Surroundablog

Foo Fighters mix it up on double set

Editor's note: The Fighters of Foo are releasiong their latest album in a week and a half as a limited edition DualDisc mixed in 5.1. Their last album, "One By One", was also available as a multi-fun DVD-A disc...

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Try as he might, Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl just can't write a song without a strong melody.

"That's the bain of my existence," he says with a laugh. "I'd love to write Motorhead and Slayer songs all day long. I love writing riffs and coming up with heavy patterns, but at the end of the day, I'm a sucker for a sweet melody, whether it's the Beach Boys or ABBA. It's like picking a lock -- when you hear it click, you know you've stumbled onto the right melody."

Melodies abound on "In Your Honor," a two-disc set coming from the Foos June 14 on RCA in the United States and one day earlier in the rest of the world.

The first disc is a straight-ahead rock album, while the second features 10 acoustic songs.

"I look at this record as kind of the end of one chapter and the beginning of something new," Grohl says. "The last 10 years have all been about working up to this point. With the rock record, we finally got the aggressive, anthemic thing down. With the acoustic album, it offers some kind of look into the future of things we're capable of doing and the direction we could move if we wanted to."

DualDisc Getting Industry-Wide Push

by Larry Jaffee

The DualDisc, the double-sided disc with an audio side playable in CD players and video on the other for DVD players, is getting the kind of industry-wide support that eluded DVD-Audio and Super Audio CD.

Riding the strength of several high-profile releases this spring, including Bruce Springsteen's Devils and Dust,the solo debut from Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas and the Dave Matthews Band's Stand Up, the format is visible at retail.

Stand Up topped the album charts the week of May 17 with sales of 464,559 units, but a CD version of the album with SunnComm's MediaMax technology was simultaneously released.

On May 2, the Recording Industry Association of America announced a newly created program through which any record label can obtain a license for use of the logo for DualDisc.

The RIAA program was created to ensure consistent quality and avoid consumer confusion. Use of the DualDisc logo is available to any record label, independent or major, U.S. or international-based, for a nominal fee. Trial licenses are available for those labels that desire to explore market interest in DualDiscs for their artists.

RIAA spokeswoman Jenni Engebretsen said the organization's support for the format doesn't go further than licensing the logo, which it trademarked; it hasn't filed patents claiming right to its underlying technology, for example.

In mid-April, replicator Sony DADC Americas announced it has ramped up its DualDisc production to 100,000 discs per day. Sony DADC now offers DualDisc capacities in both the U.S. and Europe.

Also capable of replicating the DualDisc are Cinram and Sonopress; the latter recently quadrupled its DualDisc capacity and by the fall will be able to replicate daily 150,000 units, said Andrew DaPuzzo, Sonopress director of sales audio. Sonopress last month co-sponsored three days of seminars on the format for record labels in New York at mastering facility Sterling Sound. That company's DVD production unit, recently rechristened Giant Interactive (see story, page 46), is working on DualDiscs for the Talking Heads' entire back catalog, noted Giant principal David Anthony.

Doors 5 point 1 baby....1 point 5...no one here gets "Absolutely Live"..

Editor's notes in italics...All quotes from Jeff Jampol of The Doors Managment....Surroundablog recently dialled up the Doors official website to dig up any and all nuggets regarding the reissue of the Doors library in 5.1. First off, it would appear that the mixes are completed and will enter the next phase soon..

"I also want to hear Bruce's (Botnick...original Engineer) remixing/remastering of the proposed BMA (Bright Midnight Archives) stuff at the same time as I hear the last two 5.1 remixes, so we will probably get together as soon as that's done, which will be as soon as Bruce has a block of time cleared - I'd say 4-8 weeks' time."

And

"We are done with the 5.1 remixing, and I will listen to the last two albums, just completed by Bruce, in two weeks' time. After that, authoring, and we are done;"

It sounds like they are keeping to the "less is more" approach similar to the DVD-Audio version of "LA Woman"..

Abraxas mastering by Frangioni

Editor's note: Much ado has been made of how terrible the transfer is of Santana's "Abraxas" to multi-channel. Who's responsible.....David Frangioni.What's he doing now? Apparently; he's running a string of installation outfits outfitting the stars and super rich with home theaters and home studios. I wonder if he uses his own copy of "Abraxas" to calibrate his installations....lol...?! Taken from www.audio-one.com "Founded by David Frangioni in 1985, Audio One has earned a reputation as the most innovative team of professionals in the audio & video industry. David Frangioni co-produced/engineered the first 5.1 digital surround sound music mixes ever on CD for DTS in 1995. He also co-produced two of the best selling Sample CD's of all-time (Dance/Industrial I & II) released in 1991 & 1994, respectively. David released his 3rd Sample CD, "Steve Smith - Rhythmic Journey" in 1999 and his fourth and latest Sample CD, "More than Styx" in December, 2002. Recipient of over 65 Gold and Platinum albums as technical consultant, engineer, and/or programmer since 1987. Featured many times in over 55 different magazines worldwide since 1988. 17+ years of experience & knowledge. Trust the professionals. Trust Audio One. David Frangioni co-produced/engineered the first 5.1 digital surround sound music mixes ever on CD featuring Boyz-II-Men, Seal, & Shoeless Joe (for DTS) in 1995. From there, he went onto mix over 50 DVD titles into 5.1 surround sound. David has mixed such legendary DVD releases as "Amnesty International: The Paris Concert," "Kiss; The Second Coming," and "MTV Superstars Unplugged." His mixes have received stellar reviews from the audiophile and videophile press. Utilizing the latest in surround sound technology, Audio One studios features the all state-of-the-art equipment for producing impeccable, well-balanced, surround sound mixes. In fact, David Frangioni has patented a unique technique for creating 6 channel surround mixes from 2 channel sources enabling literally ANY stereo soundtrack to be released onto DVD with a 6 channel mix! If you're serious about the sound of your surround sound project, call the experts, call Audio One." Hey Frangioni...how about giving me my money back for that lousy excuse for a "well-balanced impeccable" mix... Others agree...