Posted by JM Dapena - Summer 2011

The fantastic acoustics of the Peggy and Yale Gordon Center for the Performing Arts plus six RPG diffusors on-stage behind David Russell provide a better focus to the microphones and a natural acoustical environment for Telarc recordings.

The sound can be controlled by absorption, reflection, and diffusion. David Russell recordings are full of scattered sound by diffusing surfaces with a reverberation time ranging from 1.8 to 2.2 seconds in the mid-frequencies.

The Sennheiser microphones are 6 meters from the guitarist on a 2.50m height stand with 4m between them. In addition they have two Coles 4038 microphones at 2.50 m turned right so as not to capture some of the sound of his left hand.

All this environment wraps the spectacular Russell tone with a new sound with greatly reduced finger noise and nail clicking. He used to say: "I like to be dressed in a tuxedo but the audience can not see the underwear".

The principal sound of the audio mix comes from the Sennheiser mics, but to fill the central part of the note and get more presence they ad a little gain from the Coles.

Listen to the beautiful tail of the last note reverb's from Aire Latino CD, Rebolico. He won a Grammy and they had to rent a van to carry all that audio gear. It is worth the effort ..."

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/David-Russell
Special thanks to Zak Weil from Concord Music Group. Photo used with permission.