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Many movies with poor audio?

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6K views 27 replies 15 participants last post by  FargateOne 
#1 ·
Hello all

I have an issue that has been nagging me for some time. I have just finished my home cinema project and have started with the tuning / critical listening phase.

The system consists of:

3x Klipsch THX kl-525 fronts in bafflewall
KS-525 surrounds
2x XTZ subwoofers
Anthem mrx-700
Dune HD 303D
Playstation 3 for blu-rays

One day watching Noah i suddenly noticed some ambient noise every time a character spoke. It was like a faint pink noise in the background like you could here the microphone being turned on in the studio. When the dialog ends the noise disappears.

I started thinking that it was my system, so i tried different sources and configurations but with no luck. Then i went to the computer - put in the disc and i could locate the same sound in my headphones from the computer. So my conclusion is that it is in the mix... It is a bit harder to hear it coming from the headphones but my home theater system exposes it very clearly.

After this experience i have heard it in several other movies including Thor 2 and others. It is really annoying and often i can't focus and enjoy the movie because of the distraction.

Do you know what i am talking about or is it just me?
 
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#2 ·
What you're probably noticing IS the mic, more specifically, the dialogue track. If the dialogue track has "noise," then when the person mixing lowers the volume you'll hear a difference. I've noticed that before on some movies, but it isn't a wide problem. Anyone else have input?
 
#3 ·
The only movie I have really ever heard the noise is in the most recent Spider-Man, it was so bad I thought something was wrong but it's been confirmed by at least one other person that the dialog track was noisy during quiet sections as if they were over gaining the mic to get more volume.
 
#4 ·
...One day watching Noah i suddenly noticed some ambient noise every time a character spoke. It was like a faint pink noise in the background like you could here the microphone being turned on in the studio. When the dialog ends the noise disappears.

I started thinking that it was my system, so i tried different sources and configurations but with no luck. Then i went to the computer - put in the disc and i could locate the same sound in my headphones from the computer. So my conclusion is that it is in the mix... It is a bit harder to hear it coming from the headphones but my home theater system exposes it very clearly.

After this experience i have heard it in several other movies including Thor 2 and others. It is really annoying and often i can't focus and enjoy the movie because of the distraction.

Do you know what i am talking about or is it just me?
The type of "pumping" action you're hearing could have been introduced at the mixing stage by compressors or limiters. These signal processors can be used to mask noise in an audio track, though that's not their primary purpose. The noise floor can become more or less evident as the main signal is manipulated by processor settings (rise/attack times & thresholds). Aside from pumping and other artifacts, heavy-handed use of compressors or limiters can crush the life out of a mix by robbing it of dynamics.

I watched Noah too, but can't remember being distracted by the effect you describe. It might have been noisy in the house while I watched, or maybe my system isn't capable of resolving to that level of detail. Some people are more sensitive to subtleties than others, be it a musical performance or a video presentation. Can you let me know a specific point where the effect occurs? I'll try to hear it on my system, and get back with you.
 
#5 ·
The type of "pumping" action you're hearing could have been introduced at the mixing stage by compressors or limiters. These signal processors can be used to mask noise in an audio track, though that's not their primary purpose. The noise floor can become more or less evident as the main signal is manipulated by processor settings (rise/attack times & thresholds). Aside from pumping and other artifacts, heavy-handed use of compressors or limiters can crush the life out of a mix by robbing it of dynamics. I watched Noah too, but can't remember being distracted by the effect you describe. It might have been noisy in the house while I watched, or maybe my system isn't capable of resolving to that level of detail. Some people are more sensitive to subtleties than others, be it a musical performance or a video presentation. Can you let me know a specific point where the effect occurs? I'll try to hear it on my system, and get back with you.
It'd be interesting to see who else can hear it from Noah specifically.
 
#7 ·
Sorry for the delay. I'll audition the passages you mention, especially where you notice a "cracking" sound.

When you say you've tried different sources and configurations, do you mean both streaming media and physical media, or do you mean different A/V sources (preamps, players, etc.)?

Here's a silly question, but it needs to be asked: If you're only investigating problems that follow the disc, is the disc itself in mint condition?
 
#8 · (Edited)
#10 ·
I think you're not mad I just listened to this passage with my iPhone 5. When I put the speaker near my ears I can clearly hear what you are talking about and the iPhone is no where near an Hi-Fi system. I never noticied this while watching movie but I listen to them in french canadian so maybe the studio that recorde the french voice doesn't introduce these kind of sound or I just never noticed it.

Here is a passage from edge of tomorrow. Pay attention to the background noise as the woman speaks. It is especially clear in the end of the clip when she says "Yes". The noise starts half a second before she says yes and ends after https://www.dropbox.com/s/dsnuif4gtf5hj1w/AUDIO%20CLIP.mp4?dl=0
 
#12 ·
Sorry for the late response

Thanks alot for your replys guys - i really appreaciate it. And thank you BlueRockinLou for your efford looking into it yourself. I am sorry if i ruined some of your future experiences - once you have heard this you will continuously be more prone to hear it :-(. All my speakers are level matched and not running hot. My room is however well acoustically treated so I can play very loud without ear fatigue which will reveal the errors more easily. Turning down the treble to -4 helps a bit but it also makes the sound more dull.....

I am stunned to find out that so many movies have such a poor audio quality with the sky high budget and state of the art mixing equipment. What a disappointment....
 
#13 ·
No need to be sorry, Eotas, I was just kidding. I already notice poorly recorded music/movies a lot when I am in critical-listening mode or critical-viewing mode. Yes, it is a disappointment. But until the general public shows they care about audio quality, music and movie executives won't care either.

Watching movies is not a "destination activity" for a lot of people. In other words, they don't treat movies at home the same way they do in the theater: it's okay to talk, move around, open curtains, etc. But people like you and I (and our hometheatershack buddies, of course) want more than just an awesome TV. We want awesome sound; and we want it to be quiet and dark when we watch a movie, just like in a real theater.

Audio quality has generally taken a back seat to video. But new trends show that more people are voting with their dollars for better sound. They're buying home-theater-in-a-box, soundbars, and separates. Word will spread and maybe, just maybe, someone in charge will notice so almost all movies will have good sound.

Audiophiles have been ranting about sound quality of recorded music even before MP3 was invented. You don't need golden ears to notice bad sound, just like you don't need golden eyes to notice poor video. You just need to pay attention.
 
#14 ·
Then i went to the computer - put in the disc and i could locate the same sound in my headphones from the computer.
I actually ordered new speakers in part due to hearing a nasty enclosure resonance on certain bass guitar notes at high volume. The new ones did the same thing though. Lo and behold, headphones on my computer while watching a youtube video did the exact same thing. The resonance was in the recording.
 
#17 ·
I know the thread is about a defective sound track but I have grumbled for years about the dialogue in movies and TV shows being overwhelmed by the ambient sounds.
When I first heard about Atmos being object based I had visions of being able to turn up the volume of the dialogue without just turning up the center channel level.
Unfortunately that's not in the implications I know of.

Is Noah worth watching?
It seemed to make it to Netflix streaming pretty quickly.
 
#18 ·
I know the thread is about a defective sound track but I have grumbled for years about the dialogue in movies and TV shows being overwhelmed by the ambient sounds. When I first heard about Atmos being object based I had visions of being able to turn up the volume of the dialogue without just turning up the center channel level. Unfortunately that's not in the implications I know of. Is Noah worth watching? It seemed to make it to Netflix streaming pretty quickly.
Charlie, did you know dts X has the ability to adjust the dialogue only?
 
#23 ·
Humm, on second thought DTS-X looks like it will be easy to implement.
http://listen.dts.com/pages/dts-x
They claim....
"Flexible...We made sound move, so your speakers don't have to. Because DTS:X doesn't require any specific speaker layout, you can arrange your home theater system however you want."
"Backwards Compatible...Your movie collection gets a new lease on life! Rest assured that our celebrated catalog of DTS-HD Master Audio soundtracks are best heard with DTS:X. Take your favorite Blu-ray, DVD or digital movie to new heights."
"Interactive...You are in control of your listening experience. That hard-to-hear line in a movie can be improved at a touch — lift the dialogue out from the background sounds when you want clarity and experience a more personal entertainment experience."

If it works as advertised, I might be willing to replace a perfectly good AVR.
But it's going to have to be 'worth it' for me to make that switch.
 
#26 ·
Rofl! As much as I agree, the counselor probably wouldn't. I'm also sure the balance of compromise has shifted toward my favor. I would never let her get away with telling me to do inwalls, or tiny bookshelves, but in fairness, I have managed a 7.3 channel system. In the main living space of our house. Complete with towers,and 38 lb surrounds that extend 17 inches off the wall. I'll wait for a failure to mention upgrades. Ok, probably not. Lol
 
#27 ·
I haven't noticed much in movies, but television - specifically FOX - can be horrid. Sleepy Hollow and The Following are great shows, but there are some terrible audio problems. Even Cosmos. I always intend to save an episode on my TiVo and rent the Bluray when it's released to see if there's a difference, if they clean stuff up a little more pre-release, or if it's even possibly my local affiliate introducing some garbage somewhere in the chain.

It's pretty sad when Survivor has better location audio than these scripted shows.
 
#28 ·
Since I am a member of this forum, I improved my home theater sound using better placement for the fronts and the sub, little changed for the main listening position,YPAO eq for the 5 channels,Antimode for equing the sub and now I am sure that some movies (blue ray or dvd) have poor sound for the dialogue or for the sound image. Sometimes the music from an orchestra reversed: strings to the right and winds to the left or all the music going rightward.
 
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