SH Spotlight Play the Kinks "Waterloo Sunset" in stereo, check and fix or improve your stereo playback with it!

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Jun 15, 2013.

  1. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    Folks, you will enhance this effect by towing out, of course. In fact, no toe-in at all will make it just right, HOWEVER, check your center vocals on something in a good stereo mix. Sometimes NO toe-in (having your speakers straight, facing the room, no angle at all) can make your center stuff more muted sounding. Check and see, compromise is sometimes the best. Look at your speakers from your sweet spot. You should just be able to just see the inside walls of your speakers from your X. That is how I have mine, just a bit of toe-in to make sure the center volume is perfect. Capiche?

    Now that you have it just right, grab your DEEP FOREST "Sweet Lullaby" CD and live it up!
     
    hi_watt, c-eling and JohnT like this.
  2. william r small

    william r small Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cleveland, OH
    Before this thread disappears I thought I'd add that the Marble Arch UK LP I mentioned earlier (MALS 762) also has a unique and noticeable alternate mix of "Death of A Clown." It's the stereo LP version, not the mono single version with the alternate lead vocal, but respective volumes of the instruments and vocal are quite different.
     
  3. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Sha La La indeed. I noticed this effect on Waterloo Sunset by The Kinks a few years ago on my small computer speakers of all things. They must have been placed just right because I heard the Sha La La background vocal coming from behind me.

    I'm not familiar with The Deep Forest track, but I just ordered a chapie on amazon.com to check it out?

    Any other suggestions of tunes that simulate this holographic magic?
     
  4. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    On the Deep Forest, try track 1, 2 and 3.

    Look up "Records mixed with "Q-Sound".. Should be a bunch. Doesn't mean it's good music but it will have the effect.
     
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  5. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    Thanks for the recommendations!
     
  6. Scruffy025

    Scruffy025 New Member

    Location:
    On the Wet Coast
    I get this effect a lot. Latest one I noticed was Close to the Edge, mainly Siberian Khatru. Very cool.
     
  7. Joel1963

    Joel1963 Senior Member

    Location:
    Montreal
    Just sitting in front of my computer, holding my hands behind my ears in a triangular way and heard the effect, even better than my previous attempt.
     
  8. Sax-son

    Sax-son Forum Resident

    Location:
    Three Rivers, CA
    I will have to pull out my copy and give it a listen.
     
  9. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Headphones... :)
     
  10. Ken_McAlinden

    Ken_McAlinden MichiGort Staff

    Location:
    Livonia, MI
    I actually have a pro-logic test disc that I use for this purpose whenever I re-wire or move anything, but "Waterloo Sunset" sounds *considerably* better than pink noise or test tones. :)
     
  11. gkella

    gkella Glen Kellaway From The Basement

    Location:
    Toronto, Canada
    Okay, I just tried this.
    I started out with my speakers in a straight position.
    By the time
    I was done, I had moved each back about an inch and toed each of them in, I would say at least an inch.
    It opened the background vocals right up !!!
    I can hardly wait give a few more tunes a listen.
    Thanks Steve.
    Unfortunately, I am heading out the door to see John Fogerty.
    Second row floor seats.
    Glen
     
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  12. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Delta, BC
    Too bad time has been so hard on arguably one of rock's greatest songs. Muswell Hillbillies seems to be the flavor of the year. I keep seeing lists of favorite Kinks songs with Waterloo Sunset sometimes way down the lists. I don't understand this trend. Rasa's harmonizing is worth the term 'greatest' alone.
     
    Last edited: Nov 14, 2014
  13. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    That's the entire idea of this thread, yes. More entertaining than the usual XLO disk, etc.
     
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  14. reb

    reb Money Beats Soul

    Location:
    Long Island
    XLO disc works great. In Phase/Out of Phase tracks.
     
  15. pronghorn

    pronghorn Forum Resident

    Location:
    Minnesota
    I have a black & white labeled PYE issued vinyl copy of Something Else, will I still get the same effect with the vinyl version?
     
  16. Gardo

    Gardo Audio Epistemologist

    Location:
    Virginia
    I hear this effect on the guitar solo on "Whole Lotta Love," which at one point sounds like it's swirling directly above my head. Very spooky.
     
  17. goodiesguy

    goodiesguy Confide In Me

    Location:
    New Zealand
    Will do this first thing tomorrow. I think I've got my speakers set up pretty good, but I want to make sure with this.
     
  18. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    Thanks for resurrecting this, Steve...and for the suggestion. I am going to try this today.
     
  19. Dee Zee

    Dee Zee Once Upon a Dream

    Me too, just discovered this discussion.
     
  20. My room doesn't allow for different speaker placements, but still this is what I use to check that my stereo playback is working properly:

    [​IMG]
     
    krisbee likes this.
  21. Nobby

    Nobby Senior Member

    Location:
    France
    I've got an old Kinks 4 track 12" single with a stereo WATERLOO SUNSET, so tried it out.

    Hey presto, the background vocals appeared to be behind me.

    Unfortunately the vinyl was so shot that the sibilance on the next track DEDICATED FOLLOWER OF FASHION was also behind me! :)
     
  22. MrRom92

    MrRom92 Forum Supermodel

    Location:
    Long Island, NY


    Something I've always wondered, never bothered to ask. Have there ever been any Q-sound masters cut on record? and was that type of processing strictly a digital process or something that could be applied in the analog domain? I have a few CDs from the early 90's which were mixed with Q sound, and I think every Sega CD game with a redbook soundtrack is Q-sound as well.
     
  23. Steve Hoffman

    Steve Hoffman Your host Your Host Thread Starter

    I have no idea. I think Q Sound was from the 1980s and on so it's possible. Heck, some Nat King Cole and Sinatra stereo LPs are in a type of Q Sound from 1958-60 (by accident or on purpose, I have no idea).
     
    MrRom92 likes this.
  24. riknbkr330

    riknbkr330 Senior Member

    Yes, if it's the purple translucent vinyl copy. It's one of the better sounding versions.
     
  25. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Delta, BC
    You can thank Rasa Davies for those angelic harmonies.
     

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