Me too! I just bought it...lol
HiRez Poll Amin Bhatia - THE INTERSTELLAR SUITE [Blu-Ray Audio]
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Me too! I just bought it...lol
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You should be VERY happy with your purchase, Pupsta! I gave it a 10. Like Jon said, even though it's lossy DTS you'd NEVER know it from the magnificent sound coming out of your speakers. Enjoy. Mr. BIG
SHOT SM v.2 OWNER!
Sorry, rugene, didn’t realize you were in Canada, I assume too much.
The56Kid
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Finally just got around to buying this and......
Wow! Just......wow!
Where to start.... This is 80's electronic music. Layers and layers of synths. But unlike a lot of electronic music, this is not minimalist background music. This is a full-fledged symphonic composition and it demands your full attention. And a wonderful piece of music it is. Above comments have mentioned a Keith Emerson influence and I hear that loud and clear as well. (And that's a great thing!) The closest thing I can compare it to are some of the instrumental passages of the 1986 Emerson, Lake & Powell album. The synths here feel a lot like the ones Emerson was using around that time. (The instrumental break on "Learning to Fly" from the ELPo album comes to mind.)
As for the mix, it doesn't hold back. Lots of sound effects swirl around you. The music has a very sci-fi feel to it, and the mix takes full advantage of that. There are a few places where the rears feel a bit subdued, but then.... Wham! Something will come in and surprise you. There are moments here that will have you quite literally jumping out of your seat.
If you're a fan of symphonic rock, prog, sci-fi, electronic music, ELP..... You need to own this. Yeah, it's a little pricey, but once you've given it a spin, you won't be disappointed. (And if you're reluctant to buy something that you've never heard before, you can always preview the music on YouTube.)
My only gripe here is that the discs are not factory pressed, this is on recordable media. I understand that manufacturing costs are an issue, but I really don't like paying top dollar for CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, etc. (Something that has also kept me from buying much from Springsteen's archive series, which I would otherwise probably be spending a lot of money on.)
Want to give another listen before I vote, but I can't see it being less than a 9. Most likely a 10.
Buy with confidence.
Wow! Just......wow!
Where to start.... This is 80's electronic music. Layers and layers of synths. But unlike a lot of electronic music, this is not minimalist background music. This is a full-fledged symphonic composition and it demands your full attention. And a wonderful piece of music it is. Above comments have mentioned a Keith Emerson influence and I hear that loud and clear as well. (And that's a great thing!) The closest thing I can compare it to are some of the instrumental passages of the 1986 Emerson, Lake & Powell album. The synths here feel a lot like the ones Emerson was using around that time. (The instrumental break on "Learning to Fly" from the ELPo album comes to mind.)
As for the mix, it doesn't hold back. Lots of sound effects swirl around you. The music has a very sci-fi feel to it, and the mix takes full advantage of that. There are a few places where the rears feel a bit subdued, but then.... Wham! Something will come in and surprise you. There are moments here that will have you quite literally jumping out of your seat.
If you're a fan of symphonic rock, prog, sci-fi, electronic music, ELP..... You need to own this. Yeah, it's a little pricey, but once you've given it a spin, you won't be disappointed. (And if you're reluctant to buy something that you've never heard before, you can always preview the music on YouTube.)
My only gripe here is that the discs are not factory pressed, this is on recordable media. I understand that manufacturing costs are an issue, but I really don't like paying top dollar for CD-Rs, DVD-Rs, etc. (Something that has also kept me from buying much from Springsteen's archive series, which I would otherwise probably be spending a lot of money on.)
Want to give another listen before I vote, but I can't see it being less than a 9. Most likely a 10.
Buy with confidence.
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Giving this a "proper" loud listen today while Mrs. Pupster is out!
And WOW indeed; a total mind blower. I'm really enjoying not only the music; but the artistic screen shots also. (lets my imagination run wild!)
Don't think I can add much more that hasn't already been mentioned here; except I really hope @aminbhatia, that you're able to produce some more music for us. I'm really loving it and wish all surround releases were this great- heck we wouldn't have anything to bitch about if that was the case!
This is a must have title for any surround sound enthusiast as far as I'm concerned.
May the dogs howl!
And WOW indeed; a total mind blower. I'm really enjoying not only the music; but the artistic screen shots also. (lets my imagination run wild!)
Don't think I can add much more that hasn't already been mentioned here; except I really hope @aminbhatia, that you're able to produce some more music for us. I'm really loving it and wish all surround releases were this great- heck we wouldn't have anything to bitch about if that was the case!
This is a must have title for any surround sound enthusiast as far as I'm concerned.
May the dogs howl!
van1
Senior Member
I don’t think this is available to buy anymore. Looks like i snoozed and lost 
Fighting with lawyers at Universal as I type this. Might get a contract extension for a couple more years. Details in the next few weeks. Thanks everyone for your support and kind words.
van1
Senior Member
When I reviewed Interstellar Suite a few years back the Blu-ray wasn't yet available. Instead I received the FLAC 5.1 version, which apparently is no longer available either. Too bad, since this is such a fabulous mix and reissue!
Your review is actually quoted in the packaging in the final version! Thank you again for your support and enthusiasm. PM me and once we get through the legal crap I'll send you a promo copy.
Hey everyone thank you for all your wonderful comments and messages. I'm pleased to report that as of minutes ago we are live at Bandcamp! Blu-Ray/DVD copies of Interstellar Suite are now available for sale! Physical units only. Download versions still in negotiation, (sigh) Press release blurb is below. Thank you all for making this possible. Your enthusiasm was worth all the legal crap!
Amin Bhatia
Canadian William Shatner will be the oldest man in space when he boards the Blue Origin Capsule that blasts off next Tuesday October 12th. Canadian Amin Bhatia feels like the oldest man in synthesizer music now that his Interstellar Suite is finally back in circulation!
After years of license negotiations Amin's space epic “The Interstellar Suite” is finally available again at Bandcamp in both 5.1 and stereo formats in CD, DVD, and Blu Ray. In between composing music for tv shows such as Anne with an E, The Handmaids Tale, Flashpoint, Detention Adventure, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, and Iron Eagle 2, Bhatia has been fighting to unlock the rights to this as well as other releases from his earlier years.
The Interstellar Suite is a 40-minute science fiction music and sound story in the orchestral style of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith but using analog synthesizers from the time of Isao Tomita and Wendy Carlos. In this day and age of modular and vintage synthesizers and a return to pre-digital sounds The Interstellar Suite has found a new generation of fans who perform tracks of the suite in musical ensembles and drum corps competitions world wide.
Amin is very grateful to producers Frank Morrone, David Greene, James Porteous, Paul Novotny and many other professionals who made this re-release possible. Official launch date is Tuesday October 12th, but in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving you can go to Bandcamp now to get your limited release copy.
"…And if anyone knows William Shatner I’d love to get this to him” says Amin.
www.aminbhatia.com
Amin Bhatia
Canadian William Shatner will be the oldest man in space when he boards the Blue Origin Capsule that blasts off next Tuesday October 12th. Canadian Amin Bhatia feels like the oldest man in synthesizer music now that his Interstellar Suite is finally back in circulation!
After years of license negotiations Amin's space epic “The Interstellar Suite” is finally available again at Bandcamp in both 5.1 and stereo formats in CD, DVD, and Blu Ray. In between composing music for tv shows such as Anne with an E, The Handmaids Tale, Flashpoint, Detention Adventure, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, and Iron Eagle 2, Bhatia has been fighting to unlock the rights to this as well as other releases from his earlier years.
The Interstellar Suite is a 40-minute science fiction music and sound story in the orchestral style of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith but using analog synthesizers from the time of Isao Tomita and Wendy Carlos. In this day and age of modular and vintage synthesizers and a return to pre-digital sounds The Interstellar Suite has found a new generation of fans who perform tracks of the suite in musical ensembles and drum corps competitions world wide.
Amin is very grateful to producers Frank Morrone, David Greene, James Porteous, Paul Novotny and many other professionals who made this re-release possible. Official launch date is Tuesday October 12th, but in honour of Canadian Thanksgiving you can go to Bandcamp now to get your limited release copy.
"…And if anyone knows William Shatner I’d love to get this to him” says Amin.
www.aminbhatia.com
This is another album that I would never have heard of except for QQ. Thanks, fellow QQers! I fully agree with all the other positive comments.
Sound quality: Excellent (even though it is 'only' DTS rather than the usual DTS-MA).
Mix: A little bit of me wishes that there were more instruments in the rears but I think probably the creative decision that was made - to have most of the instruments up front - is correct. There are lots of sound effects all around so it's not short on surround action. And the pans are intricately done. So it's a treat for the ears.
The book and documentary on the BD are also good. Informative about the music and why it was recorded. It's amazing to think it was recorded in 1987. The pictures for each track (in the book and on the blu ray) are also very nice.
Lastly, after having had a few brief email exchanges with Amin (and reading his comments here), I'd like to add that as well as being very talented, he's also a lovely guy. Thanks Amin!
Sound quality: Excellent (even though it is 'only' DTS rather than the usual DTS-MA).
Mix: A little bit of me wishes that there were more instruments in the rears but I think probably the creative decision that was made - to have most of the instruments up front - is correct. There are lots of sound effects all around so it's not short on surround action. And the pans are intricately done. So it's a treat for the ears.
The book and documentary on the BD are also good. Informative about the music and why it was recorded. It's amazing to think it was recorded in 1987. The pictures for each track (in the book and on the blu ray) are also very nice.
Lastly, after having had a few brief email exchanges with Amin (and reading his comments here), I'd like to add that as well as being very talented, he's also a lovely guy. Thanks Amin!
Frogmort
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
Listening to this with the 5.1 DTS running through the Dolby Surrround Upmixer (DSU = Fake Atmos) with the ceiling speakers cranked up just a couple of dB more than usual on a 7.2.4 setup. I find DSU to be more subtle but much more natural than the DTS-X upmixer, which has much more separation but at the cost of having major phase problems and terrible comb filtering effects. DTS is awesome in all of its iterations, especially real DTS-X, but I don't care for their fake object-based upmixer.
I also toyed with turning my subs up a hair too, but I soon remembered that this is fully loaded on the deep bass, so put them back to normal. I have 2 18" sealed subs, and the LFE on this is so powerful and sublime! This has absolutely amazing fidelity, incredible surround mixing with lots of cool space sounds and great instrumental separation, yet still has great overall adhesion, and for the time period, it has some of the best realized FM synthesis ever. Even compared to this day and age of true real samples, this album still sounds so great!
It's like a sci-fi movie for your ears, with the best possible sound quality, very active yet intelligent surround mix, and crazy deep powerful clean bass. This album is an absolute classic, and it's been remixed/remastered better than I ever imagined it could be, and in my opinion, much better than most other "big name" artists' albums have been.
One of my favorite surround mixes in my collection, and one of my most listened to non-Atmos albums. (Since getting an object-based surround setup, I tend to gravitate to those recordings most often.)
I also toyed with turning my subs up a hair too, but I soon remembered that this is fully loaded on the deep bass, so put them back to normal. I have 2 18" sealed subs, and the LFE on this is so powerful and sublime! This has absolutely amazing fidelity, incredible surround mixing with lots of cool space sounds and great instrumental separation, yet still has great overall adhesion, and for the time period, it has some of the best realized FM synthesis ever. Even compared to this day and age of true real samples, this album still sounds so great!
It's like a sci-fi movie for your ears, with the best possible sound quality, very active yet intelligent surround mix, and crazy deep powerful clean bass. This album is an absolute classic, and it's been remixed/remastered better than I ever imagined it could be, and in my opinion, much better than most other "big name" artists' albums have been.
One of my favorite surround mixes in my collection, and one of my most listened to non-Atmos albums. (Since getting an object-based surround setup, I tend to gravitate to those recordings most often.)
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Thank you so much of the kind words in so many departments!
Yes the decision was to keep the "music" parts as a nice concert hall experience, while the "sfx" could go totally nuts (...and we did, lol)
I'm hoping to do a surround release of album 2 "Virtuality" but my day job of film and tv music is nuts right now. Happy problem I guess.
Thanks again.
Amin
Hey Frogmort, thank you so much for these kind words and the excellent technical details! This is very timely. I'm still fighting with Capitol/Universal for download rights which would allow me to create an atmos mix. (We stemmed orchestral sections and sfx at the final mix stages when archiving the 5.1 release.)
If you have a moment I'd love to know:
1-where do you buy your atmos-only albums?
2-any problems with apple spatial audio vs other types of atmos releases? Apple use their own proprietary rendering engine, typical Apple, so I've heard things have to get mastered/rendered twice.
In any case thank you again for your kind words.
Amin
It would sound brilliant in Atmos, lots going on so you could have some fun with stuff in the heights. BTW the 5.1 is one of my favourites to listen to in the car, the surround imaging works really well, the subwoofer gets a work out as well!
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Frogmort
1K Club - QQ Shooting Star
I really hope you gain the rights to do an Atmos mix, that would be awesome!
As for your questions:
1- Back in the day I used to buy a ton of stuff from my local Best Buy that was just two miles from where I lived, but that store has closed down, and apparently Best Buy will stop selling all discs altogether by the end of the year. More recently, I purchase pretty much everything from Amazon except for groceries and gas.
2- As with most everyone else on here, I prefer the quality of Atmos in a lossless 7.1 TrueHD container that you can actually own on physical disc, or rip to local storage for playback. I honestly haven't really delved into any of the streaming platforms, partially just because I haven't researched how to set it up for my setup, and what little I've read about doing so seems pretty complicated, and also because streaming Atmos is done at 768kbps at most (I've also seen 640kbps, 576kbps, and 448kbps joint object coding for movies and TV shows) in a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus container, whereas the lossless 7.1 TrueHD bit-rate is insanely higher. The Beatles - Abbey Road disc has the 7.1 TrueHD Atmos at a maximum bit-rate of 16,300kbps! That's more than 21 times the bit-rate of 768kbps!
I've sampled some of the 768kbps files and some of them aren't bad. The Grateful Dead - American Beauty mixed by Steven Wilson is pretty amazing, although I don't know why every single one of the lossy Atmos mixes I've heard are ridiculously quiet. I normally listen at ~ -12dB to -7dB below reference, but with all of the 768kbps files I've heard, they need to be cranked to ~ +7dB above reference, which is crazy, as reference (0dB) should be loud as hell.
It is also possible to do the greater quality 7.1 TrueHD Atmos as a digital download along side or instead of a physical disc. immersiveaudioalbum.com which I believe is operated by member and moderator on here @sjcorne has quite a lot of albums available for download.
Anyway, it's so nice that you actually participate on here and thank you so much for all the beautiful music!
Happy Halloween!
I really hope you gain the rights to do an Atmos mix, that would be awesome!
As for your questions:
1- Back in the day I used to buy a ton of stuff from my local Best Buy that was just two miles from where I lived, but that store has closed down, and apparently Best Buy will stop selling all discs altogether by the end of the year. More recently, I purchase pretty much everything from Amazon except for groceries and gas.
2- As with most everyone else on here, I prefer the quality of Atmos in a lossless 7.1 TrueHD container that you can actually own on physical disc, or rip to local storage for playback. I honestly haven't really delved into any of the streaming platforms, partially just because I haven't researched how to set it up for my setup, and what little I've read about doing so seems pretty complicated, and also because streaming Atmos is done at 768kbps at most (I've also seen 640kbps, 576kbps, and 448kbps joint object coding for movies and TV shows) in a lossy 5.1 Dolby Digital Plus container, whereas the lossless 7.1 TrueHD bit-rate is insanely higher. The Beatles - Abbey Road disc has the 7.1 TrueHD Atmos at a maximum bit-rate of 16,300kbps! That's more than 21 times the bit-rate of 768kbps!
I've sampled some of the 768kbps files and some of them aren't bad. The Grateful Dead - American Beauty mixed by Steven Wilson is pretty amazing, although I don't know why every single one of the lossy Atmos mixes I've heard are ridiculously quiet. I normally listen at ~ -12dB to -7dB below reference, but with all of the 768kbps files I've heard, they need to be cranked to ~ +7dB above reference, which is crazy, as reference (0dB) should be loud as hell.
It is also possible to do the greater quality 7.1 TrueHD Atmos as a digital download along side or instead of a physical disc. immersiveaudioalbum.com which I believe is operated by member and moderator on here @sjcorne has quite a lot of albums available for download.
Anyway, it's so nice that you actually participate on here and thank you so much for all the beautiful music!
Happy Halloween!
Hey Frogmort
immersiveaudioalbum.com looks amazing. Thank you!
As for levels being so low, the joy and challenge of this format is nothing can go above 0db digital, as I'm sure you know. Since the immersive formats include movies as well as music, they all mix to a different dynamic range setting (usually 20db) as opposed to tv or albums which are 14 or 12db. So a more dynamic album will sit quieter at average levels. The alternative is to put some parallel audio compression in the quieter spots (see my video) but there are many forums that debate the pros and cons of this.
Anyway thanks again and Happy Halloween. At our house I put on side 4 of Wendy Carlos' Sonic Seasonings: "Winter". I pipe it through an outdoor speaker on a loop and it's a perfect tone for a scary night! Eerie vocals and howling wolves.
Amin
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