The Alan Parsons Symphonic Project Live In Colombia Blu Ray 5.1 DTS HD MA coming June

[rtbluray]

i doubt this. it's looks more like Woolfson trust just had secured a deal with UM in regard of licensing, similar to ones,
practiced by boutique labels and after that Universal has nothing to do with final product, distribution, marketing and pricing.

Wrong, look at these statements from Alan Parsons' personal Facebook page and the APP Facebook page too:

It's a great thrill to tell you that this summer, Universal will be releasing the album in a 40th anniversary multi-disc box set including a 4-sided vinyl set at 45rpm (amazing quality), 3 CDs - one of which is all-new bonus material and a 5.1 surround mix on Blu-ray .

We have listened to the comments of a number of fans on the issue of a standalone BluRay and are in discussion with our label Universal to find out if and when this is possible. We'll keep you posted.

We believe Universal do plan to eventually release the 5.1 surround sound Bluray as a stand-alone product.

We are delighted to announce that Universal Music will be releasing a very special anniversary package to commemorate Tales of Mystery and Imagination’s 40th year (the very first APP album where it all began).

So Universal still own the recording rights to this album and they are in charge of the reissue coming out later this year.

 

[fredblue]

It's a really nice, discrete surround mix with the crowd well in the background (mostly of the front speakers) so they are not given any prominence in the mix. I would describe it as a "middle of the music" mix rather than a "middle of the band" mix as the instrumental placement varies a bit from song to song - drums are fixed in the front channels (mostly centre) and a lot of the keyboards are across the rears for most of the time but the general aim seems to be spread everything around you to give the best feeling for the individual songs. Highly recommended for the audio side.

Thanks for the info!

Does it mention anywhere who mixed it for 5.1?

 

[rtbluray]

Thanks for the info!

Does it mention anywhere who mixed it for 5.1?

AP has said on his Facebook page that he mixed the concert in surround himself at his studio in Santa Barbara.

 

[fredblue]

Wrong, look at these statements from Alan Parsons' personal Facebook page and the APP Facebook page too:









So Universal still own the recording rights to this album and they are in charge of the reissue coming out later this year.

ain't that the Universal truth..

have they sold out of the silver jewellery and other b@ll@cks over at the crowdfunding thing yet?

..it amazes me they can knock out sh!te like that and not do a standalone blu-ray Audio..
Ryan, I think your hope will spring eternal on Tales OM.. getting a BD-A release!
I'm hopeful, you're hopeful, let's all be full of hope! :upthumb

 

[fredblue]

AP has said on his Facebook page that he mixed the concert in surround himself at his studio in Santa Barbara.

Ah! Fantastico! That'll be why its proper surround-y and all that..!

Thanks RT, you're a scholar and a gentleman

 

[0tto]

Wrong, look at these statements from Alan Parsons' personal Facebook page and the APP Facebook page too:









So Universal still own the recording rights to this album and they are in charge of the reissue coming out later this year.

that's not credible. it's just words of one private person.
i don't argue publishing and copyright ownership but:
have you seen any announcement from Universal?
have you ever seen major recording corporation pledges for upcoming release and uses for this third part web resource?
for me this all looks more than weird.

 

[rtbluray]

that's not credible. it's just words of one private person.
i don't argue publishing and copyright ownership but:
have you seen any announcement from Universal?
have you ever seen major recording corporation pledges for upcoming release and uses for this third part web resource?
for me this all looks more than weird.

Ok, you can believe whatever you want.
I've explained things very clearly in this thread and in the other APP "Tales" thread, so if you don't think I'm right, then fine, so be it.
The box set is not being released until December, and record labels usually do not have some kind of formal press release, preorder, and packshot information until about 1-2 months before the release date, so it doesn't surprise me at all that Universal have not said much at all about this release yet.
They're too busy promoting all the other releases that they have coming out in the meantime.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Back on track with how this release sounds...

I played it through once. If this were a poll, I would delay my vote to hear it again, but only to decide if it were only an 8 or something more like a 9.

As has been noted, the video color appears washed out, but it isn't terrible. The mixing credit given on the packaging lists AP and PJ Olsson. This is not a typical "band in front, ambience and audience in rears" presentation. The band itself seems anchored across the front three channels with some keyboard parts projecting to the side sound fields (RF/RR and LF/LR) . To my ears, the orchestra is projected in an inverted U shape. The chorus parts are also across the front soundstage. Its discreet, but it doesn't offer pinpoint surround imaging the way a good studio mix can. Nothing is gimmicky. Lots of ambience. The fidelity is good, but not extraordinarily so. It is, after all, a live recording. The performance is mostly good. Alan Parsons is not a vocalist nor is he a virtuoso musician. He plays a little guitar and some keyboards, on what mostly seems like the easier parts (not that I would actually know). His true instrument has always been the recording studio. When Parsons sings, he does OK. Better than what I've heard from Roger Waters, Ian Anderson, and Steve Miller during recent performances Ive seen. When the band members sing, they do a better job. Olsson in particular is very good. The orchestra and chorus enhance these performances more than I expected them to. Having a performance of the entire second side of "Turn of a Friendly Card" is definitely a bonus for me.

All in all, Clint summed this up perfectly. For the price... its a no brainer. And even if it were to cost more, it would still be a recommended buy.

 

[stormchaser]

If you have any interest in Alan Parsons Project stuff, buy this, especially for the price, without reservations. Having said that...

I found watching this to be a very weird, although enjoyable, experience. The video limitations are noted above. A bit washed out, etc. I think that had to do with the venue perhaps as much as anything else. This certainly isn't Royal Albert Hall. But for me, the audio was the odd part. I really had to crank this up to get it to appropriate levels on the 5.1 mix. Once there, it was fine, and there is a lot going on in the surrounds. There are keyboards and occasionally drums that get mixed there beyond general ambience. But what I found most interesting is that this sounded the least like any live concert film that I've ever seen. In other words, the sounds of the audience are muted at best and this really sounds more like a "live" studio performance than a concert. In fact, watching the video and hearing a relatively audience-free audio was pretty weird. The advantage of that though is that you really get a sense of how Alan Parsons MIGHT mix these tunes if he ever got a chance with the original master tracks. It is a bit odd watching Parsons literally loom over everything on stage.

So, in summary, buy this. But be prepared for this to not be your usual concert mix. Indeed, I can see myself playing this more for the audio only and just keeping the video off. I would be curious to hear how other folks reacted to the relatively low volume levels here.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

If you have any interest in Alan Parsons Project stuff, buy this, especially for the price, without reservations. Having said that...

I found watching this to be a very weird, although enjoyable, experience. The video limitations are noted above. A bit washed out, etc. I think that had to do with the venue perhaps as much as anything else. This certainly isn't Royal Albert Hall. But for me, the audio was the odd part. I really had to crank this up to get it to appropriate levels on the 5.1 mix. Once there, it was fine, and there is a lot going on in the surrounds. There are keyboards and occasionally drums that get mixed there beyond general ambience. But what I found most interesting is that this sounded the least like any live concert film that I've ever seen. In other words, the sounds of the audience are muted at best and this really sounds more like a "live" studio performance than a concert. In fact, watching the video and hearing a relatively audience-free audio was pretty weird. The advantage of that though is that you really get a sense of how Alan Parsons MIGHT mix these tunes if he ever got a chance with the original master tracks. It is a bit odd watching Parsons literally loom over everything on stage.

So, in summary, buy this. But be prepared for this to not be your usual concert mix. Indeed, I can see myself playing this more for the audio only and just keeping the video off. I would be curious to hear how other folks reacted to the relatively low volume levels here.

After more listening, I agree with all of the above. The "Looming Parsons" reference is hilarious The man can "loom" , and that's a fact. But he probably feels he has to. Its kinda like hes fronting a tribute band of The Alan Parsons Project. I'm not sure, but I doubt any of the stage performers had been associated with the original recordings.

Yes. You need to crank this up loud.

What I'm finding is how much I enjoy the integration of the orchestra and the chorus in many of these songs. The orchestra can add such power. It makes me wonder what the DR numbers for this will look like. I agree with Stormchaser. I'm gonna need to turn off the video and just listen to this. The mix is very different from pretty much every live recording I can remember. This is the best under $10 audio purchase for me in a long, long time.

 

[kap'n krunch]

I must say Alan looks (and sounds ) GREAT for his age.

The only personal drawback is Eric's absence (Not sure if he had been up to performing at his age, were he alive)...his velvety smooth voice is irreplaceable.
I'm sure that it's a great disc, but I prefer to listen to the originals, my brain is wayyy too picky...

Thanks for the heads up , anyway...

 

[keenly]

This disc is very quiet, very discrete. The drum sound is poor, very weak and in background for most part, not a great snare sound. The lead guitar is also too low in the mix with not enough treble. I like everything else.

 

[4-earredwonder]

I just experienced the Alan Parsons SYMPHONIC Project Live in Colombia tonight and if you have any LOVE for the man and his music this is really an astounding video and audio extravanganza.

It MUST be played louder than normal (I had it pegged at 84 on my Meridian pre/pro) but I was astonished at the symbiotic rapport between ALL the members of the AP Project and the beautifully orchestrated Philharmonic Orchestra of Medellin conducted by Alejandro Posada.

The audio is quite discrete and and as Alan alludes to his band "played and sang amazingly" and the integration with the Orchestra de Medellin was enthralling....a well oiled machine of the highest magnitude.

I paid under $10 for this exceptional BD~V. After seeing it, I would've paid a LOT more. BUY IT if you like AP. It's a true TREASURE!

 

[LuvMyQuad]

It MUST be played louder than normal (I had it pegged at 84 on my Meridian pre/pro)

What I wonder about is if this is a result of no applied compression or if the recording was just cut lower in volume than the norm. Maybe both? I certainly couldn't hear any sign of compression, but I am not nearly as sensitive to it as others on this board.

 

[boxhead]

Well I bought this recently after a number of recommendations on another thread (The Secret Thread?) Agree on the washed out colours, and to me it looks like one camera in particular is very noisy grain wise. Also agree with most of the comments on the sound, but mostly with keenly's on the poor drum sound. From what I could see there were only 4 mics on the drums - 1 for snare, 1 for hi-hat and 2 overheads for everything else. And it's almost like the snare and hi-hat mics aren't working at all. Overall result is very thin, with a boxy echoey snare sound. Compare the drum sound to that on the Eye in the Sky bluray to see what they should sound like.

Alan Parsons (love the man) looms alright, and he could end up looking like Jabba the Hutt if he doesn't watch out.

Maybe Steven Wilson has spoiled us by showing what is possible sound and picture wise in a concert with Home Invasion?