Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Just so.

 

Yup. Easy enough to see who wrote the review.

I just went to the links for Fleetwood Mac's Rumors as well as the quad Moody Blues' Seventh Sojourn to re-read what the write-ups were, as I spent last night going through some 5.1 discs, including Elton's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Fleetwood was exquisite, Elton excellent and the Moodies very good.

 

FYI in the Blackened color scheme the group names and unreadable

 

That's weird.... it is normally the colours that are unreadable? I can only assume it is the way you have the page formatted?

Is anyone else unable to see the names?

 

It's because they are in black, and with the "blackened" color scheme (which I also use), they are on dark grey background, making them hardly readable.

FYI:

 

Ahhh, I see.
Ive never changed my format.

It can be a little awkward. I try to keep with straight black where possible, because I have read so many folks say colours can't be seen on many of the formats.... so I'm not really sure what to do with it.

 

I have chosen for these albums :

Alan Parsons - On Air
Bryan Adams - Reckless
Tony Banks - A Curious Feeling
David Bowie - Heathen

 

For what it's worth, I can still read the band names even with the Blackened color scheme. At the worst I can still highlight them and that makes them more readable.

 

Talking Heads - True Stories. I have had the dual disc version of this for a few years. Pretty sure I bought a used copy because the cover is a little beat up. I 'm sure I didn't pay $40 for it though - I think it was more like half that.. I guess I haven't listened to it since I first got it since I just figured out that I misripped the 5.1 mix. That's probably because it it's my seventh favorite Talking Heads album. But it's still a pretty good album - a nice companion to Little Creatures and much better than Naked. I figured the surround mix was one worth acquiring since I already had ample evidence from the others that the mix would be really good. It is. The extra Papa Legba track is the surround highlight. (2/3)

 

Sorceress

Cover art by Travis Smith
Studio album by
Opeth
Released 30 September 2016
Recorded May 2016
Studio
Various[show]
Genre Progressive rock[1][2]
Length 56:35
Label Moderbolaget Nuclear Blast
Producer Tom Dalgety[3] Mikael Åkerfeldt

Sorceress is the twelfth studio album by the Swedish progressive rock band Opeth.[12] The album was released on 30 September 2016 via record label Nuclear Blast and the band's own imprint Moderbolaget.[12] The album was produced and mixed by Tom Dalgety and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.[12] Following the album's release, the band embarked on a world tour with bands the Sword, Sahg, and Myrkur as supporting acts.[13][14] Thematically, the album draws inspiration from Åkerfeldt's personal life, as he divorced in 2016.[15] The album was streamed via SoundCloud on 29 September.[16]

• Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, production
• Fredrik Åkesson – electric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals
• Joakim Svalberg – Hammond C3 Organ, Mellotron, Fender Rhodes 88, Harpsichord, Grand piano, Moog, percussion, backing vocals
• Martín Méndez – bass guitars
• Martin Axenrot – drums, percussion

Additional personnel

• Pascale Marie Vickery - spoken words on Persephone and Persephone (Slight Return)
• Wil Malone – string arrangements
• Tom Dalgety – engineering, production, mixing
• John Davis – mastering
• Travis Smith – cover art

1 Persephone 1:51
2 Sorceress 5:49
3 The Wilde Flowers 6:49
4 Will O The Wisp 5:07
5 Chrysalis 7:16
6 Sorceress 2 3:49
7 The Seventh Sojourn 5:29
8 Strange Brew 8:44
9 A Fleeting Glance 5:06
10 Era 5:41
11 Persephone (Slight Return) 0:54
--------------------------------------------
Well I have a week off, so I may try and slide in a few albums I haven't even had a chance to listen to yet, which brings us to this one. Opeth are very new to me. I bought Pale Communion when we started doing this thread to see what I thought of them, and this particular version of the band suits my listening, even though I don't necessarily subscribe to the darker themes the band seem to be drawn to. I am not a big fan of screamo, or the death metal gurgling, so with the singer singing, I am more in tune with them stylistically. Obviously if someone likes the other styles of vocal Risky has been looking at those albums....

Sorcerous came out in 2016 between Pale Communion and In Cauda Venenum, and I am yet to here it.
If there is a downside to this for anyone it will be that the surround mix is only available in a box set with a double record, a double cd and a dvd. The cd includes a couple of extra tracks and a few live tracks, so it does offer something extra for fans, and I guess it is nice to have a disc that your can play in your car ... if it has a cd player of course.... Records are something many folks still love, and it is nice to have records, but for me, if I want the surround, I don't really want to have to pay for a record and a cd I will likely never play, but anyhow, we're getting used to these little quirks of the modern industry, as annoying as they may be.

I have very little idea of what to expect, so I am not going to waffle, I'm just going to roll into the album.

Discogs has it from about 30 euros, but the shipping works out fairly expensive, and it ends up being around the 60 USD mark. Opeth - Sorceress (Box Set, Europe, 2016) For Sale | Discogs

There don't seem to be too many out there at the moment. Be aware that there are a couple of double record sets available that do not have the surround dvd.

5.1 mix Tom Dalgetty

I can't find the name of who mastered this ...
Thus us just DD 5.1

Persephone
We open with a really nice acoustic. The volume is very low ( set at about 17)
We have guitars just left and right of the front left and right.
A spoken vocal from a female comes in across the front, and some mellotron with a little in the rears.
Nothing too exciting here.

Sorcerous
This comes in with a slightly unusual, but pretty decent riff. Everything is up front.
Then we move into a moderate temp metal chunk rhythm.
We get the rhythm guitars giving the feeling of coming from the sides and the cymbals in the rears.
We get an instrumental interlude with a nice dynamic between the acoustic and metal sound.
A held note guitar starts on the left side and moves to the front. A distorted keyboard comes in left of front left, , and is joined just right of front right.
We have a sort of 180 degree soundfield. Mainly up front, but not without a certain amount of mild immersion.
It works pretty well.

The Wilde Flowers
This has the same kind of mix sound.
A sort of low mixed lead instrument gives us a mild left side stimulus.
We break into an atmospheric section that has a nice ambience, and the move into a nice lead break.
Again mainly cymbals in the rears.
There are some effects sends giving us a somewhat surround mix.
We get a nice semi folk, semi eastern kind of guitar riff.
Some keys come in just left of front left.
This launches into an interesting aggressive section, that winds up being the end of the song.... ok, nothing too exciting mix-wise.

Will O The Wisp
This opens with an almost Jethro Tull folk sort if feel.
An acoustic guitar to the left. An organ has a bit of right side drift.
Again we have a pretty decent 180 degree mix.
This is a cool track, and the mix is somewhat there, but nothing amazing. Pleasant enough.

Chrysalis
This is a more straight forward rocker.
A guitar on the right side. Organ front.
Some drums in the left front corner, with the bulk up front.
The cymbals in the rears is effective, but we have come to expect a little more than that.
Again, not bad.
We get a pretty decent sound effect roll across the back.
An organ lead is kind of across the middle and sounds pretty good.
This is a pretty good semi-epic at about 7 minutes.
The mix has a little bit going on, but it isn't an in your face 5.1 mix

Sorcerous 2
An nice acoustic guitar opening.
A mellotron type sound from left rear to front right.
Some bvox in the left rear.
A vocal effect somewhat in the middle.
There are some reports that this isn't a true 5.1 mix.... I'm not sure that's what I hear.... perhaps a transfer glitch, or just a slightly unadventurous mix.
There is some stuff in the sides, and a little in the rears, but on occasion it seems left side leaning, and not bad, but not quite right.
Acceptable on many levels, but it seems it could have been a lot better.

The Seventh Sojourn
Another folkish acoustic guitar opening, just left of ftont left. A nice percussion track, just front right.
A mellotron front leftish sounding. A little on the right.
Quite a dramatic melodic piece of music.
We get a little bit of a full field sound. Not bad. Not amazing.
A gentle keyboard and vocal section takes us out.

Strange Brew
We oen with an atmospheric kind of thing. With vocals and keys, and some volume sell guitar.
Then we burst onto an almost fusion type section.
If turn the right rear up it sounds a little better, but it seems like the mix, or transfer had some kind of issue.
It kind of makes me wonder if there was a transfer issue with this....
Many reports say that this album is just a stereo mix with some ambience in the rears, but I'm not sure that's what I'm hearing.
I do hear stuff in the sides on occasion, and earlier in the album, we had some pretty reasonable cymbal action in the rears.
Yea most of it is a little front heavy, but is does seem to some extent that something didn't quite go right with the mix, or transfer.

A Fleeting Glance
More folk/baroque acoustic guitar.
Organ/clarinet? Left side. Then it's electric piano.
A vocal effect rolls into the rears.
More of the same really.

Era
Piano front left
We move from the placid keys to an urgent rock sound.
A guitar is right side there or thereabouts. Cymbals rears
Nice dynamic track. Nothing too exciting in terms of surround.

Persephone (Slight Return)
This is essentially an album reprise with keys.

This seems like a pretty good album, but it seems to have sound issues on the dvd. There are times it seems that the mix is ok, not stunning at all, and then there are times when it seems like there was some kind of technical issue somewhere. There are a couple of things going on here that seem like yes they did mix this to 5.1, and then there are sections of the album whereby it seems like something isn't quite right.
Part of the album, I can't remember how much, but the notes should at least hint at it, seems to be a little left leaning. Some of the album seems to be mainly up front with a 120-180 degree field of no specific distinction.
It's a shame, it seems like it would have been a good album for the surround field with some nice arrangements and some nice dynamic sections, but it just seems to miss on too many levels.
I know DD is a lossy format, but even so, when mixed properly, and mastered accordingly it can still be effective in a surround environment, but there just seems to be an issue with this, and I don't think it is merely an unadventurous mixing exercise.
Anyway, if someone else has this, I would be very interested to hear your input, ideas, technical knowledge.
Disappointing, can't really recommend it.... perhaps it will having something to offer the very keen collector, but I wouldn't lay money on it.

 

This is also available in a CD/DVD fat jewel case as a Japanese import. Probably at about $50 shipped.

I've never bothered buying it (I like the album) as I have yet to read a positive review on the surround mix.

 

Yeah, I've read on the quad forum that it is fake surround.

 

I came to the conclusion it was an upmix. I'm 99% sure of it.

 

The Construkction of Light


Studio album by
King Crimson
Released 8 May 2000
Recorded 1999
Studio StudioBelew, Nashville
Genre Progressive rock progressive metal industrial
Length 58:18
Label Virgin
Producer King Crimson

By the release of the construKction of light, longtime members Bill Bruford, who debuted with the band for 1973's Larks' Tongues in Aspic, and bassist Tony Levin, who joined in 1981, had left King Crimson. The departure of both members brought an end to the "double trio" era of the band and marked their return to a quartet. Robert Fripp was now the last remaining member from any incarnation prior to 1981, and the only Englishman in the band.

Musically, the album bears a sound similar to their 1980s lineup, with Mastelotto primarily playing e-drums and Belew, Gunn and Fripp often playing sophisticated, interlocking parts, with Belew and Fripp often utilizing overdriven guitar tones. However, the pace of these interlocking parts is often slower than in the '80s, with Belew and Fripp often trading single notes back and forth in hocket. As such, it presents a different twist on the gamelan approach of the earlier quartet.

The album also harks back to the 1970s, presenting sequels to instrumental pieces from this era. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV" continues a series of pieces forming a cross-album suite, primarily recalling motifs from part II. "FraKctured" began as a fifth entry in the "Larks" suite, but was later in the process considered closer "in lineage" to "Fracture", the final track from 1974's Starless and Bible Black, and thus renamed.[1]

Fripp is unhappy with the album, considering that it "doesn't convey the power of the music, to a greater extent than any of the [King Crimson] studio albums", feeling it was hampered by the conditions under which it was made: none of the music was played live before it was recorded, Mastelotto not using his preferred hybrid acoustic/electronic kit, Fripp's attention being focused on writing/playing over recording/production. A "re-assembling" of the album with live recordings instead of the original studio recordings was an option explored by Discipline Global Mobile when it came to reissue the material.[2] In 2019, a substantial reworking of the album was released as The ReconstruKction of Light, as parts of the original recording were found to be lost. In particular, Pat Mastelotto re-recorded the drum parts for each song on a predominately acoustic kit.[3] The remix of "FraKctured" was released as part of the KC50 video series online, serving as a preview of the full release. David Singleton's commentary on the video is underscored by the remix of "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum". [4]

• Robert Fripp – guitar, keyboards
• Adrian Belew – guitar, vocals
• Trey Gunn – Ashbory bass, Warr guitar
• Pat Mastelotto – drums, percussion

1. "ProzaKc Blues" 5:26
2. "The ConstruKction of Light" 5:48
3. "The ConstruKction of Light" 2:57
4. "Into the Frying Pan Intro" 1:10
5. "Into the Frying Pan" 7:02
6. "FraKctured" 9:21
7. "The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum" 6:23
8. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV" 3:42
9. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV" 2:50
10. "Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV" 2:36
11. "Coda: I Have a Dream" 4:56
12. "Heaven and Earth" (as ProjeKct X) 7:48

--------------------------------------------------------

King Crimson - The ReconstruKction Of Light (40th Anniversary Series)
Re-imagined /remixed album DVD-a: Re-imagined /remixed album in hi-res stereo 5.1 Surround mix Original album mix In Hi-Res stereo



When the Double Trio line of Fripp, Belew, Levin, Mastelotto, Bruford, and Gunn wanted to develop new material at the end of the THRAK-era in 1997 they broke down into smaller groups, a process which Fripp dubbed fraKctalisation.
This resulted in a series of different groupings which were called The ProjeKcts – resulting in a series of releases now gathered on the Heaven & Earth boxed set.
When the individual players regrouped as King Crimson the band was now a double duo consisting of Belew, Fripp, Gunn, and Mastelotto with Tony Levin & Bill Bruford leaving to fulfill other recording and touring commitments.
The next period of KC activity resulted in the album The ConstruKction of Light. Perhaps appropriately, for an album with the theme of building in its title, 2000’s The ConstruKction of Light has undergone the most radical change of all KC albums thus far – effectively being rebuilt from the ground up.
The loss of the original recordings of the electronic drums allowed Pat Mastelotto to completely rerecord the material on his current acoustic/electric kit making for a virtually completely new album of familiar material.
The album is presented here in new stereo & 5.1 Surround Sound editions, along with the original mix & as a bonus inclusion, the complete ProjeKct X Heaven & Earth album, which was issued as a companion volume to the original album.

Available in 2 disc

• The ReconstruKction of Light – is the fourteenth release in the acclaimed King Crimson 40th anniversary series.
• CD features a “re-imagined” edition of the album with all drums replaced by Pat Mastelotto & the entire album remixed to accommodate these changes by Don Gunn (who mixed last year’s Meltdown: Live in Mexico set.
• DVD-a features the new mixes in hi-res stereo audio.
• DVD-a also features the album in lossless 5.1 Surround Sound as mixed by David Singleton.
• All new mixes were approved by the set’s Executive Producer Robert Fripp.
• The original album mix is included in hi-res stereo
• As a bonus feature, the complete ProjeKct X album – Heaven & Earth is included.
• Presented as a 2 x digi-pack format in a slipcase with new sleeve notes by King Crimson biographer Sid Smith along with rare photos & archive material.
• Continues the highly collectable King Crimson series.

From DGM for $24.99 https://shop.schizoidshop.com/king-...n-of-light-40th-anniversary-series-p1794.aspx
From Amazon for $24.58 https://www.amazon.com/Reconstrukction-Light-40th-Anniversary/dp/B07Q8Q6GH7

or also in the boxset * please note that there was an issue with one of two of the extra discs.... it was something to do with a mastering issue, glitching from 44.1 to 48, that I believe effected the speed of playback. I am not sure if this was ever addressed, but I am sure that some folks can fill in the details on that.


Available from Amazon for $199.99 https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Earth...7ESHPVZ6SPF&psc=1&refRID=ET1RGFAQF7ESHPVZ6SPF
Dgm has it for $190 https://shop.schizoidshop.com/king-crimson---heaven-and-earth-boxed-set-p1792.aspx
Discogs has it from about $169 King Crimson - Heaven & Earth

5.1 mix and mastering David Singleton

I enter this album a little differently to many, because I have never really heard the original. I have heard a few songs via concert videos and such, but I have never previously had the album. So the changes really won't enter into my mind regarding what the album is like.

Prior to the Crimson catalog 40th anniversary sets, all I had ever had was Islands, In The Court and Discipline. When the 5.1 albums came out, I was drawn to them as something I really wanted to investigate. As each release came out, I was impressed enough to just get them all.
With this release, fro some reason I decided to grab the box. I don't really know why, but I was, and I did, and it is all cool.
It has been a completely weird and busy year (no covid enforced vacations in my world, business as usual, and busy due to inventory being hard to get and keep, but anyway, I digress), so I have only listened to The Power To Believe so far and I really liked what they had done there, and I love that album, which was also pretty much new to me.

So far we have looked at
King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King 40th and 50th - Islands - Lark's Tongues In Aspic - Red - Beat - Thrak - The Power To Believe
and I have to say I love these set and highly recommend them

Anyway, enough bits and bobs, facts and figures, lets have a listen.

ProzaKc Blues
Keys pad left rear.
Guitar right rear.
Riff and drums front.
Vocal up front.
There is no centre channel.
This is instantly immersive and interesting.
I don't know if there were issues with the drums on the original, but the drums here sound good, and real.
A really nice immersive and balanced mix.
An excellent start to the disc/album

The ConstruKction of Light
Nice percussive bass right rear, plays off the drums up front nicely.
A soft pad/organ, front.
When the really cool layered guitar, arpeggio/melody comes in, it is extremely effective.
We move into this cool rhythmic variation.
Cymbals in the rear corners, working with the various musica/ rhythmic elements, have a great effect.
We move through these beautiful layered rhythms and melodies, dancing with each other, and separated to stunning effect all around us.
Perhaps not everybody's cup of tea stylistically, but as a demo of surround it is pretty brilliant.
This was pretty much made for surround.
We move into a vocal section, and the layered vocals knit with the same intricately woven musical palette, sounding from an appropriate part of the soundfield.
This is a pretty inspired track, and the layering of the music, and distribution between the channels just sets it on fire.
Excellent

Into the Frying Pan
The opening is a really atmospheric sounds, directionally blending to create a nice cinematic feel.
You start to feel a musical theme develop,
Then we bounce into a typically whole tone style melody, and then slide into a psychedelic style blues rocker.
Again the Crimson melodic leaning drop in, and then we roll back into this updated sixties psychedelic blues.
Another nice mix.
After a great grooving outro, we slide into a drifting layering of synth sounds all dancing around us.

FraKctured
We slide into this track, with guitars dancing around us like the mellow shattering of a mirror in slow motion.
Then we burst into whole new section.
Drums bounce around us. Some hammer on technique dances, then a musical box feel moves over.
Again surrounded by the guitar tracks.
Feel rotations, as the mix dances around us.
An excellent mix again.

The World's My Oyster Soup Kitchen Floor Wax Museum
We have the guys move into this staggering down the road bluesxtype feel.
Guitar right rear.
Guitar left rear.
Dirty groove up front.
Belew with his own vocal styling, with sections coming in using whole field.
Piano left side.
We move into this carnival section with keys and guitars dancing around the soundfield, like a twisted parade of circus clowns out on highway 61.
Another beautiful mix

Larks' Tongues in Aspic – Part IV
Again guitars injecting different rhythms, to blend into a jagged groove, and spread around the field creating this dancing rhythmic soundfield.
I think that's all I can really convey with this mix and album. It is just this beautifully blending mix of styles feels, alternating beautiful and abrasive smoothly, with the elements dancing around you. Not in a swirling type Flaming Lips type way. It is the layers and their placement, and how they make sound shimmer and crash around the room.
Hope this is translating.

Coda: I Have a Dream
Kicks straight in.
The descending pattern with guitars all round, a synth pad sound left rear, balanced nicely.
Belew sings a descending melodic melody, up front.
Again nice use of channels and layers to create a nice balance, very immersive mix

Heaven and Earth - Projekct x
Synthetic soundscape.
Floating ambient swell sounds in all channels....
Beat comes in up front, with percussive elements in each channel.
Swells all round, different textures of guitars come in all round.
We move into a kind of psychedelic swamp, techno blues

Well I reckon if you like the latter day Crimson, you'll love this. If you are a bet each way on latter day Crimson, the mix may give you a better perspective perhaps, with the way the surrounds work with the style so well.
As I say, it's the first time I've heard the album, and I really like it. Waves of textures, moving through jagged blues rock sections, and then dreamlike melodic sequences. The album is musically very interesting, and the mix suits it.
Not really sure what else to say. For me an excellent album, with an engaging, effective mix, not afraid to use the areas available, to the best effect, to give the music room to work in your room.
Really enjoyed it.

 

Yea, not a very good one either

 

Agreed. Makes you wonder why release a surround mix at all if it's going to be a bad upmix.

 

I'm not a big fan of the album, original or remix, but no doubt it is a fantastic surround mix.
My biggest problem sound-wise was that I found the new drums to be overly trebly, the cymbals seem very upfront.

 

This is my favorite era of King Crimson. And I go all the way back to the beginning, 1969. I've been wired to everything. The ProjeKcts were particularly daring; I saw 2 of the 4 in person. I had big expectations for the album, and in several regards they were met. FraKctured, LTIA4 and the title track are Crim Works For The Ages.

But there were production problems that have been noted here and in other threads. Regardless, this is an excellent surround mix, worthy of the material. I won't pretend that the newly recorded drum tracks hit the mark; they still sound a bit low in the mix. This is NOT a critique of Mastelotto's drumming; he has always been top-tier Crim imo.

Despite the obvious issues of the original production (even Pat quickly recognized it, but only after it was too late), I became comfortable with it over the years. I like the electronic presentation, even if there is a vocal bunch that proclaim that "e-drums suck" (you're all wrong ). Pat's performance, especially on the original, is peerless, contemporary, thunderous.

The new recording, for either the surround or stereo, is another fine performance, but still seems a little low in the mix. And without the original in-the-moment inspiration for e-drum effects, it seems a little polite by comparison.

Again, the excellent material is what matters. And it's abundant here.




OK, I don't like Prozak Blues very much...

 

Agree on the surround mix, it’s definitely one to own. However, I’ve also found the new drums to be overly intrusive, on top of the trebly sound you described. For me, FraKctured was just perfect, and now the drums are somehow spoiling the intricate composition that’s starts slow, with no drums. Overall, thumbs up anyway!

 

I liked the Pale Communion 5.1 well enough - but not so much that I thought it was worth buying a box to get. Guess I dodged a bullet. Yet another lesson on the foolishness of buying boxes just to get a surround mix. The very fact that they putting it in a box means the producers probably just think of it as an "extra" - and they are less likely to pay attention to whether it's any good or not. I still preordered Year of the Cat though.

 

To be clear, I was referring to the Sorceress 5.1, not Pale Communion which is true 5.1 and a fantastic mix by Steven Wilson.

 

Temporal



Studio snippet by Bass Communion
Released 20 May 2014
Recorded 2012
Genre Ambient, drone
Length 20:35
Label Tonefloat
Producer Steven Wilson

Temporal was recorded in 2012 using only the sounds of clocks and other time-keeping devices as a sound source (inspired by Harrison Birtwistle’s 1971 piece "Chronometer", which used the same approach). Part of it was used as an intro to “The Watchmaker” on the Hand. Cannot. Erase. Tour.

Personnel
Created by Steven Wilson

Track listing
1 Temporal A 10:10
2 Temporal B 10:25

_______
This was originally released in an untitled Bass Communion box set in 2014; that’s where the cover up top comes from. The surround mix was first made available as a free download in 2016, and it’s still there:

http://stevenwilsonhq.com/sw/music/Temporal.flac

It contains both parts A and B in a single file.
_______

Surround Mix by Steven Wilson
You know all the clocks in the beginning of the Pink Floyd “Time”. Well, that’s what this is like except that is a slow motion version that goes on for 20 minutes instead of a little under 1 minute.

“Temporal Part A”
The first clock seems to be a large one; it could be an interior recording of a grandfather clock or are larger bell tower operation. It goes on and off in front over the minute and a half. The second sound to occur are chimes that briefly appear in the rear speakers that start at the 37 second mark. At the one minute mark, a stopwatch starts in the center channel. At 1:25 or so, the large clock replaced by what I’m going to call Ben Ben. It’s a low rumble in surround that kicks the subwoofers on the first time while the stopwatch continues. Ay about two minutes, the stopwatch goes silent and the large clock comes back. There is also a bell periodically ringing in surround. Three minutes in, the metronome (or something like it) comes in the rear. Grandfather clock pendulum crops up in the center channel a little before the five minute mark, and a kitchen timer starts up on the right soon thereafter. Six minutes in what sounds like a watch spring being wound up appears in the left rear speaker. Chimes left front at six and a half minutes, and again at 7 and a half minutes, which gives way to grandfather clock pendulum in surround which gradually becomes fainter. Although they aren’t in separate files, I think Part A ends when Big Ben finally stops rumbling at about the ten minute mark.

“Temporal Part B”
Starts with kitchen timer in center channel, which is joined by stopwatch in rear about 15 seconds later; the pace has really picked up . A few chimes in front. Large clock back in front at about 90 seconds. By three minutes in the timers have disappeared and it sounds more like Part A. Beg Ben makes a comeback at three and a half minutes. Bells in surround at the five minute mark and continue for several minutes. Kitchen timer comes back on in center channel at about seven minutes with bells still clanging. Bells fade away nine minutes in leaving metronome left front, Ben Ben rumbling, chimes in rear. That’s it folks.
________

That was completely riveting. Well, at least compared to Loss it was. Hey, even if it’s not really music it’s still ambient noise for the low, low price of nothing. And when you really think about it, can you name one really good reason why background noise shouldn’t be in surround? (1/3)

 

I know - I was just saying that even though Pale Communion was pretty good it didn't make me want to buy a box to get the sequel.

 

Systematic Chaos

Cover art by Hugh Syme
Studio album by
Dream Theater
Released June 4, 2007
Recorded September 2006 – February 2007 at Avatar Studios in New York City
Genre Progressive metal, progressive rock
Length 78:41
Label Roadrunner
Producer John Petrucci, Mike Portnoy

Systematic Chaos is the ninth studio album by American progressive metal band Dream Theater. Released on June 4, 2007 in the United Kingdom and June 5, 2007 in the United States, Systematic Chaos was the band's first release through Roadrunner Records, which was sold to their previous label Atlantic Records, through which the band had released their previous studio album Octavarium (2005). The album was recorded from September 2006 to February 2007 at Avatar Studios in New York City, after the band's first break from summer touring in ten years. The lyrics of the album were written by John Petrucci, James LaBrie, and Mike Portnoy about fictional, political, and personal topics, respectively.[1] This is their first album to not begin the album with the last notes from their last songs on the previous album, which they did from the past four albums.

The album peaked in the top twenty in eight countries' sales charts; in addition, the album peaked at the nineteenth position on the Billboard 200, making it the highest peaking Dream Theater album in the United States[2] until the release of Black Clouds & Silver Linings (2009), which debuted at the sixth position.[3] Critical reception of the album was generally positive; Jon Eardley from MetalReview.com called the band, "arguably the most consistent band throughout the entire progressive rock/metal industry".[4]

Dream Theater promoted the album on their Chaos in Motion world tour, which lasted a year and spanned thirty-five countries. The album was released in regular and special edition formats; the special edition included a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album, in addition to a ninety-minute "making of" documentary about the album.

• James LaBrie – lead vocals
• John Petrucci – guitar, backing vocals, producer
• Jordan Rudess – keyboards, continuum
• John Myung – bass
• Mike Portnoy – drums, percussion, backing vocals, co-lead vocals on "Constant Motion and "The Dark Eternal Night", producer

Guest spoken words on "Repentance"

• Corey Taylor
• Steve Vai
• Chris Jericho
• David Ellefson
• Daniel Gildenlöw
• Steve Hogarth
• Joe Satriani
• Mikael Åkerfeldt
• Steven Wilson
• Jon Anderson
• Neal Morse

Production

• Paul Northfield – engineer, mixing, vocal track co-producer
• Vladimir Meller - mastering
• Chad "Sir Chadwick" Lupo – assistant engineer
• Hugh Syme – art direction, design, illustration
• Daragh McDonagh – photography

1. "In the Presence of Enemies - Part I"

• "I. Prelude"
• "II. Resurrection"

John Petrucci 9:00

• 4:15

• 4:45

2. "Forsaken" Petrucci 5:35
3. "Constant Motion" Mike Portnoy 6:55
4. "The Dark Eternal Night" Petrucci 8:53
5. "Repentance"

• "VIII. Regret"

• "IX. Restitution"

Portnoy 10:43

• 5:43

• 5:00

6. "Prophets of War" James LaBrie 6:00
7. "The Ministry of Lost Souls" Petrucci 14:57
8. "In the Presence of Enemies - Part II"

• "III. Heretic"

• "IV. The Slaughter of the Damned"

• "V. The Reckoning"

• "VI. Salvation"

Petrucci 16:38

• 6:10

• 3:07

• 3:27

• 3:54

Total length: 78:41
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This is another album I have been waiting to hear. I know many of these bands aren't really grabbing a lot of votes, but I have Christmas vacation I guess, so I am going to shuffle through a few of them here.

So I know absolutely nothing about this. Dream Theater are a pretty new band to me... Some time in the 2000's I grabbed a dvd concert of Octovarium with an orchestra I think, and I enjoyed it.
I didn't get any of their stuff for a while, but in the last few years I have picked up a few of these surround albums, and I ended up grabbing the album box set, which I guess at some point may well work towards and album thread on the guys, so I can get a little closer to the music.

So I come in blind here, and will just have to see what we see.

So far we have just done Dream Theater - Distance Over Time, and I really enjoyed that. It was cool that I got to listen to it a few times in the car driving to Florida (via youtube I think), which was what led me to buy it, but then when I got the set and listened to the mix, it really rose in my eyes, and I enjoy it a lot.

Available at
Discogs has the European press from about $7 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
another European press from about $6 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos (CD, Europe, 2007) For Sale | Discogs
a Canadian Pressing from $20 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Australian Pressing from about $10 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos
Us pressing from about $4 Dream Theater - Systematic Chaos


5.1 mix Paul Northfield
Mastered by Vlado Meller

So lets have a listen. It is just DD 5.1

In The Presence Of Enemies
The opening guitar arpeggio sort of rolls around us, and it is pretty effective.
Drum fills toll into the right side.
Solid sounding frequency range.
Nice bottom end on the kick.
Synth in the right rear.
Another different synth up front.
A section of chaos.
The has the guitar front left keyboard rear right, and the separation seems to be discrete.
I do like the drum mix here. Just a nice wide mix that gives the drums a more natural space to fill.
The lead guitar is ip front.
We have keyboards either side in the rears.... and it all sounds pretty good. When I see items like this for next to nothing I often expect they'll be rubbish, but so far this sounds good.
We move up to the 5 min mark of this track, and a vocal comes in.
We have some synth slides, and a solid drum set up front.
The vocal gets the centre channel, and we have a nice mix.
Cymbals left side.
Synth pad floats across the back and the guitars power along front left and right.
We get an effected voice in the rears.
A super fast lead sound like it is front left and right.
We fade out to wind effects.
Nice mix, sounds pretty good.

Forsaken
We open with a piano arpeggio and burst onto some grunting rock. The dynamic between those continues.
We get nice little bits dropping in and out of each channel on occasion creating some interesting surround feels.
Keys left rear, synth pad style.
Guitar right rear.
Solid drums up front.
Ending with a nice piano outro
Nice mix, effective, if not amazing.

Constant Motion
One guitar just left of ftont left, joined by another guitar just right of front right.
Again nice solid sounding drums up front.
Sfx right rear.
Bvox right rear.
Some vocals zip from speaker to speakers pretty effectively.
Bass solid up front
Keyboard right rear.
Effects and cymbals left rear.
Some swirl.
Effective synth across rears, very effective.
Siren on the right side.
On the whole we have some interesting stuff here.
We get immersion, not necessarily constantly, but effective. The levels are all balanced, for the most part the mix is too.

The Dark Eternal Light
Here we open with punchy metal style thing.
The kick drum gets a solid sound.
We have guitars running through a riff arpeggio type thing.
Then a really nice drum fill that rolls around the Tom's, and the soundfield nicely.
Effected vocal right rear, and has sends to front right and left rear.
Synth dances across the rears.
Percussive effect rolls across back.
Then we move into an interesting section with little sounds everywhere.
Then s riff section, and a piano comes in left rear.
Then we get a little crazy, with a series of structure changes, and little bits of stuff from everywhere.
Certainly immersive and effective. Balanced, and somewhat erratic to go with the music being presented.
Effective use of the channels with drums rolling around the field and some interesting guitar bits.

Repentance
We open with a mellow groove up front.
Right rear is either a synth with a tremolo kind of effect.
Opening effected vocal left side then main vocal front.
Again nice spread drums.
Fill guitar left side.
Delay on vocal word bounces around the field.
Synth right rear, feeding to left rear.
A nice mellow track with some nice melodic sections broken up nicely.
Effective mix that is immersive, and also has a few nice effects.
We move into a lead break, up front, with effects sends to the rears.
We get character-like vocals in different spots, and a swell of effects all around us.
Very effective track, that is enhanced by a nice mix.
A long effective coda.

Prophets Of War
Synth arpeggios either side rears.
Surging synth sound slides across the back.
Guitar left side, and right front.
Vocal still in centre channel.
Effected backing vocals in rears.
This almost has a Muse sound about it.
Very effective and very immersive.
A spoken, effected voice, front, left rear, and right rear.
Effected main vocal right rear.
This is an effective mix also. Immersive and balanced.

The Ministry Of Lost Souls
Guitar left and right sides, towards rears.
We break to a clean guitar front right corner, with feeds out.
We slowly spread out and the guitars have an either side sound with effects sends filling out the field a little.
Bvox left rear.
A thoughtful big ballad epic style song.
Again the immersion is nice, and the sound balanced.
We move into this pulsing unison riff section. The instruments holding their placings on the surround and it is effective.
Some keys play in the rears.
A nice three guitar harmony front, left rear and right rear.
That leads us back into the ballad-like section of the song.
Nice immersive mix, balanced and enjoyable.

In The Presence Of Enemies pt II
Opening with some wind sound.
Then a swell all around us, the drops back to some cautious melodies.
Some keys sounds, with effects swelling in various speakers.
A melancholy vocal comes in.
It's all very measured .... and effective.
Cymbals sell in the rears.
We move into a slow, smooth kind of staggered groove.
Then we move into a tacet crunch section.
Full field sound.
We get bvox in the rears.
Also some effected spoken vocal sections.
We move into another section and a percussive synth sound sort of bounces across the back.
Keys stab in the rears, then move into a sort if disjointed arpeggio.

This is a good album.... it is probably a little over-long, but when the mood strikes for what the band are doing here, I think it would end up being an album many would enjoy. It covers a lot of musical bases. At different times I heard some Iron Maiden type subtle references, some Muse subtle references, and the overall feel and direction of the album is good, in my opinion.
We get a solid surround mix. It isn't a full surround mix constantly, though there is always something happening in the rears, even when just effect sends, but when we get certain sections of some of these long tracks the soundfield is filled really well, and we get some effects and some separation, some definition, and it ends up being a good solid mix.
The album is like a rock opera, or a musical play kind of scenario and the way the album and the mix are put together, reflect that pretty well.
Overall, I would imagine that if you like Dream Theater, then you would enjoy this album, and this mix. As I say, my only real criticism, is some parts seem a little overlong ... not that that is bad necessarily, just that it seems it could have been more effective a little more succinct.
I think the mix is worth hearing, and if you like the prog-metal thing we have here, I think that the mix will satisfy most folks quite well.

 

I would have to disagree with this. There are more boxes that I have with excellent mixes, than there are with average or poor mixes.
I think in general the boxes are actually made with a mind to getting surround fans to buy them, which means it is generally a good, to very good mix - The Beatles sets, Kraftwerk, The Fleetwood Mac sets, Badmotorfinger, Roxy Music, Tangerine Dream, Devin Townsend, Ultravox, Guns And Roses, Pink Floyd .... I mean there are an awful lot of really good surround mixes in box sets.... sadly it goes without saying that some will be a little less than great, they are the odds we seem to play with, and there are many single disc surround albums that are sheer crap, but such is life.
It is super annoying to me that so many are exclusive to box sets, but such is life.
In the case of that particular Opeth set..... frankly I think they ripped us off, and sadly I think they knowingly ripped us off.... which is sad, because it leaves me with abad taste in my mouth about the band, and I am probably unlikely to buy anything else they do .... even though I think Pale Communion and In Cauda Venenom are good.

In actuality the whole idea of the thread is me copping a smack in the face to warn anyone looking