Genex to Hold DSD Listening Session at Cello Studios
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (May 06, 2003) --
 |
| The Genex 9048 DSD recorder |
The event will feature a presentation of live 32-channel DSD recordings of the Count Basie Orchestra at Cello's Studio 1, to enable recording engineers and producers to hear for themselves the enhanced sonic fidelity offered by Direct Stream Digital in the controlled acoustics of Cello Studios' playback environment.
Mike Pappas of American Digital Recording tracked the multichannel sessions to a high-resolution GX9048 system at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in mid-February. The series of in-concert sessions with the Count Basie Orchestra will be used to prepare a special Super Audio CD celebrating the 75th Anniversary of Neumann as well as the 100th Anniversary of Count Basie's birth. Using various surround-sound arrays of Neumann and Sennheiser microphones, Pappas made simultaneous multitrack Direct Stream Digital recordings of the 18-piece orchestra to the versatile Genex GX9048.
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
At Cello Studios, Pappas will replay the original 32-channel DSD recording and resultant 5.1-channel mixes using Genex equipment, and discuss his experiences on the project. Refreshments will be served. RSVP to Kevin Brown at Genex Audio; 310.828 6667; kbrown@genexaudio.com.
Cello Studios occupies the world-famous recording complex on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, that was formerly known as Western Recorders, part of the United-Western multiroom facility, constructed in 1952. The complex was the site of a large number of classic sessions from the 1960s and 1970s, and features a total of eight state-of-the-art control rooms and recording areas.
"I have been using Genex recorders for a number of years," reports Pappas, CEO and Master Recordist of American Digital Recording. "We secured GX9048 Serial #0001 -- the first production model -- and it performed flawlessly on the session. The system proved rock solid and totally reliable."
The Genex GX9000 Series Digital Multitrack Recorders, which comprise the GX9000 8-Track and GX9048 48-Track, provide both 192/24 PCM performance, in addition to Direct Stream Digital.
Features include:
Multichannel microphone arrays to DSD
"Because we were making a series of recordings to show off five different 5.1-channel microphone arrays for comparison on the Neumann Anniversary SACD -- in addition to a pair of stereo mixes -- it was important that we secure the best possible quality DSD tracks," Pappas continues. "The Genex GX9048 is the only recorder that could handle our multichannel requirements. We evaluated a number of 24/96 PCM systems, but they simply didn't offer enough benefits to justify their complexity. The GX9048 is simple to use; just hit record and you're away."
Pappas is strong fan of Direct Stream Digital recordings; he has been using the format for a number of years. "DSD does everything we want it to do, and sounds excellent -- a higher resolution format, we find, than 24/96 PCM. And since the Neumann 75th Anniversary release will be in SACD format, we secured enhanced quality by tracking in DSD." For brass, in particular, "DSD produces results that cannot be distinguished from the original," Pappas enthuses.
"Of all the formats I've used during my 30 years in the industry, Direct Stream Digital still knocks me out; it flawlessly captures every nuance -- specifically the detailed harmonic context -- of a performance. I do not worry about what I put into the system; it will come out exactly the same. It's been a personal revelation."
Neumann and Sennheiser microphones used on the CBO session interfaced with Grace Design pre-amplifiers through Cardis Audio mic cables. Monitoring was via Avalon Acoustic loudspeakers.
Future DSD sessions being planned by Mike Pappas for the Genex Audio GX9048 recorder include concerts with the Count Basie Orchestra at the Budokan, Tokyo, and the San Jose Taiko Band.
For more information:
[an error occurred while processing this directive]
