HiRez Poll Santana - SHAMAN [DVD-A]

Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......

I havent listened to this in a while, but I really enjoy the disk and I gave it a 7. I have read a few people state that they werent impressed with the surround mix on the disk, but again I like both the Santana offerings.

It's nice to have one Michelle Branch song in SS.
Otherwise, big yawn.

I expected this to be pretty much derivative after the success of "Supernatural" and for the most part I would say that is an accurate assessment. However, "Shaman" does hold up very well on its own. I would not be so quick to discount it. It is very much enjoyable, music-wise. The surround mix is quite good, if only a tad generic. I certainly wouldn't kick it out of bed... eight points here...

I actually just bought it today. I have listened to it once the whole way through. Initial impressions: excellent mix, the music is great, lots of signature Santana guitar licks. Great stuff.

Hello,
This one sounds better played in stereo and decoded through the variomatrix. Boring surround mix ala Silverline.

Weird stuff. I guess they put the name "Santana" on it to sell a few copies, but this really isn't a Santana album. Has its moments though.

I left Santana long ago. Now he sells cologne, shoes, purses and plays behind the "new artists" which is good for them, but its not really Santana anymore. I can't even rate the disc since I never play it. Best I can say is, IMO, a 4 for content. Now, if Moonflower was to be made into a 5.1 disc, I'd probably jump on a copy.

I found a copy yesterday.

I like it. It doesn't seem as loud as 'Supernatural'.

There are some pretty tasty 'Tana licks for sure and some very catchy tunes.

Very listenable. Great sound and I like the mix myself.

I give it an 8.

Hey guys!

Been a while since anybody posted on this one I just signed up for this forum because I am new to the world of multichannel music. I recently got myself the Samsung C560-S home theatre system and the Yamaha DVDS1700 DVD-A/SACD player, and hooked the system up to my PC (Ubuntu 10.04, DVD playback with VLC media player) through the Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 USB card (optical).

I'm posting all this because this Santana DVD confuses the heck outta me. I have listened to lots of DVD-As and SACDs (Pink Floyd and Dire Straits) in multichannel, and in comparison, the Santana DVD-A sounds like it's regular stereo spread over 5.1 channels no matter with which settings or hardware I play it (both from my PC and the Yamaha). All my other DVD-As (e.g. Linkin Park - Reanimation, Foreigner - 4, Metallica - Black Album, Jackson Browne - Running on Empty) have the elements of the music very clearly mixed across 5.1, same goes for Dark Side of the Moon or Brothers in Arms on SACD, obviously. Instruments and effects move through the room or only come from one direction - not so with "Shaman". This 5.1 mix sounds exactly like any of my other stereo CDs played back with ProLogic.

Is this just a really badly mixed DVD-A, or is something wrong with how my system plays it back?

Those of you who have heard the 5.1 mix of "Shaman", can you describe e.g. The Game of Love - are there particular instruments or sound effects that distinctly come from one speaker?

Thanks!

Love this forum, I'm reading through all the threads with excitement.

The Bright Side said:

Those of you who have heard the 5.1 mix of "Shaman", can you describe e.g. The Game of Love - are there particular instruments or sound effects that distinctly come from one speaker?

Click to expand...

I'll give it a carefull listen tonight... it's my favourite track on the disc.

filper said:

I'll give it a carefull listen tonight... it's my favourite track on the disc.

Click to expand...

There are lots of discrete backing vocals, percussion and horns coming from my rear speakers.

The main vocal is present in front and rear speakers, but more ambience in the rears.

Many thanks filper! I think there's something off with my DVD or playback then. Horns are definitely present in all speakers for me, distinctly audible from e.g. the FL and FR. Also, does the 5.1 track sound more muffled and dull for you than the stereo?

I get much, much better overall quality when playing the normal stereo album with DPLII :-(

Strange, this is the only DVD that I have these kinds of issues with.

The Bright Side said:

...Also, does the 5.1 track sound more muffled and dull for you than the stereo?

Click to expand...

Stereo ? What's that ? I have never played the stereo track, but the surround track doesn't sound muffled at all.

Haha, yeah Thanks man, I appreciate the help. Looks like I'm stuck with one I can't play properly. Will take it to a friend's place at some point who has a 5.1 setup...

Some songs sound all right and make good use of surrounds. Enough so to make it worth owning. That said, sometimes it seems there is something about this release that rubs me the wrong way, like it'll hurt my ears if I listen too long. Still I voted it a 7.

An 8.
All of his recent stuff sounds the same to me now ("It's called a style")..but I like it....
Nice mixes, packaging etc.
AND it is Hi Res....

I gave it a "7" after one listen a couple of years ago. I'll have to spin it again to see if my feelings have changed but I remember being a bit "meh" about this at the time and haven't played it since..

Just given it a good 8.
I first saw Carlos playing at the Gaumont Theatre in Southampton in 1975. absolutely fantastic show.
He was supported by Earth Wind and Fire!!
ER... did they blow him away?
Well imo they did.
Never heard of them before but boy could they sing and play and produced a show that got me totally hooked on them.
Anyway I digress. I am thoroughly enjoying this offering and his licks are legendary. Yes its supported by various artists, which adds a unique touch to its overall quality. There are different tracks that can be described as reasonably discrete but overall it's a good listen and one that I will play again.

Listening to this the first time tonight; been sittin’ around for years
So I enjoy the music OK, but I believe there are some poor engineering choices on some of this, it’s like they have some kind of muddy effects on the center channel vocals. Not sure what they are, but it doesn’t work for me.
The mix is fairly discrete & slighty better than an Penteo mix, but could have been better IMO.
I’m still waiting for that Sony Japan 7” SACD Quad of Caravanserai

So a 7 for me.