The best-selling Naxos organ CD...

[hughesmr]

Check out the first cut of the Hour 2 audio on this link to this week's edition of MPR's Pipedreams:

Pipedreams 0922: A Cleveland Convergence

This is the Naxos recording that Plush made that is discussed in this earlier thread about Schoeps cards...

first schoeps pair for stereo recording: the best solution

Thought you all might want a chance at hearing it, since I found out a snippet was coming online.

[boojum]

Wow! Great pull, Plushie! I'll use that as "the unattainable dream" as I go forward in learning this craft.

I believe this is a pair of CMC64's in an ORTF array; any more info?

[Corran]

Hey I remember that discussion, and I wanted to ask Plush something. I just got my first pair of CMC64's but I haven't gotten much of a chance to use them. But I found it interesting that while perusing the actual Schoeps site they mention the MK4's would NOT be a good choice for organ. I just thought it was funny that they specifically pointed that out as a poor choice for organ. Not saying who is right or wrong, but I found it interesting.

I'd love to know if the signal chain was indeed simply an ORTF array of CMC64's and nothing else.

Thanks for reminding me that I wanted to ask. And, I'll have to check the clip out later. I'm currently moving and my speakers are in boxes until next week.

[Plush]

It is fun to be reminded of this nice recording.
The organ was recorded on a dat machine with two Schoeps CMC54 in A-B (spaced cardioid) set-up. The mic amp was a home made one that broke right before pressing record. I took it apart and jiggled and tightened some wires inside and got it to work.

The producer, a famous German tonmeister, specified these mics and this A-B set up.

I suppose Schoeps says that cardioid mics are not good for organ and often that is true because you can't record the bottom bass octave with cardioids. However, this record sounds good when you listen to it. The hall brought a very full bass sound out of the organ. We made this cd in one night of recording. It is the world's largest selling organ cd at 275,000 copies a year.

The organist was a pilot and we all flew in his small plane to Oberlin College. It was quite a bumpy ride in the turbulent air. The producer turned white and then green in the front seat of the plane next to Wolf Rubsam. I was calm in back reading a newspaper.

[John Willett]

Originally Posted by Plush

The organist was a pilot and we all flew in his small plane to Oberlin College. It was quite a bumpy ride in the turbulent air. The producer turned white and then green in the front seat of the plane next to Wolf Rubsam. I was calm in back reading a newspaper.

This does remind me of a good story - but sent to Plush by PM as I can't really post it here.

[Corran]

Interesting - so the bass response was largely a product of the room acoustics? Therefore I would assume that using a similar setup would definitely not be appropriate in an acoustic with less bass "emphasis," correct?

I don't get to record organ often so I am interested in the subject. The one and only time I've done organ (with choir in this session) I used a pair of cardioid LDC's in ORTF in front of the church mostly for the choir and a pair of Earthworks QTC-1 omnis further back for the low-end response and such of the organ. I think it turned out well myself. But the ORTF pair definitely did not have the bottom octave.

[NorseHorse]

Just curious if anyone else has feedback on this CD, particuarly regarding bass-response.

Several folks in another thread mentioned they couldn't imagine recording organ without omnis: Pipe organ recording, any ideas?

[Teddy Ray]

Originally Posted by NorseHorse

Just curious if anyone else has feedback on this CD, particuarly regarding bass-response.

Several folks in another thread mentioned they couldn't imagine recording organ without omnis: Pipe organ recording, any ideas?

I think the LF is great. Tuneful, no "one note bass" or apparent lack of extension. Wonderful recording, of course given the engineer(and produca!) how could it not? Simple, Effective mic techniques+good player+great engineer+great producer+good acoustic= magic.

the best organ recording i've ever made was with Cardiods, Gefell umt800 on Card Setting.

[Bechstein]

Hi,

I'm sorry for resurrecting this old thread, but is it known the separation between mics in this recording?

Thanks.

[Plush]

I can't really remember exactly, but as a guide the producer told me to set up the mics at the width of the organ cabinet. So it was probably 15 feet apart or something like that.

[Bechstein]

Thank you Plush.

I sent you a PM, by the way.

[philper]

Originally Posted by Plush

I can't really remember exactly, but as a guide the producer told me to set up the mics at the width of the organ cabinet. So it was probably 15 feet apart or something like that.

16 Bit DAT, funky preamp, drunk recordist, and it stills sounds pretty damn great!

phil p