Being there

One of the big advantages of Octave Records for me and the other design engineers at PS Audio is being there—at the source of music. You cannot get any closer to the music than being at the recording, and knowing exactly what it sounded like live. This unique perspective helps us get closer to that truth through electronic and speaker designs that eventually wind up in your living room as PS Audio products. One of our latest recordings happened to be Octave's first location recording. The event took place at Temple Emanuel in Denver where we were treated to an amazing sonic event. A full blown pipe organ played by a master of the art. (The recording will become part of our upcoming Art of HiFi series: Bass) Because we had the entire facility to ourselves we were able to take our time and get it right. First step: listen. Listen in every possible place. Listen where the audience sits. Listen high up on a ladder. Listen where the organist sits. Stand in front of the mighty pipes and listen. What an amazing experience. This gorgeous instrument took over the room like nothing I have ever experienced. (I've heard pipe organs before but never from all these vantage points) Capturing the power and thunder of this beast in its space was an absolute hoot. We made two complete sets of recordings (all captured perfectly in DSD256 through Manley vacuum tube preamps). Both sets employed one of my favorite microphone setups: a modified Decca Tree, and a stereo pair of room microphones. The first setup placed the Decca Tree at the keyboard where organist Ken Mervine (trumpeter Gabriel Mervine's father) was playing. Like an orchestra conductor, Ken played to where it sounded right to him. He cannot know what it sounds like to the audience at the moment he plays (of course he's heard others play the beast, but never how he sounds to the audience). The stereo DPA microphones were in the audience and we mixed the two together. The second setup was the opposite. The Decca Tree was now down in the audience area and the DPA stereo pair upstairs with Ken. Tomorrow I'll describe the modified Decca Tree.