Opeth Multi-channel music

[UnicronI]

Once I listened to a 5.1 mix where every beat the snare layed out of a different speaker. It was the most annoying thing ever.

Christ, what was that? just so i can avoid it!

Certain artists music lends itself to 5.1 mixes, Opeth being one of them. Lets face it, a 50 cent album wouldnt make good use of the surround sound, whereas say Massive Attack would!

Either way, i cant see RR wanting to release GR as an SACD or a DVD-A, I'm amazed they released a vinyl version!

 

[SPLASTiK]

To me, it's about giving instruments the room to breathe. One of the major problems with 2 channel recordings is frequency masking. If two instruments produce sounds at similar frequencies, the louder one wins.

That's true, when tastefully done a 5.1 mix can be quite good. I'm just not a fan of the standing in the middle of a band approach some like to take, I'm more of a audience perspective guy. So having the guitars panned a little more to side to get away from masking is cool, but I'm not a big fan of lots of guitars coming out of the rear so it seems as if they're behind me.

It IS a center channel.

From what I've read though in various magazines and tlaking to a few 5.1 music mixers they don't like to use it because the artist is concerned about sampling the discreet channel or the record company doesn't want them too.

I know some people who did the 5.1 mixes for Bad Company and Rush among others.

I've mixed a little music in 5.1 and a couple shorts films for broadcast, it is a cool thing.

I know the guy who mixed the movie Blade (and Dead Presidents, Barb Wire, etc.), and he said that music producers were always impressed by how good their tracks sounded in his movies. His answer was that it was all about localization: each instrument had room to breathe.

But usually they're given stereo mixes for films...

 

[Manbient]

I see great potential with 5.1 and music though. I'm an advocate of big spacey environments and musical movements that evoke emotion in whatever way possible... prefferably in non-standard ways. I think Mumble can relate here and I think 5.1 music really helps further our enjoyment of it.

you bet i can relate. I've been doing the best i can to simulate 5.1 for the last year for all my stereo music. I'm quite impressed with some of the decoders, particularly Pro Logic II, for that. Of course i think the greatest potential is for music which is highly atmospheric, but "regular" music sounds so much clearer as well in 5.1. Like was said, the instruments have room to breathe. There's less overlap and everything kind of has it's own space. You can hear everything much more clearly.

 

[soundave]

That's true, when tastefully done a 5.1 mix can be quite good. I'm just not a fan of the standing in the middle of a band approach some like to take, I'm more of a audience perspective guy. So having the guitars panned a little more to side to get away from masking is cool, but I'm not a big fan of lots of guitars coming out of the rear so it seems as if they're behind me

Right. I completely agree. Unless there's some outstanding reason to put guitars behind you, don't do it. Surrounds for ambience and special effects. Very similar to tasteful film mixing. I am a fan of audience perspective, even to the point of how I pan out the drum kit.

From what I've read though in various magazines and tlaking to a few 5.1 music mixers they don't like to use it because the artist is concerned about sampling the discreet channel or the record company doesn't want them too.

I'm not sure I understand the logic of this. Maybe I'm missing something, but ALL of the channels in 5 channel are discrete (note: not the .1, as it does receive LF from the crossover). Is it a matter of sampling vocals? I guess I'm naive when it comes to the world of sampling, so I don't see the problem here. People could also sample the discrete left channel. Why the issue with center? I'm guessing this is a vocals issue, but still... there would be other stuff there, like kick...maybe bass....

But usually they're given stereo mixes for films...

Sure. Usually. Not always. I'm fairly certain Ken got a multi-channel master of a lot of the techno music in Blade. But even doing a pseudo surround job on it impressed many of the music producers who were initially opposed to 5.1 music. But, yeah, you're right on that for the most part.

 

[NoQuarter]

See with say DSOTM I could picture the helicopters flying around you, or a weird noise going from a front speaker to a rear. But beyond sound effects or maybe some reverb (or crowd if it's live) there's not much use for the rear speakers in my opinion.

When you find out let me know at which point on DSOTM there are helicopters.

 

[UnicronI]

The sound track on 'the fifth elment' couldnt have been given as a stereo mix! If it has, the mixer is a God!

 

[SPLASTiK]

Is it a matter of sampling vocals?

Pretty much mostly, or even the kick. I guess it all depends on the style of music mainly what's would be discretely in each channel. You could potentially filter out the kick or bass in the center though if you wanted to sample the vocals. That's why many 5.1 recordings still do the pseudo center equal L/R.

I'm fairly certain Ken got a multi-channel master of a lot of the techno music in Blade.

That's cool then. I'm pretty sure Blade was filmed here (or at least the sequels), though that doesn't have to do with the mixing of course.

When you find out let me know at which point on DSOTM there are helicopters.

Helicopters, Airplanes, UFO's, Cars... There's a sound effect that sounds like it could have been one, I wasn't being 100% literal was just meaning sound effects in general really, smartass.