Porcupine Tree 5.1 remasters - Deadwing / In Absentia - getting nearer?

[sjcorne]

I liked the initial 5.1 of In Absentia, what's wrong with it?

Love the album, and I think the surround mix is perfect - wouldn't change a thing there - but it seems like it could be more dynamic, especially compared to some of the other PT/Steven Wilson 5.1 mixes out there. On the wav pics below, you can see that "Trains" from In Absentia has less headroom than "Shesmovedon" from Lightbulb Sun. Plus the phase of the center channel is inverted, which diminishes the bass response (supposedly this will be fixed).

"Trains":

"Shesmovedon":

Even if they don't change anything on this new release, it's nice that newer fans can get the 5.1 mix without paying crazy OOP prices for the old DVD-A. It took me ages to find a cheap copy.

 

[HomerJAU]

... and there might be phasing issues.

Definitely a phasing issue. Fixing adds heaps of bass.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Definitely a phasing issue. Fixing adds heaps of bass.

Ah. Having heard the difference in the out of phase and in phase versions of Blow By Blow, I know that can be a big deal.
But In Absentia has an LFE, so maybe many listeners are less impacted?

I'll have to make a point to do an Audacity FLAC fix and see how much the mix improves!

 

[minimumtumbleweed]

Definitely a phasing issue. Fixing adds heaps of bass.

Pardon my ignorance, but how exactly do you fix the phasing? I have WAV files from the original DVD-A and would be interested in trying this out for myself.

 

[HomerJAU]

The centre and LFE channels are phase inverted. Just invert phase for these two channels to correct.

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ree-in-absentia-dvd-a.3593/page-5#post-366135

 

[LuvMyQuad]

The centre and LFE channels are phase inverted. Just invert phase for these two channels to correct.

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...ree-in-absentia-dvd-a.3593/page-5#post-366135

So is it just the CC or the CC + LFE that is out of phase?

EDIT: Never mind. I re-read the above post. Apparently it is both channels.

 

[splinter7]

"For many (including myself) this was our best album,"

That fool - Steve Wilson....
The best era for PT was the Snapper/Kscope years with Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, & Recordings

Well at least to me. I wasn't exactly digging the move to the more progressive metal sound.

 

[esimms86]

That fool - Steve Wilson....
The best era for PT was the Snapper/Kscope years with Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, & Recordings

Well at least to me. I wasn't exactly digging the move to the more progressive metal sound.

I agree. I jumped onboard the train at Lightbulb Sun. One of my fave 5.1 recordings.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I'm happy with FOABP, personally.

 

[sjcorne]

I can't say I'm a huge fan of metal myself, but In Absentia really hit the sweet spot for me - there are some heavy sections for sure, but they're always countered by a melodic section somewhere else. Take for instance the intro song, "Blackest Eyes" - it starts with this killer riff, then draws you in with a mellower first verse, then blows you away again, back-and-forth etc. The whole album has these similar tonal shifts throughout between more melodic prog and heavy metal that happen at all the right places. It's tough to describe, but for me, the feel/tone of this album has yet to be matched by any of the other SW works.

I really think he got the prog/metal blend "just right" on this one - it's on each subsequent album that the metal aspect starts to become more and more prevalent, culminating in the almost all-metal The Incident and Insurgentes (which I think are the two weakest albums in his surround catalog).

 

[splinter7]

Funny.
Overall, I like the Incident the best out of the Lava/Roadrunner years.

I say "overall" as I think "Trains" from In Absentia & "Lazarus" from Deadwing are some of the best individual tracks the band created.
Still... Nothing will top the neo-prog glory of Lightbulb Sun in my book.

 

[Sixtyten]

That fool - Steve Wilson....
The best era for PT was the Snapper/Kscope years with Stupid Dream, Lightbulb Sun, & Recordings

Well at least to me. I wasn't exactly digging the move to the more progressive metal sound.

Porcupine Tree start slow - "On The Sunday Of Life" is a demo, "Up The Downstairs" (the original one with the original er "drumming") showed progress, as does "Staircase Infinities" when it eventually gets released. The stride is hit with "The Sky Moves Sideways", then again with "Signify". "Stupid Dream" I've never really warmed to it just feels a bit stretched and owes far too much to Radiohead's "The Bends". "Lightbulb Sun" is the high spot - the fillers between it and "In Absentia", "Metanoia" and "Recordings" now feel like deck clearing exercises. "In Absentia" is where it went wrong, "Deadwing" (or "Deadwig" as it was mislabelled in Cambridge's HMV) isn't great, but in comparison to what followed...

(So I bought "The Sky Moves Sideways" first after reading about Porcupine Tree on Channel 4's Teletext "Blue Suede Views" - I bought the Delirium Records sampler "Pick N Mix" which had "Voyage 34" on it. Then via an advert in Q for C and D mail order service in Dundee "On The Sunday Of Life" and "Up The Downstair" followed. I patiently waited for "Signify". I remember being in the Virgin Megastore in Belfast when one of my mates pointed out the new PT single "Waiting". "Stupid Dream" followed and despite a 1 star review in "Q" "Lightbulb Sun" was bought. It's funny thinking back to then. I used to be so evangelistic about Porcupine Tree (and Levitation - "Need For Not"? What an album). Anyway I thought I was going somewhere with this, so sorry it's tailed off a bit...)

 

[The56Kid]

I can't say I'm a huge fan of metal myself, but In Absentia really hit the sweet spot for me - there are some heavy sections for sure, but they're always countered by a melodic section somewhere else. Take for instance the intro song, "Blackest Eyes" - it starts with this killer riff, then draws you in with a mellower first verse, then blows you away again, back-and-forth etc. The whole album has these similar tonal shifts throughout between more melodic prog and heavy metal that happen at all the right places. It's tough to describe, but for me, the feel/tone of this album has yet to be matched by any of the other SW works.

I really think he got the prog/metal blend "just right" on this one - it's on each subsequent album that the metal aspect starts to become more and more prevalent, culminating in the almost all-metal The Incident and Insurgentes (which I think are the two weakest albums in his surround catalog).

I’m in agreement with Jonathan - In Absentia was Porcupine Tree’s masterpiece and a fantastic Scheiner surround extravaganza. I listened to it for years never thinking there was anything amiss sonically until I read about the Center and LFE phase issues. I’m looking forward to the new release!

 

[JediJoker]

Funny.
Overall, I like the Incident the best out of the Lava/Roadrunner years.

That puts you solidly in the minority.

 

[splinter7]

That puts you solidly in the minority.

I love marching to my own drum!
Thanks for the affirmation.

 

[fourml8r]

That puts you solidly in the minority.

i actually like the incident. the first half can be a bit slow at times, but the second half is amazing. time flies is basically the exact same format as dogs by pink floyd.

 

[rtbluray]

Here it is! Release date is February 21, 2020

https://burningshed.com/porcupine-tree_in-absentia-deluxe_boxset
The much anticipated deluxe edition of Porcupine Tree's iconic 2002 album.

3CD/Blu-ray featuring remastered stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes, additional studio recordings, a disc of unreleased demos and a new feature length Lasse Hoile directed documentary, plus 100-page hardback book with exclusive content including photography by Lasse Hoile, Carl Glover, Richard Barbieri and John Blackford from the recording sessions, subsequent tour and more, extensive biographical liner notes and track-by-track commentary by Stephen Humphries, artwork drafts, and handwritten notes and lyrics.

This deluxe version of In Absentia provides an unrivalled insight into a seminal album. The first CD features Steven Wilson's 2017 remaster, which has considerably less compression and limiting for a more dynamic listening experience.

The second CD includes all of the additional finished studio recordings the band made during the period. Collapse (intro), Drown With Me, Chloroform, and Meantime were all recorded during the album sessions in New York, while Futile and Orchidia come from the post-album promo-only Futile EP. Radio edits of Trains, Blackest Eyes and Strip the Soul are also included.

The third CD comprises over 70 minutes of demos recorded at Wilson's home studio during the two years leading up to recording the album. Many of the selections differ from the final versions, with additional sections, alternate lyrics, and different arrangements. Also included are demos of three songs that were not subsequently recorded by the band, all released here for the first time: Imogen Slaughter, Watching You Sleep, and Enough.

The Blu-ray features the new master of the original stereo mix, the 5.1 surround sound mix created in 2003 by legendary engineer Elliot Scheiner, plus the audio from the second CD, all in high resolution audio. It also boasts a new 109-minute feature length documentary film directed by Lasse Hoile, chronicling the making of the album with interviews and archive footage.

CD 1

1. Blackest Eyes (2017 Remaster) [04:24]
2. Trains (2017 Remaster) [05:55]
3. Lips Of Ashes (2017 Remaster) [04:39]
4. The Sound Of Muzak (2017 Remaster) [04:58]
5. Gravity Eyelids (2017 Remaster) [07:56]
6. Wedding Nails (2017 Remaster) [06:33]
7. Prodigal (2017 Remaster) [05:33]
8. .3 (2017 Remaster) [05:25]
9. The Creator Has A Mastertape (2017 Remaster) [05:14]
10. Heartattack In A Layby (2017 Remaster) [04:15]
11. Strip The Soul (2017 Remaster) [07:20]
12. Collapse The Light Into Earth (2017 Remaster) [05:49]

CD 2

1. Collapse Intro [01:45]
2. Drown With Me [05:21]
3. Orchidia [03:27]
4. Chloroform [07:14]
5. Futile [06:06]
6. Meantime [03:17]
7. Blackest Eyes (radio edit) [03:38]
8. Trains (radio edit) [03:52]
9. Strip The Soul (video edit) [03:35]

CD 3

1. Drown With Me (demo) [05:06]
2. Trains (demo) [06:05]
3. Imogen Slaughter (demo) [02:38]
4. Watching You Sleep (demo) [03:44]
5. The Creator Has A Mastertape (demo) [06:07]
6. Heartattack In A Layby (demo) [05:51]
7. Strip The Soul (demo) [15:19]
8. The Sound Of Muzak (demo) [05:32]
9. Gravity Eyelids (demo) [07:15]
10. Enough (demo) [03:45]
11. Wedding Nails (demo) [06:26]
12. Blackest Eyes (demo) [04:34]

Blu-ray

1. The Making Of In Absentia (documentary film) [49:45]
2. Blackest Eyes (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [04:26]
3. Trains (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [05:57]
4. Lips Of Ashes (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [04:40]
5. The Sound Of Muzak (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [04:59]
6. Gravity Eyelids (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [07:56]
7. Wedding Nails (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [06:33]
8. Prodigal (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [05:33]
9. .3 (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [05:26]
10. The Creator Has A Mastertape (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [05:21]
11. Heartattack In A Layby (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [04:15]
12. Strip The Soul (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [07:22]
13. Collapse The Light Into Earth (2017 Remaster 5.1 mix) [05:52]
14. Drown With Me (5.1 mix) [05:21]
15. Chloroform (5.1 mix) [07:14]
16. Futile (5.1 mix) [06:03]

 

[fcormier]

Thanks, but too rich for my blood, even if I'm a big fan pf PT. I reached my limit with Bruce Soord's "All This Will Be Yours" at 35£, which amounted to ~65$CAD with shipping to Canada (ironically, they had some at the TPT show yesterday for 65$CAD, but they were signed by Bruce Soord). I'll stay with my Japanese Edition DVD-A and edit the FLAC like mentionned above when I have time.

The description is not clear: it says "The Blu-ray features the new master of the original stereo mix, the 5.1 surround sound mix created in 2003 by legendary engineer Elliot Scheiner [...]", but the tracklisting says "2017 Remaster 5.1 mix".

 

[Simon_LDT]

It technically will be a remaster because the inverted channels will be fixed, even though the mix itself won't be altered.

There is also an error that there is a "feature length" documentary at 109 minutes, yet it shows as 49 minutes in the tracks breakdown.

 

[Plan9]

It technically will be a remaster because the inverted channels will be fixed, even though the mix itself won't be altered.

^ This

I wasn't involved with the documentary, but standard duration for those is usually around ~50 minutes, so...