Quote Originally Posted by nightflier
First of all there is a substantial difference between a "chip-produced" 5.1 channel mix and a recording that was designed for 5.1 analog from the start. Take for example Blue-Man's DVD. It was designed from the outset to be a surround sound experience that would give the closest possible impression of their concert experience. While Yes and Pink Floyd really embraced the surround formats and did a phenominal job with their surround disks, the truth is these recordings have been re-engineered to support a surround format, while they were originally written for stereo (some even mono).

The same can be said for most classical music since it was not written for "recording" at all, just for live presentation. So the struggle has been to try and reproduce the live experience as best as possible by the many surround disks made in the last two years. One company (forgot who) even pushed a 3 front channel mix to give the expereince a more realistic feel compared to what someone would have heard at a live concert.

Speaking of concerts, Shock & Dave, there are other concerts besides loud and overbearing pop concerts. If you've ever sat in the front rows of the orchestra section in a well designed concert hall, you'd experience something entirely different from a "rock concert" setting." Personally I don't believe (despite a second mortgage on my house) that I have ever experienced that in my living room. And even pop concerts don't need to be ear-bleeding loud to be enjoyable. I have very fond memories of hearing Fleetwood Mac, Kool & the Gang, The Marsalis bros., the Stones, and Roger Waters live; I just chose to sit a little further back, and as long as I was in the center, the experience was just as powerful. Albeit there is somomething to be said about a quieter audience, typical at a classical concert, IMO.

But there is a place for everything. I do like my movies to sound like they surround me, but for a musical piece, I prefer - and this is just my preference - that the music is well presented in front of me, in a way that most resembles the concert experience. For a musical component to try and immerse me in the middle of the band or orchestra, would seem a little artificial. If Blue Man wants me there, that's great, but I doubt Beethoven did; and while the Stones may try to put me there now, they have not yet succeeded in making me like it.
Did i say someplace about loud and overbearing concerts? I say enough dumb things without any help,thank you?LOL Cat Stevens and James Taylor were two of the better concerts i went to around 69/70.

Kool and the Gang?LMFAO. Did you have a fro and bellbottoms?