Dear Mike Skeet leant me this 4 capsule beast and this week I've done an opera in a garden cloister, a 14 voice plainsong choir in Gloucester Abbey, a Trumpet ,Soprano and Organ in Cirencester Abbey and Evelyne Glennie and a 16 pc string Orch in Cheltenham Town Hall ...
The results are excellent,light and airy top but with meaty bottom end.
I have arranged the 4 fixed capsules in Fig 8 MS.
Because the capsules are back to back in pairs they are not exactly coincident, and when I null one pair the depth of null is not the same as with a single capsule (MKH 30)
This gives rise to some location annomalies in metering and cans monitoring, but sounds fine on the Quads at home.
M = Top capsule ch 1, + phase pan centre and ch2, - phase pan centre.
S = Bottom capsule ch3, + phase pan left and ch4, - phase pan right.
Direct to stereo

Really I need a jellyfish display, but I press the mono button a lot, just to reassure myself.
There is so much phase information bouncing around Abbeys and Cathedrals, especially with sopranos and trumpets, and Evelyns percussion was coming from every surface to.

Im trying for lower mike position than above the conductors head, as I usually do.
Its difficult in live audience performance.
Last night I was in front of the conductor,just below eyeheight ,for eye contact.
Very intimate sound, instead of the birds eye view, very Hollywood sound stage.
Enjoyed it for a change.

The performers were on the floor ,instead of the stage, which was draped off, the audience was on stadium risers.
Sounded better than the normal 'TownHall' sound.

The characteristic sound is different from my MKH 20/30/40 MS pairings, and the all in one construction is a boon, but the phase coincidences sometimes look alarming and monitoring on cans in that situation needs experience.





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I am the Walrus.

The more I have used this clever array on location the more I am impressed with its build and sound qualities.
The ability to control sides and rear in situ is a boon.
Especially the rear,pesky audiences can be tamed and slap from rear walls reached for, or defeated.
Last night I was recording a Steve Reich Saxaphone quartet piece, with flown in cd track over the house PA, and floor monitors, in a very modern Performance Theatre, with excellent acoustics.
The ability to control rear and sides was paramount for a live to stereo.

Monitoring on closed cans needs some experience and determination, the full spatial image is revealed only on open back cans (HD600's) but these are not suitable for recording duties as I am mostly situated in or around the audience.

The D60 is exceptionally quiet, very clean and fast and will take level a plenty (the sax players were as loud as Eveleyn Glennie and a 16 pc string band!)

One improvement is to add a big Rycote Lyre suspension, which make it immune to stage noise and bumps. (Had one enthusiastic conductor jumping up and down on a stage rosta in the Pump Rooms)

I fitted it with an AKG spherical ball gag (from a D25) for an exterior Opera, that worked well too.

Very versatile bit of kit.

Roger

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I am the Walrus.