Facts about Perspecta Stereophonic Sound (2 Viewers)

[Bob Furmanek]

Yes Robert. Check out the literature in my first post, that was a major selling point to exhibitors. The prints were mono compatible.

 

[Vern Dias]

The prints were mono compatible.

Only if the theater didn't have any appreciable bass response in their existing audio system. Of course the SMPTE standard Academy curve for optical sound systems didn't exactly place any kind of priority on wide frequency range. (The X-curve was the curve proposed at the introduction of Dolby Stereo)

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Pretty sure High and Low is Perspecta

The package says "Original 4-track surround sound."

Yojimbo and Sanjuro on Criterion Blu-ray say "optional 3.0 Perspecta sound"

 

[ManW_TheUncool]

Only if the theater didn't have any appreciable bass response in their existing audio system. Of course the SMPTE standard Academy curve for optical sound systems didn't exactly place any kind of priority on wide frequency range. (The X-curve was the curve proposed at the introduction of Dolby Stereo)

View attachment 86496

Those are some pretty serious rolloffs... even for the X-Curve (at the high frequency end)...

_Man_

 

[Joe Caps]

Scott Perry of mgm remixed high Society for stereo video. He also had to do the same for Deep in My Heart. Deep was stereo in theaters, but by the time of laserdisc, etc, the stereo mags had corroded and would not play.
Ten commandments was originally mono. AC lyles at paramount, did some digging through the records. He told me that rerecording was done after the film opened and when the film went off of roadshow, new stereo prints were made.

 

[RolandL]

I can't be certain but I believe CONTESSA was done using the Dolby card which does not accurately replicate the gain control which is a vital component of Perspecta's success.

I just based it on Matt Hough's review.

The disc offers three completely different sound mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio: a 5.1 mix (the default) that gets a bit of play in the surrounds with some of the constant rain effects, a 3.0 Perspecta sound mix (my favorite) that offers more obvious directionalized dialogue and directional effects, and a 2.0 mono mix which is the least interesting of the three.

 

[Joe Caps]

MGM films hve a perspecta credit, even on four channel mag prints. the perspecta cold be used if the theater stereo system failed.

 

[B-ROLL]

I just based it on Matt Hough's review.

The disc offers three completely different sound mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio: a 5.1 mix (the default) that gets a bit of play in the surrounds with some of the constant rain effects, a 3.0 Perspecta sound mix (my favorite) that offers more obvious directionalized dialogue and directional effects, and a 2.0 mono mix which is the least interesting of the three.

I just happened to have my group of Mankiewicz disks near me.

The second option on the "SET-UP" menu of the Twilight Time blu-ray of The Barefoot Contessa is "DTS HD-MASTER 3.0 (Perspecta)" .

 

[haineshisway]

The package says "Original 4-track surround sound."

Yojimbo and Sanjuro on Criterion Blu-ray say "optional 3.0 Perspecta sound"

I'd have to look again, but I'm pretty sure the main titles have the perspecta credit.

 

[B-ROLL]

I'd have to look again, but I'm pretty sure the main titles have the perspecta credit.

I don't read or speak Japanese but that's
what the English translation says

 

[Lord Dalek]

Both High and Low and Red Beard were originally in 4-track. Toho abandoned Perspecta in 1962 arround the release of King Kong vs. Godzilla.

The only Kurosawa films that were encoded are...

The Hidden Fortress
The Bad Sleep Well (strangely omitted from the Criterion DVD)
Yojimbo
Sanjuro

All are labled except Hidden Fortress. This is unsurprising as other early Toho Perspecta releases like Varan and The Mysterians aren't either.

 

[MarkantonyII]

Was the Seven Samurai Perspecta too? The last two criterion editions, dvd and then the blu ray both had a “stereo” soundtrack of sorts, i seem to remember for some reason the dvd had a discrete mix and the latter blu a stereo/surround 2 channel track.

Whatever the source material, it noticeably didn’t sound to be “true” stereo.

M

 

[Lord Dalek]

Was the Seven Samurai Perspecta too? The last two criterion editions, dvd and then the blu ray both had a “stereo” soundtrack of sorts, i seem to remember for some reason the dvd had a discrete mix and the latter blu a stereo/surround 2 channel track.

Whatever the source material, it noticeably didn’t sound to be “true” stereo.

M

Its a remix.

Per Criterion's own liner notes:

"The surround mix was created from the original optical track recordings, original stereo music masters, and original production sound effects masters. The original monaural soundtrack was mastered at 24-bit from an optical soundtrack print. Clicks, thumps, hiss, and hum were manually removed using Pro Tools HD. Crackle was attenuated using AudioCube's integrated audio workstation."

 

[roxy1927]

The bluray of Strategic Air Command says mono so the Perspecta soundtrack has been lost? And why wasn't The Court Jester a lavish musical starring a major performer in Perspecta?

 

[Bob Furmanek]

THE COURT JESTER was a Perspecta release.

None of the Paramount Perspecta tracks are lost.

 

[Stephen_J_H]

The bluray of Strategic Air Command says mono so the Perspecta soundtrack has been lost? And why wasn't The Court Jester a lavish musical starring a major performer in Perspecta?

THE COURT JESTER was a Perspecta release.

None of the Paramount Perspecta tracks are lost.

My guess is sheer laziness on the part of Paramount in failing to put the Perspecta track through a Perspecta processor, as the embedded control tones should be there; right, Bob?

 

[Lord Dalek]

Harder to lose optical mono (which Perspecta still is once you excavate all the showmanship bs) than it is vintage interlocked mag.

 

[RolandL]

THE COURT JESTER was a Perspecta release.

None of the Paramount Perspecta tracks are lost.

They probably didn't think more copies would be sold if they had the Perspecta 3.0 tracks. Similar to Kino Lorber with three 70mm Cinerama 6-track sound titles they released on Blu-ray. Custer of the West and Krakatoa East of Java have mono while Song of Norway is 5.1.

 

[MarkantonyII]

When a title is released by a 3rd party, such as KL, who release multiple titles from multiple sources every month, i get it when mistakes are made/corners are cut etc.

But when, as in this case, it’s there own title and it’s being “restored”/an archive quality master is being created - intended for use for a v long time, why not go the extra mile - i can’t imagine the cost is substantial, especial compared to dealing with a vintage VV picture element.

Given the proliferation of home cinema equipment and the marketeers could now say “for the first time on home video in Stereo” or words to that effect, it seems very odd...or someone just doesn’t care enough.

M

 

[roxy1927]

It seems crazy not to release these epics with stereo. Honestly Krakatoa? You know that people who buy these titles want to be shaken. They've lost my purchases.
I remember as a boy seeing Story of a Patriot when my family went to Williamsburg. I was wowed by the image and the sound. Movies in the early 70s didn't look and sound like that.