The Low Frequency Content Thread (films, games, music, etc)

[FOH 5]

Thanks for the Shaun of the Dead recommendation, we'll check it out.

 

It's huge mistakes like these that make me always question the 'infallibility' mystique that seems to surround the film business, when in fact, most of the bigger releases are compressed, clipped, and filtered, just like what is par for the course at iTunes....

JSS

 

You're right. But when they absolutely pour truckloads of cash at a major release, I mean hundreds and hundreds of millions, ... you'd think they'd not miss the technical mark. Perhaps it's deadline related, whereas all the marketing is targeted to meet established hard deadlines ... regardless where they are with a mix. Like you said, the shot caller mandating certain characteristics like more level, limiting, clipping ..., then "were good, move along, what's next?" ... mere speculation and I'd hope it's not like that ... but mistakes are common and mediocre quality is too.        

[maxmercy 364]

FOH,

 

Speculation as to what happens on a mixing stage is just that. All I comment on are the waveforms I see, and whether or not overt clipping is present, and how much compression appears to have been used in addition to the general measurements. It is really easy to hypothesize what happened, especially when small factoids are discovered, such as how subwoofer drivers were fried during the mixing of Avengers, and lo and behold, one of the hardest shelf filters measured just magically appears in the measurements.......I cannot prove one led to another, but it is not a hard mental leap to make.....take Tron as well. Joe Kocinski personally oversaw and modified the BluRay soundtrack according to an interview in which he stated that he was not happy with certain aspects of the theatrical mix, and every channel except for LFE is clipped on the BluRay track.

 

JSS

[FOH 5]

JSS, I want to make clear, I unequivocally agree on all points.  

 

What blows me away is that these armchair quarterback critiques from myself for example, aren't based upon subjective elements of their work. These are the most fundamental tenets of recording/mixing ... preserve the FR of the signal path and recorded event, maximize signal/noise, and no audible clipping!

Poor execution of their craft, at best. At worst and in my opinion, these are termination of employment offenses.

 

Primum non nocere, or as Chris Carter would say, c'mon man!

 

 

[nube 144]

Monsters University (7.1 TrueHD)

Level        - 3 Stars (109dB composite)
Extension - 5 Stars (1Hz)
Dynamics - 5 Stars (31.04dB)
Execution - 4 Stars (by poll)

 

Overall     - 4.25 Stars

Recommendation - Buy

 

 

Notes:  This one's a solid mix.  Everything blends in seemlessly, without any noticeable clipping or limiting.  It just doesn't go very low - besides that ratings-jobbing 1Hz bump that has to be artifact, as it's much higher level than all other content, and doesn't occur in scenes that call for it.  I didn't even notice it in playback, likely due to DC blocking caps & other associated rolloff.  MU has no very big effects; there's nothing like Boo's Laugh from the first one.  Funny movie, if you like that sort of thing or have kids.

 

PvA:

 

[tuxedocivic 41]

I finally got around to watching Star Trek into Darkness last night. Sounds like it measures. Really punchy but nothing deep. I got a slight back massage early in the movie, everything else was in the chest. I didn't notice the clipping to bad, which I usually find I'm sensitive to this. I think when explosions and FX clip, they're less noticeable than say someone yelling. I did hear some during warps, and some FX sounded harsh, but it was fairly subtle. All in all, it was fun, but could have been so much better.

 

Sorry to bring up a couple month old release, just wanted to share my experience.

[reddman71 1]

Even though I don't have graphs to prove conclusively, but I'm afraid MOS is another victim of the loudness craze that's becoming prevalent. It reminds me a lot of TDKR except it's not quite as strident and fatiguing sounding as that one. It's just loud. I was hoping for more from it.

[maxmercy 364]

FOH,

 

You and I are on same wavelength.

 

nube,

 

Thanks for MU!

 

TC,

 

I like hearing what other people think, no matter the release date.

 

redd,

 

I'm glad it's at least not as bad as TDKR (OMG that was bad)...

 

 

JSS

[maxmercy 364]

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

 

Level - 4 Stars (110.83dB composite)

Extension - 2 Stars (21Hz)

Dynamics - 4 Stars (27.45dB)

Execution - 4 Stars (by poll)

 

Overall - 3.5 Stars

 

Recommendation - Rent

 

 

JSS

[grantisgrant 7]

Any chance of a regraph of the Stone Giants scene from Hobbit EE?

[maxmercy 364]

Will do when I get it.

 

JSS

[bmoney 25]

Did you ever graph '9' ?

[maxmercy 364]

Yes, but it still remains to be measured with the new measurement system.  Great ULF film.

 

http://data-bass.ipbhost.com/index.php?/topic/12-the-low-frequency-content-thread-films-games-music-etc/?p=269

 

JSS

[bmoney 25]

Cool thank for posting!! Another one i was thinking about was horton hears a who

[bmoney 25]

Double

[nube 144]

R.I.P.D. (5.1 DTS-HD MA)

Level        - 3 Stars (107.7dB composite)
Extension - 1 Star (25Hz)
Dynamics - 5 Stars (28.57dB)
Execution - 2 Stars (by poll)

 

Overall     - 2.75 Stars

Recommendation - Rent

 

 

PvA:

 

[maxmercy 364]

Is the film any good?

 

JSS

[reddman71 1]

 

redd,

 

I'm glad it's at least not as bad as TDKR (OMG that was bad)...

 

 

JSS

 

 

 

TDKR was unbearable to listen to! I can deal with MOS even though I listen to it at a lower level than normal.

[nube 144]

Is the film any good?

 

JSS

Haven't watched it, just measured it.  Not much time!

[maxmercy 364]

It appears to be a bad MIB knockoff....not planning on seeing it unless people think it is great.

 

JSS

[maxmercy 364]

There are a few ties that need to be broken in the polls....vote!

 

JSS

[Nicke 3]

Gonna lag behind you guys when it comes to voting due to some movies are not yet released in my country (sweden)

 

 

// Nicke

[maxmercy 364]

A Series I have been wanting to measure for a long time:

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:

 

Level - 2 Stars (106.1dB composite)

Extension - 1 Star (27Hz)

Dynamics - 5 Stars (30.48dB)

Execution - 3 Stars (by poll)

 

Overall - 2.75 Stars

 

Recommendation - Buy

 

I expect the films will get better in LF Star value as the series progresses....

 

JSS 

[maxmercy 364]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets:

 

Level - 3 Stars (109.22dB composite)

Extension - 3 Stars (19Hz)

Dynamics - 5 Stars (31.47dB)

Execution - 3 Stars (by poll)

 

Overall - 3.5 Stars

 

Recommendation - Buy

 

This film definitely ups the LF, especially with the wamping willow, the cursed blodger, and the basilisk.  That's all until next week.

 

 

JSS

[djbluemax1 6]

Anyone want to do a waterfall for Stone Giants and maybe Smaug? Hoping for a great turn around.

Someone posted a waterfall of the Smaug scene 'over there'. Disgusting. The added extension is limited solely to the added cuts. The graph looks like it switches between the original footage with the original filter to the added footage switching to the lower extension filter. It looks like they didn't realize (or didn't care) about the added scenes having a different filter from the rest of the footage. Sloppy.

 

 

Max

[djbluemax1 6]

A Series I have been wanting to measure for a long time:

 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:

 

Level - 2 Stars (106.1dB composite)

Extension - 1 Star (27Hz)

Dynamics - 5 Stars (30.48dB)

Execution - TBD

 

Overall - TBD

 

Recommendation - TBD

 

I expect the films will get better in LF Star value as the series progresses....

 

JSS 

Curious to see what 7 & 8 look like as those were the ones where I was actually surprised by the bass (in comparison to the previous movies in the series).

 

 

Max