The Dolby Atmos has now entered into the mainstream sound industry and is making a mark in the movie experiences. Audiences now can watch the movie like they are into it. The immersive magic of Dolby Atmos became an instant when it was launched 2 decades ago. However, the financial & technological limitations kept this magic underground for nearly 20 years.
Now with the help of modern technological advancement, the Dolby Atmos has reached people’s pockets. Theatres, Home theatres, and now even smartphones are supporting Dolby Atmos technology and this is crazy!
Recently Audible launched its Audiobooks in Dolby Atmos format, indicating the next big boom among the book-loving audience. However, questions are still there. How much would the Dolby Atmos impact the audiobook listeners? And most importantly how to create a Dolby Atmos audiobook with immersive sound design?
In this article, I am going to discuss these. So read the whole article to get this all clear for once & forever.
What is the Magic of Dolby Atmos?
The magic of Dolby Atmos lies in its approach of treating all sound elements as separate objects. This approach gave a new perspective on sound elements in a video or audio. Earlier the whole audio element was one. They used to coexist with each other, trying to overlap each other and sometimes creating hindrances.
This hindrance is sometimes used to make it very difficult to listen to the actual main sound elements, making the audience’s experience terrible. There were technologies to show the main sound in the mainframe, however, the 1-D audio palette was used to stop people from feeling the actual intensity of the clip.
Dolby Atmos instead goes with the object-oriented sound elements where it places each sound at its actual position with the help of speakers & Dolby Metadata. This approach lets you feel each element of the sound very carefully just like the real world. As the sound comes, the magic starts automatically and reaches your heart through your ears.
(Also Read About – Everything You Require to Make a Dolby Atmos Requirement )
How Dolby Atmos is Revolutionising the Sound Industry?
Let this be understood with a prime example. Suppose you’re into a jungle movie where the protagonist is moving bare feet with a knife in his hands. Somewhere near a river is flowing and he can hear the water moving. The protagonist now walks forward and listens to dogs barking, foxes howling, and snakes hissing nearby.
Now think of yourself as the protagonist and try to feel the tension he is in. A normal speaker may show you the journey of the protagonist but will never make you a part of it. Immersive sound technology lets you feel the sound as objects in the real world. You feel the howling, hissing, and barking around you just like in the Audiobook.
( Read About – 7 Things to Consider Before Mixing Music in Dolby Atmos )
Effects of Dolby Atmos on Audiobooks:
1. Immersive Experience:
Dolby Atmos offers you an immersive experience in audiobooks. The sound in Dolby Atmos is manipulated metadata that gives you 3-D audio effects. The immersive sound experience lets you enjoy the audiobook in the most realistic way.
2. Spatial Audio for Better Sound:
Apple has recently launched its audio program Spatial Audio which senses your head position and balances the audio signals in a way that keeps the sound coming from the direction of the device only.
3. Better Noise Reduction:
The Dolby Atmos program focuses on noise reduction. Though we have all mikes and devices that cancel out noises, the Dolby Atmos program is designed to cancel out all noise metadata for an immersive experience of an audiobook.
4. Better Sound Quality:
Most people can’t tell the difference between good & exceptional sound quality. Thus not the quality but the presentation matters to people. Dolby Atmos has taken a different approach to present the sound and that’s how they have made it highly impactful.
5. Enhanced Storytelling:
Be it a spy novel or a self-help book, the enhanced sound effects instantly improve the entertainment of storytelling. The immersive sound effects allow you to enjoy the exact imagination of the story.
( Read More – How to Identify the Dolby Atmos Sound Tracks? )
Adding Sound Design into Dolby Atmos:
Dolby treats sound as separate objects, allowing the listeners to enjoy the sound as if it’s in real life happening around them. But how do they create it? The answer lies in the processing of Dolby Atmos.
Dolby sound pieces are not sound in real life. They have manipulated metadata of actual sound recorded separately and then placed in a 3-D setup. The process goes like this.
– Record all sound elements separately.
– Install DAW and Dolby Atmos Renderer to create the mix.
– Use Dolby Atmos mastering suite to master the sound for public release.
– Listen to the final version and release it.
Check out our blog on how to create Dolby Atmos sound in detail.
While recording, you need to understand the major sound elements and supportive sound elements and their motive for co-existence. Think of all the sounds in 3-D space and place each sound accordingly. The speakers attached to the studio Dolby Atmos setup will use the metadata as directed.
( Read More – Dolby Atmos Podcasts- How To Create and How they Impact? )
The Future of the Audiobook Industry:
Audiobooks have always been the best entertainment option for book nerds. They present a story, offer you high-researched material, and a detailed presentation of fiction or nonfiction. The recent adaptation of the Dolby Atmos has brought a breakthrough in the Audiobook industry.
We live in a time when we’re surrounded by entertainment options. As it is, people in the last few decades have been leaving the books and focusing on another form of entertainment. But now with the integration of Dolby Atmos, the book industry has a high chance of getting an exponential rise.
Audiobooks are now able to offer an immersive experience. This means all your White Walkers are going to attack you in a realistic way. The same is true for our beloved John Snow who will always be there to protect you.
( Read More – Advantages of a Pro Recording Studio Over Home Studio )
Conclusion:
I personally believe in the magic of Books. They have always been the best entertainment for me. However, not so many people read books today. But as technology has been evolving, books have today found a way to entertain us.
With the help of Dolby Atmos, you now can enjoy the narration as real as you. The snake hissing, dragon flying, people gathering, and king giving orders- you can now feel anything & everything written in the books. The future is waiting for you book nerds. Seems like the era of books is returning!
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