[dirk1843]

I have been looking for this disc for a while now, and finally picked one up.


Listened last night, and wanted to bounce some questions off anyone else here might be a fan of it....or at least have listened to the multi-channel tracks on the DVD-A.


I run a 4.1 setup, have for years. Never noticed anything "missing" from the center, have a Denon 3808 so in the speaker setup I simply delete the center, and I have assumed all these years, that processing in the AVR rerouted the material meant for the center to L and R mains. I dobut this would work with a player that used analog 5.1 out, but since my Oppo utilizes HDMI for all formats, I would have not have thought that to be an issue.


While listening to the the A.I. soundtrack, there are 2 tracks that have some vocals. They sounded "wrong" to me, so I swithced over to the Stereo version on the DVD-A, and they sounded better........it seemed the vocals on the Surround version sounded "ghostly" as if they SHOULD be in the center, with just some reverb and echo in L & R. I have no doubt this is the way the DVD-A was mixed, but never noticed such a glaring hole in my sound stage before. The Denon was showing "HDMI Multi Channel In".....read 5.1 in and 4.1 out as always.


Thoughts??

 

[rdgrimes]

Probably a question best asked in the dedicated thread for your AVR. "Phantom Center" is a specific setting in many AVRs, which re-routes the center channel to L-R. How to achieve that with your specific AVR is another question. But any of the usual setup discs have channel ID tracks that will answer the question of whether you're getting the center re-directed to L-R.

 

[acebreathe]



Quote:
Originally Posted by dirk1843  /t/1517306/a-i-movie-soundtrack-on-dvd-a#post_24343989


I have been looking for this disc for a while now, and finally picked one up.


Listened last night, and wanted to bounce some questions off anyone else here might be a fan of it....or at least have listened to the multi-channel tracks on the DVD-A.


I run a 4.1 setup, have for years. Never noticed anything "missing" from the center, have a Denon 3808 so in the speaker setup I simply delete the center, and I have assumed all these years, that processing in the AVR rerouted the material meant for the center to L and R mains. I dobut this would work with a player that used analog 5.1 out, but since my Oppo utilizes HDMI for all formats, I would have not have thought that to be an issue.


While listening to the the A.I. soundtrack, there are 2 tracks that have some vocals. They sounded "wrong" to me, so I swithced over to the Stereo version on the DVD-A, and they sounded better........it seemed the vocals on the Surround version sounded "ghostly" as if they SHOULD be in the center, with just some reverb and echo in L & R. I have no doubt this is the way the DVD-A was mixed, but never noticed such a glaring hole in my sound stage before. The Denon was showing "HDMI Multi Channel In".....read 5.1 in and 4.1 out as always.


Thoughts??

I have this disc at home but have not listened to it lately. You are probably right in that the vocals should be coming from the center. If I get a chance in the next few days I'll give it a spin and report back.

 

[dirk1843]



Quote:
Originally Posted by rdgrimes  /t/1517306/a-i-movie-soundtrack-on-dvd-a#post_24344217


Probably a question best asked in the dedicated thread for your AVR. "Phantom Center" is a specific setting in many AVRs, which re-routes the center channel to L-R. How to achieve that with your specific AVR is another question. But any of the usual setup discs have channel ID tracks that will answer the question of whether you're getting the center re-directed to L-R.

Thanks for the reply......I have never noticed an issue other than on this disc. I have been running a 4.1 setup since my RPTV died in 2006 or 2007.


From what I know, the "phantom center" is a feature of Dolby Pro Logic. I didn't think it was related to the digital formats that had discrete channels, however I have been wrong before.


I never thought about the using a setup disc to check redirection!! That is simple and brilliant!! I have an old disc that is DVD, so could check with DD decoding, will have to see if I have anything in other formats to see if it is a format specific issue.


Thanks!!

 

[MCHUK]

A slightly old thread, but I can confirm that the vocals on this disc release are indeed mixed "hard centre". This suggests that your 5>4 reduction preamp function was not enabled & that you are not getting "any" centre channel mix information appearing in the main L & R.

if the vocal sounded "ghostly" as you describe, then indeed you have been hearing (& getting used to) the reverb-only effect which has a strongish 1st reflection that sounds semi-direct but arrives later than the original dry microphone timing plus the blend of diffused "decay tails" in the reverb pattern generator as used in the mix session.

Not only that, I should point out that you have not been experiencing all the routed microphones as used on the orchestra setup.

in fact some of the woodwind close "spot" microphones, select percussion "spots" mics, (possibly) certain string spot mics & one of the main pickup mics (above the conductor) will have been addressed to the centre channel in the mix.

Personally, I would go back to utilising the centre channel for the correctly intended listening experience.

When "direct" signal elements belonging to the centre channel track are cross-fed into both Left & Right channels, it creates mono (a wide-phantom centre) In doing so, it "steals" from the "stage width" that would otherwise have existed. It's really "image smearing". The hard-centre localisation is not only intended to assist a widest possible spatial illusion but it's primary importance is to serve to fill "the hole in the middle" issue for large theatre screens. I'll acknowledge there aren't many consumer environments that can host 20 feet wide screens, but centre channel speakers do have good purpose even in restricted spaces.