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Re: Regarding the late, great Michael Hedges

I have a recording of the Ukranian Radio and TV orchestra performing Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Now what is interesting about this recording is that it was made with a single STEREO ribbon microphone, through a mic preamp, and direct on to DAT tape. The distance from the orchestra to the microphone was about 6 meters. Now you may say to yourself, "an entire orchestra with one stereo mic??" Yep. I tell you it is the most realistic sounding recording of orcehstra I own bar none. Dynamics, OOHHHH boy! Tone color? Ribbon mics are simply the best for preserving the tone and decay of instruments. It is the best recording I own in terms of sound quality.

Recently (one and a half months ago) I heard the same piece performed here in Zürich by the Zürich Tonhalle Orchestra (very good orchestra) at Tonhalle. I had good seats: center and about 10th row (so about 7-8 meters from the stage). The sound that I heard in the hall was VERY similar to what I hear at home on either my Apogees or Acoustats. The exception of course is dynamics. Live it was simply more visceral but in terms of tone and capturing all the instruments it was close indeed.

I use that recording now when going to hear a friend's system or at shows to separate the men from the boys so to speak. Many systems simply can't distinguish the instruments tone colors properly or make a mess of the strings. Some can't do a decent job on the low level passages without cranking up the volume and then overload on the peaks. Some lack the transparency and low self-noise to keep all the elements imaging properly and so on. Many systems that can do the Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Jazz from the Pawn Shop, etc. cannot do some of my more difficult recordings correctly and especially this one. When it is done right though, it sounds like live :).

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  • Re: Regarding the late, great Michael Hedges - morricab 05:47:49 11/18/05 (0)
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