Neil McCauley
23-03-2011, 15:57
Yup, it’s another freebie time here at Stereonow. Don’t ask why. Just enjoy.
There’s no catch. Just email me with “Want bass CD please’ and the first 41 respondents get it. Just in time for Heathrow too. I won’t have time to print out the instructions and details and so they are shown below.
Last time I gave these away at Heathrow, visitors came back and said some exhibitors point blank refused to play the cd and track #12 in particular. Apparently quite a few said that it was ‘unfair’ and that playing direct to digital disc uncompressed electric bass was “inappropriate” I wasn’t there in those rooms and so I don’t know. I won’t name the unhappy exhibitors except to say that a disproportion number had 4 letters in their brand name, and Sony weren’t there.
So if you fancy a chuckle (keep it good natured lads ‘cos being an exhibitor require more physical, mental and emotional stamina than you might initially think) so go easy.
As a point of interest I carefully designed track 12 to be a brief (less than 60 sec) instant comparison check between systems where the focus was on bass articulation, speed, attack and perceived reality. I figured that ultimate bass extension was a distraction. That’s it really. Read on if you feel inclined or just email me. Incidentally, the Harbeth 40.1s failed miserably on this track and in the end I decided not to use it. It was fine on the others. Meanwhile the Harbeth SHl5s, my 31 year old Meridian M1s, Vandersteens, Gale 401a and, so I’m informed McIntosh, Tannoy Sonus Fabers, Avalons and MBL speakers (none of which I stock) sailed through faultlessly.
Happy listening
Howard
PS: I was there during the recording process. Thus I know what the original sound was and how well the uncompressed recording compares. To my cynical ears. I was unable on playback to hear any differences nor colorations at all. Doesn't mean that there weren't any - but neither the session musician or I heard them if indeed they were there.
hp@no-alibi.demon.co.uk
I will need your postal address when you contact me. Thanks.
-----------------
Stereonow Bass Test, Tones & Texture CD
Rarity:
This is a very rare CD. Only 1,000 were ever produced.
What’s it for?
The CD contains a number of LIVE bass tracks designed to help set up both active and passive subwoofers and for checking optimum room positioning for full-range speakers.
Why the vast majority of other sub-woofer set-up discs are essentially useless IMHO
The problem with all other set up CDs is that they have a series of test tone tracks rather than music. That’s not very clever when you stop to realise that you don’t sit and listen to test tones. You listen to music.
Listening to a series of test tones, one after another, each in isolation is like tasting each of the ingredients of a curry, a cake or a cocktail in isolation – rather than a combination Utterly useless. How could trying each ingredient in a cake – in isolation – intelligently indicate what that cake will taste like when all the ingredients are mixed together? And of course, they can't. That’s why this CD uses music.
What makes this CD so useful:
What makes these tracks extraordinary is that they were cut absolutely live, direct into the digital recording device. THERE WAS NO AMPLIFICATION INVOLVED!
A selection of fretted and fretless electric and electro-acoustic bass guitars were used. 4, 5 and 6 string versions using finger plucking and a variety of plectrums.
Naturally recorded i.e. no compression and no EQ
These tracks are utterly UNCOMPRESSED. The dynamics are breathtaking.
There’s been no post recoding messing about.
The clarity is maximum.
The dynamic range is maximum.
The articulation is peerless.
You can, on a good system, not only feel the thunder from the fingers on the strings and the ‘attack’ of the plectrum against the strings, but the tiniest nuances of the fingers just momentarily touching the wooden bass bodies, the gentle rustle of the fingers adjusting tone controls, human skin brushing against wooden and graphite freeboards. It’s extraordinary.
Tunings
During the recording sessions, various tunings were used on the 4, 5 and 6 string basses.
These included, on the six-string: B-E-A-D-G-C
On the 4-string, my notes indicate C-G-D-A
On the 5-string, my notes indicate B-E-A-D-G
A few word of caution:
Some of these solo bass tracks not only includes an open bass E string @ 41.20 Hz but I believe an E-1 (normal lower limit of hearing is 20 Hz) @ 20.6 Hz as well as an open A string (55.0 Hz) and open D string (73.5 Hz) and an open G string (no, not that type of g-string) @ 98.00 Hz.
In addition there are complex chords, triads and harmonics that should ring out clearly – if your system is of sufficient quality.
All of this means that you should start the CD at a low sound pressure level (low setting on the volume control) and GRADUALLY bring up the volume. As soon as you hear distress in you system either with the bass drivers and or your sub-woofer, immediately reduce the volume.
Neither I or the maker will be help responsible for any consequences of incautious use of this CD.
There’s no catch. Just email me with “Want bass CD please’ and the first 41 respondents get it. Just in time for Heathrow too. I won’t have time to print out the instructions and details and so they are shown below.
Last time I gave these away at Heathrow, visitors came back and said some exhibitors point blank refused to play the cd and track #12 in particular. Apparently quite a few said that it was ‘unfair’ and that playing direct to digital disc uncompressed electric bass was “inappropriate” I wasn’t there in those rooms and so I don’t know. I won’t name the unhappy exhibitors except to say that a disproportion number had 4 letters in their brand name, and Sony weren’t there.
So if you fancy a chuckle (keep it good natured lads ‘cos being an exhibitor require more physical, mental and emotional stamina than you might initially think) so go easy.
As a point of interest I carefully designed track 12 to be a brief (less than 60 sec) instant comparison check between systems where the focus was on bass articulation, speed, attack and perceived reality. I figured that ultimate bass extension was a distraction. That’s it really. Read on if you feel inclined or just email me. Incidentally, the Harbeth 40.1s failed miserably on this track and in the end I decided not to use it. It was fine on the others. Meanwhile the Harbeth SHl5s, my 31 year old Meridian M1s, Vandersteens, Gale 401a and, so I’m informed McIntosh, Tannoy Sonus Fabers, Avalons and MBL speakers (none of which I stock) sailed through faultlessly.
Happy listening
Howard
PS: I was there during the recording process. Thus I know what the original sound was and how well the uncompressed recording compares. To my cynical ears. I was unable on playback to hear any differences nor colorations at all. Doesn't mean that there weren't any - but neither the session musician or I heard them if indeed they were there.
hp@no-alibi.demon.co.uk
I will need your postal address when you contact me. Thanks.
-----------------
Stereonow Bass Test, Tones & Texture CD
Rarity:
This is a very rare CD. Only 1,000 were ever produced.
What’s it for?
The CD contains a number of LIVE bass tracks designed to help set up both active and passive subwoofers and for checking optimum room positioning for full-range speakers.
Why the vast majority of other sub-woofer set-up discs are essentially useless IMHO
The problem with all other set up CDs is that they have a series of test tone tracks rather than music. That’s not very clever when you stop to realise that you don’t sit and listen to test tones. You listen to music.
Listening to a series of test tones, one after another, each in isolation is like tasting each of the ingredients of a curry, a cake or a cocktail in isolation – rather than a combination Utterly useless. How could trying each ingredient in a cake – in isolation – intelligently indicate what that cake will taste like when all the ingredients are mixed together? And of course, they can't. That’s why this CD uses music.
What makes this CD so useful:
What makes these tracks extraordinary is that they were cut absolutely live, direct into the digital recording device. THERE WAS NO AMPLIFICATION INVOLVED!
A selection of fretted and fretless electric and electro-acoustic bass guitars were used. 4, 5 and 6 string versions using finger plucking and a variety of plectrums.
Naturally recorded i.e. no compression and no EQ
These tracks are utterly UNCOMPRESSED. The dynamics are breathtaking.
There’s been no post recoding messing about.
The clarity is maximum.
The dynamic range is maximum.
The articulation is peerless.
You can, on a good system, not only feel the thunder from the fingers on the strings and the ‘attack’ of the plectrum against the strings, but the tiniest nuances of the fingers just momentarily touching the wooden bass bodies, the gentle rustle of the fingers adjusting tone controls, human skin brushing against wooden and graphite freeboards. It’s extraordinary.
Tunings
During the recording sessions, various tunings were used on the 4, 5 and 6 string basses.
These included, on the six-string: B-E-A-D-G-C
On the 4-string, my notes indicate C-G-D-A
On the 5-string, my notes indicate B-E-A-D-G
A few word of caution:
Some of these solo bass tracks not only includes an open bass E string @ 41.20 Hz but I believe an E-1 (normal lower limit of hearing is 20 Hz) @ 20.6 Hz as well as an open A string (55.0 Hz) and open D string (73.5 Hz) and an open G string (no, not that type of g-string) @ 98.00 Hz.
In addition there are complex chords, triads and harmonics that should ring out clearly – if your system is of sufficient quality.
All of this means that you should start the CD at a low sound pressure level (low setting on the volume control) and GRADUALLY bring up the volume. As soon as you hear distress in you system either with the bass drivers and or your sub-woofer, immediately reduce the volume.
Neither I or the maker will be help responsible for any consequences of incautious use of this CD.