Jump to content

R40 Blu-ray/Album Impressions


puffyshirt
 Share

Recommended Posts

What happened with the dual channel iTunes mix??

 

Everything I've heard so far has been on YouTube, which I assume is the blu-ray audio mix, and it's been great. Everything is balanced (generally, there's never enough hi-hat), and given some prominence.

 

But hoooooly hell, is this iTunes mix a shit show. You can't hear anything! Well, to be specific, you can't hear drums. If anyone wants a barometer to judge listen to the first 30 seconds of spirit of radio. Everyone knows that, the opening section and how it should sound, by heart. This is a mess! The drums are at worst inaudible, and at best sound like they're in an echo chamber. There are awful mix choices all over the place. The synth in Distant Early Warning is pushed way to the back.

 

Edit: I did some comparisons on my computer, listening to the itunes version then the YouTube video, and I may have been a bit harsh. I think it isn't the CD mix, so much as some of the mixing choices for certain songs. The spirit of radio intro really threw me off, the drums are so bad. And the intro to YYZ is almost inaudible.

 

Some songs fare better. Headlong flight is mixed much better here than CA Live.

Edited by puffyshirt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What happened here??

 

Everything I've heard so far has been on YouTube, which I assume is the blu-ray audio mix, and it's been great. Everything is balanced (generally, there's never enough hi-hat), and given some prominence.

 

But hoooooly hell, is this iTunes mix a shit show. You can't hear anything! Well, to be specific, you can't hear drums. If anyone wants a barometer to judge listen to the first 30 seconds of spirit of radio. Everyone knows that, the opening section and how it should sound, by heart. This is a mess! The drums are at worst inaudible, and at best sound like they're in an echo chamber. There are awful mix choices all over the place. The synth in Distant Early Warning is pushed way to the back.

 

Edit: I did some comparisons on my computer, listening to the itunes version then the YouTube video, and I may have been a bit harsh. I think it isn't the CD mix, so much as some of the mixing choices for certain songs. The spirit of radio intro really threw me off, the drums are so bad. And the intro to YYZ is almost inaudible.

 

Some songs fare better. Headlong flight is mixed much better here than CA Live.

 

I agree 100 percent. I am significantly underwhelmed... The drums are a non-factor in most of the songs. Was hoping for more. But oh well. I only paid $20 for Hemispheres.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I've listened to it some more, so I thought I'd share some further thoughts;

 

-There's a reason they shared the songs they did. Subdivisions and Xanadu are incredible, even despite the mix. Distant Early Warning and Animate are great performances too.

 

- As much as I shit on the mix, the man knew what to do with Mink in Losing It. He's easy to hear, and the solo at the end is given some real love. The ay it bounces between channels is INCREDIBLE

 

- Red Barchetta is a terrible performance, they just weren't on their A-game. R30 Red barchetta is my personal high water mark for any Rush live performance, I think that song is great. So to hear Alex really not nail the solo is a shame. Also, I didn't get to hear this song in concert, so I was disappointed to see they made that alteration where they "drop the beat" after Alex's solo, and kind of build up from basics. I've always hated that alteration, and I still hate it here. Completely kills the momentum of the song.

 

- The guitar in One Little Victory sounds PERFECT. I don't know what's so different between this and other versions (particularly R30, where it's at peak "wall of sound"), but the guitar in this sounds almost exactly like the album. Which is great. It's a great performance of that song.

 

 

Anyway, those are some updated thoughts. I'm coming around on it, I think I was being too harsh on my first listen. I was, and am, really let down by either how the drums were mic'd or mixed. But Other aspects are great. Geddy's bass sounds pretty much perfect the whole way through. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!

Edited by puffyshirt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I've listened to it some more, so I thought I'd share some further thoughts;

 

-There's a reason they shared the songs they did. Subdivisions and Xanadu are incredible, even despite the mix. Distant Early Warning and Animate are great performances too.

 

- As much as I shit on the mix, the man knew what to do with Mink in Losing It. He's easy to hear, and the solo at the end is given some real love. The ay it bounces between channels is INCREDIBLE

 

- Red Barchetta is a terrible performance, they just weren't on their A-game. R30 Red barchetta is my personal high water mark for any Rush live performance, I think that song is great. So to hear Alex really not nail the solo is a shame. Also, I didn't get to hear this song in concert, so I was disappointed to see they made that alteration where they "drop the beat" after Alex's solo, and kind of build up from basics. I've always hated that alteration, and I still hate it here. Completely kills the momentum of the song.

 

- The guitar in One Little Victory sounds PERFECT. I don't know what's to different between this and other versions (particularly R30, where it's at peak "wall of sound"), but the guitar in this sounds almost exactly like the album. Which is great. It's a great performance of that song.

 

 

Anyway, those are some updated thoughts. I'm coming around on it, I think I was being too harsh on my first listen. I was, and am, really let down by either how the drums were mic'd or mixed. But Other aspects are great. Geddy's bass sounds pretty much perfect the whole way through. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!

 

I agree. I have always hated that alteration with a passion. Loved R30 when they played it straight through. I believe they also did the same on the Time Machine tour (hard to remember because I never listen to that brick walled bad mix of a CD).

 

Red Barchetta is arguably my all time favorite Rush song. For me the signature high water mark was actually Exit Stage Left. It is perfect and sonic wise it is CD quality. Geddy's bass is flat out nasty on Exit Stage Left. I look forward to hearing it for myself on the Blue Ray tonight. At the Tampa show they absolutely nailed every song (except the solo in RTB which was flubbed beyond bad). Barchetta sizzled that night too.

Edited by Todem
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, and I will say this; whoever cut this album left in the stage banter/song intros, which I think is good. However, he placed them at the beginning of the song, when to me the ideal placement is at the very end of the song prior (meaning Between the Wheels should end with the intro to Losing It, and then Losing it starts with just music). I like being able to hear the banter if I'm listening to the album straight through, but if I'm just picking and choosing songs, I just want to get to the music.

 

- As well, The Anarchist begins with the last little bit of the concert intro video, which just so happens to be the into chords to Working Them Angels, and that really threw me for a loop. You start the album and you think you're listening to a different song!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, I've listened to it some more, so I thought I'd share some further thoughts;

 

-There's a reason they shared the songs they did. Subdivisions and Xanadu are incredible, even despite the mix. Distant Early Warning and Animate are great performances too.

 

- As much as I shit on the mix, the man knew what to do with Mink in Losing It. He's easy to hear, and the solo at the end is given some real love. The ay it bounces between channels is INCREDIBLE

 

- Red Barchetta is a terrible performance, they just weren't on their A-game. R30 Red barchetta is my personal high water mark for any Rush live performance, I think that song is great. So to hear Alex really not nail the solo is a shame. Also, I didn't get to hear this song in concert, so I was disappointed to see they made that alteration where they "drop the beat" after Alex's solo, and kind of build up from basics. I've always hated that alteration, and I still hate it here. Completely kills the momentum of the song.

 

- The guitar in One Little Victory sounds PERFECT. I don't know what's to different between this and other versions (particularly R30, where it's at peak "wall of sound"), but the guitar in this sounds almost exactly like the album. Which is great. It's a great performance of that song.

 

 

Anyway, those are some updated thoughts. I'm coming around on it, I think I was being too harsh on my first listen. I was, and am, really let down by either how the drums were mic'd or mixed. But Other aspects are great. Geddy's bass sounds pretty much perfect the whole way through. Can't wait to hear what you guys think!

 

I agree. I have always hated that alteration with a passion. Loved R30 when they played it straight through. I believe they also did the same on the Time Machine tour (hard to remember because I never listen to that brick walled bad mix of a CD).

 

Red Barchetta is arguably my all time favorite Rush song. For me the signature high water mark was actually Exit Stage Left. It is perfect and sonic wise it is CD quality. Geddy's bass is flat out nasty on Exit Stage Left. I look forward to hearing it for myself on the Blue Ray tonight. At the Tampa show they absolutely nailed every song (except the solo in RTB which was flubbed beyond bad). Barchetta sizzled that night too.

 

I have a very conflicted relationship with ESL. It's an incredible performance, really very awesome. But I feel like the mix and production take away so much of why I love Live albums (and I really do; I almost never listen to Rush studio albums anymore, I'll always take a good Live album if I can get it). The mix on ESL just seemed so toothless to me. R30 is my favorite because it's just very powerful. It's loud, it's raw, it's mixed incredibly well, and it's a good performance. The only flaw to R30 to me is some songs fall under the weight of Alex's "wall of sound" guitar sound he was so into then. But Limelight, Red Barchetta, Animate, Spirit of Radio, those are all perfect performances to me, and they get me full-on fired up.

 

And I know it isn't their song, but R30 Crossroads is perfect. The second solo f***ing blisters!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

They started that whole red barchetta tune down after the solo on the test for echo tour I believe,, then they brought the song back on r30 and did it right . or maybe they started doing it on the medley on the roll the bones tour.. but I always hated that too. the absolute worst (haven't heard r40 yet) is the bonus tracks on snakes and arrows dvd.. that was a horrible performance..
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't heard any of what's being talked about here, but this whole thread strikes me as an exercise in picking gnat dookie out of pepper.

 

I dunno man, if you can listen to the first 30 seconds of Spirit and tell me the drums are as audible as you'd like them to be, then I suppose you're in for a real treat with this mix haha and I envy you.

 

 

They started that whole red barchetta tune down after the solo on the test for echo tour I believe,, then they brought the song back on r30 and did it right . or maybe they started doing it on the medley on the roll the bones tour.. but I always hated that too. the absolute worst (haven't heard r40 yet) is the bonus tracks on snakes and arrows dvd.. that was a horrible performance..

 

Yeah, I forgot about that one. You're right, this isn't as bad as that one was.

Edited by puffyshirt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What happened with the dual channel iTunes mix??

 

Everything I've heard so far has been on YouTube, which I assume is the blu-ray audio mix, and it's been great. Everything is balanced (generally, there's never enough hi-hat), and given some prominence.

 

But hoooooly hell, is this iTunes mix a shit show. You can't hear anything! Well, to be specific, you can't hear drums. If anyone wants a barometer to judge listen to the first 30 seconds of spirit of radio. Everyone knows that, the opening section and how it should sound, by heart. This is a mess! The drums are at worst inaudible, and at best sound like they're in an echo chamber. There are awful mix choices all over the place. The synth in Distant Early Warning is pushed way to the back.

 

Edit: I did some comparisons on my computer, listening to the itunes version then the YouTube video, and I may have been a bit harsh. I think it isn't the CD mix, so much as some of the mixing choices for certain songs. The spirit of radio intro really threw me off, the drums are so bad. And the intro to YYZ is almost inaudible.

 

Some songs fare better. Headlong flight is mixed much better here than CA Live.

There is never enough high end (treble if you will) in their mixes anymore. Live or studio. Although its not out the realm of possibility that its high frequency hearing loss on my part. I don't think so as I don't have the problem listening to other albums. Edited by Pound of Obscure
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I dunno man, if you can listen to the first 30 seconds of Spirit and tell me the drums are as audible as you'd like them to be, then I suppose you're in for a real treat with this mix haha and I envy you.

 

Right on...all I'm saying is I don't think I'll be too upset either way. When I get it, I'll just be grateful to have it.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ya, more 'mistakes' than any other live release...oh well.... this is still as epic as it can be
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Am i the only one too have received the Blu-Ray yesterday? I have started to watch the second set. The audio-mix is very good with a more dominant bass and drum sound compare to CA DVD. Nice camera work which give with the light show who is different in each tour a totally different experience that previous DVDs. As the surround us, Rush has never done a effective surround mix, as usual this one is the same case, you may as well play the Blu-Ray in stereo.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeesh, Alex really flubs his solo in YYZ.

 

LOVE Hemispheres here. So good.

 

He flubs the solo but it doesn't sound bad. At least he didn't hit any bad notes. He just rearranged it. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't heard any of what's being talked about here, but this whole thread strikes me as an exercise in picking gnat dookie out of pepper.

oh Blue J, a man after my own heart. I listen with an ear to overlook, not nitpick
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...