Fix the Mix: Chicago Transit Authority

[ar surround]

This is a wonderful quad included in the Quadio box set. There are a few nits that I am addressing using DeMix Pro 4.1:

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is:
- Vocals: The vocals are a bit reticent on this album. For this song, I separated out the vocals and added Lamm's lead into a new center channel to give it a bit more presence. I also took the backing vocals that are in the RF channel and boosted them a little as well.
- Bass: In general, the bass guitar is strong on this album, but I like the impact. I initially cut the bass stem by 3 dB, but decided that a 1 dB cut was sufficient when coupled with the vocal correction.

Introduction:
- Vocal: Same issue as noted above. I separated out the vocal and added a center channel to boost Kath's vocal.
- Bass: Again, the bass guitar is very strong. However, I found only a 1 dB cut to the bass stem to my liking.
- Horns: I never liked the way the massed horns are compacted into the LR channel. I was able to cleanly separate out the electric guitar from the horns. (Probably the cleanest separation of electric guitar that I've achieved with DeMix Pro.) Then I moved the horns into the rear center. Surprisingly, the horns in that position didn't float towards the front, but rather presented a nice spread across the rears. I suspect that the little bit of reverb already present in the RR helped with this.

Next up: Questions 67 and 68

 

[J. PUPSTER]

This is a wonderful quad included in the Quadio box set. There are a few nits that I am addressing using DeMix Pro 4.1:

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is:
- Vocals: The vocals are a bit reticent on this album. For this song, I separated out the vocals and added Lamm's lead into a new center channel to give it a bit more presence. I also took the backing vocals that are in the RF channel and boosted them a little as well.
- Bass: In general, the bass guitar is strong on this album, but I like the impact. I initially cut the bass stem by 3 dB, but decided that a 1 dB cut was sufficient when coupled with the vocal correction.

View attachment 93311


Introduction:
- Vocal: Same issue as noted above. I separated out the vocal and added a center channel to boost Kath's vocal.
- Bass: Again, the bass guitar is very strong. However, I found only a 1 dB cut to the bass stem to my liking.
- Horns: I never liked the way the massed horns are compacted into the LR channel. I was able to cleanly separate out the electric guitar from the horns. (Probably the cleanest separation of electric guitar that I've achieved with DeMix Pro.) Then I moved the horns into the rear center. Surprisingly, the horns in that position didn't float towards the front, but rather presented a nice spread across the rears. I suspect that the little bit of reverb already present in the RR helped with this.

View attachment 93312

Next up: Questions 67 and 68

So you made a Quintro then?

Check the original EQ on the Quadio CTA; the lacking vocal presence may mean a dip in mids (you know smiley face?)

 

[ar surround]

Check the original EQ on the Quadio CTA; the lacking vocal presence may mean a dip in mids (you know smiley face?)

I know that there are legitimate claims about the smiley face EQ applied across this entire Blu-ray. Despite the totally valid preferences of others, I much prefer the sound of the smiley face EQ'd Blu-ray to the original Quadio DTS disc. On the two songs that I have worked on, I found it to my liking only to increase the volume of the vocals rather than apply EQ.

I suppose that EQ'ing with a fronwney face would work on the vocals. But why go the direct route when one can have fun spending the whole morning dissecting and playing with it? Besides, no amount of EQ is going to spread out those massed horns crammed into one channel on Introduction and Questions 67 and 68, which drives me absolutely crazy. (Admitedly, I did make the slightest of treble cut on the massed horns when I moved them to the center on Introduction.)