Interesting classical recording comparison

[pucho812]

“I recently had the chance to do a simultaneous recording on a Neve 5088 console, a DAD AX32 and a Behringer X32 using a passive splitter. A high end analog console, a high end “clean gain” system and a cheap digital console.

The setup was:
AB - DPA 4006
Ambience - Schoeps CMC 6U Mk5
Accordion - DPA 4011 pair and M160 pair
Cello - M160 and Neumann TLM193

Recorded in the concert hall at The Royal Danish Academy of Music.

Here is a link where you can listen to a segment of the recordings and compare.
No processing was applied except gain matching.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1fPsYtkWBx1_BzB5LO1XsB6vzPgCjF_RC
Everything was recorded at 48 kHz because that is the limit of the X32
AD conversion for the Neve and the DAD was done by the DAD while the Behringer is doing it’s own conversion.”

this wa done by another, sabastian Olsen and not done by pucho. In fact that is his quote and files

 

[cyrano]

Thanks Pucho!

Interesting comparison. Having a bit of time (and new headphones ;-) I'll listen carefully.

 

[living sounds]

Thanks! Why are the files named "Täuschung" (deception)?

 

[pucho812]

Thanks! Why are the files named "Täuschung" (deception)?

honestly I don't know. I have no involvement here other then it was shared on facebook and I am re-sharing it.

 

[living sounds]

So the Neve file has a little more reverb (maybe a room mic fader was a little up?) and there is something different about the low end vs the DAD. The DAD sounds a little smoother than the Behringer, which sounds more defined. Not crazy about any of the three, but I think I would pick the Behringer...

 

[cyrano]

The recording is from this FB group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2165880873644305//
Scroll down for Sebastian V Olsen's post.

I noticed hum in every recording. At least one group member noticed it too. This is mr. Olsen's answer:

The patchbay in the studio sometimes has a very faint hum that can be “massaged” away by moving the plugs. I didn’t notice it when recording, but I am 99% sure that is where the hum comes from and not the DAD itself

I'll have to listen again tomorrow, as the built-in audio from my Mac doesn't immediately show significant differences.

 

[PermO]

I gave this a listen... 2 rounds and I could no longer bare the music, in some strange way I ascociate this music with violence and torture.... I don't like it.

It's not my genre, but I have a friend who is a classical recording engineer and I have listened a lot to his 2 mic recordings of orchestral works, (he does place extra support mics if needed only) his recordings have become like a benchmark for me.

There's no strong phantom inmage with this recording, imaging is kinda hazy, so I see there was more than just a stereo pair of mics recorded, that explains why the correct image is not forming.

On the sound,...

The difference is not huge.

DAD was the least exiting to me, sounds kinda flat, 2 dimensional and a bit "mid forward"

The Neve was slightly more exiting, a bit lacking in transperancy, imaging still kinda flat, nothing jumping out.

Think the Behringer sounded best of these 3... as far as imaging goes, things pop out a bit more and come towards the listener.

In my opinion poor performing systems (recording and playback) place the music between or behind the speakers.
Proper performing systems have sounds jump out at you, a close miced singer should take two steps forward from the speakers and sing right in your face.

Sometimes when listening to a piano recording with my eyes closed, I feel myself "hoovering" over the piano, wich is a bit of a weird sensation.. but that's where the mics are, and now my ears are there... so that makes sense to me.