[AdamCalifornia]

Here is what I've read on "The Freewheelin'", Bob Dylan, CD,
Sony Music Direct(Japan), Inc., 2004
"Stereo 360 SOUND" represents the ultimate in listening enjoyment.
Every aspect of recording activity has been carefully supervised by
Columbia's engineers and craftsmen, using the very latest electronic equipment.
"Stereo 360 SOUND" creates the effect of surrounding

the listener with glorious true-to-life active

sound.
It is as if one were sitting in the first row center at an actual performance.
Columbia's studios have been designed with uniform sound characteristics
and are equipped with sixteen channel consoles and custom-calibrated multi-track tape ..."

I couldn't read any more because of the label with the barcode and some text in Japanese.

Sounds soooooooo good:
"...the effect of surrounding listener ..." - is it already VIRTUAL 9.1-system?
"glorious, true-to-life active sound ..." - fabulous?
" ... sitting in the front row ..." - I REALLY do like it?

or is it just another brick in the wall?

Adam

 

[Aman]

This particular recording technique was used by a few record labels, but put them in different names. Deram used the term "All-Around Sound". Same method, though.

Yes, it was probably the best-sounding recording method of its time. It didn't always make use of the specifically-placed omni-directional microphones, but instead caught the entire sound of the room itself. The greats, like your mentioned Bob Dylan, among others like Miles Davis, and the orchestral recordings all released by Columbia, used this recording method with much success.

What people realized is that it takes a very, VERY acoustically-shaped room to pull it off properly. Because of the realized costs, they stopped using it as a mainstream recording method. However, people also stopped caring as much about how music sounded by that time, and music was in a different era -- if you could call it music at all

It WAS a special method, but there were other great techniques out there during this time which were used just as often. I think you'll find that Deram's recording technique "All Around Sound" is more often coined as one of the best mastering/recording methods during that time period, more-so than the Columbia system. The Deram studios shaped the sound of The Moody Blues' "Days of Future Passed", after all, and made it even greater than it would be without it. It literally brought it to further levels. Columbia's setup never was praised in that same light.

Columbia's "360 Sound" was more of just an above-average recording method. There were better out there in terms of mainstream recording studios. The jazz quintets during that time and before were using much better setups and achieved much more realistic dynamics and sound staging as a result of not only better equipment but better placement.

 

[edstrelow]

I see this label on some of my old lp's and can't say I have been struck by any great increase in sound quality over other techniques of the time. These Columbia's are pretty good though and there are some pretty awful old lp's out there.

It just sounds like close-in miking, hence the "front row" perspective, better dynamics, possibly from better tape recorders, hence the "active sound," and maybe some ambience mikes. Or is it just old advertising hype?

 

[Michael G.]

Columbia's grey label "360 Sound" pressings can sound very good.

 

[dknightd]

Of course it was all hype. But at least they were paying attention to what they were doing. Just because they were paying attention on average they'll be better than contemporary recordings, I think.

 

[AdamCalifornia]

Thanks guys!

See you on the Columbia's

Side of the Moon

Adam

 

[Garbz]

Any relation to Q-Sound which had a similar idea of phasing channels to make sound 3D. For example Roger Waters - Amuzed to death used this, also Deep Forrest did similar thing in Lulliby

 

[AdamCalifornia]

Hi! I've never heard about this Q-Sound!

Any more details about the thing called Q-Sound?
Does "Q" mean here "Quality"?

See you on the Q-Sound

Side of the Moon

Adam

 

[soundboy]

Q Sound recording can also be found from artists such as Sting and Madonna.

 

[Garbz]

Google knows all: http://www.qsound.com/2002/

 

[rickcr42]

I never could figure out why the record labels do not just throw a "matrixed" surround channel on all CDs for those who would like to use the already present home theater surround sytem to recreate "space" on a music CD.

It is as simple as delaying the main signal ,use sective frequeuncy phase shifts then mix it as a L-R signal to the already present L and R signals at the mastering stage.
The end result would have zero effect on the stereo portaion of the sound but at the flip of a switch full multichannel ambient sound space that if done right (not too promising on that front) would have the ability to place the performers not only into set stage potitions but also set hall size according to delay path.

Too simple I guess.We can't have simple because there is not enough profit involved and that just will not do.Instead we muct be convinced to either purchase a recording at a premium price because it is done the way it should always have been done or we need to be pushed into a corner and buy into an entirely new class of technology so we have to revamp our systems and add big time (big $) hardware

Better yet the above recording technique and a two channel system with the addition of one of these puppies and there would be zero need for any additional hardware/amplification channels unless the room was tiny but even then acoutic rather than electronic correction could fix it at zero additional cost :

But again just won't do because no way can they justify giving away something for free if they can instead con you into beleiving you NEED all the additional electronics.


http://www6.head-fi.org/forums/showp...0&postcount=47


Jusy my opinion but I never cease to be amazed by the trickery or outright deception that the audio industry puts on us and because we are mostly ignorant (not stupid but ignorant) we mostly get sucked in.
If somthing was suck a good idea and there WAS profit to be had they would all jump on the same bandwagon but since that is not the case we need to ask "why ?"