Why no Multi-Channel SHM-SACDs?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ProfBoz, Dec 11, 2010.

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  1. ProfBoz

    ProfBoz Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Memphis, TN, USA
    I imagine this question's been asked already, but I'm new to the forum, so apologies if I'm opening old wounds.

    I ask this tentatively, because in fact I love these stereo editions, at least the three I own (Aja, Who's Next, Dire Straits). I have two stereos in the house, both equipped for SACD, and when I play these releases on the one in the living room, the stereo mix is so three-dimensional it might as well be multi-channel. Townshend's backing vocals on "Behind Blue Eyes" seem come from behind my head, and ditto the xylophone on "Aja." Etc. (My Police SACDs are equally impressive in this regard, particularly "Regatta de Blanc.")

    Still, I'm wondering why these are stereo only? I suspect this might have something to do with expense, though Jon Astley was hired to master "Who's Next," so studio time was booked and expensive people were hired, so what gives? The Clapton album they released was already mastered in 5.1, as was Gaucho and the Carlos Klieber Beethoven Symphonies. I own the last two in surround sound.

    This is particularly urgent to me as regards The Who, who, like The Police and the Stones, appear to be swept up in this reissue campaign. Now that "My Generation" is set to appear, I can fully imagine the next one in line will be either "Tommy" or "Quadrophenia." The former is still readily available in 5.1 SACD and, if you look, DVD-Audio, while the latter was all set to be released in 5.1 until Townshend, in the understandable funk of his bogus arrest for child porn, pulled the plug. But apparently a test 5.1 mix was already prepared, and presumably exists somewhere. (I've heard similar stories about a 5.1 mix of Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here.") I would be over the moon at the prospect of a SHM-SACD edition of "Quadrophenia," but I have to say I'm even more anxious for a 5.1 mix. That album was originally intended to be mixed and released in Quad (hence the title) and that makes sense: if any record were ready for surround, that's the one. What concerns me, I guess, is that this Japanese release campaign might be our only hope for more 5.1 releases.
     
  2. Espen R

    Espen R Senior Member

    Location:
    Norway
    - Japan is mainly a 2 ch market
    - expense of producing multichannel mix; finding tapes, baking, mixing, studio time
    - multitrack tapes are not in japan
    - licence issues

    ..and more
     
  3. ProfBoz

    ProfBoz Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Memphis, TN, USA
    Sounds about right. Oh well: a boy can dream.
     
  4. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    In other words they would have to do something beyond EQ:cheers:
     
  5. jingi6

    jingi6 New Member

    If you go to a high-end stereo store in Japan, you will pretty much only see old-timers who have spent their whole lives pursuing 2 channel sound. They also look to be very much a classical/jazz sort of audience. The younger crowd wants mutli-channel, but only as it applies to movies and HIB systems.
     
  6. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    These are premium items; the only guaranteed sales would be to those, like here, who want another/the best.

    There does seem to be some 'snobbyness' over having multiple channel info and/or Hybrid discs among the crazy classes insisting that stereo single layer is best. It does make me laugh when the go on about 'the multi-channel layer' though. I guess it is possible to make a dual-layer SACD but I don't think I've ever seen one mentioned.
     
  7. Espen R

    Espen R Senior Member

    Location:
    Norway
    Well, if only mulichannel program was added to the stereo program, the SHM-SACDs would still be single layer.
     
  8. Jeff Carney

    Jeff Carney Fan Of Specifics (No Koolaid)

    Location:
    SF
    What label would send masters (let alone multitracks to enable remixing for surround) to Japan?

    The SHM-SACDs that UJPN are issuing are able to happen in three ways:

    1. Previous DSD transfer.
    2. Fresh DSD transfer from country where tapes reside and sent over.
    3. Japanese copy tape.
     
  9. Vidiot

    Vidiot Now in 4K HDR!

    Location:
    Hollywood, USA
    My understanding is that most of the new surround mixes happen in LA or NY, regardless of where the multi-channel disc is released. It's very rare for them to send a multi out of the country in which the original album was made, at least nowadays.

    I can see somebody just copying off the masters to digital files, and then sending the digital files to Japan (or any other country). Digital files are not a problem, and a lot of studios can handle creating high-res bitrate files, even DSD if necessary.
     
  10. MikeyH

    MikeyH Stamper King

    Location:
    Berkeley, CA
    That's my understanding too. I have seen it 'assumed' elsewhere that the MCH is a separate layer, not a separate area of the data.
     
  11. Davidmk5

    Davidmk5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Marlboro , ma. usa
    Great question & answers :righton:
     
  12. yasujiro

    yasujiro Senior Member

    Location:
    tokyo
    Bingo.
     
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