What began in 2019 as a Dolby Atmos presentation focused on immersive sound, but was abruptly canceled due to the pandemic, has now transformed into the most significant AES event for the Philadelphia section in recent memory!
In our ambitious collaborative effort with Comcast and Dolby, numerous presenters introduced the audience to the unique partnership between these two companies, which involves the Dolby Atmos immersive sound technology and the Dolby Vision HDR imaging technology.
Immersive Sound, All Around
Ellis Reid, Senior Brand Manager at Dolby Labs, revealed how these technologies are extensively utilized in film, animation, music, sports, and gaming, which are distributed across the expansive Comcast network.
The works from the movies 1917, The Minions, and Fast X were premiered, with the highlight of these demonstrations being the Dolby Atmos mix of “Rocket Man” by Elton John!
What truly brought these works to life was the 64-channel Dolby Atmos speaker system housed at the Ralph J. Roberts Forum, located in the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia. This 500-seat amphitheater was acoustically designed to provide a fully immersive sound and visual experience for the audience.
Comcast, Dolby & AES
In line with our commitment to education, Tim Carroll at Dolby Labs explained to our audience of current and prospective audio engineers how to create content in Dolby Atmos. The tools are readily available, with some even being free, enabling anyone to start producing right away.
Mixing in Dolby Atmos can be conveniently done on headphones. However, beware! If you don’t have access to a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 speaker system, you need to reference your mix on a sound system that can at least render it on a 5.1 surround system. What you hear on your headphones may differ, perhaps significantly, from what you hear on your speakers.
Philly’s Largest AES Event In Recent Memory
The estimated attendance was over 400 people, which included Comcast and Dolby personnel, ASA members, college students and professors, as well as AES members from Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, DC. Clearly, it was our largest event in recent memory.
Introductory remarks were presented by Chip Powell, Audio Engineering Society (AES) Chair of the Philadelphia Section, and this event was co-sponsored by the Acoustical Society of America (ASA), with Felicia Doggett serving as Chair of the Philadelphia Chapter.
