Dolby Atmos Renderer: Internal vs External

• The Dolby Atmos Renderer, licensed as the Dolby Atmos Production Suite, is designed for the same Mac as the DAW, like Pro Tools, mainly for offline editorial, sound design/composition, offline Re-renders, and Master File QC.
• It can mix less complex content if installed on a Mac with a powerful CPU and configured storage.
• Using the Dolby Atmos Renderer internally has benefits and tradeoffs compared to running it externally on a dedicated RMW.

Internal Dolby Atmos Renderer

• Running the Dolby Atmos Renderer internally on the same workstation as the DAW is less expensive.
• The complete Dolby Atmos workstation is contained in one computer instead of two.
• Limitations include general system overhead, such as CPU taxation with complex content and storage configuration issues with disc read/write speeds.
• There is no external clock to WC or Video Reference for the Renderer.
• There is no speaker EQ functionality within the Renderer, and external hardware/software may be needed for room tuning.
• Speaker array mode is not supported, limiting larger mix rooms.
• Only a single DAW can be used.
• Multiple premix workstations cannot be used in a stem-based multiple bed workflow.
• The Renderer Remote application cannot be used, meaning the Renderer display and control cannot be run from a separate PC or Mac.
• Dolby Atmos Production Suite licenses can be purchased from Avid, with three seats included in the Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite.

Software Components

• Mac-based digital audio workstation includes Dolby Atmos Renderer software authorized with a Dolby Atmos Production Suite license.
• Supported DAW software, such as Pro Tools, used with Dolby Renderer Send and Return plug-ins or Dolby Audio Bridge (Core Audio Emulation).
• Templates for Avid Pro Tools Ultimate and Steinberg Nuendo are applicable.

DAW/Renderer Communication

• Object panning and size metadata is transmitted internally to the Renderer.
• The DAW communicates with the Renderer using localhost as the Renderer address.
• Pro Tools has two methods for audio I/O to the Dolby Atmos Renderer, as follows.

Renderer Send/Return Plug-ins

• The use of Send and Return plug-ins on aux tracks was the initial way the Dolby Atmos Renderer was used on the same Mac, only available using Pro Tools.
• Renderer Send/Return plug-ins are utilized via inserts on aux tracks to route audio and metadata to the Renderer.
• Send/Return plug-ins are selected as the driver in the Renderer UI, also setting the Send/Return plug-ins as the synchronization source.
• Allows Live (real-time) Re-renders, and HDX DSP processing, where applicable.
• Does not support automatic delay compensation in Pro Tools and requires complicated bussing.
• Converting sessions from using the Production Suite to using the Renderer running externally as the Mastering Suite is cumbersome.

Dolby Audio Bridge

• A core audio emulation that provides 130 channels of DAW output to the Renderer inputs and is easier to work with.
• This method is the only one available using DAWs other than Pro Tools.
• Allows for output from Pro Tools Ultimate 2019.10 or later, Nuendo v8 or later, Blackmagic Resolve v16 or later, Merging Pyramix, Logic Pro, Ableton Live, and other DAWs
• Has a one-way path to Renderer; Re-renders must be exported and imported into the DAW.
• Supports automatic delay compensation for plug-ins in Pro Tools.
• Does not allow HDX DSP processing for plug-ins on a Pro Tools HDX system.
• The Dolby Audio Bridge must be set as the Playback Engine.
• Allows synchronization via LTC.
• Does not allow the use of an Avid SYNC HD peripheral.
• Facilitates easier session and project compatibility with the Dolby Atmos Renderer running externally, as only the playback engine/audio system needs to be changed.
• Clocking issues potential with external hardware may require aggregate devices as a workaround.
• Allows any core audio hardware with outputs for 7.1.4 monitoring to be used.
• The Dolby Audio Bridge is utilized by selecting it as the Playback Engine in Pro Tools 2019.10 and later (or equivalent in other DAWs) and as the core audio input device in the Renderer preferences.
• The audio buffer size must be set to 1024 samples in the DAW when using the Dolby Audio Bridge.
• You may need to use the Dolby Audio Bridge configured as an Aggregate Device in Audio MIDI Setup with playback hardware that is externally clocked.

Synchronization Options and Configuration

• When using the Dolby Audio Bridge, synchronization is done via LTC over audio.
• The LTC source can be from the supplied Dolby LTC Generator v2.0 AAX plug-in for Pro Tools or another LTC Generator plug-in inserted on a mono audio track.
• Alternatively, a LTC audio file (.wav) can be placed on a mono audio track and spotted to the start time that matches the file.
• Typically, the track with either a LTC Generator plug-in or LTC audio file is bussed to output 129.
• In the Dolby Atmos Renderer, the External Sync Source is set to LTC over audio, and the input channel is specified accordingly.
• By contrast, the Send/Return plug-ins use an internal synchronization mechanism.