Revisiting Shure SM59

This microphone sounds amazing.


For close distance it was tried with a Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) gentle slope low cut. It sounds flat frequency response from producer's brain to listener's brain.


For larger distance it was tried on its own but acoustics sound boomy. It may sound amazing outdoors or with better LF absorbing (elastomer membrane panels?) acoustics.


This microphone sounds almost like a ribbon.


It is low output and perhaps this is exactly why it sounds amazing. It has a small light diaphragm. Possibly a lightweight coil. Like those brilliant MC low output phonograph cartridges.


No s problem while having amazing transient detail.


Possibly one of the best microphones ever made so far on this planet,

Finding the bass (base) in music, Βρίσκοντας την βαςη (μπαςο) στη μουσικη

The word bass comes possibly from the Hellenic word βάση meaning foundation. [Bach, Niedt].


Finding the bass in a song or other musical composition is easy.


It is like playing a chance game. There are only 7 possibilities.


If it is not C (Do) it will be B (Si), if not A (La) etc.


Then the mystery of music is unlocked.


How?
If we know the bass which is at any time a single deep note then harmony follows by choosing the notes 1 3 5 7 9 11 13 steps above bass.


For example Hey You - Pink Floyd written in E minor starts with bass E and this first bass is given by tye composers the code E9. So the right hand plays F (remember F is sharp), G which is the 3rd with respect to the bass, B which is the perfect 5th with respect to bass or whatever else sounds right. (F is 9 notes above bass E). [Bach, Niedt]


Of course there are flats or sharps, for example B flat, but it is still a B and whether it is flat, natural or sharp depends on the key the song is played. For example the key of E minor or scale of E minor has all natural notes except F (Φα) which is sharp.


Reference:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF


Harmony - Piston

Hello to Ukraine and Hellas

AKG D590 microphone

It is a gooseneck microphone that looks like a D190 with its beautiful sintered bronze cap.


However as it arrived today it was opened and surprise, a different capsule had been found. Grey blue color, smaller diameter than the one used on the D190. It's cover has 5 small holes so it looks a genuine AKG.


This microphone sounds very nice.


Signal path:


male singer's brain - male singing voice - AKG D590 - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580 - listeners's (singer's) ears, brain


It does not need a Pleiades gentle slope low cut filter as there is no bass heaviness on speech or singing.


For a high male singing register mic distance can be higher at about 3-4 inch.


There are no s problems compared to D190 which sometimes may have, indicating a better transient response.


An amazing microphone made to approach the so important flat frequency response from producer's or singer's brain to listener's brain stipulated in Hollywood. [Lowe, Morgan]


They way it seems to work is the following: As can be seen in a frequency response curve of a D590 it compensates for the proximity bass, mid boost effect. Then the singer can adjust the sound by altering the mic mouth distance.


Next day's addition:
Retested after cleaning the mic membrane with a very soft natural hair artist painting very little brush. There were deposited disintegrated foam particles. Not sure after the cleaning if it sounds better. It may even sound a bit worse. Hopefully the membrane was not damaged. Comparing with a D190 + Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) gentle slope low cut filter the latter mic has more HF content.


Reference:


Sound Picture Recording and Reproducing Characteristics - D. P. Lowe, K. F. Morgan - Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers


http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/mbrs/recording_preservation/manuals/AKG%20D-510,%20D-558,%20D-590%20Dynamic%20Microphones.pdf

Fostex M80RP

Possibly the best microphone in the Pleiades collection.


Also the M88RP.

If you can't control the environment change it - Harold Geneen

In his book Managment

Philips EL 1979

A stereo dynamic mic with 2 cardioid elements.


Membranes are made of very thin (aluminum?) foils.


It sounds very nice. Low noise, high detail, no s problems, perhaps one of the great mics in that respect.


The foam that holds the mic in place had deteriorated and was removed.

Beyer M640N UHER M 640 microphone comparison

The Beyer one is cardioid made for very close distance speaking.


The UHER one (made by AKG) is 2 omnidirectional microphones of small diaphragm too.


From an initial test the UHER M 640 sound very nice and much more suitable for vocals.


Signal path:


Male voice singing at low register - Beyer M640N at touching close distance or UHER M 640 at a few inch - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD 580


There are artifacts of wind breath noise etc on Beyer M640N.


After listening to singing with the UHER M640 the Beyer M640 sounds not acceptable.


It may be worth comparing the UHER M640 to the Beyer M55 which is small diaphragm omni too and a nice sounding microphone.


Later today's addition.


The Beyer M640N sounds very nice at high male singing registers where bass heaviness can be more apparent. The mic cancels it especially at a few inch distance. For example singing The Power of Love - FGTH in original F minor key.


The UHER M 640 has high frequency detail too.


Another great stereo mic which does not normally need a Pleiades filter is the Philips EL 1979.
See later today's post.

Beautiful use of 7th and 9th chords, ομορφη χρήση εβδομων και ενατων συγχορδιων

For example on My Thieving Heart - Hoyem feat Monroe:
Για παραδειγμα στο My Thieving Heart - Hoyem feat Monroe:
https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2020/02/my-tieving-heart-hoyem-feat-monroe.html

Soon euroelectron pageviews will be 80 thousand

UHER M 640 stereo microphone

It consists of 2 small diaphragm microphones the back of each mic pivoted at a single point.


They sound omni with the usual treble emphasis when singing in front.


The connector is a rare 7 pin (oval pin arrangement, not circular).
The connection seems to be unbalanced by 2 independent cable lines each with 2 cables and screen. But only one of the cables on each line seems to be transmitting signal and the other cable does not and is not connected to ground so it does not seem to be connected anywhere to the capsule.


It can be bought at eBay for a low price especially if the seller forgets to write M in the title.


Measured impedance of one of the particular mics is about 700Ω and 800Ω on the other.


The sound is nice with no s problems.


For singing a gentle slope low cut filter might be needed to cut bass heaviness.


A Peiades filter of typically (810Ω,170mH) sounded very nice with male singing voice.


Such a filter was also connected after connecting the 2 capsules in series anti phase for noise canceling (see Lou Burroughs). It sounded very nice.


Mic sound nice too without any LC filter.


Mic has not been tried in stereo mode yet.

My Thieving Heart - Hoyem, feat. Monroe

It was played today on Galaxy 92 FM.


Studio version - youtube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lz9h1oz4h8Y


A famous Sony condenser microphone is seen to be used on female vocals,


The song is written in the so nice sounding musical key of B minor:
Si #Do Re Mi #Fa Sol La Si
B   #C  D   E   #F   G   A   B


So all keys are write except F which is F sharp.


By keeping F constant on the upper hand and having the bass going down from B to G and then E the brilliant G major 3rd major 7th and E minor 3rd major 9th chords are created.


This is what happens on this nice song.


Actually the 2nd chord is G79 ie Sol Si Re Fa La (remember F is sharp), the male singer's voice sings the note La (A).


These beautiful chords can be found in the introduction of Mass in B minor - Bach.


See also:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF


Harmony - Piston

Managing means to manage

Ethically of course.


So it means to succeed in achieving a goal. Not nessesarily always. For example finding the solution to a problem, meet a target, helping others, if it does not work find other way etc


Management must Manage - Harold Geneen


From the brilliant book:
Managing - Geneen, Moscow


Harold Geneen was chief executive officer of ITT leading it to a point where it had more than 300 thousand employees.

Διευθυντής η καταφερτζής;

Με ηθική εννοείται.


Διαβάζοντας ενα ιςως απο τα καλυτερα βιβλια management, το Managing - Harold Geneen...


O Harold Geneen ηταν CEO της ITT κάνοντας την μαζι με 300+ χιλιάδες  υπαλλήλους μια απο τις μεγαλύτερες εταιρίες των ΗΠΑ...


αναφέρει στο βιβλιο του οτι managing σημαινει to manage, δηλαδή να καταφέρνει κανεις.


Μπορει να ειναι η επίτευξη ενος στόχου. Προσπαθείς και αν δεν πετύχεις ψάχνεις για άλλο καλυτερο τροπο, βοηθάς τους αλλους, βρίσκεις τι φταίει, ξανα προσπαθείς, σκέφτεσαι, πράτεις κτλ.


Αρα διοικώ η διευθύνω στην πραγματικότητα σημαινει καταφέρνω και διευθυντής ειναι ο καταφερτζής.


Όσο απλό και αν ακουγεται, δεν ειναι και η σύγχυση του πραγματικου ρόλου μάλλον υπαρχει ακομα.


Πηγη:


Managing - Harold S. Geneen, Alvin Moscow - Granada Publishing 1985 - σελιδα 84

Hello to Germany and to Hellas

Beyer Dynamic M640N 018104 and 018017 microphones

These were bought from eBay.fr.


Communication in French can be extremely polite.


Amazing microphones with sintered bronze mic cap.
Extremely small.
They sound very clear.
They do not need a Pleiades (R,L) filter.


As a stereo pair the sound is even more amazing.


No s problems.


Only perhaps con is that capturing a vocal from a larger distance may be more natural as one records all the head reasonances etc. But this argument is defeating the purpose of this mic.


So it may be a very suitable vocal microphone.
Perhaps even more suitable than on voice as speech may need more bass in order to sound natural.


Signal path:


male singing voice at mid to high register - M640N pair at 2in - (phase reverse adaptors if needed) - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580 - singer's ears, brain


The mic sounds very close to flat frequenc response from singer's vocal chords to listener's brain [Lowe, Morgan] if used at about 2in.



Reference:


Sound Picture Recording and Reproducng Characteristics - D. P.  Lowe, K. F.  Morgan - Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers

One of the problems waiting for an online parcel to arrive is that it may keep one inside and not on the beach

Hello to Germany, Ukraine, Brazil, Hellas

Soon euroelectron total pageviews will be 80000

Let the music play

Pleiades (R,L) filter for 600Ω impedance microphones

Higher Z microphones if they need a Pleiades filter the R,L values must naturally be higher for the same effect. Otherwise the effect is too strong and the mic sound perception is strong in high frequency content.


Examples:


Fostex M80RP 600Ω
A suitable Pleiades filter: (410Ω,160mH) or for example (610Ω,160Ω), typical mic mouth distance 14in.
Tested on male singing voice.


Beyer M55 600Ω version
examples of suitable Pleiades filters:
(410Ω,160mH)
(610Ω,160mH)
(410Ω,80mH)
(410Ω,40mH)
(610Ω,120mH)


Revox 3500
(610Ω,120mH)

Top Pleiadeslab mic

Fostex M80RP
This is a 600Ω version.

Best sound, female singing voice so far

Signal path:


Female soft singing voice at low resister (Πως θα ηταν) - Fostex M80RP 600Ω at 6-8 in - Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD 580 - male listener's ear, brain


Breathtaking smoothness, breath.

AKG D190 vs Sennheiser MD421 vs Fostex M80RP comparison

According to both female and male listener:


1st
Fostex 600Ω clearly wins. Score 20 out of 10.
No Pleiades filter used for male singing voice at 14in
Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) filter for female singing at 6-8in


2nd
Sennheiser MD421, score 9/10
vintage script logo MD421 HN even better


3rd, score 7 or 8 /10
AKG D190C


signal path:


male or female singer - mic - [Pleiades GLC (gentle slope low cut) wavefilter  if needed] - Sony TC-D5 Pro at mono mode, used as mic preamp, headphone driver - Sennhiser HD 580 - female or male listener

Don't worry if you are ignorant, I am ignorant too

AKG Acoustics catalogue

https://audiovias.com/descarga/177/akg-catalogos/6503/akg-catalogo-general-1988.pdf


Includes mic placement information, patents page etc.

Holding microphones by hand

If the varying voltage in time given by the microphone is watched on an oscilloscope...


it can be seen that if the distance between mic and source changes, the waveform shifts to the right or left. This can be expected since the x axis on the oscilloscope is time.


How would for example a synth recorded in air from a loudspeaker sound if the mc is held by hand? Subtle change in distance with respect to time would create a slow modulation in phase. Or Doppler effect, ie change in frequency, very subtle, possibly nice. Similar or better than a Leslie speaker?


Would such gimmicks help any or a digital recording?


Analog recording does such modulation effects. Holding a mic by hand may create an even larger set of effects. Or better an effect processed by another effect.

Harmony or chords of Year of the Cat - Steward, Wood

Key is E minor ie all notes white or natural keys except F (Fa) which is sharp.


In the beginning and many other times in the song the bass goes C then D then E.


And bass number code is:


C7
D6
E


Which means:


C E G B
D D F B
E E G B
(Remember F is #F)


How is this so beautiful code derived?


By avoiding cosectutive or parallel fifths. which sound, cheap, boring, wrong to the human brain.
B, (Si) the top note is constant or pedal creating those very interesting intervals with the step by step descending bass.


C B (major 7th)
D B (major 6th)
E B (perfect fifth)


The 3rds with respect to bass are added [Bach, Niedt], in order to make the dissonant very interesting intervals sound fantastic. So we have:


C E B
D F B
E G B


This is a similar progression to
Nights in White Satin - Moody Blues


or


Julia - Pavlov's Dog
(Where choir sings, "please, please see..."



Other bass code in the song is A7, ie A C E G, D4 ie D A D G etc.


Reference, further reading:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF


Harmony - Piston

Year of the Cat - Steward, Wood

Producer Alan Parsons
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ak_MTXQALa0


This song contains the nice C E G B (all natural or white piano key chord)
This chord is called C major 3rd major 7th.


It is writen in the scale re key of E minor. This means all notes are natural or white piano keys except F which is F sharp.


This is why when bass is C the chord is C E G B and not for example C E G bB as B natural belongs to the set of allowed notes defined by the key of E minor.


On this song many times the seventh (note B) with respect to bass (note C) is prepared (in advance) for the human ear brain so that the dissonant interval sounds amazing. The 3rd with respect to bass (note E) is added as explained by Bach making the disonant interval sound even more amazing to the human brain. See the Bach manual to his students, Bach Bass Rules.


When Bach was a teenager this manual had been given to him by engineer Niedt.


Had this not had happened would modern music sound as amazing as it does today?


See also:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF


Harmony Piston

Protecting our ears

At your risk, this is not an expert or medical advice.


Use common sense.


Do not expose yourself to high sound presure levels.


Never experiment with headphones, speaker systems that may emmit high sound presure level, speakers that are close to the ear etc.


Even lower sound presure levels may be harmful for a longer time of exposure.


Rest your ears.


Rest yourself and your brain.


Ears are more precious than the most expensive microphones in the world all together or the best or lowest noise front end amplifiers all together.


Hearing protection must be used.


The human ear is possibly one of the most sensitive if not the most sensitive instrument in the universe. It can hear the equivalent light power of a 100W light bulb on the moon arriving on earth.
[if memory is correct this has been read in the book of S.S. Stevens, founder of the Harvard university psychophysics laboratory]



Further reading:


Sound and Hearing - S.S. Stevens, F. Warshofsky - Time-Life science series

On electronic bay

There are sometimes unwanted forgotten items on eBay.


Listings perhaps misreprisented, by misspelling, unknown items, items no one is bidding at.


Items unseen, items no one wants having.


Sometimes such items may go to Pleiades.

Method of sintering

At your risk:


https://patents.google.com/patent/US4863538A/en


If understood correctly metal powder is beamed by a laser. Did AKG use such a method to create the beautiful D190, D1000, D1200, D130 microphone grilles?
The patent used by AKG US3652810.

What is the impedance of a blocked AKG D190 diaphragm?

This is in a mic where the membrane in the capsule is for some reason stuck. In fact the coil is stuck by a very large excursion outside of the magnetic air gap.


The measure inductance is about 2mH.


This inducstnce must form a high cut filter together with the preamp input impedance, hence an apparent loss of HF if the prea,p input impedance is low?


Whereas on a working D190 the inductance is measured as -2.5mH whatever that means.


(Related concepts: notional impedance, radiation impedance).

Tuning an AKG D190 microphone by ear

At your risk.


Summary:


All resonators where removed in a quest for an even more natural sound while an R,L gentle low cut Pleiades filter was connected. It was done in real time while singing and listening on headphones. (Protecting ears with a limiter). Reduced bandwidth resulted in reduced bass or treble heaviness. Surprisingly good behavior on sibilants. Mic was further tuned by adjusted capsule insertion depth inside mic body. The only thing left between sound and diaphragm is the sintered bronze grille.


Later addition:
After more AB comparisons with old stock D190 mics, protective dust covers ie resonators etc were replaced. The capsule cover (the one with 3 3 2 holes) must be deeply inserted or low frequency response suffers).


One should carefully insert the capsule to the mic body as there may be presure buildup to the back hole of the capsule thereby pushing the communicating back side of the membrane.


Very interesting playtime.

Another song written in Dorian musical scale

You're no Good - Ballard

Parties or whatever we like doing should possibly begin at 7am and end early

Deriving the first 2 chords of Old and Wise - Alan Parsons Project

The key is A minor so all notes are white.


First chord is A C E


Second chord is G B C E


3rd chord is F A C E


Transition from 1st to 2nd can be derived by thinking of C E (pedal) repeated on the second chord.


And at the same time A C changing to G B (parallel 3rds).


So 4 voices singing:


A C C E


G B C E



The same chord progression is on the song Hello - Lionel Ritchie.
In fact the same key (A minor) is used.


See also:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

Alan Parsons interview

https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/alan-parsons-on-his-favourite-gear-and-why-he-avoids-using-compression-630648

You decide what it is that you want to do and then you start doing it.


Harold Geneen

You decide what it is that you want to do, and then you start doing it. - Harold S. Geneen

This is the summary Harold Geneen gives to his quote that a business can be run in the oposite way of reading a book.


Reference:
Managing - Harold S. Geneen

AKG D190 to Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) or (Pleiades V1 or V(-1)) to Sony TC-D5 Pro

This is mostly on investigating whether it is best to gentle low cut just after the mic or at the output of the front end mic preamplifier.


The AKGD190E sounded great connected just to Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) gentle slope high pass filter.


Perhaps with even better high frequency quality with just the V1 (one electron tube one 1.2V battery) mic front end. But if also adding an (R,L) filter made for a too top end sound.


Similarly with the V(-1) terminated by a low inductance transformer, see recent older post. V1 was preferred by Vicky .


Best sound so far for Vicky is:
AKG D190E to Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) to Uher 4200 report recording at half speed and playing back at 7.5ips.  (A transfer of this to cassette had been listened to).

Harold Gennen quote

You read a book from beginning to end.


You run a business the opposite way.


You start with the end and then do everything you must to reach it.


Harold Gennen
Former ITT CEO


From the Harrold Gennen's book on Management


https://quotefancy.com/quote/1555949/Harold-Geneen-You-read-a-book-from-beginning-to-end-You-run-a-business-the-opposite-way





This is what the Beatle's management Brian Epstein, George Martin did. They visualized them on top and worked backwards.

Comparing 3 AKG D190 ER, E, C microphones

Signal path:


male singing voice - AKG D190 various models, vintage year - Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) or no filter - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580


When comparing mics it is very important to reverse the phase if a mic is out of phase as monitoring in this particular example is dine with headphones in real time.


AKG D190ER (XLR connector) (reporter's version)
very focused on voice, no bass or treble heaviness
filtering is possibly internally impemented with a CL in series with R filter and total connected in parallel to voice coil. CL is a band pass filter and R creates a gentle low cut, high cut slope


AKG D190E (XLR connector)
This should be an old version as the stand adaptor that came with it is the oldest chrome, transparent type.
Deep bass, high treble, nice mid range.


AKG D190C (mini Tuchel connector)
No idea how old this mic is.
It has less output. Less bass, less treble. Great midrange, possibly the smoothest.
Still much more high output than the excellent too Shure SM59