Roxy Music -Avalon 40th anniversary Dolby Atmos Mix (now streaming)

[scottm18]

I do like the way the SACD sounds but also feel it’s a little too soft/wispy and unfocused sounding.

I absolutely agree. I never thought with this disc was greatest thing since sliced bread like everyone claimed it to be. I have a lot better sounding DVD-Audio & SACDs--especially some overseas material like ERA's The Mass or Super Furry Animals LoveKraft.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I do like the way the SACD sounds but also feel it’s a little too soft/wispy and unfocused sounding.

I absolutely agree. I never thought with this disc was greatest thing since sliced bread like everyone claimed it to be. I have a lot better sounding DVD-Audio & SACDs--especially some overseas material like ERA's The Mass or Super Furry Animals LoveKraft.

Well it just always leaves me feeling like there should be more “something” IDK, maybe just a factor of the style of music it is, you know, more soft synth and atmospheric.

 

[SomethingAnything]

YES @Cyber 1

I'm pretty sure there is a SW 5.1 of For Your Pleasure. It just hasn't been released.

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

I'm pretty sure there is a SW 5.1 of For Your Pleasure. It just hasn't been released.

I’ve suspected that since the 1st LP was given the SDE treatment

 

[Plan9]

I'm pretty sure there is a SW 5.1 of For Your Pleasure. It just hasn't been released.

There was a rumour but unfortunately I don't think that's true.

 

[quicksrt]

Well it just always leaves me feeling like there should be more “something” IDK, maybe just a factor of the style of music it is, you know, more soft synth and atmospheric.

I think I recall that the multitrack tapes existed only as 16/44 digital, and so a remix into 5.1 was never going to be true Hi-Res, and Clearmountain did the best he could with it. And the the title track was not even available in a multitrack, or it was one of the others that could not be located. There is an upmix included.

That said, it's a pretty good disc. Fagen's Nightfly might also be mixed from 16/44 to high-res? I seem to think there are more 24/92 surround mixes that originate from 16/44. Usually, they get printed to analog tape and mixed from there to soften the blow so to speak.

 

[sjcorne]

I think I recall that the multitrack tapes existed only as 16/44 digital, and so a remix into 5.1 was never going to be true Hi-Res, and Clearmountain did the best he could with it. And the the title track was not even available in a multitrack, or it was one of the others that could not be located. There is an upmix included.

As I recall, the original multitrack tapes were claimed by the "sticky shed" syndrome - they baked and transferred them to 16/48 PCM sometime in the late '80s or early '90s. The short instrumental "India" was upmixed by gradually panning the original stereo mix around the room, not the title track.

 

[Plan9]

As I recall, the original multitrack tapes were claimed by the "sticky shed" syndrome - they baked and transferred them to 16/48 PCM sometime in the late '80s or early '90s. The short instrumental "India" was upmixed by gradually panning the original stereo mix around the room, not the title track.

That's right, for the remix they had to use a digital copy made in the early/mid nineties to 20bit/48kHz*

*There was an accident with the clock of the Sony digital multitrack machine during transfer so it actually has more resolution than 48kHz if you compensate for it. I think the detail are in the SACD booklet?

 

[boxhead]

That's right, for the remix they had to use a digital copy made in the early/mid nineties to 20bit/48kHz*

*There was an accident with the clock of the Sony digital multitrack machine during transfer so it actually has more resolution than 48kHz if you compensate for it. I think the detail are in the SACD booklet?

There's no mention of that particular issue in my SACD booklet, however there is a mention of the upmix from Bob Clearmountain - 'We were lucky that the original master tapes had been preserved, except for the instrumental "India" for which we used the original stereo mix with some fascinating, if not slightly amusing five-channel panning.'

 

[DuncanS]

That's right, for the remix they had to use a digital copy made in the early/mid nineties to 20bit/48kHz*

*There was an accident with the clock of the Sony digital multitrack machine during transfer so it actually has more resolution than 48kHz if you compensate for it. I think the detail are in the SACD booklet?

A lot of the earlier Digital multi-track machines had a 50kHz sample clock (or that as an option), 3M definitely did, and I think so did a few Sony.

 

[JediJoker]

A lot of the earlier Digital multi-track machines had a 50kHz sample clock (or that as an option), 3M definitely did, and I think so did a few Sony.

Multitracks? I'm not sure about that... I know the Mitsubishi X-80 digital 2-track used a 50kHz sampling rate.

 

[DuncanS]

Multitracks? I'm not sure about that... I know the Mitsubishi X-80 digital 2-track used a 50kHz sampling rate.

It was more common on the 2 tracks, but Ry Cooder's 1979 "Bop 'Til You Drop" was recorded on a 3M multitrack at 50kHz sample rate, not certain of the bit depth.

I'm not certain about the Sony machines. Steve Wonder's 1980 "Hotter Than July" was recorded all digitally on a Sony machine/system so might have been, it was pre-CD so the rates weren't necessarily the now normal basic ones of 44.1kHz/48kHz etc.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

While we're at it asking for more Roxy Music.....


How about the entire Concert of "The High Road" in DTS Surround . I think there's only 4 on the DVD SET.

 

[bayards]

We really need a Wilson 5.1 of For Your Pleasure

Deffo!

 

[Beefalo]

We really need a Wilson 5.1 of For Your Pleasure

Bogus Man at 90db

 

[Ephi82]

The Avalon SACD is a top three surround mix in my collection. Interestingly, for me, this mix already has an “ object based” vibe to it, with the musical elements very precisely located in the surround sound field. Hard to believe it could be bettered in ATMOS, but I’d certainly pay to hear if Clearmountain can pull it off.

 

[bayards]

I have an Atmos rig and ageing ears...hurry up!

 

[Rhinojack]

I played my 5.1 copy yesterday and thought the same thing as far as a 40th Anniversary release. Can’t imagine it being improved upon, but I would certainly splurge for a fancy re-packaging in a box set. I was thinking how incredible it is a band could come up with these sound arrangements found in this recording.

 

[user 1679]

Nothing concrete so no high hopes, but this new NME interview with Phil Manzanera makes brief mention of box sets:

Roxy recently re-released all eight albums on vinyl as half-speed remasters, and ‘The Best Of’ compilation is out for the first time on vinyl too. How closely involved are you with reissues?​

“I had no idea it was coming out until they told me, but I love vinyl, and that special mastering is lovely, a different experience for people who really love the albums. The reissue I’ve been closest to was the boxset of the first album, when Steven Wilson did a new mix of it in 5.1. Because of the limitations of vinyl in 1972, nobody had ever heard the album the way we had in the studio until that boxset. It was great hearing the extended version of ‘Ladytron’ with me and Eno wigging out. It’s incredible, but we hadn’t had room for it on the original vinyl in ’72.”

Will there be more boxsets of other Roxy albums, in that case?​

“I’d love it if there was, I’m all for it. ‘For Your Pleasure’ and ‘Avalon’ in particular would be great to do. You could do a big, deep exploration of those and see what extras you could bring to the surface.’

 

[bayards]

Want!