Rush "Signals" Dolby Atmos Mix! (Box Set Out in April!)

[edisonbaggins]

Rush | Signals | Streaming Dolby Atmos Review

 

[sjcorne]

If this was indeed Chycki's work (I've already emailed him asking for confirmation), I think it's easily his best surround mix for Rush to date. All speakers in 7.1.4 get their due, but - perhaps more importantly - it actually sounds like the original album, without any of the awkward added reverb that plagued some of the other titles (including the new Atmos mix of Moving Pictures - what is up with the vocal sound on "Vital Signs" ?). My only knocks are that the lead vocal gets kind of lost at times, and the highs often seem a bit muffled. Steven Wilson's 5.1 mix of A Farewell To Kings is still my gold standard for Rush in surround.

 

[sjcorne]

If this was indeed Chycki's work (I've already emailed him asking for confirmation)…

Can now confirm Chycki did these mixes

 

[edisonbaggins]

Can now confirm Chycki did these mixes

Concur.
He messaged me a little while ago, saying so.

 

[perzon57]

Concur.
He messaged me a little while ago, saying so.

May he make more Atmos mixes with this quality.

 

[rugene]

The only thing i can find on Rush Signals is this

 

[TheGreatRamseythe2nd]

If this was indeed Chycki's work (I've already emailed him asking for confirmation), I think it's easily his best surround mix for Rush to date. All speakers in 7.1.4 get their due, but - perhaps more importantly - it actually sounds like the original album, without any of the awkward added reverb that plagued some of the other titles (including the new Atmos mix of Moving Pictures - what is up with the vocal sound on "Vital Signs" ?). My only knocks are that the lead vocal gets kind of lost at times, and the highs often seem a bit muffled. Steven Wilson's 5.1 mix of A Farewell To Kings is still my gold standard for Rush in surround.

This happens often. At least the Atmos mix has better EQ and less compression than 5.1.

 

[splinter7]

Concur.
He messaged me a little while ago, saying so.

It would be fascinating to understand when and how he had this epiphany when it came to mixing surround.

He went from failing student to Cume Laude

 

[RustyStatic]

Was looking forward to listening to this one today as my Saturday morning focused listen with coffee. Doing so helped me articulate what I think others have kind of eluded to as well...

When listening to something that I know very well, I have an idea in my head of how it sounds, and when I cue it up on a killer system ready to have my head rearranged, it almost never lives up to what I'm expecting—there's SO much bias there, from years of listening in different contexts, in different emotional (let alone... chemical?) states , etc.—and I have a lot of empathy and appreciation for anyone who even attempts a go at these classic albums, because that's what they're contending with. And they have to know there's no way they're not gonna take a lot of punches for it, one way or another. But they do it anyway. Bravo!

Before I get into my brief thoughts on Signals I'll share two of my personal eye-opening examples. When I finally got myself a legit system for really the first time in my life, there of course were plenty of songs that I knew so well they were part of my DNA that had me agape at how awesome and fresh they sounded (I'm looking at you, "Aja"). But one that completely shocked me was the studio version of "Where The Streets Have No Name", that of course opens The Joshua Tree by U2. In my head, having seen it live many times with the rafters shaking, the version in Rattle and Hum, etc., etc., I expected all of that emotional and cinematic resonance in the original, assuming it had only been dulled by car stereo systems or boomboxes at worksites growing up. But I was shocked at what the high quality system revealed—that song in particular (I wouldn't say this for all of The Joshua Tree) sounds pretty shockingly bad. The reproduction if it is super limited by the limitations of what is on the original tape itself, and you can only do so much with it. I had a similar experience with "When The Levee Breaks", expecting woofer-shattering power from the kick drum hits, but it's not really there on the tape - it's only there when you bake it in artificially on the back end by goosing the EQ. I mean, these things would still sound great, and did for my entire life, coming out of all kinds of squashed systems - but that's because of the majesty of the songwriting, performances, and tone colors, not because they were engineered that well. I understand not everyone will agree with me on those examples but that's been my consistent experience with them.

So, remember those coveted old bootleg tapes we'd find at flea markets? When you pressed play on them, boy did most of them sound like hot garbage. But after 5 minutes your brain kind of adjusted and man, some of those old boots mean as much to me as anything else out there. I think that kind of "brain adjustment time" is critical for many of these mixes, especially those we know well.

For Signals, I was ready for Subdivisions to have the crisp, clean synth punch and resonance of "Autobahn" from the 3-D Catalogue release, and I was a little let down. Geddy's voice sounded a little muddy and distant, the drums sounded a little dead and compressed, and it wasn't living up to what was in my head. For a number of reasons, including the aforementioned bias, and also because this was recorded in 1982, and not in the same way that say, Gavin Harrison's drums would be recorded and treated in 2020+.

And like others have stated, a few songs in, I started settling in and just enjoying without being critical, and started adjusting to the production and the mix, enjoying the little flourishes like the cymbals in the heights on "Digital Man", and of course the liberties taken with placement and sound effects on "Losing It" and "Countdown". Might that also be because those songs are not nearly as burned into my brain as New World Man or Subdivisions? Likely. Also, after the full acclimation of my brain, I started it over, pumped it a few dBs higher, and Subdivisions got a full throated "eff yes!" from me.

I like being reminded that this is a very, very subjective endeavor and our brains are some seriously wacky instruments that fill in gaps and interpret things in different ways depending on all kinds of factors—and far from precise and consistent. As many have said, at the end of the day, I'm happy all of this is even happening and we get to be here for it. Party on, Garth.

 

[RandomPiGuy]

I really hope this gets a physical release but if not this album might be the one to convince me to get set up to stream atmos (also the Tom Petty mixes which have been trying to convince me for a while). Also I hope the rest of the synth era Rush albums get mixed in surround eventually.

 

[himey]

I think Richard Chycki made the biggest positive leap from his early 5.1 mixes to the Atmos Moving Pictures and to finally this brilliant Signals.

Close second goes to Giles Martin from Pepper, to The White Album, and finally Abbey Road. Nothing since AR has matched it, which is disappointing. He seems to have taken a few steps back.

Hopefully Mr. Chycki can keep this standard he set going forward. Grace Under Pressure next please!

Edit.
I should mention James Guthrie made a pretty large jump with his Animals mix, compared to Dark Side and Amused to Death.

 

[kap'n krunch]

Folks, remember that most, if not 99.9% of the MCH remix engineers are capable of what we QQers refer to a GREAT MCH mix, BUT REMEMBER that it's the CLIENT that dictates the course that the mix shall take...I am positive that RC wanted the original Signals MCH mix to be more discrete but it's the MANAGEMENT and the ARTIST who has the last say...

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Edit.
I should mention James Guthrie made a pretty large jump with his Animals mix, compared to Dark Side and Amused to Death.

.you beat me to it.

 

[sjcorne]

Close second goes to Giles Martin from Pepper, to The White Album, and finally Abbey Road. Nothing since AR has matched it, which is disappointing. He seems to have taken a few steps back.

I thought Let It Be in 5.1 & Atmos was just as good as AR.

 

[himey]

I thought Let It Be in 5.1 & Atmos was just as good as AR.

Stones remix was a huge step back. I liked AR better than LIB, but it wasn't bad for sure.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I played most of Signals today. I was impressed. New World Man was a surround standout. Loved Countdown.

 

[fetchmybeer]

I seem to remember that Subdivisions on the original 5.1 had a different vocal take on one part. Does the Atmos repeat this?

 

[RandomPiGuy]

I seem to remember that Subdivisions on the original 5.1 had a different vocal take on one part. Does the Atmos repeat this?

I'm curious about this too. The Analog Kid also used a different vocal take on the old 5.1 mix. I'll know soon enough though as I just ordered an Apple TV 4k because I really want to hear this mix (it's my favorite Rush album and I will still buy an overpriced box of it if they release one). Being able to stream atmos mixes might also give me a good excuse to upgrade to atmos as I currently just have a quad and a 7.1 set up. I'll report back about the vocal takes once I get set up to stream it unless someone else reports back first.

 

[Scott M4]

I’m have difficulty finding Signals and Moving Pictures in Atmos on Apple Music - only lossless. Any hints for me where to find them?

 

[beerking]

Here's the Signals link....