Genesis Back Catalog Re-mastered in 5.1 With Focusrite

Editor's note...borrowed from Pro-sound news....yeah yeah...I'll put it back after you've all read it..

High Wycombe, UK (March 12, 2007)--Nick Davis has spent nearly three years re-mastering the entire Genesis back catalogue in 5.1. Davis wanted to keep the type of processing used on the project in line with the style of the original recordings, so he didn't bring in too much digital processing, choosing instead a host of analog gear including a Focusrite ISA215 EQ. He also used Focusrite's Liquid Mix toward the end of the mix process.

Nick Davis

On the Focusrite ISA215 EQ, Davis commented, "It's fantastic, I really like it. I also did an album with Will Topley from The Blessing and recorded all of his vocals through a Voicemaster Pro. It's very good I was really impressed with that as well."

The Liquid Mix, meanwhile, helped in some of the more unusual areas of the project. "I used the Liquid Mix for some rarity stuff and bootleg material that came in from various sources around the world. One of them was this interview Genesis did for an American chat show in the 70s and the sound on it was terrible so I used the Liquid Mix to EQ and compress that for the DVD. I do like having so many compressors and EQs on hand to switch between, and I love the fact that the processing is on board. It is a big selling point that the box doesn't drain your computer processing power."

Davis started his career as a tape op back in 1983, recording early demos with Tears For Fears for Polygram. He moved to Air Studios and then Westside where he became chief engineer. After going freelance he engineered Mike And The Mechanics' The Living Years LP, which was the start of a long relationship with Genesis.

"I've just kind of stayed within the family," he said. "Once they find people they like to work with they stick with them. I've done some of their live albums and produced a couple of their later albums. They decided to remix the catalogue in 5.1 and it's been a fantastic project albeit one that's been almost three years in the making!"

"Various members have been more or less involved," Davis continued. "Tony Banks very much so. He's come in and heard every mix and helped me finish them off. Mike [Rutherford] has heard about 20-30 percent. Steve Hackett has been very good on the stuff he's on and Peter Gabriel has been very good too. Phil [Collins] has probably been the least involved and has just let us get on with it. He trusts us not to screw it up!"

On his surround mixing philosophy, Davis shares, "I try and avoid doing anything gimmicky. It's great with Genesis because they have these big moments and you can just get a load of stuff out of all the speakers but I generally don't like stuff flying around too much. For example I would usually have the drums at the front or half way but never all the way behind you. The other thing with 5.1 is if you spread it too much you actually lose the power. It's a bit like people saying mono sounds more powerful than stereo because with mono it's concentrated in one area. So if you start spreading it too much in 5.1 you sometimes lose the power because it's the way that it sticks together that makes it sound so powerful."

And, on how the mixes turned out, Davis adds, "It is fantastic. I know I would say that as I'm working on it, but I've just been listening back to And Then There Were Three. It's not my favorite album but it does sound fantastic. Some of the big moments are very exciting."

For more information on the entire range of Focusrite products please visit www.focusrite.com.

Comments

[Jon]

I bought the version from HMV in Japan and it is great with the SACD and dvd-a discs and my cc was charged 123.60 for the box set!

[Ron Wheeler]

Hey Marty..

Surprisingly enough...I saw the box set and individual releases at the Yonge street HMV yesterday for 200.00 for the complete set or 22.00 bucks apiece. I didn't look close enough to see if it was the PAL or NTSC version. I can say that my daughter is loving "Then there were three" more than "A Trick of the Tail"....although "Night at the Opera" still tops her list.

"Young American's" is very good....and I picked up "No Man" at HMV yesterday for 22.00...they of course had only 1 copy.

Ron

[Marty]

Hey Ron and everyone! Long time, no post from me...anyway, I was wondering what sources/stores anyone who was able to get the SACD/NTSC box set used. I originally placed my order with Amazon (USA) as I was able to reserve my copy for $129 before it got raised up to $300 or so. I'm still waiting as the date has been pushed back twice now. I've kept that order active, while also ordering from Elusive Disc since they are now offering the second run of this box due the first week of June.

From what I've read, many people have had positive experiences ordering the SACD/NTSC box set from HMV in Japan, and the official Genesis store even offered it for a short time. I'm just trying to make plans for the next two boxes since I can't count on a domestic purchase for SACD.

Thanks Rhino for making this much more difficult than it should be for those in North America who want the SACD with NTSC copies. It's bad enough releasing it later than the rest of the world, but releasing a crippled (non-SACD) disc version?

Genesis is my favorite band, and although I've fondled the individual import SACD/NTSC discs in a store, I figure since I've waited over THREE YEARS since it was confirmed 5.1 mixes were on the way, what's another month or two for the proper box set to appear?

Cheers!
Marty

[Tim McDonnell]

Can't wait to hear these Genesis 5.1 mixes!!!

But what a clusterf%$k of a worldwide release campaign. Atlantic Records is useless for information and now we're hearing that Rhino will follow the import releases (due 4/2/07) in a few weeks with a lesser CD/DVD-V package for US fans with a DTS 5.1 (decent but not high resolution) mix at best?

Contrast this to the Virgin imports that are SACDs offering 5.1 high resolution sound that fans like myself have been waiting several years for. Now throw in the fact that the SACDs are bundled with either PAL or NTSC DVDs, depending on which country you order from and which version they're carrying. We need NTSC for US / CDN regions and SACD is best, so we'll likely opt for the imports.

Wait, there's more; box sets and packages are being offered. Do you want the 5 album pkg? That's 5 SACDs/PAL DVDs. Or do you want the collector's box? That's the same as the previous plus a bonus SACD / DVD set that collects the B-sides in 5.1. But that box costs $120 more? We can't even keep straight what's on the bonus discs...

Brilliant this is, just brilliant. But the stateside label lack of support for TRUE high resolution 5.1 surround is the damndest thing. Just 3 months ago we were priveldged to part with cash and have the real thing with The Doors - Perception box (6 CDs/DVD-As) and OMG The Beatles - Love in true hi-res 5.1 surround?!?

If these releases had appeared earlier (Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was promised for 2004 release) I believe there would've be no though by Atlantic of hedging their bets with one of their top selling artists with a timid CD/DVD=V configuration.

Trust me, I have to have some of these and will pay to import them. I'm not alone in this passion, and if the US pkg is released in the watered down configuration as it is purported to be, sales will be mediocre at best.

And deservedly so.

They've had 3+ years of planning to get this campaign right. Just Google 'Genesis SACD' and look at all the fans blogging continuously to sort out this confusion as to contents, video formats and pricing. Individual album 2 disc packages have been spotted from $20 - $60 each!