HiRez Poll Metheny, Pat - IMAGINARY DAY [DVD-A]

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Rate the DVD-A of Pat Metheny - IMAGINARY DAY

  • 6:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Bad Mix, Bad Sonics, Bad Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    60
Here is the one I ordered. May need to cancel. As usual, Amazon is terrible about the detailed listings for this disk (same is true on books with complex sets of editions).

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005LZOL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

That looks like the "Live" DVD-V. If you're a big Metheny fan, you may want it anyway. But if you're after the surround mix of the studio album, this isn't it. (I know what you mean about Amazon's sketchy descriptions, but I'm not finding what's clearly the DVD-A anywhere on Amazon, either. I think there are some available from Discogs sellers, though.)

If you want to get the DVD-V anyway, you might want to cancel your existing order and buy one of these instead, for $2.99:

https://www.amazon.com/Pat-Metheny-Group-Imaginary-Live/dp/B0014DC8XY/ref=sr_1_1
 
That looks like the "Live" DVD-V. If you're a big Metheny fan, you may want it anyway. But if you're after the surround mix of the studio album, this isn't it. (I know what you mean about Amazon's sketchy descriptions, but I'm not finding what's clearly the DVD-A anywhere on Amazon, either. I think there are some available from Discogs sellers, though.)

If you want to get the DVD-V anyway, you might want to cancel your existing order and buy one of these instead, for $2.99:

https://www.amazon.com/Pat-Metheny-Group-Imaginary-Live/dp/B0014DC8XY/ref=sr_1_1

Thanks Humprof.
This one?:
https://www.discogs.com/Pat-Metheny-Group-Imaginary-Day/release/2734801
 
Returning to cast a vote of 10 for the DVD-A.

I find it hard with this recording to just listen to a single cut or two (that is true of the redbook CD as well). Part of the reason is that many of the transitions never go truly silent, but more important is that it has a theatrical quality - The moods, volume levels, beat pacings and instrumental changes make it into a great ride I can't just jump off until the end. The DVD-A strongly heightens that quality.

The surround channels are used to great effect - I especially love the trumpet solo that is placed in the rear channels. Also sometimes the sound is more focused forward other times it expands dramatically. I may need to invest in a swiveling listening chair to take in the panorama ...

This will become a goto demo piece for me , especially The Roots of Coincidence and the couple of tracks leading into it. And if it is a true listener who can sit still, I think I'll probably just play the entire album.

Will need to listen a few more times to get all the details and the 'language' of choices used in the mix. All in all - a great disk!
 
It's still in my top 10 all-time list. I got to see him in concert when this was released. He came out and said " we are going to play the whole CD just as it is on the recording".
 
I saw him during "The Way Up" tour and he did the same thing - it was ferocious - definitely in my top 10 too!

Which version do you recommend? I see there is a multiversion release that includes Bluray, which would likely be my preference. But, Audio formats matter there. Do you know which multichannel formats the disk supports (if any)? If it is two channel, I suppose it will be lossy, given the date of release. But PCM would overcome that..

The Bluray version I'm looking at:
The Way Up - Live
 
Which version do you recommend? I see there is a multiversion release that includes Bluray, which would likely be my preference. But, Audio formats matter there. Do you know which multichannel formats the disk supports (if any)? If it is two channel, I suppose it will be lossy, given the date of release. But PCM would overcome that..

The Bluray version I'm looking at:
The Way Up - Live

The review at Hi-Def Digest says this:
This release features three audio tracks -- a well rounded Dolby Digital-Plus 5.1 mix, a less than stellar compressed DTS-HD mix, and an uncompressed LPCM 2.0 stereo mix -- and these selections provide a lot of great sound. However, no single audio option provides the best of all worlds. As usual, I can't wrap my head around why concert discs like this one avoid uncompressed 5.1 surround tracks that have the soundfield ambiance of a Dolby mix and the pitch-perfect clarity of a Master Audio track. As it stands, the concert atmosphere is best reproduced by the Dolby 5.1 mix and the song quality is best preserved in the front-heavy stereo mix. I found myself flipping back and forth in an attempt to fake it, but I only grew frustrated and distracted.

A mix of the two would've made me contemplate a perfect audio rating. The acoustics and soundfield immersion on the Dolby surround mix is wonderful -- crowd noise and echoes loft from the rear speakers across the channels as the music dominates the stage ahead. On the flip side, the guitar and piano notes are gloriously stable on the uncompressed track -- treble tones are crisp, bass tones have more presence, and the mix boasts an astounding dynamic range that brings the music to life. On both of these tracks, the instrumentation is expertly prioritized and Metheny's guitars don't dominate the day (as one might expect from a man whose name is central to the band's identity).

Pick your poison -- concert fans will enjoy the liveliness of the Dolby surround mix and music enthusiasts will adore the clarity of the uncompressed stereo track. If you want both, you'll have to settle on one or the other. For the most part, avoid the DTS-HD mix altogether because the HD label is a bit of a misnomer. The sound seemed slightly muddled and was more what I'd expect from a standard DVD sound package.
https://bluray.highdefdigest.com/169/patmethenygroup_wayup.html
Blu-Ray.com says it's actually DTS-HD MA 16/48, but agrees that the DD mix sounds better (scroll all the way down):
https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Pat-Metheny-Group-The-Way-Up-Live-Blu-ray/292/
 
Which version do you recommend? I see there is a multiversion release that includes Bluray, which would likely be my preference. But, Audio formats matter there. Do you know which multichannel formats the disk supports (if any)? If it is two channel, I suppose it will be lossy, given the date of release. But PCM would overcome that..

The Bluray version I'm looking at:
The Way Up - Live

First of all, the performance on the the live disc is astounding. I have the DVD which only has DTS surround and sounds pretty damn fine as it is. It is a typical live surround mix with audience and ambience in the rears - the Blu Ray is the same mix just with lossless 5.1 DTS HD MA. I’m not sure what the reviewer from Hi Def was listening to but sometimes it’s just about the music.
 
Thank you both!
humprof, I will check those sites regularly for more info from now on instead of burdening you and the group with doing that work.
 
Which version do you recommend? I see there is a multiversion release that includes Bluray, which would likely be my preference. But, Audio formats matter there. Do you know which multichannel formats the disk supports (if any)? If it is two channel, I suppose it will be lossy, given the date of release. But PCM would overcome that..

The Bluray version I'm looking at:
The Way Up - Live

Looking back a page, I think only the DVD-Audio mix is the one with all the positive reviews. Please someone correct me if that is wrong.
 
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