MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: Beethoven: Piano Sonatas Op. 57 'Appassionata' & Piano Sonata Op. 111

For this recording we used two omni B&K condenser microphones, capsule #4134, and B&K pre-amplifier 2319S. The specially constructed low noise, low distortion power supply and line driver amplifiers were designed and built by John Meyer of Meyer Sound Laboratories, Inc., San Leandro, California.

The output of the line driver amplifiers was fed directly into the line level input of a Studer Model 169 Stereo Mixer, which was fed directly into the Digital Tape Recorder. The portable Studer console is battery-powered. There is no AC and therefore no chance of hum. The power supply for the Studer 169 console is a sophisticated battery charger.

The B&K microphones were originally designed for high pressure or very loud sound measurement. It is because of this design characteristic that the microphone is able to withstand the very high sound pressure level encountered in music. The highest quality music recording microphones will typically go into "crashing" i.e., gross distortion, at a sound pressure level of 120-130 dB SPL. The B&K microphones typically reach 3% distortion at 160 dB, thus giving approximately 30 dB headroom for peaks. (Stan Ricker)

Manufactured in Japan