Phase 4 - Stereo Concert Series: Recording and Mixing Demonstration

Amazon: po.st/l9miMz
Recording engineer, Philip Siney, demonstrates Phase 4 recording and mixing techniques and shows Decca's Neumann M49 and M50 microphones.
Phase 4 is a comprehensive 40 CD overview of some of the most sonically-spectacular albums ever made, from a period when Decca enjoyed a clear technological lead over its competitors.

[@healthywestfield]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this, very informative and knowledgeable. It was great to hear how the normal capturing and mixing process was altered for the Phase 4 recordings.

[@rockinrio96]

+nicksapsford I would like to have seen the recording process itself. How and where he placed the spot mics.

[@dougdanzeisen9608]

Wonderful and amazing video, thank you for sharing this! I still have several of the amazing Phase 4 records and they were exceptional for their fidelity and presence.

[@BarryWarne]

I absorbed the Phase 4 records my parents played every Sunday morning and cherish their sound, obsessively wanting to recreate

[@classicaloracle]

Fascinating insights!

[@arzamaster]

This is a Neumann M50 microphone, with color-less jewel, a M49 has a red jewel.

[@robfriedrich2822]

The funny thing is, initially promoted as something special, becomes it usual. The same was with the Polyfar process, using more than one microphone and catching the room's ambience.

[@FVDaudio]

Excelente.

[@studentjohn35]

He should put on WHITE GLOVES for handle a Neumann M50!

[@russputin6294]

The start of the close micing multi-track rot......... Balancing instruments is the task of the conductor and musicians; an artistic decision not the task of an engineer; his job is to faithfully capture exactly what the musicians are providing without distortion or colouration. What's going on here is equivalent to turning up the colour on a television so the grass looks greener than nature provides. Close microphone placement is equivalent to putting your ear adjacent to, or inches away, from, for instance, the violin bridge; absolutely not what we experience in a concert hall setting. I think it was George Martin who famously hit the nail on the head when he said "anyone who can't record directly to two track shouldn't be in the business" although, later, he didn't practice what he was preaching, of course; exhibit "A" The Beatles.....

[@redriverhautbois]

While I appreciate the Phase 4 records I have, mostly because of the suburb playing and conductors like Stokowski, I can't help but think this was a bad way to record classical music. Classical musicians know how to balance and provide dynamics on their own, a studio engineer shouldn't be adding that artificially

[@thegoodgeneral]

Done very lightly, very tasteful results can be achieved.

[@russputin6294]

The start of the multi-track rot setting in..........

[@dfinedigital]

what console por mixer is this?

[@MICHGO1]

I'D LIKE TO SEE THESE RELEASED IN SMALLER GROUPS. I'M NOT GOING TO BUY A MASS RELEASE OF 40 DISCS.

[@Tojazzer]

Decca should have as embarrassed with Phase 4 as RCA Victor was with Dynagroove.

[@TheTympanist]

Quel tripatouillage ! tous sauf de la musique

[@j.ag.3537]

Je te dirais de ecouter l album phase4 de milos rozsa et revenir sur tes propos

[@AlainHubert]

This has to be the worst demonstration ever of how to record something. Especially when it's being played back through speakers with tons of artificial reverb added on an opera singer recorded much too loudly compared to the rest of the orchestra... Also, very poor camera work with many out of focus and overexposed shots. Crappy all around.

[@thegoodgeneral]

Agreed.

[@TommyTCGT]

Must have lost much´h of the original Absolute Sound through all those wires, connectors, resistors and caps. Shame.