From Scratch Quiet Nights (Full Stage Stereo)

Two records on which the same musicians play the same eight tracks. Recorded in the same room, but with different microphones in two different sessions. Stephan Flock and Rainer Maillard from the Berliner Meister Schallplatten label chose this arrangement for this direct-to-disc recording with the quartet From Scratch. On the albums with the item numbers BM2419 and BM2421, the four musicians play with two completely different microphones and room arrangements. The result was: a different sound, a different performance, a different feeling.
In other words, this is the extremely rare opportunity to hear how the use of different microphones and setups can subtly - or not - change the sound and also the interpretation of a recording. Usually, the only ones who hear these differences are sound engineers, record producers, and the artists themselves when deciding how to record a session. But this time, as a record buyer and listener, you will be involved in the process. You can compare both recordings and hear the differences. And since both sessions were created as a direct cut, where no tape or digital recordings are used, but the music is cut directly onto the turntable, you get as close as possible to the sound that the musicians and recording team actually heard in the studio.
The setup for this album includes two Neumann KM140 drum overheads, an Audix D6 (cardioid) for the bass drum and a Neumann KM140 for the snare. Four microphones for the piano: two Sennheiser MKH800 (cardioid) near the hammers and two DPA 4006 Omnis above the soundboard. A Josephson C722 (double cardioid, back to back) for the saxophone. For the double bass, a Sennheiser MKH20 (ball) under the bridge and a piezo pickup in the bridge. We left some space between the instruments and set up some screens around the drums to better separate the microphones. The tight miking of the individual instruments and the addition of some natural reverb from our reverb chamber result in a wide, dense yet airy sound.

Musicians:

• Simon Becker-Foss, saxophone
• Helge Adam, piano
• André Neygenfind, bass
• Dieter 'Zipper' Schmigelok, drums

Selections:

Side A
1. The Way You Look Tonight
2. You And The Night And The Music
3. My Romance
4. My Funny Valentine
Side B
1. Whisper Not
2. Corcovado
3. Stella By Starlight
4. What A Wonderful World