Mr. Tomlinson Holman THX Video interview and more!

[Dolby CP-200]

Hear is an interview with Mr. Tomlinson Holman the creator of the THX cinema sound system and professor of sound engineering. It’s very interesting stuff and insightful detailed as well I hope you enjoy it. The downloads will take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on the size of the data, please be patient!





How did THX come about?
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

THX baffle wall and mathematics!
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

The future of Digital cinema and surround music?
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

The future of multi-channel music?
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

Wave field and multi channel 1933 stereo experiment!
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

[b]5.1, and the future of more channels VS the frequency range and dynamic
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

If there is for some reason or another a problem with the link with this shortcut, please click onto the original link. Again it does take a few minutes for some of the longer video interviews to download so, please be patient.

Interviews with Tomlinson Holman
http://portal.acm.org/supp_gateway.c...TOKEN=92081103

[tomdkat]

Does this include segments from his narrative on the THX Wow LDs and DVDs?

Peace...

[Dolby CP-200]

tomdkat

No, but it is very informative about the concept of THX and more!

[Dolby CP-200]

Well that is strange I took it for granted believing the links would work here, and there seems to be a slight error, don’t worry I’m working on the problem now!

[Dolby CP-200]

I’ve fixed the direct links to the video interviews it should work now!

So set back and enjoy and learn from them.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

No, but it is very informative about the concept of THX and more!

Ok. How recent is the interview? I would like to hear Mr Holman's view on THX and how it functions today.

Peace...

[Dolby CP-200]

tomdkat

Don’t talk what the interview videos and learn, they are very interesting, and yes there a old, but not as old has I am.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

Don’t talk what the interview videos and learn, they are very interesting, and yes there a old, but not as old has I am.

See, that's just the thing. THX has been discussed at length here so at this point getting updated and more current views from people, like Mr Holman, would be of better value than more exposure to what we already know.

Do a search on THX on this forum to find the previous discussions and debates.

Peace...

[Dolby CP-200]

tomdkat

Hmm, I really wonder if you do know it all! Don’t be negative watch and learn more, because I’ve been to dozens of home cinema forums and a lot of the talk is misinterpreted.

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

Hmm, I really wonder if you do know it all! Don’t be negative watch and learn more, because I’ve been to dozens of home cinema forums and a lot of the talk is misinterpreted.

I'm not claiming to "know it all" but we definitely HAVE gone through several iterations of the merits, practicality, and functionality of THX both in concept and in practice. The thing is, if the interview presents the info we already know or have been exposed to, it really won't bring anything new to the discussion. I want to know more about Holman's feelings on Ultra2, on how THX certification fits in with modern theater and home theater, including DVD production (since THX certifies DVDs or at least the gear used to produce the certified DVDs), and other things relating more specifically to today's technological landscape.

I'm actually one of the few who believes THX certification has meaning and value where a number of folks, both here and elsewhere, don't (especially when it comes to DVDs).

Peace...

[Dolby CP-200]

tomdkat

Forget about home cinema for now, how did home cinema evolve in the first place it started with the original, cinema! You’ll lean more about how some of the professional cinemas work and how to adapt some of those techniques to the home cinema environment.

I mean for myself I’ve worked in the cinema in the past, and there was whole lot more that I didn’t understand, only the basics of theory of past and present, but I was stunned to learn how the THX baffle wall really worked! And whole lot more, some interests like astronomy, but what some parts of the video interviews covers is radio astronomy!

[tomdkat]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

Forget about home cinema for now, how did home cinema evolve in the first place it started with the original, cinema! You’ll lean more about how some of the professional cinemas work and how to adapt some of those techniques to the home cinema environment.

Isn't this contradictory? Ok, let's forget about home theater for a moment. I would be interested in hearing Holman's views on how THX has impacted current theaters/cinemas, especially with digital projectors and Dolby Digital EX theatrical audio being more prevalent. I've read comments where some feel their home theaters outperform their local THX certified theaters. I would also like to hear Holman's comments on that kind of thing as well.

I guess my base point is unless Holman's interview addresses current theaters, current theater technology, and how THX fits in with that, I'm not sure how much value it can and will be. Sure, it's great to know history but things have changed since THX was introduced to address some of the issues with theaters and the theatrical experience in the past.

EDIT: I will say I dig that pic of Mr Holman in your original post.

Peace...

[Dolby CP-200]

tomdkat

Out perform that is total nonsense, rubbish where did you hear that? I mean there are some parts of the audio spectrum that will not be so easily achieved in the home, one is the size of the loudspeakers!

Dynamic range handling is far more greater over what we have in are homes, unless we have super large rooms that could physically install large cinema PA type loudspeakers, where they are designed with the concept of the motion picture soundtrack in mind.

But if your simply implying that based on what you feel on your body within a small room, well that I would agree on, but there is still a whole lot more to getting a film reproduce the soundtrack with easy and without distortion under the most rigorous demands. I’m still missing a few bumps here and there within my home cinema, but when comparing it to a professional THX cinema, the sound is untouchable!

I guess you have been to a few in California? As well as I have too over here in England.

[Pirate]

I've also seen several comments about HTs outperforming cinemas and while I usually disagree, there are several THX certified theatres in my area that my home system easily outperforms.

That's not to say that that is a normal thing, but just because it has the THX logo, doesn't mean it's going to sound good.

As for the THX info, this forum section is specifically about hardware in the home. I think Tom was saying since we are all “in the now” with our HTs, newer THX info would be more valuable. It’s still interesting, but I agree that I’d like to hear his views on the current state of home theatre, especially with the HD format war raging.

[Dolby CP-200]

piratehunter

Have you compared this with a sound pressure level meter, while seeing a film that you can be certain that you would buy on DVD within the next 6 months or so?

I somehow doubt that, I have taken the SPL db meter in on many occasions in the past, and noting dialogue level and the odd peak level on sound effects.

I have also noted the worse sounding cinemas, that being the sub standard types that don’t employ the THX sound system specifications nor the THX 3417 or the THX D-20 X over monitor. I gave seen peaks of up to 100dbA, that’s just down to poor calibration of the Dolby CP units 27 band EQ, and old loudspeakers that belong in a the “Museum of the Moving Image”.

Anyway mate I’m popping over to a friends, he wants to watch The Da Vinci Code around his place, interesting to see how it plays back, I’ll be taking my SPL db meter and digital camera with me, I’ll report back later.

[Pirate]

Are you asking me If I've taken my SPL meter into the cinema? If so, then the answer is "no." I don’t need it to tell me that my home system sounds better. The audio is richer, smoother and less metallic than this particular theatre. Again, I’m not saying that’s the case will all theatres. I was merely pointing to Tom’s original point that many people do feel this way and for some it’s a justified opinion.

[Dolby CP-200]

piratehunter

So which parts do you what to know about?

Well in the case of my friends home cinema where I went this evening, British time, I took my own copy of The Da Vinci Code around there, the level of the sound played via the Kenwood KRF-X9050D THX select, which is the same AVR that I use in my home cinema, the reproduction of the fronts from my seating position wasn’t very good, as I was seated way too close to the left side of the room.

The level of bass and LFE.1 wasn’t really bad at all, it sounded way better then the previous room that he had it installed in. Thou the stereo imaging from my point of view was a bit cockeyed, the fronts where not exactly timbre match perfect, the fronts consist of B&W DM 601 I think, for left and right, the centre is a B&W CC6 I believe and this is where I had trouble setting the levels for him tonight, the centre channel timber was way off, or it could be the other way around, the left and rights where way to bright.

But a little modification with a separate amplifier and an EQ I could do a lot more, but most users don’t want to do that, there rather use the internal amplification within the AVR, and very few have limited features to do a proper balance.

Anyway mate I’m really shattered at the moment; I’ll make more since of this later in the day.

Oh one more thing, the split-surrounds where really naff, I mean the height and the position of the two bipolar loudspeakers where not exactly surrounding the room, I did give a second pair to fit up at a later time, for the sides, but I’m afraid they won’t be enough, even thou the room is small it needs at least two loudspeakers for the sidewalls spaced out evenly, and four on the back wall, similar to my set-up, but I’m extending my surround configuration to at least four more surrounds for the sidewalls.

The whole point of surround is to surround the viewer and a few bipolar loudspeakers on one for each sidewall is not enough, and often the cost for them works out very expensive for some models. So I’ll have to work very closely with him to get the best surround performance reproduction within the room.

[Iguana Man]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

Thou the stereo imaging from my point of view was a bit cockeyed, the fronts where not exactly timbre match perfect, the fronts consist of B&W DM 601 I think, for left and right, the centre is a B&W CC6 I believe and this is where I had trouble setting the levels for him tonight, the centre channel timber was way off, or it could be the other way around, the left and rights where way to bright.

This strikes me as odd. Even if the fronts were the DM602's, the timbre should have matched that particular center with ease. Even B&W themselves (IIRC) suggested that center for those speakers back when I was researching them. Perhaps your "shattered" state of mind last night had something to do with timbre issues?

[Dolby CP-200]

Iguana

When it comes to sound I have a good solid memory, “solid memory” no matter where I heard it, whether it be cinema or home cinema, I might have been shattered from lack of sleep but my mind is very sharp when it comes to sound.

Holman mentioned in a interview that I have somewhere lounging around, that he spent days EQ the sound system, because of the different positions that they where installed at behind the screen.

I could spend a week at most to get it right for my friend, but sound; well the guy really doesn’t have an ear for it! He just likes to show it off, but when it comes down to picking something out within the mix, the whole reproduction of the playback is spoiled.

Well there it is, equalizers do server a vital role in the sound reproduction, thou some clam it adds a whole lot of problems, really well unlike most of my friends where the sound is completely jumbled up!

[Iguana Man]

Originally Posted by Dolby CP-200

Iguana

When it comes to sound I have a good solid memory, “solid memory” no matter where I heard it,

You are a lucky man. Now how exactly was the timbre off? Your response should give us a clue as to how even factory matched speakers don't necessarily 'match' and this I find very interesting.

[Dolby CP-200]

Iguana Man

Well this why you should always buy matching fronts, never take for granted too much these centre channel loudspeakers are going to sound spot on, the B&W CC6 must be down by around 12db at 8KHz or was 4KHz, I did write this down on note pad, which is from last year it’s somewhere in the flat, I was rather shocked and surprised it was off way too much , this would take me days to put right, but my friend isn’t interested he thinks it sounds great, well there it is.

[Wirehed]

You're talking about sound quality, but you're referencing only sound levels; loud doesn't mean "quality."

Home theater systems, even "affordable" ones often easily outperform large venue theaters, THX certified or not. In the home you're dealing with a much smaller space and your sweet spot is located in a much more predictable area. A movie theater has to make sure the sound is adequate in EVERY part of the theater, regardless of where you are sitting.

Your friend has very nice speakers for the home, and after careful calibration with equally appropriate source hardware I would suspect they should in fact out perform most theaters in terms of sound quality.

Quality is, of course, subjective.

[Dolby CP-200]

The THX baffle wall is one of the integral parts of the THX sound system in cinemas that creates some part of the movie magic experience it not only improves of frequency response of the loudspeaker array that is placed into the flush barrier wall but it is also covered High frequency absorbent material so prevent high frequencies bouncing of the screen and then returning back to baffle wall creating a harsh tingling sound that makes the soundtrack too bright.


You can learn more about this in this video interview with Tomlinson Holman.

THX baffle wall and mathematics!

http://delivery.acm.org/10.1145/1040...TOKEN=92081103