Bob Clearmountain on Mixing Atmos

[humprof]

In the September Sound on Sound (you can only read the first few paragraphs without a subscription):
https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/mixing-atmos-bob-clearmountain
And on the SOS Recording & Mixing Podcast:
https://www.soundonsound.com/people/bob-clearmountain-engineer-podcast
We've heard this before, but it's so tantalizing:

Unlike stereo, 5.1 surround came and went without achieving mass‑market popularity, but Bob Clearmountain nevertheless kept on mixing everything in both formats. “It was so easy to do, and so much fun, and I really enjoyed the way it sounded, so I just kept doing it. I’ve got a whole server full of 5.1 mixes — pretty much they go along with every stereo mix I’ve done.”

Also: hilarious--but depressing--that (~38:30) even he couldn't get Apple Music to play Atmos on his home system....

 

[popshop]

Looking at Clearmountain's list, I'd be most interested in 5.1 of spot the difference by Squeeze. Re-recorded greatest hits. Great band with no surround content.

 

[humprof]

From the portion of his catalog that dates from the 5.1 era and after (and for which he presumably has 5.1 mixes in the can), I'd be most interested in hearing the rest of the Jonatha Brooke albums, Lucinda Williams's Blessed, and "Boss of Me," TMBG's theme song from Malcolm In the Middle.

 

[sjcorne]

I'd like to see him revisit more of the classic '80s stuff in surround - Springsteen's Born In The USA, Bowie's Let's Dance, Roxy's Flesh + Blood, etc.

 

[kap'n krunch]

ooooooooo

 

[Simon A]

I'd like to see him revisit more of the classic '80s stuff in surround - Springsteen's Born In The USA, Bowie's Let's Dance, Roxy's Flesh + Blood, etc.

Tears For Fears - The Seeds of Love would be great by Clearmountain. His Year of The Knife mix is brilliant. Then, all the albums he did with Hall & Oates and Sports by Huey Lewis and The News. Those are on the top of my wish list. He's an incredibly talented engineer.

 

[sjcorne]

Tears For Fears - The Seeds of Love would be great by Clearmountain. His Year of The Knife mix is brilliant.

Have you not heard Steven Wilson's 5.1 mix of that one?
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-fears-the-seeds-of-love-blu-ray-audio.29203/

 

[Simon A]

Have you not heard Steven Wilson's 5.1 mix of that one?
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-fears-the-seeds-of-love-blu-ray-audio.29203/

Yes, I have. I still wish Mr. Cleamountain had a crack at mixing it in 5.1/Atmos.

 

[Robert van Diggele]

I'd like to see him revisit more of the classic '80s stuff in surround - Springsteen's Born In The USA, Bowie's Let's Dance, Roxy's Flesh + Blood, etc.

Would be great if IAA could work out a deal with Bob and the record labels to get those unreleased mixes out there.

 

[sjcorne]

Would be great if IAA could work out a deal with Bob and the record labels to get those unreleased mixes out there.

I spoke with Bob at length about this at the MixNYC event on 8/6 - of course he's game to get this stuff out there, but the real trick is getting the artists and especially labels engaged. I've had a number of exciting collaborations fall through due to the labels' signing exclusive digital distribution contracts with entities like The Orchard and InGrooves (these things don't seem to stop them from selling stereo downloads through HDTracks though). That said, we are currently in talks about getting at least one other title he's mixed in Atmos fairly recently - fingers-crossed that everything goes as planned!

 

[Mr. Afternoon]

Wh-Wh...
Who wants to plan a heist with me?

 

[Belgiumliver]

Bob said he is doing Atmos mixes for all the 5.1 he has stashed. This sounds great but if they never get released? What a waste that would be.

I have to admit I am cluless as to what Bob has mixed? Any favs from you guys?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Bob said he is doing Atmos mixes for all the 5.1 he has stashed. This sounds great but if they never get released? What a waste that would be.

I have to admit I am cluless as to what Bob has mixed? Any favs from you guys?

I want 'The Pretenders -Get Close'

https://www.mixthis.com/discography

 

[sjcorne]

I want 'The Pretenders -Get Close'

That would be cool, but being a catalog title from the mid-80s I doubt he already has a 5.1 version of it stashed away. I took his comments to mean that everything he's mixed in stereo since ~2000 (or whenever he upgraded his studio for 5.1 monitoring) has a surround counterpart. The remixes of older titles like Roxy Music, Bryan Adams, Bob Marley, etc would have to be commissioned by the labels. For him to go through the trouble of remixing old stuff without getting paid - even if it's an album he originally mixed - doesn't really make sense.

 

[humprof]

I want 'The Pretenders -Get Close'

https://www.mixthis.com/discography

I'd love that, too. Only Bob was a little ambiguous in what he said: maybe he's gone back and remixed some older projects, too (if he had a copy of the multis in his possession)? But I inferred that he'd mixed everything in 5.1 only from the point when he began mixing in 5.1 and after. So that would be . . . starting 1997?

 

[J. PUPSTER]

That would be cool, but being a catalog title from the mid-80s I doubt he has a 5.1 version of it stashed away. I took his comments to mean that everything he's mixed in stereo since ~2000 (or whenever he upgraded his studio for 5.1 monitoring) has a surround counterpart. The remixes of older titles like Roxy Music, Bryan Adams, Bob Marley, etc would have to be commissioned by the labels. For him to go through the trouble of remixing old stuff without getting paid - even if it's an album he originally mixed - doesn't really make sense.

Yep just really would love that one (also *edit- 'On Every Street' )
But even if not till around 2000; that'll be a lot of titles, need to search thru those!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Bob Clearmountain's projects 1968 to PRESENT:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-clearmountain-mn0000063906/credits

 

[humprof]

Bob Clearmountain's projects 1968 to PRESENT:

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bob-clearmountain-mn0000063906/credits

I'll expand my personal wishlist (in Post #3, above) to include anything by Lone Justice plus TMBG's Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants--assuming he had access to the original multis when he was mixing it. Ditto for the Springsteen early back-catalog reissues, the Fania All-Stars compilation, the Steve Forbert and Hall & Oates "Best Of"s, and the Pretenders "Original Album Series."

 

[4-earredwonder]

I'll expand my personal wishlist (in Post #3, above) to include anything by Lone Justice plus TMBG's Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants--assuming he had access to the original multis when he was mixing it. Ditto for the Springsteen early back-catalog reissues, the Fania All-Stars compilation, the Steve Forbert and Hall & Oates "Best Of"s, and the Pretenders "Original Album Series."

Humprof, I would think Bob would have to have access to the multitracks in order to do proper stereo remixes of ALL of the ABOVE!

 

[humprof]

Humprof, I would think Bob would have to have access to the multitracks in order to do proper stereo remixes of ALL of the ABOVE!

You'd think so, yeah. AllMusic unhelpfully lists some of those reissue credits as "Mixer" and others as "Remixer."