Shocked that I never shared this! Mix discussion starts around 3:20. Channels isolated.
This is a solid 9 for me.
This is a solid 9 for me.
HiRez Poll Nine Inch Nails - THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL [SACD/DualDisc:DVD-A]
- Thread starter JonUrban
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The56Kid
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Just talked to my younger brother Hector the other night about this. He’s not a massive surround enthusiast, but he highly recommends this SACD and has committed to gifting it to me for my upcoming birthday. I really like the live concert Blu-ray Beside You In Time so I’m pumped to hear Spiral!
Hmmm I will revisit
perhaps user error...notthattodd
New member
Been lurking in these pages for years now but have not felt the urge to post before seeing this thread. As it has been mentioned that Nine Inch Nails Downward Spiral is basically a demo disc for surround sound, I feel I can comment on this.
Back in the early '00s, when there was a surround sound push from the majors, I recall picking up the discs in music stores and wondering what the point was. It didn't make sense to me. Of course, back then, I was mostly into hardcore punk that I listened to on a small stereo that might as well have had KTEL stamped on it somewhere. About a decade later, I ended up buying the dual disc version of The Downward Spiral because I'd turned into a completest nerd and not for any other reason. A year or two later, I picked up my first surround sound system, a single connected unit found at a Paawn America for $50, probably the most I'd spent on a player up to that point. It was a full year after that, when my landlords had left on a long vacation, that I pulled this disc out of my collection and, for the first time, turned it to the DVD side. I believe I listened to this album back to back three times that day, each play through getting louder until I ended up moving a chair into the center of the room and just blissing out to the music.
Since that day, I've collected as many surround sound albums as I can get my hands on, annoyed at myself for having my hands on some albums that are now long out of print and wishing I could go back and pick them up. The Downward Spiral remains my favorite surround mixed album, and one that I will always pull out when I'm proselytizing the Gospel of Surround to any new person that crosses my path. I occasionally hunt for information on the supposed surround mix Trent Reznor had been working on for The Fragile, and long for such a mix of Pretty Hate Machine. In the past, Reznor has said The Fragile mix was not a dead project but the last time he said that was probably over 5 years ago. Now that is an album I would happily drop hundreds of dollars on just for the included bluray.
Back in the early '00s, when there was a surround sound push from the majors, I recall picking up the discs in music stores and wondering what the point was. It didn't make sense to me. Of course, back then, I was mostly into hardcore punk that I listened to on a small stereo that might as well have had KTEL stamped on it somewhere. About a decade later, I ended up buying the dual disc version of The Downward Spiral because I'd turned into a completest nerd and not for any other reason. A year or two later, I picked up my first surround sound system, a single connected unit found at a Paawn America for $50, probably the most I'd spent on a player up to that point. It was a full year after that, when my landlords had left on a long vacation, that I pulled this disc out of my collection and, for the first time, turned it to the DVD side. I believe I listened to this album back to back three times that day, each play through getting louder until I ended up moving a chair into the center of the room and just blissing out to the music.
Since that day, I've collected as many surround sound albums as I can get my hands on, annoyed at myself for having my hands on some albums that are now long out of print and wishing I could go back and pick them up. The Downward Spiral remains my favorite surround mixed album, and one that I will always pull out when I'm proselytizing the Gospel of Surround to any new person that crosses my path. I occasionally hunt for information on the supposed surround mix Trent Reznor had been working on for The Fragile, and long for such a mix of Pretty Hate Machine. In the past, Reznor has said The Fragile mix was not a dead project but the last time he said that was probably over 5 years ago. Now that is an album I would happily drop hundreds of dollars on just for the included bluray.
Godman
Well-known Member
Wow thanks for this. Must have made the same mistake on disc choice. Thought it was a bland mix but no way…Its hard to determine which cd is 1 and which is 2. Tiny 2 on edge at end of nummers. Closer is indead MAGIC in 5.1. Wow!! Chrank it up….
Good to hear!
Playing this now after reading in this thread,remember now why I gave it 10.
Yeah I gave parts of it a whirl yesterday and was reminded of why I feel so strongly about this surround mix. It's a solid one for sure.
I have revisited and subsequently changed my vote from 5 to 10
Not sure how I "missed" the mix here, I've never played the second disc either. LOL. Incredible multi channel experience with top notch sound quality.
Not sure how I "missed" the mix here, I've never played the second disc either. LOL. Incredible multi channel experience with top notch sound quality.
You may have your Surround Lovers Card back now...I have revisited and subsequently changed my vote from 5 to 10
Not sure how I "missed" the mix here, I've never played the second disc either. LOL. Incredible multi channel experience with top notch sound quality.
I'm very glad that this poll was "reanimated" recently.
This was one of my first M/C discs. I think I listened to a few songs and then shelved it.
I love "Pretty Hate Machine" but this was just too much.
QQ database shows a DR of 11 which IMO is respectable for this type of music.
So what was the problem?
Let me try this SACD again.
It's a little loud but I like others that are louder (Bowie's Heathen - Gabriel's Up)
The EQ is fine to my ears.
The surrounds don't always have a lot of content but what they do pump out is discrete.
I especially like a section in the middle part of "Ruiner". There's a grungy guitar in the right surround and a drum in the left surround while the fronts are pretty quiet.
Overall it's one of the better mixes I've heard.
It's creative and complements the music.
This was one of my first M/C discs. I think I listened to a few songs and then shelved it.
I love "Pretty Hate Machine" but this was just too much.
QQ database shows a DR of 11 which IMO is respectable for this type of music.
So what was the problem?
Let me try this SACD again.
It's a little loud but I like others that are louder (Bowie's Heathen - Gabriel's Up)
The EQ is fine to my ears.
The surrounds don't always have a lot of content but what they do pump out is discrete.
I especially like a section in the middle part of "Ruiner". There's a grungy guitar in the right surround and a drum in the left surround while the fronts are pretty quiet.
Overall it's one of the better mixes I've heard.
It's creative and complements the music.
Sashaaa
Senior Member
Very late reply but I think I'll have to give it a relisten, I have to admit I didn't listen super closely last time. I don't currently have a very well working surround setup but should soon be updating my studio to atmos so I think I'll give it a listen when I've got the new setup. Looking at the waveforms it does seem like the type of release where you really have to let the tracks build as they go on to bring in more surround elements throughout.
I've been listening to the Nine Inch Nails episode of the Bandsplain podcast--it's over 3 hours long; I've been doing it on the installment plan--and at one point the episode's "guest expert," Geoff Rickly (of the band Thursday), says that he bought a 5.1 surround system just so that he could get inside the song "Closer." (But not any of the other songs. That's the only Nine Inch Nails song he listens to in surround. Never mind the song itself; that's perverse!)
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The whole album is great in 5.1.
I recently got the Dual Disc and really like this mix. When this came out in 1994 I was a very poor student and bought this on cassette to play on my awful, tiny, tinny little boombox. But I wore the tape out anyway. I haven't listened to it for quite a few years (you have really got to be in the mood), but the offer to hear it in surround was irresistible. And what a great mix it is, with the personal involvement of Trent Reznor, it really makes full use of the extra 4 channels very inventively. No "chuck a bit of reverb on the rears, all good, off to the pub then" business here, this was obviously mixed with very close attention to detail. I'd give it a 10 but was a bit disappointed that no DTS version was included, just a DD surround mix. Oh well. Can't complain, that's for certain.
Isn't there a DVD-A audio option on the disc?
Yes, there is.
DVD Side
The Downward Spiral digitally remixed and remastered in stereo and 5.1 surround sound
High-resolution stereo and surround playback on DVD-audio players
Dolby Digital stereo and surround playback on standard DVD players
Music videos: Closer (surround and stereo), March Of The Pigs, Hurt
Image gallery
Discography
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