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The Mono Mix Restoration Project (Released)

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I thought it was about time that this project had a dedicated thread…

The mono mix is an alternative sound mix for the original Star Wars film, created after the initial Dolby 6-track and Dolby Stereo mixes. There are several differences from the first two mixes in effects and dialogue content, and some consider the mono mix to be the “definitive” or most complete mix heard during the film’s theatrical run.

The history of the original sound mixes and details of how the mono mix was created can be found here:
http://www.in70mm.com/news/2003/star_wars/index.htm

A page demonstrating some of the differences in content can be found here:
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/russdawson/mono/

A few of the elements from the mono mix were used in the creation of the THX-certified digitally remastered mix that features on the 1993 Definitive Collection laserdisc set and the 2006 DVD release. A list of these elements can be found here:
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/70mm-mix-to-93-mix-comparison/topic/6501/

The mono mix has never been officially released on any home video format, and the only sources known to date are bootleg telecine copies of a theatrical print and recordings of the film from European TV broadcasts in the 1980s (specifically from the UK and Denmark). No high-quality sources have yet been located.

The aim of this restoration project is to draw from all available sources and use digital clean-up techniques to create a complete audio file that best recreates the original theatrical presentation of this mix.

The audio is to be synched with the video from the 2006 DVD release, so that fans may create their own custom DVD by substituting the 1993 Dolby Surround mix found on the official DVD with the restored mono mix.

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As I understand it from Belbucus, the clean-up is finished and all that remains to be done are a few tweaks to attain sync with the GOUT video.

Anyone who is interested in hearing the audio from the UK TV broadcast without any clean-up should read this thread:
http://www.originaltrilogy.com/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=12&threadid=7169

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I can't wait to hear this restored mono mix
Fez: I am so excited about Star Whores.
Hyde: Fezzy, man, it's Star Wars.
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Great to hear that this is nearing completion.
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Will this be in the form of a mono wav file or a dual mono stereo file, like a mono cd?

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…

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sign me up! From what i hear on (ssshhh) OCPmovie's mix on classic edition v.1.0, this is pretty intresting to hear! would love to see the finished product!

Join the dark side… and get a free cookie!

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Originally posted by: schorman13
Will this be in the form of a mono wav file or a dual mono stereo file, like a mono cd?
I envisage that a mono WAV (or perhaps encoded to a losslessly compressed format) will be made available to those who want it.

For the end user however, I would advocate the use of Dolby Digital (AC-3) format, because:

- mono PCM is not a legal audio format for DVD

- "dual mono" 2-channel PCM takes up an excessive amount of space which could be better used for the video encode

- with AC-3, the video could be left untouched if desired (on a dual-layer DVD)

- "dual mono" PCM - or MP2 for that matter - would play out of a surround system through both the front left and front right speakers (unless some form of processing is applied at the receiver) which tends to sound "remote" from the action on the screen

- AC-3 1.0 would correctly play out of the centre speaker only

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Why do you think mono PCM is not legal audio format for DVD ??????????

A DVD-Video disc can have up to 8 audio tracks (streams) associated with each video track (or each video angle). Each audio track can be in one of three formats:

* Dolby Digital (AC-3): 1 to 5.1 channels
* MPEG-2 audio: 1 to 5.1 or 7.1 channels
* PCM: 1 to 8 channels.

as far as I know, only DTS is not officially supported.
BTW I was trying to say that I want the cleaned-up mix
Or could you at least upload your synched PAL AC3 to some normal server ? I'm online from a cyber cafe so I can't wait 4 hours to download the file. Quicksharing.com is INCREDIBBLY slow (started with 200kbps, but went to 10kbps after a while !)
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Linear PCM is uncompressed (lossless) digital audio, the same format used on CDs and most studio masters. It can be sampled at 48 or 96 kHz with 16, 20, or 24 bits/sample. (Audio CD is limited to 44.1 kHz at 16 bits.) There can be from 1 to 8 channels. The maximum bit rate is 6.144 Mbps, which limits sample rates and bit sizes when there are 5 or more channels. It's generally felt that the 120 dB dynamic range of 20 bits combined with a frequency response of around 22,000 Hz from 48 kHz sampling is adequate for high-fidelity sound reproduction. However, additional bits and higher sampling rates are useful in audiophile applications, studio work, noise shaping, advanced digital processing, and three-dimensional sound field reproduction. DVD players are required to support all the variations of LPCM, but many subsample 96 kHz down to 48 kHz, and some may not use all 20 or 24 bits. The signal provided on the digital output for external digital-to-analog converters may be limited to less than 96 kHz and less than 24 bits.

Dolby Digital is multi-channel digital audio, using lossy AC-3 coding technology from PCM source with a sample rate of 48 kHz at up to 24 bits. The bitrate is 64 kbps to 448 kbps, with 384 or 448 being the normal rate for 5.1 channels and 192 being the typical rate for stereo (with or without surround encoding). (Most Dolby Digital decoders support up to 640 kbps, so non-standard discs with 640 kbps tracks play on many players.) The channel combinations are (front/surround): 1/0, 1+1/0 (dual mono), 2/0, 3/0, 2/1, 3/1, 2/2, and 3/2. The LFE channel is optional with all 8 combinations. For details see ATSC document A/52 <www.atsc.org/document.html>. Dolby Digital is the format used for audio tracks on almost all DVDs.

MPEG audio is multi-channel digital audio, using lossy compression from original PCM format with sample rate of 48 kHz at 16 or 20 bits. Both MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formats are supported. The variable bit rate is 32 kbps to 912 kbps, with 384 being the normal average rate. MPEG-1 is limited to 384 kbps. Channel combinations are (front/surround): 1/0, 2/0, 2/1, 2/2, 3/0, 3/1, 3/2, and 5/2. The LFE channel is optional with all combinations. The 7.1 channel format adds left-center and right-center channels, but is rare for home use. MPEG-2 surround channels are in an extension stream matrixed onto the MPEG-1 stereo channels, which makes MPEG-2 audio backwards compatible with MPEG-1 hardware (an MPEG-1 system will only see the two stereo channels.) MPEG Layer 3 (MP3) and MPEG-2 AAC (also known as NBC or unmatrix) are not supported by the DVD-Video standard. MPEG audio is not used much on DVDs, although some inexpensive DVD recording software programs use MPEG audio, even on NTSC discs, which goes against the DVD standard and is not supported by all NTSC players.


source : the official DVD FAQ
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Originally posted by: pittrek
Why do you think mono PCM is not legal audio format for DVD ??????????
Because when I tried making a DVD with mono PCM in DVD-lab, I got this:

http://img271.imageshack.us/img271/6204/error1bl.png

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DVDLabPro can be sometimes weird, that's why I'm currently not using it that much. But officially DVD supports PCM 48or96kHz having from 1 to 8 chanels.
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Don't know if any of you guys here have a DTS encoder. But I can encode it as a DTS file at 768 or 1536 kbps if you can't compile a dvd with mono pcm. So please please please make it available as a mono wave file.

Edit: I did a little test. DVDMaestro and DVDit import and compile mono wave files just fine. So I guess it's just a limitation of DVD-Lab.
Fez: I am so excited about Star Whores.
Hyde: Fezzy, man, it's Star Wars.
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I would agree that a mono wav file would be best for distribution, because it can be converted to other formats easily. However, I also agree that an ac3 1.0 file would be the most appropriate way to author a disc given the quality of the source file. It doesn't seem like the higher fidelity of a pcm track is really necessary here.

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…

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Has anyone heard an estimated date for when Belbucus will have this ready?

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…

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Has anyone heard from belbucus about the mono mix restoration? Just curious, I'm anxiously awaiting this.

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…

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Originally posted by: schorman13
Has anyone heard from belbucus about the mono mix restoration? Just curious, I'm anxiously awaiting this.


Man, folks are anxiously awaiting this! (me too!)
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if it's a 'restored' mono mix that would mean it should run at 24 fps then?
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Originally posted by: eros
if it's a 'restored' mono mix that would mean it should run at 24 fps then?
23.976 you lazy cunt
to sync with NTSC GOUT
(National Television System Committee)
(George's Original Unaltered Trilogy)

However, in practice you must take into account the “fuckwit factor”. Just talk to Darth Mallwalker…
-Moth3r

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All bitter and twisted are we Darth Sleepwalker, or what ever you call yourself

by the way the dvd is also 25fps
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Hi all,

Sorry if I've appeared to go MIA. I've been swamped with work since the beginning of the year - I mean just stupid-busy. Not complaining (yet), but it has left me precious little free time for anything else.

I anticipate things returning to normal within a week or so, and hope to finally put this thing to bed!

Thanks for your patience.
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My DVD's 23.976 fps, so whatchu talkin' 'bout Willis?

as is my DVD, so is my working AVI (xp77.avi) - 23.976 fps.

"Right now the coffees are doing their final work." (Airi, Masked Rider Den-o episode 1)

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Has there been any progress in the last ~2 months?

If I had some gum, I’d chew a hole into the sun…