Surround sound, SACDs and DVD Audio

[Dave2002]

Here's some more about Everest and some other older recording companies.

http://www.preservationsound.com/?p=3939

Here's an article which gives some hints as to where Everest recordings might be found - http://www.soundstage.com/music/

Here are some LP versions of the Everest catalogue - http://www.elusivedisc.com/products.asp?dept=448

It looks as though some of the Everest and Vanguard issues are also available as downloads - see http://store.acousticsounds.com/inde...&Field_cat=140

Not sure if they are also available as DVD Audio - it's not completely clear from the web page.

PS: Some are definitely sold as 3 channel DVD Audio discs. They appear to be sold as 2 DVDs - one a standard DVD for use in regular DVD players,
and the other a DVD Audio disc, with both 2 channel and 3 channel versions. Check the website for any recordings which you might be interested in.

I'm still wondering if someone has done a definitive list of the RCA/Mercury/Everest (and any other similar recording companies which recorded in multi channel around 1950-1970) recordings. Although I think various tests from the 1930s onwards suggested that 3 channel and even 4 channel recordings would give better results than 2 channel recordings, and should be played back using matching playback equipment, I suspect that by the 1960s as stereo started to take hold that the use of 3 channels (more on occasion? ever?) was really for ease of recording, as few people would have been able to afford multi-channel systems. The recorded centre channel was perhaps primarily just to reduce the hole in the middle effect with 2 channel replay, hence the need for people such as Wilma Cozart Fine to mix that into the 2 channel records for LP distribution.

[Gordon]

This looks as if it might supply DVD-A versions of Everest recordings as dual pack discs. The blurb says:

This HDAD+ package contains two discs, one is a two-sided DVD-10 containing two channel 24 bit/192 kHz data and three-channel 24 bit/96 kHz data on one side, playable on DVD Audio players, and on the other side two channel 24 bit 96 kHz data and three channel Dolby AC-3, playable on DVD video players. The second disc included is a standard two-channel CD containing 16 bit/44.1 kHz data playable on all CD and DVD players. Transferred directly from the original 35mm three-track film by Bernie Grundman from Bernie Grundman Mastering and Len Horowitz from History of Recorded Sound at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood.

Looks like the 3 channel you get is via 24/96 or by Dolby AC3.

http://store.acousticsounds.com//s/58/Everest_from_Classic_Records

[PJPJ]

The Everest discs are still available - be warned the film stock was not in good shape but the effects of this are discernible on only the very start of a few tracks.

The three channel ones are in this list here:

http://www.classicrecords.com/search.cfm?code=HDAD&order_by=

and sadly, it appears there are no more to come.

You'll notice Peter Katin appears on a couple. The Khachaturian PC is especially good.

The only SACD release was of this well-known recording:



and it can be had used for a small fortune. The Classic Records release is excellent.

I've been toying with getting the Kliptsch Tapes release from HDTT - unfortunately just stereo, though, as they may have preceded his three channel recordings.

http://c1376792.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/KlipschTapeProject.pdf

Lovely photo in your link of Frank Sinatra and his sound system.

[PJPJ]

It looks as though some of the Everest and Vanguard issues are also available as downloads - see http://store.acousticsounds.com/inde...&Field_cat=140

Not sure if they are also available as DVD Audio - it's not completely clear from the web page.

None of those are downloads - HDAD are DVD audio discs, with DVD-A and DVD-V audio.

[Dave2002]

Can someone decode HDAD 24/24-96/192 for me please? Oops - I meant 24/96-24/192 which is, I think, what appears in the text in the links above.

[Dave2002]

Apart from the query above, I'm also interested to note at least one example of 4 channel surround - see for example http://www.classicrecords.com/item.cfm?item=HDAD%202012

Was this recorded in 4 channels or has it somehow been faked during the reconstruction? I've not checked all the others yet.

[PJPJ]

Apart from the query above, I'm also interested to note at least one example of 4 channel surround - see for example http://www.classicrecords.com/item.cfm?item=HDAD%202012

Was this recorded in 4 channels or has it somehow been faked during the reconstruction? I've not checked all the others yet.

It appears to be real - I haven't heard this one.

[PJPJ]

Can someone decode HDAD 24/24-96/192 for me please?

The original analogue 35mm film was converted to PCM @ 24/96 for the three channel and 24/192 for the stereo programmes.

[Dave2002]

It appears to be real - I haven't heard this one.

Just noticed that this is also available as an SACD - http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/14...tichannel_SACD - the blurb gives some explanation of how it was recorded. The HDAD version seems still to be available, but this SACD is cheaper. OTOH there are newer SACDs which might be as good or better both technically and/or musically - such as Robert Spano's versions with the Atlanta SO (http://www2.concordmusicgroup.com/al...rlioz-Requiem/ ),and there may be others.

I can't really comment otherwise as not heard any of them, but this (Berlioz Requiem) is a work which really might benefit from some form of surround sound.

There is a 3 channel SACD from Charles Munch - http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/15...tichannel_SACD

Apparently there is also a 4 channel SACD from Colin Davis - http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/...lbum_id=200914 - and we know that Davis is a power to be reckoned with in Berlioz, though having heard Spano live I'd say he is good too - but probably not a specialist in Berlioz.

[PJPJ]

I do have the Munch - it really is very good indeed. However, Davis was recorded in four channel splendour in Westminster Cathedral (I think, I'm too lazy to go downstairs and check the booklet) and both sound and performance are superb. If I had to keep a single performance it would have to be that one. And it's my excuse for having a multichannel sound system, and I'm sticking to that, m'lud.

There's Norrington, too, on Hanssler which is in surround, but I have not heard his recording.

Organ concertos on Linn, including the Poulenc, were recorded in Tonbridge School's chapel, the orchestra is front, and the organ behind you in the multichannel mix. Some may feel that's unrealistic, but it's what you hear sometimes in performances in cathedrals. And let's face it, Biber and Monteverdi exploited spatial effects in grand buildings and the few multichannel recordings of their works are wonderful.