RAP5/3/4 Ben Bradley

[Carey Carlan]

I've never met Ben even though he lives just a few miles away, but I have
this vision of a committed musician who (like most really committed
musicians) is on the verge of being committed. The slightly wild look in
the eyes and shaggy locks stairing intently from behind the harpsichord.
The fact that he isn't performing in this recording does not impinge on my
fantasy.

This was recorded with bare bones gear and with intense attention to
recording detail. With only a pair of 57's, a 1202 and a soundcard he
managed to come up with this very presentable harpsichord recording.

Ben, the 57's rolloff can bad for recording such a bright instrument as a
harpsichord, but you pulled in close enough to offset that effect. A
condensor as close as you obvious set these 57's would have been harsh and
ugly on the high end.

Was this recorded in Lawrenceville at the church on Bethesda Church Rd?

[Ben Bradley]

In rec.audio.pro, Carey Carlan <gulfjoe@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I've never met Ben even though he lives just a few miles away, but I have
>this vision of a committed musician who (like most really committed
>musicians) is on the verge of being committed. The slightly wild look in
>the eyes and shaggy locks stairing intently from behind the harpsichord.
>The fact that he isn't performing in this recording does not impinge on my
>fantasy.

The description, at least the last line, sounds more like the
harpsichordist than me! :)

>This was recorded with bare bones gear and with intense attention to
>recording detail. With only a pair of 57's, a 1202 and a soundcard he
>managed to come up with this very presentable harpsichord recording.

I take that as a positive comment, thanks!

>Ben, the 57's rolloff can bad for recording such a bright instrument as a
>harpsichord, but you pulled in close enough to offset that effect. A
>condensor as close as you obvious set these 57's would have been harsh and
>ugly on the high end.

As I might have said in my notes, I would have used condensers if I
had an operational pair (or knew that the 'problem' with one of my
Teac ME-120's was that the pad was turned on), and since my ears
likely don't go past 15k where IIRC the SM-57's start to roll off, it
probably would have sounded fine to me. :-/

If he gets out this harpsichord again (he keeps it at home, and he
has to have a friend with a van help move it), I may try the ME-120's
on it to hear the difference.

>Was this recorded in Lawrenceville at the church on Bethesda Church Rd?

Yes. The musician on this track is the pianist (and
sometimes-harpsichordist) there. I recently started doing sound system
duty there every other week.
Some parts of the recordings made there have some one-note bass
added from the "boom" stereos of vehicles driving by. I'm sure you
know how it is...

[Carey Carlan]

ben_nospam_bradley@mindspring.com (Ben Bradley) wrote in
news:3f402f00.22301667@newsgroups.bellsouth.net:


> From: ben_nospam_bradley@mindspring.com (Ben Bradley)

>>This was recorded with bare bones gear and with intense attention to
>>recording detail. With only a pair of 57's, a 1202 and a soundcard he
>>managed to come up with this very presentable harpsichord recording.
>
> I take that as a positive comment, thanks!

Twas meant to be.

> Some parts of the recordings made there have some one-note bass
> added from the "boom" stereos of vehicles driving by. I'm sure you
> know how it is...

Which can be removed pretty easily from most harpsichord recordings, but
persist in anything with real bass because that "one note" is a really
fuzzy note!