[nrenter]

ncdrawl, if you happen to be in the Dallas area, like it or not you're gonna by my new best friend. I like your taste in music and hobbies.

And to keep it on topic, Duke is a great guy. His room at last year's LSAF was *by far* the best.

[ncdrawl]

Would love to read of list of a half-dozen of your favorite blumlein recordings. 

that is easy, my friend.

First..

A meeting by the river-- Waterlily Acoustics(Kavi Alexander is a dear friend of mine)

Eric Bibb and Needed Time- Spirit and The Blues(Opus 3 Records)

Eric Bibb -Tiny Island (opus 3)

Bourbon and Rosewater- Waterlily Acoustics

MumtazMahal - Waterlily Acoustics

(actually anything on Waterlily or Opus 3 is amazing)

[jimdgoulding]

Hmmm, you've really got me thinking, ncdrawl!

Just the other day I heard my first pure Blumlein recording with a pair of Coles 4040s and I was mighty impressed. It was baritone and piano - the sort of thing I do, so I'm familiar with the sound of many recordings of this type. I've got to say this was one of the best of them - maybe the best.
Here it is, by an Australian engineer: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/3868720-post55.html
He also posted a guitar recording which is similarly impressive: http://www.gearslutz.com/board/3920562-post17.html

What I am hearing relates to what you are saying regarding flatness of response, i.e., it does sound flatter than the SF12 - at least the Royer SF12. This encourages me to actually take the trouble to compare my Royer SF12 to my Speiden SF12 that predates it and looks superficially identical, but is entirely different on the inside - different polepieces, ribbons, screens(?) and transformers (laminated vs toroidal).

As you say - "not too shy in any area, not too heavy" - is how the 4040 clips sound to me, and flat in this way doesn't sound boring, but beautiful.

Thanks for those tracks, Russell.  The guitar sounded especially right.  Pierre Sprey (Mapleshade) uses condenser mikes.  I think he likes the excitement he is able to capture with them.  Drum sound like nobody.  But the guitar sound on one of those two tracks you provided is sooo lovely.  Reminded me some of your work.  I have several Opus 3 and Bis recordings that are amazing, indeed. 

And speaking of Duke, he is a gracious human.  He went way out of his way to help people understand my small thing over at that dartboard known as Audio Asylum.  Thanks, again, D.  Best wishes.

[James Romeyn]

I don't care how repetitive it gets.  The longer one hangs w/ Duke the more one is pleasantly shocked at his generosity in time & joy in spirit.  Specifics will be omitted to protect the innocent.  Duke provided design help that may be unavailable from any other source.  He would flatly accept only a fraction of what I desired to pay for potentially priceless advice.  A rare bird indeed; the antithesis of the proverbial high-end audio scam artista.   

[Russell Dawkins]

I just re-listened to those baritone/piano and guitar tracks recorded on the Coles 4040 referenced in Jim G's post two up from here and must say on fresh listening that they both sound smooth and natural up to 8kHz, but on re-assessment they sound distinctly rolled-off in the higher frequencies.

If the guitar were live, I would expect to hear more pick sound than I am hearing, and the equivalent amount of top is missing on the baritone/piano recording. What is there is beautiful, though.

So, I withdraw my unqualified approval of these.

Even more off-topic, I am just in the process of re-mixing for re-release three of my older recordings most dear to my heart - all recorded with ribbons in un-corrupted Blumlein, one with the Speiden SF12 and two with the Royer SF12 which was based on the Speiden (which was, in turn, based on the B&O from the 50's. The two Royer ones are solo piano (Paul Cantelon) and the Speiden one is the 1994 recording of the 95 piece orchestra in Kiev. This time, they should have wider availability, and when they are actually released I will let the AC community know.

[jimdgoulding]

Russ-  If you were seated on row G, would you then think the highs are rolled?  They are certainly muted compared to what you could expect if the guitarist were recorded by minister Sprey and his condensor mikes.  So, what is missing to you?  Attack, low end, overtones?  And would you expect to hear all this from row G?   

Everybody and his momma should own a Mapleshade release titled Sound Roots by Andy McKee and NEXT.  This is NOT row G.  It's closest table to the stage and it ain't coy about it.  WIDE OPEN dynamics.  So you can appreciate what I am talking about set your volume control to "stun".  And wear a windbreaker!  Ok, I'm gettin a little excited.  I don't know how he manages this but in my room the horn players are freakin standing.

Many classical recordings are about recreating the hall perspective and ambience.  I respect that.  Mercury Living Presence always seems too dry to me yet the perspective is always good.  Could it be that their EQ is too high?  Lots of information, for sure, but do you see/hear what I am talking about?  I'm starting to ramble.  I think the ideal is that you are unaware of the microphones and EQ and such.  Out.  Thanks.

[Russell Dawkins]

Jim - I would expect to hear more highs if I were at the back of the theatre!

To me it sounds like the guitar is at a distance of about 15', but without a very specific location in space, which puzzles me as I know what crossed figure of eight ribbons are capable of. The baritone is perhaps 20'. I am basing my expectations on perceived distance as determined by the amount of "room" or reverb I am hearing mixed in.

[Rocket_Ronny]

ncdrawl:

You have my utmost respect regarding your previous speaker ownership and recording chain. For the Jazz Modules to hang with, let alone top, these speakers you listed is surely a high achievement.

Do you have a website for your recording company? Would love to check it out. 


Rocket_Ronny

[ncdrawl]

Jim - I would expect to hear more highs if I were at the back of the theatre!

To me it sounds like the guitar is at a distance of about 15', but without a very specific location in space, which puzzles me as I know what crossed figure of eight ribbons are capable of. The baritone is perhaps 20'. I am basing my expectations on perceived distance as determined by the amount of "room" or reverb I am hearing mixed in.

I dunno, sounds amazing to me.....liquidy, everything there in proportion..

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/guitarintro.wav

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/guitarintro_newstrings.wav

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/nsrcd004gearslutzclips/clip1.mp3

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/nsrcd004gearslutzclips/clip2.mp3

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/nsrcd004gearslutzclips/clip3.mp3

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/misc/nsrcd004gearslutzclips/clip4.mp3



The album is  available to purchase.

http://www.naturalstudio.co.uk/shop/

You'll see it at the bottom left under "Quick links".

http://www.matthewmcallister.com/behind-the-scenes-recital-sessions

those arent mine, btw..but beautiful , just the same!! LOVE THAT SOUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! the Jazz Modules have qualities like good ribbon mics..