Police Hits-Multichannel

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CC Rider

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Any inside info,and reviews of the new multichannel release.

Realize the regular albums are stereo only (bummer),but the hits are Multi.

These were released in DTS awhile back,so I assume they're using the same source for the remaster's.

Any inside poop appreciated (hopefully along with a Multichannel review:)

Mine's on it's way from Elusive (I tink).

Wish more reissue's were handled this way.
Bummed out about BOC,but would have preffered a hits multi from them too.

CC
 
Still wondering how the mix is in multi; Hard/Soft?

How are the rear's used?

Will find out soon enough hopefully for meself.

CC
 
1) the SACD stereo track sounds amazing! I'd imagine finally tracking down the first generation tapes has something to do with that, but A/B compairing with the CD layer gives a noticably more enjoyable listen. At the very least, better than pervious CDs.

2) the M/C program is enjoyable as well. I don't know if this is the same mix that DTS used because I don't have that disc. Regardless, there's a lot of sublte details in the rears I never noticed in the mix before. It stays true to the stereo mix, never too aggressive. Personally, I'm a fan of aggressive quad mixes, but still I wasn't dissapointed. It's bigger and fuller without distracting...with one exception.

3) can someone tell me what is going on with the 5.1 version of "De Doo Doo Doo, etc."? Clearly this is a remake, as a quick flip over to the stereo version will show, but it's not listed as such anywhere. I don't like it at all. It sounds like "Graceland" era Paul Simon, not that I don't like Paul Simon, it just doesn't work for me in this context.

4) One other comment about the 5.1 mix. The last two tracks that were "unfolded" are nothing to write home about. Not terrible, like a Silverline thing, but after hearing 12 tracks of true 5.1 mixing, I had to ask "why bother" about using the unfolded tracks. (Plus I think the "Classic Radio Remix" of Message just sounds like listening to music on my PC speakers, all highs and lows, no mids. This track is kind of pointless to me anyway, in "converted" 5.1 even more so.)

5) Lastly, "Don't Stand So Close '86" has aged REALLY poorly! :)



 
My guess is that the "unfolded" bonus tracks are an experiment by the record label to see how consumers react to them. Perhaps this is a "testing the waters" for future projects? I bet they want to take a shortcut to producing the multi-channel mixes without having to go back to the original multi-track masters. This is pure conjecture, but if this is the case, I hope the label hears loudly and clearly that there is no magic pill to creating multi-channel mixes. Remixing the multi-track masters is the ONLY way to produce surround-sound product! They don't have to look any further than Silverline for a case study in what NOT to do. Maybe they are aware of this but feel their "magic pill" is better. All I can say is we don't need a Silverline equivalent for SACD, even if they do manage to do a better job at faking it.

 
Speaking of faking it, I suggested to Peter Howard at ICE that there's a story with the Silverline DVD-A that goes way beyond their usual Watch Dog complaint column.

Suggested they take a closer look at the emerging formats as the labels ponder hybrid discs....


 
I would agree. I was underwhelmed by the "unfolded" tracks.

Some Multichannel SACDs will simply include added tracks on the Stereo layers when the multitrack master tapes aren't available.

That might be preferable way to go vs. the unfolding techniques.


 
I was suprized to see Bob Ludwig's name listed as the one responsible for the unfolded tracks. He seems like kind of a purist sort, from what interviews I've read anyway.

Cai, you're probably right about that. So if anyone from UMG is reading this, the unfolded tracks are NOT what this consumer wants!!!! (Also, if they'd released the entire catalog as hybrids, I probably would have sprung for the entire collection to finally replace my baddly worn LPs. HINT HINT UMG, SACD supports hybrid discs! So do I!!!)

:)


 
Actually the Police Catalog is available on Hybrid SACDs. Unfortunately they are only available that way in Europe and Japan - with the exception of "The Hits".


 
I picked up a copy of the Synchronicity SACD yesterday at my local tower records here in California for only $13 on sale. There was a sticker on the CD saying it was a hybrid disk, but closer examination of the case revealed this to be untrue, as did trying to play it in my car CD player on the way home. The price was good enough that I decided to keep it anyway. Something to watch out for though.
 
I just picked up the SACD of "Every Breath" and did a quick AB comparison with the DTS version. I have to say I still like my DTS version better. Both are crystal clear and nice to listen to but the DTS version just seems to have more punch and "presence". Even my wife, who couldn't care less, sat up and noticed the difference. $11.99 wasn't a bad price though, at Best Buy, so I thought "what the hell". And the "unwrap" versions are no better than a Silverline disc to my ears.
 
The 5.1 mix on both the 5.1 DTS Music Disc and the Multichannel SACD track appear to be the same. So it is an interesting comparison.

On my system, the Multichannel SACD sounds significantly better than the DTS disc. I'm using a Philips SACD-1000 Multichannel SACD player that has been well broken in.

So I suspect the system and player will have a lot to do with how the disc sounds.

>>I just picked up the SACD of "Every Breath" and did a quick AB comparison with the DTS version. I have to say I still like my DTS version better. Both are crystal clear and nice to listen to but the DTS version just seems to have more punch and "presence". Even my wife, who couldn't care less, sat up and noticed the difference. $11.99 wasn't a bad price though, at Best Buy, so I thought "what the hell". And the "unwrap" versions are no better than a Silverline disc to my ears.
 
The Other police discs were in the SACD jewel cases.
The multi track Hybrid of EBYT was $19 CDN and the SACD stereo only discs were $21. EBYT was in with the reg CD's as it's the only release of that one.
I can't imagine a DTS sounding better than the SACD. I find all my DTS discs a little weak compared to SACD or DVD-Audio.
 
I can't compare the SACD with the DTS, as I am still waiting for SONY to release the damn megachanger so I can hear SACDs in my home theater room, but on my PC system, they sound pretty much the same.

Still, I agree. $11.99 at BB for a SS disc of any type is GREAT!
 
I think I have finally figured out my problem with SACD. My receiver is set with EQ for all inputs except the 6 inputs for SACD M/C. These are flat and there is no way to compensate for my speakers. Therefore, when I play my DVD-A discs using the DD 5.1 or DTS tracks, they get the extra comensation from the eq. When I play my SACD's... no EQ so they sound almost lifeless. Time for some new speakers I guess (man... my wife is going to kill me!!!)
 
I just got all the Police SACD's yesterday. My favorite Police album has always been Ghost In The Machine. I have the original A&M vinyl release and the Nautilus Superdisc vinyl release. Both of them are quite exceptional. This is probably the only instance where the Nautilus vinyl offered little improvement over the original. Anyway, I am intimately familiar with this album and was anxious to see how the new SACD fared vs. the vinyl.

My initial impression was that the SACD sounded very good, but not quit as "lush" as the vinyl. Upon extended listening, I started to realize that the SACD was much more revealing. The individual instruments really stood out. This was especially noticeable on the track "Too Much Information". The mix has always seemed a bit claustrophobic for me, allowing for the instrumentation to kind of muddy together. There are some complex dynamics going on there that I was never able to make sense of. But on the SACD, it all became so clear! It was quite a revelation, actually. It's a tired old cliche' to say this, but it's true: I was hearing things on that record that I had never heard before.

With Ghost In The Machine, at least, they've done a spectacular job with the Police reissues. I am very happy to see these available on SACD and hope to see more reissues of this caliber appear.

 
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