Stereophile Magazine said: “From the first note it is apparent that this is an extraordinary recording”. “Crossing” is a recording for anyone looking to rediscover the folk tradition in a contemporary expressive format. It has the songs and the musicians performing that are capable of recreating what many consider to be a lost or at least an endangered art.
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“Crossing” continues to blaze the 5.1 Surround Sound HD trail (Elias began in 2003 with award-winning ‘The Window’) and at the same time addressing the folk tradition idiom by working with legendary musicians in live studio recording sessions.
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“Crossing” explores the depth to which highly articulate lyrics and accompaniments can be captured and recreated for the listener in both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. It features a top-notch backing band recorded live in the studio at Slipperworld in La Honda, California. Discover what it sounds like to be surrounded by some of the finest bluegrass and folk musicians. This album was recorded for surround-sound with the listener sitting in middle facing the singer and the band wrapping around both sides. It was indeed a circle of musicians in the studio…
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“Crossing” joined the top list of picks (finalists) by High Fidelity Review writers and listeners for the 2005 Surround Music Awards in 3 different categories: “Listener’s Choice”, “Best Made-For-Surround Title”, and “Best Non-Orchestral Mix”. It is also one of the very first Pure DSD recordings (recorded/mixed/mastered in DSD) out there!
Most of these songs were recorded as live takes with no overdubs. Exceptions to that approach are tracks 4, 9 and 12 which introduced the electric instruments as overdubs. This album was recorded directly to DSD and captured the natural ambient characteristics of the band and the room with the intention of mixing for both stereo and 5.1 surround sound. With that in mind, we used a minimalist approach to microphones and seated the musicians in a circle.
This recording is dedicated to my mom and dad who brought me here and helped teach me to be creative.
— David Elias
Musicians
Chris Kee, David Elias, David Phillips, Eric Thorin, John Havard, John Magnie, Marc Dalio, Matt Flinner, Peter Tucker, Sally Van Meter
David Elias – Acoustic Guitar, Vocal, Harmonica
Matt Flinner – Bouzouki, Mandolin
John Magnie – Keyboards
Eric Thorin – Upright Bass
Marc Dalio – Percussion, Drums
Chris Kee – Upright Bass
Sally Van Meter – Weissenborn Guitar, Dobro Guitar
John Havard – Electric Guitar
David Phillips – Pedal Steel Guitar
Peter Tucker – Drums
Tracklist
Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.Total time: 00:50:24
Additional information
Label | |
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SKU | SSP1661D64 |
Qualities | DSD 512 fs, DSD 256 fs, DSD 128 fs, DSD 64 fs, FLAC 192 kHz, FLAC 96 kHz |
Channels | 2ch Stereo, 5 Channel Surround Sound, 2ch Stereo & 5ch Surround |
Artists | |
Composers | |
Genres | |
Cables | Meitner |
Digital Converters | EMM Labs |
Mastering Engineer | Gus Skinas, Tom Caulfield (DSD 128, DSD 256, DSD 512) |
Mastering Equipment | Sony SSM9ED |
Notes | The DSD 128, DSD 256, and DSD 512 editions of Crossing were created by NativeDSD Mastering Engineeer Tom Caulfield using the Signalyst "EC" 5th Order DSD modulators. The new DSD higher bit rate editions of the album facilitate the listener’s Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) operation utilizing gentler, less phase distorting reconstruction filters and algorithms in the Digital to Analog process. The result is music with far improved phase response, a sound that is less aggressive, more spacious and airy, and less “digital”. |
Awards | |
Instruments | Bouzouki, Dobro guitar, Electric guitar, Harmonica, Keyboard, Mandolin, Pedal steel guitar, Weissenborn guitar, Double bass, Drums, Guitar, Percussion, Vocal |
Original Recording Format | |
Producer | David Elias |
Recording Engineer | Charlie Natzke |
Recording Location | Slipperworld Studios, La Honda, CA |
Recording Software | Sony Sonoma Mixer card (DSD) |
Recording Type & Bit Rate | DSD |
Release Date | January 10, 2014 |
Press reviews
DJ in Australia 2Max FM 91.3
“The more I Listen to the CROSSING the more I’m impressed with it, just fabulous, I’m doing a fill in this afternoon for 3 hours of Country Rock and Bluegrass and will be featuring “CROSSING”
QuadraphonicQuad Forums
“The [Crossing] SACD is brilliantly recorded, the music reminds me a bit of the Transatlantic Sessions (a brilliant BBC series), Folk/Americana, lovely album, the mix makes you feel like you’re sitting in amongst the band, with them in a circle around you.”
High Fidelity Review
When describing the sound of Elias’ previous Super Audio CD release The Window, I described it as “a reference quality recording”. Crossing is clearly in the same category and some might even say it sounds a bit better. Listening to Crossing on a quality Super Audio CD Surround Sound system is a true pleasure. As with his previous Super Audio CD, Crossing features a mix of soft singing that some have referred to as almost a lullaby style and other tunes that have a more upbeat tempo.
High Fidelity Review
“Listening to Crossing in SACD Surround Sound”
When describing the sound of Elias’ previous Super Audio CD release The Window, I described it as “a reference quality recording”. Crossing is clearly in the same category and some might even say it sounds a bit better.
Listening to Crossing on a quality Super Audio CD Surround Sound system is a true pleasure. As with his previous Super Audio CD, Crossing features a mix of soft singing that some have referred to as almost a lullaby style and other tunes that have a more upbeat tempo.
Elias vocals are mixed to the Center Channel speaker and are presented so clearly that it seems that Elias and his band are literally in the room singing to you. The 5.1 Surround Sound mix places the bass and acoustic guitar in the front channels with the dobro and mandolin appearing in the Left Surround and Right Surround channels, providing nice accents to the performances.
Some of the album highlights include Morning Light/Western Town (track 4) which features a dramatic intro in the front channels before the song begins to unfold, The Riddle Song (track 10) which adds an accordian in the Left Surround channel and If I Had My Way (track 12) which features a pedal steel guitar in the Left Surround Channel. In every case, the recording captures the acoustics of the live performance and the direct to DSD approach to the project offers amazing detail, clarity and sonics. If you want to hear an album that really shows what the Super Audio CD format is all about, Crossing is clearly in that category. As with Elias’ prior SACD release, I can quite confidently predict this will be another “must have” disc for Super Audio CD fans.
SA-CD.net
“Reviews by their nature often say less about the artist and his/her works than about the reviewer themselves. I would simply like to say that I found David’s latest cd ” The Window” lived up to the many praises I have heard about it. I thought the recording was very “lifelike ie. I could imagine with my eyes closed while listening to this cd that I was in fact in the room with these talented musicians while the music was being played.This is I think in large part is due to the DSD recording but also due to the arrangements and the use of acoustic instruments more than electric instruments. I also found that David’s lyrics to be thought provoking and very accessible/universal. This is an album that I am highly recommending to those who enjoy listening to music that has a down to earth, honest approach, and that celebrates the human condition. ie. love,sadness,hope,joy. rather than much of today’s contemporary music that seems to focus so much negativity ie. money,crime,politics,religion, or just singing about cars/sex/partys etc. etc. etc. “
Starke Sound (Stereo & Multichannel DSD 128 edition)
“The remaster to DSD 128 sports more accurate start/stop, attack/decay. The result is fuller reproduction of the music-excited space. Here the imaging is completely spherical, utterly free of any blur, alive as in real life.”
“I consistently prefer the DSD 128 files [over original DSD64], mainly due to your vocals presentation (more defined, less “congested” with a better rendering of the studio space around you) but also because the bass lines are clearer and more integrated as elements of the band’s performance. Also, the overall sound staging is slightly broader and a bit more alive, delicate, ‘airy’.”
“Gooseflesh! Morning Light/Western Town 128 thru Sony’s DSD HAP Music Server. Freakin’ astounding. All testing ceased as I cranked the volume and just reveled in the repro, depth, 3-dimensionality, inspired playing, singing, grooving. John [Havard’s Fender Broadcaster solo] is there out front, 3 feet forward of the right speaker. I could reach and touch him. Sheer emotion.”
Here is Desmond Fretz’s assessment of “Crossing” in DSD 128 Multichannel:
“Results are monumental! I am right now enjoying the best reproduction so far on my main system.
Last week I added additional room treatment to stunning effect so that’s in “play” but the presentation is eerily, frighteningly alive. Your Mch mix is so technically masterful that the illusion all us crazy audiophiles so ardently seek is in full, resplendent bloom. Your voice especially is being rendered in the “cocoon” of the studio space utterly detached from speakers and gear. We are there, immersed in music & sound, devoid of artifice.
I could try playing the SACD for comparison but I don’t even want to today, only to revel in what’s happening right now. This is a whole ‘nother order of music enjoyment. That solid but elusive quality of release that I obsessively pursue is overflowing.”
NativeDSD Listener
Mind Mending
“David is a bona fide folk music talent in the tradition of popular 70’s artists like Gordon Lightfoot and JimCroce. This track [Mend My Mind] is so damn pleasant to hear and I wish I heard more music like this at OMD’s. The vocals and guitar work are effortless and beautiful and the production is as clean as it gets. The mandolin work on this tune also adds tremendous color and fills in without being overbearing. This is great work by an artist who deserves your attention.”
NativeDSD Listener
“Doesn’t get any better than this. Euphoric! David has hit on all cylinders with this one. May as well be as inviting him and his wonderful band into your living room. Every aspect from composition,personel and end results in the mastering process are as good as these 55 year old ears have heard. I can’t wait til the next one.” –
NativeDSD Listener
Doesn’t get any better than this. Euphoric!
“David has hit on all cylinders with this one. May as well be as inviting him and his wonderful band into your living room. Every aspect from composition,personel and end results in the mastering process are as good as these 55 year old ears have heard. I can’t wait til the next one.” –
NativeDSD Listener
What I Need To Hear
“I just wanted you to know that i have been listening to these songs on a regular basis. And it is just absolutely beautiful and moving. The perfect instrumentation for every song just totally gets me. Your voice is lifted to amazing height with this music. And i’m glad because everything you say is what I need to hear. Anyone who hasn’t heard this is really missing out. Thank you thank you thank you.” – Will
Stereophile
“From the first note, it’s apparent that this is an extraordinary recording…This is intelligent and melodic pop folk-rock, and Elias’s singing is honest and tuneful.” –
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