs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well I didnt write these instructions since I was busy with my work and other projects, so best of luck and lets collaborate the results.
 
K

Krazykaj

Junior Audioholic
Thanks for that :)
Interesting post/article, i'll have to give it a go :)

Cheers
KJ
 
T

Tom351

Enthusiast
Just burn the WAV to a CD in Audio CD format- if you play the disc in a normal CD player you will hear DTS bitstream which sounds like noise, but a DVD player can decode it. I have used Surcode this way, and I assume that Multiwave works the same way.

But how is doing this anything different/better than what Dolby ProLogicII does on the fly?
 
Audioholics

Audioholics

Guest
I would think that Dolby's Pro Logic IIx would do a better job of generating multi-channel information from a stereo source - but this is certainly a fun thing to play and experiment with.

For free - you can't beat it and I bet you could come up with some really fun re-mixes if you put your mind to it. Combine this with an application like Reason and you could do a ton of really cool 5.1 mixes.
 
S

spaspecker

Audiophyte
Please be patient - this post is from a complete newbie!!

I followed saurabh's tutorial TO THE LETTER and using multiwave, but when I try to burn the resultant multi channel wav using nero, it tells me the format is not supported. Can anyone help? This is driving me insane!!
 
A

analyst28

Audiophyte
saurabh said:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
First off, you need to use a PCM WAV as opposed to any other format. Even the slightest disparity within an mp3 file will result in phasing.

Secondly, forget about Dolby - DTS 5.1 is the only real option to create Surround-Sound CDs.

I used Goldwave to create the different channels. If you don't have it, you should get it. Its free (there is a permanent nag screen but the program is fully-functional). Visit Goldwave.com to get the latest version.

01. Rip a CD track to a WAV file and rename it master.wav (you don't have to rename it, it just gets confusing!);

02. Open the master.wav in Goldwave;

03. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Left". The left-channel waveform will be highlighted;

04. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "left_front". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

05. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Right". The right-channel waveform will be highlighted;

06. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "right_front". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

07. At this point, the right-channel waveform will still be highlighted. On the Goldwave toolbar, click on "Effects" and then "Invert";

08. Click on "Edit", "Channel" and "Both". Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "right_back". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

You've just created a right-channel OOPS file! For more information on the OOPS effect, click here.

09. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

10. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

11. On the Goldwave toolbar, click "Edit", "Channel"; "Left". The left-channel waveform will be highlighted;

12. On the Goldwave toolbar, click on "Effects" and then "Invert";

13. Click on "Edit", "Channel" and "Both". Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "left_back". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

That's the hard part over and done with!

14. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

15. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

16. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Low/Highpass" option and click it;

17. In the Filter options, click the radio button which says "Dynamic". The default option is for the filter is "Lowpass" but if this isn't already selected, make sure that it is!;

18. Change the initial Hz to 80 and the final Hz to 120 (you can just overtype the values). The default "Steepness" is 5, which is fine. Click "OK";

19. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "lfe". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed";

20. Close the file onscreen by clicking "File" and "Close" on the Goldwave toolbar;

21. Open the original WAV named master.wav;

22. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Maximise" option and click it;

23. Half the volume of the file by clicking the "New maximum" radio button, adjust the slider to 0.5 and then click "OK";

24. Move your mouse over Goldwave's toolbar icons until you find the "Parametric EQ" option and click it;

25. Choose the "Presets" option named "Treble boost" (its towards the bottom of the screen) and click "OK";

26. 19. Click "File", "Save Selection As..." and name the file "centre". Change the "Save as type" to "Wave" and the File Attributes to "16 bit, mono, signed".

You now have six (5 + 1) channels from an originally stereo source! Okay, its not perfect but its really, really convincing.

Just a few notes...

The left and right OOPS files are the only means of creating background "ambience" from a stereo source. They sound odd on their own, but great when mixed together.

The actual DTS protocol specifies that the Subwoofer frequencies should be no higher than 120Hz - I did do some reading on this.

I decreased the volume of the center file, so that when I raise the treble, it doesn't distort. The treble sounds great raised on the middle channel because this is where vocals and guitars are usually placed. The OOPS files in the left and right background take care of any high frequencies which aren't slap-bang in the middle (such as panned tambourines and cow-bells).

Once you have your 6 files, you do need to mix them to a DTS WAV file - download the SurCode DTS CD demo at SurCode.com to hear how it wil sound.

So that's the recipe for converting stereo WAV files to 5.1 DTS Surround Sound CDs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well I didnt write these instructions since I was busy with my work and other projects, so best of luck and lets collaborate the results.
Click to expand...
hello saurabh
1. To create 5 mono separate channels from wave audio file, i made the whole process according to your instructions exactly step by step (working with goldwave 5.20) after that, mixed the 5 channels with "surcode" to dts. I did it few times and everytime the same problem :distortion in the "right sorround" ,the volume much lower and its sound's like slower and maybe disturbed with other sound track in the background.The other four channels individually- perfect.
2. My second question is when i open the "maximise volume",i don't have the option of "new maximum" button, and with the slider i can adjust 0.05 or 0.50 or maybe 50% wich is minus 6.02 (half range? full range?)
could you help me with that?appreciate your attention to my problem.
 
S

sagarchoudary

Audiophyte
hello

hi saurabh

i have tried this on 5.58v in full version but it is not working in home theatre so please suggest me how it works

:confused:
 
M

markw

Audioholic Overlord
Good luck getting a response.

Did you check the dates on the previous posts?
 
J

johnfull

Audioholic Intern
I've seen posts, from audio engineers, who claim that CDs often contain surround info without having to fudge anything. The masters (usually from the 1970s) were made
to accommodate the Quadraphonic format of the time and were simply re-used to make
the CDs. Anyone with a decoder could play the CD and have 4 channel sound straight
from the CD! I haven't tried this, since I don't have an SQ decoder, but it's intriguing...
 
J

johnfull

Audioholic Intern
I'm really surprised that CDs would be able to carry a multiplex signal.
I always thought that they were at a frequency above human hearing and the
cut-off for CDs being so close to that level. I guess I'd have to see it to believe it.
Have you heard DTS-CDs? Most sound awful. The bitrate is too low. The DTS
that goes onto DVDs is very good, though -- 24bit/96kHz is very close to perfect...
 
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