Fostex M80RP, Uher M538, Uher M640 comparison

Signal path:


room with somewhat good acoustics - male singer at various registers - mic at variable distance - Sony TC-D5 Pro, rec level knob at 6/10 - Sennheiser HD 580 - singer as listener in real time


On these tests REC level was set at a somewhat low value, with VU needle not hitting 0.


All these mics are 600Ω electrical output impedance or greater


Fostex M80RP S/N 100501
Very nice, with detail, more treble
(A Pleiades (R,L) gentle slope low cut was not used on this test)
Sensitive


Uher M534
Very nice, less treble detail
But very very good with its Pleiades (R,L) filter on as bass heaviness disappears and singer can now by closer to 9in (detail at this setting)
Sensitive


Uher M640 (one of the mic)
Very nice, detail
No change in tone color with distance since it is an omnidirectional microphone
Ambient sound sound very natural
Sensitive
No bass heaviness
The mic can be used at 3-4in with no change in tone color, so level increases so much that Rec level knob could be at 4.5/10 for same loudness
One of the very few microphones including moving coil omnis that sound correct ie flat frequency response from singer's brain to listener' brain with no Pleiades filter needed. At any distance


With all above mics the Pleiades clock a few feet away could be heard on headphones.
If memory is correct it could be heard louder with the M534


The Uher mics were connected with small aligator clips and cables (not a good protection safety or quality practice, an accidental noise may ear  damage if headphone volume is not very low).

Other Pleiades gentle slope high pass filters for the Fostex M80RP

Signal path:


Room with somewhat good acoustics - male singer at various registers mostly at about 9in - Fostex M80RP s/n 100501 - Pleiades (R,L) filter, values set by Danbridge R, L decade boxes - Sony TC-D5 Pro, rec level set at 6/10 - Sennheiser HD 580 - singers's ears, brain


Various nice sounding R,L filters are as follows:


(250Ω,240mH)
(250Ω,90mH)
(550Ω,60mH or 50mH)
(750Ω,160mH or 170mH)


Various mic mouth distance used.

R values in reality are larger since on above the coil resistance of the air inductors is taken into account

Total euroelectron pageviews are currently 83500

Transistor (Wikipedia article)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transistor


Billion billion billions of transistors have already Ben made on our planet.

Hello to Ukraine, Germany and United States

Revisiting the Pleiades BD139 single ended transistor power amplifier with a new transformer

At your risk. Please take all safety precautions. A fuse should always be connected in series with any battery. Protect your precious ears.


The amplifier operates in class A (electrons flowing all the time) and it has the characteristic sweet smooth sound.


After listening with the Pleiades 2N3055 amplifier for a few days..,
The sound is very nice without an output transformer but there is no impedance mismatch and efficiency is low. Battery drains very quickly as quiescent current is 200mA.
The transformer described on previous post was then made and connected but it did not sound as good with the 2N3055. Possible reason that bias was not readjusted or that quiescent current is larger.


But if does sound very good with the BD139 which has an operating point of 9V 40mA. It is currently supplied by an exhausted 12V battery which gives 9V (not a good practice for the battery).


It sounds nice with the linoleum Pleiades Auratone 5C type speaker. And it sounds much louder and with more bass with the open baffle Zeiss Ikon typ:31-06 speaker.


It sounds loud, clear and smooth around many rooms.


This power amplifier is made as follows:
(Always use a protective suitable fuse in series with battery)


Battery plus after fuse is connected to collector.
Battery minus is connected to output transformer primary.
Other side of transformer primary is connected to emmiter.
Speaker is connected to secondary of transformer.
Signal is connected to emmiter and base through a series variable resistor connected to base.
Biasing resistor (red violet orange gold) is from collector to base.















Signal path:


Dionna Warwick compilation CD, Arista - Sony CD Walkman 300Ω line out - Pleiades BD139 - Pleiades ferrite output transfor with air gap - various speakers - reverberant small room

Another air gap output transformer for a one transistor Pleiades BD139 power amplifier

The size of this transformer is about 5.5cm x 5.5cm x 4 cm.


It seems to be a E E Philips ferrite core. The 2 Es are assembled facing each other. 2 pieces of paper were placed between the outer edges of Es for making 2 air gaps ie for avoiding core saturation from DC current flowing through the transistor operating in class A. Class A means electrons are flowing all the time.


A long piece of thinish wire was used to wind 4 windings in series without interruption.
Similarly another 4 windings with a thicker wire for the speaker output.
So various combinations of primary or secondary impedance are allowed.


The primary winding is made of 4x 140 turns.
The secondary winding is made of 4x35 turns.


Inductance at various taps of primary winding before inserting Es is
15mH, 2mH, 3mH, 4.6mH


After inserting Es and one paper spacing (on one edge of Es) inductance transformation is
600mH : 40mH


After inserting 2 papers on both edges of Es, inductance transformation is:
340mH:20mH
and this is currently used for listening tests with a Pleiades BD139 one transistor power amplifier.


See next post.


Later addition: when connecting the 4Ω Tesla fullrange speaker (linoleum Pleiades Auratone 5C type small cube) at the loudest sounding terminals, the measured impedance reflected to the primary winding is 180Ω.


Later addition: the transformer cores may be Philips?, or Ferroxcube? ETD 48. The core may be 3C90. Smaller size ETD 39 or ETD 34 has not yet been tried.
Datasheet: https://elnamagnetics.com/wp-content/uploads/library/Ferroxcube-Materials/3C90_Material_Specification.pdf

A website for audio engineer's biography in Hellas, Ενας ιστότοπος για βιογραφία μηχανικών ήχου στην Ελλαδα

www.audioengreece.com


It is made by the effort of audio engineer Steios Giannakopoulos of the ex. EMI Columbia Athens record manufacturing plant and recording studios.


The main photo shows Stelios on the vintage EMI recording console adder that was to the best of my knowledge connected to the EMI RS61 outboard electron tube microphone preamlifiers, called by EMI low level signal amplifiers.


On this console for example the record Lilacs out of the dead land - Manos Hatjidakis had been recorded. The adder must had been feeding an EMI BTR2 ? reel to reel magnetic recorder with electron tube amplifiers.


The first song on the Lilacs out of the dead land record:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=p02MfO1lAZ0&list=OLAK5uy_lCN7HPWEt-ol213QM5FD3ArnafRhGm-SE&index=2&t=0s

A Pleiades filter for close bright vocals on Shure SM59

At your risk.


Perhaps a (64Ω,40mH).


This vector was found by adjusting the Dunbridge (R,L) filter while singing Instabile - Nec.


Signal path:


Male voice singing Instabile - Nec (in Hellenic) - Shure SM59 at 3 to 4 inch - Pleiades Dunbridge adjustable (R,L) microphone filter - Sony TC-D5 Pro - Sennheiser HD580 - listener's (singer's) ear, brain

Weekly euroelectron pageviews

Entry Pageviews

Greece

369

Hong Kong

111

United States

53

Germany

26

Portugal

11

Thailand

10

France

6

United Kingdom

5

Poland

3

Vietnam

3

Hello to Hong Kong

How would the song Instabile - Nec sound in Hellenic as a man woman duet?

It is in C minor.


It begins exactly like Chopin's Prelude in C minor.
First chord C
Second chord F7


Bass code is:
C
F7   Ebass Dbass (passing notes)
C
D7
G7
A7
E
A7
G45 to G
Chorus
C
B247 (B is a passing note)
A7
G7
F7
etc

(2nd chord can also be F9 ie F bass and ACEG)


So it can be played for example:
Left hand at a high register on the piano, right hand playing melody even higher
CEG
ACEF
BEG to BDG
CEG
CDFG
BDG
ACEG
BEG
ACEG to GCEG
GCDG to GBDG


Remember all E, G, A are flat since the key is C minor


Lyrics could be like:


Man:
Ο, οταν δεν μπορω
Να σου μιλήσω
Νοιώθω (ενα κενό) σαν πνιγμένος
Θα ραγισω
Είσαι μακρυα, ποσο μακρυα
Έλα πιο κοντα


Γυναίκα:
Ο, οταν μου μιλάς
Τον χρόνο χάνω
(Νοιώθω ενα κενό) χάνομαι ξανα
(Οταν) και δεν προφταίνω
Ψάχνω να σε βρω, θελω να σε δω
Να σ' ονειρευτώ


Έλα πιο κοντα
Που είσαι χάθηκες ξάνα
Ο χρόνος παλι κυλα
Απο πανω μας τ' αστέρια


Ιςως να βρεθούμε καποια Άλλη μια στιγμη
Τ' αστέρια παλι θα μας βρουν
Ιςως στην ιδια θέση
(Λιγο πριν να βρέξει (Ιςως και να βρέξει))


Additional lyrics (optional) or a guitar solo by someone like Dave Gilmour or himself.
Γυναίκα:
Ο, οταν μου γελάς παθαίνω πλάκα
Γινεται σεισμός δεν κάνω πλάκα
Οταν με κρατάς, οταν με κοιτάς
Οταν τραγουδάς


Other ideas: λειωνω σαν σκια κτλ
τον χρόνο χάνω, χάνομαι ξανα και δεν...


Additional production ideas:
Binaural recording of rain so that it sounds 3D on headphones
Varispeed of one semitone so that it gets that ethereal quality of Moonlight Shadow - Mike Oldfield
Recording vocals on analog tape for the same reason
(Σπιναρει η κατσίκα στο γιαούρτι;)
(Does the goat spin on yogurt?)


What effect on voice? Perhaps delay if this is what is used on the original Italian version.
What microphone? Perhaps a Shure SM59 with a (130Ω,40mH) Pleiades microphone high pass filter for that bright sound. Or a Fostex M80RP with a similar filter. Then mic mouth distance would adjust sound quality (proximity effect).

Hellenic Lyrics Public Domain

Some songs for a laikos (Hellenic popular) singer?

For example Themis.


Sorry - Just a man


Pearl Fishers - Bizet


A rap with a soprano (see a previous yesterday's post)


Smalltown Boy -  Bronski Beat


How would they sound in Hellenic language


My Thieving Heart - Hoyem

Pearl Fishers - Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet The Pearl Fishers
YouTube


How would it sound with a male laikos singer, Themis for example?

Note value Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Note_value

A rhythm exercise

At your risk.


Referring to Viva la Vida - Coldplay.


Having hands on top of knees.


Taping 4ths (ie quarter notes) (ie crotchets) (4 on the floor) (4 taps for each measure) with left hand while tapping the rhythm of bass with the right hand.


Then swap role of hands, even more difficult.

Χαριτολογώντας μερικα παρατσούκλια για ραδιοσταθμούς της επαρχίας των Αθηνων

Παίζοντας με τις λέξεις.
Μη θιχτεί κανεις.


Ειναι τοςο καλοί αυτοί οι σταθμοί. Εξυπψωνουν το επίπεδο. Μπορούν να γινουν ακομα καλύτεροι.


Malaxy.


Peasy.


Flert.


Fest.


Bred.


Πλαντάξει.


Προκ.


Ανθελληνικός.


Αμουσος.


Hiss.
(Hiss σημαινει φύσημα, θρωηστικος θόρυβος,  στα αγγλικα. Καμια σχεςη, ειναι χαριτολογικα παρατςουκλια είπαμε).


Έκλαμψη.


Χασμωδια.


8ο προγραμμα.


Μαθαίνω απο διευθυντές προγράμματος οτι η επιλογή των τραγουδιών δεν γινεται ούτε απο αυτούς ούτε απο τους ραδιοφωνικούς παραγωγούς φυσικά.


Υπάρχουν κάποιες εταιρίες που προτείνουν τα μουσικά κοματια.


Και πως γινεται η επιλογή;


Ένας τρόπος είχα μαθει ειναι να τηλεφωνούν, να σου βάζουν να ακούσεις μερικα κοματια και να αξιολογήσουν τις αντιδράσεις σου.


Ο Μανος Χατζιδακις είχα ακουςει δοκίμαζε τα καινουρια κοματια του σε συναβλια.


Είχε πει νομίζω σε κάποιο σχόλιο του 3ου, την Αθηνα, επαρχεια των Αθηνών.

Ποσο καλύτερος μπορει να γίνει ο Galaxy 92

Ηταν ο αγαπημένος μου σταθμός.


Ιςως ειναι ακομα, δεν ξέρω.


Παλιά έτρεχα να ηχογραφηςω καποια τραγούδια σε κασσετα. Ακομα εχω τις κασέτες. Εντυπωσιακές.


Υπήρχε ταυτότητα.


Μουςικη για χαμουρεμα.
Πανικός στο αυτοκινητο.


Χαριτολογώντας τον λεω Malaxy.
Δεν ειναι ομως πια και τοςο Malaxy.
Ειναι Galaxy;


Η ταπεινή μου γνώμη ειναι οτι πρεπει να φύγουν κοματια σαβούρες που τον πανε στον πάτο.


Και να ανεβεί ψηλά σαν γαλαξίας που ειναι.

Russian Rap with 4 chords only

http://dl.vmuziku.ru/files/Svetochmusic_-_Rodnoy_motiv.mp3


There is also another interesting track with a soprano background singing beginning with a Byzantine like pedal bass and then rap, then nice pads.
It is called Svetochmusic Vesta, can't find the link at the moment.
The name of the song is Soldier in Russian.
Antonis was telling me about Themis and about rap among other things.
Then a dream came with a soprano singing along with Themis.
I was front of house and crying. People liked it.
Next day Agapi introduced me to this Russian song.

Comparison of Athens radio stations between 2008 and 2018

https://www.e-tetradio.gr/Article/17366/sygkrish-twn-radiofwnwn-ths-athhnas-metaxy-2008-kai-2018

Can cylindrical bass traps be made by rolling linoleum sheets?

At your risk.


Vibration of linoleum would absorb the low frequencies.


The cylindrical surface would diffuse mid and high frequencies by reflection.


They could stand on floor or hung from ceiling like tall boxing sacks.


(Inspired by seeing the ASC tube traps used by Bruce Swedien for Michael Jackson, recording group of singers etc).


some perhaps relevant links:


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE


http://forum.studiotips.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=147


https://patents.google.com/patent/US5444198A/en

The bass code or harmony of Viva la Vida - Coldplay

It is even simpler than thought and this is why it sounds so refined and sophisticated.


To visualize it very quickly let's normalize it first to the C major scale.
Bass is C, harmony is G C E
Then bass is D but harmony stays G C E
Then bass is G, harmony is B D G
Then bass is E but harmony stays B D G


This is why it sounds so amazing.


Taking each voice on its own we have.


Bass
C C C C D D D D D G G G G E E E E E


Other voice
C C C C C C C C C B B B B B B B B B


Other voice
E E E E E E E E E D D D D D D D D D


Other voice
G G G G G G G G G (G G G G G G G G G)oct


All these played or sung together simultaneously making it sound spectacular.


This pattern is repeated throughout the song and forms its basis.


Then the main vocal improvises on top of that.


At the end the oh oh oh oh motif is added.


And of course everything is (all notes are) sharp as the song is written in C sharp major rather that C major.


Viva la Vida - Coldplay
Coldplay channel - youtube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dvgZkm1xWPE


Bass code is:
C
D247
G
E7


It may be better to voice it as follows taking into account Bach's advice of contrary motion of hands.


C bass and C E G or E G C
D bass and C E G or E G C
G bass and B D G or D G B
E bass and B D G or D G B


(Remembering all notes are sharp.)


The right hand can sustain for 2 measures the chord while the left hand playing the bass is performing its rythmic pattern.


It is also a nice exercise to just play with left hand bass and with right hand just the main signing melody ie the vocal.


See also:
Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

A 2016 recoding with ribbon mics RCA 44-BX including Melodum 42B

A day in the past - vintage recording session - Zucchini Sistaz
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qIwmV0-e44g

The Melodium 42B ribbon microphone has a very flat frequency response

It can be seen on the datasheet found on coutant.org
http://www.coutant.org/melodium/melodium.pdf


A very interesting microphone.

UHER M534 microphone and some comparison with Shure SM59

It had arrived the day before yesterday.


The UHER M534 is not made of plastic although it may look like it is when viewed online. It is heavy and it feels metal. It looks a bit like a small MD421 but a metal one. It seems to have a relatively small diaphragm which can be a good thing in terms of sound detail.


A descent microphone.


Measured impedance at 1.2KHz at M position:
660Ω,-...
Measure impedance at 1.2KHz at S position
560Ω,12mH


By adjusting L,R with Dunbridge inductor, resistor boxes and trying to match sound and above measurements it seems the Pleiades (R,L) filter used internally for gentle slope low cut is something like:
(1.2KΩ,90mH)


Another nice sounding combination for (R,L) found by listening while singing is:
(>610Ω,100mH)


Signal path:


Male singing voice at various resisters - mic at 9in to 15in - (Pleiades Dunbridge filter) - Sony TC-D5 - Sennheiser HD580 - singer's ears, brain


Comparing with the splendid Shure SM59 it sounds much louder for same REC level setting (one reason being the higher impedance) but the SM59 sounds even more focused and has more of that easy great ribbon microphone treble detail.


It also seems the M534 has more proximity bass boost effect. It's Pleiades (R,L) gentle slope passive low cut filter make it very nice or suitable for singing at say 9in.

Bruce Swedien showing his microphones and techniques

Recording with Bruce Swedien 1997 VHS
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GEXA9sOY9QU


Engineer Bruce Swedien shows XY (or coincident pair) stereo microphone techniques for vocals, synths, guitar, etc.

Pedal bass on Michael Jackson

Don't Stop
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yURRmWtbTbo

Quincy Jones on soul music, Ray Charles, Motown,...

11,4,1984
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ICGE8qg7LHc


See also:
Quick Jones behind the music
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UkNLvs8Fa7o

Gender in Music Production

Russ Hepworth-Sawyer, Jay Hodgson, Liesl King, Mark Marrington

CRC Press, Apr 28, 2020 - Social Science - 290 pages

0 Reviews

Understanding the subdominant, dominant notes and their role as bass

A good example is the song:
Porque - Pochill
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ZIdkC2cz0


The key is A minor


ie


La Si Do Re Mi Fa Sol La


So the tonic is La


Subdominant is Re


Dominant is Mi


It happens this song is using a lot of the subdominant and dominant as bass. In fact the bass is doing just this, from La to Re to Mi and back to La and so forth.

A hint on stopping adiction

If it involves for example a certain website...


Prohibiting oneself not from using the site but from visiting the site or any related site.

Better Skies - Papercut (video)

Nice story


Better Skies - Papercut ft Efi Theologoy (lyrics)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrUrB24Y_8

On improving Better Skies - Papercut ?

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrUrB24Y_8


Very nice melody with prepared major 7ths (with respect to bass).
There is some kind of higher simplicity in this melody reminding good quality 80s.


An example on prepared major 7ths?
For example at 3:05 the vocal sings (....awayyyyyy...) with note E while bass is A and then bass becomes F while voice still on E creating a beautiful F major 7th interval lasting for a short time.


Shame on me, I did not know this song had been made in my country. I heard it possibkyngirstbtime yesterday on Galaxy radio.

Also nice prepared 9ths.
For example melody singing Mi Fa Sol Sol and bass becoming at the last Sol, from La to Fa creating Fa Sol ie major ninth.


Could it be improved?


Possibly by varispeed so that key becomes from A minor to B flat minor. Varispeed would create that ethereal quality to voice enhancing the nice vocal. Perhaps some selective echo too like on Moonlight Shadow - Oldfield.


Bass is also very nice.
Key is A minor ie all notes white or natural.
A9
F
D6
E

Efficiency vs sound quality is power amplifiers

Inconclusive as yet but some elements with examples can be seen in the next post on Pleiades BD139, Pleiades DL33, Pleiades 2N3055 one active device power amplifiers operating in class A (electrons flowing all the time).


It may be that less efficiency means more fidelity.


Nothing gets lost. One looses more energy but it may sound better.


Not much energy. One of these amplifiers consumes 200mA at 9V.
Yet it sends nice quality sound around many rooms.

Revisiting Pleiades DL33, Pleiades BD139 one active device amplifiers

This was done before listing to the Pleiades 2N3055


Signal path:


(Fame soundtrack CD, Ingenue - KD Lang CD) - Sony CD Walkman - amplifier under test - Zeis Ikon fullrnage baffle speaker or Pleiades linoleum Auratone 5C type fullrnage speaker - reverberant small room - listener's brain


Trying various output transformer secondary taps with the BD139 amolier it was found that louder did not mean better
More turn windings ie more output impedance gave a more smooth, bass, treble mid sound.
This agrees with the Nelson Pass paper on higher output impedance for driving fullrnage speakers.


The DL33 at 10mA sounded less loud but more civilized.


On both above cases the Zeiss Ikon speaker sounded much louder.


Then the 2N3055 was tried in a different room with tye Pleiades linoleum Auratone 5C type speaker, see next post.


Very nice sound.


It seems there is a lot of impedance mismatch as the 4Ω speaker voice coil is directly coupled to the collect.


Yet it sound nice and big.

Revisiting Pleiades 2N3055 one transistor amplifier (Part 3)

Caution: Always use a protective fuse in series with a battery


It still sounds nice.


Battery is discharged so that the voltage across it while the amplifier is operating is a bit less than 9 volts, in fact 8.9V.


Quiescent current trough transistor or loudspeaker at this condition is 200mA.


(Biasing resistor from collector to base is 10KΩ)


Signal path:


(Better Skies - Papercut) - YouTube - iPad mini headphones out, connection to one channel - 100μF 35V ELNA Silmic II capacitor - Pleiades 2N3055 in small aluminum box - Pleiades Auratone 5C type speaker placed on linoleum carpet above wooden floor - bedroom lab


The battery used is a discharged 1.2AH lead acid multipower.

Better Skies - Papercut ft Efi Theologou

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=XTrUrB24Y_8


Very nice use of A9 ie:
La Do Mi Si


Also very nice use of 6th intervals above bass (ie 6th chords) just before 3:00


See also:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

Υπαρχει τίποτα σαν τον φασισμό της πλειοψηφίας;

To be told when to work is bad enough, to be told when not to work is even worse