Need DATA: power distribution among surround channels?

[Head_Unit]

Once upon a time, someone on some forum actually measured the power output of the different channels in their setup, posting some screen shots which showed the LCR power peaking +10 dB compared to all the surround channels. That's a LOT.
- Can anyone replicate that and post their data? For movies, for music...
- How can that be done? What kind of program is needed, what kind of connections?

 

[staticV3]

What kind of program is needed

One that can decode surround sound audio formats.

Then you can run an FFT on the decoded tracks and the level differences between them will tell you about the power discrepancies - no physical connections required.

 

[BJL]

As far as music recordings are concerned, I do not see how it would be possible to generalize power output of the LCR vs surround (or Atmos) positions. I have recordings where the surround and/or Atmos positions are primarily ambient sound, but I also have recordings where surround and Atmos positions frequently equal or exceed the LCR. This applies historically, not only to modern Atmos and 5.1 releases of this century. In many quad releases from the 1970s the rear or surround channels have equal weight to the front LR.

 

[Head_Unit]

recordings where surround and Atmos positions frequently equal or exceed the LCR.

In that thread which I can't remember the keywords to find again, I stated that unlike conventional wisdom I felt some titles (the Terminator or was it 2 where a semi-truck derails) would have the LCR peak as loud as the mains. The respondent showed data from a couple titles showing the surrounds peaking around -10 dB. Which made me wonder aloud in the thread if maybe that -10 dB in a theater was brought up in level by the fact that there are not one but usually at least a dozen speakers per side.

Which surround music titles do you feel are as loud in the back? We've heard a lot where the levels are noticeably less, or maybe near but not as loud. I haven't heard, say, Brain Salad Surgery in a long time and anyway subjective impressions are not the point, actual DATA would be the point. I would try some but I'm not sure what software you could use to analyze say the playback of an external Blu-ray drive on my MacBook Air.

 

[BJL]

Which surround music titles do you feel are as loud in the back? We've heard a lot where the levels are noticeably less, or maybe near but not as loud. I haven't heard, say, Brain Salad Surgery in a long time and anyway subjective impressions are not the point, actual DATA would be the point. I would try some but I'm not sure what software you could use to analyze say the playback of an external Blu-ray drive on my MacBook Air.

I don't how you measure it, but here are some examples that come to mind at this moment:

Some oldies - War "The World is a Ghetto" (quad blu ray); Tomita "Bermuda Triangle" (quad SACD, and most of Tomita's quad reissues give equal weight to the surrounds); Allman Brothers "Live at the Fillmore" (dts CD); Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" (quad SACD) - many quad releases (reissued) from the 1970s use a center of the band approach weighting the surrounds often equal to the front speakers; King Crimson "Discipline" (2014 remix 5.1 blu ray)l Grateful Dead "Workingman's Dead" (DVD-A 5.1 Hart 2001 remix).

Into the 21st century - Yello "Point Atmos Edition" & "Touch Yello 15th Anniversary" (blu ray and possibly streaming); on the subject of Yello, Boris Blank "Resonance" (blu ray, streaming?), Booka Shade "For Real" (Atmos blu ray) - these titles give the entire array of Atmos positions a work out, not just the surrounds.

There numerous others, these titles just popped into my head right now.

 

[tineared]

In that thread which I can't remember the keywords to find again, I stated that unlike conventional wisdom I felt some titles (the Terminator or was it 2 where a semi-truck derails) would have the LCR peak as loud as the mains. The respondent showed data from a couple titles showing the surrounds peaking around -10 dB. Which made me wonder aloud in the thread if maybe that -10 dB in a theater was brought up in level by the fact that there are not one but usually at least a dozen speakers per side.

Which surround music titles do you feel are as loud in the back? We've heard a lot where the levels are noticeably less, or maybe near but not as loud. I haven't heard, say, Brain Salad Surgery in a long time and anyway subjective impressions are not the point, actual DATA would be the point. I would try some but I'm not sure what software you could use to analyze say the playback of an external Blu-ray drive on my MacBook Air.

Most all "quad" or "Quadio" music discs will have equal volume in the rear channels as all of the channels shared the performance equally as was the style back then
@BJL listed a few of them. You can go to Rhino's website to find more of them