Did Some Theaters Not Receive the Dolby Mix?

dwjmu84

Anyone else notice Jeff’s intro was loaded with reverb and echo? Seems like maybe some theaters did not receive the Dolby mix. Sounded terrible at my location. There was a big f**k up somewhere…..

igotid88

I think that happened everywhere

tylerj

My theater definitely got the Atmos version cause there were moments where the spatial audio was evident. It still sounded way low in volume and like it was recorded under water.

igotid88

From my understanding is that the theaters didn't use all the speakers. Someone said they used the front speakers that's used for the end credits. There were parts of Dark Matter and Running that were missing. Since we know those songs. So you could spot that.

And they didn't play the audio that they used for the tour announcement. I thought that was supposed to be at the beginning of the record. 

dwjmu84

Seems like there were problems all around the country (and beyond). It’s pretty lame that so many had this experience. Hearing similar stories on RM. 

I’m not complaining about hearing the record early but it’s bittersweet when it SOUNDS as bad as it did  - at least where I was. 

elvistheking44

https://community.pearljam.com/discussion/301792/official-complainers-thread#latest

dwjmu84

elvistheking44 said:

https://community.pearljam.com/discussion/301792/official-complainers-thread#latest

Sorry fella. This deserves its own thread. It’s not a nit-pick level complaint. 

Anyway, seems like maybe the employees at some locations didn’t know how to properly operate the Dolby equipment. 

You’d think instructions would be passed along to each location. 

Nothing beats the comfort of your own home studio (setup). Lesson learned!

PB11041

There was definitely a misfire at Regal Theaters.  No question.  It was like listening to an ipod shuffle.  I went to the record store preview on Sunday and it was WAY WAY better done at the record store I went to, they played it through their performance stage speaker set up

dwjmu84

PB11041 said:

There was definitely a misfire at Regal Theaters.  No question.  It was like listening to an ipod shuffle.  I went to the record store preview on Sunday and it was WAY WAY better done at the record store I went to, they played it through their performance stage speaker set up

ugh! I debated going to my nearest record store party but chose the theater instead (though to be fair, there were other considerations in my case).

oh well.  Friday morning I will be down in my basement studio with Sonos speakers and lots of espresso BLASTING DM. 

droptheleash9

Went to a Showcase Cinemas south of Boston and the mix was terrible. Was very nervous at first that this was how the album would sound but when Dark Matter and Running both sounded like they were being played from speakers submerged in water, then I knew it was a theater issue.

JimmyV

droptheleash9 said:

Went to a Showcase Cinemas south of Boston and the mix was terrible. Was very nervous at first that this was how the album would sound but when Dark Matter and Running both sounded like they were being played from speakers submerged in water, then I knew it was a theater issue.

Legacy Place or Patriot Place? Had tix for Foxboro but couldn't make it. 

Indifference

sound at landmark in Cambridge was awful

pjl44

Indifference said:

sound at landmark in Cambridge was awful

I was there too. It was not good at all.

bobasfeet

If anyone went in Richmond, it was bad. Call and get a refund.

seanwon

PB11041 said:

There was definitely a misfire at Regal Theaters.  No question.  It was like listening to an ipod shuffle.  I went to the record store preview on Sunday and it was WAY WAY better done at the record store I went to, they played it through their performance stage speaker set up

Not all of them. Sounded great in Albany Regal.

pbultimate

And people paid money for this?  Complaints are warranted if the sound was shit. 

CarryTheZero

When I looked at theater options in Atlanta, out of the 5 or 6, only one theater was labeled/advertised as having Dolby sound. It was the AMC. When I checked the labeling at Landmark and the others, they were all labeled standard audio. I went with the AMC, for the Dolby, but mostly because my A List membership got me a free ticket.

It may be that some of those theaters didn’t have Dolby/Atmos capability?

mpedone

droptheleash9 said:

Went to a Showcase Cinemas south of Boston and the mix was terrible. Was very nervous at first that this was how the album would sound but when Dark Matter and Running both sounded like they were being played from speakers submerged in water, then I knew it was a theater issue.

Showcase in Lowell was excellent. Maybe a little quiet, but these old ears don't really mind that. Definitely had spatial audio as that super-effected guitar line in Dark Matter was buzzing all around us (among other examples).

Pretty sure Jeff's audio in the intro was just weird - sounded weird for us, too.

Gern Blansten

I still enjoyed it but the volume should have been much louder at our theatre.

dwjmu84

CarryTheZero said:

When I looked at theater options in Atlanta, out of the 5 or 6, only one theater was labeled/advertised as having Dolby sound. It was the AMC. When I checked the labeling at Landmark and the others, they were all labeled standard audio. I went with the AMC, for the Dolby, but mostly because my A List membership got me a free ticket.

It may be that some of those theaters didn’t have Dolby/Atmos capability?

I sat in the Dolby Cinema (can't miss it b/c there are big signs as you walk into that specific theater - they do not spare expense letting you know!). Then, of course, the whole 5 minute vignette on Dolby atoms before it began, along with the signage INSIDE that theater.

You could tell it was, but either the mix received was not dolby and being played through dolby system OR, they completely botched something there at AMC.

either way, if was loud but sounded like dark matter being played in a tin can.

rhinomagic

The description said "in Dolby Atmos, where available". My local Alamo Drafthouose cinema definitely did not screen it in the Atmos-equipped theater. I called for a manager two songs into the first spin because it was clearly not in Atmos. He explained that they chose not to use the format, which was disappointing. But, couldn't let it ruin my experience in the moment.

Force Of Nature

Caveat all of this with I dont know what Atmos is but assumed it meant to be something superior sounding.,,,

I went to one that said it had dolby atmos, and Jeffs intro sounded all weird (maybe not mixed in Atmos) but I didnt love the sound. At first I thought it was the album production but when Dark Matter came on and I could compare to what I'd heard before I realised the cinema wasnt the best sounding place for this.

pjl44

It seems like there were a lot of theaters that just didn't put much effort into the presentation. What kind of mixes do we have? What can the individual theater we chose support? How do we optimize sound? I was still happy enough to hear the songs early but (at least at my theater) it doesn't feel like they spent any time getting things set up properly.

BH76306

Mentioned this in another thread, but the AMC Dolby Atmos theater in Spokane sounded *incredible.* Jeff's intro was all echo-y but Im pretty sure that was intentional for whatever reason. But the album itself sounded better than just about anything I've experienced audio-wise. Sucks it wasn't a uniform experience for others.

drakeheuer14

Listening experience at home with my airpods max and apple music for tonight puts the theater to shame. 

I didn’t pay close enough attention to see if mine was dolby atmos beforehand, but even if it was supposed to be, its clear that’s not what I experienced.