One of the questions we get asked the most is whether there’s any difference between mixing in surround and mixing in stereo. The short answer would be: there’s more to it than meets the eye. Mixing for 5.1 and 7.1 allows audio professionals and sound mixers to create realistic spatial effects while avoiding the traditional phasing issues and other drawbacks that might appear.

What’s the difference between mixing for 5.1 and 7.1?

Mixing for 5.1 uses 6 channels (feeding into 6 different speakers) to create surround sound while mixing for 7.1 uses 8 channels. These two extra channels of sound aim to deliver a much better audio quality and sonic experience.

Surround sound technology is not something recent, let alone new. It actually made its first appearance back in the 40s, more specifically in 1941, with Disney’s highly acclaimed film ‘Fantasia’. Of course, there has been a sheer array of significant developments since the movie premiered, and today’s surround sound is a pivotal element of filmmaking, gaming and audio post-production in general.

And although mixing for 5.1 and 7.1 is not intended for music formats, there are still lots of new recordings mixed and released in surround on DVD and Blu-Ray discs. Think of the re-release of Rush’s 2112

Making the transition from stereo to surround mixing

Before diving into the complexities of going from stereo to surround mixing, it’s important to recap a couple of concepts. Think of this as surround sound 101.

The Speakers

Surround sound, at its most basic level, involves a set of stereo front speakers (normally placed to both the left and the right side of the sound mixer), and an additional set of surround speakers, which are usually placed behind a central listening position and to the sides.

The next step involves the addition of what is called a center channel: a speaker placed just between the stereo speakers (left and right), whose primary function is to reproduce the dialogue lines in movies. That gives us a total of 5 different speakers.

5.1 Surround begins to take shape

Back in the day when LaserDisc was popular, Pioneer Electronics started to pay special attention to this technology, which was proving very successful in America. One of the main advantages of LasedDisc was that it provided way more storage capacity than its predecessor, the VHS tape.

Dolby was also paying attention to this, took advantage of the idea and finally came up with what we know today as Dolby Digital. This format, amongst other things, allowed for stereo surround speakers to deliver a much higher bandwidth sound. They also added the “.1” by including a low-frequency channel, or subwoofer, as we like to call it.

7.1: Blue-Ray hits the stage

Although many other things happened between 5.1 and 7.1 surround systems (like the development of 6.1 and other variations), these two are the most popular.

Just when people started getting familiar and used to 5.1 and 6.1, 7.1 hit the stage in conjunction with Blu-ray discs as the new must-have surround format, essentially overthrowing and displacing its predecessor. There are different versions of 7.1, all of which add in a second back surround speaker.

The difference

In order to best exemplify the difference between mixing for 5.1 and 7.1, let’s think of two possible scenarios: mixing a film and mixing a live concert.

For some concerts, perhaps it is ideal to have listeners right in the center of the fifth row, while for others, maybe it is best to place them in the center of the band onstage. Or perhaps in no particular place at all.

The approach depends largely on the nature of the project. But be that as it may, this is a decision that needs to be made right before the start.

When it comes to mixing a film, it’s important to mind several elements, but most importantly, it’s important to always support the dialogue and the story in general, as if they were the audience in a live concert. 

Working in 5.1 or 7.1 can offer a staggering amount of flexibility for creative sound design in films, games, music videos and more. And although 5.1 and 7.1 are now coexisting with ATMOS, the vast majority of films still use these formats.

It’s highly important to make sure that the sound design, score, and mix are always complementing the script, the performances, and the storytelling. Mixing for both 5.1 and 7.1 have in common the fact that both approaches strive to close the sound gaps between speakers and listening points, making sure that all the intensity and emotion of the performances are properly coming through and reaching viewers while also taking care of the most important thing: the dialogue.

*The images used on this post are taken from Pexels.com