MIchael Jackson "THe Short Films" and HIStory

[Bob Romano]

On a whim I picked up these two titles and how nice to find out that the mixes are true 5.1. The front has most of the mix with lead vocals and maybe a snare in the center and some vocal bleed to left ad right as well. The rears have mostly keys or percussion and other effects. I am going back to buy the second volume of the HIStory videos tomorrow. Each DVD says that the 5.1 mix was done by Brad Buxor, John Alberts and Mike Fisher. I really like these a lot although I really wish there were less sound effects in the videos. It's really too bad these songs were never mixed for 5.1 SACD.

HIStory has:
Billie Jean
The Way You Make Me Feel
Black Or White
Rock With You
Bad
Thriller
Beat It!
Remember The Time
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough
Heal The World

Dangerous: The short films has:
Black or White
Heal The World (Super Bowl version)
Remember the Time
Will You Be There
In the Closet
Gone Too Soon
Jam
Heal the World
Give In to Me
Who Is It
Dangerous

 

[JonUrban]

I got the History DVD's for $9 each on sale once, and they do have true 5.1 discrete mixes. You can get them in Sound Forge or Audition and clearly see they are true 5.1.

 

[Eggplant]

Do History on Film Vol 2 or any other MJ DVD's have any additional 5.1 remixes?

 

[Bob Romano]

Yes HisStory Vol2 and the Dangerous video collection all have discrete mixes. The DVD titled "Number Ones" is Stereo only.

 

[artwwweb]

I’ve just got History Vols 1 and 2 – they are so cheap second hand it’s a no brainer. Have to say I was disappointed with Vol 2. Vol 1 has some real 5.1, but Vol 2 I found to be “not quite true 5.1”. I’d say it’s like this for Vol 2:

The between song title scenes are 5.1.

The newly made videos are 5.1 (i.e. Teaser and Brace Yourself), though these are not proper tracks.

The actual music videos have some SFX, audience and ambience in the rears. But the music is stuck in the front.

To call this an upmix would be unfair, they’ve done well to make a surround DVD out of some stereo mixes, but it’s not proper 5.1 music.

Jon and Bob, you guys are gods of QQ, so I’m thinking maybe I should I wash out my ears and listen again, but Vol 1 is so much more obviously real 5.1.

Such a shame that Thriller is not 5.1 on either Volume, that could have been so cool. I suppose Billie Jean on Vol 1 was remixed from the LP multis, whereas Thriller was a special video mix, so they didn’t have the multis to play with.

 

[PmikeK]

These are real mixes. Discrete, but need a bit of work.