Stockfisch-Records

Direct-To-Disc-Recording-Session at Stockfisch

On January 13, 2007 the bassface swing trio landed in Stockfisch Studios. These amazingly talented musicians with nerves of steel are: Thilo Wagner - piano, Jean-Philippe Wadle – upright bass, Florian Hermann - drums. They played Gershwin, celebrating and improvising this music breathtakingly – and swinging! the bassface swing trio performed their Gershwin program twice for the A and B sides and chose cut A1 and B2 for this vinyl pressing.

There are several ways to approach such a project. We decided to go strictly analog. To maintain this cohesion, we kept all recording paths, the mix and the signal path to the cutting head of our VMS-80 cutting lathe analog.

What makes the result particularly interesting is the splitting of the analog stereo sum into three destinations. In addition to the direct analog signal for DMM cutting, we converted the mix into highest-grade DSD format (DIRECT STREAM DIGITAL/2,8224 MHz) - using a 1-bit converter - and into conventional digital audio format, 16-bit/44.1 kHz PCM, as well.

Because this direct-to-disc LP is released with an attached Super-Audio-CD (DSD 2channel-layer), which also includes a CD-hybrid layer. The result is probably the first time the opportunity to compare three formats that are from the same analog source and were transferred without processing to two digital formats.

Jean-Philippe Wadle - double bass

Cutting lathe: Neumann VMS-80, DMM (Direct Metal Mastering) Desks: SONOSAX SX-S and SX-ST
Microphones: GEFELL UM-75, MB 608 CL and the first microphones of our own development with the legendary NEUMANN M7 capsule and transformerless tube design
D/A Converters: emmLabs ADC8 Mk IV (DSD) and NEXUS 28-bit (PCM)
Dynamics: ELYSIA alpha compressor and DRAWMER S3
Speakers: STRAUSS Mastering-Monitor SE-MF-2
Power amps: FLYING MOLE DAD-M100

ELYSIA alpha compressor protecting the DMM cutting lathe in case of unexpected drum-peaks (www.elysia.de).

Also in the analog audio path: DRAWMER S3 and both of our Avalon-EQs.




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THE BASSFACE SWING TRIO











Thilo Wagner playing FAZIOLI F 228 grand piano.












Florian Hermann - drums













Hans-Jörg Maucksch, Christian Struck, and Günter Pauler adjusting Direct-to-Disc Mixes on both analog SONOSAX mixing desks right before the first recording direct-to-disc.











Cutting engineer Hendrik Pauler adjusting the cutting lathe NEUMANN VMS-80 DMM (Direct Metal Mastering). He checks the suction pressure of the vacuum pump, which sucks in the copper-plated stainless steel round plate plane on the lathe.