'Britney' album Dolby Atmos glitches? (Mess)

[Eternalhouse]

I was so excited to listen to 'Britney' in dolby since it's one of my favorite albums,
and I just got the chance to check out the full album.

It's honestly a huge mess.
Seriously who was in charge of doing this? Some underpaid intern who doesn't know how to use music software?
or was someone just in a rush?

after 'Lonely' I just HAD to take notes
and here's the list..

 

Slave - Guitar glitch at beginning, some percussions sound missing (the iconic conga sounds seem way too small)
  wrong inst before second chorus, during last chorus
  instruments sound less mixed overall

Lonely - Huge mess, Most vocals after first verse are off time that creates a flanging sound
  bridge, rap vocals way too early, off beat

Not a girl - White noise, Extreme echo on lead vocals

ILRNR - lead vocal volume fluctuating, glitch at end of song

Cinderella - Vocals, adlibs at last chorus are almost gone

Let me be - Vocals are too early, off beat after the second verse

TWYTM - OK, but last 'la' in bridge glitched (panning error)

WILTBM - Echo in end of second chorus 'to be me' (before bridge) has pitch altered (flanger -> pitch error mistake?),
  sudden instrument volume reduction towards end,
  (and too much of JT...)

Before the Goodbye - OK, but very last 'bye' too small

 

Overprotected , Boys, Anticipating, When I found you, I run Away - hardly no difference (probably touched eq & just spread out OG stereo song)
  No significant difference from stereo album version.

 

The only good rendering IMO:

Bombastic love - spread out well, the small 'oooh' vocals in the last chorus were new to me.

 

It does seem like a lot of songs from other artists also have the same problem too, 
I guess it is too much work if apple is the one altering all these albums (if apple is indeed doing it themselves)
but I hope they collect feedback and fix some of the major problems... 

 

Did anyone spot any more glitches??

[Gypsy Woman]

“Seriously who was in charge of doing this? Some underpaid intern who doesn't know how to use music software?”

Ironic you saying this while making it obvious that you don’t know how Dolby Atmos works. 🤣

To start, it couldn’t be more clear that you’re not using a Dolby Atmos compatible sound system. It’s not meant to sound good on your AirPods or whatever stereo headphones you’re using.

I actually have a Dolby Atmos system and the album sounds AMAZING.

[UnderHisSpell]

On the last chorus of "bombastic love" Britney was belting like instrument to the melody. Same vocals are on the album version but it was toned down so much that it's sounds like instrument. The only difference is the one on the Dolby was louder. Her vocals were really flexible like instrument during that era 

[dandy]

"Let me be" lost all the umph 

[Fita]

There is something missing in the first chorus of Slave. I guess it's the percussions, as you said. At least the get it get it in the ending is pretty clear.

Edited June 16 by Fita

[Michel de Mal]

OMG if so...the person who did this mixing must be real du*****

Edited June 16 by Michel de Mal

[Eternalhouse]

6 hours ago, Gypsy Woman said:

“Seriously who was in charge of doing this? Some underpaid intern who doesn't know how to use music software?”

Ironic you saying this while making it obvious that you don’t know how Dolby Atmos works. 🤣

To start, it couldn’t be more clear that you’re not using a Dolby Atmos compatible sound system. It’s not meant to sound good on your AirPods or whatever stereo headphones you’re using.

I actually have a Dolby Atmos system and the album sounds AMAZING.

🤦‍♂️So much to say, but as Britney says, bless your heart.😌

 

[Fita]

Hm... There's something off with Let Me Be. In the chorus something is out of sync.

[Fita]

Omg I just heard the super long reverb on Britney's vocals of NAGNYAW

 

edit: it actually didn't bother me.

Edited June 17 by Fita

[Gypsy Woman]

Obviously you don't get the full effect, but here is what Lonely sounds like (recorded with my phone) on a dolby Atmos sound system.

Lonely

 

Bombastic Love

 

Let Me Be (the adlibs are very loud at the end)

 

Edited June 17 by Gypsy Woman

[Wendy Williams]

On 6/16/2024 at 6:06 PM, Eternalhouse said:

I was so excited to listen to 'Britney' in dolby since it's one of my favorite albums,
and I just got the chance to check out the full album.

It's honestly a huge mess.
Seriously who was in charge of doing this? Some underpaid intern who doesn't know how to use music software?
or was someone just in a rush?

after 'Lonely' I just HAD to take notes
and here's the list..

 

Slave - Guitar glitch at beginning, some percussions sound missing (the iconic conga sounds seem way too small)
  wrong inst before second chorus, during last chorus
  instruments sound less mixed overall

Lonely - Huge mess, Most vocals after first verse are off time that creates a flanging sound
  bridge, rap vocals way too early, off beat

Not a girl - White noise, Extreme echo on lead vocals

ILRNR - lead vocal volume fluctuating, glitch at end of song

Cinderella - Vocals, adlibs at last chorus are almost gone

Let me be - Vocals are too early, off beat after the second verse

TWYTM - OK, but last 'la' in bridge glitched (panning error)

WILTBM - Echo in end of second chorus 'to be me' (before bridge) has pitch altered (flanger -> pitch error mistake?),
  sudden instrument volume reduction towards end,
  (and too much of JT...)

Before the Goodbye - OK, but very last 'bye' too small

 

Overprotected , Boys, Anticipating, When I found you, I run Away - hardly no difference (probably touched eq & just spread out OG stereo song)
  No significant difference from stereo album version.

 

The only good rendering IMO:

Bombastic love - spread out well, the small 'oooh' vocals in the last chorus were new to me.

 

It does seem like a lot of songs from other artists also have the same problem too, 
I guess it is too much work if apple is the one altering all these albums (if apple is indeed doing it themselves)
but I hope they collect feedback and fix some of the major problems... 

 

Did anyone spot any more glitches??

They can probably sounds ok, but thanks to stupid Dolby Dumbmos it sounds like unmastered ****. 

[Gypsy Woman]

9 minutes ago, Wendy Williams said:

They can probably sounds ok, but thanks to stupid Dolby Dumbmos it sounds like unmastered ****. 

They sound fine on a dolby atmos system so 

Edited June 17 by Gypsy Woman

[RattieMattie]

Dolby atmos is made for surround sound, not headphones/stereo. If you play it on a stereo then it downmixes it to 2 channels creating audio errors.

[Wendy Williams]

54 minutes ago, Gypsy Woman said:

They sound fine on a dolby atmos system so 

Speakers are in front of you, but headphones are around you.

[Eternalhouse]

4 hours ago, Gypsy Woman said:

Obviously you don't get the full effect, but here is what Lonely sounds like (recorded with my phone) on a dolby Atmos sound system.

Lonely

 

Bombastic Love

 

Let Me Be (the adlibs are very loud at the end)

 

The vocals are off beat in your videos too.

[Eternalhouse]

2 hours ago, RattieMattie said:

Dolby atmos is made for surround sound, not headphones/stereo. If you play it on a stereo then it downmixes it to 2 channels creating audio errors.

Hi, acutally, no they shouldn't. A surround sysyem is spreading out specific elements to specific channels, the timing should not be altered, so even when it is rendered into only two channels, it souldn't cause audio errors. If so, it's just an error, not because of downmixing. Simple sound physics.

So vocals being off beat and instruments playing when they shouldn't, is just a mistake that wasn't looked upon carefully. 

[Gypsy Woman]

11 minutes ago, Eternalhouse said:

Hi, acutally, no they shouldn't. A surround sysyem is spreading out specific elements to specific channels, the timing should not be altered, so even when it is rendered into only two channels, it souldn't cause audio errors. If so, it's just an error, not because of downmixing. Simple sound physics.

So vocals being off beat and instruments playing when they shouldn't, is just a mistake that wasn't looked upon carefully. 

Yes and no...

Dolby Atmos mixes are usually changed from the original mix so you can expect there to be differences in the song structure - that's nothing new. 

That said as far as the "quality" of the sound goes, that has nothing to do with the Dolby Atmos remastering, it has to do with the type of speakers/headphones you're using.

In your OP, you're complaining about both the structure of the songs (where the instruments are different) AND you're also complaining about the overall quality. What I simply pointed out is that the quality has nothing to do with the mix, it has to do with the fact that you're using a less than ideal speaker. It'd be like trying to watch a 4K movie on an old tv from the 60's - it's just not gonna work.

Are there some wonky things with the songs? Sure, but they are more noticeable for you because you're also listening through a less than ideal speaker. For someone like me who is using a speaker that has the channels to support Dolby Atmos, the "errors" are not as noticeable and the overall mix sounds great.

Moral of the story, if you're using headphones, don't listen to Dolby Atmos, chances are that it won't sound great because it's not supposed to.

Edited June 17 by Gypsy Woman

[ElectricPlatypusLove]

The errors shouldn't exist. I was so confused when everyone here was creaming themselves over "Let Me Be" when the track and vocals were out of sync....that's not worth the trade off for some previously unheard vocals. I would understand needing certain headphones to hear certain flourishes but the sync issues are finite and awful. I'm not buying expensive headphones to hear some unheard vocals on and out of sync botched track. 

[Eternalhouse]

2 hours ago, Gypsy Woman said:

Yes and no...

Dolby Atmos mixes are usually changed from the original mix so you can expect there to be differences in the song structure - that's nothing new. 

That said as far as the "quality" of the sound goes, that has nothing to do with the Dolby Atmos remastering, it has to do with the type of speakers/headphones you're using.

In your OP, you're complaining about both the structure of the songs (where the instruments are different) AND you're also complaining about the overall quality. What I simply pointed out is that the quality has nothing to do with the mix, it has to do with the fact that you're using a less than ideal speaker. It'd be like trying to watch a 4K movie on an old tv from the 60's - it's just not gonna work.

Are there some wonky things with the songs? Sure, but they are more noticeable for you because you're also listening through a less than ideal speaker. For someone like me who is using a speaker that has the channels to support Dolby Atmos, the "errors" are not as noticeable and the overall mix sounds great.

Moral of the story, if you're using headphones, don't listen to Dolby Atmos, chances are that it won't sound great because it's not supposed to.

 

I was just gonna let it go, but since you keep trying to educate (and kinda belittle) me.... sigh.... Where should I start.

ok.🙂 

1. You first assumed how I 'obviously' didn’t know how Dolby Atmos works, laughed, JUST because I wondered who butchered the mix. (Don't get the logic, but k.)
In fact, I'm wondering about the process, BECAUSE I know how it works.
These errors would not have existed if it were done by the OG producers (which is hardly the case), or someone who knows what they're doing.
But to make these very clear mistakes, I was wondering who was in charge and pointed out the obvious ones.

2. Then, you (and this other user) make this very incorrect statement that listening it on stereo outputs can make it sound bad,
which is false, the amplitude and panning of the stems could make the end result sound different,
the envelope is surely different, which is actually what we WANT from a surround mix, not bad,
it shouldn't alter the timing and placement or pitch of a certain stem,
dolby cannot miraculously fix an existing waveform by filtering out a certain sound, adjust it to match the og placement and choose to play it correct on a particular output device.

3. Then (to prove my point,) you uploaded videos that clearly have off-beat vocals, including one video that I said had no problem with,
saying that they sound fine,
which I pointed out they are indeed, off beat.

4. When you DID notice that the vocals were indeed off beat, you say that I 'complained about the quality' of the sounds.
(are you talking about the part where I mentioned the mix for Slave's drums not being good overall?? Tryna give you the benefit of the doubt here)
Never did I mention the 'Quality' of the sound,
but you make this whole speech about how 'you can't watch a 4k video on a 60's television, unlike ME who has an awesome system, and it sounds great to meey'.
Ending with a 'moral' to use a better system.... smh
Just blatantly concluding there is no way I am in my studio,
assuming maybe I'm listening to them on headphones from the 90's or something (which in fact, still shouldn't sound 'glitchy' through those as well) 

please take a bite of the humble pie, a lot of us have dolby systems, other surrounding systems. I may not be a Max Martin or a Hans Zimmer, and the system I use may not be the most expensive in the world, but I know my sound physics and music,
 

[Gypsy Woman]

2 hours ago, Eternalhouse said:

 

I was just gonna let it go, but since you keep trying to educate (and kinda belittle) me.... sigh.... Where should I start.

ok.🙂 

1. You first assumed how I 'obviously' didn’t know how Dolby Atmos works, laughed, JUST because I wondered who butchered the mix. (Don't get the logic, but k.)
In fact, I'm wondering about the process, BECAUSE I know how it works.
These errors would not have existed if it were done by the OG producers (which is hardly the case), or someone who knows what they're doing.
But to make these very clear mistakes, I was wondering who was in charge and pointed out the obvious ones.

2. Then, you (and this other user) make this very incorrect statement that listening it on stereo outputs can make it sound bad,
which is false, the amplitude and panning of the stems could make the end result sound different,
the envelope is surely different, which is actually what we WANT from a surround mix, not bad,
it shouldn't alter the timing and placement or pitch of a certain stem,
dolby cannot miraculously fix an existing waveform by filtering out a certain sound, adjust it to match the og placement and choose to play it correct on a particular output device.

3. Then (to prove my point,) you uploaded videos that clearly have off-beat vocals, including one video that I said had no problem with,
saying that they sound fine,
which I pointed out they are indeed, off beat.

4. When you DID notice that the vocals were indeed off beat, you say that I 'complained about the quality' of the sounds.
(are you talking about the part where I mentioned the mix for Slave's drums not being good overall?? Tryna give you the benefit of the doubt here)
Never did I mention the 'Quality' of the sound,
but you make this whole speech about how 'you can't watch a 4k video on a 60's television, unlike ME who has an awesome system, and it sounds great to meey'.
Ending with a 'moral' to use a better system.... smh
Just blatantly concluding there is no way I am in my studio,
assuming maybe I'm listening to them on headphones from the 90's or something (which in fact, still shouldn't sound 'glitchy' through those as well) 

please take a bite of the humble pie, a lot of us have dolby systems, other surrounding systems. I may not be a Max Martin or a Hans Zimmer, and the system I use may not be the most expensive in the world, but I know my sound physics and music,
 

You still clearly don’t understand because everything you mentioned is still not accurate.

Moral of the story, the mixes sound great to me so stay upset because you have a less than stellar experience. 

Edited June 18 by Gypsy Woman