Videos of Acoustically-Coupled Audio Recordings

[hopkins]

Here is the track on Qobuz for those interested:

Listen to III. Allegro non troppo by Bernard Haitink on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/4128099

 

[PeterA]

Pretty sure it is Haitink with the Concertgebouw. Compare it to here.

Tim, your system video is by far my favorite of this music posted on this thread. It sounds the closest to that live recording. Your new JBL speakers seem to be set up very well and have a very high degree of natural resolution. Congratulations. People may prefer certain other presentations of this music, but to me yours is the most natural and realistic sounding.

 

[wil]

As promised, for your enjoyment and appreciation here is the video of the Perlman violin recording played back on my WAAR system with the Remastering process (Wood Edition):

The power of the Remastering process is patently undeniable!

What recording, please? This thread becomes chaos without attaching recording info to the video.

 

[wil]

That is what I thought also, alas the only reply we got is that it's the Gergiev recording on youtube. Some of the cues are very similar, surprisingly.

BTW, your system sounds phenomenal on this. I can feel the music mass if I close my eyes, similarly to what I'd expect on the hall recorded through a phone.

What post # is Tim’s video?

 

[RCanelas]

What post # is Tim’s video?

It is in the link @tima posted, here.

 

[Carlos269]

What recording, please? This thread becomes chaos without attaching recording info to the video.

 

[Carlos269]

Oh, I can’t wait to be amazed!

There is only one way a violin sounds in real life…you know that…right?

Brad is your turn next;

I’m the shadows on the wall,
When you’re lying in your bed
There’s no where to escape,
Because I’m inside your head,
Brad, it’s your turn next, your turn next
Where are you going to go now??????

 

[hopkins]

Listen to Romanza andaluza, Op.22 by Itzhak Perlman on Qobuz https://open.qobuz.com/track/3688506

 

[morricab]

Brad is your turn next;

I’m the shadows on the wall,
When you’re lying in your bed
There’s no where to escape,
Because I’m inside your head,
Brad, it’s your turn next, your turn next
Where are you going to go now??????

Needs MOAR wood!

Danzas españolas: Romanza andaluza, Op. 22, No. 1 - YouTube

 

[Carlos269]

Needs MOAR wood!

Danzas españolas: Romanza andaluza, Op. 22, No. 1 - YouTube

You are a funny guy! Check your speakers, headphones and playback equipment. My recording has more wood and is more pleasing. The YouTube video sounds stringent and nothing like what you posted on your system video. You must first decide for yourself which violin sound is right first because your system video sounds nothing like the YouTube video you posted. So which one is it? At this point are you just looking for “different” to be argumentative? My video sounds as good as it gets! I’m now moving on to the Battle of Stalingrad to take the helm there!

 

[Carlos269]

Pretty sure it is Haitink with the Concertgebouw. Compare it to here.

I can confirm that the version of Shostakovich 8th III on my video is the Haitink with the Concertgebouw. I looked it up when I recorded it with the Remastering process (Wood Edition) settings.

 

[morricab]

You are a funny guy! Check your speakers, headphones and playback equipment. My recording has more wood and is more pleasing. The YouTube video sounds stringent and nothing like what you posted on your system video. You must first decide for yourself which violin sound is right first because your system video sounds nothing like the YouTube video you posted. So which one is it? At this point are you just looking for “different” to be argumentative? My video sounds as good as it gets! I’m now moving on to the Battle of Stalingrad to take the helm there!

The YouTube video sounds stringent? You are delusional Carlos. If anything, it sounds warmer and rounder than either of our videos...

I will let others judge who's system got closer to the recording, your trumpeting victory is not necessarily the same as reality.

I will concede that you got MUCH closer to the recording by tweaking whatever you tweaked as compared to what you got in the other videos.

I guess as a part of this challenge you were trying to match the recording this time rather than what you prefer. I am not really surprised you can change the sound to that degree as this is possible with a number of tools out there...my question was always around WHY you preferred a sound that was A) so far from the original recording and B) sibilant and thin. You like what you like but trumpeting a technique with dubious sounding recordings was not easy to swallow. If you had the approach of trying to match a recording from the get go, you probably would have had far less push back on your "better way" of approaching this hobby.

 

[Carlos269]

The YouTube video sounds stringent? You are delusional Carlos. If anything, it sounds warmer and rounder than either of our videos...

I will let others judge who's system got closer to the recording, your trumpeting victory is not necessarily the same as reality.

I will concede that you got MUCH closer to the recording by tweaking whatever you tweaked as compared to what you got in the other videos.

I guess as a part of this challenge you were trying to match the recording this time rather than what you prefer. I am not really surprised you can change the sound to that degree as this is possible with a number of tools out there...my question was always around WHY you preferred a sound that was A) so far from the original recording and B) sibilant and thin. You like what you like but trumpeting a technique with dubious sounding recordings was not easy to swallow. If you had the approach of trying to match a recording from the get go, you probably would have had far less push back on your "better way" of approaching this hobby.

The answer to your question is quite simple, and I have mentioned it a number of times in past, my personalized Remastering process settings are optimized for the music that I listen to for “enjoyment” and not for system evaluations. I listen to extremely fast music and it benefits from my settings. I don’t listen to classical music, but I can obviously appreciate how the extra wood is beneficial there.

Regarding the Remastering process, yes there are a number of great high-end mastering analog hardware tools out there that can be used to achieve similar results, but don’t be mistaken these results came about because of my knowledge and not the tools. I’m planning to develop a second Remastering process chain and will be using completely different analog mastering tools. The tools are actionable but without the knowledge it is a mess waiting to happen.

Here is something else on my Remastering process to think about, I timed myself and it only took me a total of four (4) minutes to adjust the Remastering process settings to develop and achieve the “Wood Edition” settings. The Remastering process is the greatest thing for “system” sound shaping that I know of. I had done this with my large mastering systems in the past but never with such a small and concise chain and solution. Again, I must give partial credit to HQPLAYER for providing the best sounding source to the Remastering process.

Just like I was able to add “Wood”, I can custom tailor a solution for other systems, if they are capable of the desired outcome, and system owners.

The Remastering process is truly powerful and something very special. To get that wood sound cost me four (4) minutes of my time and no new components or cables, grounding boxes, special cartridges, arms, time-aligned speakers, special stands, bases & shelves, exotic materials, bespoke engineered acoustically treated room, no tube rolling, no magic fuses, no magnetic drives, no active suspensions, special electrical power installation & conditioning……… you get the picture!

With my Remastering process, you can make your system sound the way that you always wanted it to sound like or dreamed of! And it has the flexibility to adjust if your ideal sound objectives change!

 

[Wavetouch]

My take on Perlman. Take > 1 minute for your ears to get used to the different video sound.

@ Carlos269, Excellent recording. The fruit of your labor. Congrets!

 

[wil]

Opinion from the Peanut Gallery on the Perlman piece -- based on decent headphone listening and completely ignoring all the ego flexing and personality issues

Despite the timbre of the violin being somewhat astringent, I find the latest WAAR remaster to be more musically involving than the other room recordings I've heard so far. But the official YouTube video is the best! The sound of the room acoustics interferes in all the room recordings imho (but less so on the WAAR system).

 

[Carlos269]

Any more comments on the Perlman violin system video recordings? Shall we march forward onto the Battle for Stalingrad: Shostakovich Sym. 8, Movement 3 (Allegro non troppo)?

 

[R Johnson]

Any more comments on the Perlman violin system video recordings? Shall we march forward onto the Battle for Stalingrad: Shostakovich Sym. 8, Movement 3 (Allegro non troppo)?

With $25 Radio Shack desktop speakers, I should not really comment, but... I was not impressed. I regularly attend the Chicago Symphony with soloists such as Hilary Hahn, so I know what a good violin sounds like.

 

[Carlos269]

With $25 Radio Shack desktop speakers, I should not really comment, but... I was not impressed. I regularly attend the Chicago Symphony with soloists such as Hilary Hahn, so I know what a good violin sounds like.

You need to upgrade your cheap desktop speakers in order to provide a valid comment. Please post a video of your main system playing the track so that we can all hear what a system belonging someone who “regularly attends the Chicago Symphony with soloists such as Hilary Hahn, so I know what a good violin sounds like.” Sounds like. With your vast experience of live performances, I would expect that your system sounds phenomenal and like a “good violin” on this piece. Will need to pause the march to the Battle of Stalingrad to get a listen to your sensational system. Please do us all a favor and post a video of your system playing the piece, itzhak Perlman’s “Romanza Andaluza”, so that we can appreciate what a “good violin” sounds like.

 

[PeterA]

I find this latest discussion pretty interesting. I conclude that people basically listen to the system that most appeals to them, for whatever reason, or they keep searching until they find it. Carlos has many systems and has found a mastering solution that allows him to shape the sound to his liking. He has specific tastes in music and in sound reproduction and he tailors his sound to what he likes. Others do the same through different methods.

Carlos' solution seems good for him, perhaps the best possible solution for him. It is his achievement and he is proud of it. I commend him for his efforts and for his personal satisfaction.

I understand the criticisms of the various videos from everyone. I mostly agree with Brad because I think our tastes align more or less. We are after a natural sound with live acoustic music as our reference. People can view our videos and critique them and tell us if we have achieved our goals based on their perception, but in the end, it does not really matter. We each do what we want and enjoy the hobby as we choose.

I do not have digital in my system so am unable to make a system video of the Perlman violin piece. I happen to think Tim's Shostakovich's video is very good and sounds most like that live performance someone posted. Tim's recording is based on his vinyl LP playing over his turntable. That alone is worth noting because it does not have the crackle pop that most critics point out.

Absent relying on our memories of live music, I understand why people post digital tracks from YouTube as the basis for comparisons. However, I do not think most sound much like what I hear live, so as a reference, I tend not to rely on them.

I do think it is interesting that Carlos can change the character of his entire system in about four minutes to have more "wood". I can do the same by simply switching arms on my turntable by hitting the MM/MC source switch on my phono amp for a different cartridge. It takes a few seconds. I understand it is not as flexible or as powerful as what Carlos is doing, but two different cartridges on two identical arms is as much variety as I want. I would be really interested to now hear the Pearlman violin on Carlos' SET set up instead of the WAAR for comparison of wood tone and overall timbre of the violin.

I am also curious about how the WAAR manipulation would sound on his SET set up, basically starting with a different base system.

I think this crowd is basically happy pursuing the unique sounds of the systems they have set up for themselves. The rest of this is just chat.

 

[Carlos269]

I find this latest discussion pretty interesting. I conclude that people basically listen to the system that most appeals to them, for whatever reason, or they keep searching until they find it. Carlos has many systems and has found a mastering solution that allows him to shape the sound to his liking. He has specific tastes in music and in sound reproduction and he tailors his sound to what he likes. Others do the same through different methods.

Carlos' solution seems good for him, perhaps the best possible solution for him. It is his achievement and he is proud of it. I commend him for his efforts and for his personal satisfaction.

I understand the criticisms of the various videos from everyone. I mostly agree with Brad because I think our tastes align more or less. We are after a natural sound with live acoustic music as our reference. People can view our videos and critique them and tell us if we have achieved our goals based on their perception, but in the end, it does not really matter. We each do what we want and enjoy the hobby as we choose.

I do not have digital in my system so am unable to make a system video of the Perlman violin piece. I happen to think Tim's Shostakovich's video is very good and sounds most like that live performance someone posted. Tim's recording is based on his vinyl LP playing over his turntable. That alone is worth noting because it does not have the crackle pop that most critics point out.

Absent relying on our memories of live music, I understand why people post digital tracks from YouTube as the basis for comparisons. However, I do not think most sound much like what I hear live, so as a reference, I tend not to rely on them.

I do think it is interesting that Carlos can change the character of his entire system in about four minutes to have more "wood". I can do the same by simply switching arms on my turntable by hitting the MM/MC source switch on my phono amp for a different cartridge. It takes a few seconds. I understand it is not as flexible or as powerful as what Carlos is doing, but two different cartridges on two identical arms is as much variety as I want. I would be really interested to now hear the Pearlman violin on Carlos' SET set up instead of the WAAR for comparison of wood tone and overall timbre of the violin.

I am also curious about how the WAAR manipulation would sound on his SET set up, basically starting with a different base system.

I think this crowd is basically happy pursuing the unique sounds of the systems they have set up for themselves. The rest of this is just chat.

Peter, a couple of corrections and clarifications:

1) The achievement of the Remastering process is not a “personal” one as you have characterized it, but rather a universal one.

2) Brad and you have not been able to achieve a sound that rivals the WAAR system with the Remastering process in terms of natural sound. If you can’t post the Perlman then post a video of your best violin on LP. We have all heard Brad’s best.

3) Regarding the Shostakovich videos, wait and listen my new “Wood Edition” before you award any prizes.

4) I 100% agree that YouTube videos of the original recordings should not be used as a reference for judging the system videos as the YouTube videos of the original recording’s do not sound good. Use Tidal or Qobuz as a reference instead, over high quality headphones.

5) The analogy of the Remastering process and your cartridge and arm combinations is not a good one,. It is a terrible analogy as it undermines the power of the Remastering process. With your cartridges and arms you get what you get. The Remastering process is extremely surgical, scalable and extremely fine tunable. Did you notice that it was only the wood that was enhanced while the overall character stayed the same? The intent of increasing the wood sound by switching cartridges & arms may be the same but the results are not comparable to those derived by through the use of the Remastering process.


6) In regards to applying the Remastering process to my DHT/SET systems: my thoughts are they do not need it as they sound great just the way they are. Secondly the 0.75 Watts to 18 Watts SET amps are not really powerful enough to handle the dynamics of the Remastering process. Furthermore, my full-range and field-coil drivers are not robust enough to handle the extreme dynamics of the Remastering process. You need a very capable system to be a host for the Remastering process. Think high wattage, high sound pressure level and robust systems to handle the demands of the Remastering process.

7) The flexibility and wide range of the Remastering process cannot be compared to devices, including your cartridges & arms, that are supposed to be neutral and linear, their deviations from neutral and linear are much smaller in comparison to the ranges in adjustability offered by the Remastering process.


Although I appreciate the note and it was obviously meant with good intentions, it ultimately diminishes the achievement and power of the Remastering process as written.