hairy_hen said:

Since the 70mm mix featured surround sound, a 5.1 track would probably be the best way to release this, but certainly stereo or 2.1 versions can be made available if desired, as well.

I appreciate your encouragement! It's definitely closing in on completion . . .

That is great! Thanks for answering my questions, I don't notice that added water noise in the '93 version either.

One thing I've been wondering lately is wich of the theatrical mixes was done first, 70mm six-track stereo or the 35mm Dolby stereo?

From the book "The Making Of Star Wars":

The first mix sent out with the film, at the last possible second, was the six-track Dolby stereo version, but the first mix also had the most errors. Next up was the two-track stereo, wich was derived from the six-track, yet there was still no time at that stage to make any changes. "I asked Steve Katz to do something," Burtt says, "but they were all too afraid to mess with it, 'cause the deadline was so close-the whole system with the Dolby was kind of an experiment, and they didn't want me to tamper with it."

From the '04 SE DVD audio commentary Ben Burtt says:

...the first mix done was a two-channel stereo Dolby mix wich hadn't been done before, it was a new process. That mix was done first because we were actually making prints and testing them out, and getting theaters to tune up their equipments required that mix was done first. After that was done, then a six-track stereo mix was done for the 70mm release of the film and of course going back and mixing the film a second time, one make changes, you take things a little further you've learned from the first mix of the movie and you now go and make all your changes in the next mix wich was the six-track...

This info really confuses me, I always thought the 35mm Dolby mix was done first but the 70mm prints with the six-track was sent out and heard by the public first. Can someone please explain this?