iso mike

Tracks

Choir Tests
1 - Choir Test A	3:25
2 - Choir Test B	1:25
3 - Choir Test C	2:11
4 - Choir Test D	0:54
5 Choir Test E	1:29
6 - Choir Test F	1:55
7 - Choir Test G	0:52
8 - Choir Test H	1:03
9 - Choir Test I	0:36
10 - Choir Test J	1:05
11 - Choir Test K	0:32
12 - Choir Test L	0:36
13 - Choir Test M	3:34
14 - Choir Test N	0:51
15 - Choir Test O	1:19
16 - Choir Test P	0:45
17 - Choir Test Q	0:30
18 - Choir Test R	0:38
19 - Choir Roll Call	0:23
Ned Rorem, String Quartet No.4
Performed by The Fry Street Quartet
20 - String Quartet Example A Movement I, “Minotaur”	1:29
21 - String Quartet Example B Movement VIII, “Self Potrait”	5:14
Ludwig van Beethoven, Opus 132
Performed by The Fry Street Quartet
22 - String Quartet Example C Excerpt from Movement I	1:12
23 - String Quartet Example D Excerpt from Movement III	5:37
J. Mark Scearce, String Quartet No. 1 “Y2K”
Performed by The Fry Street Quartet
24 - String Quartet Example E	2:27
Igor Stravinsky, Three Pieces for String Quartet
Performed by The Fry Street Quartet
25 - String Quartet Example F Movement I	0:55
Ludwig van Beethoven, Examples from “Diabelli Variations” and “C-minor Variations”
Performed by Robert Silverman
26 - Piano Example A	1:23
27 - Piano Example B	0:40
28 - Piano Example C	0:21
Various Tests
29 - Symphonic Band Test A	0:27
30 - Symphonic Band Test B	0:23
31 - Symphonic Band Test C	0:29
32 - Marching Band Test A	1:05
33 - Marching Band Test B	1:07
34 - Marching Band Test C	0:38
35 - Orchestra Test A	3:23
36 - Orchestra Test B	0:28
37 - Orchestra Test C	1:37
38 - Orchestra Test D	1:07
39 - Flute Duet w Piano Test A	0:56
40 - Flute Duet w Piano Test B	1:59
41 - Tyrell Allen and Friends Electric Jazz Ensemble	1:06
42 - Piano - Four Hands	1:27
43 - Blank Pistol	0:16
44 - Janitor	1:20

About the IsoMike

IsoMike™ (Isolated Microphones) is an experimental acoustic baffle system, designed to remedy the interference of intrachannel sounds that results in compromised fidelity recordings. For this 4-channel recording, the microphones were suspended on four arms and separated by IsoMike™ baffles. The largest heart-shaped baffle separated the right/ left acoustic of the front microphones, the egg-shaped baffles separated the front/back channels, and the smaller heart-shaped baffle separated the right/left rear microphones. Under the fabric shell of each baffle is a complex mechanical design that takes over 100 hours to construct. Most baffles absorb sound from mid- to high-range frequencies; lower frequencies are more difficult to absorb. Here, the unique shapes of the IsoMike™ baffles are advantageous. As lower frequencies flow around the heart- or egg-shaped baffles, they are scattered, effectively dissipating their energy. As a result, the microphones are much more sensitivethey will pick up extreme acoustic detail. We took great care, therefore, to reduce the noise level within the auditorium during the recordings.- Ray Kimber

About the recording

Tracks 20 thru 25 are examples taken from a 2-disc set by the Fry Street Quartet. This disc can be ordered by going to www.frystreetquartet.com

Tracks 26 thru 28 are examples taken from a recording session of pianist Robert Silverman, with John Atkinson as producer. This material has a planned CD release in 2005 on the Stereophile label. A separate SA-CD Hybrid/4-channel release is also planned.

The other tracks contain no gain changes or other such processing, so some tracks will be at a softer or louder level than other tracks. However, the dynamic range within a track is the same as the original live performance. All recordings were made at a low enough level to assure that no clipping occurred, therefore you may need to raise your volume control more than when playing some commercially available CDs where the volume has been normalized and/or compressed. Use caution on first playing as some of the tracks do reach nearly 0dB. Several of the tracks might scare the cats!

N.B. for the Fry Street Quartet and Silverman tracks, the overall level has been adjusted so that the loudest peak is near 0dB but rest easy, there was no compression or other limiting used. These examples are taken directly from the mastered tracks.

Small groups may have a performer - to - microphone distance of 10-15, larger groups would have performer - to - microphone distances up to 60. At no time were the microphones in a closemiked configuration.

Since there is NO limiting, the dynamic range might surprise you, your system or your pets. So be VERY cautious the first entire playing so as to not damage amplifiers or speakers.

All recordings were made at Weber State University, Ogden Utah, in the Val A Browning Center for the Performing Arts, the Austad Auditorium. Performers were students, faculty, staff and guests of WSU.

www.weber.edu

Equipment credits

Microphones - Neumann M150

www.neumannusa.com

Preamp - Millennia Media HV-3D custom

www.mil-media.com

A/D converters - EMM Labs ADC8 MkIV

www.emmlabs.com

Recorders - Tascam DS-D98HR

www.tascam.com

Recorders - Genex GX9000

www.genexaudio.com