isomike recordings

MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum

Help Support MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SugarMedia

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
733
Reaction score
0
Location
EU
Just wondering if anyone has purchased these cd's? From the description they sound quite interesting. Curious to hear yout thoughts.

http://www.isomike.com/iso06.html

http://www.isomike.com/

About the recording

Use caution on first playing as some of the tracks do reach nearly 0dB. Several of the tracks might scare the cats!
All recordings were made at a low enough level to assure that no clipping occurred, therefore you may need to raise your volume control more than when playing some commercially available CDs where the volume has been normalized and/or compressed.

Since there is NO limiting, the dynamic range might surprise you, your system or your pets. So be VERY cautious the first entire playing so as to not damage amplifiers or speakers.

These tracks contain no gain changes or other such processing, so some tracks will be at a softer or louder level than other tracks. However, the dynamic range within a track is the same as the original live performance.

Small groups may have a performer - to - microphone distance of 10-15 feet, larger groups would have performer - to - microphone distances up to 60 feet. At no time were the microphones in a closemiked configuration. All recordings were made at Weber State University. Performers were students, faculty, staff and guests of Weber State University www.weber.edu
 
Just wondering if anyone has purchased these cd's? From the description they sound quite interesting. Curious to hear yout thoughts.

If our ultimate goal in listening to music is what I think it is, i.e. to either 1) bring the musicians in our listening room or 2) to feel like being first row center at a live performance, then this recording technique might miss the point, as far as I can tell from the pictures on the site. But from an experimental point of view it might be interesting to listen to.
 
this recording technique might miss the point, as far as I can tell from the pictures on the site.

I'm definitely not one to judge a CD by its cover, especially since I manipulate photos and film throughout the week. As for me, the pictures look quite interesting.

So... who has heard the IsoMike technique?
=========

This is an experiment in a new way of recording hard-to-record music such as orchestras, jazz bands, choirs, pipe organs, pianos, harps, ensembles, and quartets etc.

This invention is called an IsoMike™ Baffle (short for Isolation Microphone) and is designed to isolate the right and left microphones from "seeing" each other. The design of the baffle is from a theoretical idea about how the right and left channel sounds will interfere with each other, resulting in poor recordings.

There are microphones on the two arms that are hanging down, between the microphones is a large heart-shaped baffle. There are also two smaller heart-shaped baffles positioned in a behind/below position. There is a complex mechanical design under the fabric shell of the baffles, which takes well over 100 hours to construct.

The baffle construction is designed to absorb sound from a medium to high pitch or frequency. Below that medium pitch, sound energy is not so easy to absorb, that is where the shape of the baffle becomes effective. As those lower frequencies flow around the baffle they encounter the heart shape which scatters energy, which is as effective as absorbing energy. The smaller baffles are to control the amount of energy that will reach the microphones from the back of the auditorium.

The result is that the microphones can be much more sensitive, in fact if you are within about 50 feet of the microphones a quiet conversation would be clearly recorded.
 

Attachments

  • Picture 1.jpg
    Picture 1.jpg
    24.8 KB
Last edited:
Fascinating!

SugarMeida,

:D I'll give it a whorl...
The 'iso mike' recording technique is quite interesting to me sonically speaking.
I will buy an "Iso Mike" recording, because you recommended it, SugarMedia... ;)
 
I just ordered the T Minus 5 recording. Im curious to see how it sounds. Both in stereo and in 4 ch. SACD. Review will be forthcoming.
 
This is the technique used by Stereophile on their latest recordings and by Ray Kimber IIRC on some other recordings. It is reportedly to be one of the most realistic recording methods extant. I have no first hand experience with it as I rarely buy cd's.
 
SugarMeida,

:D I'll give it a whorl...
The 'iso mike' recording technique is quite interesting to me sonically speaking.
I will buy an "Iso Mike" recording, because you recommended it, SugarMedia... ;)

Robin, you're a good sport. Please give your review as well.

Audiophiliac, thanks... very much looking forward to hearing your review/comparison to other labels. ie, Chesky. Songs 5 & 8 are the only ones I'm familiar with. But I'm guessing all will be interesting as it's vocal.
 
Last edited:
Iso Mike Recordings...

Robin, you're a good sport. Please give your review as well.
SugarMedia,

Yes, I will post a review for sure... :)
I ordered: "Iso Mike Recordings 20007A" as well as "Joe McQueen & Friends". I'm looking forward to hearing them as soon as I receive them in the mail.

Thanks again.
 
I have one or more of the stereophile recordings using the isomike. I remember reading about the technology in the cd liner notes. I just don't remember offhand which cd or cds I have. I will do a little research in my cd library and some critical listening and get back to you on this.
 
I have searched through my collection and can't find any isomike recordings. I could have sworn I read about it in the liner notes of a cd I owned. Maybe I just read about it in a magazine or on the web. Anyway, I am curious to hear anyone's take on it when they get to listen to one. I am a fan of minimalist processing in music recording. I have a lot of Mapleshade CDs and am always impressed with the clarity and immediacy of their sound.
 
I have the Hadyn album and it is great!!!! I plan on purchasing some of the others.

It was the ISOMike recordings that they played at the show by Ray Kimber direct from DSD that absolutely wowed the attendees.

Dan
 
My CD came today. I have only listened to it on my PC system (B&W M1 / Martin Logan Dynamo with crappy receiver), and even then I was blown away. Mostly by the dynamics and soundstaging....I will try it on several setups at the store over the next few days and post my findings. :) Good stuff!
 
OK... that quick review is enough for me to experiment as well. Ordered the 2007A today... look forward to reading more reviews and adding my own in the future.
 
OK... that quick review is enough for me to experiment as well. Ordered the 2007A today... look forward to reading more reviews and adding my own in the future.


Same for me too Scott. I'lll order one in the next month or so when I have my usual box of stuff (Junk Food) sent to me from the States.

Looking forward to your review as well.:cool:
 
I heard a demo of isomike recordings at the 2003 Sterophile show. Ray Kimber was pretty impressed with them, I wasn't. Not wanting to be rude to Mr. Kimber, we sat through the entire demo.
 
IsoMike Lovilness...

SugarMedia,

Well, I'm happy to report the "Joe McQueen & Friends - Ten at 86" CD/SACD was a stiring sucess. I was very positivly impressed. Please see my review of this IsoMike - CD/SACD in the Jazz Recommendations section... :D

I enjoyed the "Iso Mike Recordings 2007A" IsoMike recording as well... :D

:D Thank you SugarMedia.
 
Last edited:
I heard a demo of isomike recordings at the 2003 Sterophile show.
A lot changes in 3 years, as we can all attest with our own systems. The IsoMike demo at HE 2006 recieved top sound nods from most of the professional reviewers.

Dan
 
Anyone listened to these in plain CD (2ch) mode? Just wondering if I should hop on the bandwagon without an SACD capable system ... thanks! (did I mention I am very cheap, does not go well with loving music...sucks)
 
Anyone listened to these in plain CD (2ch) mode? Just wondering if I should hop on the bandwagon without an SACD capable system ... thanks! (did I mention I am very cheap, does not go well with loving music...sucks)


Good question... I'm curious too, since I don't have an SACD player.

Also, Dan, did you have thoughts on how this compares to some of your better Chesky or Telarc cd's?
 
Back
Top