Hopkins' System
- Thread starter hopkins
- Start date
Thanks. Paradoxically, the sound seems to be more "dynamic" than before (yet still relaxing), probably simply due to additional clarity. It really does feel like I am struggling less to decipher the sound, getting closer to a "headphone" experience, but with the sense of space and realism that is missing in headphones.
Enjoying this album tonight:
en.m.wikipedia.org
The recording sounds raw, and I find it actually suits the music well. Here is "Search Light Blues", which features John Gilmore on tenor saxophone:
The reverb is in the recording (meaning my room is not the culprit).
open.qobuz.com
The album was recorded in 1961 with a small group, when Sun Ra first moved to New York, it was only issued by his label in 1972.
It was recorded in a place called the "Choreographer's Workshop", in NYC, which as the name indicates was not a recording studio but a dance rehearsal space. In his Sun Ra biography - "Space is the Place" - John F. Szwed mentions this:
"For the next three years this was to be the band's studio for rehearsals and recording at nights and on weekends. When it was available they used the basement because it had a good piano and better acoustics, but they took what they could get. Hunter [the drummer who had found them the space]... also began to record all of their rehearsals with an Ampex 601 tape recorder he had bought for 800$ at a pawnshop, and then to edit them with Sun Ra."
en.m.wikipedia.org
Here's a picture of the band at the time (from Szwed's book):
It is amusing to see them in their casual clothes, without the typical Arkestra costumes...
The building has now been transformed into condos.
You can grab a copy of the original vinyl on Discogs, if you are willing to pay 2500$ (only copy available today)
I'm ok with the CD...
Bad and Beautiful - Wikipedia
The recording sounds raw, and I find it actually suits the music well. Here is "Search Light Blues", which features John Gilmore on tenor saxophone:
The reverb is in the recording (meaning my room is not the culprit).
Open Qobuz
open.qobuz.com
The album was recorded in 1961 with a small group, when Sun Ra first moved to New York, it was only issued by his label in 1972.
It was recorded in a place called the "Choreographer's Workshop", in NYC, which as the name indicates was not a recording studio but a dance rehearsal space. In his Sun Ra biography - "Space is the Place" - John F. Szwed mentions this:
"For the next three years this was to be the band's studio for rehearsals and recording at nights and on weekends. When it was available they used the basement because it had a good piano and better acoustics, but they took what they could get. Hunter [the drummer who had found them the space]... also began to record all of their rehearsals with an Ampex 601 tape recorder he had bought for 800$ at a pawnshop, and then to edit them with Sun Ra."
Ampex 601 - Wikipedia
Here's a picture of the band at the time (from Szwed's book):
It is amusing to see them in their casual clothes, without the typical Arkestra costumes...
The building has now been transformed into condos.
You can grab a copy of the original vinyl on Discogs, if you are willing to pay 2500$ (only copy available today)
I'm ok with the CD...
Last edited:
One wall does have bookshelves, and the other is a large window with an acoustic curtain (which I never close up completely). There is furniture all around as well. I have my TV to the right, which I rotate when I sit in the "sweet spot" so it deflects sound away from me. The symmetry is not perfect, but good enough, I guess.
Bookshelves offer limited diffusion. They are better than a concrete wall.
Here's an album which I am obsessed with: New Orleans Suite, by Ellington
New Orleans Suite - Wikipedia
One of the tracks - Portrait of Wellman Braud - is a favorite (all the others are great as well).
Bassist Joe Benjamin is in the spotlight here, accompanied at first by Ellington's piano, before the band kicks in. Cootie Williams has a trumpet solo, followed by Russell Procope on clarinet, and finally Harry Carney on bass clarinet paraphrasing the bass line, after which Benjamin finishes up with Ellington.
I have always been curious to compare the sound quality of various versions.
Here's a needle drop I made of my LP (with my M2Tech Joplin ADC) - my copy is not "mint":
My turntable is a Technics SL 1200 GR, which I use with an Ortofon 2M cartridge. Obviously, this is not "What's Best", but it lets me appreciate vinyl.
Unfortunately I stopped the recording just before the end, and realized only after uploading it to my computer - did not bother to do it all over again.
Here is a a playlist with various versions available on YouTube (include mine):
I always found that the CD versions sounded a bit "thin", but YMMV.
There is a quadraphonic version now available on BluRay, which I purchased, out of curiosity. I don't have a quadraphonic setup, but I plan on extracting the various audio channels anyway to just to know how they sound. Those who have listened to it in a multi-channel set up have praised the sound quality... I believe the disc also contains a stereo version.
NEW ORLEANS SUITE (QUADIO) (BLU-RAY AUDIO)
Buy NEW ORLEANS SUITE (QUADIO) (BLU-RAY AUDIO). Browse the vast selection of products available.store.rhino.com
So here are the four channels of audio from that track "Portrait of Wellman Braud", extracted from the Blu Ray quadraphonic version, which I received this week:
https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Portrait of Wellman Braud - Channel 1.wav
https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Portrait of Wellman Braud - Channel 2.wav
https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Portrait of Wellman Braud - Channel 3.wav
https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/Portrait of Wellman Braud - Channel 4.wav
Channel one has Ellington's piano in the foreground
Channel two has Joe Benjamin's bass in the foreground
Channel three has the bass clarinet (Carney) and clarinet (Procope) solos and the saxophone section (if I am not mistaken) in the foreground
Channel four has the brass section and trumpet solo (Williams) in the foreground
The liner notes to the Blu Ray edition explains: "This Blu-ray" was mastered using the original 4-track Quad mixes as the source material. The original format of the master was a 4-track, half-inch analog tape running at 15 ips"
I find it really interesting to hear the channels separately. The instruments which are featured are well recorded and you can hear them really clearly. I bet no one has heard Ellington's tormbone section so vividily.
Enjoy!
Last edited:
I was curious to watch this video and find out whether my system qualified as a "Great Audiophile Playback System"!
He mixes different types of criteria, most of which I feel I have achieved to a certain degree - though in the bass department, I am pretty far from his target!
His criteria:
1. Speakers disappearing
2. Depth and width of soundstage
3. Strong phantom center
4. Effortless sound (and good dynamics) at all volume levels
5. Bass (tight, articulate, deep, punchy)
6. Being in disbelief of how good the system sounds
7. Longer listening sessions than planned
8. You hear details that you don't hear in lesser systems
9. You can hear huge differences in source material
10. Longing for your next listening session
He doesn't mention "natural sound"...I guess that falls under his category 6, 7 and 10
Last edited:
I discovered Funkadelic's "One Nation Under a Groove" my freshman year of college, and I played it on repeat for many months. I still enjoy listening to it today.
en.m.wikipedia.org
The track "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)", though obviously satirical, I find beautiful! There are different melodies, lyrics, instruments which are weaved together. The LP version is preferable to any CD version, IMO. Legend has it that all CD versions were made from vinyl as there were, until fairly recently, legal issues over tape ownership. Charly Records issued in 2023 a 2 lp version, which I ordered, though they do not specify the source.
It's easier on the ears with headphones
One Nation Under a Groove - Wikipedia
The track "Promentalshitbackwashpsychosis Enema Squad (The Doo Doo Chasers)", though obviously satirical, I find beautiful! There are different melodies, lyrics, instruments which are weaved together. The LP version is preferable to any CD version, IMO. Legend has it that all CD versions were made from vinyl as there were, until fairly recently, legal issues over tape ownership. Charly Records issued in 2023 a 2 lp version, which I ordered, though they do not specify the source.
It's easier on the ears with headphones
Last edited:
Yesterday I received Mosaic Records' latest box set:
www.mosaicrecords.com
They state on their web page:
"Among the 85 tracks — of which one is previously unissued — most have rarely been available on CD. These recordings have never sounded better – ever!
We had access to the original tape masters which were then professionally transferred and then sent to our master engineers over at Swan Studios to restore and have brought this music to a completely new life. Compare (if you’re lucky enough to own) the original LPs and hear the difference!"
I actually had most of the recordings already on CD, but the sound quality of this set is indeed nice. They are all mono recordings, and you get a nice airy presentation, with good balance between the instruments, and a lively, crisp sound.
Recommended!
Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions Limited Edition Box Set (#280 - 7 CDs) -
The set includes highlights from the six-year effort — 1953-1958 — that was originally labeled the Vanguard Jazz Showcase series. This collection of 85 tracks represents Vanguard’s first forays into jazz and brings fresh life to the original LPs that were released some 70 years ago.
www.mosaicrecords.com
They state on their web page:
"Among the 85 tracks — of which one is previously unissued — most have rarely been available on CD. These recordings have never sounded better – ever!
We had access to the original tape masters which were then professionally transferred and then sent to our master engineers over at Swan Studios to restore and have brought this music to a completely new life. Compare (if you’re lucky enough to own) the original LPs and hear the difference!"
I actually had most of the recordings already on CD, but the sound quality of this set is indeed nice. They are all mono recordings, and you get a nice airy presentation, with good balance between the instruments, and a lively, crisp sound.
Recommended!
Last edited:
Yesterday I received Mosaic Records' latest box set:
Classic Vanguard Small Group Swing Sessions Limited Edition Box Set (#280 - 7 CDs) -
The set includes highlights from the six-year effort — 1953-1958 — that was originally labeled the Vanguard Jazz Showcase series. This collection of 85 tracks represents Vanguard’s first forays into jazz and brings fresh life to the original LPs that were released some 70 years ago.
Mosaic offer some cracking Jazz recordings , also kudos to them for affording potential customers the opportunity to hear samples of the recordings before purchase .
Here's a track from the box set: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/03 I Can't Get Started.flac
And this is the version available on CD, from Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/track/13102788
The recording itself is far from perfect, and the source material (tape, as suggested in the liner notes) is 70 years old, but I think the Mosaic version sounds "cleaner", and the unique sound of the different musicians (Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff, Buddy Tate...) can be better understood and appreciated.
And this is the version available on CD, from Qobuz: https://open.qobuz.com/track/13102788
The recording itself is far from perfect, and the source material (tape, as suggested in the liner notes) is 70 years old, but I think the Mosaic version sounds "cleaner", and the unique sound of the different musicians (Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff, Buddy Tate...) can be better understood and appreciated.
Last edited:
The liner notes are interesting. They explain how the Solomon brothers who owned Vanguard had produced single-microphone recordings of contemporary classical musicians, and decided to launch, with John Hammond, these jazz recording series.
en.wikipedia.org
Hammond had himself worked, as a VP at Mercury Records, on distributing mostly European made "high fidelity" records. From the liner notes:
"He [John Hamond] blamed engineers, recording supervisors and musicians for "a triumph of conscientious distortion," created by multi-microphone techniques. He stated that a typical recording of the 22-piece Eddie Sauter-Bill Finegan orchestra required two control panels and 10 microphones. Hammond believed the accent microphones used to capture instruments like the piccolo led to an unnatural balance."
Here's a description of how these Vanguard jazz recordings were first made:
"In Brooklyn's Masonic Temple, Seymour [Solomon] had found his ideal recording venue. With Hammond as his new ally, Seymour hung a single microphone 30 feet over the stage, and recorded the first Vanguard jazz session on December 29, 1953... The new series was called the Vanguard Jazz Showcase, and the initial recordings carried a balanced soundstage with the instruments surrounded by natural echo emanating from the room's wooden walls and floors."
These single microphone recordings required setting up the instruments correctly, and that was not always the case, as is explained in the liner notes:
"As is abundantly clear by now, there are plenty of benefits to the single-microphone recording system. However, one of its critical failures can be heard on the opening track of this session [Just a Groove]...one microphone cannot correct a faulty balance on stage! At the beginning of this track, it sounds like Buck Clayton (cup mute) and Ruby Braff (straight mute) are standing behind the rhythm section, and at times, the acoustic guitar of Steve Jordan nearly drowns out the trumpets! The piano was provided by the Steinway company, and while Hammond reportedly moved it to different spots on the stage before the session began, the placement of the instrument seems distant and unfocused on this track.... But if th'e microphne can't fix the balance issue, certainly the musicians can. After Jimmy Jone's mystical piano solo, the trumpeters ditch their mutes and move to the front of the stage. The increased clarity makes an enormous difference."
Vanguard Records - Wikipedia
Hammond had himself worked, as a VP at Mercury Records, on distributing mostly European made "high fidelity" records. From the liner notes:
"He [John Hamond] blamed engineers, recording supervisors and musicians for "a triumph of conscientious distortion," created by multi-microphone techniques. He stated that a typical recording of the 22-piece Eddie Sauter-Bill Finegan orchestra required two control panels and 10 microphones. Hammond believed the accent microphones used to capture instruments like the piccolo led to an unnatural balance."
Here's a description of how these Vanguard jazz recordings were first made:
"In Brooklyn's Masonic Temple, Seymour [Solomon] had found his ideal recording venue. With Hammond as his new ally, Seymour hung a single microphone 30 feet over the stage, and recorded the first Vanguard jazz session on December 29, 1953... The new series was called the Vanguard Jazz Showcase, and the initial recordings carried a balanced soundstage with the instruments surrounded by natural echo emanating from the room's wooden walls and floors."
These single microphone recordings required setting up the instruments correctly, and that was not always the case, as is explained in the liner notes:
"As is abundantly clear by now, there are plenty of benefits to the single-microphone recording system. However, one of its critical failures can be heard on the opening track of this session [Just a Groove]...one microphone cannot correct a faulty balance on stage! At the beginning of this track, it sounds like Buck Clayton (cup mute) and Ruby Braff (straight mute) are standing behind the rhythm section, and at times, the acoustic guitar of Steve Jordan nearly drowns out the trumpets! The piano was provided by the Steinway company, and while Hammond reportedly moved it to different spots on the stage before the session began, the placement of the instrument seems distant and unfocused on this track.... But if th'e microphne can't fix the balance issue, certainly the musicians can. After Jimmy Jone's mystical piano solo, the trumpeters ditch their mutes and move to the front of the stage. The increased clarity makes an enormous difference."
Last edited:
Starting the day with some classics:
I have several versions in digital format, but could not resist getting this 10" LP, just because it is fun to play it:
I have several versions in digital format, but could not resist getting this 10" LP, just because it is fun to play it:
Last edited:
Another memorable track, recorded in Paris in 1937 (Django Reinhardt is on guitar), from the same LP:
Hawkins's solo starts around the 2 minute mark on the full track:
Listen to Crazy Rhythm by Coleman Hawkins on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/4488829
A 1939 US Victor pressing (the track was originally released on the French "Swing" label in 1937):
Some background on this session:
Last edited:
That 1937 Coleman Hawkins shellac has a nice warm sound to it. I have only one record from that era (well, 1947), a Bing Crosby St Patrick's day "box set" that belonged to my grandmother. She was not Irish, but born in London from russian (jewish) parents, and immigrated to the US when she was a young child. She was a Crosby fan. The records are worn, but they still sound nice:
Here's a more jazzy side of Crosby:
Here's a more jazzy side of Crosby:
Last edited:
I came across this website which contains recordings made in an anechoic chamber of individual musicians playing a same work (while listening on headphones to the other instruments):
research.cs.aalto.fi
I downloaded one of the tracks - aria of Donna Elvira from the opera Don Giovanni - and combined all of the 15 individual recordings into a single track:
The volume level is quite low. It is interesting, and a little weird to listen to...
Anechoic recordings of symphonic music - Department of Media Technology
I downloaded one of the tracks - aria of Donna Elvira from the opera Don Giovanni - and combined all of the 15 individual recordings into a single track:
The volume level is quite low. It is interesting, and a little weird to listen to...
Coleman Hawkins again, this time played from the original 1937 78 rpm - I have no idea what equalisation curve to apply for this "Swing" label (and I doubt anyone does). It doesn't matter, it sounds good, and it is miraculous that these 88 year old records can still be played today.
The challenges of playing these old records are well explained on this web page: https://rfwilmut.net/notes/repro78/repro.html
The challenges of playing these old records are well explained on this web page: https://rfwilmut.net/notes/repro78/repro.html
Last edited:
A wonderful video by forum member JELabs:
- nice listening space
- unique system (with a lot of DIY)
- great sound!
- nice listening space
- unique system (with a lot of DIY)
- great sound!
Similar threads
 | Steve Williams Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator |  | Ron Resnick Site Owner | Administrator |  | Julian (The Fixer) Website Build | Marketing Managersing |