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PhilNYC
2007-01-01, 08:14
There's a recording technology/technique known as "Q-Sound" that creates surround-sound effects using only 2-channel stereo. Apparently, it is widely used in some of today's video games, but it has also been used in the mastering process of a number of music recordings.

See here for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-Sound

I'm looking for more recordings that use Q-Sound. The Wikipedia page lists the following:

The Adventures of MC Skat Kat and the Stray Mob by MC Skat Kat (1991)
Amused to Death by Roger Waters (1992)
Broken China by Richard Wright (1996)
The Immaculate Collection by Madonna (1990)
Pulse by Pink Floyd (1995)
The Soul Cages by Sting (1991)
Spellbound by Paula Abdul (1991)

In addition, I know that Mino Cinelu's debut CD also uses it (great CD, btw!), and one of the first two CDs by Extreme also uses it (although I don't know which CD by them it is).

Anyone know of others?
Craig
2007-01-01, 10:06
Amused to Death used the Roland RSS system not Q-sound but the effects are amazing. I found the Transporter made them much more real. It's still one of my fav test CD's.

I'm not sure if anything was used on The Division Bell but The Final Cut uses 'Holophonics by Zuccarelli Labs'

I also remeber that Zuccarelli was involved with Psychic TV.

Craig
PhilNYC
2007-01-01, 10:12
Craig...according to this, Amused To Death uses Q-Sound:

http://www.macmusic.org/articles/view.php/lang/en/id/13/
Craig
2007-01-01, 17:18
Craig...according to this, Amused To Death uses Q-Sound:

http://www.macmusic.org/articles/view.php/lang/en/id/13/

Yeah, that's what the cover says too now that I've looked :-)

I just seemed to remember a radio interview at the time saying that they used RSS.

Either way, the first time I played it on the Transporter was the first time I'd had a guy stood behind me playing the mandolin!!!

Craig
davep
2007-01-01, 21:57
A dig into the Q-Sound website reveals this multi-page listing of albums -
http://www.qsound.com/2002/spotlight/main2a.asp

I realise that I have one or two of these which I have not so far bothered to rip so haven't played since I have had my new system (including Transporter). I'll have a go at them tonight and see how they sound.

davep
davep
2007-01-02, 07:11
Well, I dug out my CD of Sting's "The Soul Cages" and sure enough it has a _very_ discrete 'Q' logo on the sleeve and a mention in the credits for two guys who "supervised the QSound". I ripped it to flac and then pulled it up onto the Transporter for a spin.

There was a very definite "produced" sound to it - somewhat artificial but quite attractive in its own way but about as far away as you can get from the idea of a recording reproducing the event of people playing music in a (your) room. The QSound did not manage to put anybody behind me with a mandolin but I did have several "out of speaker experiences" with, in particular, plucked strings seeming to come from the far side of one of the speakers.

At times though it reminded me of the days when as a kid I would sometime play around with inverting the phase of one of my speakers and get similar sorts of spatial effects. I'm not sure I would like to have all of my music Q'd.

davep
Craig
2007-01-02, 08:29
I agree, I wouldn't want to hear it on 'normal' music simply because in reality you face the musicians and the only thing that comes from behind is hall reverb. However for 'less normal' music like Roger Waters, it can be a very powerfull effect.
I can also see a point in using it on live recordings to put you in the thick of things (it must be better than using that damn 'theatre sound' button) :-)

Craig
PhilNYC
2007-01-02, 09:20
I agree, I wouldn't want to hear it on 'normal' music simply because in reality you face the musicians and the only thing that comes from behind is hall reverb. However for 'less normal' music like Roger Waters, it can be a very powerfull effect.
I can also see a point in using it on live recordings to put you in the thick of things (it must be better than using that damn 'theatre sound' button) :-)

Craig

I discovered that my wife has a copy of Madonna's "The Emmaculate Collection" on CD, so I tried it out yesterday...whoa! They went all-out with the Q-Sound on a lot of the tracks, and for what is essentially "club music", it's actually pretty cool (eg. synth lines dancing around the room, vocals whispering from just behind your ear, etc)...