Immersive Audio and How to Achieve It

Just read the Giles Martin interview in the current issue of Sound and Vision, concerning his Atmos remastering of The Beach Boys Pet Sounds album, and specifically his comments about the song God Only Knows.  I haven’t heard the outcome, so I reserve judgement, but he rather sheepishly admits that the height channels have no place in the song but he couldn’t resist the temptation to fiddle with them anyway.  He makes it sound relatively unobtrusive, by his standards anyway, but it does make me uncomfortable with the whole process of introducing changes in a way that the original artist couldn’t conceive.  Now perhaps the end result is worth it, and it isn’t like he permanently altered a master, as the two channel mix is still out there, but the gimmickry bothers me.

@mahler123 

All I can say is the Atmos version of Per Sounds (I was just listening to God Only Knows yesterday) is much clearer than the stereo/hirez versions. I'll go back and listen to it again specifically for height channel stuff, yesterday what I noticed is the clarity and distinctness of the vocals. The atmos effect in my room is non localized, you don't hear the top speakers doing this and the surround speakers doing that. It is a coherent, distinct presentation that is simply more distinct. The tone of each instrument, the soft percussion instruments more distinct in their own space. Now you have me curious and I will give it another listen and post.

@mahler123

I gave "God Only Knows" a critical listen in Atmos. What I noticed was the very distinct and separate percussion section in the beginning of the song, the bells and wood blocks clearer and more distinct than I ever heard in a stereo mix. The richness in the vocals and then the highlight is the richness of the various voices singing the "god only knows" harmony in layer upon layer. That might have been where Giles introduced more of the height channels, as the vocal pitches go higher in scale he might have lifted or stacked the vocal objects higher in the mix but they never got higher than about a foot above my front speakers. Definitely a nice use of the sound stage though.

Giles describes the Atmos mix better here:

We can recreate that realism, if you like. That’s why I’m saying it’s not a psychedelic record—it’s a very real record. There’s the sound of air being pushed through lungs, and wind going through instruments. There’s a beauty to all of that.

That "realism" is what I am describing as distinct and you REALLY notice it on vocals, that realism. 

Another great album in Atmos is Chicago's Greatest Hits, not only are the horns more realistic, but depending on the song they can wrap around you like a horseshoe, as if you are in the studio. The only time you may hear something directly emanating from overhead on any of the tracks I played would be like the thunder in the beginning of Riders on the Storm by the Doors. 

I was listening to Elton John in Atmos, Rocket Man is breathtaking, mixed by Greg Penny. Listen to Greg break it down. Elton John tells Greg, "That’s it, I want my whole catalog in Atmos", after hearing that track. Listen to the interview here:

https://youtu.be/ggzfcUKDqdo