Mark Knopfler – One Deep River – First single – Ahead Of The Game : comparison between Hi-Rez 24-192 and Dolby Atmos

[Jean.Francois]

Hello,
Mark Knopfler will release his tenth solo studio album “One Deep River” on April 12, 2024, this new album will contain 12 songs, of which the first single “Ahead Of The Game” is already available.

After testing the first single from Norah Jones' "Visions" album a week ago, I was afraid of finding the same results, but fortunately not.
No use of a Dynamics limiter reduced to DR5. Mark Knopfler's first single "Ahead Of The Game" has a DR10 Dynamic Range, as the waveform below confirms.

In terms of bandwidth (see spectrum below), we can see that the highest frequencies rise to over 80 kHz, with the presence of a few peaks (red arrows) making full use of the 192 kHz sampling frequency.

The Dolby Atmos version focuses mainly on expanding the sound space, with intensive use of the wide (in 9.1.6) and side speakers. The result is a spatialization that immerses us in the music without seeking spectacular effects, but with a rather natural rendering.

This first single features a high-quality high-resolution and Dolby Atmos version.
The album will be available on a variety of formats, including CD vinyl record and Blu-ray (limited Edition), in single and deluxe editions, as well as in a special limited-edition boxed set with bonus tracks.

We hope it will be at least as good as this first single.

You can listen to the samples and find all the measurements (DR, waveform, spectrum...) here.

Enjoy Listening,
Jean-François

 

[diddley]

Atmos sample sounds amazing, even in the downmix 2.0

 

[Beershaun]

Thank you for posting your analysis. I love your home site! Lots of people here interested in your work.

 

[Jean.Francois]

Thank you for posting your analysis. I love your home site! Lots of people here interested in your work.

Thanks a lot

 

[GD Fan]

FYI, Guy Fletcher (producer and bandmate) finally posted the fourth installment of his diary about the making of this album. It is full of information, technical tidbits (even mentions a blind test they ran), and lots of photos.

As a huge Knopfler fan I highly recommend giving it a read.

2024 Studio Diary 4

Studio Diary - 2024 Looking back at the making of the One Deep River album, the swift passage of time is all too apparent. So much has happened since December

www.guyfletcher.co.uk

 

[Jean.Francois]

FYI, Guy Fletcher (producer and bandmate) finally posted the fourth installment of his diary about the making of this album. It is full of information, technical tidbits (even mentions a blind test they ran), and lots of photos.

As a huge Knopfler fan I highly recommend giving it a read.

2024 Studio Diary 4

Studio Diary - 2024 Looking back at the making of the One Deep River album, the swift passage of time is all too apparent. So much has happened since December

www.guyfletcher.co.uk

Thanks for the link, it's very interesting

 

[Robocop]

Have to say this new single is just more of the same going back to Privateering which was great. Mark needs to hang up his guitar. He’s had his day. Shame he won’t release any concerts since with Emmylou Harris some years back. He refuses to release any live material. You tube second rate is all you can get. He never came to my country live!!!!

 

[GD Fan]

Have to say this new single is just more of the same going back to Privateering which was great. Mark needs to hang up his guitar. He’s had his day. Shame he won’t release any concerts since with Emmylou Harris some years back. He refuses to release any live material. You tube second rate is all you can get. He never came to my country live!!!!

Not sure why he would need to hang it up, but in any event you may (or may not?) be glad to know that at least the past couple tours have seen all shows released for sale / download on his website.

 

[Robocop]

Mark has not released any live videos of his concerts since All the Roadrunning tour 2006. I emailed him after the Tracker tour and was told Mark has no plans to release any live videos. All you can watch is hand held mobile phone recordings on You Tube although pictures ok some in 4k, the audio is rubbish. Believe me I love his work since leaving Dire Straits.

 

[ShadowBoxer]

Mark has not released any live videos of his concerts since All the Roadrunning tour 2006.

What am I missing here?

https://shop.markknopfler.com/product-category/live-concerts/

 

[DWPress]

I've been working on a studio project and Knophler's discography has been in rotation in the background for weeks so looking forward to the new album tomorrow.

Love everything he does from Dire Straits to his soundtrack work - some of those signature guitar licks in the most unlikely songs take you right back to Princess Bride lol.

 

[Robocop]

"Shadow Boxer" these are all audio tracks only, no actual video(pictures).

I do have some downloaded live concert audio but not the same. Mark has no intention of releasing any official video footage of live concerts.

His latest album although great quality is just more of the same since Privateering.

 

[restorer-john]

In terms of bandwidth (see spectrum below), we can see that the highest frequencies rise to over 80 kHz, with the presence of a few peaks (red arrows) making full use of the 192 kHz sampling frequency.

Those peaks are something other than "making full use..." I'd be filtering that garbage out- it's not musical content.

 

[keenly]

I think the atmos is very poor. Big disappointment. Rears not used at all and not much discrete overhead. A bit bright too.

 

[DWPress]

After listening to it a few times today I'm disappointed no one song really stands out BUT it is still a fine album. I'll keep it in rotation for a bit and see if any of the lyrics start taking hold in my brain.

 

[PatentLawyer]

I quite like One Deep River. Makes me think of my late father.

 

[himey]

A bit bright too.

No way. Sounds great. Mix could certainly be more active, but I dig the dynamics.

 

[GD Fan]

After listening to it a few times today I'm disappointed no one song really stands out BUT it is still a fine album. I'll keep it in rotation for a bit and see if any of the lyrics start taking hold in my brain.

Try giving Tunnel 13 a few listens. It definitely rekindles thoughts of classic Knopfler.

 

[Robin L]

My wife is crazy for Mark Knopfler's music, bought One Deep River as soon as it was announced. We've got an I Pod plus a cd player in the SUV, transferred the CD to the I Pod as soon as we got it, Gail slipped the CD into the car's player. Naturally I've heard all of Knopfler's commercial output. The earliest Dire Straits performances have very ragged vocals, as he gets older the vocal performances get closer to Perry Como/Eddie Arnold territory. This his sleepiest outing yet and if he retires altogether soon, I wouldn't be surprised. Liked the previous outing - Dow the Road Whatever - a lot more, with stronger songs and more animation overall.

 

[Tell]

That so called hi-res version doesn't sound as good as the Atmos one imo. Both because of that lifted upper bass / lower mids that makes it sound muddy, but also of course for that extra dynamic range that all Atmos releases have. I really hope that people will figure out that Atmos sounds so much better almost all because of that dynamic range and then start releasing the same downmixed 2.0 master to all platforms everywhere and finally ending that stupid loudness war.