Downmix Preferences

When the active speaker layout is narrower than the content — a 7.1.4 mix on a 5.1 rig, or on stereo — Orbit folds the dimensions that layout lacks. The Downmix panel sets the levels used for that fold. Open it from Preferences ▸ Downmix, or with Setup ▸ Downmixing… (⌥⇧⌘D). It's available in every edition.

There are no presets or coefficient matrices to manage: positions come from the speaker layout itself, and only the fold levels are yours to set.

Speaker Downmix

Fold Target — the layout whose trims you're editing ("Spec trims for each built-in layout the mix can fold to"). The list holds the built-in layouts narrower than 7.1.4, such as Stereo and 5.1. It opens on the active speaker layout when that is one of them. Each fold target keeps its own trims.

Each trim is a menu offering 0 dB, −1.5 dB, −3 dB, −4.5 dB or −6 dB:

• Surround — gain when surround energy folds onto fewer surround speakers.
• Height — gain when overhead energy folds onto a rig without height speakers.
• Centre — Stereo only: the C → Lo/Ro fold gain. Below it, the panel notes Stereo law: Lo/Ro (matrixed sum) — the stereo fold is a Lo/Ro sum, with no Lt/Rt option.

LFE — Off discards the LFE; → Mains folds it into the main channels at −3 dB, −6 dB or −10 dB. The gain menu is only active with → Mains selected.

Defaults follow ITU-R BS.775: −3 dB for every trim (equal-power), with the LFE off. Changes apply as you make them: if you're editing the trims for the active speaker layout, you hear the difference straight away.

Wider layouts aren't folded

Sources render direct to the active speaker layout; these trims only fold the dimensions it lacks (height energy on a flat 5.1, for example). Layouts wider than 7.1.4 are render targets, configured in Speaker Layout & Routing, and never appear here.

Exports

Export Audio… folds with these same trims by default (Monitoring Settings). Choosing Custom downmix trims for a single export is an Orbit Pro feature. See Exporting.

See also

• Monitoring Modes — how the speaker layout and monitoring mode fit together.
• Speaker Configuration — choosing and calibrating the speaker layout.