Surprised from the bass

[meagain]

I've never even heard of Porcupine Tree. As to Primus, the only name I can recall is "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver." []

Jeff - That's one of those things where you only know one song, but when you delve into the band, you're like "OMG - these guys are brilliant!".

Buy this concert DVD: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00065YI34/qid=1138632079/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-7767433-5721436?n=507846&s=dvd&v=glance

Even just because you're a drummer and you get to see Tim Alexander in action. It's only 12.99 with free s/h. These guys (a trio) are brilliant musicians.

Try Porcupine Tree. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/103-7767433-5721436?url=index%3Dblended&field-keywords=porcupine+tree 'Deadwing' or 'In Absentia'. You're into prog rock so this should work for you. But get it in 5:1 if you're going to.

Now, I know you won't do either of those things cuz you're Jeff and it will take a few more weeks (at least) of suggestion!

[Paladin]

ELP's recordings are always surprisingly dynamic to me as well (also for their age too). "Tank" and "Lucky Man" on the original Emerson, Lake & Palmer album are two great pieces. The synth feature on the end of "Lucky Man" has a few low frequency dips that can shake the house (and some extreme highs that sound extra clear and pure only on horns...or stuff that's way too expensive). The drum solo by Palmer on "Tank" will provide you with lots of dynamic transient percussive goodness too. I'm looking into hearing more of the new LaScalas down stairs, and I will definately take that one with me

"Still...you turn me on" off of Brain Salad Surgery, though is one of my favorite ELP tracks too.

[meagain]

Here some sort of list/reviews of dvd-a http://www.highfidelityreview.com/reviews/index.asp?offset=0

Here's what Amazon has (not sure if comprehensive) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/574074/104-8642775-3667969

I'm ordering stuff today, Fragile (rated highly), and I'm really curious about Pet Sounds. Not really my cup of tea but if it sounds as good as I think it will thru khorns/Scalas in 5:1 - I'm curious.

Question: Can't find any 5:1 for Floyd (I'd like an Animals version). Dark Side of the Moon shows as a "Hybrid SACD". "The Super Audio CD (SACD) features two disc layers. One layer contains a standard version of the album that works on any CD player. The other layer includes high-resolution stereo and a 5.1 surround version of the recording that works on SACD-compatible DVD players and home theater systems. Both layers employ SACD's Direct Stream Digital (DSD) encoding process that samples the music 64 times faster than CD for unprecedented fidelity."

"Hybrid SACD"? I'm confused. LOL Not even sure what SACD is let alone "hybrid" SACD. Is the 5:1 part the 'hybrid' part? SACD's aren't in 5:1 - right?

[Born2RockU]

Here some sort of list/reviews of dvd-a http://www.highfidelityreview.com/reviews/index.asp?offset=0

Here's what Amazon has (not sure if comprehensive) http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse/-/574074/104-8642775-3667969

I'm ordering stuff today, Fragile (rated highly), and I'm really curious about Pet Sounds. Not really my cup of tea but if it sounds as good as I think it will thru khorns/Scalas in 5:1 - I'm curious.

Question: Can't find any 5:1 for Floyd (I'd like an Animals version). Dark Side of the Moon shows as a "Hybrid SACD". "The Super Audio CD (SACD) features two disc layers. One layer contains a standard version of the album that works on any CD player. The other layer includes high-resolution stereo and a 5.1 surround version of the recording that works on SACD-compatible DVD players and home theater systems. Both layers employ SACD's Direct Stream Digital (DSD) encoding process that samples the music 64 times faster than CD for unprecedented fidelity."

"Hybrid SACD"? I'm confused. LOL Not even sure what SACD is let alone "hybrid" SACD. Is the 5:1 part the 'hybrid' part? SACD's aren't in 5:1 - right?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are missing the best percussion surround DVD-Audio of all.....The Blue Man Group's DVD-Audio.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000038A2S/102-0543812-7204105?v=glance&n=5174

" This album is an exhilarating surround ride, an outstanding album made all the more immediate and powerful through the effective use of surround. A great experience and a definite "must-have" for your growing DVD music collection."

http://www.avrev.com/music/revs/bluemangroupdvda.shtml

http://www.blueman.com/about_bmg/faq.shtml

If you don't like it...I'll buy it from ya ! I guarantee this one for any percussion lover !

ENJOY !!!

[meagain]

I would have never guessed. My only knowledge of the Blue Man Group is from TV commercials advertising their shows. Craig - Are you saying they are more than just a theatrical act? Like - they are actually 'real' in the talent dept? You're a drummer, so I guess so huh? Who knew.

I see they also have some type of DVD with some video on it.

[Kriton]

MeAgain!

Are you serious, you haven't heard of the already dead SACD

format? They are still releasing stuff in SACD from the smaller

labels, but it can't last long. Man, I can tell you that I

haven't heard anything quite like it...the Dark Side of the Moon by

Floyd is fantastic in SACD or "Super Audio" compact disc ($15.00 on

Overstock). My experience with SACD has been short but costly (as

in non-stop buying frenzy), classical music in SACD is brilliant (but

tends to show up problems in live recordings), but the jazz has been

incredible. I have discovered Art Pepper (Meets the Rythem

Section esp.) all over again, and it has been awesome.

At least if you pick up a hybrid SACD, you will still be able to play

it when the format truly dies. What is really fun is when you

switch from SACD to regular format and you hear the difference.

Most of the old stuff that is remastered into SACD is still only 2

channel, or three channel at most, but the quality (resolution?) to my

ears is far better.

After all of the talk, I have ordered PT - we shall see. I really

enjoyed the PT video that was linked a while back, and I am sure I will

like the album. Jethro is more my speed, but this is sounding

better and better.

Hey, while we are on it...I had thrown in a old traveling cd with a

bunch of tunes on it, and we got to Sk8ter Boi by Avril Lavigne, and

you want to talk about scaring the hell out of me, we were cooking in

the next room and had the RF's and the SVS cranked, and that tune

literally knocked stuff off the wall - there is an insanely low note in

that song, and I frankly had never heard it loud before (nor had I

played it on anything that could approximate the note - **not** an avid

Avril listener) and I thought the book shelves were gone...check it out.

K

[meagain]

Kriton - Correct. I've never heard SACD. I don't even think my DVD/CD player can handle it. I think it cost $80 three years ago! It's hooked up to my HK AVR-435 for it's dac, but I know most here would cringe at the thought of my HK receiver - so I guess I'm in big trouble in the gear department.

Frankly, I'm at a loss about the whole thing. We want to build a proper music server. Don't know if we need an external DAC or what we need to buy for the pc. Had a line on a Jolida JD100 cd player but I 'think' it only plays regular cd's and defeats our goal of having all the CD's in the 'puter displayed in a cool list on the TV that we could select at whim. Don't know about quality on a server either compared to a stand alone. Then! There's the DVD issue with the HD versions coming out and they are still fighting about format. And there's a new Windows coming out that I 'think' will do HD video? And... and... well... I'm kinda stuck with our toshiba dvd/cd till it can be figured out, but I don't think it can handle sacd? I'm frustrated cuz I know things could sound much better here despite our khorns being on a 13' wall.

Jeff - I hijacked your thread! And I'm not sorry. Quid pro quo! Quid pro quo! [6]

[Kriton]

Hmmm...yes you have a lot of stuff on your plate. SACD format is

kind of weird, it is only output via 5.1 analog RCA, which means that

your player will have to have 5.1 RCA outputs, one for each

channel...some commentators have reasoned this to be one of the major

reasons for the demise of SACD is the fact that no one would make SACD

output from a digital connector (coax or fiber)...whatever....You can

still get the players (picked up my Denon not too long ago -and it is

universal, plays DVD-A and SACD), and they are still releasing the

discs, but the big box places have virtually stopped carrying the

things - they are expensive too, but you can find them for trade or

cheap(er) at places like overstock - check out elusivedisc.com, and

take a look at the list of titles.

If I were you, I would save my pennies until all fo this stuff comes to

fruition, appears that this next year is going to be a PIA when it

comes to the new DVD formats, players, codecs and stuff. In all

of this, I would/will not be an early adopter (see the HDMI-Component

threads) - I would just hang tight, unless you have a couple of hundred

bucks to get a DVD-A player or SACD to tie you over...I am loving mine,

but then I will be having it for a while. My attempts at a music

server have failed miserably due to fan noise and my fancy soundcard

just not producing the kind of sound I wanted...makes me cringe to

think of the sounds I was pumping through my Corns.

At the end of the day, Klipschorns are forever...screw whatever formats change...

K

[Strabo]

For the record, you have to use the analog cables to hear hi-res DVD-A or SACD (either format).

The exception to the rule is if you are using a player and a receiver or pre from the same manufacturer. Only then will you get a proprietary digital connection. For example, a Denon player into a Denon receiver will allow for digital transfers. But even in this case you may be getting a high bit count PCM transfer which means the SACD info was translated into PCM then into analog (an extra and unnecessary step IMO).

[Kriton]

Really? Well that is a new one on me...I thought that was the

whole deal...Then why do you hear the 5.1 tracks from DVD video movies

over fiber or coax? Are you telling me that DVD-A is analog only,

but the DVD-V is digital?

I listened to DVD-A for quite a while before I got the analog audio

wires in the mail, and it decoded into separate channels? OR was

I listening to some manufactured surround sound thing?

Strange, if true, I didn't know that at all...maybe that is why I was

never terribly impressed with 5.1 DTS or DD audio discs...gotta go home

and try it out now!

Interesting...

K

[meagain]

Oh boy. Kriton - let me know how it goes after you've assessed the wireing.

I was just so excited to hear 5:1 that I didn't think about anything else. I'll check to see how I'm hooked up. I hate being such a newbie.

[Born2RockU]

I would have never guessed. My only knowledge of the Blue Man Group is from TV commercials advertising their shows. Craig - Are you saying they are more than just a theatrical act? Like - they are actually 'real' in the talent dept? You're a drummer, so I guess so huh? Who knew.

I see they also have some type of DVD with some video on it.

Outstanding percussionists. They are no joke, when it comes to musicianship.

[Strabo]

Really? Well that is a new one on me...I thought that was the whole deal...Then why do you hear the 5.1 tracks from DVD video movies over fiber or coax? Are you telling me that DVD-A is analog only, but the DVD-V is digital?

I listened to DVD-A for quite a while before I got the analog audio wires in the mail, and it decoded into separate channels? OR was I listening to some manufactured surround sound thing?

Strange, if true, I didn't know that at all...maybe that is why I was never terribly impressed with 5.1 DTS or DD audio discs...gotta go home and try it out now!

Interesting...

K

DVD-A is lossless PCM encoding at higher bitrates than redbook CD (which is also lossless btw).

DD and DTS are lossy PCM encodings, meaning they may lose sound info through the encoding process in order to compress the data to fit onto the disc (think hi-def MP3).

A DVD-A played through a digital connection is either DD or DTS, not true DVD-A, unless as previously mentioned, through a proprietary manufacturer connection.

So yes, you were probably listening to a DTS track and not the DVD-A layer.