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Sound Advice: Sound All Around

Surround sound isn't just for the big screen anymore.

Home theaters abound as their cost goes down and the quality goes up. Even today's computers have surround sound for total immersion in the media or gaming experience. As our culture becomes more media-savvy, video producers must consider the potential benefits of including surround sound in their productions. Last month, we explored mixing in stereo to provide a sense of space and to further draw our viewers into the video. This month, let's take it to the next level and investigate how the Dolby Digital experience can be a part of your next production.

Gear Up

Don't you have to mix surround sound in a studio? No, in fact you may already have everything necessary to do a respectable mix in the comfort of your own home. A sound card that supports surround and six speakers will suffice.

If you already have a home theater, you've probably seen the coaxial digital audio inputs on the back of the receiver. Normally, these are used to attach DVD players and transfer the digital audio with a single connection. Many computer sound cards have a digital audio output too. It will likely take some extra cable and an adapter or two, but you can feed digital audio from your computer directly to your home theater receiver. Plant your video-editing computer in the middle of the speakers and you have a simple, almost-free sound stage to mix multi-channel audio.

If you don't have a home theater or can't warm up to the idea of dragging your computer in and out of the family room, there are alternatives. One option is to purchase a simple home theater package exclusively for your editing computer. Street prices are often under $400 for complete package, including amplifier, speakers and subwoofer. Another option is a multimedia speaker upgrade such as the Logitech Z-680, also known as the Alesis ProActive 5.1. This powerful system has the advantage of being THX certified and will provide as accurate an image of your video mixes as possible for less than $400.

A surround sound speaker setup consists of three speakers across the front -- left, center and right -- two speakers behind the listener -- the "surrounds" -- and a subwoofer to handle all the low frequency thumps, crunches and explosions. There are formulas, angles, and a hundred variables in a proper installation, but the basics are the same: Form a triangle with your listening position and the left and right speakers. The center speaker should anchor your attention to the screen. Place it above the screen and slightly behind the line formed by the left and right speakers. Rear channel speakers often form a shallower triangle with your listening position, with the speakers slightly behind you. The subwoofer only plays the lowest of sounds, and its position is less critical, but know that placement against a wall or in a corner will dramatically affect its vol…