Skinner organ recording on NPR

[hughesmr]

Hi all,

Don't mean to toot my own horn, but I just had one of my recordings broadcast nationally on NPR for the first time, so I'm kinda stoked! Wondered if you'd take a listen. The program is Pipedreams produced by American Public Media.

The recording (made last May) is of the recently restored 1927 E.M. Skinner organ in Morely Music Hall at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. Quite a grand instrument and a glorious restoration. Here's a link to info about the organ:

http://www.mullerpipeorgan.com/html/lake_erie_college__painesville.html

The program can be streamed online starting Mon Jan 28. The link is:

http://pipedreams.publicradio.org/listings/2008/0804/

The recording was made with two Schoeps CMC6-MK2S in 32" A/B toed out 20deg > Benchmark MPS420 > Lucid AD9624 > Masterlink at 88/24.

Comments welcome!

Cheers,
Mike

[roonsbane]

Congratulations Mike!

This is is very cool. Just for the record, this is an "MPR" as in Minnesota Public Radio production, not "NPR" as in National Public Radio. Productions from both of these companies are carried on many public radio stations. Often the same same stations carry both. This might help people find it a little easier if people don't follow your provided links.

Cameron

[Remoteness]

You're stoked, so toot away my fellow Remotester.

Keep keeping on man!

[phil.]

Way to go!

Great little project and thanks for the links. thumbsup

Phil.

[Thom]

Mike,

Congratulations. Very nice recording. Just out of curiosity, do you know who the other engineers are? I am wondering who recorded the Schantz at Grace Covenant in Richmond VA. That is a tremendous organ, in a huge sanctuary.

Thom

[hughesmr]

Originally Posted by Thom

I am wondering who recorded the Schantz at Grace Covenant in Richmond VA. That is a tremendous organ, in a huge sanctuary.

Since it's a Pipedreams archive recording, I would guess that Michael Barone (who produces the show) did it. He can be contacted directly at APM to confirm.

Thanks for the nice comments, all.

[Thom]

Michael,

Thank you. I will get in touch with him. I am wondering if there was more recorded.

Thanks,
Thom

[scifijedi]

i've been to painesville .it hurt...........
way to go with your career advancement...it's nice to hear your letting your projects breath with a little airtime.......yeehaw......sounds great{perfect}
keep up the good recordings............thanks for the link...

[roonsbane]

Michael Barone just let me know that the recording was provided to him by the in house staff at Grace Covenant. This was a brand new organ on it's first performance. There was a problem with the first recording of the piece that he wanted, but they went back and provided another recording of just that piece. Michael doesn't always do his own recording though sometimes he does. When he can't make it then MPR engineers will. He also prints all of his voice tracks to a 1/4" studer analog A80 before going into protools. Its a very interesting process he uses, and he seems to have it down to a science.

Cameron

[pkautzsch]

Love the recording. Wide stereo spread works extremely well with the romantic stuff.
If the pipes are what looks like diffusors in the picture, I suppose the mics were somewhere near the keyboard?

[hughesmr]

See pic ... mic location was at row 4 of the seats, with height pretty much at the balcony rail (which put the capsules pretty much level with the facade pipe mouths).

What was really nice was that at the time of recording, the back half of the room's seating was all out for refinishing, exposing those LOVELY concrete floors!

[pkautzsch]

Wondering how you got such a wide image with 32 centimeters spacing in row 4, I found it actually was 32 inches. Guess I should read the posts

Actually that's my first venture into American organ composers. Some very good stuff to be discovered by Europeans.

[mrsteaks]

Mike, it's about time one of your recordings has made to the level it deserves! Congrats! Very fine recording, too. What did I tell you a year ago, something about "big label sound"?

Way to go, my friend!

[hughesmr]

Thanks Mark, and everyone, for the nice comments. Yet another reason GS is so great ... good honest opinions, great advice and a congenial atmosphere.

Cheers!