Here is another "MonsterMusic SuperDisc". This one is a "tribute" album to the Vince Guaraldi music from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" special.
This disc has multiple surround tracks, all playable on any DVD player. There is no SACD or DVD-A track.
The choices are Dolby Digital or DTS 96/24, with a second choice as to the surround mix you may prefer.
For this release, the choice of mix is "Orchestral", which puts you in the middle of the orchestra. This is a more focused and "discrete" mix, with locations clearly defined in the listening space. Since these tracks are all by different artists, it's understandable that some have different surround treatments, with some more "discrete" than othere.
The other choice of surround mix is the "In The Room" mix, which according to their documentation, puts the artists "right in the middle of your room", kinda like Neil Young's Harvest DVD-A. I did not like this take personally, however, your results may vary.
As for the content, I have to admit that it is far less enjoyable than the "real" A Charlie Brown Christmas disc, which is also available as a SuperDisc. To me, there is nothing like an original. However, there are some nice tracks on here. I particularly like the version of "My Little Drum" by Rick Braun, and "Skating" by Norman Brown is nice as well as is Gerald Albrights take on "O Tannenbaum".
For those interested in trying a MonsterDisc, I would steer you towards the original Vince Guaraldi recordings. However, this disc has a better surround field, as it is a newer recording, with more instrumentation.
Here's the track list:
This disc has multiple surround tracks, all playable on any DVD player. There is no SACD or DVD-A track.
The choices are Dolby Digital or DTS 96/24, with a second choice as to the surround mix you may prefer.
For this release, the choice of mix is "Orchestral", which puts you in the middle of the orchestra. This is a more focused and "discrete" mix, with locations clearly defined in the listening space. Since these tracks are all by different artists, it's understandable that some have different surround treatments, with some more "discrete" than othere.
The other choice of surround mix is the "In The Room" mix, which according to their documentation, puts the artists "right in the middle of your room", kinda like Neil Young's Harvest DVD-A. I did not like this take personally, however, your results may vary.
As for the content, I have to admit that it is far less enjoyable than the "real" A Charlie Brown Christmas disc, which is also available as a SuperDisc. To me, there is nothing like an original. However, there are some nice tracks on here. I particularly like the version of "My Little Drum" by Rick Braun, and "Skating" by Norman Brown is nice as well as is Gerald Albrights take on "O Tannenbaum".
For those interested in trying a MonsterDisc, I would steer you towards the original Vince Guaraldi recordings. However, this disc has a better surround field, as it is a newer recording, with more instrumentation.
Here's the track list:
- Christmas Is Coming - David Benoit
- Just Like Me - Vanessa Williams
- Linus And Lucy - Dave Koz
- It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year - Toni Braxton
- My Little Drum - Rick Braun
- Skating - Norman Brown
- Christmas Time Is Here - Brian McKnight
- O Tannenbaum - Gerald Albright
- Red Baron - The Rippingtons feat. Russ Freeman
- The Christmas Song - Chaka Khan
- Für Elise (Beethoven) - David Benoit
- Christmas Time Is Here (Reprise) - Eric Marienthal
