"Moving Pictures" arriving in 5.1 Blu-ray multichannel - YES!

Richard Chycki, the man who created the surround mix, says in his blog:

I’ve been in the studio for last month remixing the original Moving Pictures CD in 5.1 surround.......The listening experience is drastically enveloping and coupled with songs and performances that epitomize this band, it’s definitely a great time to re-discover Rush.

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I kinda burned out on Rush in the early nineties after a decade of near non-stop listening, but despite that this will be in my collection. As a major fan of surround music, I always thought this album would be a great candidate for the multichannel treatment.

I finished tweaks on Red Barchetta yesterday......(The car speeds off, goes behind and banks a sharp right in rear BTW).....The listening experience is drastically enveloping....

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This is great news because many 5.1 mixes of rock and pop have featured snore-inducing "ambient" mixes that were little better than what a receiver's hall or club DSP buttons could create.

And from Music Tap:

The schedule now lists it for April 5 with two available packages including a CD/DVD set, and a CD/BD set.

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I wonder if the dvd will be a conventional dvd with Dolby Digital or DTS tracks, or a dvd-audio disc?

Yay, someone else besides me made a Rush thread! lol :thmbsp:


I covered this subject a bit in these two threads:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=350616

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?t=349567


I'm not sure whether it will be in DVD-A or whatever, and for my part, I don't really care (as mentioned in #2 in the second post above).

More info is on this great Rush blog (in case you didn't know of it):

http://www.rushisaband.com/


PS: Imo Richard Chycki needs a hearing test (and so does Nick R.). See my rant on the remixes/remix of VT in the second link above lol. I hope he doesn't screw up the 5.1 mix of MP for the sake of those who could/will enjoy it.

PPS: Been listening to Rush almost daily (at least weekly) for 20 years now and never get tired of them!

Available for pre-order now:

CD/DVD:

http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Pictures-Deluxe-CD-DVD/dp/B004MOMT2M

CD/BR:

http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Pictures-Deluxe-CD-Blu-ray/dp/B004MNVKVO/ref=tmm_acd_title_1


http://www.rushisaband.com/display.php?id=2484

I'm hoping that the dvd in the CD/dvd set will contain DTS and Dolby Digital tracks for all those millions of dvd-based surround systems out there, so people that like Rush can enjoy this 5.1 mix (keeping fingers crossed the mix is a good one!) without having to contemplate buying a Blu-ray player AND a receiver with the proper HDMI-based decoders.

I would love to hear A Farewell To Kings or Hemispheres in surround, even more so than MP. Those albums' dreamy vibe would be even more atmospheric than in stereo (prog rock and surround make a great combination!).

I think others will follow, as I think was mentioned/rumored somewhere and on the likelihood of the good sales of this one (Rush nuts will buy just about anything they put out just to have it: I will be buying this one in fact, even though, for reasons I stated elsewhere, I have no real need of it! ).

I would think 2112 would be next (or maybe Permanent Waves?) if this one does well.

I hope you enjoy it! :thmbsp:

Details from Rush.com:


http://www.rush.com/low/viewStory.php?id=403

Cool little video commercial for the album:

http://www.rushisaband.com/video.php?id=1897

I pre-ordered this yesterday...anxiously awaiting...comes out in a few days...:drool:

Is anybody put a review up yet? I got my copy a couple of days ago but have yet to spin either versions. Reading it was delayed, I wonder if I got one of the store's promo copies.

geespot said:

Is anybody put a review up yet?

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Yes, and they are good:

http://www.rushisaband.com/blog/2011/04/11/2563/Moving-Pictures-30th-anniversary-deluxe-edition-initial-reviews

(Lots of hype and nonsense in there though imo, like this: "The 96K 24-bit recording has so much more information, it is like you are listening to this album for the first time." Oh please, hardly, nice audio pseudoscience!).

I haven't listened to it in 5.1 yet (because, as said above, I'm not set up for it nor do I care to be), but I have listened to the "Advanced Resolution Stereo" 96kHz/24-bit, and basically I think it sounds slightly, slightly better than my favorite MP version, the '97 remaster. A bit more open, fuller, and natural sounding (without being somewhat muddy as the MFSL is, though I like it for it's own coloration). That is NOT due to the 96/24 bit imo (anything above 16/44.1 is a bunch of hooey; for instance, SnA was released in both 16/44.1 and 96/24 and they sound the exact same), but because of the remastering they did to the tapes yet again. And it is very slight in any case; I doubt I'd be able to pick it out blind between my other remaster (between the original pressing and MFSL it would be fairly easy to pick out as those both sound significantly different than either of these remasters).

So though I don't care about the 5.1 stuff (we'll see though after I hear it to make sure), I got this edition just to see if any sonic improvements were made. Much more listening and comparing of the 4 versions (or 2 versions: this new one the and the '97 remaster) is needed however before I finally conclude anything, but so far there doesn't seem to be much difference if any. So unless you want the 5.1 mix, save your money. If you want to hear "more information" in the sound, buy more revealing/transparent speakers or headphones.

It was released last Tues., April 6th.

Here is an interesting article about how Rush have gone from being adverse to surround sound mixing to embracing it:

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/2011/04/rush-fountain-surround

I agree with the 2002 and before views, and, ftr, I am not a fan of the SnA 5.1 mix. That is one of my favorite Rush albums as well.

Thoroughly enjoying my copy of this now! I'd forgotten about Neil Peart wearing a Crown PZM microphone as seen in the Vital Signs video. 5.1 mix I think is quite good although the vocals could be a bit stronger. Very live and dynamic sound.

A truely sad state nowadays for "Le Studio" where that was recorded... :sigh:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GOha8adhPA

Yea, I had heard it was closed but not what has become of it. Iirc, Permanent Waves, Signals, Grace Under Pressure, Presto, Roll The Bones, and Counterparts were all recorded there as well.

I picked this up the day it came out on Blu-ray , i am digging the surround mix , but the stereo mix is not that good as far as i hear .... it sounds pretty washy in the top end .... it's not really a whole lot better than the good cd pressings , that bummed me out a lot .
But the 5.1 is cool ...

The regular remastered stereo sounds about the same as my other '97 remaster, maybe slightly better as I said above imo.

The "hi-res" dvd-a or blu-ray audio sounds no different of course.

Need to listen more.

Funny that this release actually pushed MP into the Billboard Top 200 after 30 years!

Yeh , i was hoping the Hi-res Stereo on the Blu-ray was gonna be just that , a hi-res stereo mix , but it seems they fed something very close to the cd files so it sounds a bit washy in the hi-end , really bummed me out a bit .
It worries me they may do the full catalog & we will get just an average product , they should hire a new Team to do the next one .

Agreed. I think Rich C. is near deaf. He and the other deaf wonder, Nick R., were both behind SnA which, while not Vapor Trails, STILL has audible distortion due to being mixed too hot.

I know Rush likes them both because of the input they put into their songs both being huge Rush fans (and that does seem to help imo, SnA is one of my favorite Rush albums for instance, just incredible), but man, they are deaf and/or record company slaves who have to push the levels. Even the 2 new singles, while sounding really good overall imo, still have some distortion.

Rich C. has been behind too much badly mixed/produced stuff to be trusted.

As for "hi-res" and "regular" cd format, I'm of the opinion that there is no audible difference (see above) so I didn't expect there to be any, but I was hoping the new cd remaster might be better than any of the other versions I have. Nope, pretty much just the same as the other remaster. I don't find it washed out or anything though, it still sounds great like all versions of MP do imo, but I wished it could of sounded even better, been a leap above all of the others.

Still waiting to find time to get over to a friend's and hear the 5.1 mix on his high end setup...

I agree 100% & i too loved Snakes & arrows as an album , but it could have been a much better sounding album .
The Rush catalog has a lot of stellar really well recorded albums that is done right with the right people , they could be "Definitive" versions ....

the 5.1 mix allthough not a "jump out" mix , it is pretty cool , almost like a 5 way "spread" type mix , but it sounds good .

I just wish the stereo opeion was better like the Tom petty blu-ray audio discs , his stereo mixes are real hi-res & just have so much depth , it's like owning a master tape of the album , that's what i hope for future Rush releases .

Yea, SnA sounds decent/acceptable and I'm fine with that, but I can't forgive the distortion that is in it at points, especially after the whole VT fiasco! WTF?! These people (Nick and Rich) get well paid to put out a flawed product?! Terrible.

I agree that a lot of Rush's output is well recorded and it would be great to have a proper remaster/remix of them to just see how great they could really be. I think the remasters that came out in '97 do some of this (the original pressings are good too), and the gold MFSL masters are interesting and good in a colored way (overly warm), but I'd like to see them done even better.

Oh well, what we have sounds by far good enough (besides VT) and I'd listen to Rush through a string on a tin can if I had to! lol

Permanent Waves said:

Agreed. I think Rich C. is near deaf. He and the other deaf wonder, Nick R., were both behind SnA which, while not Vapor Trails, STILL has audible distortion due to being mixed too hot.

I know Rush likes them both because of the input they put into their songs both being huge Rush fans (and that does seem to help imo, SnA is one of my favorite Rush albums for instance, just incredible), but man, they are deaf and/or record company slaves who have to push the levels. Even the 2 new singles, while sounding really good overall imo, still have some distortion.

Rich C. has been behind too much badly mixed/produced stuff to be trusted.

As for "hi-res" and "regular" cd format, I'm of the opinion that there is no audible difference (see above) so I didn't expect there to be any, but I was hoping the new cd remaster might be better than any of the other versions I have. Nope, pretty much just the same as the other remaster. I don't find it washed out or anything though, it still sounds great like all versions of MP do imo, but I wished it could of sounded even better, been a leap above all of the others.

Still waiting to find time to get over to a friend's and hear the 5.1 mix on his high end setup...

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Indications on other forums is that the 'hirez' CD is just an upsample of the original master, it has not been 'remastered' - so same levels, same EQ, same mix, just run thru an upsampler to be called 'hirez'.

I've got my BD/CD copy on order, so I'll be doing my own comparison to the original CD release.

But - c'mon - really - the allure of this release is the multichannel, which was remastered/remixed...right?

Erik Tracy said:

Indications on other forums is that the 'hirez' CD is just an upsample of the original master, it has not been 'remastered' - so same levels, same EQ, same mix, just run thru an upsampler to be called 'hirez'.

I've got my BD/CD copy on order, so I'll be doing my own comparison to the original CD release.

But - c'mon - really - the allure of this release is the multichannel, which was remastered/remixed...right?

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Thanks for the correction, I admit my technical ignorance about such things and usually lump the term "upsample" in with "remaster" although I know they are not the same (afaik "upsamples" are worthless audiowise) and I did think it was a true "remaster". I haven't checked out other forums though. I did see this which calls it a "remaster":

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/main/MPlyrics.htm

Amazon also calls it a "remaster":

http://www.amazon.com/Moving-Pictures-Deluxe-CD-Blu-ray/dp/B004MNVKVO

But perhaps they are just referring to the 5.1 mix which was remastered (or was it?) and remixed of course. But then Amazon also states the falsity that: "...96kHz/24-bit high-resolution audiophile playback which offers 256 times more resolution than CD audio..." so it's not as if they know what they are talking about though lol.

For me I was just looking for a hopefully better stereo mix/remaster/whatever, but it's not to be imo. But what we already have is by far good enough anyway so it's not a huge issue.