First Album release in Involve Quad format: Suzanne Ciani Live Quadraphonic

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How was the performance?

It was surprisingly good in that venue - Elizabeth Murdoch Hall was really good for quadraphonic performance. Even closer to the back in the middle, her performances are so sweeping between channels that it didn't matter. It was a far more complex and dense performance than the live album - and the screen above was an over her shoulder camera so she could show everyone while she did it. Quite sublime really.

Some of the comments I heard from the audience were as follows:

"That was mesmerising. It felt like 10 minutes" (It was more like 40)
"That was sharp and sweet"
"I loved her energy and her sense of humour"
"That was fabulous"
"I loved her outfit"
"Do you think anyone else here is on acid?"

So you see, the whole gamut of society was represented.

5/5, would see again.

~D
 
Just one other thing I remember about Suzanne's visit. When listening to surround (4 channel!!!!!) at our factory , she would often sit sideways and on one occasion rotated 180 degrees to listen directly to the rears. Love it, at true quad girl!
Love that. I do the same sometimes at home... but I have to say that her approach to surround is quite different from anything else I've heard.
 
CHUCKY'S REVIEW!!!!!

Dear Surroundies

Believe it or not, I have not had the time to sit down and listen to Suzanne's recording in its entirety, only bits and pieces in Dave the Bitch's office while examining technical aspects. I have also been too busy to listen to anything recently.

I finally changed that last night whilst visiting my stereo nutter mate Rusty for our regular end of week philosophy whilst guzzling the red fluid. I took my personal copy of Suzanne's record over for a serious listening session. It really needs to be pointed out that Rusty is really a one dimension stereo man (due to his limited brain) who just does not get why you need more than stereo. Having said that Rusty is also a top end HiFi man with a really good and large listening room (he insists to sit 5 miles away from the front speakers due to the myth that you get more extended bass out there due to wavelengths blah blah).

His set up consists of a Technics SL 1200 turntable with a $15,000 Koertzu Black cartridge, the dual mono block amps are designed by Dimitry Kramarev and the preamp is also designed by the same guy but basing it on a modified Acoustic Research Tube design. The front speakers are Infinity RS 4.5 ribbons (costing a house) and his rears are my design Nakamichi Dragon electrostatics (really sound like the infinities). And yes he has a Surround Master V1 used mainly for movies. So in short - not so shabby. We have spent many a night lubricated listening to music way too loud when the wives are away.

We sat not in his usual position at the back of the room but on two bean bags closer to the center and played the album in its entirety. Rusty was indeed impressed by the separation and he felt it sounded like 50 dB (I informed him it was more like 35 - 40 dB), he was really not that impressed by the music as he is more a classical/ Van Morrison/ Floyd man. In my case I was really enthralled by what I heard and I found myself "doing a Suzanne" by rotating my body sideways and 180 degrees listening at the degree of separation with absolutely zero smearing/ pumping/ farting sounds and more importantly a rock solid image all around. What really got me was that even on the more complex-ed passages with multiple simultaneous sounds happening in similar frequency bands full discrete separation was fully maintained with no image shift. Also I was very impressed with the front /rear bass separation techniques she used. Another interesting feature was music mixed with what sounded like pink noise causing zero decode problems. It should be noted that Suzanne really showed zero directional bias in her composition but focused in creating a true acoustic space.

Both me and Rusty both agreed that if we were told it was a discrete recording we would have fully believed it. Yeah yeah, I know I am biased but I can honestly say I was having a very serious listening session and trying to hear any defects and I could not - Dutchman's Honor.

I really think Suzanne has shown the way of the future in recording, I just hope some of the younger generation catch on, instead of the crud churned out on radio today.
 
oth me and Rusty both agreed that if we were told it was a discrete recording we would have fully believed it. Yeah yeah, I know I am biased but I can honestly say I was having a very serious listening session and trying to hear any defects and I could not - Dutchman's Honor.

Yep totally agree. Just to recap an earlier post I have the 4 ch discrete FLAC files Suzanne made available. I can't do an Involve smart encode but I did a standard QS encode from this. Using my Zektor switcher I can level match the discrete & encoded material easily & instantly switch back & forth. No matter how close I listen I could not tell them apart. A case to demonstrate how good matrix surround can be compared to discrete, instead of the usual opposite.
 
Hi all,

So the first album to be released in our format is now available on Itunes / Amazon / ETC in digital form.

There is also a limited Vinyl box set which includes a custom decoder we designed for the project.

It's Suzanne Ciani's LIVE quadraphonic album, and we have been working with her and the producer KamranV on this project all year.

It's not musical so much as it is engaging and interesting. I like it - but I've been professionally diagnosed as "a bit strange" so make of that what you will.

https://www.amazon.com/Live-Quadraphonic-Suzanne-Ciani/dp/B07CVK7SB8

There's also a write up about it in Wired among other places.

Analog Surround-Sound Is Reborn on a New Quadraphonic LP

There is a limited vinyl box set available in the USA - a run of 227 units, that comes with a custom decoder made especially for this project. It's just a PCB and standoffs with the Involve decode, 2 in 4 out - nothing that puts the surround master to shame particularly.
Still kinda cool.

If you have a Surround Master (and I think that you might) - check it out.

~D
Oh c'mon all you Involve Audio Cianni fans! Vote & weigh in :

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...‎–-buchla-concerts-in-quad.28042/#post-480317
 
Yep totally agree. Just to recap an earlier post I have the 4 ch discrete FLAC files Suzanne made available. I can't do an Involve smart encode but I did a standard QS encode from this. Using my Zektor switcher I can level match the discrete & encoded material easily & instantly switch back & forth. No matter how close I listen I could not tell them apart. A case to demonstrate how good matrix surround can be compared to discrete, instead of the usual opposite.
I voted and weighed in!!!!!! You are a legend Sonic
 
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secretly (Shhhh) I have been informed by Suzanne that she is about to release a LIVE online release of a quadraphonic concert that she performed in Geneva this year! Suzanne will make this an INVOLVE encoded release and she is asking for opinions of the best way in terms of promotion and penetrating the general masses to release such a project online.

Could any of you surroundy nutbags offer some advice or help steer this project in the right direction FOR US ALL?

Feel free to suggest away
 
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secretly (Shhhh) I have been informed by Suzanne that she is about to release a LIVE online release of a quadraphonic concert that she performed in Geneva this year! Suzanne will make this an INVOLVE encoded release and she is asking for opinions of the best way in terms of promotion and penetrating the general masses to release such a project online.

Could any of you surroundy nutbags offer some advice or help steer this project in the right direction FOR US ALL?

Feel free to suggest away
Well a good start would be to make it prominently opened up here on the QQ; to make sure that all here that really care about surround, get the memo!
 
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Secretly (Shhhh) I have been informed by Suzanne that she is about to release a LIVE online release of a quadraphonic concert that she performed in Geneva this year! Suzanne will make this an INVOLVE encoded release and she is asking for opinions of the best way in terms of promotion and penetrating the general masses to release such a project online.

Could any of you surroundy nutbags offer some advice or help steer this project in the right direction FOR US ALL?

Feel free to suggest away

Could get in touch with Super Deluxe Edition?
https://www.superdeluxeedition.com/get-in-touch/

Has quite a large reader base and it would make a nifty news story compared to a new 'David Bowie coloured vinyl edition' coming out! :cool:

And of course there's always the superb Life In Surround YouTube page.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHccMPbwt4dG9DP7jG-8yZQ
 
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