#Oktava MK012

[soundworksrecny]

Jazz Recording

Recorded Acoustic Drum Set, Acoustic Upright Bass, Tenor Saxophone, Acoustic Grand Piano, Voice

[artisteaudio]

@oktava.audio #oktava #mk012 #microphones #omnidirectional #cardioid #hypercardioid (à Artiste Audio) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJJA6Q4nDgh/?igshid=3lm1phiij5xw

[jamesmedermusic]

Gotta give some props to my pair of Oktava mk012’s which have been workhorses lately. Here they are covering drum overhead duties for the @blackcatmajestik EP. They capture a smooth openness in the top end that suites cymbals very nicely. It also helps that @chris_szelag plays an exceptional selection of Zildjian/Sabian Cymbals and Tama Acrylic shells 👏🏽 Great tones!! #drums #cymbals #microphone #recording #oktava #zildjian #sabian #tama #smooth #openness (at Pique Recording)

[thetapelessworld]

Embertone works wonders with one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D concert grand to fashion flagship virtual piano

Embertone works wonders with one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D concert grand to fashion flagship virtual piano

Embertone is proud to announce availability of Walker 1955 Steinway D — its virtual piano flagship fashioned from sampling a truly one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D concert grand in insane detail for Native Instruments’ industry-standard KONTAKT PLAYER platform to run as a fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instrument in any AU/AAX/RTAS/VST compatible host application or DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) — as of June 14…

Today, the Steinway Model D is marketed by its prominent piano-manufacturing namesake as a majestic musical instrument — the pinnacle of concert grands. Glowing words apart, history has born this out; there’s no denying that the Steinway ‘D’ is a renowned model, one that an overwhelming number of professional pianists around the world prefer, its impressive reputation resting on its beautiful tone and highly-responsive action, allowing for a high level of musical expression.

Although all acoustic pianos are technically one-of-a-kind instruments, in the end Embertone’s Walker 1955 Steinway D virtual piano flagship owes its name and, indeed, its very existence to a truly one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D dating back to 1955. The instrument in question ultimately made its way to a beautiful rural private concert hall in Raleigh (in Embertone’s ‘native’ North Carolina), designed and owned by John Q. Walker, a brilliant software engineer who pioneered the concept of ‘re-performance’ with a company called Zenph, Inc. As the company’s founder, Walker worked with a team of specialists who, helped by Sony recording engineers, developed a way of analysing old recordings in order to create live re-performances — converting piano tracks into precise keystrokes and pedal motions for playback on computer-controlled grand pianos, in other words. This proprietary technology enabled them to capture and reproduce every nuance of performances by some of the greatest pianists in the world, including Glenn Gould, Oscar Peterson, and Rachmaninoff.

While Walker is no longer involved in Zenph, he still maintains a collection of one-of-a-kind pianos in that 65-seat private concert hall — the dimensions of which were modelled on those used by composer Richard Wagner for the hall in his villa, Wahnfried, in Bayreuth, Germany — where he hosts regular recitals. That truly one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D housed there is equipped with a proprietary system for re-performance, so Embertone was able to precisely capture a staggering amount of sample content for fashioning its Walker 1955 Steinway D virtual piano flagship — 36 velocities for every note with every combination of pedals, totalling 12,672 samples! Saying that, Embertone also captured more than 10,000 discrete samples at various lengths, later implemented in two of its most exciting features: adaptive releases trigger authentic recordings upon note release based upon held length and note velocity; true shorts allow real staccato samples to be played in real-time without having to use any extra key switches or controls, so no matter how the end user ends a note, they will always hear an authentic sound. Above and beyond that, users have the option to play only the dedicated set of real staccato samples, with all of the subtle mechanical sounds and intricate instrument resonances built right in.

Interestingly, Embertone’s virtual piano flagship comes in two flavours — Walker 1955 Steinway D ($99.00 USD) and Walker 1955 Steinway D Lite ($39.00 USD). The former features every pedal combination at 36 velocities per note, together with the option to purchase five additional microphone positions à la carte for $15.00 USD apiece, while the latter offers only sustain and non-pedal samples at 12 velocities per note, without any additional microphone positions. Put it this way, though: those six available microphone positions really represent the piano itself in vastly different ways.

As implied by name, the DEFAULT position is the sample set that ships with both Walker 1955 Steinway D versions, with a stereo pair of AKG C414 XLS microphones placed about a foot above and away from the lip of the piano, pointed inward in an X/Y pattern using the ORTF stereo technique to create an intimate and close sound, so users can hear the subtle mechanical sounds of the instrument, but with plenty of space and air around the recording. Again, as implied by name, the BINAURAL/PERSPECTIVE position is a perspective stereo recording. This time Embertone recorded with a dummy head — affectionately named Bruce, positioned two feet from the keyboard at the typical player position to create realistic spatialisation, which is especially effective when listening on headphones.

The CLOSE/PERSPECTIVE position is captured with a matched set of spaced omnidirectional Neumann U87 microphones, placed around six inches from the strings to capture the sound stage using the A/B stereo technique, resulting in a warm and detailed, stunning sound. Though the U87s lack the crystal clarity of the DEFAULT’s C414 microphones, they have an indescribable colouration to them that makes the Walker 1955 Steinway D virtual piano a joy to play. The WIDE/PERSPECTIVE position uses a modified pair of small capsule Oktava MK-012 condenser microphones positioned as an A/B pair in front of/outside the piano, pointing in to capture a wide player perspective. The HAMMER position was recorded with a matched pair of specialised Superlux S214/U3 cardioid condenser microphones from John Q. Walker’s personal collection. Using the A/B stereo technique, they were placed around a foot above the hammers, pointing down to capture the most intimate and detailed perspective. Embertone collectively considers this to be a favourite for achieving that quiet, cinematic sound sought after by so many in this day and age.

Last but not least, using the A/B stereo technique, the ROOM position was recorded with a pair of small diaphragm Schoeps MK012 microphones positioned six feet away from and eight feet above the piano, pointing at the open lid — the microphone position of choice for anyone seeking a ‘classical’ sound, so Walker 1955 Steinway D users get to hear the lovely room with a beautiful and resonant perspective of the instrument itself. Another aspect that makes Walker 1955 Steinway D so unique is its depth of user control. Considering some users might not need 36 velocities per note — whether because of the musical style being worked with or RAM (Random Access Memory) limitations, Embertone's virtual piano flagship allows for full sample sets and specific velocities to be individually disabled and therefore purged from memory. It also offers a number of customised effects, such as an EQUALIZER (with low, mid, and high controls), SPATIALIZATION (spread), and REVERB (mix), as well as VELOCITY RESPONSE (DYNAMIC SCALING and VOLUME SCALING) settings, plus some custom COLOR (SWEETENING) settings for mastering, should anyone require it.

In a nutshell, Walker 1955 Steinway D definitively grants anyone license to bend it to their musical will with intuitive controls to easily walk between piano worlds — whether cinematic, classical, jazz, pop, or beyond — by virtue of a whole page of simple ways to alter the tone and feel of this majestic Steinway that’s literally like no other on earth! Embertone has worked wonders with that truly one-of-a-kind 9’ Steinway Model D concert grand to fashion its flagship virtual piano. Press to play. Play to win. Walker 1955 Steinway D and Walker 1955 Steinway D Lite are available to purchase and digitally download as 30GB and 12GB fully NKS (NATIVE KONTROL STANDARD®) supporting plug-in instruments for any AAX-, AU-, RTAS-, and VST-compatible host application or DAW running on Mac (OS X 10.10, 10.11 or macOS 10.12 — latest update) or Windows (7, 8, or 10 — latest Service Pack, 32/64-bit) directly from Embertone for a one-week introductory promo price of $89.00 USD and $34.00 USD, respectively (rising thereafter to $99.00 USD and $39.00 USD, respectively). The former features the option to purchase five additional microphone positions à la carte for $15.00 USD apiece, each representing an additional 30GB download. Alternatively, Walker 1955 Steinway D is also available to purchase and digitally download as a complete bundle including all additional microphone positions — that’s 180 freakin’ GB in samples! — for a one-week introductory promo price of $149.00 USD (rising thereafter to $174.00 USD).

For more in-depth information, including several superb-sounding audio demos, please visit the dedicated Walker 1955 Steinway D webpage here:

https://www.embertone.com/instruments/steinwayD.php

Watch Embertone’s enthralling Walker 1955 Steinway D teaser trailer video here: https://youtu.be/nzr_OdxjdOI

  About Embertone (www.embertone.com) Embertone is a virtual instrument sampling company whose mission is simple: sample the heck out of great instruments, and bring them to the composing community to inspire and create awesome new music! As such, their goal is to capture the essence of an instrument and its performer, and program it into an intuitive, musical, and affordable package.This approach paved the way for a next-gen collaboration with Grammy® Award winner Joshua Bell, one of today’s most celebrated violinists.

[stokesloft-blog]

Jonny Morgan Band Live Session

Originally intended as a pilot episode, an artist I play bass for, Jonny Morgan happily agreed to film a couple of songs after a rehearsal that evening. https://youtu.be/8fDiI49o0M4 For the sake of time I suggested a stripped back setup of vocals, guitar, bass and percussion, and then we met somewhere in the middle with a little change of plan and ended up setting up a Komplete Kontrol s88, using electronic piano sounds through Native Instruments Kontakt, a Shure SM7B for vocals, direct and AKG C414 ii plus an SE 2200a (I think) paired in mid-side, capturing pretty much everything but with focus on guitar and vocals. Oktava mk012 pair with cardioid capsules for OH, simply left and right sides of the drum kit. A PVM 512tn(again, unsure on exact model) placed about 6inch from the front bass drum skin. My thoughts for what to aim for are mostly based on representing what's there in the room, emphasising some elements with EQ and in this case a fair dose of mid sized room reverb. The drums could in my opinion do with being a lot more direct, the drummer (Bill Giles) has great dynamic range, but he is playing with brushes to intentionally be quieter so I should have put a snare mic in or brought the OH mics down a bit. The Camera work on this consisted of a GoPro stood overlooking one side of the band, mixed in with shots which were taken on the C100ii by friend and collaborator on the project, Dan Brown, who also assisted in monitoring sound levels whilst I played during setup. Used an old version of Premiere pro to edit this one together, which meant workflow was slow. Wasn't sure about the interview footage as we had both become tired by that point, but after talking it through with JM we agreed on putting it in anyway. Spirits were high during the session however that was always expected given that we work on music together all the time.

[rasmajesty]

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A post shared by Ras Majesty (@rasmajestymusic)

Tracking acoustic guitar for a new tune set to release soon 🔥💪🏾 GEAR: I’m using a @yamaha_guitars acoustic with a 2 mic combo situation. For the top neck it’s a vintage Russian made @oktava_russia #mk012 pushing signal thru an @thisisapiaudio #500series #api512C. The sound hole is being captured with a vintage @oktava_russia #mk319 gutted and replaced with @neumann.berlin #U87 capsule thru a @ams_neve #1073. Routing thru a @lucidsoundaudio #AD/DA #88192 #digitalconverter via lightpipe thru my @wearefocusrite #8preX 💡Analog Heaven = Tasty sounds ! 🔊🔊🔥🔥 . . . . . #audio #music #producer #frequency #audioengineer #Irie #productionstudio #musicproduction #production #studio #musicstudio #analog #vintage #sound #warm #Oktava #Neve #API #Nuemann #Yamaha #Protools #Focusrite #Lucid #analogtodigital #digitaltoanalog #vibes (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz0uHwsh9Dz/?igshid=1gjbsbm5owcvi

[jamiesego]

For this session we went with an AEA R84 over the violin and Royer 121 in front of the cello. I added a pair of Blackspade UM17's in spaced omni about 8ft back and then set up a pair of Oktava MK012 at the end of the room pointed at the wood panel wall to try and squeeze some more ambience out of the room. (at Portside Sound)

[dradaybyday]

From the Audience #19

Original Post for soundboard version - http://dradaybyday.tumblr.com/post/128557569916/september-7

https://archive.org/details/ryanadams2008-09-07.mk012.flac16

Band/Artist Ryan Adams Venue Bank of America Pavilion Location Boston, MA Source Oktava MK-012 Cards > UA-5 (digimod) > R-09 (24/48) Lineage R-09 > USB > WAV > Audacity v1.3.5 (fades, resample, dither) > CD Wave > FLAC(8) Taped by vanark

Set 1: 1. Off Broadway 2. Bartering Lines 3. Goodnight Rose 4. Cobwebs 5. Everybody Knows 6. Why Do They Leave 7. Magick 8. Two 9. Please Do Not Let Me Go 10. Come Pick Me Up 11. When The Stars Go Blue 12. Wonderwall 13. Fix It 14. banter 15. Easy Plateau Set 2: 1. Let It Ride 2. Games 3. A Kiss Before I Go 4. Peaceful Valley 5. Cold Roses 6. Dear John 7. Shakedown On 9th Street 8. Sinking Ships (live debut) 9. The Color of Pain (live debut) 10. banter > Neil's faux metal medley 11. Magnolia Mountain 12. Beautiful Sorta 13. I See Monsters

[jamesmedermusic]

It’s Monday, get the mics set up! #MicMonday • This photo is from a couple months back... but I’ve been consistently using the @oktava_russia Oktava MK012 small diaphragm condenser cardioids as overhead for all my drum sessions. They have a slight presence peak around 5k (snare ftw!) and another bump around 3-400hz. I usually cut a bit of the lower stuff out using a parametric eq but otherwise it just sits so well with the other mics. They grab more of the room tone because of the condenser polar pattern (as opposed to commonly used figure-of-8 ribbons which are usually pretty tight polar pattern wise) so it allows me to mic a little closer than normal as well. I check for equal distance to the center of the snare drum and meticulously check phase with the close mics - always striving to retain the fullness and punch! Really stoked on the drum sounds I’ve been getting lately! @piquerecording • Photo by @garrit_tillman 🙏🏼 (at Pique Recording) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8ZWVgaBzSd/?igshid=14d8qqi277pob

[rasmajesty]

Drum an Bass lock in 🔊🔊🔥🔥💣 @rupert_neve #DI for bass alongside @electrovoiceofficial #RE20, Drums hav a nice setup with 2 original @oktava_russia #mk012 for overheads, @shure #sm81 for hihat and #sm57 for rim of snare and timbale, original @sennheiser #md421 on toms, @heilsound #pr40 on top snare, @audixmics #D6 on kick coupled with our in house DIY guitar amp turned SubKick, a pair of @akgaudio #c214 mics for the room, along with a @michael_joly_engineering modded oktava #mk319 turned #U87 for a wall reflection mic. Vibes and sound criss . . . . . #GrandLionProductions #studio #studioproductions #production #music #musicstudio #brooklyn #musicproduction #musicislife #recording #recordingengineer #recordingstudio #diystudio #gearhead #techie #vibes #knowhow (at Brooklyn, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/BqqStqpFypF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=f8bexqkcs041