A/V RoomService Ltd. - Sound Clips

MIT CD

This is the short version. Made in 1996 it talks about 2C3D rooms. These are certified rooms regarding their structure, room dimensions, interior acoustic treatments, electrical, HVAC, equipment, set-up, burn-in, calibration and testing of acoustic room specifications. This certification criteria was headed up by Norman Varney and was in cooperation with; MIT, Spectral, ASC Tube Traps and Avalon Acoustics. There was also a 5C3D certification program.

The 2C3D room recorded for this CD has a room volume of 3,042 cu. Ft., the small room is 1,152 cu. Ft. and the large room is 6,132 cu. Ft.

Click Here To Hear The MIT CD (60 MB)

Note: Human perception is easily fooled, when doing A/B comparisons, into believing that a louder signal is better. The small room is louder than the 2C3D room because the boundaries are closer to the speakers and listening position. It also sounds brighter for the same reason, and the fact that there are no added acoustical treatments. The larger room sounds louder and brighter because of the reverberation reinforcement.

The samples of music were recorded at 90dBA reference acoustic levels, with the exact same playback system. The rooms are the only difference. The first of each sample was recorded in a 2C3D treated environment. The second was recorded in a smaller, untreated environment, revealing bass region problems in particular. The last was recorded in a larger, untreated environment, revealing excessive reverberation in particular. With headphones you will not perceive the typical 3 dimensional soundstage, however, it is easy to notice the colorations in timber and articulation, ambiance, noise floor, etc. Listen closely for changes in emotional impact as well. These are real. Because of the distortions there are changes in attack and decay, pitch, tempo and loudness.

Chain for playback system

• Sony CDP-XA7ES
• MIT MI-350 Reference CVTerminator component interface
• Mod Squad Deluxe Linedrive
• MIT MI-350 Reference CVTerminator component interface
• Coda Technologies Continuum Stage amplifier
• Booth Audio Curved Front A-periodic transmission line speakers
• MIT Z-Cord II power cords
• MIT Room Service speaker/listening positioning
• MIT Z-Center (2C3D treated room only)
• (4) ASC 16” full rounds (2C3D treated room only)
• ASC Sound Panels at 1st order reflection points (2C3D treated room only)

Chain for recording system

• B&K 4006 microphones with nose cone adapters and B&K stereo bar
• MIT MI-350 CVTerminator Proline Reference interface
• Didrik DeGeer custom MOSFET stereo microphone pre-amp.
• MIT MI-350 CVTerminator Proline Reference interface
• Apogee 1000 20 bit A/D converter using UV 22 process
• MIT MI-350 CVTerminator Proline Reference interface
• Panasonic 3800 DAT
• MIT Z-Cord II power cords
• MIT Z-Center
• (2) MIT Z-Iso-Duo
• Monitored with Grado SR225 headphones

Chain for editing system

• Panasonic 3800 DAT
• MIT MI-350 CVTerminator Proline Reference interface
• Sonic Solutions Digital Audio Station
• MIT Proline Digital Reference interface
• Lexicon 300 and t.c. electronic M5000 digital effects (for narration only)
• Pacific Microsonics HDCD system
• Sonic Solutions CD-R
• MIT Z-Cord II power cords
• MIT Z-Center
• (2) MIT Z-Iso-Duo
• Monitored with Grado SR225 headphones

Credits

Produced by Music Interface Technologies
Conceived, written, recorded and mixed by Norman Varney
Narration: Diane Varney
Mixing facility: Varney Studio, Auburn, CA
Editing facility: Paul’s Gourmet Mastering, San Francisco, CA
Digital editor: Paul Stubblebine
Celtic Harp: Susan Dydiw
“Flourish” by Ralph Vaughn Williams performed by the Air Combat Command Heritage of America Band, Langley Air force Base, Virginia, under the direction of Lt. Col. Lowell E. Graham and recorded by Bruce Leek using MIT Interfaces and AC treatment.
Special thanks to Stephen Jarvis for the use of the B&K microphones, microphone pre-amp, A/D. DAT and editing equipment and to Paul Stubblebine for the use of his editing studio!