I'm ashamed to admit it. Thought I had the BD~A of Tommy but regrettably, I only have the album on QUAD Open Reel and MLP DVD~A 5.1.
But I wouldn't be surprised if Pete Townsend releases it again remixed for Dolby ATMOS on BD~A!
If any of you have both the DVD~A or SACD 5.1 of TOMMY and the existing BD~A 5.1 I would appreciate any comparisons.
Sorry for the faux pas!
I have both surrounds and they are quite different.
In summary, the DVD-A/SACD (2004) is more balanced and ‘easy’ to listen to. While the BD (2013), although crisp and clear, is more crazy discrete, less balanced, and harder for me to listen to.
Below is an transcription from the notes I have recollected in my records, that match what I have listened.
The 5.1 Mix by Pete Townshend (2004)
In this 5.1 mix, Pete Townshend emphasizes the bass and drums, resulting in cleaner music with better distinction among instruments. However, it lacks the reverberation of the vocals in the original mix, which diminishes the grand impact of the original blend. It sounds as if recorded in a small anechoic room, somewhat subdued. At times, in vocals, there is a Central + Surrounds effect that makes the voice sound inside the head or from above. A good effect when in the sweet spot.
...Well, this should align with what you have and have listened to.
5.1 Mix from the BD (2013)
Bob Pridden & Richard Whittaker crafted this second 5.1 mix. Their approach was reminiscent of a Quad-style soundstage from the '70s, with instruments quite isolated in the room corners.
The fidelity is excellent, and this Blu-ray mix is dynamically mastered compared to the 2013 editions. Here, there is reverberation in Roger Daltrey's voice, similar to the early stereo mixes, but it becomes overwhelming; for instance, the continuous sound of the drums from the left surround speaker. One might suspect a channel assignment error.
Perhaps the mix would benefit significantly if the corner channels were rotated clockwise, placing the drums in the front left, bass in the front right, guitars/keyboards/trumpets in the rear, and vocals dispersed.
Another alternative could be swapping the front right with the left surround, aligning with the original stereo mix locations. For example, "Pinball Wizard" starts with the acoustic on the right, followed by the electric on the left. Another instance is "The Acid Queen," which begins with the electric guitar on the left. The main difference is that Moon's drums always move to the right in the original stereo mix and Townshend's 5.1 mix, but this mix positions them to the left.
[No need to edit the channel swap; check if it can be done by changing the speaker assignment in the Denon with the 'custom' Amp-Assign setting.]
With the Upmixer DSU, there is considerable content in the Wides.
IMPORTANT: I recall reading on QQ (jimfisheye or sjcorne, I don’t remember) that there is no error in channel assignment, and it is heard from Roger Daltrey's perspective on the stage. It also states that changing the channels destroys a certain vocal image with the center channel.
