Reviewer's Music

[Chris A]

Whilst the G4 left a bit of infrabass under the table, it was immaterial on most music and very minor on exceptions. "Loom" from the Miles_Gurtu album of ambient slash drum'n'bass lacked for nothing,

View attachment 5740

Whoa! Reference quality album. Instrumental with other influences. The track Loom that he mentions is absolutely superb.

Recognizing that this is a bit of "necroposting" (this thread started 3.5 years ago), still I believe it's worthwhile to respond to this thread, since it caused me to buy this album recently.

Note that this CD has ~5.7 dB of average clipping (mastering guys call this "limiting")--which is about half the waveform during the loudest passages--which you can obviously hear. Additionally, I can say that there seems to be some amount of mastering EQ applied, but it's difficult to separate whether sparse instrumentation alone accounts for the anomalies (which are not serious) in the cumulative SPL response curves. Generally, there seems to be several mastering EQ curves used for the different tracks on the disc.

I do recommend running Clip Fix and then Normalize to clear all the clipped waveform peaks since they create really huge amounts of high frequency odd harmonics that are quite audible: audible distortion. BTW: I don't agree that this particular disc is "reference quality", but it is enjoyable to listen to--and I recommend it--if it is repaired/demastered using the two Audacity commands that I mentioned.

I'll also discuss another disc, above, that was cited as reference quality. This one is much better, but still has some interesting characteristics.

Chris

 

[odyo]

What song can i use to compare different amps ? A rich/busy song with high dynamic range ? Can anyone recommend one ?

 

[Chris A]

In Vaughan Williams's Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, from the Trondheim Soloists' Reflections (MQA-encoded 24/352.8 FLAC file, 2L 2L-125), the clarity with which the tune is handed off from one member of the solo quartet to another, each solidly and stably defined in the space between and behind the speakers, was close to being as good as I've heard in my room.
Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/content/aerial-acoustics-5t-loudspeaker#KxtwT1soez81D8bW.99

View attachment 5630

Wow, wow, wow! This is a seriously well recorded album. Easily reference quality. Amazing dynamics and detail. And lovely music to boot.

Would be interesting to get the high-res version to compare to this Tidal stream. I might do that. MQA comparison would also be interesting.

This album (physical discs) consists of a multichannel Blu-Ray audio disc and a multichannel SACD.

Looking closer at the multichannel Blu-Ray audio disc (5.1), the average dynamic range (DR Database plugin for foobar2000) is about 13 (dB). This looked a little low, and I noticed that the BD was quite loud when I played it (probably 6-8 dB louder than other multichannel BDs that I own. Upon looking at the actual tracks themselves, I didn't notice any obvious clipping in the waveforms of any of the six channels, but I did notice two things:

1) the peaks of the loudest sections of the music looked like they had been shaved off (and this was the case and the source of the louder playback levels encountered on this BD than other music BDs that I own).

2) The levels of the surround channels were much higher than typical surround sound recordings, indeed they looked like they were the front Left and Right channels in terms of their relative loudness levels.

The first observation didn't seem to affect the quality of the presentation (as if there were many clipped waveforms per second going by, as there were in the Miles-Gurtu disc I repaired, discussed in my post above). But the overall loudness level and the lack of big dynamics made this disc sound a little compressed nevertheless--without the obvious clipping harshness that's audible in other loud discs. I assume that the mastering or even mixing included higher levels of compression (i.e., nonlinear amplification) than is present in live performance, and in most BD music discs. This was my impression while listening to this disc. The second observation was that the surround sound format was an "in the orchestra" microphone placement instead of the usual "in the audience" arrangement, which has little effect on the enjoyment of the music, in my experience.

So the combination of the louder overall sound (conversely--less dynamic range) and louder surround sound channels, as if on-stage, was a strange combination that seemed to negate the "being in the room--on stage" effect of the recording. This was disappointing in that the overall quality of the musicians and recording format was very high, only to be negated by the louder music ethic so common in digital music discs found today (since ~1991).

The SACD version of the recording--which I didn't rip in order to get its DR ratings in DSD format--seems a bit quieter and more convincing as a surround 5.1 recording of live acoustic instruments. I attribute the somewhat smoother sound of the SACD to the flatter phase response of DSD (SACD) from microphone to impressed music track on disc, which seems to be a function of the higher frequency breakpoint and lower attenuation order of the anti-alias filters used in DSD.

Overall, I don't know how to rate the quality of the sound of these two discs, other than to say that it probably would have sounded much more authentic and engaging without the added compression level that was obviously used to bring the overall loudness up on-disc. Having the downmix tracks without the added compression for higher loudness would have been much more engaging, IMHO. These are good discs, but again, I wouldn't rate them as "reference quality".

Chris

 

[Chris A]

Another review picked at random, this time from JA:

"Piano is always good at revealing midrange problems, but when I played Daniel Barenboim's recent solo recording of Liszt's arrangement of "Solemn March to the Holy Grail," from Wagner's Parsifal, from Barenboim's On My New Piano (16/44.1 Tidal stream, Deutsche Grammophon 289 479 6724), I could hear nothing amiss. And the tolling in the left-hand register of Barenboim's unique straight-strung piano, developed in collaboration with instrument maker Chris Maene, sounded suitably majestic with the MBL Corona C15 monoblocks driving the Aerials.
Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/content/aerial-acoustics-5t-loudspeaker#KxtwT1soez81D8bW.99"

Great to see Tidal being used for reviews now which assures a hit when I look for it there .

View attachment 5626

The nearly 8 minute track mentioned is very well done. It has a warm tone which I like and good resolution in how you can feel the strings in lower notes. There is also good bit of reverb/ambience.

Definitely recommended.

This recording was one that I examined from a lossy version available on-line (lossy recordings are those which I generally don't deal with, but did in this case in order to largely undo the mastering EQ applied to this recording). After this disc comes in via USPS, I will be able to comment on the lossless listening quality of the recording itself.

Having demastered many thousands of music tracks in my music collection over recent years, I've become accustomed to hearing the typical mastering EQ that is applied to each of them in order to make the albums more "commercially viable". This process is called "translation"--in other words, the recording is re-EQed in order to match some type of lower quality studio monitor (often these are the ubiquitous NS-10M Studio monitor or its successors) having deficient bass and decidedly non-flat SPL response. But fairly flat phase response such that their step response looks like the classic (ideal) step response curve. This plus some form of extremely wide HF polar coverage along with a smaller direct radiating woofer which loses directivity below ~1 kHz, is combined with nearfield listening in the mastering room in order to partially negate the effects of a bumpy directivity index curve via suppressing in-room early reflections.

In the case of almost all classical piano recordings, this translation mastering EQ for classical piano usually means a gradual downward-ramping attenuation of the frequencies below the typical 450 Hz breakpoint of bass tone controls found on the older preamps and receivers (the amplitude of which of the downward ramping attenuation curve is usually -12 dB at 20 Hz from the 450 Hz breakpoint).

The implication is that the user would automatically reach over and adjust the bass control upwards (clockwise for rotary control) until it "sounded right" for the room and listening position. While this was a tacitly understood thing for classical music recordings, it makes for a very dull and unrealistic--even tinny--sound of the piano if bass accentuation via tone control is not used. This is the reason why flat response of recordings sound so lifeless and artificial when no room curve is used--"translation" mastering EQ.

If however the recording is "demastered" to eliminate this bass attenuation, the magic and majesty of the concert grand piano returns. In the present case, this means that some demastering curve is used on each track (usually the same demastering EQ curve on all tracks if it is a classical album).

Below you will find a candidate demastering curve for this particular album which was developed iteratively using Audacity to see the spectrograms and cumulative SPL response of the track, and extensive listening on a carefully dialed-in system with very flat SPL and phase response. In this case, the following curve was arrived at using this process for the music track mentioned above:



After correcting for the "translation" mastering EQ pre-applied to this recording (i.e., which was placed there by the mastering person--resulting released track that is a typical one-size-fits-all recording) to bring its frequency response back much closer to what a listener would hear if attending the performance live, the recording itself becomes almost mesmerizing. Recommended playback level (accommodating an Equal-Loudness curve--commonly called the Fletcher-Munson effect) is about 80-83 dB at the listener's position.

Having listened to this track a few times with demastering EQ applied, I can say this will likely be a "reference quality" recording (with demastering EQ applied) after it arrives in my mailbox.

Chris

 

[Kal Rubinson]

The SACD version of the recording--which I didn't rip in order to get its DR ratings in DSD format--seems a bit quieter and more convincing as a surround 5.1 recording of live acoustic instruments.

It also measures around...........13. (I don't know why the post appeared truncated.)

 

[Chris A]

Around...? 13? I'd believe it.--if that's what you're saying.

The advantage of DSD, of course, is that the mastering guys can't diddle with it unless they effectively convert it to PCM. Clearly that Trondheim SACD has been diddled with and converted back to DSD. Once that is done, the advantages of DSD apparently disappear (as it apparently has in this case). For the multichannel SACDs that I do own that are apparently pristine (without editing), those discs probably sound the best of all the music that I own--simply because no one has diddled with the tracks--they're effectively the downmix tracks. The three Yellowjackets multichannel SACDs are superb, for instance: Jimmy Haslip's bass is amazing.

BTW: thanks for the instructions on the Sonore SACD ripper. Works like a charm.

Chris

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Around...? 13? I'd believe it.--if that's what you're saying.

Um. Yes.

The advantage of DSD, of course, is that the mastering guys can't diddle with it unless they effectively convert it to PCM. Clearly that Trondheim SACD has been diddled with and converted back to DSD. Once that is done, the advantages of DSD apparently disappear (as it apparently has in this case). For the multichannel SACDs that I do own that are apparently pristine (without editing), those discs probably sound the best of all the music that I own--simply because no one has diddled with the tracks--they're effectively the downmix tracks. The three Yellowjackets multichannel SACDs are superb, for instance: Jimmy Haslip's bass is amazing.

Agreed. I am truly privileged to have a number of completely unblemished hi-rez MCH files direct from the recording session. They are outstanding.

BTW: thanks for the instructions on the Sonore SACD ripper. Works like a charm.

Great. FWIW, I have switched over to this: https://audiophilestyle.com/forums/...ing-an-oppo-or-pioneer-yes-its-true/page/178/

 

[Chris A]

What song can i use to compare different amps ? A rich/busy song with high dynamic range ? Can anyone recommend one ?

I'm not sure why no one has responded to your request thus far, but I can share the type of songs that I use, most of which are are gleaned from the following albums (stereo tracks--I use other tracks for surround music auditioning). Note that I don't recommend using lossy format versions found online, but the original PCM or perhaps DSD (SACD) files from the digital discs. Single tracks off the albums are provided below, but only to hear the genre of music, not for testing purposes--which require the disc or lossless tracks themselves):

James Newton Howard & Friends

The advantage of these tracks are that they not only help you hear the differences in the top-most octave (10-20 kHz), but that they are of very high dynamic range (>20 dB of crest factor) so that you can also hear how quiet (or not quiet, as the case may be) the amplifiers are.

Then there are other discs that are used to check other aspects, such as bass response...

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones - Flight of the Cosmic Hippo

(Actually, the above album has bass attenuation in it that is easily removed via Audacity freeware, etc.)

Then male voice...

James Taylor - Never Die Young

Female voice (deep contralto)...

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car

A little higher pitched contralto...

Norah Jones - Wish I Could (this track needs a little demastering EQ, however):

And a little higher contralto/alto female voice...

Jennifer Warnes - Night Comes On:

Etc.

I think the key is to pick some tracks that you become intimately familiar with and stay with them. Don't select tracks that have low dynamic range, however (as most people make the mistake of doing under the mistaken belief that the genres of music that match what the listen to most often are the best...this is incorrect logic as it turns out). I'd set the minimum DR rating of 14 (dB--crest factor) as your place to begin looking for the best music tracks for auditioning loudspeakers, amplifiers, etc., and for dialing in your system if using DSP crossover...after flattening the SPL and phase response in-room. I also recommend mixing in very clean and dynamic vocal tracks, etc. for fine tuning your auditioning of loudspeakers/ amplifiers, etc.

If you want to hear any of the above tracks in their demastered state, send me a PM. Good luck.

Chris

 

[Kal Rubinson]

(as most people make the mistake of doing under the mistaken belief that the genres of music that match what the listen to most often are the best...this is incorrect logic as it turns out)

Why do you say that? First, one has to be able to tolerate repeated audition of the music. Second, one has to have some idea about how that music is supposed to sound.

P.S.: How are things in Arlington? I used have a business office there a long time ago.

 

[Chris A]

I've noticed that many people play their favorite popular music on (for instance) my system, and say "well it doesn't sound a lot different than my setup", and then I put on something that has double the dynamic range (in dB) and their jaw drops (not that I'm claiming to have cornered the world supply of good sound). Then I can proceed to let them hear the minute differences in amplifier or room acoustics treatments using their "test discs" and then the higher dynamic range disc, and the difference is like that between the living and the dead. To exaggerate, if I put on some mono recording of pop artists from the early 1960s, then something from ArtHaus (5.1 Blu-Ray music videos, etc.), and the system doesn't sound the same. Swap out amplifiers and sometimes the only time you can easily hear the difference is when a much higher sound quality disc is in the player. I find it necessary to listen to something that allows the system to "show its stuff", otherwise I find that I even forget just how different it sounds when something of very high fidelity is put on.

Arlington is doing well. The city has about 400k people (...that's larger than New Orleans the last time I looked). UTA has >40K students. I don't attend pro sports (of which we have three major stadiums here for two teams--Rangers and Cowboys, unfortunately)--but they're far enough away from me that I don't have to deal with the traffic. It's still Arlington in it's essence. It's still too hot from June-September. Other than that, I bet our winters are a lot nicer than yours: we haven't had snow or ice generally stick to the ground in several years.

Chris

 

[q3cpma]

I've noticed that many people play their favorite popular music on (for instance) my system, and say "well is doesn't sound a lot different than my setup", and then I put on something that has double the dynamic range (in dB) and their jaw drops (not that I'm claiming to have cornered the world supply of good sound). Then I can proceed to let them hear the minute differences in amplifier or room acoustics treatments using their "test discs" and then the higher dynamic range disc, and the difference is like that between the living and the dead. To exaggerate, if I put on some mono recording of pop artists from the early 1960s, then something from ArtHaus (5.1 Blu-Ray music videos, etc.), and the system doesn't sound the same. Swap out amplifiers and sometimes the only time you can easily hear the difference is when a much higher sound quality disc is in the player. I find it necessary to listen to something that allows the system to "show its stuff", otherwise I find that I even forget just how different it sounds when something of very high fidelity is put on.

Arlington is doing well. The city has about 400k people (...that's larger than New Orleans the last time I looked). UTA has >40K students. I don't attend pro sports (of which we have three major stadiums here for two teams--Rangers and Cowboys, unfortunately)--but they're far enough away from me that I don't have to deal with the traffic. It's still Arlington in it's essence. It's still too hot from June-September. Other than that, I bet our winters are a lot nice than yours: we haven't had snow or ice generally stick to the ground in several years.

Chris

While dynamic range (meaning high SPL peaks) is very useful to hear low distorsion and compression designs, I don't think that's all. My recommendations is to try these types in addition:
* Complex orchestral music, very often the one with high DR. My pick: Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie; nice historical significance too, as it's supposedly the first thing pressed on CD.
* Electronic music containing almost pure sines and very "distinct" instruments, allowing to concentrate on distorsion and transients. Here, Kraftwerk's Die Mensch-Maschine and Alphaville's Forever Young.
* Very low DR music to see how well the speaker copes with continuous power handling. Fast Eurobeat like Neo - Go Go Money, 2 Fast - Burning up the Night (Total Fire) or Bamboo Bimbo - Kiss with a DR near 5 and overbearing bass with clean high-mids really made my small Dalis suffer compared to my Genelecs.
* Very lo-fi stuff, as a good speaker is supposed to throw it in your face. Personally, I go for Mütiilation's Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul all the time.
* Now this is a bit more personal, but I like to play some viscerally violent music, to test the bass. Swans' Cop and Young God EPs or Godflesh's Streetcleaner are my go-tos.

Now this is just my general and quite unscientific way to do it, as I'm a hardline data guy anyway, but there's still something important I want to emphasize: try some electronic music, don't stay in the usual rock/blue/jazz bubble, as this doesn't really stress the speaker in the same way.

 

[Chris A]

A lot of people I've found just don't listen to classical music (to their great loss, IMO). Classical music makes up the largest portion of my personal music collection by far, but I don't try to impress people that don't like classical with classical music. I use folk or acoustic jazz instead--something that's acoustic-only and well recorded. More people than not I've found do not listen to classical, IME. Same thing for your other genres you bring up--which the person that asked the question may or may not listen to. Best to ask them first.

I have no concerns about thermal issues since my front loudspeakers are generally 104-106 dB/w-m sensitivity. I can understand if you have loudspeakers having 1/10th or 1/100th that efficiency (i.e., 1% or 0.1 % overall efficiency). You made the assumption that everyone uses very low efficiency loudspeakers and I don't believe that's a given. Again, it's best to ask first.

Chris

 

[Kal Rubinson]

've noticed that many people play their favorite popular music on (for instance) my system, and say "well it doesn't sound a lot different than my setup", and then I put on something that has double the dynamic range (in dB) and their jaw drops (not that I'm claiming to have cornered the world supply of good sound). Then I can proceed to let them hear the minute differences in amplifier or room acoustics treatments using their "test discs" and then the higher dynamic range disc, and the difference is like that between the living and the dead.

I don't say that the recordings have to be familiar but, rather, that the music must be familiar. Here's an anecdote. Early in the era of lossless, high(er) resolution recordings, I went to a press show from a major electronics manufacturer. To show off, they sat me in a small room with a multichannel system and played the opening scene from "Finding Private Ryan." Afterwards, they asked me if it sounded realistic and told them. "How the hell would I know. I've never been in a war or experienced live fire. I have no idea what it really sounds like. Great dynamics, anyway.

ArtHaus (5.1 Blu-Ray music videos, etc.)

Variable. Some good, some not so, others.....................
But I do agree that crappy recordings, no matter how familiar, place a limit on assessing system sound quality.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

OFF-TOPIC

Arlington is doing well. The city has about 400k people (...that's larger than New Orleans the last time I looked). UTA has >40K students. I don't attend pro sports (of which we have three major stadiums here for two teams--Rangers and Cowboys, unfortunately)--but they're far enough away from me that I don't have to deal with the traffic. It's still Arlington in it's essence. It's still too hot from June-September. Other than that, I bet our winters are a lot nicer than yours: we haven't had snow or ice generally stick to the ground in several years.

Thanks. I enjoyed my time there despite the business failure.

 

[Chris A]

As you all know, hardware reviews invariably have references to music used during the evaluation. I think sometimes they are empty references meant to put meat on the review bone in absence and to show off one's musical knowledge. But still, I find quite a few gems in scanning the reviews for music.

So I thought I create a thread and have everyone contribute. Let's put a link to the review page and if you can, a youtube of the specific track. If not, just cut and paste the album/artist/track and I will do it.

This thread is, by the OP's request, a "listen to new music" thread. However, thread drift has set in with the request for a list of songs/albums to evaluate different amplifiers, etc. Perhaps it would be wise to keep this thread on the OP's requested subject--finding the "gems" in reviewers' literature that are worthwhile to pass along for their musical quality and recording quality--i.e., two separate attributes. I think it's probably best to start new threads on closely related subjects not on that path.

My intent, above, was to follow up on the quality of some of these tracks that I bought while looking at this thread. I believe that is still within the OP's scope and intent to post those musical album reviews here, in that it wouldn't make much sense to post those reviews elsewhere.

Chris

 

[3125b]

Of all the old CDs I found in my closet Dire Straits - Money for Nothing (1988) actually had the highest dynamic range (15/12/17 with DR plugin), most of their recordings are really good.

Now this is just my general and quite unscientific way to do it,

That's similar to the way my plaslist is structured.
I have some binaural songs and test tracks from Chesky, some generally good recordings from other artists, some good live recordings, pop and metal (negative examples to show how the equipment handles that), some demanding electronic pieces and some classic.
I'm not completely happy with it yet, but it's coming along.
I think that's the right way to evaluate by ear.

 

[007Shortz]

Try the "RMNS Channel" on YT. For me the uploads are ranging from very good to outstanding. But perhaps my ears aren't that good anymore. Make shure to get the quality of 720p or higher for less losses:

 

[foxxx0]

Thanks @amirm and the previous posters for the great suggestions and assessments.

I'll just throw in a couple of my test tracks, even if they might not clear the 14db DR mark, listen and judge for yourself.
Most of them might be Metal focused and some electronic/d'n'b but I've selected the few that have the highest fidelity and clarity, at least to my ears. (I'm a Metalhead, what can I do...)




Tengger Cavalry - Blood Sacrifice Shaman
Overall an incredible album, if you've never listened to Metal mixed with throat singing and mongolian influences you should really give this a try. The Intro "Soyombo" has very deep and full bass punches from what I imagine must be a giant drum, I still get goosebumps every time.

(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Heilung - Futha, second track: Norupo
A great dark ambient soundscape with nice vocals to accompany that.

(The YouTube version seems okay-ish, the Spotify version however is decent)




Swallow The Sun - Songs from the North I, II & III, disc 2 track 5: Songs from the North
Make sure to listen to the "Songs from the North I, II & III" collection for a higher DR compared to the single album versions.
Calming mood with some nice female and male vocals accompanied by a guitar and more.

(The YouTube version seems okay-ish, the Spotify version however is decent)




SuidAkrA - Book of Dowth, 4th track: Biróg's Oath
Metal with folk/celtic while incorporating some traditional folk instruments. Great DR and variety with mostly "clean" vocals (in case you can't stand the usual screaming/growling variants from this genre).

(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Dalriada - Napisten Hava, 5th track: Napisten Hava
Another folk metal track with clean vocals, instrumental variety and some spatial qualities.

(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Dark Oath - When Fire Engulfs the Earth
With respect to fidelity and clarity an absolute gem in the Metal scene. I'm fond of the variety of instruments mixed into this album and different passages from track to track and the bridges within some of the tracks. Unfortunately you will "need to like" the vocals in this album. If you can't stand these, this is not for you.

(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Black Market Brass - Undying Thirst, second track: N.B.T.
Some nice brass instruments with decent spatial qualities and DR. Just feel-good-music, if you know what I mean.

(The YouTube version seems okay-ish, the Spotify version however is decent)




James Blake - James Blake, disc 1 track 7: Limit To Your Love
If you want to shake anything loose from the shelves, this is the track for it. It has some incredibly deep and powerful pulsating bass sequences, unlike anything I have heard before.

(The YouTube version has some video-related additional effects and is thus not representative, the Spotify version however is decent)




Perturbator - Dangerous Days, 4th track: Future Club
The intro sequence lets you just float in bass.

(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Halogen - U Got That
Electronic D'n'B and packs quite the punch, nothing more to say I guess.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W6AN_eQeZo
(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)




Daft Punk - TROM: Legacy
I don't think this needs many words, decent D'n'B album in an orchestral setting, unfortunately only sub-par DR. Notable mentions: Overture, The Game Has Changed, Outlands, Derezzed, Solar Sailer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9KNW9CjngA&list=OLAK5uy_lWbj4x_7hzIp26_ySCNymiJAnkZnD8GJE
(The YouTube version seems okay-ish, the Spotify version doesn't seem to provide a quality improvement)




Maybe someone finds something interesting among these, please let me know what you think and I'd be thankful for further suggestions anytime!

Cheers.


Edit: Just noticed that my post might a bit off-topic, guess I got carried away looking over the previous posters suggestions without any reference to "hardware reviews"...

 

[amirm]

Perturbator - Dangerous Days, 4th track: Future Club
The intro sequence lets you just float in bass.
(The YouTube version is obiously not representative for quality/fidelity, the Spotify version however is decent)

Thanks for posting these. Man, that is some pulsating bass! Added it to my library.

 

[Robin L]

This one's about the reproduction of space, two omni microphones close to a 31 string, 17 course French lute. High-voltage, high output B + K microphones hooked up directly to the recorder, no microphone pre in the chain. I think the low-level self noise is from the microphone, this being an early digital recording. Wonderful, hypnotic music.