Please post your thoughts and comments on this special edition upmix surround release from Renaissance - Scheherazade And Other Stories
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DVD/DTS Poll Renaissance - Scheherazade And Other Stories [DTS DVD]
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Putting on the DVD with the 5.1 upmix as dinner music, we listened to "side 1" during one evening and "side 2" with the album side title track on another night.
I'm very pleased with the dimensionality presented by the presumed Pentos method of surround. It goes from good to great in passages, pleasant surprises and nothing untoward that would make me stop listening. I will make a copy for the vehicles and spend more time with it. I've made changes to improve the soundfield in two Pioneer systems.
A lovely bonus is 3 video tracks that total just 17 minutes perhaps but the sheer power of the group as a live performers really shines through. This may The visual aspect of the film is pretty worn however the sound is decent enough.
Pretty happy with this presentation, too bad that the multi-tracks for such an important album were not available.
Addendum: This package also includes apreviously unreleased January 1976 concert when this album was new. Haven't gotten around to that yet.
RATING: Rounding up 9 -based on my love this album, the extras and packaging are 1st rate great. While this may be an upmix, it yields pleasing dimensionality. It's better than I thought it would be without any artifacts to detract from the experience.
I'm very pleased with the dimensionality presented by the presumed Pentos method of surround. It goes from good to great in passages, pleasant surprises and nothing untoward that would make me stop listening. I will make a copy for the vehicles and spend more time with it. I've made changes to improve the soundfield in two Pioneer systems.
A lovely bonus is 3 video tracks that total just 17 minutes perhaps but the sheer power of the group as a live performers really shines through. This may The visual aspect of the film is pretty worn however the sound is decent enough.
Pretty happy with this presentation, too bad that the multi-tracks for such an important album were not available.
Addendum: This package also includes a
RATING: Rounding up 9 -based on my love this album, the extras and packaging are 1st rate great. While this may be an upmix, it yields pleasing dimensionality. It's better than I thought it would be without any artifacts to detract from the experience.
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I believe the concert was actually previously released as British Tour '76. I don't know if it was remastered or not for this release.
I was disappointed in the 5.1 sound quality not so much the mix although it was modest in presenting surround presence. I have a high end Trinnov Altitude 16 setup with excellent speakers and even properly measured & calibrated, the surround activity was much lower in volume - almost like an ambient mix. If this was really done using Penteo, that's another matrix encoder so not really discrete multichannel. Playback through Sansui QS, SQ, Involve, DSU, DPLIIx, could have done the job with the 2ch CD.
The sound quality could have been improved IF the label had used lossless DTS-MA or PCM on a Blu-ray or use a SACD/DVD-A disc.
Lossy DTS just sounded too bass-y or congested for my taste. I listened to this album in redbook from Qobuz via Roon and adding Auro 3D to my ears was much better with Annie Haslam's vocals clear enough to hear the lyrics on Ocean Gypsy which was not the case with 5.1 DTS. The use of center should have made her voice stand out and it didn't.
Total bust? No but certainly could have been better and IMO the label missed the boat entirely by using 2 old lossy formats (DTS & DD) on a DVD instead of doing this lovely music the treatment it deserved. And the music is superb. In all fairness, I have not listened to the 2 ch 96/24 lossless PCM tracks on the DVD or the CD's so they may be great. But that's not why I bought it; I spent the money for the 5.1 instead of listening to it on Qobuz with an upmixer.
The good thing about the purchase is I discovered a prog-rock group I had never heard of before and they are pretty good. And I love Annie Haslam's voice!
The sound quality could have been improved IF the label had used lossless DTS-MA or PCM on a Blu-ray or use a SACD/DVD-A disc.
Lossy DTS just sounded too bass-y or congested for my taste. I listened to this album in redbook from Qobuz via Roon and adding Auro 3D to my ears was much better with Annie Haslam's vocals clear enough to hear the lyrics on Ocean Gypsy which was not the case with 5.1 DTS. The use of center should have made her voice stand out and it didn't.
Total bust? No but certainly could have been better and IMO the label missed the boat entirely by using 2 old lossy formats (DTS & DD) on a DVD instead of doing this lovely music the treatment it deserved. And the music is superb. In all fairness, I have not listened to the 2 ch 96/24 lossless PCM tracks on the DVD or the CD's so they may be great. But that's not why I bought it; I spent the money for the 5.1 instead of listening to it on Qobuz with an upmixer.
The good thing about the purchase is I discovered a prog-rock group I had never heard of before and they are pretty good. And I love Annie Haslam's voice!
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So for me, the most successful surround mix was on A Trip to the Fair. Makes sense, there were stereo effects on the original mix that lent themselves to the surround upmix. I found Scheherazade to be the least successful upmix. I will have to go back and listen to the high rez 2-channel mix, but it seemed to me that the shorter songs were better recorded overall.
Verified - both were taken from a January 24th, 1976 show. I was unaware of the previous CD release. Chalk the 'previously unreleased' blurb up to Esoteric marketing editors.
Glad to have found this thread. This album has been a favorite since the mid-1970s. Not easy to find in stock. Ordered from Burning Shed.
I voted 8.
Wow can't believe I bought this, but I am a collector of surround music.
My initial reaction is this is music for squares, but that is unfair.
This is an UPMIX from a stereo source, well known fact. I personally don't care, I have heard plenty of up mixes in my time, it goes from a stereo listen to a surround listen, pretty simple.
The surround is typical of a up mix, nothing special, would never be considered discrete, however there is good balance between fronts and rears and vocals are very nice centered, in the center.
I am not going to lay it all on the line, it is what it is.
Should you buy if you are a surround collector? No, give it a pass. If you are a Renaissance collector, sure why not.
The CD 2 Live At Nottingham has very good clarity and sonic power.
But, I beg the question, was anyone really into this band?, doesn't float my boat.
Why an 8: Music kind of sucks, surround up mix is OK, nice package, oh well.
I ripped: with DVDAE, simple and no problems.
Wow can't believe I bought this, but I am a collector of surround music.
My initial reaction is this is music for squares, but that is unfair.
This is an UPMIX from a stereo source, well known fact. I personally don't care, I have heard plenty of up mixes in my time, it goes from a stereo listen to a surround listen, pretty simple.
The surround is typical of a up mix, nothing special, would never be considered discrete, however there is good balance between fronts and rears and vocals are very nice centered, in the center.
I am not going to lay it all on the line, it is what it is.
Should you buy if you are a surround collector? No, give it a pass. If you are a Renaissance collector, sure why not.
The CD 2 Live At Nottingham has very good clarity and sonic power.
But, I beg the question, was anyone really into this band?, doesn't float my boat.
Why an 8: Music kind of sucks, surround up mix is OK, nice package, oh well.
I ripped: with DVDAE, simple and no problems.
Yes, saw them live a couple of times in their heyday.
I also saw them several times in the day. First time was in my high school! (Ashes Are Burning had just been released IIRC).
Anyway, I found the upmix here to be pleasant enough; most tracks have some open breathing room, but I felt The Vultures Fly High to be a little still. There are some interesting sections of the backing vocals rolling slightly back to front, but other than that the 5.1 mix is nothing special except for the fabulous music itself!
I haven't listened to the Dolby mix yet, I am not expecting any differences on my system.
The CD includes the 'single mix' of Ocean Gypsy, yet I couldn't find any 45 on discogs (looking for artwork). Anyone have a clue about that one? Promo only?
The promotional film was a nice touch, grainy yet appropriately nostalgic.
Anyway, I found the upmix here to be pleasant enough; most tracks have some open breathing room, but I felt The Vultures Fly High to be a little still. There are some interesting sections of the backing vocals rolling slightly back to front, but other than that the 5.1 mix is nothing special except for the fabulous music itself!
I haven't listened to the Dolby mix yet, I am not expecting any differences on my system.
The CD includes the 'single mix' of Ocean Gypsy, yet I couldn't find any 45 on discogs (looking for artwork). Anyone have a clue about that one? Promo only?
The promotional film was a nice touch, grainy yet appropriately nostalgic.
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Have always LOVED this album and although a pleasant enough UPMIX I did prefer the 96/24 LOSSLESS Stereo. Hopefully one day they'll locate the multitracks and do a proper Surround discrete remix [which, IMO, this album begs for].
I did vote an 8 and the videos were a nice touch!
I did vote an 8 and the videos were a nice touch!
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