Just get DVD Audio Extractor

Lame 3.99 dependency installed but I get this (Linux) exception report:

The Package is of bad quality The installation of a package which violates the quality standards isn't allowed. This could cause serious problems on your computer. Please contact the person or organisation who provided this package file and include the details beneath.

Lintian check results for /home/temporary_downloads/dvdae_7.1.3_amd64.deb:

E: dvdae: control-file-has-bad-permissions postinst 0775 != 0755

E: dvdae: control-file-has-bad-owner postinst only/only != root/root

E: dvdae: wrong-file-owner-uid-or-gid usr/ 1000/1000

E: dvdae: wrong-file-owner-uid-or-gid usr/bin/ 1000/1000

(ad infinitum for all program paths and dependencies)

I'll give the Linux version a miss but would like to hear any comments about other OS versions.

I asked:

split a 5.1 CD Rom into separate .wav files, but can the same be done from a DVD or BD?

I worked out how to do it the easiest way:

1) Decrypt the your DVD and copy it to your hard drive;

2) Import the VOB file with the audio your want into Audacity

3) Then you can see each individual track of the movie;

4) Convert each track to a .wav (or format of your choice) and re-open;

5) Listen to one track at a time, or choose whichever ones..

Here's my Blues Brothers audio. Quite cool to hear just the dialogue, just the explosions or just the music, the way it was mixed!

I'd like to reverse-engineer some 5.1 sound from some movies, just as a learning exercise to see how they did the dialogue, foley effects. atmos, etc. Then try remixing them, changing a few attributes.

You can use utilities like Xrecode http://xrecode.com/ to split a 5.1 CD Rom into separate .wav files, but can the same be done from a DVD or BD?

(No, I wouldn't be pirating any sounds!)

OK. Just remember my words. As big amount of people went same way. I just wanted to save you some time and money.

Also, I like to use a laptop for sound. It's nice and quiet :-)

Your laptop lacks HDMI? As only old ones do.

If you ask me, buying set of speakers like Logitech is dead end. If you are in US simple search and patience allow to buy good receiver for cheap. Same as good set of speakers.

Also, most modern TV can use return channel of HDMI, so you can use receiver and speakers for TV also :-)

@goanna

You can also output surround sound with realtime encoder, be it Dolby Digital or DTS via SPDIF. If you have any modern graphics card you can output audio in surround PCM to receiver via HDMI, cheap and easy.

I'm authoring for surround sound audio and the the ideal (and apparently only affordable?) solution to converting the 5.1 optical/SPDIF digital signal from my Viera TV* socket to my $110.00, 5.1 speakers seemed to be this $55 converter from ebay:

Specifications:

• Input: 2x digital OPTICAL port, 1x digital COAXIAL port, 1x analog AUX (3.5mm stereo)port.

• Output: 6 RCA interfaces for SW/CE, SL/SR, FL/FR. 5.1 or 2.1-channel analog output.

• Transfer the stereo(R/L) audio signal data into 5.1 sound track output(analog signal output).

• Multi-channel signal input, One button to switch 4 different input sources, simple to operate.

• Power auto-detection signal input channel, switch to a signal input channel, when no signal input,

  • • output function will stop at the same time.

• Auto detect AC3/DTS/PCM digital audio signal.

• Decode format: DD EX, DTS-ES, DD Pro Logic II, DTS, AC3, Dolby Digital.

• 24-bit audio DSP, 96KHZ/24bit ADC.

• Made of latest US CRYSTAL CS493263-CL processing chipset (Old chipset is CS492604-CL), perfect sound.

• Sound Noise ratio: 120db

• Separation: 80db (1KHZ)

• Frequency response: 20HZ-20KHZ±0.5db

• Analog output level: 2.2V

• Size: 105mm(L) * 75mm(W) * 25mm(H)

Interface:

A. Optical input interface: XBOX360, PS3, STB, DVD player, Blue-ray DVD players, HD player

B. Coaxial input interface: can be connected to computer PC sound card or notebook coaxial output, high-definition players, set-top boxes, DVD player, etc.

C. AUX Input Interface: Connect to any group of LPCM stereo signals (such as computer audio, MP3 / 4 player audio)

D. Three output channels: connect to home theater or a 5.1-channel power amplifier ((FL/FR if 2.1 channel)

See also http://www.aliexpress.com/cp/compare-5.1-audio-gear/2.html

It's on order from China so I won't be able to post a review for a month :-(

Welcome to the strange world of sound :)

On the Murch front - listen to his mixes - mostly mono - dialogue storytelling the most important thing.

The number one thing to do is set up a test room in surround with correctly positioned speakers and then use that to screen your final mix. Most (maybe 90 percent?) of your end users will not have their speakers and amp set up correctly, but sending it out the door nicely balanced in the best you can do, you can't fix people's stereos. As far as mixing goes, you then make a number of choices that are geared to the source material. If you have sound effects, then you want to make sure that they "travel" correctly. A common mistake here is to pan the effect too hard in one direction so it sounds like it is from another set. Another thing to watch out for is that sound effects like breaking glass should travel in a pattern with scatter and bounce, but not as if they are "in orbit": circling around the room.If you have music and dialog, you want to make sure that people can hear the words or hear the music, or both. Be careful about using the center speaker, it can turn the stereo into mono. Make sure that you have good stereo imaging for those who will downmix. Create "snapshots" of mixes for different scenes, so that for example if a person returns to a room, you can use the same scene mix. Lastly, you can mix to reimage the listener. For example, if you make a video of a rock concert, you can mix it so the "audience" is sitting on the stage, or in the middle of the band, or in the audience with speakers in different places, and so on. And here, your test room setup will tell you if your mixing sounds convincing or artificial.

Not all the time tho of course :)

I never solely pop vocals just in the centre channel as they're too pinned middle, but hey thats me ;p (For music DVD 5.1 or 7.1 mixes that is) Also

@lolo that's just one type of 5.1 track layout - there are others i.e. film standard which you'll find a little different than the example up a few posts - that's a v simple delivery requirement as you usually deliver individual stems of dialogue music sync fx etc and various forms of M+E so 10 tracks is never really enough.

1:Fl 2:C 3:Fr 4:Ls 5:Rs 6:LFE

There really are no requirements to be honest just use your ears - and be sensible re: things like dialnorm and phase and "creative" panning

Main thing mixing in surround is to get a well balanced (full range if you can) set of monitors, level aligned and get your room sounding as flat as you can (or are comfortable with) 5 speakers and an LFE will really show you any sonic problems your listening environment has! If you're mixing for film - that's another conversation :)

Some historical reading:

http://hometheater.about.com/od/beforeyoubuy/a/surroundsound.htm

For 5.1 mixdown, I use Adobe Audition, which is now bundled in CS5.5. What's even more important is to work with a calibrated 5.1/7.1 surround sound monitoring system, which does take time and careful listening to set up properly. At this point 7.1 mixes are rarely produced, and Dolby ProLogic IIx does an excellent job of expanding 5.1 mixes to 7.1 at the decoder end.

For DVD and Blu-ray, you'll almost always want to produce both 5.1 and stereo mixes. For DVD you'll need a Dolby Digital encoder, and if you want lossless encoding on Blu-ray, either a Dolby TruHD or DTS-HD Master encoder. I use the MainConcept Codec Suite 5.1plugin for Adobe CS5.5 for DVD/Blu-ray with Dolby Digital encoding. It's important to test both stereo and 5.1 mixes on both 5.1 and 7.1 systems with ProLogic IIx on and off.

For music videos, a 5.1 mix will always put the lead vocal on the center channel and usually pan backup vocals and instruments to match the stage positions of the musicians. A music mix should have a stable audio panorama and not follow camera movements. Surround channels are best used for room acoustics and reverb. You don't normally want to hear any surround FX with music, just an expanded sense of space.

Here is a link to the Dolby Digital Professional Encoding Guidelines. This details what's necessary to produce DVD-compliant stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes:

http://www.beussery.com/pdf/beussery.dolby.pdf