New Crookwood I-pre

[luigichelli]

Superb Roland! damn good acoustic for that recording....anyway beeing here on GS i feel authorized to critic some liiittle things...mostly due MS tecnique i think:
Lacking of depth, and a narrow stereo image.
On the other side there's a great location accuracy and stability.

just my 2cents

[Roland]

Originally Posted by luigichelli

Superb Roland! damn good acoustic for that recording....anyway beeing here on GS i feel authorized to critic some liiittle things...mostly due MS tecnique i think:
Lacking of depth, and a narrow stereo image.
On the other side there's a great location accuracy and stability.

just my 2cents

It's interesting you say that, I know that MS technique occasionally gets criticized for possibly narrow image (not usually for lack of depth). I personally don't think this is the case, certainly here, if you really listen to the first sample at the top of the thread, the pizzicato in the first strings and cello's, the snare drum, timpani, xylophone, IMHO I can't see that it needs more "width". As to depth, I was satisfied that the perspective of the woodwind and horn, brass, harp against the strings, etc. gave a sense of front to back I would expect from a live orchestral performance. IMHO the preservation of the sense of depth you get from the i-pre's (due I feel to their lack of noise and linearity) is one of their greatest strengths.

Of course YMMV.

I'm toying with the idea of posting a surround sample, but I have to work out a way that it can be played by those that are interested.

Regards



Roland

[Tom McC]

Always seemed rather meaningless to me that the MS technique gets criticized for a narrow image when its width can always be tweaked by adjusting the S level. MS is good in pinpoint location of sounds, so can shine in works with lots of percussive attacks - such as Roland's first sample.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Tom McC

Always seemed rather meaningless to me that the MS technique gets criticized for a narrow image when its width can always be tweaked by adjusting the S level. MS is good in pinpoint location of sounds, so can shine in works with lots of percussive attacks - such as Roland's first sample.

I think some of the criticism comes from it's frequent use in radio and TV, I suspect that often engineers err on the side of caution making it rather mono. In my experience there is no excuse for it, particularly as these days you can easily check things over with a phase meter.

I suspect that if I'd said that it was an AB pair many people would have believed me! There are (of course) a few tricks that I use. I'm fortunate to have known Mike Skeet for quite a few years, a very clever and interesting man. I've learnt quite a lot from him and been able to come up with a few concepts/tricks of my own based on these things.

Regards



Roland

[Tom McC]

Re. Mr. Mike Skeet, my earliest exposure to MS actually came through constructing the simple line-level MS matrix circuit that he published in Studio Sound (UK), 1987, pp 56-7.

[mpdonahue]

Originally Posted by audio ergo sum

IMO what is missing on the market is a modular high end system (not high end would be all the optocore, Riedel etc solutions) for remote recording, that allows running only one (bidirectional) fiber between stage and control room that takes care of all the needs beyond Micpre and AD, also intercom, red light, monitoring etc. If the price point would be substantially below what Stagetec offers and maybe on the level what Studer has with their D21 but better specs and features it might find a lot of interest.

I Think what you are looking for is the Producer from Direct Out. It has 2 sets of MADI interfaces and allows for insertion of control data as well as telephone, redlight and talkback into a single MADI link. If I read it right, the interesting thing here is that it has RS422/485 so you could use it to send the control data to Crispin's Mic Preamps over the MADI connection. You do lose 1 block of channels, so you are limited to 56/28 channels instead of 64/32.
All the best,
-mark

[audio ergo sum]

Originally Posted by mpdonahue

I Think what you are looking for is the Producer from Direct Out. It has 2 sets of MADI interfaces and allows for insertion of control data as well as telephone, redlight and talkback into a single MADI link. If I read it right, the interesting thing here is that it has RS422/485 so you could use it to send the control data to Crispin's Mic Preamps over the MADI connection. You do lose 1 block of channels, so you are limited to 56/28 channels instead of 64/32.
All the best,
-mark

Thanks, that makes us two who come to the same conclusion about this interesting device. (see post #18) :-)
Unfortunately it is still vaporware AFAIK.

[mpdonahue]

We received the split combiner and 4x4 matrix a couple of months ago. I suspect that they weren't expecting the demand and are having a little trouble getting the production and distribution chain up and running.
They have been very quick to respond and are even making all optical split combiner's at our request.
I'd send Stephan Flock an email and see if he can get you one sooner rather than later.

All the best,
-mark