New Alan Parsons in surround! "The Secret" out in April

[4-earredwonder]

Well the most obvious solution would be to also offer a lossless download version as well as the physical product? Seems a bit weird to go to DVD off the back of Eye In The Sky on Blu Ray boxset and a later day stand alone?! However I've not read into everything... And this will do I guess?! Better then boring stereo! At least until I, Robot comes out on Quadra HD with 8k visuals

Master Smithers, I cannot fully comprehend utilizing lossless codecs in A.D. 2019 when literally everything is recorded in 24bit or better resolution ..... and downrezing to what shows up on my pre/pro as 16/48 [DVD].

BTW, the Japanese are now working on 16K ....... so if you're hoping for I Robot on 'Quadra HD' with 8k visuals ........ you're behind the 8 ball. Cheers, Smithers!

 

[MrSmithers]

Master Smithers, I cannot fully comprehend utilizing lossless codecs in A.D. 2019 when literally everything is recorded in 24bit or better resolution ..... and downrezing to what shows up on my pre/pro as 16/48 [DVD].

BTW, the Japanese are now working on 16K ....... so if you're hoping for I Robot on 'Quadra HD' with 8k visuals ........ you're behind the 8 ball. Cheers, Smithers!

Looks like I've just been snookered by Earl 'The Pearl' Strickland (don't be a slacker Smithers ) although I think the real slackers could be the chain in the command that let it be put out on plain DVD? That being said - I haven't heard it. I'm sure it's really good considering who is behind it. And dts is better then dolby! It's just a shame they didn't go fully lossless...

 

[4-earredwonder]

Earl 'The Pearl' Strickland ........ formerly known as THE HUSTLER

 

[Audiowannabee]

I like it...couple standouts...some mellow but a few rockers...my vote a 8

 

[marpow]

I like it after my first listen last night. Good surround and quality and most importantly I like the tunes, little rock, little orchestration and some cool sounds.

 

[IMachine]

Hmpf....the mix when we are talking about discreet and such...good!
But....why oh why did he mix the vocals sooooo loud....in each track the music is secondary. The drums have no punch at all! No no, Alan, a mistake!

 

[privateuniverse]

Hmpf....the mix when we are talking about discreet and such...good!
But....why oh why did he mix the vocals sooooo loud....in each track the music is secondary. The drums have no punch at all! No no, Alan, a mistake!

Just finishing my first listen and I noticed this too. The vocals are very much up front. However, I still found the overall mix to be pretty nice. The music is pleasant soft rock, not up to the standard of his 70's material but nice enough.

 

[edisonbaggins]

 

[Ninecats]

Haven’t received my copy yet but genereally when the vocals are too loud and ”isolated” in the center compared to the other sounds I always try to lower them, usually works pretty well.

 

[sjcorne]

Haven’t received my cooy yet but genereally when the vocals are too loud and ”isolated” in the center compared to the other sounds I always try to lower them, usually works pretty well.

That may not be possible on this release, as Parsons generally does not use the center channel on his surround mixes.

I haven’t received my copy yet, will be sure to chime in when it arrives.

 

[4-earredwonder]

pleeze, Pleez, PLEZZ, Mr. Parsons ...... continue to give us those Classic Albums like Pyramid, I Robot, Turn of a Friendly Card in Surround ....... but until then ...... The Secret is, er, just alright. At least we have 4 semi classic cuts, Mike!

 

[IMachine]

Haven’t received my copy yet but genereally when the vocals are too loud and ”isolated” in the center compared to the other sounds I always try to lower them, usually works pretty well.

Not possible!
Vocals are in the fronts.

 

[Old Darth]

Overall the album is too mellow for my tastes - especially compared against classic Parsons - but damn the 5.1 mix is sublime. Vocals are definitely prominent, by design I believe. This is a lyric heavy album and the musical accompaniments are meant to support vocals.

I suspect this will be one that grows on one with repeated listens.

Quite enjoy the - As Light Falls - video:

 

[4-earredwonder]

I played THE SECRET all the way through, late last night, and although the sonics and mix were delightful, there were really NO stand out tracks which would distinguish this outing ... at least in my mind. I found his previous solo projects A Valid Path and On Air more enjoyable and hope at some point, he does reissue them for those who were unable to purchase them the first time around.

On the technical side, I found it perplexing that it was recorded in Pro Tools HD via a Rupert Neve design 5088 analogue console and mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround to Tascam 1~bit DSD and then converted to PCM DTS 96/24 for final release. As I stated in a previous post..... Had AP released THE SECRET on single a hybrid multichannel SACD it might've been less expensive in the long run as there would no need for a separate RBCD and creating the rather sparse video accompaniment and the stereo/5.1 mixes would've thus been LOSSLESS.

For the $13.99 I paid for it.........I most certainly got my money's worth ....... but I do hope Alan's next projects include remixing Pyramid, I Robot and other AP classics into 5.1 for release on BD~A!

 

[GOS]

LOL!! Here is my review....

 

[skherbeck]

LOL!! Here is my review....

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Wow... cool new reviewing system!

 

[skherbeck]

This is one of those albums that seems like it may be divisive around here, but that's why some albums end up at the top of the polls, others not so much, lol. Content-wise, I find it pretty enjoyable throughout, although some songs are a bit bland for me. I tend to like "symphonic rock" and classical music, so "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a standout for me. The fidelity is decent... at first I thought that the drums were a bit muffled, but I think my problem is more a function of issues I have with the mix than the fidelity. The surround mix is very discrete, as I would expect from Alan Parsons, but I'm not experiencing the sonic bliss I've experienced with some of his other surround mixes such as "Dark Side of the Moon", "Eye in The Sky", "Tales of Mystery...", or heck, even the slightly less impressive "On Air". For most of the songs I find the vocals far too hot (especially "Miracle)... so if I adjust the volume to a level where the vocals are enjoyable, the music tends to be too low in the mix. The vocals sound pretty well balanced on "Fly To Me" and "Requiem", however. I don't know... I'm frustrated that such good content created and mixed by a master engineer isn't sounding so great to me... especially when people I usually agree with are loving it (GOS, edisonbaggins)... makes me wonder if I'm having hearing issues or something. Anyway, my vote breakdown is content=2, fidelity=3, mix=1.5, and I'll give 0.5 bonus points for the price/package, so 7 overall.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I wouldn't say I love it, but I'm definitely not hearing some issues others are reporting.
Album is a pretty consistent listen, for me. Veering toward vocal pop. Maybe Parsons has been watching a lot of American Idol or The Voice?

 

[Clint Eastwood]

LOL!! Here is my review....

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View attachment 39899

My worst nightmare...MORE MATH...and the listening level(66db) seems to be the trademark of Marpow...I'm dazed and confused...what happened to my friend...someone has obviously kidnapped Gos..and the last straw...DECIMAL POINTS

 

[Clint Eastwood]

This is one of those albums that seems like it may be divisive around here, but that's why some albums end up at the top of the polls, others not so much, lol. Content-wise, I find it pretty enjoyable throughout, although some songs are a bit bland for me. I tend to like "symphonic rock" and classical music, so "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" is a standout for me. The fidelity is decent... at first I thought that the drums were a bit muffled, but I think my problem is more a function of issues I have with the mix than the fidelity. The surround mix is very discrete, as I would expect from Alan Parsons, but I'm not experiencing the sonic bliss I've experienced with some of his other surround mixes such as "Dark Side of the Moon", "Eye in The Sky", "Tales of Mystery...", or heck, even the slightly less impressive "On Air". For most of the songs I find the vocals far too hot (especially "Miracle)... so if I adjust the volume to a level where the vocals are enjoyable, the music tends to be too low in the mix. The vocals sound pretty well balanced on "Fly To Me" and "Requiem", however. I don't know... I'm frustrated that such good content created and mixed by a master engineer isn't sounding so great to me... especially when people I usually agree with are loving it (GOS, edisonbaggins)... makes me wonder if I'm having hearing issues or something. Anyway, my vote breakdown is content=2, fidelity=3, mix=1.5, and I'll give 0.5 bonus points for the price/package, so 7 overall.

This reminds me of the initial reactions to THE MISSION(Styx)....there won't be a consensus on this one