New and Notable Spatial Audio

[Jud]

Though I don't have a surround/spatial audio system myself, I ran across a news item the other day and thought I'd not only post it but kick off a thread so @The Computer Audiophile, @Kal Rubinson, @ted_b and others can check out what's new.

 

This is the 2022 Gramophone Award winner in the new category of Spatial Audio: https://www.chandos.net/products/catalogue/CHAN 5280

[The Computer Audiophile]

Anyone know what format / sample rate etc… the surround download is?

[The Computer Audiophile]

P.S. @Jud, if you’re back in the area to visit your friends again, you have an open invitation to hear my Atmos system. 

[Jud]

7 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Anyone know what format / sample rate etc… the surround download is?

No, only indication I have is that the 2-channel is made available in 24/96.

[sphinxsix]

There is a SACD.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Orchestral-Works-Sinfonia-London/dp/B09M83DDVC

 

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9306362--maurice-ravel-orchestral-works

[Jud]

Got the answer by going to my link and looking (duh). 24/96, Chris. And I’m assuming the Surround (which the notes say “was recorded in surround-sound”) has at least some differences from the 2-channel 24/96. Maybe the Gramophone review says something, for anyone who’s got a subscription?

 

Edit: Chandos website says their surround sound albums average ~3.5GB as opposed to 2 channel studio masters at ~1.5GB, so I’m guessing the surround is indeed multi-channel.

[Kal Rubinson]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Anyone know what format / sample rate etc… the surround download is?

If it's like the rest of the series, 24/96.  

20 minutes ago, Jud said:

Edit: Chandos website says their surround sound albums average ~3.5GB as opposed to 2 channel studio masters at ~1.5GB, so I’m guessing the surround is indeed multi-channel.

5.0

37 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

No-one mentions more channels than 2 (2min googling), seems that might be similar to what David Chesky has been doing recently:

I hope not.

[sphinxsix]

..but before I do that, to show that in reality I have a positive attitude to all audio guys regardless of number of ch-s of their systems, I will only add that an audio friend, Brendon Heinst has an audiophile label here in the Netherlands, I don't know anything about quality of his mch productions but I have some 2ch recordings of his wife, Maya Fridman who is an amazing cellist and they sound just great! Brendon is a real audiophile and among other hi end gear has the biggest number of KEF Blades from all people I know 😉, maybe someone will be interested in checking out TRPTK as for their mch (from Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D, up to 10-channel DXD!)  stuff!

Cheers, guys!

[Jud]

Bought the 2-channel version, listened through, and though the romantics aren’t usually my cup of tea, it’s well worthwhile. Excellent playing and sound, great dynamics.

[Kal Rubinson]

53 minutes ago, sphinxsix said:

..but before I do that, to show that in reality I have a positive attitude to all audio guys regardless of number of ch-s of their systems, I will only add that an audio friend, Brendon Heinst has an audiophile label here in the Netherlands, I don't know anything about quality of his mch productions but I have some 2ch recordings of his wife, Maya Fridman who is an amazing cellist and they sound just great! Brendon is a real audiophile and among other hi end gear has the biggest number of KEF Blades from all people I know 😉, maybe someone will be interested in checking out TRPTK as for their mch (from Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D, up to 10-channel DXD!)  stuff!

Cheers, guys!

👍 Say hello to Brandon for me.   I am a big fan of his multichannel.  I am also an addict for Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" in any form and I selected Maya Fridman's recording of  her arrangement for "Records To Die For" (sic): https://www.stereophile.com/content/records-die-2021-page-5

Prokofiev: The Fiery Angel
Maya Fridman, cello and piano arr.; Maya Fridman, cello; Artem Belogurov, piano
TRPTK TTK0009 (DXD download from nativedsd.com). 2018. Brendon Heinst, recording and mastering eng.

Along with his wit and charm, I love Prokofiev's depictions of anxiety and torment, as in the Symphony No.3, which employs melodies and rhythmic themes from his at-the-time-unperformed opera The Fiery Angel. I relish the opera itself for an occasional deep emotional wallow. Fridman compacts all the opera's passion, angst, and veins of sweetness into less than a half-hour of dazzling musicmaking for just two instruments, cello and piano (plus a surprise). Orchestral scale is lost, but the intensity is enhanced by the performance and the immediacy of TRPTK's transparent 5.0, 24/352.8 recording. It is devastatingly realistic.

[sphinxsix]

1 minute ago, Kal Rubinson said:

👍 Say hello to Brandon for me.   I am a big fan of his multichannel.  I am also an addict for Prokofiev's "The Fiery Angel" in any form and I selected Maya Fridman's recording of  her arrangement for "Records To Die For" (sic): https://www.stereophile.com/content/records-die-2021-page-5

Prokofiev: The Fiery Angel
Maya Fridman, cello and piano arr.; Maya Fridman, cello; Artem Belogurov, piano
TRPTK TTK0009 (DXD download from nativedsd.com). 2018. Brendon Heinst, recording and mastering eng.

Along with his wit and charm, I love Prokofiev's depictions of anxiety and torment, as in the Symphony No.3, which employs melodies and rhythmic themes from his at-the-time-unperformed opera The Fiery Angel. I relish the opera itself for an occasional deep emotional wallow. Fridman compacts all the opera's passion, angst, and veins of sweetness into less than a half-hour of dazzling musicmaking for just two instruments, cello and piano (plus a surprise). Orchestral scale is lost, but the intensity is enhanced by the performance and the immediacy of TRPTK's transparent 5.0, 24/352.8 recording. It is devastatingly realistic.

 

Wow, cool! Thanks for the tip Kal, don't know this one, will check it out myself!

 

[sphinxsix]

26 minutes ago, Jud said:

Bought the 2-channel version, listened through, and though the romantics aren’t usually my cup of tea, it’s well worthwhile. Excellent playing and sound, great dynamics.

 

Ravel wasn't that much a romantic (unless you mean some of his personality traits I don't know anything about, that is..).

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

I exchanged emails with Brandon last month. He has some TrueHD Atmos versions of the albums on the way. 

[Jud]

2 hours ago, sphinxsix said:

 

Ravel wasn't that much a romantic (unless you mean some of his personality traits I don't know anything about, that is..).

 

 

A fair amount of this one strikes me as in that vein.

[ted_b]

We (NativeDSD) have been carrying TRPTK for years.  With our new offerings of Auro3D (embedded FLAC) and Atmos (MKV) we are reaching out to him for those, but so far nothing. 

 

Back to Jud's post: it's weird that Gramophone would award a non-spatial release (no Atmos, no Auro3D, no Sony 360RA) as Spatial.  I guess they are calling surround now "spatial".   Apple has used the nomenclature for 360 degree, but it's now commonly called immersive. 

[Jud]

So, recommendations for spatial audio recordings?

[Jud]

I've gently hinted, now I'm just going to say it: As the OP, I started the thread for people to share good new(ish) multichannel music, kind of an Album of the Evening but aimed more specifically at people who like multichannel.

 

I don't care about the arguments people are having, I want folks to have the opportunity to spread the word about good music in multichannel formats.

 

If arguments continue in future posts I'll be asking @The Computer Audiophilefor permission to delete them.

 

Thanks, and enjoy the music. 🙂

[The Computer Audiophile]

I’ll clean up the thread, splitting it into two, in a little bit. I’m busy with something else at the moment. 

[christopher3393]

2022 SURROUND RELEASES

[The Computer Audiophile]

Thread cleaned up and split. Here's the other discussion - https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/topic/66813-immersive-audio-creation-artist-intent-and-more/

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

18 hours ago, Jud said:

So, recommendations for spatial audio recordings?

I really like The War on Drugs, I Don't Live Here Anymore. It's a subtle immersive mix, but the music is fantastic. Listened to it all weekend, and haven't stopped yet.

[The Computer Audiophile]

This one from the Vienna Phil and Kleiber was one that I eagerly awaited, but I'd say it's notable because it's a bit underwhelming so far. Perhaps I need to listen to it more. 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

This new release is pretty good. 

 

[The Computer Audiophile]

This is good and it's a more immersive mix than I expected. 

 

[Jud]

10 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

I really like The War on Drugs, I Don't Live Here Anymore. It's a subtle immersive mix, but the music is fantastic. Listened to it all weekend, and haven't stopped yet.

 

I have the same opinion about the two-channel, so it'll be interesting to hear the immersive at some point.