Week Thirty-Eight – Surround Sound On A Plate.
The experience of going to the recording studio last week was more fun than I’d thought as it turns out that Steve Levine is a mad keen 5.1ch music fanatic and by the time I managed to get there the youngsters collectively called Patch William were sitting in the control room, listening to old hippie music like the Doors and Pink Floyd in DVD-Audio. This was a 5.1ch format that was reckoned to be about to revolutionise music like stereo did and to offer great slews of extras and cool content. Sadly, in the event, the dts sound track discs that you can get, did I think trounce them for sales as they sound so good and besides, apart from Boys II Men and Sting, almost nobody has bothered to record in full surround. I did hear some Spice Girls and even a bit of Prodigy at Strongroom studios – Smack My Bitch up in 5.1 was awesome but the tragic truth is that the world of music just doesn’t seem interested in surround sound.
The Range Rover Autobiography I went to see has this latest Harman HD Audio Logic Seven system in it that has 1,200 watts of amplification, lots of transducers and works very well, with really fast tinkly highs. I do want to learn more about the kit inside and more about Logic 7’s latest incarnation (it’s an algorithm – or BIG sum) as the system takes stereo and spreads it into a credible surround experience and for the entire cabin. I really must see if I can get a go driving one for a day or two, just for the audio, of course…..
Mind you, with the new look Talk Audio Board and Content software bubbling in the background with Guru and Switchblade labouring at moving content, I could open a new section on OEM. Test the production cars, give a rundown for new car purchasers upon the ‘stock’ options list and then offer a route to upgrade for the enthusiastic, but whom wish to leave their new car’s warranty and trim intact. What do you think? It aughn’t confront the aftermarket cognoscenti, nor the car makers and might just garner us some more readers…..
The Clarion NX700 is still in the rig and a set of less costly Pioneer TS-E1702i speakers are in the mill as well this week. I have got some nice speakers from PSB and a whacker of a 1,000 watt Velodyne home subwoofer to play with my other hat on as well, so…I’d better get on then
Adam Rayner – Online Editor