• Registered: 2014-12-11
  • Posts: 47

Topic: Monitoring Apple Atmos

Hi there, I am new to Atoms. Is there a way to monitor Apple atmos through an UFX and a DAW, eg. with headphones?
Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks and cheers
D

  • cyrano
  • DAW Mastermind
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  • From: Belgium
  • Registered: 2015-04-28
  • Posts: 701

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

It seems Apple has included the Atmos decoder in the latest Macos, but it's only activated if you also have an Apple Music subscription.

The only other way I know of, is buying the 400$/year subscription to the official Dolby player.

MB Pro - 2 X FireFace 400, FF800 & DigiFace USB
ADAT gear: Korg, Behri, Fostex, Alesis...

cyrano's Website

3 Reply by S-E Hansson (edited by S-E Hansson 2023-02-05 11:40:31)

  • From: Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 441

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

Hi!

It seems to work with Nuendo/Cubase Pro as well
check here
https://www.steinberg.net/tutorials/atm … eadphones/

regards S-EH

  • From: Adelaide - Australia
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 455

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

You just need to configure your 7.1.4 capable interface in "Audio Midi" settings.  Oh and if you are using an iPad for a sidecar monitor, you need to disconnect, otherwise you only get stereo.

----------------
Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
----------------

mattrixx's Website

5 Reply by hselters (edited by hselters 2023-02-08 01:12:12)

  • Registered: 2018-12-21
  • Posts: 322

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

also see this thread, your audio interface can only have 16 channels maximum. It does not seem logical, but exceeding 16 channels will result in 5.1 playback only instead of 7.1.4 (or did this change now with the latest updates? I didn't check...)
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=36260

6 Reply by mattrixx (edited by mattrixx 2023-02-08 01:30:43)

  • From: Adelaide - Australia
  • Registered: 2007-05-01
  • Posts: 455

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

hselters wrote:

also see this thread, your audio interface can only have 16 channels maximum. It does not seem logical, but exceeding 16 channels will result in 5.1 playback only instead of 7.1.4 (or did this change now with the latest updates? I didn't check...)
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=36260


Yes, this was definitely a thing. However, I too am not sure if this is still relevant or not.. Will check later. I'm using a virtual driver (Source Nexus into my UFXII, as I route through SoundID for room correction)

----------------
Matt McKenzie-Smith (UFXII, UFX, Babyface) MacStudioUltra OS13.2.1
----------------

mattrixx's Website

7 Reply by oli77sch (edited by oli77sch 2023-05-19 08:09:44)

  • Registered: 2016-06-14
  • Posts: 1,142

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

hselters wrote:

also see this thread, your audio interface can only have 16 channels maximum. It does not seem logical, but exceeding 16 channels will result in 5.1 playback only instead of 7.1.4 (or did this change now with the latest updates? I didn't check...)
https://forum.rme-audio.de/viewtopic.php?id=36260

This thread is over three months old, anyway I would like to add here that it also does not work to play 7.1.4 from Apple Music over a Babyface pro which 'only' has 12 channels (per direction). But it seems to be related to the division of the available channels of the interface in 'streams' as shown in de Mac Audio-Midi-Setup app (for example on the Babyface pro there are three streams: 1 = 4 analog out, 2 = 8 ADAT out, 3 = 2 virtual reverb returns). See in this video at 4:00:
https://youtu.be/mq_gdeeBHuc

UCX - FF 400 - Babyface pro - Digiface USB - ADI-2 (original)
Mac mini M1 - Macbook pro - iPad Air2

8 Reply by rna (edited by rna 2023-05-19 13:01:42)

  • rna
  • ADAT user
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2015-10-27
  • Posts: 14

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

Yes I had the same issue with my RayDat.  Strange thing is if I use a 16 Channel Loopback Virtual audio device it works.  If I then switch to the RME then it carries on working correctly.  But if I relaunch the Music app it reverts back to 5.1
I made a video demonstrating the problem.  I think I might spend the day on apple support now I have a video showing the strangeness.
https://youtu.be/mq_gdeeBHuc

wow oli77sch I can't believe you beat me to it lol!!

  • rna
  • ADAT user
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  • Registered: 2015-10-27
  • Posts: 14

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

So I also bought some AirPods Pro to check mixes but now they are incompatible with the dolby renderer which runs at 512 buffer size and the AirPods can only do 300 and odd samples.  Very frustrating. Normally I work in Pro Tools but I believe Logic Pro is compatible with the head tracking so I might have to hold my nose and do a mix in logic.  I will report back after my attempt!

10 Reply by rna

  • rna
  • ADAT user
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  • Registered: 2015-10-27
  • Posts: 14

Re: Monitoring Apple Atmos

Ok so I just did my first atmos mix in Logic and I can confirm you select head tracking with spatial audio from the Atmos Renderer Plugin on the output.  Ir is pretty surreal and not as awful as I thought it would be.