 DVD-Audio
and SACD Software, Surround
Professional 2003 - Part One
Amid
all the technical minutiae surrounding most discussions of
SACD and DVD-Audio, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact
that the even the most sophisticated formats don’t stand
much of a chance of survival unless they offer something worth
listening to. Or, to borrow a reminder from the 1992 Clinton
campaign, "It’s the software,
stupid." Fortunately, label representatives and creative artists were plentiful
at Surround 2003, bringing us up to date on the latest goodies for our collections.
Jeff Dean, President, Silverline Records
Among the many labels releasing titles in the DVD-Audio format,
the Silverline Records division of 5.1 Entertainment is among
the most prolific, with over 200 titles already released and
an ever-increasing production rate. High Fidelity Review sat
down with Silverline President Jeff Dean to discuss the new
directions his company is moving.
Silverline plans to ramp up to 20 titles each month, but Dean
was particularly enthusiastic about Silverline Classics, a
series of classical music re-issues he hopes will help dispel
the reputation of DVD-Audio as a primarily pop and rock format.
As reported by High Fidelity Review (see
news story) the centerpiece
of the new line will be a series of 39 Artemis Classics recordings featuring
Maurice Abravanel and the Utah Symphony Orchestra, licensed from the Vanguard
and Omega labels. Originally released as stereo LPs from the mid 1960s through
the late 1970s, these recordings will be re-issued as multichannel DVD-Audio
titles. What distinguishes them, aside from the well-regarded quality of the
performances, is the fact that the majority of them were recorded in multi-track
by engineer Seymour Solomon, using a variety of microphone configurations. "Seymour
was a visionary, he recorded in ways that were way beyond the playback capabilities
of the time," Dean said. "He was recording L-C-R when
their was only stereo, and four-channel before there was quad." The availability of multichannel source
material means a clean, higher quality conversion to multichannel without the
need for electronic reprocessing and all its associated artifacts. "We
are bending over backwards to make these audiophile quality all the way through
our transfer chain," he added.
The emphasis on consistent quality is a sea change for Silverline,
a label saddled with a "quantity over quality" stigma dating
back to the uneven quality of its early multichannel releases.
While he acknowledges the criticism, Dean vigorously defended
his label’s ambitious catalog. "Our
source materials were widely different in quality," he said. "Some
were excellent, some weren’t. But we felt it was necessary
to have a wide variety of genres represented. I can defend
the content on the basis of its historical significance within
those genres."
He also noted that product quality has steadily improved. "We’ve learned," he
said. "Better tricks in the mastering. Our tools are better." He also
pointed to positive internal competition between Silverline staff mixers. "Gary
Lux, Rich Fowler, Mister Haynes - these guys keep raising the bar with each other,
and get inspired by each others’ work. There’s very creative energy
in our studios." Dean
believes the biggest growth curve for the DVD-Audio format is still to come,
with more current releases - which entails enlisting the artists, a slow but
steady process.
 At this time, Silverline has no immediate plans to release software in a hybrid
DVD-A/CD disc format. "We would support it if it ever catches
on," Dean said, "but
I’m not involved in any discussions about it. Frankly, I’m not really sure for
how long this will be a big deal - I think the days of CD players are numbered."
Dweezil
Zappa
Representing the creative artist’s perspective, Dweezil
Zappa offered some introductory remarks at a session screening
his father Frank’s rarely-seen 1979 film, 'Baby
Snakes’, recently restored for DVD release. Dweezil, who produced
the 5.1 mix with Joe Travers and Kent Huffnagle, noted his father’s uncanny
foresight - long
before the advent of Dolby Surround, Frank originally mixed the 'Baby
Snakes’
soundtrack in 4 channels (left, center, right, and mono surround).
The DVD soundtrack’s multichannel effects nicely complement 'Baby
Snakes’ visual assault - a frenetic mix of live action footage
and astonishing (and often disturbing) claymation sequences
by Brice Bickford, some featuring a miniature replica of Zappa
himself undergoing mutations. In one of the most effective
sequences of Zappa in close up conducting his musicians, sounds
originate from the directions in which he’s pointing - artistic
potential finally fulfilled now that technology has caught
up with vision.
Dweezil took the opportunity to praise the impeccable musicianship underlying
the movie’s visual flair. "There are real notes here," he said. "He
gave people the freedom to be the best musicians they coluld be." Steeped in an ongoing excavation
of Frank’s voluminous archives for material worthy of multichannel repurposing,
Dweezil described his mission as "an archeological effort
of monumental proportions."
Philip Brandes 27/02/2004.
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Surround
2003 Report Index
Last update:
27th February 2004
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