Surround Albums to AVOID!!!

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steelydave said:
I actually like (but don't love) this one - yeah, it's not like the BOC quad mixes, but it's a massive improvement on the fidelity of the stereo mix, not to mention the boxy-sounding quad mixes of the previous two albums. There are even some good surround-y bits including the guitar break in Don't Fear the Reaper circling the room. Would I like it to have more discrete stuff in the rears? Sure, but this is still at least a 7 for me.
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Well there’s defo discrete stuff around I agree... But the mix has something fishy about it to me? 🐠 Just quite disappointing... I think there was talk in the polls about raising the rears, which I think helped?

Perhaps this could be a contender for ’The Adventure in Second Guessing’ series? 😎

The album is floating around in the Sony 360 world right now - who knows what version they’re using for that?!
 
MrSmithers said:
Well there’s defo discrete stuff around I agree... But the mix has something fishy about it to me? 🐠 Just quite disappointing... I think there was talk in the polls about raising the rears, which I think helped?

Perhaps this could be a contender for ’The Adventure in Second Guessing’ series? 😎

The album is floating around in the Sony 360 world right now - who knows what version they’re using for that?!
Click to expand...
I recommend you send me this disc for analysis and review! I'll even send it back, if you wish! Or pay your purchase costs, or some other arrangement!
 
edisonbaggins said:
Let's give this a try. Maybe it will be an interesting topic.

I'll start with Gary Numan Anthology, by Silerline. Just sounded like bad copies of the fronts in the rears. Sold it after one listen.

https://www.discogs.com/Gary-Numan-Anthology/release/1211789
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Great idea......friend
edisonbaggins said:
Let's give this a try. Maybe it will be an interesting topic.

I'll start with Gary Numan Anthology, by Silerline. Just sounded like bad copies of the fronts in the rears. Sold it after one listen.

https://www.discogs.com/Gary-Numan-Anthology/release/1211789
Click to expand...
Great idea ...... friend :ROFLMAO:
 
MrSmithers said:
Well there’s defo discrete stuff around I agree... But the mix has something fishy about it to me? 🐠 Just quite disappointing... I think there was talk in the polls about raising the rears, which I think helped?

Perhaps this could be a contender for ’The Adventure in Second Guessing’ series? 😎

The album is floating around in the Sony 360 world right now - who knows what version they’re using for that?!
Click to expand...

I was going to do one of those Second Guessing posts on it, but I actually pulled it apart and looked at the aforementioned Don't Fear the Reaper guitar break in the middle, and when it pans from speaker to speaker it does so at equal volume, which led met to conclude that the mix on the SACD was as the engineers intended. Sure you can boost the rear speakers and it might make the mix a bit more balanced in terms of volume, but I don't think it's going to lead to any significant revelations.

I did the same thing with the Alice Cooper Billion Dollar Babies DVD-A, because it seemed a bit weak in the rear speakers (especially compared to the quad mix) but again there were some elements (a guitar solo maybe?) that panned from front to rear (can't remember which song or songs) and again they maintained their volume as they moved so I concluded the mix was "correct" as presented on the disc. BDB sounded kinda interesting with the rears boosted a bit, supporting elements like keybaords etc could be more distinctly heard, but again it was ruined when things panned from front to rear (or swirled) because they'd get louder as they hit the rear speakers, which really took me out of the moment and made me notice the mix, in a bad way.
 
sjcorne said:
I'm sure I'll think of more, but here's a start.
  • Bruce Springsteen - Devils & Dust
    • Loud, compressed front channels with barely-audible center and rears. Improves slightly when you boost the rears, but on some tracks there isn't even anything back there to boost.
  • Train - My Private Nation
    • Also mixed by Nick DiDia, so basically the same issues as above. The front channels sound like AM radio and the rears are basically silent save for the occasional random isolated bit (a synth blast or guitar overdub) that has no connection to what's happening upfront.
  • Rob Thomas - Something To Be
    • Some cool isolated stuff happening in the rears (dueling rhythm guitars in "Lonely No More", for instance), but again the front channels sound like AM radio.
  • Eric Clapton - 461 Ocean Boulevard (DTS-CD)
    • If you want to hear how good this quad mix actually is, listen to the remastered version on the Give Me Strength Blu-Ray. Poor sound quality and some front-to-back balance issues on this mastering. I actually think the CD-4 LP sounds better.
  • Wings - Venus & Mars
    • The quad mix is kind of all-over-the-place, but as with the DTS-CD of 461 the real problem here is the fidelity. "Rock Show" sounds downright atrocious.
  • Bon Jovi - Have A Nice Day
    • Again, really poor sound quality
Here's a few that aren't necessarily bad, but are rendered obsolete--in my opinion, at least--by a superior second attempt:
  • Rush - A Farewell To Kings (2011 DVD-A)
  • Yes - Fragile (2002 DVD-A)
  • Derek & The Dominos - Layla (SACD) (I wish Scheiner's mix wasn't so loud though!)
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I completely agree with "Layla", "Fragile" & "Cheap Thrills" they suck......I hope that for "Layla" 50th Anniversary they finally do it justice!!
 
musicmemorabiliashoppellc said:
I completely agree with "Layla", "Fragile" & "Cheap Thrills" they suck......I hope that for "Layla" 50th Anniversary they finally do it justice!!
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It was already done justice - the 40th anniversary box contained a DTS DVD with a fantastic 5.1 mix by Elliot Scheiner. I wish the mastering was a bit more dynamic, but the mix itself is super-discrete and revealing.
 
privateuniverse said:
David Bowie - Station to Station. A brilliant album marred by an awful, unadventurous 5.1 mix.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band - Live in NYC. Performances are amazing, but the fidelity is low, often harsh. The surround mix is uninspired. Pretty much just muddy arena ambience in the rear speakers.
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Fully agree on the Bowie what a waste of plastic :mad:
 
sjcorne said:
It was already done justice - the 40th anniversary box contained a DTS DVD with a fantastic 5.1 mix by Elliot Scheiner. I wish the mastering was a bit more dynamic, but the mix itself is super-discrete and revealing.
Click to expand...
Well let's put it this way.....to me I could barely hear the rears at all.....I've got the 40th Anniversary Box as well.....maybe I got a faulty disc....anyone ever have issues with their set other than me?
 
musicmemorabiliashoppellc said:
Well let's put it this way.....to me I could barely hear the rears at all.....I've got the 40th Anniversary Box as well.....maybe I got a faulty disc....anyone ever have issues with their set other than me?
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I have to agree with Jonathan .... a friend made me a DVD~A 5.1 from that DTS DVD and it sounds PHENOMENOL ...... Swear it sounds like a bona fide DVD~A 5.1. THAT GOOD!
 
Back to BOC "AOF" SACD....being a big, big fan of the LP (still have it, don't have the thorenz TT) even still, at first the SACD seemed, well, weird.
I remember commenting about it here. But over time it's grown on me. It (Agents of Fortune) is actually the only BOC I really care about although I have others.
Hard to believe I bought the LP 40 years ago......
 
boondocks said:
Back to BOC "AOF" SACD....being a big, big fan of the LP (still have it, don't have the thorenz TT) even still, at first the SACD seemed, well, weird.
I remember commenting about it here. But over time it's grown on me. It (Agents of Fortune) is actually the only BOC I really care about although I have others.
Hard to believe I bought the LP 40 years ago......
Click to expand...
Mate
The debut Blue Oyster Cult album from 1972 is my goto BOC album. Absolutely brilliant album which I play often.
Play it loud and enjoy!
 
I'm making a broad generalization here, but wouldn't most "live" albums have a pretty unadventurous quad mix? I mean after all, it's not like much of the instrumentation is isolated in the recording process. I'm guessing the experience listening is usually designed to make you feel like you're sitting in the audience?

I've never been a fan of any live album. To me, the studio version always sounds better...quad or not.
 
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