Here are Steven Wilson's responses to your questions

[wavelength]

I feel like this would make the rears seem MUCH louder. How have you guys experienced this?

Louder isn't an issue. Placing the rears at the sides creates an evenly distributed sound-field that seems unattainable with other configurations. I think this even distribution of the sound makes for a better listening experience.

[0tto]

my guess is that this depends on speakers, room and big time from configuration of the mixes itself.
there's so many surround mixes with more than humble life, presented in rear line.

[kap'n krunch]

Guys, guys...
a
no
ther
thread!!!
I say this because it'd make an interesting one...
I personally like the rears a tad behind, but not much..at about 260º and 100º...
but every setup is different and everyone is different...and I have a Quad setup, not a 5.1...yet!

[patrick1]

Hello. I initially set up with the rears directly at ear level to the side. Then I tried moving my couch forward to have the rears behind me a bit. This, I thought, would enable the side sound to be more I tune with the fronts (but I also lost some coveted floor space in the room). I now have the rears directly to the side, and angled in a bit so they cross just about a foot in front of my head. I don't get the "too loud from the rears", and the side sound is a bit more open and blended with the fronts, IMO. I'm sure I'll dick with it some more in the future. Thanks.

[Frantic]

Interesting what his take on the Aqualung original quad mix and Yes' Fragile DVD-A mix were....

This is the BEST forum!

I agree with SW on the "Fragile" mix. It just seems odd to me.
And as far as the "Best Forum" goes, Kap'n, you said it just fine! We are a lucky bunch.

[LizardKing]

funny joke there LK.

Glad someone got it...

It is a shame though - Talk Talk is on my "Area 51" list, and the fact that a SW mix could have been done arghhhh.... bloody musicians who don't get it..

[Odys]

Louder isn't an issue. Placing the rears at the sides creates an evenly distributed sound-field that seems unattainable with other configurations. I think this even distribution of the sound makes for a better listening experience.

Exactly!

[Ed Bishop]

I had wondered since BSS came out in 5.1 why "Lucky Man" was added as a bonus track, since it seemed logical to issue the debut album on DVD-A as well...but now we know that multis for a few tracks are missing, making a faithful 5.1 of the original stereo album impossible. Of course BAT OUT OF HELL was assembled with a little trickery (which just about worked, IMO). But--shades of LOST CHORD!--there may be more albums out there with incomplete/missing multis than one might think.

ED

[timbre4]

Not that any effort is required here, I really want the world to know how much Steven Wilson has given us. He obviously put a lot of time and consideration into answering our questions and as a result we (I'm sure you'll agree) feel very much listened to. Can't ask for anything more than that.

Huge thanks to Jon and Neil for the painstaking efforts at engineering this massively fun thread! Cheers everybody... :

[jefe1]

I would also like to thank those involved for making it possible for Mr Wilson to answer some questions. I want to thank him for the PT music he has created that I have enjoyed listening to, especially in lossless surround, and for being a musical archaeologist and resurrecting and polishing up some great chestnuts. Even his stereo mixes are good! No one else would be doing what he is and making these releases possible.
And by the way, my rear speakers are at the side too....because there is a wall behind my head.

[SMS]

As Damnation was just reissued in the U.S. as a remastered standard CDDA I'm afraid that won't happen soon. However ... 2013 is the albums 10th anniversary, so let's hope?

OMG... I so hope this Damnation 5.1 mix sees the light of day. I literally cheered when I read that it existed!

It is probably my favorite Opeth album, although Heritage is making a run for top spot.

Incidentally, I am seeing Opeth in Montreal tomorrow. If I can get a chance to talk to Mikael, I am going to mention it for sure!

[vinylguy4]

The May 2012 issue of Home Theater magazine arrived today.
Deja vu from this QQ thread, 15 Questions for Steven Wilson on page 21.

vinylguy4

[wavelength]

Here's a SW interview that echoes much of what he said to us.
http://www.hometheater.com/content/s...rrounded-music

[0tto]

Here's a SW interview that echoes much of what he said to us.
http://www.hometheater.com/content/s...rrounded-music

thanx, nice article.

[0tto]

hey Jon, is there any plans to make similar chat interaction with others famous for us folks?
since Mark Waldrep of AIX records is a registered member here, would you be willing to send
an invitation for questions/answers chat to him?

[JonUrban]

hey Jon, is there any plans to make similar chat interaction with others famous for us folks?
since Mark Waldrep of AIX records is a registered member here, would you be willing to send
an invitation for questions/answers chat to him?

I would love to do the same with Elliot Scheiner, Greg Penny, and many others, but contacting them is almost impossible for a "regular guy". We don't advertise, there are no incentives for anyone to pay attention to us. The only reason we got Steven to do this is because Neil contacted him and he agreed.

Who knows, maybe someone here knows someone there. I'd be open to any and all who would do so.

As for AIX, I'm not sure what the deal is with Mark. He was here a lot a few years ago, but seems to prefer the AVS Forum for his postings and his "special offers". He's welcome here and can use QQ to promote his product as much as he likes. I think his stuff is quite impressive, and have said so in posts here in the past.

[timbre4]

Here's a SW interview that echoes much of what he said to us.
http://www.hometheater.com/content/s...rrounded-music

Thanks for the link that was a nice read.

[rtbluray]

I would love to do the same with Elliot Scheiner, Greg Penny, and many others, but contacting them is almost impossible for a "regular guy". We don't advertise, there are no incentives for anyone to pay attention to us. The only reason we got Steven to do this is because Neil contacted him and he agreed.

Who knows, maybe someone here knows someone there. I'd be open to any and all who would do so.

As for AIX, I'm not sure what the deal is with Mark. He was here a lot a few years ago, but seems to prefer the AVS Forum for his postings and his "special offers". He's welcome here and can use QQ to promote his product as much as he likes. I think his stuff is quite impressive, and have said so in posts here in the past.

I'm a "regular guy" and I got in touch very easily with Greg Penny through email on his website, so try him through that.

[ProgRules]

I agree with SW on the "Fragile" mix. It just seems odd to me.
And as far as the "Best Forum" goes, Kap'n, you said it just fine! We are a lucky bunch.

I believe he said an early mix of Fragile- I took that to mean that he either didn't hear the finished product or if he did he didn't find that strange. Personally, I like the aggressive use of the surrounds on that mix. Cans and Brahms really smokes being immersed in the mix of the different keyboards. To each his own of course. Yes has been my favorite band since mid-70's and it was a whole new experience hearing Fragile in surround, but without changing the feeling of the music. IMHO of course.

[Dylan Berichon]

Very awesome! Lots of good stuff contained here. I just got back from a road trip to see the first 3 shows of the second leg of the "Grace for Drowning" tour. Lots of fun, each night! Especially dig the use of the Quadraphonic PA during the show.

[timbre4]

The sudden appearance of the choir in the surrounds for Postcard (among other careful supportive usages) was pretty cool! Glade we made it to Chicago.

I should've asked him why I find Drown With Me so damn cheerful.....

[Dylan Berichon]

The sudden appearance of the choir in the surrounds for Postcard (among other careful supportive usages) was pretty cool! Glade we made it to Chicago.

I should've asked him why I find Drown With Me so damn cheerful.....

I noticed at the Chicago show at Park West back in November more use of the quadraphonic PA. I hardly noticed it at all in Seattle, more so in San Francisco and LA.

[HDJK]

Louder isn't an issue. Placing the rears at the sides creates an evenly distributed sound-field that seems unattainable with other configurations. I think this even distribution of the sound makes for a better listening experience.

My mixing sweet spot corresponds to the ITU circle, but I have a sofa right behind that (mainly for watching movies) and often times I like to listen to surround mixes there (so the surrounds are to the side and not behind).

And yes, awesome thread

[wavelength]

My mixing sweet spot corresponds to the ITU circle, but I have a sofa right behind that (mainly for watching movies) and often times I like to listen to surround mixes there (so the surrounds are to the side and not behind).

Nice to have options!

[HDJK]

Nice to have options!

It sure is

For a number of recordings I prefer a 'front-wide' scenario to a classic surround setup.

Now if I could have two sets of surround speakers, placed accordingly, and a way to switch between front-wide and surround in the same sweet spot, that would be surround sound heaven! But I'm happy with my setup :-)