Modern Stealth Surround Albums

[Sonik Wiz]

Is there any evidence that mixing "studios" are monitoring their stereo mixes with a surround sound decoder (maybe just a Hafler/DynaQuad setup)?


Kirk Bayne

Not that I've ever read about. However I do know a phase meter is standard tool in recording studios. It simply shows the balance between correlated in phase content compared to opposite phase content. Even today mono compatibility is important and the FM Sum signal travels farther than the stereo differenceing sub-carrier. So I'd say that's just about the opposite of what you, or I, would be hoping for.

 

[par4ken]

Not that I've ever read about. However I do know a phase meter is standard tool in recording studios. It simply shows the balance between correlated in phase content compared to opposite phase content. Even today mono compatibility is important and the FM Sum signal travels farther than the stereo differenceing sub-carrier. So I'd say that's just about the opposite of what you, or I, would be hoping for.

I seem to recall reading someplace that there was a note on some of Jimi Hendrix master tapes saying "do not correct phase".

 

[JediJoker]

Is there any evidence that mixing "studios" are monitoring their stereo mixes with a surround sound decoder (maybe just a Hafler/DynaQuad setup)?


Kirk Bayne

Absolutely none. The premise of this thread is nonsense.

 

[Sonik Wiz]

Absolutely none. The premise of this thread is nonsense.

Agree you could think it would have ended here:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/queen-ii-is-a-stealth-qs-encode.33281/

 

[kfbkfb]

I find that most stereo music (I listen to popular music) "decodes" fairly well. I didn't expect this result.

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sansui/qs-1.shtml^^^
..it is obviating the need for 4 channel equipment and program sources per se...


Looks like Sansui was on to something ~50 years ago, good fake surround sound from stereo (in most cases).


Kirk Bayne

 

[par4ken]

I find that most stereo music (I listen to popular music) "decodes" fairly well. I didn't expect this result.

https://www.hifiengine.com/manual_library/sansui/qs-1.shtml^^^
..it is obviating the need for 4 channel equipment and program sources per se...


Looks like Sansui was on to something ~50 years ago, good fake surround sound from stereo (in most cases).


Kirk Bayne

Yes but despite the hype I found that while the QS-1 sounds nice in a small room it does next to nothing in a larger one. With the advancement to Vario-Matrix all that changed. Stereo to Quad via the Vario-Matrix surround mode rivals true quad for sure.

That feature should have been pushed far more, especially as new encoded material started to dry up.

 

[Francis Drake]

Is there any evidence that mixing "studios" are monitoring their stereo mixes with a surround sound decoder (maybe just a Hafler/DynaQuad setup)?


Kirk Bayne

I would doubt it VERY much.

 

[Francis Drake]

Absolutely none. The premise of this thread is nonsense.

Totally agree, It does look as though this forum specalises in discussing nonsense

 

[Francis Drake]

Agree you could think it would have ended here:

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/queen-ii-is-a-stealth-qs-encode.33281/

What utter trash. Is KFBKFB being paid to post this rubish to up the message count?

 

[gvl_guy]

Yes but despite the hype I found that while the QS-1 sounds nice in a small room it does next to nothing in a larger one. With the advancement to Vario-Matrix all that changed. Stereo to Quad via the Vario-Matrix surround mode rivals true quad for sure.

That feature should have been pushed far more, especially as new encoded material started to dry up.

My Vario Matrix is as good, if not better than my Surround Master. (It's been modified removing the blend resistors.)

 

[MidiMagic]

Not that I've ever read about. However I do know a phase meter is standard tool in recording studios. It simply shows the balance between correlated in phase content compared to opposite phase content. Even today mono compatibility is important and the FM Sum signal travels farther than the stereo differenceing sub-carrier. So I'd say that's just about the opposite of what you, or I, would be hoping for.

I was critiquing audio mixes for a website in the 1998-2002 period. I listened through Dolby Surround. A lot of guitar players put the guitar out of phase to get a weird effect in stereo. This went to the surround speakers in Dolby Surround.

I always use a L/R scope display when mixing. I want a surround effect.

 

[kfbkfb]

I don't have any statistics to support this, but it seems like the mixing studios are more interested in how their stereo mixes sound in mono (due to streaming music and listening with one speaker on a smartphone) rather than mixing to include some out of phase content in order to provide some sort of a surround sound effect when used with a matrix decoder (any system).


Kirk Bayne

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

I don't have any statistics to support this, but it seems like the mixing studios are more interested in how their stereo mixes sound in mono (due to streaming music and listening with one speaker on a smartphone) rather than mixing to include some out of phase content in order to provide some sort of a surround sound effect when used with a matrix decoder (any system).


Kirk Bayne

Mono compatibility is something that is stressed very much these days.

 

[kfbkfb]

One option - include a "spaciousness" input in mixing software - this input would place sounds a 0 degrees phase shift in Left channel and minus 120 degrees phase shift in the Right channel (20-20kHz range).

Sounds mixed to the "spaciousness" input wouldn't be completely lost in mono, would appear slightly beyond L & R in stereo and a matrix decoder would latch on to this phase difference and send the sounds mostly to the surround channel(s).


Kirk Bayne