Surround Listening Events: A great new business opportunity for all of us.

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gene_stl

1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
QQ Supporter
Joined
Nov 3, 2019
Messages
1,351
Location
St.Louis
https://envelop.us/event/ESF2023022...qTaQ-IvU1LGWW8cqRJFVkRfp1hCHFwWaavSFPjayuYVBU
They are charging $25 plus taxes for a one or two hour listen to a multichannel David Crosby album that has been super duper upmixed. Kind of reminds me of the boutique movie theaters that used to be around but don't seem to be anymore(even before the pandemic) because the cash flow density was probably not feasible. All that said if I lived in the Bay Area I might give it a try one time.

I have had this idea, as sort of thought experiment, but never had any notion that it could make money. The upmixing part didn't occur to me.

A member of the local audio club took his quad amplified Linkwitz LX 521 to a local wine bar. I went to hear them but it actually was terrible. I brought a really great Pepe Romero classical guitar album and the bar tender told him to put something else on. What a moron.
 
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https://envelop.us/event/ESF2023022...qTaQ-IvU1LGWW8cqRJFVkRfp1hCHFwWaavSFPjayuYVBU
They are charging $25 plus taxes for a one or two hour listen to a multichannel David Crosby album that has been super duper upmixed. Kind of reminds me of the boutique movie theaters that used to be around but don't seem to be anymore(even before the pandemic) because the cash flow density was probably not feasible. All that said if I lived in the Bay Area I might give it a try one time.

I have had this idea, as sort of thought experiment, but never had any notion that it could make money. The upmixing part didn't occur to me.

A member of the local audio club took his quad amplified Linkwitz LX 521 to a local wine bar. I went to hear them but it actually was terrible. I brought a really great Pepe Romero classical guitar album and the bar tender told him to put something else on. What a moron.
I was reading somewhere recently about how this kind of thing--"listening salons" (although not surround salons, specifically)--has been happening in Japan for a while now.
 
https://envelop.us/event/ESF2023022...qTaQ-IvU1LGWW8cqRJFVkRfp1hCHFwWaavSFPjayuYVBU
They are charging $25 plus taxes for a one or two hour listen to a multichannel David Crosby album that has been super duper upmixed. Kind of reminds me of the boutique movie theaters that used to be around but don't seem to be anymore(even before the pandemic) because the cash flow density was probably not feasible. All that said if I lived in the Bay Area I might give it a try one time.

I have had this idea, as sort of thought experiment, but never had any notion that it could make money. The upmixing part didn't occur to me.

A member of the local audio club took his quad amplified Linkwitz LX 521 to a local wine bar. I went to hear them but it actually was terrible. I brought a really great Pepe Romero classical guitar album and the bar tender told him to put something else on. What a moron.
Not clear to me whether their software allows for genuine multi-channel mixing or if it's more of a souped-up ambisonic upmix-y kind of thing. Wondering if someone with some bona fide technical know-how could check it out and weigh in?
https://envelop.us/page/software
 
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These events are nearby, and sound like an interesting idea. They must be doing something right, because they were ongoing before 2020. It’s a great way to promote surround music. Sort of like going to the movies without a bunch of annoying images.

Not everyone has the money, time, space or desire to setup music equipment of any type. Obviously people must enjoy these events, or they couldn’t keep doing them. I’ve always believed that with the right music and right audience, surround music is great entertainment.
 
I'd love to get a firsthand report from one of the QQ faithful, though. They seem to be using their own upmixing technology to power their 32-speaker setup; sometimes they start from a stereo source, sometimes 4.0, sometimes 5.1. Doesn't sound like they've done anything in Atmos or Auro-3D yet.
 
It could make for an interesting “Life in Surround” video. That’s something everyone would like to see for sure.

I’m surprised the folks doing these events are not using the QQ platform to promote the shows.
 
Just thought of this - if movie theaters need some additional "thing" to get people into the theaters, just use the movie theater surround sound system and stream surround sound - say a 70s hour or 2, and 80s hour or 2 (similar to what our local FM station [KCMO FM] does) on slow nights, maybe in the middle of the week (charge a lower price than movies to get into the theater).

The movie screen could have color patterns sychronized to the music.


Kirk Bayne
 
My gut reaction is:
If they comp me a ticket, I might check it out.
If I lived in SF I might be more inclined. Driving there, then back home (just under an hour), on a Monday, to listen to an album I already have. Not feelin' it.
I can upmix my 5.1 DVD-A to 7.2.4 through Auro-3D.
I suppose if I didn't have an immersive system, it would be more of a draw.

Now, covering it for Life in Surround? I might be mistaken, but I don't think my coverage of Van Gogh Immersive Experience (also in SF) has received an encouraging response.
So, I'm skeptical of interest, beyond a faithful few.
 
My gut reaction is:
If they comp me a ticket, I might check it out.
If I lived in SF I might be more inclined. Driving there, then back home (just under an hour), on a Monday, to listen to an album I already have. Not feelin' it.
I can upmix my 5.1 DVD-A to 7.2.4 through Auro-3D.
I suppose if I didn't have an immersive system, it would be more of a draw.

Now, covering it for Life in Surround? I might be mistaken, but I don't think my coverage of Van Gogh Immersive Experience (also in SF) has received an encouraging response.
So, I'm skeptical of interest, beyond a faithful few.
Yeah, it would be a long schlepp, for sure. (And they should definitely comp you if you decided to check them out.) Looks like they have a couple dozen things in their rotation, though, maybe including something you don't have in your own collection. Some of them start with 5.1 sources, others with stereo. I'd just be curious about the setup, the scene, and the sound. And it would be interesting to hear about the background & "mission" of the people involved, not to mention the mechanics of their software.
 
Yeah, it would be a long schlepp, for sure. (And they should definitely comp you if you decided to check them out.) Looks like they have a couple dozen things in their rotation, though, maybe including something you don't have in your own collection. Some of them start with 5.1 sources, others with stereo. I'd just be curious about the setup, the scene, and the sound. And it would be interesting to hear about the background & "mission" of the people involved, not to mention the mechanics of their software.
I can put it on my very long list of things to do, to ask them if they have any press passes available.
If someone else hits them up, and they have press passes, I'll take one for the team and go check it out.
 
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Just thought of this - if movie theaters need some additional "thing" to get people into the theaters, just use the movie theater surround sound system and stream surround sound - say a 70s hour or 2, and 80s hour or 2 (similar to what our local FM station [KCMO FM] does) on slow nights, maybe in the middle of the week (charge a lower price than movies to get into the theater).

The movie screen could have color patterns sychronized to the music.


Kirk Bayne

That’s a great idea. And not so far-fetched. In the late 70s, on the weekends for years, at one of San Francisco’s planetarium’s, there was a Quadraphonic show with psychedelic lazar lights blasted onto the dome screen on Friday’s and Saturday’s called “ Lazarium.” If I’m remembering everything right.

The shows were quite popular. I think people came to see the lazar light show, but the Quad music was an important factor as well to folks who came out to see it. Remember, at least out here in the Bay Area, if you asked anyone young or old what Quadraphonic was, people may not know, but they would tell you they heard about it. That’s because of all the advertising on radio, television and print media for stereo and Quad gear. From inexpensive 8 Tracks to expensive Amps and such. Anyone could afford Quadraphonic, even if it was just a Q8 player for the car.

It was advertised in the weekly Sunday San Francisco Chronicle’s entertainment section called “The Pink Section,” because for decades it was printed on actual pink newspaper. I bought the Sunday newspaper on Friday’s to get an edge on what new concerts or new movies were coming out the following week. The final edition of the paper was on Sunday morning. Heavy suckers, I once was a paper boy. You may ask, why would a Sunday newspaper come out on Friday? Because many people were working during the week, and only had time to relax and read on the weekends.

I finally made the trip over there with a girlfriend, to trip out on a Quadraphonic lazar show of “Dark Side of the Moon.” I think it was at the Morrison Planetarium in S.F. QQ member atrocity should remember the shows maybe. When I went, it was the late spring of 1979. If I remember right, they played some other Quad rock music when you were there, as part of the show. The shows were killer to say the least. But, as I said, it played there for years in the last 70s, so they might have alternated with a different Quad title for a time as the main attraction, to keep people coming. But it was mainly a Pink Floyd experience, with other Quad music to complete the show.

Since Quad stuff was so commonplace, I didn’t pay too much attention for what gear they used, but I’m fairly certain I saw a QRX type Amp. Maybe a QRX-5500 or 7500 model. Anyways, I had a lot of fun back then.
 
Anyway, back to the present. Yes, times are different now. I don’t make it as often as I would like to The City. But at least someone there is doing some shows for folks who normally don’t get to hear surround as easily as we all can. I suppose the angle of a shot documentary would be about the people who are attending the shows and how they feel about the music. Of course there’s a lot of speakers there. Might be interesting to hear what it sounds like there. But, yes parking in S.F. isn’t the same as in the past. Public transportation and or an Uber ride would have to be a part of the equation if I go.
 
Back in the dim reaches of my younger days, one of my co-workers at Altec had some sort of a quad concert at a night club on Orange County, California. I have absolutely no idea what club or even what town, but I brought my SQ collection at his request - maybe four LPs at the time.

I never was exposed to the financials of the event, but I never heard of another try.

I did see a couple of Laserium shows, probably at the historic Griffith Planetarium. Cool beyond groovy!
 
I finally made the trip over there with a girlfriend, to trip out on a Quadraphonic lazar show of “Dark Side of the Moon.” I think it was at the Morrison Planetarium in S.F. QQ member atrocity should remember the shows maybe.
I went to one at a since-demolished nice movie theater in Sacramento. Unfortunately, all I remember is the location, Pink Floyd and the laser operator (or whatever they're called) sitting in front doing his thing. I can't even remember if it was supposed to be quadraphonic or not, so I assume it either wasn't or didn't get plugged as such. The theater was equipped for 4-track magnetic stereo, but may not have had stereo surrounds. It eventually got 70mm projection with split surround, but I don't think that was the case at the time.

I can't even remember if we got more than just DSotM!

It was the same place where I saw Yessongs for the first time and I don't remember the crackly surround I heard years later at a different theater, so maybe they really were set up for quad?

I've probably said this before, but if I could time travel I'd selfishly ignore Hitler and Stalin and instead check out the beloved movie theaters of my childhood now that I understand the technology much better.
 
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