A new release from BlueNote!
Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......
![Thumbs down (n) (n)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......
OK - even more curious.... this is the waveform from the DTS... :yikes I think its wrong too...
View attachment 9807
It would explain Haikubass' comments about the right rear being loud... I think it should be the center channel...
So I'm guessing that you have to swap RF & RS based on this waveform of the first track?
View attachment 9805
First off, the artist's name is spelled wrong for the Poll, it's missing an "s" in Cassandra. Makes it hard to search.
This surround album is one of my favorites; I play it often and never tire of listening. There has been much mentioned of the messed up mix of the DVD-A MLP layer. Yes it appears to me also that it has some major deficiencies on certain channels. However, first and foremost for me is the music itself. This is a musical journey that Cassandra Wilson & others took across various stages of Miles Davis’ career. The music has a very moody, lush and smoky Jazz/Folk/World style that is almost unclassifiable, and different from anything else I’ve heard. That uniqueness of style is part of the appeal for me.
I reviewed this today, playing it from an Oppo UDP-205 player, direct–analog to a Marantz AVR-8500. The first thing I tried was the 96/24 MLP layer that has an audio bit rate of 7-8 MBPS, and verified that the Front Right and Left Rear channels had very light amount of audio coming from them. To get to the 96/24 dts layer, you have to go back to the Top Menu and change it (some discs let you change it on the fly with your remote, not this one.) The dts has an audio bit rate of 1.5 MBPS and all the channels came into play on this setting. Yes, we lose a considerable amount of resolution using the dts; however, listening to it closely, I don’t believe I can tell much if any difference on my system. I believe this is due to well recorded sessions and perhaps the mastering wasn’t a total cock-up. I noticed some differences in the mix between the MLP and dts; so perhaps this points to where the mistake may have come from; but shouldn’t it have been caught in the mastering? The surround album was mixed by: Ray Bardani; and Mastered by Ted Jensen.
The songs were written by a mix of Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Cassandra Wilson and a few others, with Cassandra interpreting the music in her own special style. The track listing in the notes has 12 tracks, but there is an extra hidden track called Pfransing. For the majority of the album the center channel is very subdued and sparse, which should appeal to Quadraphonic lovers that don’t care for a center channel. The clarity of the mix is very good however, creating a very convincing “Phantom Center” effect; I’d have to verify occasionally by checking out the center closely.
This has some great guest musicians on it including:
Dave Holland – acoustic bass
Pat Metheny – electric guitar
Angelique Kidjo – vocals
Olu Dara – cornet
I believe the whole album utilizes acoustic bass, which has a very earthy but natural sound. The bass output through my sub is very robust and fairly tight. A couple of highlights for the mix are: track 11 has a Greek Bouzouki which has a wonderful mix crossing between the F/L and R/L. A lot of congas are used, playing primarily in the L/R channel and electric guitar effects that float between channels. Track 5 has a guitar solo that is prominent in the center channel, and track 8 has an acoustic solo in the center channel.
A far as the overall balance between the front and rear channels; I feel you could boost the fronts slightly or lower the rears, and add a little more to the center. I don’t know what the Dynamic Range is, but I feel I can turn it up as loud as I can handle it and not be bothered in any way.
My suggestion if you’d like to try this title (and I encourage it) is to purchase a CD and listen through headphones (or just speakers) and enjoy the music for what it is, without trying to worry about a production mistake that hinders getting to an enjoyable experience. This DVD-A (in good used condition) in recent years has gone from the $20-$30 range, to now into the $40 range. There are usually a few available via the usual places, but it’s getting thinner every year.
Here’s the discogs page:
https://www.discogs.com/Cassandra-Wilson-Traveling-Miles/release/3272621
Ratings:
Packaging: 10%
5%- Form & Function (Ease of access to its contents, appropriate size & secure storage.)
{Typical - Super Jewel Box}
5%- Value (Extra contents considered- value added or excess trinkets.)
{Typical – Good info in pamphlet with musician credits & lyrics for the songs.}
Audio Fidelity: 25% (of 30%)
10%- Perceived Dynamic Range (Sounding loud / bothersome, clarity & quietness.)
{Very Good}
10%- Equalization (Balance across the frequency range appropriate for the music.)
{Very Good}
5% (of 10)- Production qualities (Studio Production / live recording.) & Mastering.
{-5% for the MLP errors}
Surround Mix: 30%
10%- Degree of Discreteness between all channels (Level of ambience overall.)
{Very Good}
10%- Spatial Definition (How each note is projected to a defined point in the room.)
{Very Good}
10%- Instruments, Sound Effects and Vocals (evaluating instrument placement and levels)
{Very Good}
Content: 30%
15%- Does the music make you feel something (heartfelt, excitable, somber, self-reflective?)
{Very Satisfied}
15%- Overall quality of the music (How many songs resonate with you overall?)
{Very Satisfied}
Total 95%= Vote is a solid 9.
here's a few pics to show what happens when you do all that,
from top to bottom;
pic 1 : mix as is on MLP stream 5.1,
pic 2 : shows where each channel ends up
(1, 4 & 5 remain in same channels, 2 moves to 3, 3 moves to 6 and 6 moves to 2)
pic 3 : mix after tinkering.
pic 1:
View attachment 41327
pic 2:
View attachment 41328
pic 3:
View attachment 41329
Well the fact you're spending this kind of time and effort rejigging the puzzle Freddie, warms my heart; I guess it just comes down to how it sounds to you afterwards. As you know, it's mainly the content that endears me to this one.