HiRez Poll Spears, Britney - IN THE ZONE [DVD-A]

[beerking]

Okay..here goes..hang on can I do this? Just got this from US seller on Discogs. I've been using the Surround poll to guide my purchases for my collection and basically tying to buy those with a score of 8 and above. This is a huge surprise to me, the mix is outstanding, in fact one of the best surround discs I now own. Do you know how hard it is to swallow my pride by stating all this. Well I state as I find regardless of artist. I'm giving this a 10. Where are the engineers now, who, imo, got this so right ? Right where is my beer....need to sit and relax now!!

 

[edisonbaggins]

Okay..here goes..hang on can I do this? Just got this from US seller on Discogs. I've been using the Surround poll to guide my purchases for my collection and basically tying to buy those with a score of 8 and above. This is a huge surprise to me, the mix is outstanding, in fact one of the best surround discs I now own. Do you know how hard it is to swallow my pride by stating all this. Well I state as I find regardless of artist. I'm giving this a 10. Where are the engineers now, who, imo, got this so right ? Right where is my beer....need to sit and relax now!!

You actually scored the DVD-A for a sane price? I've heard the FLAC and it's one of the best mixes I've ever heard. I don't like all the songs, but the few I do have kept it on my radar.
Reviews indicated that the Dualdisc just doesn't cut it though and I've never found the DVD-A at a price I can tolerate.

 

[beerking]

You actually scored the DVD-A for a sane price? I've heard the FLAC and it's one of the best mixes I've ever heard. I don't like all the songs, but the few I do have kept it on my radar.
Reviews indicated that the Dualdisc just doesn't cut it though and I've never found the DVD-A at a price I can tolerate.

We'll not really a sane price, but over half what I can get here in the UK for (£120) which is about $162!! I was very lucky. Usually wait for my wish list on Discogs every day but just happened to check it out before the daily listing and bingo there it was, couldn't believe my luck. Yes, I nearly got the dual disc but thankfully I waited for this DVD-A to show. It has been on my wish list for over 3 yrs!! It really is an incredible mix. Those engineers did a phenomenal job. Do they encourage apprentices I wonder in this sphere of music production?

 

[GOS]

Okay..here goes..hang on can I do this? Just got this from US seller on Discogs. I've been using the Surround poll to guide my purchases for my collection and basically tying to buy those with a score of 8 and above. This is a huge surprise to me, the mix is outstanding, in fact one of the best surround discs I now own. Do you know how hard it is to swallow my pride by stating all this. Well I state as I find regardless of artist. I'm giving this a 10. Where are the engineers now, who, imo, got this so right ? Right where is my beer....need to sit and relax now!!

Chris Haynes engineered the 5.1 mix I'm pretty sure. I don't know other titles he's done...probably others here do.

 

[haikubass]

Chris Haynes engineered the 5.1 mix I'm pretty sure. I don't know other titles he's done...probably others here do.

Ace Of Spades - a total opposite beast, from the top of my head. For the rest simply visit fredblue's notable list.

 

[beerking]

Ace Of Spades - a total opposite beast, from the top of my head. For the rest simply visit fredblue's notable list.

Ooh..Many thanks for the link. Will need to re check my collection for Chris's other releases.....

 

[haikubass]

Ooh..Many thanks for the link. Will need to re check my collection for Chris's other releases.....

I can personally vouch for any of the following mixes:
Blondie - The Сurse Of Blondie (DualDisc DVD-A)
Brides Of Destruction - Here Come The Brides (DVD-A)
Brimstone Butterfly - Normality Killed The Cat (DualDisc DVD-A)
Dishwalla - Opaline (DVD-A/DualDisc)
Foo Fighters - One By One (DVD-A)
Queensrÿche - Tribe (DVD-A/DualDisc)
Geoff Tate - Geoff Tate (DVD-A/DualDisc)
Various Artists - Is It Rolling Bob? A Reggae Tribute To Bob Dylan (DualDisc DVD-A)

 

[buddbravo]

I found another copy on ebay! I lost my original disk years ago. The new copy was sealed and brand new. Anyone else selling a copy? This is one of the most engaging and fun 5.1 mixes I have ever heard.

 

[ssully]

You old fogies This is classic early Oughts pop, and the DVDA (and AC3 on the same disc) mix is what surround mixes should be. Someone should have played this for Steven Wilson ten years ago.

Technically interesting too, for being in 88/24 format rather than the usual 96/24 for a DVDA.

 

[ar surround]

You old fogies This is classic early Oughts pop, and the DVDA (and AC3 on the same disc) mix is what surround mixes should be. Someone should have played this for Steven Wilson ten years ago.

Technically interesting too, for being in 88/24 format rather than the usual 96/24 for a DVDA.

I tried to listen to at least the first minute of several songs from this album on YouTube. This "old fogie" could not stand what I heard. Then I tried again and it didn't sound so bad the second time around. Hmmm, may have to investigate this disc. I'm sure my "old fogie" wife will like it.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I tried to listen to at least the first minute of several songs from this album on YouTube. This "old fogie" could not stand what I heard. Then I tried again and it didn't sound so bad the second time around. Hmmm, may have to investigate this disc. I'm sure my "old fogie" wife will like it.

I remember liking several songs later in the album. IIRC, they were ballady, less glossy, maybe. And actual good songs.

 

[4-earredwonder]

Try it. You'll LIKE it. A much more palatable experience in Surround! I actually gave IN THE ZONE a 9! The ONLY BS album I have......and it's NO BS!

Britney....before she ZONED out!

• 
  

 

[JonUrban]

To remedy a bad sad situation, I created a new poll for the DualDisc

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...lease-of-britney-spears-in-the-zone-dd.26435/
and amended the first post of this thread with scans and some info regarding both.

 

[ar surround]

There are several things that really piss me off about this 5.1 DVD-A:

1) It is a clinic on how 5.1 should be mixed. Possibly one of the best 5.1 mixes I've ever heard.
2) The tonal balance is impeccable...no EQ required.
3) The fidelity is also impeccable.
4) I thought I would hate it because it's Britney Spears but I actually like a lot of it. I'd never own this record in stereo but the 5.1 makes it worth it.

I'll give credit where it's due and give it an 8 overall with highest marks for mix and fidelity.

 

[ar surround]

One more thing that pisses me off:

5) All of the tracks are just the right length without becoming monotonous.

I was really hoping to find a reason...any reason...to blast this release but there are none. Maybe I should get the DualDisc with the lousy surround mix so that I satiate my obsession to skewer this album?

 

[fredblue]

did we ever get to the bottom of what's on the DVD-Audio Vs the DualDisc?

i racked up both versions to try and see what might have occurred.. it seems it wasn't some minor futzing that went on in the transition from DVD-Audio to DualDisc, looking at the 5.1 MLP on the earlier DVD-Audio mix it seems to me to be much more discrete and better balanced than the Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DualDisc.

here's "Toxic" in 5.1 on the DVD-Audio;



..and "Toxic" in 5.1 from the DualDisc;

 

[4-earredwonder]

did we ever get to the bottom of what's on the DVD-Audio Vs the DualDisc?

i racked up both versions to try and see what might have occurred.. it seems it wasn't some minor futzing that went on in the transition from DVD-Audio to DualDisc, looking at the 5.1 MLP on the earlier DVD-Audio mix it seems to me to be much more discrete and better balanced than the Dolby Digital 5.1 on the DualDisc.

here's "Toxic" in 5.1 on the DVD-Audio;

View attachment 40044

..and "Toxic" in 5.1 from the DualDisc;

View attachment 40045

Thank you, Adam, for doing the research ....... For a LOSSY hater like myself, the proof is in the putting those graphs before our eyes to savor the apparent degradation that ensues when a LOSSLESS codec is reduced to DD 5.1...with TOXIC results!

 

[fredblue]

Thank you, Adam, for doing the research ....... For a LOSSY hater like myself, the proof is in the putting those graphs before our eyes to savor the apparent degradation that ensues when a LOSSLESS codec is reduced to DD 5.1...with TOXIC results!

anytime Ralph!
although i don't think the differences in the two 5.1 presentations have anything to do with the change of encoding a mix from lossless MLP on the DVD-Audio to lossy Dolby Digital on the DualDisc...

..to me they are either different mixes altogether, or they (Mr. Haynes?) took the first (DVD-Audio based) mix and rejigged it for the DualDisc by doing things like bunging more stuff into the Fronts (and possibly compressing the Front channels? they clip in Audacity), toning down the Rear levels but upping lead vocal reverb in those channels and wiping out the discrete Centre channel info (type of content in there varies from track to track) and replacing it with a kinda homogenised sum in the Centre of all other channels. the LFE appears to be the least changed but is still different from the DVD-Audio 5.1 rendition.

 

[edisonbaggins]

anytime Ralph!
although i don't think the differences in the two 5.1 presentations have anything to do with the change of encoding from lossless MLP on the DVD-Audio to lossy Dolby Digital on the DualDisc.

Yeah, I think the prevailing theory is two different mixes.

 

[4-earredwonder]

anytime Ralph!
although i don't think the differences in the two 5.1 presentations have anything to do with the change of encoding from lossless MLP on the DVD-Audio to lossy Dolby Digital on the DualDisc.

Perhaps visually NOT ....... but AURALLY ..........YES! The MLP DVD~A 5.1 is a stunner, at least on my system ...... and I own enough DD/DTS dualdiscs to KNOW THE DIFFERENCE! Before SONY took over RCA, RCA only managed to put out a handful of MLP DVD~A discs .....In The Zone being one of them ..........and I'm glad I did get to own it in that format!