Pink Floyd/The Division Bell - Ask Andy Jackson about the Mastering and the Mix

[strat54]

This thread is a bit elusive to find. It would be nice if there was a discussion area called "Ask the Engineer" where we could move this thread, the Ask Steven Wilson! thread and any other engineers that happen to stop by. I enjoy reading the comments and opinions of the folks behind these great surround albums. What do you think?

 

[Robert van Diggele]

A very good idea Strat. Perhaps the mods can work this out when they agree with your idea.

 

[JonUrban]

This thread is a bit elusive to find. It would be nice if there was a discussion area called "Ask the Engineer" where we could move this thread, the Ask Steven Wilson! thread and any other engineers that happen to stop by. I enjoy reading the comments and opinions of the folks behind these great surround albums. What do you think?

DONE!! Thanks strat54 for the prodding, it's a great idea and it's been implemented.

Good job

 

[strat54]

Brilliant! Thanks Jon. There is already stuff in there that I haven't seen. I have some reading to catch up on.

 

[All Ears]

Hello Andy. Thanks for your request for 5.1 or 4.0
My preference would be 5.1. the reason for this is that I find that the sound field is more consuming in the 5, and the frequency range is enhanced using the.1, when the mix is done right.

 

[keenly]

Great job with this title, thanks very much. I too prefer 5.1, active as possible, anymore in the pipeline?

 

[sukothai]

Hi Andy, I know you put a little extra in the LFE on this title and it sounds great (amazing really), but given a choice, I prefer 5.0. My thinking is this makes it possible to use the full range of sound in every speaker and for those with sub-sat systems the receiver will direct the lows to the sub anyway. Anyway, just my opinion and it is not a big deal either way between 5.0 and 5.1.

 

[drphibes]

i think you should do whatever you want. My bias is for 5.1, but if what you did on the Division Bell is best described as quad, then approach your album exactly the same way. I look forward to hearing your album.

 

[pepar]

Interesting Clint, can you say why??

In terms of mixing, both the centre & sub seem a/ irrelevant & b/ a minefield to use.

Centre: unless you use it fully discrete, you are into the vagueries of electrical versus acoustical summing (which is totally room dependent) & the fact that often centre speakers don't match L&R. Using it discrete it will a/ have the possibility that it'll be missing on some systems & b/ sound totally different from the virtual centre of L&R, which, assuming there is a stereo mix as well (always is) means the (for example) vocal will sound very different, in an unpredictable way, to the stereo.

Sub: You really can't reliably put the same signal in L/R (or LCR) and the sub, the electrical/ acoustical summing differences are a complete nightmare if anyone is using bass management, so you're left with putting different stuff in the sub from the mains. Not going to risk bass guitar or kick drum, so there's nothing much left, unless you've got 'low frequency effects', which is what is meant for (in cinema). Music mostly doesn't have 'low frequency effects' as it is generally devoid of spaceships, dinosaurs or explosions (apart from "On the run)

With an eye on the name of this forum, I will cast my vote in the 5.0 column. (A bit more context: I an a home theater nut enthusiast with a 7.1 system.) I can do w/o the .1 because most/many of us have bass management that routes to the sub(a) content below the crossover frequency that is based on the capabilities of our mains. But beyond one-seat theaters (and headphone/IEM listeners), the CC's raison d'être is as valid in the home as it is in the cineplex. Moving off the equidistant line, phantom images collapse to the nearest speaker. Since "modern" AV receivers and pre/pros will "phantomize" the discrete CC when a physical speaker is not present, nothing is lost to the 4.0 listener (circular vibes). But yet it is there for systems with 5 main channels. So, you can avoid the vagueries, go fully discrete and Bob's your uncle.

Timbre-wise, and I am likely on thinner ice here, many/most ... a lot? .. of people have either onboard system optimization/room correction features that timbre-matches all channels, including the center. For those that eschew those features, there is still there is still the matching from using speakers from the same family, even if the CC is not identical to L&R. And beyond that are acoustical treatments for getting the most out of our rooms/systems.

Thank you for taking the time to reply on this forum!

Jeff

 

[Neb-Maat-Re]

Hi Andy

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and insight.

I also know you said you have already raised the question of stand alone blu-ray releases to the PF powers-that-be - but would it be possible for you to mention it again? Tell them there's an annoying bloke in Australia who'll buy one copy of each, so it's worth their while.

Jokes aside, though - surely the rapid sell-out of the Division Bell DVD (and the prices demanded almost immediately on eBay) are evidence there is a demand.

 

[peterzach]

Andy, came across this good article about different surround approaches as I was trying to find out more about Ronald Prent as don't have many mixes of his yet but was really impressed with his mix of Lori Lieberman-Bricks Against the Glass. I agree with Ronald's approach of using all 5 equal speakers,here's the read:

http://www.sonicscoop.com/tag/ronald-prent/

 

[César]

Andy, just realised you mastered Tim Bowness Abandoned Dancehall Dreams. Good work on this one too!
By the way, did you get in touch with Tim and/or Steven Wilson while mastering this record? Did they give you any indication or did they give you total freedom with the mastering process? I know it's not Steven's disc, but it must be funny to try to get into and agreement with the guy that mixed the music knowing that he's a "flat transfer guy"

 

[César]

Andy, do you know by chance if there's really a premiere for The Endless River today in Madrid and Phil Manzanera is attending? Thanks!!!

 

[Andy Jackson]

Andy, do you know by chance if there's really a premiere for The Endless River today in Madrid and Phil Manzanera is attending? Thanks!!!

i doubt it, Phil may be in Madrid but no premiere to my knowledge

 

[César]

That was a quick answer! Thanks Andy, I'll report here if I found out anything else. A premiere in Madrid sounds really unlikely to me anyway, we usually aren't that lucky

 

[rontoon]

This is where the info came from.

http://www.animalspinkfloydmagazine.com/noticias.php


02/10/2014

“ENDLESS RIVER” LA PRIMERA ESCUCHA



“Animals Pink Floyd Magazine” ha sido invitado a Madrid hoy viernes 3 de octubre, a escuchar, en exclusiva y en primicia mundial, el nuevo y esperado trabajo de Pink Floyd, “Endless River”. Un álbum que estará disponible el próximo 11 de noviembre en España.

Además, estaremos con Phil Manzanera que nos responderá amablemente a una serie de preguntas sobre este nuevo trabajo de Pink Floyd. Un trabajo que comenzó Manzanera junto a David Gilmour hace dos veranos en el Astoria.

Este nuevo trabajo de Pink Floyd ha levantado grandes expectativas aunque algunos se dediquen a desprestigiarlo tanto a su portada cómo a la música sin haber escuchado antes el disco. Así, a lo largo de este fin de semana, os informaré de cómo ha ido la escucha y la entrevista con Manzanera.



"ENDLESS RIVER" FIRST LISTEN

"Animals Pink Floyd Magazine" has been invited to Madrid on Friday October 3, to listen, exclusive world premiere of the new and highly anticipated work of Pink Floyd, "Endless River". An album that will be available on 11 November in Spain and 10 November in Europe.

In addition, we will be with Phil Manzanera kindly answer us a few questions about this new work of Pink Floyd. A work that began Manzanera with David Gilmour two summers ago in Astoria.

This new work of Pink Floyd has raised great expectations although some are dedicated to discrediting both its cover how to music without hearing the disc before. Thus, over this weekend, I shall tell how it went listening and interview with Manzanera.

 

[César]

Yep, the magazine is run by Juan José Abellan, a well known journalist and entertainer in Spain. No reply from him yet

 

[Andy Jackson]

Hmm, well if this is accurate I don't know where the files to play came from, we haven't let anything out of our possession

 

[rontoon]

Yep, the magazine is run by Juan José Abellan, a well known journalist and entertainer in Spain. No reply from him yet

He did just post on AFG and he seems to indicate that he did listen to it and interviewed Phil. His reply is about the 3rd audio clip posted to YouTube.

This musical piece is integrated into another piece or suite more larger, and fits well with that part. That part, occupies an entire side of vinyl and the cd is like a single piece of music.... as a suite ... the album, four sides, four instrumental pieces but divided with silly titles that could have been saved. Grand Finale with 'Louder Than Words' which will be the single that will be available in two weeks October 12. "Endless River" "Pink floyd is the twenty-first century!!!

in brief my chronicle of the hearing of this new disc of PF and my interview with Phil Manzanera.

www.animalspinkfloydmagazine.com

 

[rontoon]

Turns out that this is a bunch of b.s. and has been discredited by Paul Loasby, Pink Floyd's manager. Same with the info about the single for "Louder Than Words" being released. It was also reported on the AFG forum that "there used to be a Pink Floyd forum in Spanish in which this guy has absolutely lost all his credibility. He lied so many times it's hard to believe he's still around doing it again and again."