Sample the Future of Music Video and Set up Your Home-Theater Audio

Blu-ray has arrived, along with a whole new set of issues, including new audio formats. There have been some good demonstration discs out for Blu-ray Disc, notably Digital Video Essentials: HD Basics by Joe Kane, but though it covers audio, its main thrust is video quality. There seemed to be a need, then, for a Blu-ray that would provide basic test tones and the like for setting up the sound of home-theater systems. Enter AIX Records with its Audio Calibration Disc HD Music Sampler, an almost ideal solution to the audio setup gap.

The disc is the latest brainchild from Mark Waldrep, founder, CEO, and chief engineer of AIX Records. For years he’s been making advanced-resolution audio recordings, choosing the DVD-Audio format as a means of delivery. His entire catalog is composed of 24-bit/96kHz recordings. Waldrep has also been providing video with his releases, either on double-sided discs or on separate discs. A few years ago he started filming all of his video in high definition, and he wanted to marry advanced-resolution audio and high-definition video. He found, however, that though a DVD-Audio disc would carry the multichannel 24/96 tracks with ease, it wouldn’t accommodate an HD picture.

Let’s first look at the audio setup section, which you’ll find under "System Calibration" in the disc’s menu. There’s an intro, which shows Waldrep on the right side of the screen effectively explaining his passion for the best recorded sound and emphasizing his belief in multichannel recording. He then gives a brief overview of the setup tests that follow. While Waldrep is talking, the screen’s left half shows video examples of his discussion.

Next is a "System Setup Tutorial" in which Waldrep explains the various cables, outputs, and inputs to be used in setting up a multichannel sound system. The tutorial is easy to understand without being overly simplistic, making for an effective balance of ideas. After the tutorial we arrive at the actual tests:

• Channel Identification Tests (7.1/5.1/2.0)
• Speaker Balance Tests (7.1/5.1/2.0)
• Speaker Phase Test (7.1/5.1/2.0)
• Frequency Sweep Tests
• Subwoofer Sweep Test
• Subwoofer Crossover Test

Most of the tests offer a choice of sound formats, mainly Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD Master Audio, and LPCM. There might also be a choice between 24/96 and 24/48. The right side of the screen provides information about the test (though the type is a bit too small for my comfort), while the left side displays a blueprint to show which speaker is being tested. All of the tests do what they’re supposed to, though I found the phase tests less conclusive and more subjective than the others. I used a sound-pressure-level meter for the balance tests, and I found that tweaking my system made it sound better. The Subwoofer Crossover Test was also helpful in determining where to set my crossover and subwoofer phase control. Since you’ll probably want to use these tests again without watching the whole disc, it’s helpful that the menus are simple and straightforward. You can easily and quickly find any test you need.

After you’ve set up your system and balanced everything correctly, you’ll be ready to sample the seven musical numbers, all taken from the AIX catalog, and all in 24/96 sound and HD video. A highlight for me was John Gorka singing his "Mercy of the Wheels" with acoustic instrumentation and two of the most subtle backing singers I’ve ever heard. Given the pure, clean sound and the high-resolution visuals, it’s a very intimate experience. Sure, there are concerts out there using HD video and advanced-resolution tracks, but most of them are 24/48 max and meant to be loud. This was something different, a truly lifelike studio recording that you could also see.

For something even more intimate, AIX has included a solo guitar track by Carl Verhoven called "Henry’s Farm." And for something a little more boisterous, the disc includes "Luxury Liner," with Albert Lee and a rockabilly band. There are also selections by Lisbeth Scott, Destani Wolf, and even a Shostakovich piano quintet with Chamber Music Palisades. Many video discs are eye opening, but this one was ear opening as well. It made me realize how often we accept music videos that contain noise rather than music. You won’t find a trace of that here. What you’ll find is music, pure and simple, and that’s the way it should be.

Mark Waldrep promises complete Blu-ray albums soon. There will be new albums and select ones from the current AIX catalog. In the meantime you can use this sampler to get your system ready, clear your ears of all the garbage that might previously have been associated with "video disc," and get ready for the next chapter. If this is the future of music video, I say bring it on -- the sooner the better!

. . . Rad Bennett
radb@hometheatersound.com

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