Having It Both Ways

Today, I’m recording a jazz pianist by the name of Cristian Jacobs in Zipper Hall at the Colburn School for the Performing Arts. It’s been a while since I’ve done a new recording and even longer since I was hired as an engineer for a project that was not going to be released on my own label. I’ll write another post with some photos and notes after I’ve completed the session but I thought I would give you a little preview because I’m going to be recording this project to 96 kHz/24-bit PCM digital AND my trusty 2.0 channel stereo NAGRA IV-S reel to reel machine.

A few months ago I started thinking about transferring some of my HD-Audio masters to analog tape sort of like The Tape Project guys except I would be making available first generation recordings (I saw Paul and his partner in SF last weekend and we’re going to explore the idea further). So I had my NAGRA serviced and purchased a few reels of 911 tape.

Yesterday in preparation for the session, I had to figure out how to get a stereo line level signal into it. All the years that I’ve owned this machine, I’ve always used the mic preamps built into the machine. Since I’m going to be using my own preamplifiers this time and sending a mix of the three stereo pairs of microphones that I will be using, I needed to modify one of my output cables with a couple of current limiting resistors.

Initially, I had looked around on eBay and a couple of other sites for the right cable. I actually bid on one a couple of months ago, but lost out to someone else. The others that I found would have to come from the UK and cost too much. So it was time to visit my local Radio Shack and buy a couple of 47 K resistors and crack out the soldering iron. I haven’t soldered anything in years but managed to get the cable built and tested. I think I’m set for tomorrow.

Cristian had heard about my particular method of recording piano and came by last summer to listen and chat about his project. He liked the sound. Given my recent interest in analog recording, I offered to make a simultaneous recording in the analog format. He and his wife thought that was a great idea. We’ll see whether he wants me to go through the editing process in both the analog and digital domains but at least we’ll have the choice. I’m not sure he’ll release the analog version or not.

My plan is to record 6 channels (3 stereo pairs or mikes). I place two stereo pairs inside the instrument (AKG 460B in XY pattern up high and a pair of Neumann U87s in a wide ORTF arrangement near the lower register. Then there a pair of 4012 B&K mikes to capture the reverberation at the back of the hall.

I’m recording to a 788T by Sound Devices, which is a completely self-contained 8-track recording system that can handle a variety of sample rates (for film synchronization). I rented the accompanying CL8 mixer that allows me to split and mix the microphones to a 2.0 channel stereo bus that will be sent to the inputs of the NAGRA. I’m also capturing the output of that mix to the left and right stereo tracks of the unit itself. This should allow me to do an A | B comparison between the two formats. I’ll post a segment or two of the “analog” (I’ll have to digitize it at 96/24 to do the analysis) vs. the digital on the FTP site and let you hear the results for yourselves.

I’ll also run and post the spectragraphs of the two systems to see the metrics.

Stay tuned…it’s a trip back to the future for me.