6 New Live Blues Recordings - Multichannel + Stereo DSD downloads for $14.95 each !

In the September edition of Positive Feedback Online, I wrote an article about plans by Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds to record his 17th Annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads Concerts in 8 track DSD for future release as DSD Downloads. (See the article at http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue75/super_hirez.htm).

The big news today is 6 of these blues performances will be going live on the Acoustic Sounds Super HiRez web site tomorrow – Friday, February 20th – for purchase in both Stereo DSD and Multichannel DSD. It will also be the first series of Multichannel DSD downloads on the Super HiRez site. This set of new albums will include performances by blues masters including “Mighty” Sam McClain, Marquise Knox, Joe Beard, Sonny Green, Lazy Lester, Rip Lee Pryor, as well as Moreland & Arburckle and Big George Brock.

Each of the downloads was recorded by a team headed up by Gus Skinas, President of the Super Audio Center along with engineer Katsuhiko Naito and assistant recording engineer Travis Scanlan. Chad Kassem, owner of Acoustic Sounds, oversaw the operation.

The Stereo DSD Downloads will go for $9.98 each – or all 6 for $49.98. Multichannel fans will be excited to learn that Super HiRez will also be selling the 6 concert performances in a combination Multichannel + Stereo DSD offer for $14.98 each or $74.98 for all 6. The Multichannel + Stereo editions will be large file sizes but you will get both Multichannel and Stereo editions for one low price ($14.98), a good deal.



Mighty Sam McClain at the 17th Annual Blues Masters at the Crossroads Concerts
http://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?store=SuperHiRez

Here's the full ad from Acoustic Sounds on the Live Blues Masters Multichannel + Stereo DSD Downloads. The links to the albums are just starting to appear on the Super HiRez web site.

I'm very fond of the Blues, but it looks like these are sadly only available in the USA and Canada.

DuncanS said:

I'm very fond of the Blues, but it looks like these are sadly only available in the USA and Canada.

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I asked and that is the story. The licensing of these 6 for now is US and Canada only. Perhaps it will change in the future.
At $14.98 each for both Stereo and Multichannel, I think these are going to be quite popular DSD Downloads!

When someone takes the plunge on any of these I would love to hear some feedback on the surround mix. Is this audience/ambience or is it discrete and immersive?

Fourplay said:

When someone takes the plunge on any of these I would love to hear some feedback on the surround mix. Is this audience/ambience or is it discrete and immersive?

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I'd describe the cuts I listened to in Multichannel (it's still downloading in the background) as front focused with ambience and audience in the surround channels. I'd also say the sound is very clean and clear. Nicely done!

Here's a new interview with Acoustic Sounds & Super HiRez CEO Chad Kassem in ABS Magazine.
Of note, his plans to release more Live Blues Concerts as DSD Downloads!

"Super HiRez is doing really well and it's a real good place for me to put out the concerts. We recorded all of them. Now, the thing that's really kicking is the pressing plant. The vinyl thing is really where I got started.
The Super HiRez is cool because I'm able to share that blues stuff that I might never put out [on a record].

I love vinyl. I love analogue. It touches your soul. We're trying to get blues people into audiophile and knowing there's good stuff [out there] and we're trying to get audiophiles into the blues.
It's all to do with music. It's all to make your music sound better.

There's no easy money. But, a lot of people say they don't want to do their hobby for a living, but this is my hobby and I don't get tired of it."

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http://news.acousticsounds.com/post...interview-with-chad-kassem-of-acoustic-sounds

As a multichannel fan, I purchased this set and love it. Glad to see they'll be releasing more. There are plenty of YouTube videos of this concert. Don't understand why they don't release a concert Blu-Ray. I even called and asked them about it. Unfortunately, they don't have any plans on it. Eventhough they also captured the video in high-rez. I would love to watch this concert in full on BR with 24x96 surround audio. Guess there's not enough interest to justify the costs. Sad....

audioguy said:

As a multichannel fan, I purchased this set and love it. Glad to see they'll be releasing more. There are plenty of YouTube videos of this concert. Don't understand why they don't release a concert Blu-Ray. I even called and asked them about it. Unfortunately, they don't have any plans on it. Eventhough they also captured the video in high-rez. I would love to watch this concert in full on BR with 24x96 surround audio. Guess there's not enough interest to justify the costs. Sad....

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As the quote above from Chad Kassem notes, the Live Blues Concerts are an example of a project that doesn't pencil out for a SACD or Vinyl release.
But does as a Multichannel + Stereo DSD Download.

The current release includes 130 tracks in Multichannel & Stereo DSD if you buy the Multichannel edition.
That's a lot of blues for $75!

http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/1...ollection-DSD_Multichannel_28MHz64fs_Download