QSound...

[J. PUPSTER]

The Roger Waters ATD bluray includes the original stereo mix with the original q-sound baked in at 24/96. The CD version as originally released is bright and thin compared to that. I can only speculate about things since I don't have the master tape in front of me. The CD sounds like a hyped bright alteration on the stereo version from the bluray and not the other way around. And I hear what sounds like intentional ambisonic effect from the bluray version that I don't hear from the CD version. (I am aware of the new sound samples from the 2001 soundtrack pasted into the stereo mix. It's the original mix with just those bits mixed into those spots.) It seems like whatever bright eq someone did for the CD broke the q-sound phase tricks baked in.

Anyway, the Q-sound system was monitored when they mixed and it was supposed to translate to a sort of ambisonic folddown of what would have been actual surround. Always with two speakers though even in the original mix studio. "Phantom" surround if you will.

Since the aim was a surround effect, can it be translated to a discrete format and preserve the intended "surround content"?

boy am I confused then...

 

[jimfisheye]

In short, Q-sound is a "phantom" ambisonic-like surround format. Stereo only. You sit in the sweet spot and get phantom surround effect from the phase manipulation the system does. This allows you to mix as though you were mixing into a surround array in the studio but the end result comes out the stereo speakers.

Limitations and what kind of moves you can get away with and all aside. Has anyone tinkered with this and found a way to translate it to a discrete multichannel format? Fair question, right?

And with the goal of translating the baked in "surround" elements as they were intended to sound as opposed to just getting random separation.

 

[sjcorne]

Since the aim was a surround effect, can it be translated to a discrete format and preserve the intended "surround content"?

I always thought the intention was to create a soundstage wider than the two speakers, but not necessarily extending behind the listener. There's a track on the Roger Waters album where a barking dog comes from way off to one side. Any surround effect from a matrix decode would probably be coincidental rather than intentional, though that Madonna CD really opened up through my Fosgate 101A decoder.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I'm confused though, because, I've been talking only about the Rick Wright CD, and now it's been shifted to a Roger Water's BD soooo??? >>>

 

[sjcorne]

I'm confused though, because, I've been talking only about the Rick Wright CD, and now it's been shifted to a Roger Water's BD soooo??? >>>

Like the Rick Wright title, the original 1992 CD of Roger Waters' Amused To Death used QSound. When Amused To Death was remixed to 5.1 by James Guthrie in 2014 and issued on Blu-Ray and SACD, they also included a high-resolution transfer of the original QSound stereo mix.

 

[jimfisheye]

I always thought the intention was to create a soundstage wider than the two speakers, but not necessarily extending behind the listener. There's a track on the Roger Waters album where a barking dog comes from way off to one side. Any surround effect from a matrix decode would probably be coincidental rather than intentional...

Sure. If it doesn't 'matter of fact' translate, that's fair enough and is what it is. Got to ask though, right? If it DID use similar matrix phase tricks to one of the matrix formats, that might lead to a trail of bread crumbs to follow to some kind of discrete translation though?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

sorry all, I missed that reference to Waters in Jim's post... carry on

 

[jimfisheye]

I'm confused though, because, I've been talking only about the Rick Wright CD, and now it's been shifted to a Roger Water's BD soooo??? >>>

That was the only example I had where I can talk about hearing Q-sound effect in a stereo recording and where the earlier CD version doesn't get that effect across.

I'm interested in Q-sound as the main point. And I'd be interested to hear Rick Wright "decoded" if this led to such a thing! I'm good with the actual surround remix of ATD on the Roger Waters bluray. (Actually I wasn't and I remastered it from what sounded like more a 4.1 folddown "back to" 5.1. Because I'm always so caught up on my own mix and mastering work I need more to do... But that's another story!)

 

[van1]

The Roger Waters ATD bluray includes the original stereo mix with the original q-sound baked in at 24/96...(I am aware of the new sound samples from the 2001 soundtrack pasted into the stereo mix. It's the original mix with just those bits mixed into those spots.) It seems like whatever bright eq someone did for the CD broke the q-sound phase tricks baked in.

I thought the blu ray was the new stereo and 5.1 mixes only (no original stereo mix). There are more changes than the 2001 intro

https://www.hiresedition.com/review/progressive-rock/amused-to-death.html

 

[chucky3042]

Just got this Rick Wright CD in that is QSound, so gonna try it through the Surround Master v2 in QS (Involve) mode just for giggles...

View attachment 76593

Involve loves Q Sound

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I thought the blu ray was the new stereo and 5.1 mixes only (no original stereo mix). There are more changes than the 2001 intro

That's what I thought as well. But @sjcorne is seldom wrong on this stuff. And if he says the original is included as well, I m going to have to look for it. Maybe I just never ripped it? I remember this because I was with my son one day and I was looking to show him the difference with the new Space Odyssey effects.

 

[gvl_guy]

The Madonna Q Sound CD sounds good through my Sansui QS decoder in my 9001. I can't say it sounds any better than any other stereo album played in fake quad. If I had some of her material in non Q Sound, I'd try A-B comparisons, but I don't.

 

[SyrinxTemple]

I believe Talk by Yes used Q Sound, also.

 

[LennonCobain]

IIRC Madonna’s Immaculate Collection CD does not feature QSound mixes of the 2 new songs (Justify My Love and Rescue Me), but I think some of CD singles do have the QSound mix.

 

[artwwweb]

IIRC Madonna’s Immaculate Collection CD does not feature QSound mixes of the 2 new songs (Justify My Love and Rescue Me), but I think some of CD singles do have the QSound mix.

Justify My Love US CD single: JML is in Q Sound on the CD single. Liner notes also say that Express Yourself is in Q sound, but I think that might be a mistake. The CD single contains an extended remix of Express Yourself which I doubt they bothered to do in Q Sound. I do have this CD single and from memory Express Yourself didn't sound much different in PLII, unlike the Immaculate Collection tracks. (It's still a fun remix, though - nearly 10 mins long.)

Rescue Me US CD single: I don't think Rescue Me is a Q Sound Mix - nothing is mentioned. I don't have this, though.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Putting the finishing touches of an up-mix on the 1997 QSound encoded Fish CD Sunsets On Empire

Best known as the lead singer for early Marillion. But I'm not a huge Marillion fan; it's just that surprising to me, Steven Wilson played a big part on this album with various credits-

Overall it decoded great in Penteo into 4.1 and subsequent various vocal stems extracted via RX-8 for an up-mix; but the CD mastering also suffers some clipping on the harder Rock songs, so I've still got a ton of clean up to do and try to mitigate some off sounding high end noise

Been enjoying the music very much (and this opens it up with lots of crunchy distorted rock guitars in the rears etc.) and would also love to see someone like SW do a proper surround release of this (probably dreaming though!) ☁

So if you like his music, I'd highly recommend you guys try out up-mixes via Surround Master, DSU etc. etc.!!!

 

[sjcorne]

...would also love to see someone like SW do a proper surround release of this (probably dreaming though!) ☁

I wouldn't say it's completely out of the question, as Fish has just begun to roll out his solo material in surround (It was recently announced that 1990's Vigil In A Wilderness Of Mirrors, 1991's Internal Exile, and 2007's 13th Star will soon receive deluxe reissues with 5.1 & Atmos). Andy Bradfield & Avril Mackintosh seem to be Fish's go-to team for the surround mixes, but SW would probably be better-suited to remix Sunsets given that he was the original producer. I'd assume that Fish signed off on Wilson's 5.1 remix of Marillion's Misplaced Childhood?