Reference Guide

903
Configuring SONAR for surround mixing
Surround Mixing (Producer and Studio only)
Using surround format templates
A Surround Format template specifies the number of speakers and the order in which the speakers
are arranged.
There are several different surround formats, including LCRS, 5.1, 6.1, and 7.1, with 5.1 being most
common. The number after the decimal point refers to the number of Low Frequency Effect (LFE)
speakers. However, there are even different flavors of 5.1. The different flavors specify in which
order the speakers are arranged, and the speaker angles. For example:
The speaker positions, moving clockwise from center, are identified as:
To mix in surround sound in SONAR, you must insert at least one surround bus.
Surround Format Speaker Order
5.1 SMPTE/ITU L, R, C, LFE, Ls, Rs
5.1 Music Alternative L, R, Ls, Rs, C, LFE
5.1 Film Alternative L, C, R, Ls, Rs, LFE
Table 168.
Label Speaker
C Center (directly in front of listener)
Rc Right of Center
R Right (standard Stereo placement)
Sr Side right—directly to the right of the listener
Rs Right Surround
Cs Surround (rear center)
Ls Left Surround
Sl Side Left—directly to the left of the listener
L Left (standard Stereo placement)
Lc Left of center
LFE Low Frequency Effect speaker(s)—placed according to room acoustics
Table 169.