5.1 surround sound mixes - how are these enjoyable?

I 'liked' this comment, but sometimes, per the mix, one DOES, in fact have what sounds like isolated instruments hitting you from behind ! And that's ok !

Edit: you beat me to it.

 

My comment was in response to the person who referenced room "acoustics" to counter the person pointing out that at live concerts, the sound is projected from the front. But to your point, are you suggesting that 5.1 system setup will differ depending upon whether used for music or movies? I mean, the speakers are generally labeled as left, right, center, rear left and rear right, are they not?

 

In a word, yes. I find that slight adjustments may need to be tailored to the individual mix. Same with movies and music. More so with music.

 

The "surround" speakers in 5.1 are not necessarily "rear" speakers. They don't go directly behind you. And I've heard very few 5.1 music mixes where you have an entire instrument full blast in a surround speaker.

 

My surround speakers are directly to my right and left, not behind me. My preamp has option to add back surround speakers in addition to surround speakers.

 

Well, not directly behind perhaps. But definitely behind, according to most diagrams I've seen.

http://arqen.com/wp-content/gallery/room-setup-speaker-placement/surround-sound-speaker-setup-control-room-close.jpg

 

Yes, some surround mixes do have instruments placed in the rear channels, and don’t sound anything like a live performance. In this case, it’s a deliberate and artificial artistic decision you may like or hate. I think there’s some truth in the feeling that it can be disconcerting - we’re programmed by evolution to be wary of sounds behind us. It’s a valid, if artificial, decision, no more to be rejected out of hand than a synthesizer or phasing effects.

 

Yeah, my system (used mostly for movies) is similar, mostly because my sofa is back against a wall. So the "rear" speakers cannot go any further behind than to the left and right pointing at me on end tables off that wall.

 

True, this is ideal speaker arrangement for surround music:



Also, many of my surround discs (mostly progressive rock) have instruments isolated in the rear -- albeit usually secondary instruments: acoustic guitar, percussion shaker, lead guitar flourish, backing vocals, etc..

 

Haha, in my case it was also for practical reason. Moving them further back would block foot traffics.

 

That's how mine are set up. It's how my system was supposed to be set up when I bought it.

It happens but not as often as people seem to imagine. Frankly, I'd like if if more surround mixes were adventurous like that, but most of the ones I have seem to have mostly ambient sound in the surrounds. That's why I like old quad mixes - those engineers did NOT care! (about avoiding the rear channels)

 

the Sinatra At The Sands 5.1 which alexpop has referred to here is a good example of a surround music mix that gives the feeling of "being in the room", which for me befits the setting of the gig at the venue nicely and doesn't feel like a gimmick. I wasn't there at the time so I can't speak to the mixes' authenticity of what it was actually like but it feels like it might just be the next best thing to being there.

 

Agree completely - those old quad mixes were very adventurous! They didn’t want you to miss that this is new music for the Space Age.

 

Those who are curious about multichannel might be interested in this:

RSVP for a DSD Listening Party with Jared Sacks from Channel Classics and NativeDSD Music on October 20th in New York City.




Dear Friends in and around New York City,

Would you like to join us for a DSD Listening Session on Saturday, October 20th from 1 pm to 6 pm at Innovative Audio Video Showrooms in New York City?

We offer you the excellent showroom at Innovative, a meet 'n' greet with Jared Sacks (Channel Classics / NativeDSD) and Michal Jurewicz (Mytek), DSD DAC and Loudspeaker demonstrations, snacks and most of all... heavenly DSD music listening experiences!

Mytek and NativeDSD Music have teamed up to demo DSD music on some of the finest set-ups available today. Jared Sacks will walk your ears through some of his multi-award winning Channel Classics DSD recordings as well as some of the most popular and noteworthy DSD recordings from other labels available at the NativeDSD Music Store.

WHEN
Saturday, October 20th, 1 pm - 6 pm

LOCATION
Innovative Audio Video Showrooms
150 E58th Street
New York, NY 10155

COST
This event is FREE and includes snacks and beverages

RSVP
Simply send us an email ( [email protected] ) if you will join us!
Let me know whether you will bring someone with you. First come first serve, but we will try our best to seat everyone of course. This event is free of charge.
Invitation: DSD Session in NYC

 

Thanks Kal! And thank you for being one of the few in the audio press to carry the banner for good multichannel music. Your experiences and advice have been greatly appreciated over the years.

 

Every since I was a teenager I was intrigued with the idea of Quadrophonic sound but of course couldn't afford a system. Then it faded. A couple of decades passed and now we have 5.1 7.2, and higher, Axios, etc.
I love it. I don't see it as being unfaithful to the original stereo, I see it as another way to enjoy your favorite music. "Do you want a cheese pizza (which is good) or do you want a supreme with all kinds of stuff on it?" (which is good too)
It's all about taste.

 

Where do you find the Stones SACDs outside of eBay these days ?

 

Shops .Stores

 

On the Aretha Franklin's Hits Quadio Mix DVD that Rhino released a few years ago, on a few songs , Aretha's vocals come from the rear speakers while the instruments are blasting up front

 

Example ? I haven't seen one in a store in over 10 years

 

where do you find that?

 

duttonvocalion.co.uk store: Art Garfunkel - Breakaway [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel] | New releases - Popular | CDSML8537 |

 

The 2002 Stones SACDs are great, but they don't include 5.1 mixes.

 

there was one small yet tantalising glimpse on this SACD Single of what their back catalogue could've been like if mixed in surround sound...



The Rolling Stones - Sympathy For The Devil (Remix)

 

Years of faulty formats, ineffective and poor marketing, lack of product, lack of support, industry disinterest, copy protection hassles, decades of "I only have 2 ears" and "Music comes from a stage in front of me" arguments, retail abandonment, with all of this going against it, and 95% of the general population totally uninterested, corporate bean counters be damned, here in 2018, on a nice day in October, I can listen to John Lennon in the studio....

WITH THE PIANO IN MY FRONT LEFT, THE BASS IN MY BACK SEAT, JOHN IN MY DASHBOARD, PERCUSSION IN MY BACK SEAT TOO, THE REST OF THE MUSICIANS SPREAD AROUND MY CAR, AND

SMILE!!

This is THE TICKET! If you don't like it, you don't have to listen. It's not a gimmick, it's music.