Suggestions for Audio Fidelity Multichannel SACD Releases

[Simon A]

I'd love to see that poster on the studio wall. I'm sure we'd love to have many of the titles shown on SACD.

 

[quicksrt]

View attachment 22721

I guess Rick must have liked what he heard!

It wasn't until the SQ processed test pressings came in a week or so later that the heartbreak set in!

 

[fredblue]

It wasn't until the SQ processed test pressings came in a week or so later that the heartbreak set in!

I'd be very happy to hear the SQ LP of Rick Derringer's "Spring Fever" - flaws and all - if I could find a friggin' copy...!!!!

 

[fredblue]

Just to bolster fredblue's case for Rick Derringer's quad albums, a picture from Jim Reeves' website, which has a lot of neat vintage studio pictures including the CBS/Columbia studios.

"Larry Keyes at his CBS Quadraphonic Suite 4th floor room 414 with
Rick Derringer and Al Lawrence. Larry was not only a great all-around
engineer, but highly knowlegable about electronics and designed this
Quad room built in-house for him by the CBS R&D staff."​

The neat thing about this picture is that it shows Derringer obviously had some level awareness of the quad mixes of his albums, and maybe involvement even. I think the prevailing wisdom up until somewhat recently had always been that quad mixes were like ******* stepchildren, farmed out to second-rate engineers who weren't ready for prime time. The more of these old quad mixes that come out in digital formats that don't compromise the presentation of the mix due to their deficiencies, the more this myth is being dispelled which I'm really happy about. Guys like Larry Keyes were involved from the earliest Columbia quad mixes (Sly's Greatest Hits) right up to the last ones (The Isley Brothers 'Go For Your Guns' LP pictures that Fred posted the other day have his name in the credits) and regardless of style or genre, they're uniformly excellent which is no small feat.

Also, check out that 'Columbia Quadraphonic Records and Tapes' poster in the background - I'd kill for one of those!

I also found this short biography about Larry in a newsletter from his alma mater:

Thanks for the wonderful info Dave! :upthumb

Artist approved Quad eh.. who'd a thunk it..!?

 

[quicksrt]

I would expect that many artists and producers sat in with Larry Keyes during a quad mix and consulted along the way.

 

[Simon A]

I would expect that many artists and producers sat in with Larry Keyes during a quad mix and consulted along the way.

I'd like to think that it would be like sitting with Elliot Scheiner during the playback of his 5.1 mix of your album, but I wonder how many artists actually did. I suspect that maybe the lads in R.E.M. would have.

 

[Simon A]

Is it me or Al Lawrence looks a bit much like the Will Ferrell BOC character on SNL? Maybe there's a third picture of him asking Larry for more cowbell (without the beer belly of course)!

 

[Franklin]

I suspect that maybe the lads in R.E.M. would have.

Really? I know the albums say the mixes were approved (or something to that effect) but judging by Stipe's comments about R.E.M. demos and the way some of the mixes take the life out of the tracks, I'd hope not. Or that there was a DAW to file error.

 

[Simon A]

Really? I know the albums say the mixes were approved (or something to that effect) but judging by Stipe's comments about R.E.M. demos and the way some of the mixes take the life out of the tracks, I'd hope not. Or that there was a DAW to file error.

Oh, I don't know. I thought that they could have been involved as I thought the mixes were well done and that perhaps the band had some input into the process. I have not read anything on the matter. Wildly speculating here. My apologies!

 

[rtbluray]

I'd like to think that it would be like sitting with Elliot Scheiner during the playback of his 5.1 mix of your album, but I wonder how many artists actually did. I suspect that maybe the lads in R.E.M. would have.

AFAIK, most artists that have worked with Elliot Scheiner on surround mixes have generally been hands-off for the most part, maybe just coming in to hear the final mix and making a few small suggestions, but the vision of the mix is largely his. A few times that hasn't been the case like when he worked with Brian May and Queen on "A Night at the Opera" or when he mixed Beyonce's latest album in surround.

 

[fredblue]

Oh, I don't know. I thought that they could have been involved as I thought the mixes were well done and that perhaps the band had some input into the process. I have not read anything on the matter. Wildly speculating here. My apologies!

If you have a little snoop around QQ threads and Polls you'll see Aquamike's not a fan of the R.E.M. 5.1's..

 

[Franklin]

My apologies!

No need for apologies - accept my apologies for leading you to feel that way!

 

[Franklin]

If you have a little snoop around QQ threads and Polls you'll see Aquamike's not a fan of the R.E.M. 5.1's..

I don't like to mention it though

 

[fredblue]

AFAIK, most artists that have worked with Elliot Scheiner on surround mixes have generally been hands-off for the most part, maybe just coming in to hear the final mix and making a few small suggestions, but the vision of the mix is largely his. A few times that hasn't been the case like when he worked with Brian May and Queen on "A Night at the Opera" or when he mixed Beyonce's latest album in surround.

I imagine he is too professional and too much of a gentleman to say.. and my does he keep himself to himself generally these days.. when was the last time anybody read or saw him interviewed? I do so WISH he would drop by for a Q+A here, he must know QQ exists but.. I guess its just not his thing...

I would also think he has had some rough treatment over the years with this 5.1 palaver.. there was the reported clash with Brian May that you allude to RT.. we only known scant info on how that went down but what do you reckon Mr. Scheiner came out of it looking as good as he should seeing as he supposedly did all the work and May just did some tweaking.. and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out there must have been some major issues that resulted in his 5.1 mixes of Derek & The Dominos' Layla and Clapton's 461 Ocean Blvd BOTH getting canned and replaced by new remixes by Clapton's bosom buddies Climie/Guzauski.. nevertheless whatever shenanigans went down back then he has been truly vindicated by both of those mixes finally being released and everybody can judge each remix on its own merits.. I suspect Bill Levenson is pulling a lot of strings making these previously unreleased 5.1's finally happen, pretty much every boxset or special edition he has curated the last few years has had a "new" 5.1 included, we forget how much we rely on these industry heroes who tirelessly fight our corner to get hi-rez and surround to the marketplace when it's still very much a 2-channel world...

 

[fredblue]

I don't like to mention it though

Haha..! ..You had to mention that you don't like to mention it..!

 

[Franklin]

You had to mention that you don't like to mention it..!

Oh, I *love* mentioning that.

 

[kap'n krunch]

I'd be very happy to hear the SQ LP of Rick Derringer's "Spring Fever" - flaws and all - if I could find a friggin' copy...!!!!

I have a copy..and the decoded SQ LP files!

 

[fredblue]

I have a copy..and the decoded SQ LP files!

OH!! :yikes

WOW.......!!!

Would you ever part with it?

Edit: How is the Quad mix?
I've never heard it (I know OD has "released" it to his devotees.. but I won't have anything to do with that **** - and you can quote me on that - so..)

 

[quicksrt]

Who did Abraxas, and were any of the Santana quads done by Larry Keyes?

 

[fredblue]

Who did Abraxas, and were any of the Santana quads done by Larry Keyes?

Yes!

Please refer - and it would be lovely if you could contribute, too - to this "work in progress" new list and topic of discussion on that very subject...

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-UNSUNG-HEROES&p=268595&viewfull=1#post268595