5.1 BD!! "Electric Lady Studios: A Jimi Hendrix Vision" 3CD/1BD box set (Experience Hendrix/Legacy) (3/25/2022)

[jimfisheye]

I think the likelihood of this truly getting remixed in 7.1.4 is about as good as getting a 'corrected' version that replaces the upmix of Room Full Of Mirrors. (With at least an upmix of the actual mix instead of the alternate drums overdub scratch mix.) Would love to be wrong!

I don't know. Find all the flaws you want to here! That upmix. Some obvious choked fidelity from old old tapes. Little front heavy. Looks like maybe 4 - 6db of brick wall limiting. This set is still absolutely great to have! A few of the songs are stunning improvements and great mixes. Yeah, maybe there's still some fidelity lost. Doesn't matter!

These 4 original albums were a bit of a shambles* to begin with too. Clearly many of these songs sound pretty finished but Jimi didn't put a final stamp on it yet. They're assembled not by him, after the fact, and with filler jams and live cuts. All this material (even half finished) is out of this world to me! He really was just getting started wasn't he? So this - even if we only call it an attempt at working all these tracks - is welcome beyond belief! Pretty much all the CD reissues of this stuff (and Hendrix in general) sound highly generational and substandard to the originals and even some earlier vinyl reissues. If you've only heard some of that, this whole set is going to be an unbelievable upgrade.

* And they're still my favorites and side 1 of Rainbow Bridge is possibly the best album side ever made!

 

[paligap]

I am somewhat confused.

I listened to Atmos First Rays Of The New Rising Sun via Apple streaming last night, pretty good surround, swirling parts, etc.
17 songs and a 16:25 video.

My EBay copy (Electric Lady Studios-A Jimi Hendrix Vision) looks like it will arrive today, which contains 20 songs in 5.1 and a 90 minute video.

Are they meant to be versions of the same thing?

No, although they share many of the same songs.

 

[paligap]

I think the likelihood of this truly getting remixed in 7.1.4 is about as good as getting a 'corrected' version that replaces the upmix of Room Full Of Mirrors. (With at least an upmix of the actual mix instead of the alternate drums overdub scratch mix.) Would love to be wrong!

I don't know. Find all the flaws you want to here! That upmix. Some obvious choked fidelity from old old tapes. Little front heavy. Looks like maybe 4 - 6db of brick wall limiting. This set is still absolutely great to have! A few of the songs are stunning improvements and great mixes. Yeah, maybe there's still some fidelity lost. Doesn't matter!

These 4 original albums were a bit of a shambles* to begin with too. Clearly many of these songs sound pretty finished but Jimi didn't put a final stamp on it yet. They're assembled not by him, after the fact, and with filler jams and live cuts. All this material (even half finished) is out of this world to me! He really was just getting started wasn't he? So this - even if we only call it an attempt at working all these tracks - is welcome beyond belief! Pretty much all the CD reissues of this stuff (and Hendrix in general) sound highly generational and substandard to the originals and even some earlier vinyl reissues. If you've only heard some of that, this whole set is going to be an unbelievable upgrade.

* And they're still my favorites and side 1 of Rainbow Bridge is possibly the best album side ever made!

If your "finding flaws" comment is directed at some of my comments describing my impressions, I can only respond that I believe we pretty much agree on this release. I suspect we also agree about this part of Hendrix's musical output.

How did you determine that Room Full of Mirrors is not only an upmix, but an upmix of a "scratch" mix?

 

[ctoelle]

I did notice that Room Full of Mirrors sounded like shit. Other than that, the rest of the songs sounded pretty good

 

[jimfisheye]

If your "finding flaws" comment is directed at some of my comments describing my impressions, I can only respond that I believe we pretty much agree on this release. I suspect we also agree about this part of Hendrix's musical output.

How did you determine that Room Full of Mirrors is not only an upmix, but an upmix of a "scratch" mix?

No sorry, more trying to put my comments on a couple flaws in context!

I determined it's an upmix by how it is... (sorry)
First of all, it's clearly that scratch mix with the drum overdub attempt. (The original mix is included in the CDs of scratch and working mixes too, FYI.) It's an obvious upmix - just listening and looking at the waves makes that apparent. You see full levels in the fronts and then low level waves in the other channels (including C) that match the shape.

I went further and did some 'experiments with mirrors'. I sync'd up that original stereo scratch mix with this upmix to see what would happen. (This also confirmed it's the same mix.) Putting the original in the rear channels. There's some "scavenger surround" that serendipitously comes together doing that. It's random between the mixes as that kind of thing is and it's still the scratch mix outtake at the end of the day. But it actually sounded good. (I mean interesting but still lo-fi.)
Then I tried sync'ing up the official stereo mix and the alt drums scratch mix (put to quad) to see what might happen. (Visions of the dual drummers King Crimson mixes or something.) Absolutely didn't work at all and sounds bad.

 

[coolerking101]

I listened through the Blu Ray yesterday. As others have noted, it is clearly legit. It's essentially the entire Cry of Love album and the first four tracks from Rainbow Bridge mixed in multichannel audio.

 

[jimfisheye]

It hits the main songs from all 4 albums.
Rainbow Bridge
War Heroes
Cry Of Love
Loose Ends

Valleys of Neptune slipped out on a radio documentary special originally. I can't remember if that studio version of Lover Man was ever officially released before. Both of these were remixed in stereo and released a few years ago.

 

[marpow]

I received my copy from Ebay seller yesterday. I was under the impression it was a legitimate sale from Hendrix LLC.
If needed as I am publicly commenting on my experience and thoughts I will return disc to those in charge.
This I presume to be fact as I have been a collector of things my whole life. I will use concert posters as an example. Rarely has a concert been promoted, artist hired, poster sent to printer, ran copies and then concert cancelled. These posters then get thrown in garbage, but as always someone will get a few and the concert poster that never happened is now very rare.
I believe this Blu Ray that comes from the Ebay seller as similar.
1. This Blu Ray was made and intended to sell to the public.
2. This Blu Ray was intended to be in a box set, never to be sold individually.
3. The why is the question. Either someone lifted them from the place where box set was being put together.
4. The box set was scraped for whatever reason and these somehow made it out.
5. This Blu Ray obviously has 5.1, was it intended to also have Stereo and Atmos? Therefore the need for garbage bin?

The video is in PCM stereo and the songs are in only 5.1 DTS HD MSTR or DTS Surround. I assume whatever your AVR can pick up, mine picked up the DTS HD MSTR.
Below is ripping screenshot, minus all the subtitles. Pictures of arrival from Ebay seller.

 

[jimfisheye]

It's either that or a very good copy. (The file set being a genuine clone of the original.) I was just commenting on the "Promotional disc" description. How often do we see an advance promo that is literally a clone of the entire main disc in an expensive box set, right? That was some CYA for Ebay. And I'm sure not complaining!

 

[Larry Geller]

It's either that or a very good copy. (The file set being a genuine clone of the original.) I was just commenting on the "Promotional disc" description. How often do we see an advance promo that is literally a clone of the entire main disc in an expensive box set, right? That was some CYA for Ebay. And I'm sure not complaining!

I have it. It's not a promo. It's the actual blu ray and slipcover that was supposed to be in the box. Dated 2021.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

On social media: https://www.facebook.com/JimiHendrix

Jimi Hendrix​

2h ·
Abramorama acquires global theatrical rights to ELECTRIC LADY STUDIOS: A JIMI HENDRIX VISION.

The new documentary film -- premiering August 9 at The Quad in New York --- chronicles the creation of Jimi Hendrix's groundbreaking New York recording studio. Experience more at https://ajimihendrixvision.com

 

[JulesRules]

The plot thickens!

 

[~dave~~wave~]

If needed as I am publicly commenting on my experience and thoughts I will return disc to those in charge.

Very noble sentiment.

IMHO, the best penitence for buying this gray-market disc would be to buy the box when available, which is a good value for what's included, and share publicly one's positive impressions of both the film & audio to increase sales & profits for Experience Hendrix et al.

As for me, they'll have to pry the disc from my cold dead hands.
Fly On My Sweet Angel.

 

[Wagonmaster_91]

I have listened to the entire 5.1 audio and it's OK on most songs, others feel like what your AVR would create out of stereo for your rear channels. The packaging clearly states that the songs are from the "First Rays" album (that was actually made up from tracks from the albums JimFishEye listed, plus 4 more.) Some have (correctly) noted that the version of Room Full Of Mirrors is not the best for a 5.1 mix. (And I don't think that song is on "First Rays",so why not choose the original?)
I watched about half of the documentary (and hope to watch the rest tonight). Even though it is called "A Jimi Hendrix Vision", the doc makes it pretty obvious that Electric Lady Studios quickly became an Eddie Kramer vision. (Jimi had an idea, Eddie ran with it and modified the idea and made it a reality.)

 

[Ranasakawa]

I finally got to listen to the Hendrix surround mixes and I'm very happy with them apart from Room Full of Mirrors which is horrible. Does anyone else notice that the main guitar track is panned hard to the front left?