[Request] Aliens (1986) - 1987 LD Digital PCM

[izzybell]

Since I did a bunch of syncs for Alien, I wanted to do some syncs for the sequel Aliens. So far I have synced the THX PCM and 35mm Optical tracks to the Blu-Ray but If I'm honest I'm not too happy with either tracks. The THX track sounds ok but it is way too loud (so much so I turned it down by 3db since it was very close to clipping) and the Optical sounds fine but the pops and missing sections at the start of reels had to be patched with the BD 4.1 pro-logic downmixed and that wasn't perfect either.

I have access to two Aliens LD caps, one being the THX and the other of the initial CBS FOX LD. Just like the CBS FOX release of the first film the audio on is off-balanced and improperly encoded, however they released a fixed version later the same year with digital audio and allegedly the balance problem is fixed (https://www.lddb.com/laserdisc/53533/). Since there's like a billion Aliens project that have been attempted here I'm curious to see if anyone has attempted to cap this disc and synced it. If anyone has a copy it I will sync it if isn't already.

[Turisu]

Even the 'fixed' LD has the channel balance screwed up for the entire final reel. The left channel is too low but it's not just an amplitude problem, it's terribly mixed so it's unfixable. The VHS is the same.

I agree about the THX LD sounding overcooked. It's the original 35mm Dolby Stereo mix (not a downmix of the 5.1) and seems to be from untouched OG stems, but the louds are just too damn loud.

The best available audio track on-balance is probably the BD 4.1. It's very likely the original 70mm Dolby Stereo 6-Track mix (fold it down to DPL and you basically have the 35mm optical track), has minimal NR compared to other tracks, and a dynamic range that gives it punch without being egregious.

[Turisu]

I just ran the THX LD 2.0 through a tube-modelled compressor to bring the peaks down to a level that sounds the same as the 35mm optical track while leaving the quieter parts untouched. It should sync to the BD with a delay but I haven't tested that.
https://mega.nz/file/sPoQgLRQ#aqD-gDdNt1...xusPu96ztw

[izzybell]

Even the 'fixed' LD has the channel balance screwed up for the entire final reel. The left channel is too low but it's not just an amplitude problem, it's terribly mixed so it's unfixable. The VHS is the same.

I agree about the THX LD sounding overcooked. It's the original 35mm Dolby Stereo mix (not a downmix of the 5.1) and seems to be from untouched OG stems, but the louds are just too damn loud.

The best available audio track on-balance is probably the BD 4.1. It's very likely the original 70mm Dolby Stereo 6-Track mix (fold it down to DPL and you basically have the 35mm optical track), has minimal NR compared to other tracks, and a dynamic range that gives it punch without being egregious.

Thanks for the info! I was actually curious about the THX PCM being the original mix as I couldn't find a definitive statement on this forum or any other forum for that matter. I assume the UHD Stereo track is just a downmix then?

[Turisu]

The UHD 2.0 was either a downmix of the Atmos or it was the same NR-ridden track that is on the BD. I don't recall which but I know I checked them out when it was first released and deleted them immediately.

[zoidberg]

The general consensus on this thread about Aliens was that the THX LD contained the 70mm 6-track mix on the AC-3 and the PCM 2.0 was a downmix of the AC-3. 70mm had more dynamic range than 35mm A-type Dolby and the Aliens 70mm was known to be a beast of a mix.

[Bigrob]

I have seen Aliens on 35mm and 70mm projected and can assure you, it's damn loud.

[Turisu]

The general consensus on this thread about Aliens was that the THX LD contained the 70mm 6-track mix on the AC-3 and the PCM 2.0 was a downmix of the AC-3. 70mm had more dynamic range than 35mm A-type Dolby and the Aliens 70mm was known to be a beast of a mix.

The THX 2.0 is not a downmix of the THX 5.1. The 5.1 actually has far less dynamic range than the 2.0, closer to the dynamics of the 35mm optical in fact. The BD 4.1 has a dynamic range somewhere in between the neutered THX 5.1 and the overblown THX 2.0, making it the better contender for the true 70mm mix IMHO.

Noise reduction is quite telling as well. The 35mm optical has Dolby A NR and the BD 4.1 seems to have a very similar NR profile. The THX LD tracks appear to have no NR at all, leading me to suspect that they've been remixed entirely from the original stems. That would make them recreations of the original mix without being specific to either the 35mm or 70mm.

[Turisu]

I have seen Aliens on 35mm and 70mm projected and can assure you, it's damn loud.

We have the 35mm audio and you're right, it's probably the most dynamic optical track I've ever seen. But it's nowhere near the ridiculous level of the THX LD 2.0. So my question for you would be, was the 70mm presentation significantly and noticeably louder than the 35mm?

[Bigrob]

From what i remember, the standout was the APC rescue scene, the audio was ear piercing it was that loud. This was from the 70mm showing.

Certainly left an impression on my buddy and I who saw it