Logic Pro and binaural audio/Dolby Atmos etc.

[isuckatproducing]

Hi,

I need to create some audio tracks for Instagram/Tik Tok with binaural audio.
I know you can start normal stereo project and use binaural panning.
But there is also an option to set project to Dolby Atmos -> Binaural, but I don't know what's the difference.

In the end it will be 2 channel audio.
Any tips?

[emasters]

YouTube has many videos explaining how Dolby Atmos works in Logic. I found it a bit confusing at first, but after working with it a bit, it makes sense and works fine. I ended up purchasing the APL pre-release Virtuoso product for binaural monitoring (better than Logic's built-in Atmos monitoring). Here's an introduction video I found helpful:



If you get to the point where you want to better understand what's going on in detail, this is a great book that I found useful:

http://dingdingmusic.com/-titles-/dolby-atmos-3.html

Good luck!

[isuckatproducing]

YouTube has many videos explaining how Dolby Atmos works in Logic. I found it a bit confusing at first, but after working with it a bit, it makes sense and works fine. I ended up purchasing the APL pre-release Virtuoso product for binaural monitoring (better than Logic's built-in Atmos monitoring). Here's an introduction video I found helpful:



If you get to the point where you want to better understand what's going on in detail, this is a great book that I found useful:

http://dingdingmusic.com/-titles-/dolby-atmos-3.html

Good luck!

Thanks but it doesn't really answer my question.
I still don't know which format to choose if the audio will be 2 channels only (posted on Insta).

You can't use Dolby Atmos on websites like Instagram I believe, need a compatible player.
So do I start Dolby Atmos project and export as normal stereo, or start a normal project and use binaural panning.

[emasters]

With Logic, it will place the Dolby Atmos renderer on the Master bus (you need to select the correct settings per the info provided in the links above). In the Dolby Atmos plugin, you can select the format to monitor in. If you're using headphones, then binaural. If you have surround speakers, you select the appropriate speaker format. When you mix your project, if you keep the monitoring format binaural, then it will mix it that way on the 2-channel output. If you turn-off the Atmos Plugin, the mix will just be stereo. Presumably, if it's a surround project, you're gonna want binaural. When you post a binaural mix on a web site, best to provide a note that indicates it's binaural and thus needs to be listened to with headphones (versus speakers). No compatible player is required. If it's mixed in Dobly Atmos binaural, it will play back as intended on any device that supports two-channel headphones (Insta doesn't know the difference -- it's just two channels of audio). The two channels can be mixed in stereo or the two channels can be mixed in binaural surround. There's no decoding necessary -- just headphones attached to a device that plays back two-channels of audio.

I do this all the time. Mix to binaural Dolby Atmos then import that into my own private iTunes account (not for distribution). Plays back on my AirPods Pro 2 in surround as intended, from my iPhone. And if you're an Apple user, don't get confused with Apple's use of the term Spacial Audio, which does required the appropriate device/decoding to work as intended. Apple's Spacial Audio and Dolby Atmos binaural are not necessarily connected, though you can play back binaural with Spacial Audio if desired. Just mix to binaural in Logic, upload the two channel audio file to Insta, and post a note indicating headphones are required to hear the surround effect. Pretty easy.