Thread: Tacet stereo/MC

Posts: 7

Post by nickc January 5, 2005 (1 of 7)
Just a word for those of you who listen in stereo - I have a Tacet DVD-A of French String Quartets (Debussy, Ravel and Faure)which only has a MC layer, there is no stereo layer.
Tacet also are aggressive in their use of surrounds (a least on this disc and I also think on the Bach Brandenburgs that is being released on SACD).
They put instruments in all 5 speakers instead of instruments in the front and ambience in the rears. The sound on the disc that I have is 96/24 PCM but is smooth as silk.
I'm not sure if the SACDs will be the same, but perhaps it is something that could be investigated.
Cheers
Nick

Post by zeus January 5, 2005 (2 of 7)
nickc said:

Just a word for those of you who listen in stereo - I have a Tacet DVD-A of French String Quartets (Debussy, Ravel and Faure)which only has a MC layer, there is no stereo layer.

I believe all of the latest batch of eight Tacet SA-CDs include a stereo mix. Note that only Bach: Brandenburg Concertos - Stuttgart Chamber Orchester is "Real Surround Sound" ... the others I gather are "fake". Needless to say, I'm keen to get my hands on this (and Bach: Partitas - Florin Paul). The playing of the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester on Die Röhre, The Tube - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester was excellent.

Post by nickc January 6, 2005 (3 of 7)
zeus said:

I believe all of the latest batch of eight Tacet SA-CDs include a stereo mix. Note that only Bach: Brandenburg Concertos - Stuttgart Chamber Orchester is "Real Surround Sound" ... the others I gather are "fake". Needless to say, I'm keen to get my hands on this (and Bach: Partitas - Florin Paul). The playing of the Stuttgarter Kammerorchester on Die Röhre, The Tube - Stuttgarter Kammerorchester was excellent.

The Auryn Quartet who played so beautifully on my French String Quartets disc have also just completed a Beethoven cycle for Tacet. Fingers crossed that that will be released on SACD (I believe it will be released on DVD-A).
I'm a bit undecided on "Real Surround Sound". It really draws you in to the music (listening to the pizzicato strings in the scherzo of the Ravel quartet swirling aroung you is pretty amazing!)but it is not really "realistic" (whatever that means!). All things being said and done I probably just prefer performers up front and ambience from the rears.
Cheers
Nick

Post by mdt January 6, 2005 (4 of 7)
nickc said:

The Auryn Quartet who played so beautifully on my French String Quartets disc have also just completed a Beethoven cycle for Tacet. Fingers crossed that that will be released on SACD (I believe it will be released on DVD-A).
I'm a bit undecided on "Real Surround Sound". It really draws you in to the music (listening to the pizzicato strings in the scherzo of the Ravel quartet swirling aroung you is pretty amazing!)but it is not really "realistic" (whatever that means!). All things being said and done I probably just prefer performers up front and ambience from the rears.
Cheers
Nick

audite has a SA-CD series where the DSD layer contains the one to one transfer of the analogue master to DSD and the result of this DSD master being processed (eliminating noise, clicks, possibly equalizing to corect frequency responses of older mics etc).
Maybe something similar could be done in this case by including a concert like surround mix and the experimental "real surround".

Post by nickc January 6, 2005 (5 of 7)
mdt said:

audite has a SA-CD series where the DSD layer contains the one to one transfer of the analogue master to DSD and the result of this DSD master being processed (eliminating noise, clicks, possibly equalizing to corect frequency responses of older mics etc).
Maybe something similar could be done in this case by including a concert like surround mix and the experimental "real surround".

I think AIX includes both "stage" and "audience" mixes on their DVD-As.
With the string quartet disc Tacet has set it up as follows: 1st. violin front left, 2nd. violin front right, cello back right and viola back left. Theoretically this is totally "unnatural" (unless you are in the quartet itself!) but I have never heard each individual instrument's contribution so clearly as on this disc. Long suffering violists would be especially happy as you can clearly hear each note they play!
I don't know if playing time would allow two MC mixes and a stereo layer on one SACD.
Cheers
Nick

Post by hanser January 11, 2005 (6 of 7)
I have most of Tacets DVD-Audios and love them. As a violin player myself I like the feeling to be part of the group playing. And especially for larger chamber music the additional benifit is to hear so much more of every single instrument. I especially recommend the Schubert Octet, the Schubert Quintett and the Beethoven Septet. All great interpretations and superb sound, like the best SACDs.
The new SACDs (except the Brandenburg "real surround") are from older 16bit/44.1kHz CDs where artificial surround sound is added. It is done tastefully and sounds IMO better than the CD, but it is not a real HighREz recording.

Post by jmvilleneuve January 23, 2005 (7 of 7)
I am nuts about TACET recordings, I think there is something special with their multi-channel recording techniques....

check my website at http://www.geocities.com/jmserre/ I have reviewed 2 of their DVD-A, and I have their new Schubert Octet recording in order, review should be up soon.

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