[please forgive my poor English]
Two weeks apart, the resemblance between a cello reproduced by the Stenheim Reference Ultime Two and a live cello, is striking.
Last weekend, I attended a little concert in a private concert hall where a trio played Schubert...
Sure, on one side, at DCC's place, there was "just" an original vinyl copy of a Schubert sonata (spinned on DCC's CSPort turntable); cello played by Rostropovich.
On the other side, in that Schubert trio concert last Saturday, there was a live cello, played by Spanish cellist Lucia Otero, who plays regularly with the Belgian National Orchestra.
There were also some differences in the venue's size and acoustics, but also some interesting similarities with the Little Barn.
- Saturday the 30th of December, at DCC's place (I took the liberty of reproducing the first photo that DCC had published to highlight the similarities; I blurred the speakers as these were the previous ones). Cathedral ceiling with absorbers, brick walls, SMT diffusers along some walls, concrete floor covered with tiles, and carpet on top (iirc). Schubert, Arpeggione sonata, Rostropovich, cello (and Britten, piano).
- Two weeks later, Saturday the 13th of January, Schubert's String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 471, Lucia Otero, cello.
The concert took place at Gabriel's house, a buddy who owns a little private concert hall in town, with a studio recording downstairs, where he records indie rock bands among others.
Cathedral ceiling with absorbers, brick walls, small absorbers along some walls, floor made of concrete + wood on top. Lower ceiling, bigger volume (capacity 35..70 seats max.).
The newly formed Althea trio played the Schubert's String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 471 (and also Beethoven String trio op. 9 n. 3 in C minor, and Weinberg string trio Nr 48).
On the Stenheims, Rostro playing pizzicati (plucked strings) in the Arpeggione sonata sounded strikingly real in comparison to this.
This experience was further confirmation that, with the Stens, it's a bit like having the musicians and their instruments in your living room, more than a good reproduction of these instruments. (still warn the neighbors if you have any.)
ASIDE
As you can see, the concert was being recorded
Then, after the drink, I asked Gabriel if we could shortly listen to the rough mix ("RAW" recording, previous to the mastering, without sub-sonic signal, if any; I say it in my words, as best I can). We then went downstairs, under the concert hall (this place is amazing...).
Gabriel searches a specific moment of the Schubert trio and the Weinberg trio that I wished to hear as quickly as possible.
Gabriel is a vinyl fan too (he has several thousand).
Then we listened to the rough mix. He said he was interested to have my opinion (!
)
First on his Neumann KH120a. Then on his JBL 4312 active, on the left side (I had to ask him to stop after 3sec, it was a torture.)
Back to the Neumann monitors. In the treble, the rough mix initially sounded brash. "We have to apply some initial treatment", said Gabriel. Everything became much more listenable very quickly. But it is only the beginning, he said. He tried a few things back and forth, asked me what what I preferred, etc.
Then his watch beeped: his wife, Alexandra, was calling: "the dinner is ready..." (the playtime is over...).
Stenheim recently demoed their smallest floorstander, the new Alumine Two.Five (€26K), at the Power Station recording studio, in NYC. The sound engineer says in the video that their active monitors are not as good as the Stenheims. Jerome Sabbagh played live, then they played a James Farber recording (not of the live performance). Michael Fremer, who attended the event, commented that "the recording through the speakers was remarkably 'life like'. Surprised me." This agrees with my first impressions at the November show.
Two weeks apart, the resemblance between a cello reproduced by the Stenheim Reference Ultime Two and a live cello, is striking.
Last weekend, I attended a little concert in a private concert hall where a trio played Schubert...
Sure, on one side, at DCC's place, there was "just" an original vinyl copy of a Schubert sonata (spinned on DCC's CSPort turntable); cello played by Rostropovich.
On the other side, in that Schubert trio concert last Saturday, there was a live cello, played by Spanish cellist Lucia Otero, who plays regularly with the Belgian National Orchestra.
There were also some differences in the venue's size and acoustics, but also some interesting similarities with the Little Barn.
- Saturday the 30th of December, at DCC's place (I took the liberty of reproducing the first photo that DCC had published to highlight the similarities; I blurred the speakers as these were the previous ones). Cathedral ceiling with absorbers, brick walls, SMT diffusers along some walls, concrete floor covered with tiles, and carpet on top (iirc). Schubert, Arpeggione sonata, Rostropovich, cello (and Britten, piano).
- Two weeks later, Saturday the 13th of January, Schubert's String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 471, Lucia Otero, cello.
The concert took place at Gabriel's house, a buddy who owns a little private concert hall in town, with a studio recording downstairs, where he records indie rock bands among others.
Cathedral ceiling with absorbers, brick walls, small absorbers along some walls, floor made of concrete + wood on top. Lower ceiling, bigger volume (capacity 35..70 seats max.).
The newly formed Althea trio played the Schubert's String Trio in B-Flat Major, D. 471 (and also Beethoven String trio op. 9 n. 3 in C minor, and Weinberg string trio Nr 48).
Isabelle Dunlop, violin (her violin is a French Mirecourt instrument by N. Caussin, a Vuillaume copy, dated 1850, and her bow is by the modern Irish bowmaker Robert Pierce.)
Lucia Otero, cello. She currently plays with the Belgian National Orchestra, and the National Orchestra of Spain, while developing her
chamber music career in both countries. (Italian cello by the luthier Giuseppe Lucci di Bagnacavallo, made in Rome in 1942.)
David Dupouy, alto.
On the Stenheims, Rostro playing pizzicati (plucked strings) in the Arpeggione sonata sounded strikingly real in comparison to this.
This experience was further confirmation that, with the Stens, it's a bit like having the musicians and their instruments in your living room, more than a good reproduction of these instruments. (still warn the neighbors if you have any.)
ASIDE
As you can see, the concert was being recorded
Then, after the drink, I asked Gabriel if we could shortly listen to the rough mix ("RAW" recording, previous to the mastering, without sub-sonic signal, if any; I say it in my words, as best I can). We then went downstairs, under the concert hall (this place is amazing...).
Gabriel searches a specific moment of the Schubert trio and the Weinberg trio that I wished to hear as quickly as possible.
Gabriel is a vinyl fan too (he has several thousand).
Then we listened to the rough mix. He said he was interested to have my opinion (!
)First on his Neumann KH120a. Then on his JBL 4312 active, on the left side (I had to ask him to stop after 3sec, it was a torture.)
Back to the Neumann monitors. In the treble, the rough mix initially sounded brash. "We have to apply some initial treatment", said Gabriel. Everything became much more listenable very quickly. But it is only the beginning, he said. He tried a few things back and forth, asked me what what I preferred, etc.
Then his watch beeped: his wife, Alexandra, was calling: "the dinner is ready..." (the playtime is over...
).Stenheim recently demoed their smallest floorstander, the new Alumine Two.Five (€26K), at the Power Station recording studio, in NYC. The sound engineer says in the video that their active monitors are not as good as the Stenheims. Jerome Sabbagh played live, then they played a James Farber recording (not of the live performance). Michael Fremer, who attended the event, commented that "the recording through the speakers was remarkably 'life like'. Surprised me." This agrees with my first impressions at the November show.
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