Music is great. The place Where I belong is the stand out track. Some tracks have too little going on in the rears. Its not a Soord or Wilson quality 5.1. Still well worth the money!! a 9 from me.
HiRez Poll Riverside - ID.ENTITY [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]
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After some more listening I have changed my mind and I evaluate ID.Entity Atmos as a good mix.
First I did a test, decoding the first track “Friend or Foe” to WAV 7.1.4, and exploring with Audacity I saw that Duda vocals are spread over the two stereo fronts but also in the Center channel. The Center channel has exclusively a “copy” of the Duda vocals. So, I mix pasted the Center Channel to the two sides surrounds, and then re-encode the Atmos.
With the generated immersive surround vocals for Mariusz Duda, the result was almost similar to the Bruce Soord – Pineapple Thief Give It Back. I really liked much more with this simple mix change. I imagined some more complex editions, pasting the “only voice Center” to other channels like the Tops, alternating with other parts.
But this was just a test and I don’t want to spend my time with that, so I listened the whole album more times and carefully. And I did enjoy.
I now understand why some of us have been disappointed at first. Many tracks have long passages almost with just stereo and then louder sound comes from side surrounds. BUT we have to be patient and listen carefully to the whole album. As this is not like continuous electronic ping-pong music, you have to wait and then you discover parts with enough discrete and immersive effects.
There is not only front Duda vocals, but also Duda voice appears on the Top speakers (only) in some parts of “Big Tech Brother” and “Post-Truth”.
The final piano in “Post-Truth” is immersive running on Top Rears + Wides + Fronts
In some parts, there are some discrete sounds not only from side surrounds but also only from rear surrounds. Other parts with Top rears. That expands the sound.
I find now well balanced the volume level side/rears vs fronts specially on “I'm Done With You”, “Self-Aware” and other tracks.
When the ‘stereo’ front parts, the very subtle echo/reverb in surrounds and tops gives some level of immersion that may not impress too much but could be appropriate so that it is not excessively dizzying.
In summary, although the overall sound is not as clean as some other references like Bruce Soord or Steven Wilson, I now think it is a good mix.
My vote is an 8.
First I did a test, decoding the first track “Friend or Foe” to WAV 7.1.4, and exploring with Audacity I saw that Duda vocals are spread over the two stereo fronts but also in the Center channel. The Center channel has exclusively a “copy” of the Duda vocals. So, I mix pasted the Center Channel to the two sides surrounds, and then re-encode the Atmos.
With the generated immersive surround vocals for Mariusz Duda, the result was almost similar to the Bruce Soord – Pineapple Thief Give It Back. I really liked much more with this simple mix change. I imagined some more complex editions, pasting the “only voice Center” to other channels like the Tops, alternating with other parts.
But this was just a test and I don’t want to spend my time with that, so I listened the whole album more times and carefully. And I did enjoy.
I now understand why some of us have been disappointed at first. Many tracks have long passages almost with just stereo and then louder sound comes from side surrounds. BUT we have to be patient and listen carefully to the whole album. As this is not like continuous electronic ping-pong music, you have to wait and then you discover parts with enough discrete and immersive effects.
There is not only front Duda vocals, but also Duda voice appears on the Top speakers (only) in some parts of “Big Tech Brother” and “Post-Truth”.
The final piano in “Post-Truth” is immersive running on Top Rears + Wides + Fronts
In some parts, there are some discrete sounds not only from side surrounds but also only from rear surrounds. Other parts with Top rears. That expands the sound.
I find now well balanced the volume level side/rears vs fronts specially on “I'm Done With You”, “Self-Aware” and other tracks.
When the ‘stereo’ front parts, the very subtle echo/reverb in surrounds and tops gives some level of immersion that may not impress too much but could be appropriate so that it is not excessively dizzying.
In summary, although the overall sound is not as clean as some other references like Bruce Soord or Steven Wilson, I now think it is a good mix.
My vote is an 8.
After a few listens I definitely prefer the Atmos over the 5.1, but agree that the surround mix is a bit too conservative volume-wise. I think the center and surround channels have pretty good content - they just need to be louder. I usually don't do this (and don't think you should have to) but I used Audacity to boost the center and surround channel volumes in the 5.1 mix by about 5 dB and that results in a much more immersive, 3d experience on my system. Not ready to vote yet but hovering around an 8 for the mix. Not a fan of any of the spoken parts on a few of the tracks and find some of the lyrics a bit cringy. It's a small nit, but may knock it down a point. Still really like the music and think it's a solid release.
i
i
I agree the album is good. But it still gives me listening fatigue. Subsequent listens reinforce both points for me. Yet...I listen.
But you know, I once owned a '68 Chevy Chevelle I built up the engine in and (back road street raced) that was loud as hell and I loved it. One adapts, I guess I'm saying. The Chevelle nearly killed me in a late night accident involving a bridge and water. Quite sure I.D. Entity won't come close.
But you know, I once owned a '68 Chevy Chevelle I built up the engine in and (back road street raced) that was loud as hell and I loved it. One adapts, I guess I'm saying. The Chevelle nearly killed me in a late night accident involving a bridge and water. Quite sure I.D. Entity won't come close.
I'm enjoying this up mixed to Auro 3D, I'm not sure if it's the Atmos or the True HD core stream my AVC up mixes, but either way the result is quite good. 
I'm enjoying this up mixed to Auro 3D, I'm not sure if it's the Atmos or the True HD core stream my AVC up mixes, but either way the result is quite good.
I think it has to be the TrueHD 7.1 which is upmixed by Auro-Matic.
Because I think it would not be possible to decode full Atmos to all speakers and then "add" more upmixing content.
I guess you would loose or would be more difusse some few Atmos efects when there is discrete content on the Tops.
I still have to test with Auro-3D, after some more listening in Atmos
Solid 8 for me [which is a lowish grade overall]. As others have indicated, there's a bit too much compression across the entire mix and too few surround elements at times. Also noted the sometimes heavy handed and thereby distracting reverb effects on the vocals. It does expand the soundstage past the stereo mix, but IMO didn't reveal any hidden elements buried in the stereo mix. That indicates either a good stereo mix or poorly executed surround mix. Things did seem pushed too far forward/front.
Musically this is in a similar direction as Wasteland with elements of their prior albums. Good effort overall and for the price I feel fine with this surround release. It's just not begging me to come back to it for repeat listens.
Musically this is in a similar direction as Wasteland with elements of their prior albums. Good effort overall and for the price I feel fine with this surround release. It's just not begging me to come back to it for repeat listens.
I've got a multich file but not the Atmos mkv yet.
That 5.1 isn't heavily discreet but not too bad either
I find the clarity and inner detail exceptional, almost
eerily so in some places, I enjoyed it very much.
I voted 9
That 5.1 isn't heavily discreet but not too bad either
I find the clarity and inner detail exceptional, almost
eerily so in some places, I enjoyed it very much.
I voted 9
This album feels like the 5.1 mix is the real mix and some bad voodoo was then used to create the ATMOS mix.
The ATMOS mix is not well executed but I do find the 5.1 mix quite enjoyable. To that end, I play the native 5.1 mix and use my AVR's upmixer to create the ATMOS mix. The surround mix seems to get better as the album goes on, cumulating with the final two tracks which are really well done.
Musically I really like the album.
I gave it a 8
The ATMOS mix is not well executed but I do find the 5.1 mix quite enjoyable. To that end, I play the native 5.1 mix and use my AVR's upmixer to create the ATMOS mix. The surround mix seems to get better as the album goes on, cumulating with the final two tracks which are really well done.
Musically I really like the album.
I gave it a 8
I choose to upmix the Atmos with Auro 3D, it then uses the True HD 7.1 core to good result. The music is really good.
Concur wholeheartedly about the low amplitude in the surrounds & heights. There are quite a few discrete elements in them, but they are 20-25 db lower than the L&R. I have channel by channel control of volume and EQ with my preamp, so I just jacked them up about 10 db and all of a sudden I was listening to a really cool immersive mix.
I really like the music so now I'm going to take another run at it with a few more tweaks. But I am really digging it now
I really like the music so now I'm going to take another run at it with a few more tweaks. But I am really digging it now
Finally settled on a combined vote of 8. Deducted a point for the surround mix being too low in the sides/rears and another point for somewhat cringey lyrics (not to mention some awful spoken parts). After boosting the center and rear channels by ~5 dB I was much more satisfied with the mix. Not my favorite Riverside album at all, but in the end the sheer musicality and energy make it a positive listen well worth revisiting. Despite some minor complaints on this release, Mariusz Duda/Riverside are among the best progressive artists making new music and I always look forward to their next release.
FL, C , FR all -1db
Everything else +2db
Has this Atmos album sounding pretty sweet!
Everything else +2db
Has this Atmos album sounding pretty sweet!
beerking
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Cheers
Mike
That's a nice adjustment! Certainly not the first that has needed a slight repositioning.
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This has been a hard one for me. I became a fan of Riverside's a bit before Love, Fear and the Time Machine. So this is the third release of theirs with a surround version but the first simultaneous with the initial mainstream release. By the time Wasteland and Love were released in surround, I knew the songs was fully into them. ID.Entity like Love and Wasteland took some time to fully embrace. ID.Entity fits very well into the Riverside catalog. I thoroughly enjoy this album as much as all the other Riverside releases, they have a great batting average.
I was thrilled that we wouldn't have to wait for a surround release this time. As with Wasteland and Love, I wasn't going to buy a CD only release. That it was coming out on Blu-ray with lossless 5.1 and Atmos was great bonus. I don't have Atmos but am not going to ignore that having it on a release only enhances the value of the product. Santa may bring me four more speakers some day.
I really like ID.Entity, it is the first of their releases where I bought the special edition (Apple Music purchases previously) and was exposed to the extra instrumental tracks as part of the initial listening experience. It is a strong release with another great overarching theme. The polarization of the populace due to social media, and particularly in the US cable news, are topics that Orwell and Huxley would have been writing about today, I think it's a great addition to their catalog.
The overall presentation is also excellent. The art book with lyrics and artwork, works excellently with the onscreen prevention when listening to the album. I am a big fan of the art(ear)book format. It's the closet we get to (and exceeds in most cases) the vinyl releases of my high school days.
For me this would be a top notch release if the the surround mix lived up to the rest of the production. Unfortunately, it is a big disappointment. There are a few interesting and even great moments but for the most part the surround mix, even when closely listened too disappears and becomes big stereo, The best mixes for me were on Age of Anger and Together Again, instrumentals that are not part of the main album. There are interesting moments throughout the album but for the most part the surround is disappointing.
Since this is a surround focused site I don't like the 3,3,3,1 ranking. I think the surround mix should be the most important part of the rating, particularly since this is fans rating the music and we'll generally like that part of what we're buying. For me surround should be half the rating (5), the new material next at 30% (3) followed by binaries for sound quality and packaging bonus material (1). In my opinion there are far too many 9 & 10 ratings in the polls.
Overall 6
Surround (5) 1
Material (3) 3
Sound Quality (1) 1
Packaging/Bonus (1) 1
The album is full of great new songs and the sound quality is excellent. I love the art book format and it interfaces very well with the on screen presentation. The artwork in the book and on screen mesh perfectly for the songs and, you wouldn't think this was necessary, always lets you know what song you're listening too. The big let down is the 5.1 mix, other than the bonus tracks, it's not interesting.
I was thrilled that we wouldn't have to wait for a surround release this time. As with Wasteland and Love, I wasn't going to buy a CD only release. That it was coming out on Blu-ray with lossless 5.1 and Atmos was great bonus. I don't have Atmos but am not going to ignore that having it on a release only enhances the value of the product. Santa may bring me four more speakers some day.
I really like ID.Entity, it is the first of their releases where I bought the special edition (Apple Music purchases previously) and was exposed to the extra instrumental tracks as part of the initial listening experience. It is a strong release with another great overarching theme. The polarization of the populace due to social media, and particularly in the US cable news, are topics that Orwell and Huxley would have been writing about today, I think it's a great addition to their catalog.
The overall presentation is also excellent. The art book with lyrics and artwork, works excellently with the onscreen prevention when listening to the album. I am a big fan of the art(ear)book format. It's the closet we get to (and exceeds in most cases) the vinyl releases of my high school days.
For me this would be a top notch release if the the surround mix lived up to the rest of the production. Unfortunately, it is a big disappointment. There are a few interesting and even great moments but for the most part the surround mix, even when closely listened too disappears and becomes big stereo, The best mixes for me were on Age of Anger and Together Again, instrumentals that are not part of the main album. There are interesting moments throughout the album but for the most part the surround is disappointing.
Since this is a surround focused site I don't like the 3,3,3,1 ranking. I think the surround mix should be the most important part of the rating, particularly since this is fans rating the music and we'll generally like that part of what we're buying. For me surround should be half the rating (5), the new material next at 30% (3) followed by binaries for sound quality and packaging bonus material (1). In my opinion there are far too many 9 & 10 ratings in the polls.
Overall 6
Surround (5) 1
Material (3) 3
Sound Quality (1) 1
Packaging/Bonus (1) 1
The album is full of great new songs and the sound quality is excellent. I love the art book format and it interfaces very well with the on screen presentation. The artwork in the book and on screen mesh perfectly for the songs and, you wouldn't think this was necessary, always lets you know what song you're listening too. The big let down is the 5.1 mix, other than the bonus tracks, it's not interesting.
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I don't follow any specific formula when I rank something other than what my ears tell me.
I also don't include art books in my ranking, since when possible I don't buy those type sets.
But I think everyone should rank a release as they see fit.
I also don't include art books in my ranking, since when possible I don't buy those type sets.
But I think everyone should rank a release as they see fit.
Just checking whether you bumped your surrounds up 3 - 6 db, or so.
I recall it really doing wonders with this mix.
Some DAWs output surrounds at -3db, by default. Not saying that happened here, but that stuff like that could happen and go unnoticed.
Yes, I did.
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