Gentle Giant's "Free Hand" and "In'terview" coming on DVD audio in february..

[rusinurbe]

Pity this one isn't being released:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acquiring_the_Taste

Who would have known

[steelydave]

Well I got Free Hand in the mail today (In'terview should be with me tomorrow) and I think the surround mix has been botched at some point. I think the front and rear channels have been reversed on one side, so lead vocals/bass guitar/drums come from the front left and rear right. I swapped the cables on my player so that this was rectified and everything sounds way more cohesive - I will do some more listening to this and maybe rip it to my hard drive at some point to verify. Perhaps someone else with this disc could let me know if they're having the same issues.

The good news is the mix is in excellent fidelity and very very active. Exactly what you'd want from a circa 1975 quad mix!

[Pockets17red]

Well I got Free Hand in the mail today (In'terview should be with me tomorrow) and I think the surround mix has been botched at some point. I think the front and rear channels have been reversed on one side, so lead vocals/bass guitar/drums come from the front left and rear right. I swapped the cables on my player so that this was rectified and everything sounds way more cohesive - I will do some more listening to this and maybe rip it to my hard drive at some point to verify. Perhaps someone else with this disc could let me know if they're having the same issues.

The good news is the mix is in excellent fidelity and very very active. Exactly what you'd want from a circa 1975 quad mix!

I am also loving this mix but I will have to check to see if my disc is also having the same issue. Will get back to you in a couple hours. I hope these two DVDs can be put up in a poll soon. Seen that some people on other forums are on the fence about these.

[mwk-empire]

I am also loving this mix but I will have to check to see if my disc is also having the same issue. Will get back to you in a couple hours. I hope these two DVDs can be put up in a poll soon. Seen that some people on other forums are on the fence about these.

I listened to it (while browsing the Internet, so I was not concentrated on it) and there was nothing that interrupted my pleasure in listening. Probably I missed the effect. Perhaps it was made by intention to show the possibilities of quad-sound in 1975?!?

Markus

[The Rang]

Now that these discs have hit the streets can anyone tell us if they are also in 2 channel and if so at what resolution

[Pockets17red]

Now that these discs have hit the streets can anyone tell us if they are also in 2 channel and if so at what resolution

Oh, I forgot to do that here. Posted about the stereo track a couple days ago on SH Forums. It is 96/24 PCM Stereo track from the Original Analogue Master. Saw a glowing review about the PCM Stereo Mix from the forums there for both DVDs.

Review for PCM Stereo Mix for Free Hand and In'terview [URL="http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?

[rusinurbe]

Now that these discs have hit the streets can anyone tell us if they are also in 2 channel and if so at what resolution

Yes the cover says 96/24 LPCM stereo on both I have no reason to doubt it.

The DTS is 4.1 and there is a rather superfluous Dulby 4.1 as well

[John Svensson]

I don't think I've seen it spelled out yet....but I take it that these are not DVD-A, but 96/24 DTS DVD-V discs? That will not stop me from acquiring them, of course. I only own the somewhat muddled mix of the King Biscuit CD- NY Academy of Music performance, but I've heard them over the years on the occasional radio cut. I'll see if my local guy can order these today. John


New avatar is quadraphonic music circa 1902, via Edison listening tubes.......

[timbre4]

Yes - DTS DVDs.

I went with Amazon.com (March date) for Free Hand and will probably go for Interview later. Wish it was The Power And The Glory, oh well.

[John Svensson]

Thanks Tim, my local shop says they'll be available from their distributor next Tuesday. John

[rusinurbe]

I listened to it (while browsing the Internet, so I was not concentrated on it) and there was nothing that interrupted my pleasure in listening. Probably I missed the effect. Perhaps it was made by intention to show the possibilities of quad-sound in 1975?!?

Markus

Listened to Free hand and it sounded fine. I ahve no reference though as it was the first time i have ever heared it.

[steelydave]

Well I got In'terview today and the channel assignment on this one is correct, no front left/rear right vocal splits. I think I actually like this one more than Free Hand, although most reviewers seem to disagree. The Mix is again very adventurous and the music is pretty crazy - it's hard to imagine a time when music like this had a mass audience!

One small niggle with the mastering is that the rears seem to be too low - there are a couple of solos that ping-pong from front to back and noticably lose power when they are in the back speakers. I will have to get this one in to my DAW as well and see if the waveforms confirm what my ears are hearing.

[LizardKing]

Well I got Free Hand in the mail today (In'terview should be with me tomorrow) and I think the surround mix has been botched at some point. I think the front and rear channels have been reversed on one side, so lead vocals/bass guitar/drums come from the front left and rear right. I swapped the cables on my player so that this was rectified and everything sounds way more cohesive - I will do some more listening to this and maybe rip it to my hard drive at some point to verify. Perhaps someone else with this disc could let me know if they're having the same issues.

The good news is the mix is in excellent fidelity and very very active. Exactly what you'd want from a circa 1975 quad mix!

I'm getting the same issue...

I'll create a disc with the RF & RS swapped.... & report back on how it sounds... I don't really want to swap my cables... its a nightmare to change them ....

[LizardKing]

I'm getting the same issue...

I'll create a disc with the RF & RS swapped.... & report back on how it sounds... I don't really want to swap my cables... its a nightmare to change them ....

Sounds waaay better with the channels switched.... EMI's track record with surround releases isn't great recently with problems on the discs:

Wish you Were Here, Aqualung and now this!!!!! Arghhhhh.......

[MyCuff]

4 channels = 12 times as many ways to get it wrong. Still pretty pathetic. Mine should show up any day now, but my anticipation is mellowed out by this news.

[SMS]

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but could somebody briefly explain how you created a disk with the channels swapped? What software do you use?

Thanks!
Brad

[LizardKing]

I don't want to take this thread off topic, but could somebody briefly explain how you created a disk with the channels swapped? What software do you use?

Thanks!
Brad

After extracting the DTS track from the disc I used Audiomuxer http://www.quadraphonicquad.com/foru...rroundbyus-com
to:

1. Convert the DTS to WAV
2. Create mono WAV files
3. Merge the mono WAV files (with channels swapped)

You can then author a disc from the wav files - I used Audiomiuxer to create a Blu-ray disc...

[LizardKing]

Sounds waaay better with the channels switched.... EMI's track record with surround releases isn't great recently with problems on the discs:

Wish you Were Here, Aqualung and now this!!!!! Arghhhhh.......

Arghhhh...... Should have thought about this.......and of course the channel levels need tweaking to get it balanced......what a @#$!^ UP!!!!!!

I really need a proper mastering tool.

[Ge Someone]

.. I think the front and rear channels have been reversed on one side, so lead vocals/bass guitar/drums come from the front left and rear right. I swapped the cables on my player so that this was rectified and everything sounds way more cohesive [..]

The good news is the mix is in excellent fidelity and very very active. Exactly what you'd want from a circa 1975 quad mix!

This disk comes with a 4.1 DTS (and DD) track. Could it be that your player recognises it as a 5.0 track? Some (software/hardware) players are known to mix that up (not sure which and firmware versions etc.). To me at least Free Hand sounded correct.

And I agree with the good news part, a lost gem this quad mix. My favorite GG as well.

[LizardKing]

This disk comes with a 4.1 DTS (and DD) track. Could it be that your player recognises it as a 5.0 track? Some (software/hardware) players are known to mix that up (not sure which and firmware versions etc.). To me at least Free Hand sounded correct.

And I agree with the good news part, a lost gem this quad mix. My favorite GG as well.

Its displaying as 4.1, and sounds come out of all the correct channels.

Have a listen to the initial vocals in the first track - you'll hear that they are from LF & RS..... Then try and switch RF & RS (if you can easily) and see if you prefer it.....

[sukothai]

Then try and switch RF & RS (if you can easily) and see if you prefer it.....

I tried the switch and I don't like it. I prefer the channels as they are. Of course, I have a swivel chair in the center of my sound-field.

[capsid]

So is this RF to RS switch an error or a deliberate mix?

[LizardKing]

I believe its an error....

[capsid]

I believe its an error....

Have you reported it then?

[blue.monk]

I don't believe there's any issue with the channel placement on Free Hand. Yes, there are some unusual aspects to the mix but, to me, it sounds like the boys were having fun and experimenting with the 4 channels. Even though it doesn't often present the soundstage found in many modern surround mixes (band & lead vocals front, auxiliary vocals & instruments rear) there's plenty to lead me to believe it's correct. For instance Kerry's overlapping vocals during the middle part of On Reflection alternate between rears and fronts and the tambourine in Taybont is discretely placed in rears. The mix on the opening track is a bit wonky but the overall balance of the disc seems right to my ears.

Someone earlier in this thread had speculated that the first One Way release of the album might be the quad folded down and I think you're right! The quad mix contains the extra percussion in On Reflection as well as Derek singing one of Kerry's lines in Time To Kill. Those were two of the most obvious discrepancies I remember from the One Way release.

Cheers,
Eric