2026-07-30, 12:12 AM
1992 LD [LV 1643-2WS] PCM 2.0 decoded into 5.0 using a Shure HTS5300. Synced to the UHD and saved as FLAC. Classic mix.
FWIW, the DVD AC3 5.1 syncs up to the UHD using a delay of +1124ms.
A note on the recording process:
Panasonic LX600 digital out goes to an ESI U24XL. The U24XL's stereo analogue outputs go into the HTS5300. The HTS5300's L-C-R-SL-SR outputs go into an ESI Maya44, which is recorded in Reaper at 44.1khz. Each disc must be recorded twice since the Maya44 only has 4 inputs. The first pass records L-C-R. The second pass records C-SL-SR. Both passes are then synced together in Audacity by matching the two Center recordings. The resulting 5 channels are then synced to UHD audio. Finally, an empty LFE channel is added for playback compatibility (I prefer to let the AVR handle the bass management rather than record the HTS5300's LFE output). The mix is peak-normalized as a whole to -1db thus preserving the channel balances while increasing the overall gain (the volume output on the Shure is kept at a conservative level to avoid the possibility of clipping), then exported as 48khz 5.0 FLAC. The two ESI units are operating on separate computers to avoid ground loop hum and interference. There might be an easier way to do all this but this what I had on hand to work with.
Normally, I would prefer to record a mono surround in a simple 4.0 but so far as I know, besides lowering the volume pot on one Surround channel, there's no way to stop the Shure from doing it's surround magic, so I was afraid that recording only one surround channel would be detrimental to the overall cohesiveness of the sound. Maybe downmixing the surrounds into mono after the fact would be more "accurate" but I don't think it makes much difference; its not like the Shure is suddenly making the surrounds completely discrete.
FWIW, the DVD AC3 5.1 syncs up to the UHD using a delay of +1124ms.
A note on the recording process:
Panasonic LX600 digital out goes to an ESI U24XL. The U24XL's stereo analogue outputs go into the HTS5300. The HTS5300's L-C-R-SL-SR outputs go into an ESI Maya44, which is recorded in Reaper at 44.1khz. Each disc must be recorded twice since the Maya44 only has 4 inputs. The first pass records L-C-R. The second pass records C-SL-SR. Both passes are then synced together in Audacity by matching the two Center recordings. The resulting 5 channels are then synced to UHD audio. Finally, an empty LFE channel is added for playback compatibility (I prefer to let the AVR handle the bass management rather than record the HTS5300's LFE output). The mix is peak-normalized as a whole to -1db thus preserving the channel balances while increasing the overall gain (the volume output on the Shure is kept at a conservative level to avoid the possibility of clipping), then exported as 48khz 5.0 FLAC. The two ESI units are operating on separate computers to avoid ground loop hum and interference. There might be an easier way to do all this but this what I had on hand to work with.
Normally, I would prefer to record a mono surround in a simple 4.0 but so far as I know, besides lowering the volume pot on one Surround channel, there's no way to stop the Shure from doing it's surround magic, so I was afraid that recording only one surround channel would be detrimental to the overall cohesiveness of the sound. Maybe downmixing the surrounds into mono after the fact would be more "accurate" but I don't think it makes much difference; its not like the Shure is suddenly making the surrounds completely discrete.
