HiRez Poll R.E.M. - MONSTER [DVD-A/Blu-Ray Audio]

[jsulzinger]

Is this the case with the DVD-A release as well?​

Can anyone confirm if this is the case on the DVD-A release as well? I don't own that release specifically.

The DVD-A sounds like a perfect Scheiner mix. When this release first came out I discussed the mix/master "error" with REM management and they assured me that there was no mastering error and that the disc is as it should be, meaning they altered the mix between the DVD-A and Blu-Ray for artistic reasons.

Here is my original thread about the issue:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/rem-monster-blu-ray-mastering-issue.27289/

 

[Dynamic Editor]

The DVD-A sounds like a perfect Scheiner mix. When this release first came out I discussed the mix/master "error" with REM management and they assured me that there was no mastering error and that the disc is as it should be, meaning they altered the mix between the DVD-A and Blu-Ray for artistic reasons.

Here is my original thread about the issue:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/rem-monster-blu-ray-mastering-issue.27289/

I guess my question then is if the original center was folded into the front channels for the Blu-Ray before being lowered significantly, because otherwise, the character of the mix is affected, including the loudness of the vocals compared to the rest of the instrumentation.

 

[Albert Dagger]

I believe you are right, actually. I actually think the center and LFE are 20dB too quiet, at least on the Blu-Ray

Why I think the center and LFE on the Monster 5.1 mix are 20dB too quiet​

Look at the mixing philosophy of Scheiner for the R.E.M. mixes. Compare, say, how "Drive" off of the Automatic for the People DVD-A is presented (pictured left) compared to how "Bang and Blame" off the 25th anniversary Blu Ray of Monster is presented (pictured right).View attachment 94817Both the center channel and the LFE channel and LFE channel of the "Bang and Blame" mix are quiet to the point where they might as well not be there.

BUT, look how it appears if you amplify the center channel and LFE of "Bang and Blame" by 20dB:View attachment 94820
Why 20dB though? My suspicion is the center channel and LFE were accidentally mastered with the 10dB headroom of LFE channels accidentally and twice. At this point, one of you might ask: "Yes, that is an interesting theory... but how do you know it's 20dB too quiet specifically?"

Look at the start of the "Drive" mix. At the start, you can see that there is some audio playing in the center that seems to resemble what is playing in the front, but quieter. That audio appears to be about 6dB quieter. The same seems to be the case for the Monster mix, provided that you amplify the center channel by 20dB.

See how it looks if you amplify the center channel of "Drive" by 6dB (pictured left) and the center channel of "Bang and Blame" by 26dB (pictured right):
View attachment 94819

As for my belief that the LFE is also 20dB too quiet... well, I can't be so certain on that value, but it would match the issues faced with the center.

What difference do these changes make to the mix?​

Well, from a preliminary look, it seems like these changes make the vocals a bit more prominent in the mix, which might alleviate the issue Dob was having earlier:

As for other differences, I've only given it a preliminary look, so I can't say for certain if anything else much is make that different.

Is this the case with the DVD-A release as well?​

Can anyone confirm if this is the case on the DVD-A release as well? I don't own that release specifically.

Bang and Blame from the DVD-Audio. The centre and LFE channels look okay. It must be an issue of the Blu-ray release.