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Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 9:30 pm
by stip
I decided to give Apple Music a try to access the Atmos mixes.
I like the Dark Matte mix. Ten and Vs (the other two I have heard so far) are wild. I am not having a true atmos experience (Spatial audio airpods), but there is so much distinct instrumentation I have never heard before. It lacks cohesion in a way that maybe feels live, maybe doesn't. Definitely feels incredibly different. I don't know that I'd prefer these mixes after so long (or if the are even better) but I love all these details I never heard before. It does feel like a discovery. On Ten in particular (but moments throughout) I'd swear these aren't even the right tracks.
Creating this thread to park observations when I can. Others are encouraged to do the same

Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 10:22 pm
by dad
I’ve really enjoyed bits of the following:
Yield - No Way, Pilate, Low Light, Push Me, Pull Me
No Code - In My Tree, Off He Goes, Red Mosquito, Around the Bend
Gigaton: Who Ever Said, Quick Escape, Superblood Wolfmoon
I’ve also checked out Ten and Vs, but not nearly as much as the above.
I hope Vitalogy gets the Atmos treatment for its 30th anniversary.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 10:50 pm
by oneway23
Great thread idea, stip. I appreciate this one.
BTW, on the recent Broken Record podcast, for those who haven't listened, Jeff mentioned getting a call from Neil Young about the Atmos mix for Mirror Ball that was apparently done last summer.
Hope it's up soon.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 10:55 pm
by dad
oneway23 wrote:Great thread idea, stip. I appreciate this one.
BTW, on the recent Broken Record podcast, for those who haven't listened, Jeff mentioned getting a call from Neil Young about the Atmos mix for Mirror Ball that was apparently done last summer.
Hope it's up soon.
It’s available and it’s great.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 11:09 pm
by oneway23
dad wrote:oneway23 wrote:Great thread idea, stip. I appreciate this one.
BTW, on the recent Broken Record podcast, for those who haven't listened, Jeff mentioned getting a call from Neil Young about the Atmos mix for Mirror Ball that was apparently done last summer.
Hope it's up soon.
It’s available and it’s great.
Made my night, dad...thank you!
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Sun April 28, 2024 11:16 pm
by oneway23
Three standout moments for me on the Atmos mix of Dark Matter:
- Ed's vocals rising from center to above head on the chorus of Wreckage.
- Ed's harmony vocal pushing wide to the sides on the outro of Wreckage.
- Mike's baller solo on Scared on Fear flying in as a stinging swarm from upper right.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Mon April 29, 2024 12:27 am
by zeb
I turned off Dolby Atmos on Apple Music because it makes everything sound very disjointed. I don't need to hear music in 3D.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Mon April 29, 2024 1:12 am
by E.H. Ruddock
Shouldn’t this be in other bands
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Mon April 29, 2024 1:53 am
by spike
E.H. Ruddock wrote:Shouldn’t this be in other bands
RMers only care what Pearl Jam albums sound like.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Mon April 29, 2024 8:41 pm
by Buby
zeb wrote:I turned off Dolby Atmos on Apple Music because it makes everything sound very disjointed. I don't need to hear music in 3D.
I'm pretty sure I'll end up doing the same. Though I must admit it's being fun and interesting right now.
I really don't enjoy head tracked spatial audio, it's super distracting for me.
I've settled quite nicely with this combo:
- Noise control: Adaptive
- Conversation awareness: Off
- Spatial Audio: Fixed
Dark Matter for example has a ton of shit buried under the normal stereo mix that just pops out on Atmos... Like Jeff sounds amazing on it, keys are way more present, overall roomier experience.
But DM gets overwhelming on some tracks (GTG came to mind immediately).
St. Vincent's "All Born Screaming" sounds simply impeccable front to back, it's full of ear candy.
The difference between ABS and DM is that ABS sounds excellent on both.
Old man yelling at cloud: Still hoping this is just a fad, and that new recordings don't prioritize mixing for spatial and coming up with sausages for stereo mixes.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:01 am
by stip
there are details in these mixes I have NEVER heard before. Some I swear they are just making it up. It's very cool to listen to, but none of this seems preferable to the original mixes (except maybe the DM mix, which is pretty good)
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:07 am
by stip
but man Eddie sound bad on Habit
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:27 am
by stip
Around the Bend is really nice this way. Maybe the first track that felt improved by Atmos on Ten, Vs, or No Code (as opposed to just interesting)
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:39 am
by stip
The Dark Matter mix is generally very good. The sound is much richer, way more detail, but without the feeling of separation. just definition. Unfortunately Stevie is an exception
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 1:33 am
by dimejinky99
Tangent but I don’t use Spotify at all, only very rarely, and as far back as four years ago I noticed a lot of the pj songs seemed to be entirely different mixes or even different takes.
I’m no audiophile at all but this different mix thing for each platform is just self defeating.
I dont get the point of it at all outside it being a horrible corporate money grab. It’s cynical.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 9:35 am
by stip
it is frustrating, Dime - proprietary mixes
on yield. the atmos mix reminds me that faithfull is at the bottom of eddie’s studio performances for me. while a lot of the yield songs i was lukewarm towards have risen in my esteem over time (your all those yesterdays, pilates, lowlights, and no ways of the world, and i really like in hiding when i push past most of the lyrics, faithfull is on the opposite trajectory
no way was a good fit with the atmos mixing. Given to Fly sounded really great until the end when the sawing guitar came i . the vocals sit on top of the music in a way that makes a lot of sense. Mike’s music is so pretty
(i have always preferred matt to jack on this - jack is too loose and garagey. works great on Brain of J (his best work with the band). not here though
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:09 pm
by dimejinky99
That being said I wanna hear no code and yield with these new mixes
You’re selling it to me Stip.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 12:32 pm
by stip
its worth a month. dont know that ill keep it
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 1:07 pm
by dimejinky99
stip wrote:its worth a month. dont know that ill keep it
Good shout. Have to get fancy headphones n see.
Re: Apple Atmos
Posted: Tue April 30, 2024 1:10 pm
by Anders
I love Apple Music.