There are all kinds of “best of”/”most wanted” threads, but I don’t think anyone’s done this one yet. Only rule is that the song cannot officially exist in MCH at all (like if it’s a bad mix and you want a redo- that's a topic for another thread I guess). It’s worth mentioning if a song you pick decodes nicely or if there’s a good upmix out there though.
Here’s a few from me:
Aerosmith- “Dream On”:
I’ve always wondered why the excellent S/T didn’t get the quad treatment along with it’s 3 follow-ups, or a 5.1 SACD back in the early-2000s. Probably a master tape-related issue, since the "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" video game from several years ago used re-recorded versions of songs from this album.
Anyway, I always pictured your standard columbia quad rock mix for this one- phantom center bass and vocals, stereo drums, maybe acoustic guitar rear left and electric rear right. Guitar solos between verses could pop out of one of the rear corners or phantom center.
Boston- “Peace Of Mind”:
Boston's S/T is one of those rare cases where the multis are actually out there (Rockband stems?), so it is possible to hear several fans' takes of this one in discrete surround. The 5.1 done by a member here is almost perfect IMO, aside from one key moment.
The break about halfway through features dueling guitar parts- in stereo they trade left and right. In the fan-made 5.1, they are placed LF and RF. I always imagined they would move clockwise around the soundfield. There are four parts, so it would work perfectly.
Gimmicky? Maybe. Fun? I think so.
Led Zep- “Kashmir”:
I’d kill to hear any Zep track in surround, but this was always one of my favorites. It’s got a lot going on- complex orchestra and guitar passages, that weird middle-eastern keyboard/sitar effect on the bridge (“As the sun….burns the ground”). Could be spectacular if done correctly.
Billy Joel- “The Longest Time”:
I think a “Seven Bridges Road”-type mix would be extremely effective here.
What a shame that An Innocent Man didn’t get the 5.1 SACD treatment as well.
Steely Dan- “Peg”:
I doubt I’m alone on this one. To hear MM’s backing vocals neatly separated out and blasting from the rears would be pretty awesome. Based on ES's other SD mixing work, there's probably a good chance it would've been presented that way.
Here’s a few from me:
Aerosmith- “Dream On”:
I’ve always wondered why the excellent S/T didn’t get the quad treatment along with it’s 3 follow-ups, or a 5.1 SACD back in the early-2000s. Probably a master tape-related issue, since the "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith" video game from several years ago used re-recorded versions of songs from this album.
Anyway, I always pictured your standard columbia quad rock mix for this one- phantom center bass and vocals, stereo drums, maybe acoustic guitar rear left and electric rear right. Guitar solos between verses could pop out of one of the rear corners or phantom center.
Boston- “Peace Of Mind”:
Boston's S/T is one of those rare cases where the multis are actually out there (Rockband stems?), so it is possible to hear several fans' takes of this one in discrete surround. The 5.1 done by a member here is almost perfect IMO, aside from one key moment.
The break about halfway through features dueling guitar parts- in stereo they trade left and right. In the fan-made 5.1, they are placed LF and RF. I always imagined they would move clockwise around the soundfield. There are four parts, so it would work perfectly.
Gimmicky? Maybe. Fun? I think so.
Led Zep- “Kashmir”:
I’d kill to hear any Zep track in surround, but this was always one of my favorites. It’s got a lot going on- complex orchestra and guitar passages, that weird middle-eastern keyboard/sitar effect on the bridge (“As the sun….burns the ground”). Could be spectacular if done correctly.
Billy Joel- “The Longest Time”:
I think a “Seven Bridges Road”-type mix would be extremely effective here.
What a shame that An Innocent Man didn’t get the 5.1 SACD treatment as well.
Steely Dan- “Peg”:
I doubt I’m alone on this one. To hear MM’s backing vocals neatly separated out and blasting from the rears would be pretty awesome. Based on ES's other SD mixing work, there's probably a good chance it would've been presented that way.
