I know SW has said that his process for Atmos is to mix in 5.1 first and expand out into the object/height channels from there, so there is a 5.1 mix that would be left unreleased if they go the streaming-only route.
Def Leppard - Diamond Star Halos (SW Atmos mix; SDE exclusive blu-ray in February 2024)
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I don't have Atmos but I'd still buy it if it was Atmos-only.My comment is awaiting approval but I did ask that if this indeed comes to pass, I hope a 5.1 mix is included as well for those of us who do not have Atmos systems atm
Don't do Twatter or Farcebook, so I sent a message via the SDE contact page. We can but hope!
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So I found 'Fire It Up', 'Take What You Want' and 'Kick' Atmos mixes on Tidal.
Have only listened to 'Take What You Want' so far and was a little surprised to hear what I thought was a relatively conservative, 'commercial' sounding Atmos mix for lack of a better word, assuming this one was in fact done by Steven Wilson.
Can't really tell since the Tidal credits don't list an 'Immersive Mix Engineer' and only Ronan McHugh as 'Mix Engineer'.
I do hear Wilson's signature background vocals in the rears so maybe this one/these Atmos mixes are in fact his.
Re: the 'commercial' sound I'm hearing in this track, I suppose it's the drums mostly, particularly in the verses, during which to me, they don't sound that hot.
The drums are fairly big and have good bottom end at the top of the track and then get mixed quite a bit lower for the verses. This is not untraditional of course, to make room for the vocal.
I suppose not much Steven can/could do about the drum sound in particular and he may well be keeping the overall mix choices similar to what was done for the stereo mixes, assuming he did not do those.
This combined with the general lack of the kind of discrete stuff I usually hear in a Wilson surround mix informed my first blush opinion. For instance I love the way he typically has a lot of the lead vocal in the center speaker. None of that here for this mix.
There isn't a complete lack of discreteness, elements do appear in the rears throughout the mix but usually I hear stuff in the rears most of the the time with Wilson mixes. Again, not so much of that here.
Other thoughts are just that I remember when I first heard Wilson's mixes for Yes 'Fragile' vs the previous 'commercial' more polished mixes I thought 'yeah it's cool to hear a more musical and intimate mix for this record'. The could perhaps also be said for his mix of Rush's 'A Farewell To Kings'.
I'm just not hearing that kind of treatment in this Def Leppard mix for the single track I've listened to so far. It sounds a little more like the traditional 'big stereo' Atmos mixes others have done.
Fire It Up - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803703
Take What You Want - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803704
Kick - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803705
EDIT: Having listened to all 3 tracks now I'm not hearing anything in the other two to change my view. If these are in fact Steven Wilson Atmos mixes they are by far his most traditional mixes to date that I can recall. Don't get me wrong they don't suck by any means I guess I was just expecting something different.
Maybe I'm crazy and have gotten it all wrong, will be interested to hear what others think about these.
Overall it does sound like it will be a fun record to listen to.
Have only listened to 'Take What You Want' so far and was a little surprised to hear what I thought was a relatively conservative, 'commercial' sounding Atmos mix for lack of a better word, assuming this one was in fact done by Steven Wilson.
Can't really tell since the Tidal credits don't list an 'Immersive Mix Engineer' and only Ronan McHugh as 'Mix Engineer'.
I do hear Wilson's signature background vocals in the rears so maybe this one/these Atmos mixes are in fact his.
Re: the 'commercial' sound I'm hearing in this track, I suppose it's the drums mostly, particularly in the verses, during which to me, they don't sound that hot.
The drums are fairly big and have good bottom end at the top of the track and then get mixed quite a bit lower for the verses. This is not untraditional of course, to make room for the vocal.
I suppose not much Steven can/could do about the drum sound in particular and he may well be keeping the overall mix choices similar to what was done for the stereo mixes, assuming he did not do those.
This combined with the general lack of the kind of discrete stuff I usually hear in a Wilson surround mix informed my first blush opinion. For instance I love the way he typically has a lot of the lead vocal in the center speaker. None of that here for this mix.
There isn't a complete lack of discreteness, elements do appear in the rears throughout the mix but usually I hear stuff in the rears most of the the time with Wilson mixes. Again, not so much of that here.
Other thoughts are just that I remember when I first heard Wilson's mixes for Yes 'Fragile' vs the previous 'commercial' more polished mixes I thought 'yeah it's cool to hear a more musical and intimate mix for this record'. The could perhaps also be said for his mix of Rush's 'A Farewell To Kings'.
I'm just not hearing that kind of treatment in this Def Leppard mix for the single track I've listened to so far. It sounds a little more like the traditional 'big stereo' Atmos mixes others have done.
Fire It Up - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803703
Take What You Want - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803704
Kick - https://tidal.com/browse/track/228803705
EDIT: Having listened to all 3 tracks now I'm not hearing anything in the other two to change my view. If these are in fact Steven Wilson Atmos mixes they are by far his most traditional mixes to date that I can recall. Don't get me wrong they don't suck by any means I guess I was just expecting something different.
Maybe I'm crazy and have gotten it all wrong, will be interested to hear what others think about these.
Overall it does sound like it will be a fun record to listen to.
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Interesting comments - I hear all speakers firing for the opening of "Take What You Want", there's a guitar and some toms mixed to the rears & heights along with the backing vocals. Then it does kind of 'shrink' at the start of the first verse as you say, with the rears turning ambient and drums/bass/rhythm guitars all mixed upfront. I do hear the lead vocal isolated in the center speaker though, as is typical with Wilson's mixes. The rears come to life with backing vocals and some percussion during the choruses. It's similar to the surround mixes he did for Kiss' Destroyer.
"Kick" seems to have more going on surround-wise with some reverse cymbals and percussion mostly in the heights. Backing vocals are again placed in the rears and lead vocal in the center channel. I haven't listened to "Fire It Up Yet".
heard the whole album on Monday. Sounds immense, very nice mix, some discrete treats.
alansanchez86
800 Club - QQ All-Star
Where?
Check the start of the thread…
alansanchez86
800 Club - QQ All-Star
Got it, thought that it was already out in Apple Music
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So do the 3 Atmos mixes available now on Tidal and Apple sound like the same ones you heard?
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himey
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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I listened to the three tracks after I listened to the new John Doe release, and I was disappointed
. First time ever I have said that in regards to a SW mix.
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The whole album in Atmos is up on Tidal.
I've listened to 'Take What You Want' so far and it's the same mix so I'm sure the others are too.
I'm warming to it though (I want to believe!).
For whatever reason it looks like maybe the credits page may not be available yet?
The link to the Atmos album is https://tidal.com/browse/album/230058588 and in theory the link to the credits should be listen.tidal.com/album/230058588/credits based on other examples* but that doesn't seem to be working for whatever reason.
Else in the player the credits page is the same as before, no specific 'Immersive Mix Engineer' and/or only Ronan McHugh is credited
*
listen.tidal.com/album/227730663
listen.tidal.com/album/227730663/credits
EDIT: a quick sample of the rest of the tracks shows there's nothing to worry about, clearly there are some great discrete moments throughout the album Atmos mixes. Thankfully it looks like those initial released tracks are among the tamer Atmos mixes.
I've listened to 'Take What You Want' so far and it's the same mix so I'm sure the others are too.
I'm warming to it though (I want to believe!).
For whatever reason it looks like maybe the credits page may not be available yet?
The link to the Atmos album is https://tidal.com/browse/album/230058588 and in theory the link to the credits should be listen.tidal.com/album/230058588/credits based on other examples* but that doesn't seem to be working for whatever reason.
Else in the player the credits page is the same as before, no specific 'Immersive Mix Engineer' and/or only Ronan McHugh is credited
*
listen.tidal.com/album/227730663
listen.tidal.com/album/227730663/credits
EDIT: a quick sample of the rest of the tracks shows there's nothing to worry about, clearly there are some great discrete moments throughout the album Atmos mixes. Thankfully it looks like those initial released tracks are among the tamer Atmos mixes.
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himey
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
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Preview not available in my area? I'm in Florida...
Edit... working now! Maybe was a time zone issue?
Last edited:
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So after listening to the record in Atmos this morning I can say to Steven Wilson 'all is forgiven, sorry I ever doubted you'
The mixes get ever more adventurous after those first 3 songs so perhaps that was intentional as part of the 'unfolding' and/or he or the band didn't want to get too crazy for the mixes being released as singles etc.
Once you get past those there's all kinds of stuff in the heights and liberal use of the center channel for lead vocal, so yeah a super fun listen.
listen.tidal.com/album/230058588/credits works now but still no 'Immersive Mix Engineer'
Interesting how some tracks have this and some don't.
Perhaps something to do with a publicist maybe?
Steven needs to get the same guy Bob Clearmountain has
The mixes get ever more adventurous after those first 3 songs so perhaps that was intentional as part of the 'unfolding' and/or he or the band didn't want to get too crazy for the mixes being released as singles etc.
Once you get past those there's all kinds of stuff in the heights and liberal use of the center channel for lead vocal, so yeah a super fun listen.
listen.tidal.com/album/230058588/credits works now but still no 'Immersive Mix Engineer'
Interesting how some tracks have this and some don't.
Perhaps something to do with a publicist maybe?
Steven needs to get the same guy Bob Clearmountain has
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Ordered... Ofcourse...
instantaneous purchaseaneous! 
Ordered
Owen Smith
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
I'll be getting this one, I have a fair amount of older Def Leppard on CD. Just need to wait until I get home to find my password for the SDE shop.
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