HiRez Poll Gentle Giant - FREE HAND [Blu-Ray Audio]

[timothyemerson]

I voted a 10. Can't add anything that others haven't already mentioned.

Such a great value package. With all of the animation, remixing time, manufacturing costs, how anyone is making any money out of this mystifies me.

Is this what you've all done to correct the quad mix (I found this elsewhere on QQ - I did it and it moves the vocals up front which I'm guessing is more correct)?
1. Move Front Left to Front Right
2. Move Front Right to Rear Right
3. Leave Rear Left where it is
4. Move Rear Right to Front Left

 

[Albert Dagger]

I voted a 10. Can't add anything that others haven't already mentioned.

Such a great value package. With all of the animation, remixing time, manufacturing costs, how anyone is making any money out of this mystifies me.

Is this what you've all done to correct the quad mix (I found this elsewhere on QQ - I did it and it moves the vocals up front which I'm guessing is more correct)?
1. Move Front Left to Front Right
2. Move Front Right to Rear Right
3. Leave Rear Left where it is
4. Move Rear Right to Front Left

That’s what I did and I’m pretty sure it’s correct now. A nice quad and a good addition to the 5.1 mix!

 

[temporaryhuman]

Steller dynamics on the Atmos mix.

 

[Frogmort]

I just recently got set up for 7.2.4 with ceiling speakers, and while Yello - Point and the two Booka Shades have lazer sharp overhead usage, I think this Steven Wilson Gentle Giant mix is one of the best ever. Those other amazing mixes use a lot of strictly overhead effects, but this Free Hand Atmos uses all of the surround speakers in more of a concerted way. There is a lot of stuff in the lower surrounds, but occasionally things appear above, below, or in between. I think this is the best musical example of blending all of the speakers, and object placement, that I've ever heard.

 

[mch007]

Finished listening for the first time 45 seconds back. Voted 10. Brilliant...

 

[NYMo]

Just had to drop in and say that I've been playing Steves 5.1 mix for the last few months, but after today's listen, I played the Quad mix for the first time and what an absolute "ball tearer" it was !
Fantastic dynamics and the mix really gels, and although it doesn't have the spaciousness of the 5.1, it more than makes up for it in its aggression.

 

[grungeypuss]

I gave this a 9 - the only thing that stopped me from giving it a 10 was the track "On Reflection" when it got to the gentler voice in the second verse the vocals nearly disappeared came back then went really quiet again. This is in Atmos not 5.1 (which sounds spectacular) Has anyone else encountered this issue?

 

[AYanguas]

I gave this a 9 - the only thing that stopped me from giving it a 10 was the track "On Reflection" when it got to the gentler voice in the second verse the vocals nearly disappeared came back then went really quiet again. This is in Atmos not 5.1 (which sounds spectacular) Has anyone else encountered this issue?

I hear perfectly well "On Reflection" in the Atmos track. It is one of my favourite tracks since I bought the original vinyl in the 70s, and know it by heart.
Voices sounds exactly the same to me as the original stereo, obviously with the different location for each voice/verse.

At what timestamp do you hear the glitch? Maybe your copy is faulty?

 

[grungeypuss]

Hi thanks for replying. It goes really quiet at 7.48 because the main vocal changes from the centre speaker and goes to my front left upfiring atmos speaker and isn't very loud at all. I've set this speaker to the loudest it will go.

I suppose it could be faulty. I wouldn't want another just to find out tho. Unless it's something to do with my setup.

 

[grungeypuss]

Just figured what it is. I have an Arcam AVR390 and use Dirac. The problem seems to be the Dirac settings because when I don't use them the voice comes out of both front Atmos speakers and sounds fine. Hmmmm thinks I will have to re-calibrate

 

[himey]

Just figured what it is. I have an Arcam AVR390 and use Dirac. The problem seems to be the Dirac settings because when I don't use them the voice comes out of both front Atmos speakers and sounds fine. Hmmmm thinks I will have to re-calibrate

Your description sounded like an upmixing artifact...

 

[Frogmort]

Wow, listening to this again, I think this is my favorite Atmos remix of a classic album so far.

 

[slmccaul]

I gave this one a 10, been a GG fan since 1974 and Free Hand has always been one of my favorites. I have a 4.2.4 system, (no center) and all of the versions, especially the quad mix sound spectacular. I tend to upmix 2.0 and 5.1 content to all speakers as my Denon X3600 does a really good job with it. It's queued up for tonight's listening adventures!!

 

[5.1 4 Life]

GG wins 2022 Listeners Choice Award for Free Hand from Immersive Audio.

https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/listeners-choice-awards-2022

 

[~dave~~wave~]

GG wins 2022 Listeners Choice Award for Free Hand from Immersive Audio.

https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/listeners-choice-awards-2022

 

[FusionHead]

Anything Steven Wilson touches seems to turn to gold. So doing an Atmos mix of one of Gentle Giant's greatest albums is sure to be a winner, and it IS. Amazing sound, amazing discrete surround. This album (and all other GG) was perfectly suited for surround. So glad that Wilson got the contract to remix all of the GG albums he could get source multitracks for. I have most of them so far, and they are all excellent.