Though complex Dolby film mixes come rare today this is one of them, having noticing the front centre mix being more dialogue and effects strong then most, its something that I have noticed a few years back, the newest to this addition of hundreds of Laserdisc and DVD titles is John Woo's "Broken Arrow" realised in 1995 and starring "John Travolta" and "Christian Stalter" in this heist to steal two nuclear weapons from a B-3 bomber aircraft is a hush from start to finish.
The film has got one of the most unusual mixes that I have come across, most motion picture soundtracks centre channel usual have a mix of (DME) that's dialogue music and effects, in this case it's just dialogue and effects with the score by "Hans Zimmer" being mixed and orchestrated in the front left and right and the split-surrounds with certain parts of the bass beats in the LFE.1 It's kinder of strange to switch of all the other channels with just the centre channel playing, the dialogue with its effects playing has a unique quality and this is where the fun starts.
Music effects front mix VS the centre dialogue and effects, with softer sounds like climbing aboard the B-3 bomber as the footsteps go one be one up the ladder it's just a bit default to hear it against the fronts left and right, though the music is at a softer playing level it's the masking, the masking of different frequencies played at different sound pressure levels and figuring it out so that the three-screen are working together not fighting each other in terms of audio masking. Sure you can sit within a few feet of the centre channel, this of coarse will work but the front left and right will be a bit distant, so this is a good place to start and grandly move backwards to the sweet spot per foot though it's going to be a rather difficult to get done right, I'll try it out real quick and then do the rest with the RTA and SPL db meter, this will allow me to see the sound and be able to make discussions. Well I can just say this audio limiters and compressors are the first to help out in this complex situation, where the balancing of the fader level at 0db for each channel setting the threshold settings and gate hold to react fast to the on screen action.
Another way is to use EQ's or just turn down the main front's level, trial and error is the case hear and that's the only way that I will discover this, so I'll have a crack at it now and will give a list of my findings. Calibration of the sound system VS the Dolby or dts soundtracks of today's digital age needs care and attention to detail, but setting the fader level on the AVR is not has easy as it seams, a dress rehearsal and close monitoring of the soundtrack with the SPL db meter at the sweet spot.
So this is what I will try, first of checking it over with pink noise over the three-screen speakers the upper centre channel, next of the LFE.1 followed lastly with the split-surround array side rears centre back and height surround. "Anyway I don't see what the big deal is I really don't. " Now as far as its gone so far, I've watched this one a few times over in the past week, Whoo what a mix and that KABOOM of the nuclear bomb, what a rush, EMP "Electro Magnetic Pulse."
So over the next few weeks I'll be following the Dolby six-track mix on this closely, not sure if anyone else has this film and has noticed the complexity of "Broken Arrow." Merry Christmas
