Misha - New Jazz DSD 256 Recording from Yarlung's Andelain Records

[bmoura]

Would like to hear some impressions about sound quality, some of the Yarlung titles are too bright for me.

Hmm, which Yarlung titles were too bright. I don't recall that being an issue with Yarlung albums.
But I have experienced that with other albums...

 

[MadFloyd]

Hmm, which Yarlung titles were too bright. I don't recall that being an issue with Yarlung albums.
But I have experienced that with other albums...

I find the Frederic Rosselet too bright, probably just the mic positioning.
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/frederic-rosselet

 

[MadFloyd]

Thanks for your question. Most of our recordings, except for full orchestra where we use four microphones, are either one stereo or two mono microphones. For Janaki we used one AKG C-24, similar to Ted Ancona's mic we used for some of the Misha tracks. We used Ted's microphone with a different new old stock tube outfitted and calibrated by David Bock in our later sessions for the Matheson project in November of 2015. This mic with the special tube is spectacular, and I look forward to releasing the Matheson recordings. (Currently scheduled for September, 2016, by the way). We're hoping we can release the CD and 3 45rpm vinyl records at the same time. Fingers crossed for success at the pressing plant. Test pressings will be on their way to me in three weeks. I'm eager to hear them!

--Bob.

Thank you very much for the response, Bob. Janaki is one of my favorite recordings. It sounds so close mic'd (in a good way) that it's shocking to think that only one mic was used. I'm guessing the performers were in a pretty tight circle...

 

[Yarlung Records]

Thank you very much for the response, Bob. Janaki is one of my favorite recordings. It sounds so close mic'd (in a good way) that it's shocking to think that only one mic was used. I'm guessing the performers were in a pretty tight circle...

Janaki is a special recording, I agree, and it is doing well in its first vinyl release as well. Steve Hoffman still has people approaching him for signatures on that CD (and now LP). We recorded Janaki in Zipper Hall, which is a magical acoustic space. From memory, our microphone was about six feet back from the trio.

In the case of Frederic Rosselet, is it the Bach or the contemporary pieces that sound bright to you? I am guessing it is the Bach. Those are all-gut strings on a lovely Carlos Moreno Baroque cello. An entirely different timbre, and yes, that could come across as bright on some systems. Frederic used his cello with a modern setup for the Dutilleux and Ligeti, etc. The contemporary music is on the "active and aggressive side," at least some of it, and that too could influence the bright or dark feeling.

 

[amirm]

OK, I downloaded a second time and it still glitched on track 3. I downloaded again today and that problem is gone.

Alas, the fidelity is still very much lacking. For one, the levels are so low. I am having to turn up the gain by some 10 dB to get it close to my normal listening volume.

Perhaps related, the sound is so muffled/recessed. It sounds like the piano was covered with a blanket and the microphone placed outside of that. Being DSD I can't analyze it with my audio workstation tool so not sure what is going on here.

There is an environment hiss/noise that while a bit helpful in giving some sense of space (there is little otherwise), it doesn't seem to have much other redeeming value.

Maybe I am grumpy from nearly damaging my amps/speakers with those pops . But overall, this is not what I expect from high-resolution music production where every aspect from recording to delivery was under control.

Has anyone else bought the track and can provide a more informed opinion than this classical illiterate that is me?

 

[Yarlung Records]

Has anyone else bought the track and can provide a more informed opinion

Thanks for your questions, Amir. Brian Moura, who began this thread, is away at a conference right now but offered to do some listening again in a few days when he returns.

It is our hunch that something is possibly configured in a less-than-optimum way in your DAC settings.

The volume of this release is as high as recommended in DSD, which is an indication, to me at least, that there may be a different setting you could use in your DAC. Brian is an expert in this, so I'm grateful he has offered to go through this and check.

I am pleased that the new files downloaded correctly without pops this time.

Others have posted great things about this recording in other threads. Here is one remark: "I have been enjoying this album very much this week. One of the more true to life piano recordings that I own." This is from Adam writing on the Computer Audiophile forum. This makes me hopeful we can get your album playing for you beautifully too.

Thanks again for your comments. Hopefully we can get to the bottom of this soon.

Sincerely,

Bob

 

[Yarlung Records]

Amir, what 256fs DSD DAC are you using when you play the Misha files? I see "Mark Levinson, Anthem D2 and Lexicon for DACs/Processors." in your profile for the digital end. Do you also have a DAC that can play 256?

Best wishes, Bob

 

[amirm]

Hi Bob. I have played it two ways to same results. One is native playback of DSD256 using iFi Micro iDAC2. The other is resampling in software to PCM using Roon and then playing on my Mark Levinson DAC.

 

[Yarlung Records]

Hi Bob. I have played it two ways .

Okay! That should do it. We'll see what Brian recommends when he is back in town in a few days. Thanks Amir and a happy rest of the weekend to you. Bob

 

[bmoura]

Well, the opinions on "Misha" certainly vary. On the Computer Audiophile forum, AudioAdam says:

"I have been enjoying this album very much this week. One of the more true to life piano recordings that I own."

After downloading the fixed ZIP DSD 256 edition, I listened to "Misha" in DSD 256 and the DSD 128 version created with the Signalyst Pro software by Tom Caulfield on the Merging Technologies MC-8 NADAC DAC.
Along with several other piano solo and piano duo and trio albums I have in DSD. Some observations:

• The piano on "Misha" seems very close mic'd and up front. Some might even say too up front. Especially when compared to other piano recordings which tend to be recorded more at a distance.
• Some piano recordings are mic'd differently than this one and do sound a bit more stereophonic. In other cases, it sounds like reverb was added at the mixing desk, making those albums a bit warmer and 3 dimensional.
• I didn't find the recording bright. But I did find that (a bright recording) on a solo piano recording in DSD 128 from another record label.
• I didn't convert the DSD 256 files to PCM. But I did listen to the DSD 128 version (free if you purchase the DSD 256 edition). The DSD 128 version sounded very similar on my system.
• Piano recordings in a duo or trio format tended to have the piano more monophonic/in the center, perhaps to accent the added performers/instruments.

Overall, I'd say that if you like the piano recorded up front and direct like this, you will enjoy the album.
If you'd like something recorded a bit more distantly and with more of a stereo/3-D effect, it may not be your cup of tea.

 

[amirm]

I find the Frederic Rosselet too bright, probably just the mic positioning.
https://yarlungrecords.nativedsd.com/albums/frederic-rosselet

So I downloaded this and listened. I don't find it bright. Yes it has a bit more highs than typical cello recording might. But it is still a cello and dominated by the warm sound of those strings.

This recording by the way has some ambience which I prefer to the muted recording of Misha.

 

[marslo]

I have downloaded the 128 fs version , listened a few times since then and for my ears recordings of Antonio Lysy are of better quality, at least I like them more.
I place the sonics of some Fone albums above , would rate the best Fone 4,5/5 , Antonio Lysy 4-4,5/5, Misha would be 3,5-4/5 in my ratings.
I search first the palpability of the sound.

 

[YashN]

The other is resampling in software to PCM using Roon and then playing on my Mark Levinson DAC.

Don't do that.

Prefer the Micro iDAC 2 playing it as native DSD256 instead.

DSD256-to-PCM isn't very good but PCM-to-DSD prior to sending to the DAC is (provided it does native DSD well).

 

[amirm]

Don't do that.

Prefer the Micro iDAC 2 playing it as native DSD256 instead.

DSD256-to-PCM isn't very good but PCM-to-DSD prior to sending to the DAC is (provided it does native DSD well).

My room correction software does not work on DSD so on the front, the PCM conversion is very much superior with anything that has bass in it.

 

[YashN]

My room correction software does not work on DSD

Yes, understandable, as the overwhelming majority of such solutions operate in the PCM domain.

But, if you really want to listen properly to DSD, don't do that either.

Instead, take REW and a good condenser microphone, do your room diagnosis, then implement bass traps and acoustic panels in an organic way.

If there still are major peaks and troughs in your room response, you could still envision using HQ Player to do DSD-domain processing or just leave it at that.

Only ever do DSP processing in the digital domain with PCM if you haven't been able to sort out some particularly bad peaks or troughs after room diagnosis with organic, acoustic room treatment.