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

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Just read a Nashville friend’s FB post on his LA trip;

“My good buddy and editor for Mix Magazine, Tom Kenny, got me into the Mix Immersive Mixing symposium where Bob Clearmountain shared his glorious unreleased ATMOS mix of Roxy Music’s “Avalon.” Jimmy Jam and a host of other notables were also there spreading the ATMOS gospel.”
 
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Excerpting @sjcorne's report from Mix magazine’s MixLA Immersive Music Production Conference at Universal Music Group’s 2115 facility in Santa Monica earlier this month
(https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/recap-2024-mixla-immersive-music-production-conference):
The third panel of the day centered around Roxy Music’s Avalon (1982), newly-remixed in Dolby Atmos by legendary engineer Bob Clearmountain. Fans may recall that Clearmountain and producer Rhett Davies previously remixed Avalon in 5.1 surround sound for a Super Audio CD release way back in 2003. Nick Rives, Universal Music’s Director of Audio Engineering, served as moderator.

The panel began with a short excerpt of the song “Avalon” played over the 13.1.10 immersive system, and–even though I wasn’t seated in the best location–it sounded amazing. The rhythm section and lead vocal stayed mostly in the front soundstage, while the side and rear speakers were deployed for additional elements such as rhythm guitar, saxophone, and background vocals.

MixLA Immersive Conference IAA

Clearmountain interestingly spoke a bit about his decision to place Andy McKay’s saxophone solo in the right rear speaker and Yanick Étienne’s backing vocals in the left rear speaker. He mentioned that head-panning ‘lead’ parts or solos behind the listener doesn’t always work, but in this particular instance those two elements play off each other well.

Whereas the 5.1 surround mix of Avalon was created from a '90s-era digital copy of the multitrack, Clearmountain revealed to me in a brief conversation after the panel that the new Atmos mix was completely rebuilt from 96-khz/24-bit transfers of the newly-found analog tapes. Additionally, the short segue song "India" is now presented as a true remix from the individual elements rather than simply swirling the stereo mix around the room (as was done for the 5.1 SACD).
 
I’d really like to hear a new Clearmountain mix on this and here’s why.

I do like the way the SACD sounds but also feel it’s a little too soft/wispy and unfocused sounding. From Bob’s comment and his recent mixes, he’s been bringing out the center channel in a very pronounced way (often too much IMO); but perhaps it would give the album a whole new feel, that would be interesting.
Hopefully I'll finally get a more "focused" mix that I spoke of earlier; @sjcorne, from your description it sounds like it may at least be much different than the SACD would you say?
 
"Whereas the 5.1 surround mix of Avalon was created from a '90s-era digital copy of the multitrack, Clearmountain revealed to me in a brief conversation after the panel that the new Atmos mix was completely rebuilt from 96-khz/24-bit transfers of the newly-found analog tapes. Additionally, the short segue song "India" is now presented as a true remix from the individual elements rather than simply swirling the stereo mix around the room (as was done for the 5.1 SACD)."

Wow, I didn't think they would find analog multis at this point. Incredible!
 
And I forgot to put in how about a stereo version of the non lp B side Always Unknowing?
Weirdly it only appears on the MC layer
I finally found the 45 record with this but it's beat to shit. ( I used to be a big collector of 45s with picture sleeves but mainly of non lp B sides many great songs there )
 
And I forgot to put in how about a stereo version of the non lp B side Always Unknowing?
Weirdly it only appears on the MC layer
I finally found the 45 record with this but it's beat to shit. ( I used to be a big collector of 45s with picture sleeves but mainly of non lp B sides many great songs there )
Yeah, it's odd, because it's on the CD boxset The Thrill of It All, which came out in 1999 (the Avalon SACD came out in 2004).
 
I'm one of the lucky ones that have the Avalon SACD bought long ago but I'd definitely buy it again if it comes out on bluray with an atmos and new 5.1 mix.
Hopefully the new 5.1 mix will be 96/24.

If it isnt folded from the atmos mix that is otherwise it would end up limiting it to 48/24 as has happened on some of the sde surround releases.
 
"Whereas the 5.1 surround mix of Avalon was created from a '90s-era digital copy of the multitrack, Clearmountain revealed to me in a brief conversation after the panel that the new Atmos mix was completely rebuilt from 96-khz/24-bit transfers of the newly-found analog tapes. Additionally, the short segue song "India" is now presented as a true remix from the individual elements rather than simply swirling the stereo mix around the room (as was done for the 5.1 SACD)."

Wow, I didn't think they would find analog multis at this point. Incredible!
Wonder how they came about and how they were able to be backed and transfered again dispite degrading for all those years on that notorious tape stock.
 
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