[Help] Should I add 5.1 upmixes for my SDU4 decodes in projects?

[deleted user]

Whenever I can get my hands on a Laserdisc audio for a project, I tend to upmix it with my Dolby SDU4 hardware decoder. I also tend to upmix that decoded audio (which is 4 channels: Left, Center, Right and Back) to 5.1 and add both the original upmix and the 5.1 to the project.

Today I've been questioning whether that makes sense. Each of these two tracks eats a few GB of space and while that isn't terrible, I was thinking that the track provides convenience at the very best and bloat at the worst, since anyone can easily do such an upmix themselves if they are of the mind to do so.

I was also wondering how most hardware will deal with 4-track audio and thought it would probably be automatically upmixed anyway, which further made me question the need to include the 5.1.

Thoughts? Opinions? Should I keep including the 5.1?

[PDB]

Good question. I don’t think you need both choices because of the space concerns but I can understand your reasons why you went that direction.

Any modern receiver/processor should automatically dup the rear mono into both rear channels and roll off the low end on every channel to the sub depending on the frequency you set it at (usually the old THX standard of 80). Having listened to a few of your projects, I can confirm my equipment acts the way with the 4.0.

So in theory your 5.1 and 4.0 should sound the same as an end result. Since the 5.1 is just you doing those things manually.

It really come down to control with the self-created 5.1 you can manage a better crossover that befits the soundtrack (DS tracks are not know for their bass and a higher crossover is sometimes needed).

Having said that I’d say the 4.0 is enough but that’s just me.

I will also add in that I throughly enjoy those SDU upmix tracks in your projects.

[deleted user]

That pretty much confirms my own thoughts, thanks PDB. I think I'll just include a small text file with instructions on how to do the upmix I used to do then. Think I always did the crossover at 200 Hz or so and kept the low frequencies in the satellites too. Was just guesswork to begin with, not following any real standard.

I will also add in that I throughly enjoy those SDU upmix tracks in your projects.

That's a great compliment, thanks!

[zoidberg]

Call me a philistine but I almost always use Pro-Logic II (in Cinema mode) for 2.0 stuff