HiRez Poll Queen - NIGHT AT THE OPERA [DVD-A/BluRay Audio]

[sukothai]

So, is the 2002 Scheiner/May DVD-A mix the same as the 2005 Scheiner/May DVD-V mix?
And, which mixes appear on the Best of video?

Seem to remember May tweaked it some more. There's a discussion about it on here somewhere.

 

[edisonbaggins]

So, is the 2002 Scheiner/May DVD-A mix the same as the 2005 Scheiner/May DVD-V mix?
And, which mixes appear on the Best of video?

Seem to remember May tweaked it some more. There's a discussion about it on here somewhere.

IIRC, God Save the Queen was mixed discretely and part of The Prophet song, for the 30th anniversary.
So, I guess there are 3 different versions. The question my mind was trying to formulate before was whether Scheiner's work carries over to the 30th and the video collection or not. And is the BD the 30th anniversary mix or a clone of the 2nd DVD-A?

Sent from my TA-1025 using Tapatalk

 

[fredblue]

IIRC, God Save the Queen was mixed discretely and part of The Prophet song, for the 30th anniversary.
So, I guess there are 3 different versions. The question my mind was trying to formulate before was whether Scheiner's work carries over to the 30th and the video collection or not. And is the BD the 30th anniversary mix or a clone of the 2nd DVD-A?

Sent from my TA-1025 using Tapatalk

i can't remember and i can't check right now, does the piano bit before the "nothing really matters" bit in Bo Rhap pop up in the rear on the DVD video collection?

 

[Perp]

So, is the 2002 Scheiner/May DVD-A mix the same as the 2005 Scheiner/May DVD-V mix?

I was just reading about ANATO yesterday morning and came across this Thread after a search. Also, read the linked Sound and Vision mag article from way back that was pretty good.

 

[Frogmort]

This whole entire article HERE is an absolute must read. I have it saved under my favorites. Thanks to Scott65 for posting the link.

From my understanding, the first 2001 Scheiner only mix was more of a rough draft, then with May they both went back and spent much more time polishing it up for the 2002 mix. I have both, and while they are quite similar overall, there are a few things that stand out as a bit more prominent on the 2001, but also a lot of stuff that seems even better on the 2002. One example, near the end of The Prophet when the music kicks back in after the a cappella section, the 2002 version dances/bounces back and forth, front to rear, and also kind of side to side. The 2001 version does not. They seem to be essentially the same bed-mix, but the 2002 seems to have a lot more little things tweaked in a good way to me.

Although I don't have it, I've read that the blu-ray includes God Save the Queen in discrete elements that weren't available at the time of the earlier versions, but since that song is one minute long at the very end of the album, and also the fact that the blu-ray was apparently heavily compressed compared to the earlier DVD-A's, I'd prefer to stick with them.

 

[ssully]

here are questions I feel have never been definitively answered, sorry:

1) is the 2005 DVD-V truly a remix, or is it just a different mastering of the Scheiner/May 2002 DVD-A mix?

2) is the 2013 BD the same mix/mastering as an earlier version, or a different mix/remastering (disregarding 'lossy' vs' lossless')?

3) were the original multitracks for the middle of 'Prophet Song', which were missing when the 2002 Scheiner/May mix was done, ever found and used for any later release? (We know that the answer is YES for 'God Save the Queen', which first appears in discrete 5.1 on the 2005 DVD-V, but I have not seen definite word on Prophet Song)

 

[edisonbaggins]

Just voted on this for the first time. A solid "10" from Baggy!
I also just shot a surround review of the album, which should appear on the Life in Surround YouTube channel pretty soon
(toddler permitting)...

 

[edisonbaggins]

Life in Surround Album review - Queen - A Night at the Opera

 

[Strilo]

I didn't know this existed! I don't see it for sale anywhere... any one know of any sites still selling the HFPA release?

 

[fredblue]

I didn't know this existed! I don't see it for sale anywhere... any one know of any sites still selling the HFPA release?

afaik all versions of the 5.1 are currently out of print.

while the HFPA is the most recent release of the 5.1 it is scarcer and pricier than either the 30th Anniversary CD+DVD-V (5.1 is DTS @96/24) or DVD-A at this point.

if format is not a consideration i'd go for any of the DVD-based releases.

 

[edisonbaggins]

My recommendation is find a 2002 DVD-A.
Pretty easy to find. Almost every "2001" for sale on eBay is really the 2002. So search for both, if you find no 2002's right off the bat.

 

[edisonbaggins]

$50 for the BD is the cheapest I see for the uncompressed master, on eBay, at the moment.
Might be worth checking Amazon and discogs too. Happy hunting.
I don't recommend the 30th Anniversary, unless it's the only version in your budget.
In that case, lower your fronts around 3db.

 

[Audiowannabee]

Picked this up off the fleabay got the bluray
Pretty cool. A lil bright but i like it
Gave it a 9

 

[Strilo]

I finally got my DVD-A of this classic album. Insanely good mix for sure. Content of course is top. I gave it a 10.

 

[beerking]

Mine is the Blu ray version.
Just to have Bohemian Rhapsody is all I need.
I'm rocking along to this masterpiece, just like I was back in 1975.
It's just that I'm hearing it afresh, with the brilliant surround treatment.

God save Queen
10

 

[key_wiz]

This whole entire article HERE is an absolute must read. I have it saved under my favorites. Thanks to Scott65 for posting the link.

From my understanding, the first 2001 Scheiner only mix was more of a rough draft, then with May they both went back and spent much more time polishing it up for the 2002 mix. I have both, and while they are quite similar overall, there are a few things that stand out as a bit more prominent on the 2001, but also a lot of stuff that seems even better on the 2002. One example, near the end of The Prophet when the music kicks back in after the a cappella section, the 2002 version dances/bounces back and forth, front to rear, and also kind of side to side. The 2001 version does not. They seem to be essentially the same bed-mix, but the 2002 seems to have a lot more little things tweaked in a good way to me.

Although I don't have it, I've read that the blu-ray includes God Save the Queen in discrete elements that weren't available at the time of the earlier versions, but since that song is one minute long at the very end of the album, and also the fact that the blu-ray was apparently heavily compressed compared to the earlier DVD-A's, I'd prefer to stick with them.

I doubt I’ll ever get to hear the original Scheiner mix, but as much of a surround God as he is, I can’t imagine the original mix being any BETTER than this one.

If there ever was an album that was “made” to be in surround, it’s this one. I think I’ve always imagined it in surround in my head when listening to it. “Prophet’s Song” and BR always needed “more” than just stereo, IMO

And this is almost exactly how I always imagined the album would sound. And who can really argue with Brian May being the one to make the changes?

This really is a perfect surround album, IMO. I suppose there may be issues with mastering and maybe some of it being too “hot” was there even back in ‘75? I dunno. I played this album to death back then with no complaints about any imperfections that may have existed and I don’t hear them now either.

Albums like this are why I’m a surround fan.

BTW, I have the CD/DVD-V version and apparently I voted in the wrong poll. Oops.

 

[key_wiz]

I've heard the Scheiner-only promo DVD-A and the more common Scheiner/May DVD-A. To my ears the differences are quite subtle. Scheiner's original mix of "Bohemian Rhapsody" is quite a bit more dynamic than the May-tweaked version, and on the opera section the piano is completely isolated in the rears. No trace whatsoever in the other channels.

I think I've linked this article before, but it's an interesting read. Apparently things between Scheiner and May soured during the making of the surround mix.

Yes. I read that article when you linked it before. Great read.

But I have to say I don’t read “soured” in his account. They had some differences, Scheiner says he stood up for himself and May appreciated it. Collaborative efforts between dedicated artists and craftsmen rarely go without any conflict. This one sounds like it went pretty well to me

 

[edisonbaggins]

The 2008 DVD-V is a different mix. For at least GSTQ and some say that the middle section Prophets Song is different as well.

I dunno. Just going on what I have read.

So, I've actually A/B'ed both and hear NO difference, besides the mastering. GStQ and Prophet Song are already discrete on the 2002 disc. I think whoever wrote the DVD-V liner notes had a foggy memory.

 

[key_wiz]

So, I've actually A/B'ed both and hear NO difference, besides the mastering. GStQ and Prophet Song are already discrete on the 2002 disc. I think whoever wrote the DVD-V liner notes had a foggy memory.

The notes are credited to Brian May in August 2005.

 

[sjcorne]

So, I've actually A/B'ed both and hear NO difference, besides the mastering. GStQ and Prophet Song are already discrete on the 2002 disc. I think whoever wrote the DVD-V liner notes had a foggy memory.

For "The Prophet's Song", it's not the entire track that's upmixed, just the middle portion with the voices. I'm looking at the waveforms from the 2002 DVD-A and that particular section just looks like "double stereo". The resulting effect is that the voices are alternating between the phantom side channels, which does sound sort of surround-y, but it's really just the same audio copied to front and rear.



As for "God Save The Queen", same thing. I don't hear or see anything in the rears that isn't also upfront.



Also, I played this disc the other day and I have to say my player did not like the authoring. It was a struggle just to select a track.