Rolling Stones Goats Head Soup Deluxe Edition (with 5.1 & Dolby Atmos mixes!)

[HomerJAU]

Music Media Helper

You can also tag the files via an online album search No need to manually edit tags. The FLAC conversion is faster than Audiomuxer and MMH converts directly to FLAC while AM does two conversions, wav then FLAC.

 

[4-earredwonder]

OK. The album packaging is very nice, the 3 CDs are each on their own in slots on thick cardboard pages, the BDA is on its own page but in its own cardboard sleeve. The book is attached to the same outer cover as the disc pages, and I didn't think my copy had the 4 posters, but it does! There is a cardboard box/tube next to the disc pages, you have to open it and they're hidden in there.

You can select only the stereo or the 7.1 Atmos mix, there is no 5.1 mix (the sticker actually says fully compatible with 5.1 & 7.1 systems). There is a 'button' for the album, and there is another for the 3 bonus tracks (which aren't listed on the cover slip). My Oppo didn't like the Play button said it was prohibited but the album played (automatically), and the pause etc. worked.

So the first listen.

Album: It is not an in your face 'discrete' mix, the fronts contain the band and the main instruments, and the rears the supporting instruments. Often there is nothing in the rears just bit of reverb/echo then the horns will appear then the keys etc. I feel the rears could be slightly up in volume, but I wonder if some of that is down to how my Amp interprets the 7.1 stream from the Oppo into my 5.0 set-up (I let the Oppo decode and generate PCM, as my amp does not do Atmos). The Oppo reports it as 7.1 channels at 48kHz sample rate. Overall the sound quality is good, (bearing in mind that scarily it is a 47 year old recording) some tracks are better than others. It was recorded on an 8 channel machine in Jamaica and then worked on as a 16 track in the USA, maybe that is why, so one bounce from 8 to 16. I would say the mix is quite conservative - and I think that is deliberate so as not to alienate the uber fan. It sounds like the album but essentially split with band in the front the rest in the rears. So on my 5.0 system (4x Floorstanders & Centre) it comes over as front centric, but with the rears as support. I wonder if a true Atmos system will present it differently. Is it bad, no its good, is what we expected? possibly not.

Bonus Tracks: All The Rage, Criss Cross & Scarlet (with Jimmy Page) which not listed as being on the BDA but they are, and in 7.1! These mixes are much more 'discrete' and more 'in your face' and I think this is because they're not on the original album. So I kind of wish they'd done a conservative and an in your face mix like the bonuses of everything.

Edit: Not sure how we can rip this to flac

Cannot say I'm surprised by another 'conservative' surround remix of a classic album. Honoring the integrity of the STEREO mix is becoming a real thorne in my [our] side. Isn't the STEREO mix in all it's glory, present on the BD~A as well as on the various included RBCD discs????????

And now it also has to be RE~HONORED on the Surround BD~A, as well?

When I heard that early mch SACD of the Stones' Sympathy for the Devil remixes, I was awed at what could be accomplished with 50 year old multi tracks.

It's coming to a point, at least for me, that when we're asked to shell out almost $100 [in some cases over $100] for a Surround Remix, 'honoring' the integrity of the stereo mix with a few 'flourishes' in the rear just doesn't cut the mustard. Having already shelled out big bucks for the Universal Stereo SHM~SACD, I REALLY expected in the year 2020 with so many brilliant surround remixes available as EASY references, we are 'rewarded' with just another hodgepodge rear~stingy enhanced.....read TEPID ....REMIX!

And as Duncan surmised, the remix engineers 'let loose' on those 3 Surround Page bonus tracks as they weren't part of the original album ..... what a pile of GOAT SHITE!

GASP!

 

[DuncanS]

This is exactly why I wish they'd included a dedicated 5.1 stream. There's no way to know if the downmixing process is somehow altering the balance of the surround mix in a way that the producers/engineers didn't intend. You could be hearing the audio information meant for the height or surround back channels at too high or too low a volume in the 5.1 downmix.

Thanks for the detailed review!

That is my feeling as well, I have a few other Atmos discs and something about playing them in that mode doesn't 'feel/sound' right through my system. I must update the software on my Smyth Realiser A16 and try that as I think the latest update does Atmos.

 

[DuncanS]

Interesting. I thought a non-Atmos surround mix was advertised.

So did I!

 

[Mcallister]

Sounds pretty good so far. Surrounds and tops could use slight volume adjustment higher after one song

 

[marpow]

I'm checking out the stereo remix on Spotify and I like what I'm hearing so far. "Dancing With Mr. D" still has that murky atmosphere, but the vocals are a lot more intelligible than before. Seems like the bass has been brought up in the mix as well. I can't wait to hear the 5.1 tomorrow!

I agree, listening now via Tidal Master (MQA) and notice the heavy bass, compared to the Tidal CD quality version sounds better.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Interesting. I thought a non-Atmos surround mix was advertised.

It absolutely was and still is: Goats Head Soup Super Deluxe 3CD + Blu-ray Box Set

Goats Head Soup Super Deluxe box sets features 35 tracks on three CDs & one Blu-ray disc (Dolby Atmos, 96kHz/24 bit high resolution stereo, and 96 kHz/24 bit DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1).

Oh, well, happy the DR is 12.

 

[Mcallister]

Coming Down Again sounds fantastic.

 

[HomerJAU]

That is my feeling as well, I have a few other Atmos discs and something about playing them in that mode doesn't 'feel/sound' right through my system.

Good excuse to upgrade your AVR to Atmos Duncan.

Giles mixes are quite conservative but a recent post here quoting Steven Wilson on his COTCK Atmos mix sounds like it’s in another league!

My understanding is the Atmos ‘bed’ mix (5.1/7.1) is fixed. Nothing in the heights is remixed down to the floor speakers. Anything information solely in the heights won’t be heard in the conventional 2D layouts.

 

[Mcallister]

after 4 songs no need to adjust surrounds and tops up in volume. sounding quite delightful

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

So, I finally got some clarity on mine.....arriving Tuesday. Ugh. I was so hoping tomorrow! Hell, I'll be on the road with work, so won't even get to hear it.

Me too me too about time

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Wednesday09/09/2020
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Progress Indicator	Status	Date	Location	Activity
Future Event	Delivery	-	-
Current Event	Shipped	09/04/2020 4:04 P.M.	Nashville, TN, United States
Past Event	Label Created	09/03/2020 10:30 A.M.	United States

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[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Listening to Brussels Affair on Tidal really like it

 

[jefe1]

See you didn't need to order this.
Physical discs are dead.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

See you didn't need to order this.
Physical discs are dead.

Not yet......technological streaming for music still has a long way to come before that happens....but it's getting better all the time

What needs to happen IMHO is that the record labels & artists need to have the original stereo mis/new remix/5.1 mix dedicated to original mix/5.1 immersive mix and Atmos mix in each new SDE....that way everyone is.....as Keith sings "HAPPY"

 

[sjcorne]

It is not an in your face 'discrete' mix, the fronts contain the band and the main instruments, and the rears the supporting instruments. Often there is nothing in the rears just bit of reverb/echo then the horns will appear then the keys etc.

I prefer when there's constant action in the rears myself, but I don't think this is a bad style of surround mixing. In fact, I'd say most of the Steely Dan/Donald Fagen 5.1's that are revered around here have this type of mix. Listen to "Hey Nineteen" off Gaucho - the rears just contain reverb of the front channels for much of the song, but suddenly burst to life with backing vocals and percussion at key moments. The Guns 'n' Roses 5.1 does this too - the rears will mirror the fronts until the sudden entrance of a guitar overdub or doubled vocal line, etc.

 

[JediJoker]

Oh, well, happy the DR is 12.

DR is next to useless for surround, especially on a front-centric remix like this. The rear channels being mostly silent really throws off the measuring algorithm. Chances are that the front channels are just as slammed as the stereo version (DR6 average, as low as DR4!).

 

[~dave~~wave~]

DR is next to useless for surround, especially on a front-centric remix like this. The rear channels being mostly silent really throws off the measuring algorithm. Chances are that the front channels are just as slammed as the stereo version (DR6 average, as low as DR4!).

OK.
Some kind soul will get around to posting the waveforms, Mr Glass Half Empty.

 

[4-earredwonder]

See you didn't need to order this.
Physical discs are dead.

Nay, Master Jeff....but with gyms closed physical exercise IS!

 

[jefe1]

Sadly true. With gyms closed my health has suffered.

 

[SHB]

My copy from Amazon arrived this morning. Listening to it now in Dolby True HD. Dang. I thought too that a 96 kHz/24 bit DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 was included.