Recording Studio Design, 2nd Edition

Appendix 4

It has been traditional to mix cinema soundtracks in large mixing theatres in order that the many variables involved in transposing a mix from the studios to the public cinemas could be minimised. However, the more recent needs for compatibility with smaller theatres and subsequent DVD releases have again highlighted the problems of the compatibility of playback in rooms of different sizes. The X-curve, used for cinema loudspeaker playback, has long recognised the need for different high-frequency roll-offs depending on room size and decay time, but another room-size related problem–that of the perceived level of the dialogue varying relative to the music and effects–has led many people to ask whether a further compensation needs to ...