An awful lot of people are listening to music recorded with high performance microphones.
Some gold or grammy winners might have used something more lesser.
Maybe.
18 Grammys for Best Engineering (more than any other engineer) and work on over 150 gold and platinum records, Al Schmitt.... uses on hat/cymbals a Schoeps or a B&K." Thats a lot of sales volume.
Very good Hi-Def/Hi Rez recordings DO exist out there via the internet.... more now than before. Not all, but if you strive for accuracy in music reproduction, it is worth the effort to find and listen to the best recordings also.
If you can break away from your CD's and LP's, you ought to try giving them a listening to.
THx-RNMarsh
Some gold or grammy winners might have used something more lesser.
Maybe. 18 Grammys for Best Engineering (more than any other engineer) and work on over 150 gold and platinum records, Al Schmitt.... uses on hat/cymbals a Schoeps or a B&K." Thats a lot of sales volume.
Very good Hi-Def/Hi Rez recordings DO exist out there via the internet.... more now than before. Not all, but if you strive for accuracy in music reproduction, it is worth the effort to find and listen to the best recordings also.
If you can break away from your CD's and LP's, you ought to try giving them a listening to.
THx-RNMarsh
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Whatever you say, I'll take Steve Albini. I think I'm alone now.
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John,
I am not sure if you previously posted the following article that discusses what you and others did on the Grateful Dead "The Wall of Sound". The article includes some discussion and differential connection/schematics for the B&K 4133's. The article is "Enhancement, An Artistic Tool" written by Don Davis and Ron Wickersham in the April 1976 issue of dB "The Sound Engineering Magazine" pages 24-31. https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Archive-DB-Magazine/70s/DB-1976-04.pdf
Ed
Holt’s Law — The better the recording, the worse the performance. [J. Gordon Holt, journalist & founder of Stereophile]
from:
Seneschal :: Information Annex :: Laws for Audio Engineers
I also remember one recording engineer commenting on classical "audiophile recordings" - "First rate recordings by second rate orchestras recorded in third rate venues" Or was it "in third world countries"?
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Steve Albini. Geeez. Well at least he lists in is Go To mic selection several very good condenser mics.
;-)THx-RNMarsh
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A few exceptions dont make a rule. besides bad recordings, there are bad musicians. So, what's new? Never the less, there are many labels out there which are great. I know, i have many.
Dont be lazy. Look yourself and you will find them.
-RNM
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Aco Pacific makes a 200 volt measurement microphone preamp that uses an XLR connector and 48 volt phantom power.
AcoPacific - Acotron(TM) Preamp specs
Another choice is shown at: https://www.pcb.com/sensors-for-test-measurement/acoustics/phantom-powered-preamplifier
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Here's a recording by Telarc, a semi-audiophile label at a time, which used B&K mics:
The Oscar Peterson Trio, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis & Ray Brown - The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live At The Blue Note (1990, CD) | Discogs
Although the performance is stellar and, I think, Peterson got a Grammy for it, the sound of that recording is a bit too bright for my taste. Take a listen for yourself if you can find a copy.
And, before some fool start blaming the technology for the sound, let me point out that the concert was recorded by state of the art A/D of that time, which was considered a real breakthrough in A/D design. (First delta-sigma for audio?) I think Scott's former colleague Bob Adams did it, while at dbx.
The same A/D used by other recordists but with different microphones sound completely different and more relaxed to me. Bob Katz's recordings in the early days of Chesky label come to mind.
The Oscar Peterson Trio, Oscar Peterson, Herb Ellis & Ray Brown - The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live At The Blue Note (1990, CD) | Discogs
Although the performance is stellar and, I think, Peterson got a Grammy for it, the sound of that recording is a bit too bright for my taste. Take a listen for yourself if you can find a copy.
And, before some fool start blaming the technology for the sound, let me point out that the concert was recorded by state of the art A/D of that time, which was considered a real breakthrough in A/D design. (First delta-sigma for audio?) I think Scott's former colleague Bob Adams did it, while at dbx.
The same A/D used by other recordists but with different microphones sound completely different and more relaxed to me. Bob Katz's recordings in the early days of Chesky label come to mind.
Attachments
also ... HD --https://www.hdtracks.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=oscar+peterson+trio
THx-RNMarsh
Bob is a good friend, his opinions on audiophile subjects would disappoint many here. I interviewed with Dave Blackmer during a bit of internal political turmoil in 1977, but things worked out.
Ed - Thanks for the link, very interesting read on what was previously only a hearsay legend in my memory. I was 19 at the time the article was published and never got to see the Dead perform with that masterpiece of a system.
John, can you comment on the demise of the legendary "wall of sound"? I thought I had read it was simply too expensive to haul around and contracting to use locally resident equipment was more economical. Did the necessity of skillful use regarding the far-field cancelling microphones have anything to do with it?
John, can you comment on the demise of the legendary "wall of sound"? I thought I had read it was simply too expensive to haul around and contracting to use locally resident equipment was more economical. Did the necessity of skillful use regarding the far-field cancelling microphones have anything to do with it?
Do we need an exception to the rule pee-pee contest? Please do a survey of pro recording engineers and show the results. Ancient RCA ribbons and Neumann large diaphragm mics are everywhere. Yes the ribbons don't use phantom power, not the point.