HiRez Poll Cure, The - SONGS OF A LOST WORLD [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

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Rate the BDA of the Cure - SONGS OF A LOST WORLD

  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Terrible Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    16

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new album from the Cure entitled "Songs of a Lost World".
The album has been mixed in Dolby Atmos and has been released physically as a 2CD/Blu-Ray Audio edition.

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Today, I listen to new Cure, the mix in general is basically front mixed, spare use of the backs I find. So I give a 7 for the mix. Music wise it's a great album with stand out number for me Endsong
You say you give 7 for the mix, but the poll is for content too. ;)
 
I was watching an interview with Robert where he briefly talks about making the Atmos mix and how it was weird to take everything apart and then try to decide if certain parts should be taken out for different speakers or left up front. It was a brief remark, but I thought explained why the mix is not particularly adventurous. He absolutely could've done more to separate the tracks here. There are multiple synths layered on nearly every track, and guitars as well. I'm not sure who was assisting with the Atmos, but a seasoned hand in the art-- be it Steven Wilson or somebody else-- would know better how to pick it apart and place everything back in the surround field so that it still feels like the same cohesive song, only with the separation provided by the surround setup.
 
That said, what I'm finding in this mix on repeated listens is that there is more going on in my rears (I have a 5.1 setup) than I initially thought. A lot of what he is putting back there are reverb tails and little things that are buried in the stereo mix, but there is also some texture from the keys and some of the low mixed guitars, which at times I think he is also doubling up front.

There is more here than meets the ear.

It has the same cutoff problems as Skylarking on my Oppo, so the first half second of tracks are cut off. That is annoying and obviously an issue with my particular Oppo player.

For the price point, I can't complain. I got two CDs and a BR Atmos and stereo mix.

The mix itself could have been more aggressive, but it's really not nearly as bad as I initially thought. Does it enhance the dreamy gloom and doom of this album? Absolutely. Endsong is a banger, and And Nothing Lasts Forever may be the most beautiful thing they've ever crafted-- it really made me want to cry before he ever sang a note.

An 8.
 
I was watching an interview with Robert where he briefly talks about making the Atmos mix and how it was weird to take everything apart and then try to decide if certain parts should be taken out for different speakers or left up front. It was a brief remark, but I thought explained why the mix is not particularly adventurous. He absolutely could've done more to separate the tracks here. There are multiple synths layered on nearly every track, and guitars as well. I'm not sure who was assisting with the Atmos, but a seasoned hand in the art-- be it Steven Wilson or somebody else-- would know better how to pick it apart and place everything back in the surround field so that it still feels like the same cohesive song, only with the separation provided by the surround setup.

Agreed - the assisting mixer was the guy who also mastered it and from how he talks about “stem mastering” I hope he doesn’t get his hands on too many more Atmos jobs.

https://www.abbeyroad.com/engineer/oli-morgan
 
Well, you have to be a bit of a fan of this group. That appreciation often stands or falls in combination with a live experience. Mine with The Cure was particularly bad. A long time ago there was the double festival Torhout/Werchter in Belgium. At Torhout they were (at least that's how it seemed) only tuning their instruments or possibly improvising. At Werchter they played the next day a set full of their hits . I was at Torhout and was very disappointed about that. I have had little interest in them since then. Until... the live blu ray "Curation" came out. A second chance turned out well. And I can also appreciate this new CD. Only as a surround fan (on a 5.1 system)....... Another bad experience. A 5 for the effort.
 
Listening to this now in stereo PCM on the Bluray.
Sorry to be a downer but I’m flabbergasted at how awful this sounds. LOUD and compressed.
It’s bad enough that I’m wondering if a mistake was made in the mastering or replication.
Buried in here are some good songs.
The mistake made was listening to a stereo mix at all when a surround mix is available - the surround gods are trying to “cure” you of that habit 😝
 
I bought the album a few days ago. While I really dig the music, the Atmos mix leaves me a bit skeptical. There's no sound coming from my center speaker... how about you? I'm sure the problem isn't with my system, because the center speaker works with any other DVD/Blu-ray I play.
 
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