I currently watch LDs with a 2.1 system and I always find that the soundtracks are unbalanced and feature many volume fluctuations. For example, I have to crack up the volume just to hear the dialogue but sound effects are really loud!

Anyone else experience this? I've tried this on a regular TV using the built in speakers and I experience the same problem. It's not all discs, but many nonetheless.

i have a 2.0 setup and have no issues.

Does your receiver have any settings for dynamic range control/compression? You can turn this on to flatten out the range of the audio, increasing volume of dialog and reducing the big effects and bass. Sometimes it's called something like "nighttime listening mode".

Complaining about this issue is why DVD sound is often so terrible.

When a company is selling discs that run in a player that costs $1000 they assume you have a decent setup. With a full surround system dialogue levels are rarely an issue.

i've had the 2.0 setup for the past 3 years now.
all DVDs sound fine also.

must be something that brmanuk has set wrong?

i'm only using a 2.0 amplifier and analog connections

I have experienced the same issue from time to time when using 5.1. I increase the volume, and
soon after I have the dog barking and the family complaining. I was recently viewing the dts edition of
"Last Man Standing" and was startled each time a shooting scene occurred.

Well, its going to depend a lot on the movies you watch and your gear. This isn't as issue with episodes of The Muppet show but for movies that utilize a high dynamic range combined with low end sound systems it's going to be a problem.

Usually people don't talk as loud as airplanes, so airplanes are mixed louder.

And this is not rare complaint at all. That's why TVs have special modes for normalizing sound. It's also the reason some 5.1 LD soundtracks are more highly regarded by audio nuts than their overly compressed DVD counterparts.

You can't please everyone, unfortunately. It's like letterbox versus pan and scan.

Well yes, I was wondering whether what I was experiencing was the result of LDs using the theatrical mix as opposed to remixed soundtracks used on dvds.

Actually I've experienced this on numerous discs/players and using various set-ups. Whether it's using built in TV speakers, full Pro-Logic surround or even 5.1, I often (but not always) find that the sound is far less balanced than on DVD - for example in an action film where the dialogue is at a certain level but then the gun-fire/explosions are way louder.

I was prompted to post this after watching Aliens (cav special edition) and Rising Sun (US) - both films, especially the latter, had rather quiet dialogue tracks in comparison to the rest of the mix inc sound-fx, musical cues etc.

For the record, I generally love the way LD sounds in comparison to dvd, but I sometimes get asked by friends why the voices so quiet compared to everything else (usually when just using TV speakers or my PC speakers).

Shouldn't it though?

Gunshots in films are miles wrong they don't carry huge wads of low bass its sudden sharp popping sounds from what I understand and always the same weapon used in many films has different sound that defies the laws of sound.

I guess if you hold a firearm and I dislike firearms I guess you'd feel a vibration that could be considered low bass or something infersonic that is felt in the hand and arm. I don't know the real answer I've never fired one and I'm not about to start with one, its instinct, if I wanted to feel my own voice vibration I place my hand on my chest my shoulder anywhere where I can feel it.

I'll run a few minutes from the dts pressing of "Last Man Standing" in the morning and use the (night mode) compressor I think it cuts high levels down by -8db or -10db and makes softer sounds like ambient backgrounds higher by +6 or +8db which are often on front left/right and surrounds left/right.

You could use this and raise the level on the AVR a few db higher and not worry when loud effects play or some music as it would playing at softer level.

If you want to listen to tv show I think its "Garrison Gorillas" I saw this show on late night tv some 25 years ago and all the gunfire sound soft and the dialouge mix was louder than then effects, unless the some strange compression was being used, which I doubt.

there is almost no bass sound like you would think when firing a weapon.
it is super loud and more of a thunder crack, the feel in your hands is wild.
it's not at all how you would think it would be, when i fired my first gun it was a small caliber
and almost like a small firecracker.

no real bass sound like you would think but an amazing crack.
the larger caliber that i have shot is almost crazy in a good way.
it gives you a shock in your whole body and teeth.
you have to remember and keep your body relaxed, if not then it's harder on you.

the bass sound on the larger caliber is more from the empty room that you would shoot in
than from the bullet or gun.

after using stuff and then seeing films again with shots you can tell they are all super fake.
they will have certain guns make the wrong sounds etc.
but most have never fired anything so they don't know.

its funny to see pistols with shotgun clicks in films. or hear pistol clicks on machine guns
or hearing clicks on guns that won't really give any clicks

I hear you. I mean I read you, on that.

I'm going to play a few minutes/scenes from Last Man Standing.



No dts data on the Yamaha? I had to unplug the RAC cable from the AC-3 demodulator and plug it direct to the RCA digital/PCM on the DVL-909. I'm sure I don't have an optical input for the video mode currently being used, I'll have to check later on, I need an cheaper better AVR model with a fitted kitchen sink and I know there is not many that offer RAC 8channel inputs/outputs these days its all sodden HDMI crap!

Anyway its up and running for now.

Sigh I can't sit down and listen to a film for 5 mins without Sooty wanting attention for feeding. I swear he is greedy boy.

The dialouge track is mostly soften spoken the narrative track is a few db higher occasionally, but the dialouge track is very distant in the centre, no dialouge panning and I don't understand why Dolby wanted dialouge to be centred when most mixes have loud music blearing out on left and right some 8 or more db higher so, over centre channel.

Chapter 3, 6m.43s/46s when the car moves overhead or what ever they want to mix it as its a kinder of overhead surround not sidewall even thou the surrounds are internationally placed on sidewalls and the sound appears to have an overhead sound, it should be mixed so that the sound is really from above with discreeter sound on the sidewall maybe wind blowing or dust blowing around? But the scene works well.



Chapter 5, 13.23 both men draw for a shoot-out 13m.53s
John Smith.

Muted left/right fronts, surrounds and LFE.1 (so I can monitor the centre),
Centre channel was under 85dbc
Muted centre to monitor left/right fronts I see a few higher peaks when monitoring each of the left and right and know its a few peaks I need to EQ down. If I played each LCR one at time though the centre channel I should see an even level within a few db now and then.

Turning the fader down from "7" so all LCR reach 85db (switching on Night Mode on the Yamaha) reduces the level down to 83 and 84 db. So about -10db rule of thumb.

The split surrounds on the shoot-out carries some bass from the Colt45 along with whistle sniffing like sounds and glasses falling onto the floor.

Adjusting the crossover on the centre LF purposely down from its present setting 63Hz to 438Hz so I can monitor the centre along with LFE.1 and with Night Mode ON reduces the LFE.1 to reasonable level its still thundering and I'm scratching my head wondering where the cannon is fitted on that Colt45?

Ole Bruce's line You tell Mr. Doyle, if he'd a hired smarter guys none of this woulda happened. with Night Mode ON is about -6db cut, with Night Mode or AVR compressor switched OFF its about 82dbc in my living room.

Chapter 6 has some soft wind ambient that is heighten a little bit with Night Mode ON.

I have plenty more peak power to on tap. Toy Story last night seemed to have a higher dynamics on the Dolby AC-3 same with Se7en. I might keep a look out for Last Man Standing on Dolby AC-3.

When Bruce puts his hat on at chapter 4, 11m.56/58 I can hear the hand on the hat as he shuffles it for firm fit.

Sigh that fT%*king cat, none of my optical cables work I have cheap 1.5m one it has red beam going though it but after double checking it as I was unsure of it was working on one of the spare optical inputs that I can use for PCM/dts, the cable is busted its leaking light though where Sooty has bitten into it.

I have to buy some more cheaper but stronger ones and keep that little f$^&k%^r away from the racks.