Advice for no hassle upgrade to play dolby atmos DOWNLOADS on my computer?

I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds here to ask for advice, and my apologies if I am.

I have been a Dolby Atmos fan ever since I heard my first Dolby Atmos blu-ray a couple of years ago. My enthusiasm shifted into even higher gear when I obtained an Apple TV 4K device and was able to access and play back the huge number of Dolby Atmos recordings on Apple Music last summer. However, there's one thing I can't do right now, and that's playback downloaded files of Dolby Atmos albums on my computer. My current set-up may explain why I'm unable to do this:

For Dolby Atmos blu-rays, I simply play them in my Sony UDP X1100es player, which is HDMI connected to my pre/pro.

For Dolby Atmos on Apple Music, I play them via my Apple TV 4K device, which is also HDMI connected to my pre-pro.

For the vast majority of my other music files EXCEPT Dolby Atmos, I use my Mac MIni (M1) as the source, which is USB connected to my exaSound e38 8-channel DAC, which then connects to the pre/pro through its analog connections. It supports up to DSD 256 and DXD. (Since my MCh set-up is 5.1, I am using only 6 of the 8 channels on the exaSound DAC.) The HDMI port on the Mac Mini goes directly to the TV and is used for video only.

What I would LIKE to do is play back Dolby Atmos files via my Mac Mini too. I've already downloaded a couple, one of which is from the Audite site (24/48, presumably lossless). I've checked the "Info" on the various tracks of the album I downloaded and it does indicate that there are 12 channels on each track (7.1.2). So I'm ready to go, right? Well, not really. The connection goes through my DAC, which does not support Dolby Atmos (and only supports 8 channels anyway) - so that's out.

What else I've tried: I thought I could just copy the downloaded Dolby Atmos album onto a thumb drive, and then connect that drive to the USB port on my blu-ray player in order to play it. But alas, no success: the files (tracks) do show up, but they are not recognized as playable by the player.

So you can perhaps see my problem: I'm already using the Mac Mini's HDMI port for the video connection to the TV. And I'm wondering what the simplest (and cheapest!) way to help myself get to this goal.

What I'm considering doing now is buying ANOTHER Mac Mini and connecting it to the pre/pro via ITS HDMI port, using one of the many HDMI ports now free on the pre/pro at the other end. (I could copy the Dolby Atmos file to the new Mac Mini.) It wouldn't be that expensive and it should work - right?

Do folks here agree with my plan? Or would there be a better way - but remember, it has to be simple and cheap. I don't want a lot of extra complication at this point. And one final question: I believe I read I could use VLC Media Player to play the Dolby Atmos files. But I'm also considering Logic (pre-installed on the Mac Mini) to use (for the time being) as a player for the Dolby Atmos files. Would that give me any advantage (or disadvantage) over VLC Media Player?

Please feel free to throw darts at this any way you feel! And thank you so much in advance if you choose to respond to this post!

Hi @Chris from Lafayette, I fully understand what you’re trying to accomplish and how to do it. I use my MacBook Pro for Atmos playback into a Merging Technologies DAC. 
 

First, the Atmos files from Audite are very unique. They are ADM files that require the Dolby Atmos Renderer application for playback. This app can also convert them into regular WAV files in many channel configurations. No processor can handle these files correctly. 
 

99% of Atmos downloads, such as those from TRPTK and 2L, are encoded and store in the MKV container. 
 

To play these you can go two different routes. 
 

1. Get an inexpensive Nvidia Shield Pro, connect it to your processor, connect a drive with Atmos files to the Nvidia Shield, and your done. 
 

2. If you want to use your Mac and DAC then you need to convert the MKV files to standard WAV files. This is what I do. I convert them to 12 channel 7.1.4 WAVs, using an app called Music Media Helper. This app requires that you also install the Dolby Reference Player software because it’s used by MMH to decode the files. The Dolby Reference Player is $300 I think, I can’t remember, and can be tough to purchase now. However, the app is widely shared on the internet and requires no registration / license to use. 
 

I’m sure I raised more questions so please ask away :~)

7 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi @Chris from Lafayette, I fully understand what you’re trying to accomplish and how to do it. I use my MacBook Pro for Atmos playback into a Merging Technologies DAC. 
 

First, the Atmos files from Audite are very unique. They are ADM files that require the Dolby Atmos Renderer application for playback. This app can also convert them into regular WAV files in many channel configurations. No processor can handle these files correctly. 
 

99% of Atmos downloads, such as those from TRPTK and 2L, are encoded and store in the MKV container. 
 

To play these you can go two different routes. 
 

1. Get an inexpensive Nvidia Shield Pro, connect it to your processor, connect a drive with Atmos files to the Nvidia Shield, and your done. 
 

2. If you want to use your Mac and DAC then you need to convert the MKV files to standard WAV files. This is what I do. I convert them to 12 channel 7.1.4 WAVs, using an app called Music Media Helper. This app requires that you also install the Dolby Reference Player software because it’s used by MMH to decode the files. The Dolby Reference Player is $300 I think, I can’t remember, and can be tough to purchase now. However, the app is widely shared on the internet and requires no registration / license to use. 
 

I’m sure I raised more questions so please ask away :~)

Wow - Thanks so much, Chris! Your Option No. 1 sounds even easier than what I was considering - cheaper too! LOL!

As you anticipated however, I still have some questions. You mention MKV as a "container", but I've always thought it was a file type (.mkv). Am I just parsing things too much?

You mention that files downloaded from Audite are ADM files. However, when I unzipped my download, yes, I got an adm folder, but the files themselves were .wav files. (Please see my screen shot.) Did I miss something?  And when you say that "no processor can handle these files correctly", do you mean the unzipped .wav files? So if I copy that ADM folder onto some kind of drive and attach it to the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, will the Nvidia device be able to play these files?

Here is what I'm understanding (as far as the connectivity is concerned) from your reply:

drive (usb connection) -> Nvidia Shield Pro (hdmi connection) - pre/pro.    . . . and I'm in business?

Thanks again!

p.s.: I also have a download from TPRPTK - IIRC, it's uncompressed 12-channel hi-rez (DXD or something near to that). I'm assuming from the specs of the Nvidia shield pro that it would NOT be able to handle a file like that?

Option 1 is what I use. So easy I could figure it out.

23 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

As you anticipated however, I still have some questions. You mention MKV as a "container", but I've always thought it was a file type (.mkv). Am I just parsing things too much?

File type or container. MKV is a bit different because it can contain almost anything. In this case it’ll contain Atmos MLP files. 
 

25 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

You mention that files downloaded from Audite are ADM files. However, when I unzipped my download, yes, I got an adm folder, but the files themselves were .wav files. (Please see my screen shot.) Did I miss something? 

You didn’t miss anything. They are WAV files with embedded metadata and many channels and objects that need the Dolby Renderer. ADM files have a WAV format but are not traditional WAV files. 
 

26 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

And when you say that "no processor can handle these files correctly", do you mean the unzipped .wav files?

Correct. You need the Dolby Atmos Renderer application. 
 

27 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

So if I copy that ADM folder onto some kind of drive and attach it to the Nvidia Shield TV Pro, will the Nvidia device be able to play these files?

No. 
 

27 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

drive (usb connection) -> Nvidia Shield Pro (hdmi connection) - pre/pro.    . . . and I'm in business?

Yep. 
 

28 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

s.: I also have a download from TPRPTK - IIRC, it's uncompressed 12-channel hi-rez (DXD or something near to that). I'm assuming from the specs of the Nvidia shield pro that it would NOT be able to handle a file like that?

I have those discrete DXD files as well. You need hardware capable of playing them though. I use Merging Technologies hardware. Can do 16 channels of DXD and DSD256. 
 

Nvidia > processor requires an encoded Atmos file, not unencoded DXD. MKV is your format for the shield. 
 

TRPTK offers MKV Atmos. 

One add. If you want to convert the Atmos tracks on a Blu-ray to the MKV format, you can use the makeMKV software program. It’s free to use, but requires periodic updating of its free license. I do enough so that I purchased a permanent license — I think it was under $100. A first run backs up the entire Blu-ray to your hard drive. A second run converts the saved files to MKVs, which you can then use as described above with the NVidia Shield. JCR 

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

 

They are WAV files with embedded metadata and many channels and objects that need the Dolby Renderer. ADM files have a WAV format but are not traditional WAV files. You need the Dolby Atmos Renderer application. 
 

Nvidia > processor requires an encoded Atmos file, not unencoded DXD. MKV is your format for the shield. 
 

Chris - hello again! You and the other guys are life savers! Thanks again!

So I went to the Dolby site and found the renderer app. (I'll download it on my other computer) I haven't read the instructions yet, but is the output of the Dolby Renderer app a bunch of .mkv files (or a single mkv file)? And once I get the .mkv file(s), I just kind of leave it/them as they are, and THAT's what I copy onto the the drive which I then would attach to the Nvidia Shield Pro?

I feel that I may be getting close! 🙂

3 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

Chris - hello again! You and the other guys are life savers! Thanks again!

 

So I went to the Dolby site and found the renderer app. (I'll download it on my other computer) I haven't read the instructions yet, but is the output of the Dolby Renderer app a bunch of .mkv files (or a single mkv file)? And once I get the .mkv file(s), I just kind of leave it/them as they are, and THAT's what I copy onto the the drive which I then would attach to the Nvidia Shield Pro?

 

I feel that I may be getting close! 🙂

Hold up. 
 

Only get the Renderer app if you need to play stuff from Audite, or the very few (less than 5) releases that have been released as ADM files. 
 

Just buy MKV files from the other sites, TRPTK, 2L, Immersive Audio Album. Also convert your blu-rays to MKV. 
 

The Dolby Atmos renderer app plays ADMs and can convert them to standard WAV files playable in any app that can play the number of channels you need (Roon limited to 8 channels, Audirvana not limited). 
 

Note: to create MKVs that are playable by the Shield and a processor, you’d need the Dolby encoder and an app (I use works, but there’s a free one) to package the output in an MKV. 

18 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hold up. 
 

Only get the Renderer app if you need to play stuff from Audite, or the very few (less than 5) releases that have been released as ADM files. 
 

Just buy MKV files from the other sites, TRPTK, 2L, Immersive Audio Album. Also convert your blu-rays to MKV. 
 

The Dolby Atmos renderer app plays ADMs and can convert them to standard WAV files playable in any app that can play the number of channels you need (Roon limited to 8 channels, Audirvana not limited). 
 

Note: to create MKVs that are playable by the Shield and a processor, you’d need the Dolby encoder and an app (I use works, but there’s a free one) to package the output in an MKV. 

Chris - 

You've said several times you just have to attach a drive to the Shield and it will play the files.

What program / app are you using on the Shield to play the files from the attached drive?

I do use a Shield, but must use Infuse to play files from my NAS - is that also what you'd use to play files from a directly-attached drive?  Or is there some built-in app on the Shield that allows this?

1 minute ago, jhwalker said:

Chris - 

 

You've said several times you just have to attach a drive to the Shield and it will play the files.

 

What program / app are you using on the Shield to play the files from the attached drive?

I do use a Shield, but must use Infuse to play files from my NAS - is that also what you'd use to play files from a directly-attached drive?  Or is there some built-in app on the Shield that allows this?

Use Kodi. 

48 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hold up. 
 

Only get the Renderer app if you need to play stuff from Audite, or the very few (less than 5) releases that have been released as ADM files. 
 

Just buy MKV files from the other sites, TRPTK, 2L, Immersive Audio Album. Also convert your blu-rays to MKV. 
 

The Dolby Atmos renderer app plays ADMs and can convert them to standard WAV files playable in any app that can play the number of channels you need (Roon limited to 8 channels, Audirvana not limited). 
 

Note: to create MKVs that are playable by the Shield and a processor, you’d need the Dolby encoder and an app (I use works, but there’s a free one) to package the output in an MKV. 

Oops! Things just got a bit murkier! I suspect that more releases in Dolby Atmos will become available on the Audite site (since they didn't start that long ago), but I don't have any proof.

Anyway, if I've followed all this correctly, it seems I will need the Dolby Renderer app, the Dolby encoder app, and Kodi (or an equivalent)? So which software goes where (assuming I still want to use Shield)? I'm assuming that some of these apps can reside on my computer, and I could "pre-process" the files there before copying them to disk. (Or would they need to reside on Shield?) Once again, I'm sorry to rely on your expertise rather than do my own research - but the advantage of talking to you is the informational interactivity and exchange, which I DO appreciate!

Thanks again!

14 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

Oops! Things just got a bit murkier! I suspect that more releases in Dolby Atmos will become available on the Audite site (since they didn't start that long ago), but I don't have any proof.

 

Anyway, if I've followed all this correctly, it seems I will need the Dolby Renderer app, the Dolby encoder app, and Kodi (or an equivalent)? So which software goes where (assuming I still want to use Shield)? I'm assuming that some of these apps can reside on my computer, and I could "pre-process" the files there before copying them to disk. (Or would they need to reside on Shield?) Once again, I'm sorry to rely on your expertise rather than do my own research - but the advantage of talking to you is the informational interactivity and exchange, which I DO appreciate!

 

Thanks again!

Never worry about asking. I consider this you doing the best kind of research. 
 

Unless you’re dead set on the Audinate Atmos catalog, I highly encourage you to avoid this route. I say this only because you want a “no hassle” way to do this. MKV on the Shield and you’re done, is no hassle. 

Downloading ADM, encoding into Atmos, creating MKV = is a bridge too far for all but the most dedicated. 
 

The Dolby Atmos Renderer is $300

The Dolby Atmos Encoder is $400 per year

You may want to consider this route:

Purchase the Renderer and use it to convert the Audinate files into your speaker configuration (5.1.2, 5.1.4, 7.1.4, etc…) for playback through your multichannel DAC. 
 

Which app do you use for multichannel playback now?

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Never worry about asking. I consider this you doing the best kind of research. 
 

The Dolby Atmos Renderer is $300

The Dolby Atmos Encoder is $400 per year

 

Which app do you use for multichannel playback now?

Those prices are a bit steep for the amount of use I anticipate. Nevertheless, I'm tempted!

My outboard DAC is capable of 7.1, but I only use 5.1. (I play 5.1.4 via my pre/pro - bypassing my outboard DAC.)

For playback of my downloads on the computer, I mostly use HQ Player ( even though it's back level - I stopped upgrading it when the ASIO driver for for Mac wasn't supported in the newer versions), although I also have VLC Media Player (free and up to date!) and Audirvana (way back level - I haven't used it in years).

16 hours ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

I play 5.1.4 via my pre/pro - bypassing my outboard DAC.

 

Now that I've slept on it, here's my summary of our exciting story so far:

I can play Dolby Atmos using Dolby Atmos blu-rays in my blu-ray player and streaming via my Apple TV 4K device. But for Dolby Atmos downloads, there doesn't seem to be any straightforward, simple, cheap (!) way to play them right now. And there seem to be a number of "gotchas" involved in playing back what I thought was a straightforward 24/48 album in Dolby Atmos I'd downloaded from the Audite site. For one thing, I would need to add an Nvidia Shield (a little hardware box, similar to the Apple TV 4K device) to my system (no problem - an extra $200). And for another thing, the format of the Atmos files downloaded from the Audite site is different from that of the Atmos files downloaded from the 2L or other sites.

And here's where things get even more complicated: the download from Audite unzipped to a bunch of WAV files (for the different tracks) - but it seems that they're special WAV files which won't play back like other WAV files (because they have all this Atmos meta information in them) and need to be passed through "Dolby Renderer" software ($300) and possibly another piece of software (? - I think it's software) from Dolby Labs, the Dolby Encoder ($400/year). And it seems that I don't actually want .wav files. I'm told what I REALLY need is .mkv files.

Do I have it right?

10 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

But for Dolby Atmos downloads, there doesn't seem to be any straightforward, simple, cheap (!) way to play them right now. And there seem to be a number of "gotchas" involved

Not at all. MKV plus Shield and you’re done. 
 

12 minutes ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

And there seem to be a number of "gotchas" involved in playing back what I thought was a straightforward 24/48 album in Dolby Atmos I'd downloaded from the Audite site. For one thing, I would need to add an Nvidia Shield (a little hardware box, similar to the Apple TV 4K device) to my system (no problem - an extra $200). And for another thing, the format of the Atmos files downloaded from the Audite site is different from that of the Atmos files downloaded from the 2L or other sites.

 

And here's where things get even more complicated: the download from Audite unzipped to a bunch of WAV files (for the different tracks) - but it seems that they're special WAV files which won't play back like other WAV files (because they have all this Atmos meta information in them) and need to be passed through "Dolby Renderer" software ($300) and possibly another piece of software (? - I think it's software) from Dolby Labs, the Dolby Encoder ($400/year).

If you want to play studio master ADM files, then you need studio software. ADM files were never meant for public distribution, but some labels are offering them. You seem really hung up on playing the stuff from Audite, when the reality is that site has like 5 releases. 
 

ADM WAV files need the Dolby Atmos Renderer or the Dolby Atmos plug-in in Logic. Full stop. It’s a professional studio format and requires professional studio apps. 
 

The encoder is only to create an Atmos encoded file. It’s what labels use to deliver Atmos to consumers. 
 

Forget about Audite, or ask them to sell MKV files, and your life is easy. Or, purchase pro hardware and the right apps and you can play anything and everything at the highest level. 

12 hours ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

ADM WAV files need the Dolby Atmos Renderer or the Dolby Atmos plug-in in Logic. Full stop. It’s a professional studio format and requires professional studio apps. 
 

The encoder is only to create an Atmos encoded file. It’s what labels use to deliver Atmos to consumers. 
 

Forget about Audite, or ask them to sell MKV files, and your life is easy. Or, purchase pro hardware and the right apps and you can play anything and everything at the highest level. 

Hi, Chris. . .

Aha! I think you have provided what I hope is the "missing link" in the solution to my predicament. Yeay!

So. . . 

Per my OP in this thread, I can go back to my original plan to get another Mac Mini (with Logic pre-installed on it) to play back my Audite download (which, indeed, I obsess about every day!). And if I understand correctly, this is what things would look like:

New Mac Mini (with Logic pre-installed) --> HDMI connected to my pre-pro. And that would be it?

I would also need to have the Dolby Atmos plug-in for Logic. I could then use Logic to play back the downloaded files directly into my pre/pro? And I wouldn't need Nvidia Shield Pro?

If I haven't missed anything (please let me know if I have!), then this is an investment I am willing to make! 😃

As always, thank you VERY VERY much for all your help and patience!

p.s.: On another site, Kal Rubinson says that he can play his Audite downloads just with Jriver - apparently no other processing or conversion required.

3 hours ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

New Mac Mini (with Logic pre-installed) --> HDMI connected to my pre-pro. And that would be it?

 

I would also need to have the Dolby Atmos plug-in for Logic. I could then use Logic to play back the downloaded files directly into my pre/pro? And I wouldn't need Nvidia Shield Pro?

If all you want to do is play ADM files, then this technically will work. If you want to play consumer friendly MKVs then it won’t. 
 

Keep in mind the process to play an ADM is like a manual transmission. You have to import each track individually into Logic, play it, then import the next track, play it, etc… You will be very annoyed with all the 2 minute tracks. 
 

Purchasing the Dolby Atmos Renderer would enable you to rerender / create 5.1 standard WAV files of the albums, and enable you to play those in any software you wish. 
 

3 hours ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

p.s.: On another site, Kal Rubinson says that he can play his Audite downloads just with Jriver - apparently no other processing or conversion required.

The Audite ADM downloads are created natively as 7.1.2 I believe. If one’s system is 7.1.2, then the downloads will play, but on the downloads with Atmos objects, you won’t hear them. Keep in mind that objects in and of themselves have nothing to do with movement. Objects are just how music is placed. Some engineers use objects for everything except LFE. 

4 hours ago, Chris from Lafayette said:

p.s.: On another site, Kal Rubinson says that he can play his Audite downloads just with Jriver - apparently no other processing or conversion required.

The WAV files I download from Audite are just that.  They are not ADM or Atmos although they are derived from the same content.

Thanks to everyone (especially Chris) who contributed to this thread. Although I think that the discussion got a bit off track and needlessly complicated in places, I also think my present path is clear.

Thanks again! I'm sure I'll report on my progress very soon!