Atmasphere, VMPS and live music at January CES!!

Brian Cheney · « **on:** 22 Aug 2009, 05:56 pm »

It is my great pleasure to announce that our company has partnered with Ralph Karsten's fabulous Atmasphere OTL tube electronics for another live-vs-recorded festival of music and sound at THE SHOW, Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas, Jan 7-10.

Those with good memories will recall our debuting the V60 speaker in Jan 2006 at the St Tropez with the Atmasphere MA2 220W OTL monoblocks. The sound in our small room was, I thought then, the best I had ever heard with redbook CD as a source. This upcoming CES will feature the Mk III version of the MA-2, the MK III version of the 18 tube, two piece MP 1
Atmasphere preamp, and some extra goodies to be announced. Our source will be vinyl, CD, and live music. I doubt anyone on this board, or elsewhere in audiophiliadom, will ever experience better reproduced sound.

Best of all, we have obtained the largest and finest demo room at CES: the 28x62x9ft Lake Mead I and II, strategically located at the top of the escalator just to the right of THE SHOW's registration desk. You can't miss it. There will be live and recorded playback nonstop all four days, with at least 30 seats available, so come by any time if you're in town.

This time we are bringing our own 24/96 and DSD recording equipment with tube condenser mics, and will employ two to five channels depending on number of performers. CD's of the event will be burned and made available to showgoers on the spot. There will be plenty of audience participation, not just the passive listening common to hifi shows. And yes, yours truly will both host and perform with a wide variety of professional and amateur musicians.

While one might doubt the fiscal wisdom of such considerable outlay in today's economy, I simply can't resist. At the Alexis Park this year I learned how to do a convincing live-vs-recorded demonstration and this time will be even better. This thread will be onging right up to showtime, and comments and suggestions from AC'ers are welcome.

I will be posting more details as they become available.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #1 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 04:50 am »

WOW! Put me down as a volunter if you need setup help again this year. aa

Paul

Housteau · « **Reply #2 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 11:13 am »

Here is a map showing Lake Mead I & II:

http://www.harrahs.com/images/non-image-assets/flv/LVM_flamingo_meetingfacilities_02_2008.pdf

Housteau · « **Reply #3 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 02:13 pm »

Will you still be using Ampzilla's for the mid-bass on the v60s?

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #4 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 04:29 pm »

Ampzilla is not participating in our exhibit this year. I have yet to decide on the midbass amp, perhaps a pair of MA1.

zybar · « **Reply #5 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 05:00 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 23 Aug 2009, 04:29 pm

Ampzilla is not participating in our exhibit this year. I have yet to decide on the midbass amp, perhaps a pair of MA1.

I think that would be an excellent choice Brian.

I own MA-1 MK III amps and they are outstanding all-around amps and do a great job on the mid and upper bass. Frankly, I haven't owned a better amp than the MA-1's - period!

BTW, I think you will have version MK III.1 amps...Ralph just released the .1 versions.

George

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #6 on:** 23 Aug 2009, 11:22 pm »

Paul:
With no Kimber crew to help us set up your offer to volunteer is most appreciated and accepted.

George:
Ralph is making up a show special pair of monoblocks so we should be getting the latest. I am amazed at the utterly natural, true-to-life sound he gets from every design. There are no finer electronics on the market regardless of price IMHO.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #7 on:** 25 Aug 2009, 03:06 am »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 23 Aug 2009, 11:22 pm

Paul:
With no Kimber crew to help us set up your offer to volunteer is most appreciated and accepted.

I"ll be there and will also bring along Matt (Griffith). Although I can't speak for Dave (Housteau) I am sure he also would be happy to help again if his job permits.

Paul

Housteau · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Aug 2009, 05:31 am »

Quote from: PLMONROE on 25 Aug 2009, 03:06 am

Although I can't speak for Dave (Housteau) I am sure he also would be happy to help again if his job permits.

Absolutely. That decision was made long ago

.

cliffy · « **Reply #9 on:** 4 Sep 2009, 01:45 am »

I got the okay from my better half to attend this years SHOW.

I am from the SF Bay Area and would love to help at the show.

Love to see some other VMPS'ers there.

Spencer (Cliffy)

Housteau · « **Reply #10 on:** 4 Sep 2009, 02:04 pm »

This project for next year is very exciting. It appears that there will be very little common ground between what was done earlier this year and what is being planned for next. About the only carry-over is the passed over knowledge. First, we have the knowledge that it can work and can work very well, and that it may take plenty of time with some trouble and error on the way to get there. This passed year it took up until the last day of The Show to reach that ideal 'happy place'. Having access to the room at least one full day earlier, as was being planned for a return to the Alexis Park room, will certainly help to get the early bugs out of the system in this new unknown room.

Second, there is the knowledge of all the things that went wrong and the various hurdles that needed to be overcome to reach that 'happy place'. From what I can see the two Lake Mead rooms working together are a step in the right direction eliminating early on some of the troublespots of the Zeus at the Alexis Park. The Meads having a lower ceiling should present better acoustics. If treatment is required in those areas at least they can be more easily reached than the 17 footers (give or take) in the Zeus. One other huge benefit is that both rooms will be used together. This allows the use of a false back wall that can be set to create whatever room length is desired. It can serve not only as a dimensional boundry, but as acoustic control as well.

Third has to do with the recording technique. This passed year the recording technique was a purest approach using two microphones in an XY pattern just about directly to hard disk. While purity was a good thing it also allowed in the 'Problem of the Two Acoustics'.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=56368.0

Basically, when recording a live event using such a 'Purest' technique, you are recording not only the music but also the rooms influence on that music. Then, during playback in the same room the music is once again being influenced by that room in nearly identical ways to double the acoustic problems. My understanding is that the recording techniques planned for next year will be different and involve a a mixing board. While it may not be as straight of a path, it will allow the microphones to be set to pickup more direct sound and less of the room sound.

Those would be three huge steps in the right direction, but there will still be plenty of unknowns to deal with once set-up begins. Hopefully the first step allowing us early access to those rooms will allow the time required to sort out those unknowns. One big one I can see right away is the bass. The Zeus required dipole bass requiring twin subs on each side. Will four bass towers be at our disposal if needed? Also, all of the work for the previous show was for a two channel presentation. It has been mentioned of a possible surround system this time around. That would add one more level of difficulty into the mix not to mention the possible complications of interfacing the gear needed to achieve that. The more gear involved and the more connections you have the more likely the event of problems with the same. I can remember an entire stack of equipment in the back of the Zeus ballroom that had broken down in one way or the other, and most of that happened very early on. Even so, I would personally like to experience the difference a properly set up surround system could add to the presentation.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Sep 2009, 12:49 am »

We will do two channel only. The restriction here is Ralph can only build one pair of M2's in the time available. I think there is a backup pair of M1's on hand as well. Since we're biamping, two speaker channels will be the limit, mixed down from five input channels.

We will employ as many as four "roving" small subs to augment the main subwoofers. This helps alleviate excitation of the front to back and side to side room modes. Such a "distributed" sub technique, plus the EQ available from the modded DCX, plus extensive room treatment should solve or greatly mitigate "double acoustics" .

I expect the ballroom to have a 30Hz air conditioner noise source and will be prepared for it this time.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Sep 2009, 08:18 pm »

Lesley Olsher will once again be our featured vocalist and is scheduled to perform selections from her new album.

Catch Lesley in the afternoon Friday Jan 8 and Saturday Jan 9.

More performers will be announced as arrangements firm up.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Oct 2009, 09:20 pm »

There will be artist announcements here shortly. Stay tuned!

Don_S · « **Reply #14 on:** 24 Oct 2009, 09:49 pm »

Preview of coming attractions. Lesley Olsher CDs and samples here:

http://www.cdbaby.com/Search/bGVzbGV5IG9sc2hlcg%3d%3d/0

You Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA6W7ejBNxA&feature=PlayList&p=A81560F8C6442FE6&index=0&playnext=1

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #15 on:** 24 Oct 2009, 10:48 pm »

After you listen to "Jerusalem of Gold" live, stick around and hear it again reproduced via the two channel DSD recording over the Ampzilla/VMPS V60-VSS speaker system. You can tell that, even with the different balances imposed by the use of the single stereo mic, we really nailed the playback! Fidelity is outstanding.

There are four other cuts from our demo available to click on here. I introduce all the tracks and play percussion, with Chris Salocks on piano, Bill Bailey on string bass and Fred Haller on sax and flute.

Housteau · « **Reply #16 on:** 25 Oct 2009, 05:59 pm »

I had the chance to go to the RMAF this year and was able to talk a good while with Ralph Karsten of Atmasphere on several occasions. A friend of mine that was with me has a pair of his 60 W amps and had a few questions for him, while I had a few myself about some of his design philosophies. He is quite a character and the discussions moved from odd and even order harmonics, the way the ear bain system functions and nearly towards the meaning of life in general. I have no doubt we would have gotten there given just a bit more time

. Anyway, he is also looking forward to this coming CES being paired up with VMPS for the live vs recorded demo.

I also had the chance to speak to Ray Kimber and Graemme Brown at their demo room. Graemme is the lead engineer for most of the IsoMike recordings that aided in the initial set-up of the recording gear used by VMPS at the previous CES. I wanted to know their opinions of the Korg MR-1000 DSD recorder since I am planning to pick one up soon, and also took the opportunity to ask about all the live music that had been recorded at the CES, did it still exist, etc? To my surprise Graemme told me that several of the cuts were in either pre, or post production. He also mentioned that several had sounded pretty good. This was all news to me since I just assumed when we didn't get access to the raw material after The Show, that it probably was not going to happen. Ray Kimber mentioned something about the backlog of editing they have had to do. It appears that instead of just giving out the raw recordings they had wanted to clean things up a bit first. So, I guess now we just need to wait a bit longer to see if it really happens.

Rocket_Ronny · « **Reply #17 on:** 12 Nov 2009, 04:45 pm »

Hi Brian:

Can you tell us more about the signal chain you are going to use; such as which mikes, cables, and preamps, as well as stereo miking technique, MS, etc?

Thanks

Rocket_Ronny

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #18 on:** 12 Dec 2009, 07:00 pm »

With three weeks to go I am amazed at the amount of back and forth communication and planning involved, particularly since we have another new pianist, Angela Chan, replacing Ronnie Simone who cancelled due to his wife's illness.

I can also say there will be a new speaker in our booth, the first new VMPS in four years, which incorporates all the lessons learned from this year's live vs recorded music demo. Details will be available with pix in about two weeks.

THE Show at the Flamingo is just about sold out (one booth available), with over 100 exhibitors. I hope attendance will be good (admission is free), and exhibitors won't just be each other's best audience. We are guaranteed good press coverage--I even invited the Editor of you-know-which magazine to play bass drum (one thwack!) in our Rhapsody in Blue. We'll see if he accepts. There will be 30 seats and several audience participation numbers, so lots of fun can be expected.

Hotel prices in Vegas are extremely low this year. Anyone contemplating the trip should check out Orbitz and Expedia for good deals.

Housteau · « **Reply #19 on:** 14 Dec 2009, 05:58 am »

Quote from: Housteau on 25 Oct 2009, 05:59 pm

Ray Kimber mentioned something about the backlog of editing they have had to do. It appears that instead of just giving out the raw recordings they had wanted to clean things up a bit first. So, I guess now we just need to wait a bit longer to see if it really happens.

Well, it happened

.