Matthaus-Passion coming up, its a beast! Suggestions?

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:23 am

It might be me just being stupid....but how do I open this file?

It's in some kind of proprietary format...

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 9:40 am

Its FLAC = Free Lossless Audio Codec.

I use Foobar to play it, but there probobly other players as well..

/ptr

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:56 am

Cucco wrote:

It might be me just being stupid....but how do I open this file?

It's in some kind of proprietary format...

oh yeah...Winamp, Win Media player and many others will play it(with plugins)
I like FLAC files because they arent lossy like MP3 and are much smaller than WAV files. Ive freed up a lot of HD space converting this way. Flacs can also be burned straight to CD with Nero. If people want a WAV file I can resend it.

http://members.home.nl/w.speek/flac.htm you can also drag and drop the file into that GUI and decode it to wav. (Or encode to flac for your own stuff)

let me know if you want wav..

Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 11:26 am

C'mon... Just make it a standard MP3's at 128kps and we'll all give it a listen. Confused

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 10:08 am

I used Foobar to audition your material on my cheapo PC speakers.
It sounds good with a nice halo of ambience around the soloist.

Please send comments about your experience with the Deva.
It is made for film recording, but I would like your comments on how it works.

thank you,
PlushSonic

Posted: Fri Apr 14, 2006 1:10 pm

Hey Sir! Thanks for the comments!Honored to have you comment. The Deva is remarkably easy to use, the preamps sound great, and it can be powered via battery(sony NP-1) or via 110-240 AC. Native bit depth is 24 bit(not selectable), selectable sample rate up to 192 khz. I had the version with the internal DVD Ram drive. After the recording to get the data off the Deva you mirror to the internal DVD Ram drive in 4G chunks. You have the option before mirroring to format the DVD-Ram discs in UDF or Fat 32. My pc has a DVD-Ram reading drive, so after I mirrored the data it was just a matter of putting the discs in my pc drive and Drag and Drop.

8 input channels, analog or digi-in. Digi in is used via a breakout cable which is basically a serial connector with 8 cables.(XLR F) The cables are marked input 1, 2, etc. Digi out uses the same principle, on seperate serial port. 10 total channels available to record, (though only 8 inputs and 8 meters). I used tracks 9+10 for a stereo mixdown of the 426>>DAV>>>mytek source. Each input has selectable HPF, mic or line, and limiter. Also trim. Headphone routing is sexy. You can route the inputs to any number of headphone configurations. I had a setup for each stereo pair and one with all the inputs combined.

All controls are done via a touch screen. There are also buttons that serve the same purpose. Faders- 4 hardware, 4 software. Hardware faders on front of the Deva, software faders are in the menu.Both are very easy to use. I left my software fader menu up the entire time so that I could ride the faders. touching any of the channels while recording solos that channel in the headphones. The Deva(with the 3.XX firmware) records in 4G chunks. 80G HD Included.

I am in love with the machine. I really want one. I have no complaints about it. Very easy to use, sounds great, highly mobile and safe!

They hit a home run with this one.

Plush wrote:

I used Foobar to audition your material on my cheapo PC speakers.
It sounds good with a nice halo of ambience around the soloist.

Please send comments about your experience with the Deva.
It is made for film recording, but I would like your comments on how it works.

thank you,
PlushSonic

Posted: Mon Apr 17, 2006 7:59 pm

Re: St Matthew passion:

One thing to keeep in mind is that, while the piece uses 2 orchestras, 2 choirs, soloists, etc, a huge part of the piece is just the evangelist and a small continuo group. While the 'large screen' pieces are important, you must have a 'close in' set of mics for the small stuff.

The times I have done this piece, the evangelist has NOT been down in front where other aria singers have been, but upstage near the continuo group. While other engineers may disagree, I feel it necessary to be able to get this group 'in focus' at will. I have heard 'respected' recordings of this piece where the evangelist and continuo are a distant, blurry sound- impossible to discern the text. So I suggest a pair of mics for the continuo group and a spot, of course, for each singer- but especially for the evangelist.

I suggest you think in terms of mid (arias), close,(evangelist and Jesus parts) and wide-screen (full tutti) mic setups.

So the St Matthew Passion is, to me, music that runs the gamut from a scream to a whisper. That is it's beauty, and, to the engineer, also it's great challenge.

Ex

Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:23 pm

Hello BigRay,

Thanks for the run down on the Deva. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the box.

However, I am put off by the price of the unit when so many
alternatives are available. Perhaps the alternatives do not offer as
many slick features, but they are offering the same sound and multi-track
possibilities.

I mix to two track anyway, so the Nagra V will continue to be our
main machine.

Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 2:38 am

Plush wrote:

Hello BigRay,

Thanks for the run down on the Deva. I appreciate your enthusiasm for the box.

However, I am put off by the price of the unit when so many
alternatives are available. Perhaps the alternatives do not offer as
many slick features, but they are offering the same sound and multi-track
possibilities.

I mix to two track anyway, so the Nagra V will continue to be our
main machine.

Oh, absolutely. It is really expensive. I actually own a Lynx aes16 and Sequoia, but all the components for that system are not complete. I am building it myself so it is taking a while to get everything that I ordered.
Using the Deva was a great experience though I will probably never own one.

Exsultavit wrote:

One thing to keeep in mind is that, while the piece uses 2 orchestras, 2 choirs, soloists, etc, a huge part of the piece is just the evangelist and a small continuo group. While the 'large screen' pieces are important, you must have a 'close in' set of mics for the small stuff.

I agree. This one was particularly challenging because the Evangelist was embedded deep in the choir and sang from its ranks. Jesus/Pilate /Maryetc were actually down front and center for their Arias.

Edit: I can see where JC Superstar and Godspell came from.....the flow and even the music/chord structure in both of those pieces borrows a lot from Passion.

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