Logic Pro 10.7.3
Logic Pro 10.7
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Build a Dolby Atmos mix in Logic Pro

Creating a spatial audio mix in Logic Pro is very similar to mixing in surround, but keep in mind that getting the full benefit of the Dolby Atmos plug-in requires taking a few additional steps.

Bed tracks and object tracks

Dolby Atmos mixes contain a mixture of bed tracks and object tracks. Bed tracks help provide a solid foundation for your mix and usually make up the majority of the tracks. You can create 118 mono object tracks or 59 stereo object tracks (or a mixture of both). However, to keep the mix clear and coherent, limiting the number of object tracks to just a few featured sounds is recommended.

Surround formats and plug-ins

When mixing in Dolby Atmos, you can use the surround formats 5.1, 7.1, or 7.1.2 for the audio bed tracks. If your project was already mixed in 5.1 or 7.1, you can keep that format or you can change it to 7.1.2 in the project settings. If you keep your project at 5.1 or 7.1, plug-ins that support those formats still work as expected. If you change your surround format to 7.1.2, plug-ins in your project that are compatible with 7.1.2 are automatically changed to that format. For surround plug-ins that don’t support 7.1.2, you can use multi-mono versions. See Overview of multichannel effects in Logic Pro.

Surround master channel plug-ins

Plug-ins inserted in Logic Pro before the Dolby Atmos plug-in affect only the bed tracks and are audible only in the surround format you choose for the project. Surround plug-ins inserted after the Dolby Atmos plug-in display channel meters for 7.1.4, but they affect the audio levels only for the monitoring format you choose in the Dolby Atmos plug-in. For example, if you choose Binaural from the Monitoring Format pop-up menu, a Level Meter inserted after the Dolby Atmos plug-in shows levels for the Left and Right channels.

Figure. Audio levels before and after the Dolby Atmos plug-in.

The loudness level of a Dolby Atmos mix must be at or below –18 LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) in order to play back correctly on a system or device compatible with Dolby Atmos. This is especially important for rendering the binaural mix. You must keep a very close eye on the levels for each surround channel in the surround master channel. The following plug-ins are recommended to help monitor and control these levels:

Multichannel Gain: Adjusts the signal levels of the bed tracks before they reach the Dolby Atmos plug-in.

Limiter: Limits all surround bed channels simultaneously before they reach the Dolby Atmos plug-in.

Level Meter: Shows all of the surround bed channels (up to 7.1.2) when inserted before the Dolby Atmos plug-in, and up to 7.1.4 when inserted after the Dolby Atmos plug-in, depending on the monitoring format you choose in the Dolby Atmos.

Loudness Meter: Measures the loudness of the overall mix using the LUFS standard. Insert this after the Dolby Atmos plug-in to make sure your mix does not exceed –18 LUFS.

The recommended order for inserting plug-ins on the Surround master channel is Multichannel Gain, Limiter, Level Meter, Dolby Atmos, Level Meter, then Loudness Meter.

Figure. Recommended master channel plug-ins for a Dolby Atmos mix.

Working with VCA Groups

Creating separate VCA groups for audio bed channels and object channels is an easy way to handle the levels of your project globally. See Use VCA groups in Logic Pro.

Logic Pro User Guide: Apple Books | PDF

Logic Pro Instruments: Apple Books | PDF

Logic Pro Effects: Apple Books | PDF

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