HiRez Poll Starr, Ringo - 5.1 [DVD-A]

[jaybird100]

Definitely songs that grow on you with repeated listening, but the surround mix was a very pleasant surprise. These days, with DVD-A, and other surround formats, being so scarce, it's nice to see that there are still companies and artists, such as Koch and Ringo, who care enough to indulge us our passion.

 

[rusinurbe]

well a copy finally arrived this week, after waiting forever for Amazon.uk to ship i plumped for an Import from CD universe and cancelled teh Amazon order. Actually worked out cheeper with Shipping and handelling (God bless the week Dollar )

It does not stray from from the Beatle path as has been said but is a very good collection. The mix is very good at least some people get surround mixing (Nick Davies are you listening?) Adventurous where it needs to be dynamic as well. The songs are not bad.

A worthy addition to my collection.

 

[JonUrban]

Minnetonka webpage on the release

http://www.minnetonkaaudio.com/news/2008/Ringo_Starr.html

[EDITED 2012] Above link is dead, but here's the text from the web page, via the WAYBACK machine

NEWS


March 13th, 2008

Minnetonka Audio Surrounds Ringo Starr
Ringo 5.1 uses 4 Minnetonka Audio Software products

Minnetonka, MN –March 13, 2008 -- Minnetonka Audio Software, Inc. (MASI) played a key role in the latest DVD-A release by former Beatle Ringo Starr. The DVD-A disc, titled “Ringo 5.1” and released by Koch Entertainment www.kochentertainment.com, utilized four Minnetonka Audio Software products:

• SurCode™ MLP™ – Meridian Lossless Packing to encode the audio
• SurCode™ DTS-DVD Professional - to perform the DTS encode for the video zone
• discWelder™ CHROME II - to author the DVD-A
• AudioTools™ AWE – Audio Workflow Engine to prepare the files for the DTS encode using AWE’s world class quality sample rate converter

Engineered by Bruce Sugar, Ringo 5.1 is presented in 5.1 surround at 24bit/96 kHz. The high definition audio was first packed using SurCode™ MLP™ and then encoded using SurCode™ DTS-DVD Professional, making it possible to present the audio in the video zone of the DVD-A title.

“We used SurCode for the surround encoding on my latest 5.1 project with Ringo Starr and it sounds absolutely transparent to my original final mixes,” says Bruce Sugar.

The DVD-A title was authored by Broadness, www.broadness.com, and CEO Randy Hudson says, "Minnetonka Audio Software creates tools that allow stereo and surround audio publishing at the highest quality to be available to the artist, publisher and consumer. Great technology with great support."

MASI’s own Steve Clarke encoded, sample rate converted, and submitted the files to Broadness and Bruce Sugar for review. “It was a thrill to get the call to work on this project. Our software is very easy to use and very reliable, making my job very straightforward. Between SurCode MLP, DTS, CHROME II and AudioTools AWE, we have Ringo surrounded!”

 

[tcdriver]

Thanks all for the heads up on this disc. I just received my copy in the mail yesterday and I have listened to it several times. The surround mix is very good. Ringo's singing is nothing to write home about as are the songs he sings on the album. What puzzles me is the bass levels on this disc. It is mixed way too high. I had to drop my 0.1 channel 4dB to begin to get a reasonable balance. I have never had to make that much adjustment on any other disc that I own. I played the stereo CD version and the bass is exaggerated on that disc too.

 

[daved64]

Thanks all for the heads up on this disc. I just received my copy in the mail yesterday and I have listened to it several times. The surround mix is very good. Ringo's singing is nothing to write home about as are the songs he sings on the album. What puzzles me is the bass levels on this disc. It is mixed way too high. I had to drop my 0.1 channel 4dB to begin to get a reasonable balance. I have never had to make that much adjustment on any other disc that I own. I played the stereo CD version and the bass is exaggerated on that disc too.

Same here. Nice disc but the bass is up the wazoo.

 

[Dylan Berichon]

This disk is mixed really well, and the sound quality is quite excellent.

The music, on the other hand... Well, I'm still working on it.

 

[quadgdiaz]

finally i got a chance to get the disk, love the surround mix, sound quality great, the music i will say.......... Ringo is Ringo thanks Gerardo

 

[jaybird100]

Very true about the mix; I rather liked the music right out of the gate. I wish more artists would take the initiative to have their music released this way.

 

[EMB]

Don't we all? I really don't understand why more don't issue(at the least)limited 5.1 editions of their work; and if not the albums, then more concert or video compilations. Inexplicable....

ED

 

[jaybird100]

It's a shame there aren't more independent labels, such as Koch, who would be willing to take the risk to put those limited edition surround recordings into the hands of surroundaholics such as ourselves. At the same time, there have to be artists who would be willing to take the same risk. I think both are out there; we just have to hope they get together! We may be small in number, but we're mighty in clout! We need to let them know we will support their efforts. Let's make them the Varese Sarabande of Surround!!!

 

[BananaSlug]

I got this in the mail today from Amazon. I don't know any of Ringo's solo work, so it's all new to me. I got to listen to the first three songs and so far my impression is that Ringo's vocals are stronger than his song writing. It sounds good and the mix is fine, but more generic sounding songs I could not name. I hope to give it another listen, but truthfully I have a whole pile of great quad conversions sitting on my player that I don't know that I'll ever make it back. So, does everyone else really like it, or is it just that there haven't been any new releases in so long people are hungry for any surround title? Maybe I was just in the wrong frame of mind, but so far my opinion is that if they put surround in elevators this is the disc for them. What's the best single track on the disc, maybe I should start there?

 

[alduchaney]

Is my version unique in that tracks 9-11 as listed on the jewel case are in this order on the DVD - 11, 9, 10? They are correct on screen and on the CD but Some People comes before Don't Hang-up.

 

[bugdaddy]

Is my version unique in that tracks 9-11 as listed on the jewel case are in this order on the DVD - 11, 9, 10? They are correct on screen and on the CD but Some People comes before Don't Hang-up.

Mine is that way as well.

 

[JonUrban]

Mine too!

I would doubt that they would "fix" this. I am sure that this release was a one shot production run, soon to be an eBay spectacular!!

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I decided to purchase this one while it is still easy to find. This is the first Ringo solo effort I recall owning although I have certainly heard his music some over the last few decades. Since it is a compilation of his favorite songs from his recent albums, I thought it might be good and it is pretty good. Fidelity and surround mix are very good, the songs are mediocre and Ringo's singing is worse than I recall. Although it wasn't money well spent, I have done worse and I now know to avoid the albums these songs came from and all other Ringo albums for that matter. It gets a 7 from me, prmarily because it is recorded well and mixed really well. I like Ringo, but I can't think of many things stranger than Ringo still having a singing career.

Chris

 

[ChristopherLees]

I decided to purchase this one while it is still easy to find. This is the first Ringo solo effort I recall owning although I have certainly heard his music some over the last few decades. Since it is a compilation of his favorite songs from his recent albums, I thought it might be good and it is pretty good. Fidelity and surround mix are very good, the songs are mediocre and Ringo's singing is worse than I recall. Although it wasn't money well spent, I have done worse and I now know to avoid the albums these songs came from and all other Ringo albums for that matter. It gets a 7 from me, prmarily because it is recorded well and mixed really well. I like Ringo, but I can't think of many things stranger than Ringo still having a singing career.

Chris

for a really good Ringo lp try "Goodnight Vienna" or "Ringo"..."Goodnight Vienna" came out in q8 form and is musically/sonically really good

 

[jaybird100]

I decided to purchase this one while it is still easy to find. This is the first Ringo solo effort I recall owning although I have certainly heard his music some over the last few decades. Since it is a compilation of his favorite songs from his recent albums, I thought it might be good and it is pretty good. Fidelity and surround mix are very good, the songs are mediocre and Ringo's singing is worse than I recall. Although it wasn't money well spent, I have done worse and I now know to avoid the albums these songs came from and all other Ringo albums for that matter. It gets a 7 from me, prmarily because it is recorded well and mixed really well. I like Ringo, but I can't think of many things stranger than Ringo still having a singing career.

Chris

Gee, Chris, why don't you tell us what you REALLY think?

 

[oaqm]

Music - 8
Mix - 9.45

I give it a 9 overall. The DVD just sounds so good.

 

[The Rang]

Is the DVD Audio portion of this set 5.1 only?

Or is there a 2 channel option (not including the 2 ch RBCD)?

 

[jaybird100]

It offers a choice of hi-rez 5.1 or hi-rez stereo on the DVD-Audio disc.