I am missing something about ELP's DVD-A

I just read the MusicTap review of ELP's DVD-A "Brain Salad Surgery" - and did I miss something????

Here is quote from the review:

"Well, the Stereo mix is nicely enhanced and is therefore a pleasant way to enjoy the album. "

Then at the end of the review he states:

"I recommend the purchase of this album largely for it's extras and it's stereo mix."

I ask - WHAT STEREO MIX????

Unless something has changed in the authoring of this disc from when I purchased it years ago, there is not a dedicated stereo mix on this disc, it is only a down-mix.

It may be quite possible that a down-mixed stereo "mix" might be quite good, but to recommend a disc based on a non-existent dedicated stereo mix could be construed as bad reporting.

 

Mistaken reporting? The package says there's a stereo mix, but uh, there IS none.

Just two mixes. a DD and Advanced Rez 5.1. That's all that's on the disc.

So, yes.

 

Musictap.net is a nice site, but extremely misinformed.

 

From what I understand, certain disc software is supposed to include something called "System Managed Audio Resource Technique" or SMART to make sure downmixes sound right. I don't personally know if this disc includes this but it is an option for dvd-audio to save disc space. But I haven't read where any engineer truly trusts it--I wouldn't.

Read about it here (scroll down about 3/4 of the way down the page).

Edit: And how do you tell your player you want to hear the stereo downmix? I really have no solid ideas; maybe set your player for 2.0 channel analog output only via its initial settings menu???

I've seen several players scroll "NO DOWN MIX" immediately before playing a dvd-audio disc--maybe to assure the operator he is getting a true stereo mix?

[T]

 

The lack of a discrete stereo track on Brain Salad Surgery has been a bane of my existence since I bought it.

 

My player, the Panasonic RP91 says this when I play certain DVDA's particularly Brain Salad Surgery.

I love the MC mix on BSS, so I don't miss the Stereo mix on that one. I have upteen Stereo cd's of that album.

 

never looked for the stereo mix!