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Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT Setup Questions

I just purchased a used set of Vandersteen Quatro Wood CT speakers that will be delivered in a week or so. I am going to be doing the setup myself (help of my brother also). The Vandy Quatro / CT manual has very good detail and I am reading, preparing and starting to really understand the process. 

Vandersteen recommends using natural instrument Jazz recordings because they say these offer the most realistic and accurate sonic reproductions. They even recommend using Ray Brown Soular Energy. Can anyone recommend any other similar reference recordings?

Does anyone have any general recommendations and tips for Vandy speaker setup? Any suggestions are appreciated, thank you.




pilrem
audionoobie's avatar
audionoobie
374 posts
 

@pilrem 

"Step 7 - Set speaker tilt. "listen to Jennifer’s voice" - and that placement needed to be recreated. I was told that Jennifer was standing when this song was recorded. As tilt was adjusted, Jennifer’s voice raised from low between the speakers to about 5 ft above the floor, pinpoint, right there so it felt as if you could grab it."

In the studio the microphone has no idea whether a performer is seated, standing, or lying on the floor. The engineer also has no way of encoding vertical information into the recording. They have pan, which will locate an instrument from left to right, and will use track levels and reverb often times to give the impression that instruments are located closer or farther away. But to the best of my knowledge, there is no way to encode vertical information into a recording.

I'm very happy to hear that you got your system dialed in though. I wish I could afford Quattros at the moment. Enjoy!


pilrem OP
40 posts
 
In the studio the microphone has no idea whether a performer is seated, standing, or lying on the floor. The engineer also has no way of encoding vertical information into the recording. They have pan, which will locate an instrument from left to right, and will use track levels and reverb often times to give the impression that instruments are located closer or farther away. But to the best of my knowledge, there is no way to encode vertical information into a recording. 


Interesting. I must admit that I am not competent to answer such a question but my ears can hear 3d imaging when it is present. My question is How does this explain single mike recordings? I am specifically thinking of Chesky Records - The Ultimate Demonstration Disc - Track 23 - Festival to Deum.

I am not trying to be a smart ass in any way. When I think of clean single mike jazz or similar recordings the soundstage can be amazing.

I can also tell you that when this adjustment was made, it locked everything in. 
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
"My question is How does this explain single mike recordings?"

Typically, the mixing/mastering will run the entire two channel mix down though a stereo processor and this will give a 3D quality even if the track was mono. Another technique often used is that, unless live, many vocalists double track the vocal to thicken it. A small panning L/R of these two mono tracks will create a huge 3D effect. Some are better than others at achieving such vocal reproducibility. In the digital world, one can also copy a mono track and then provide slight reverb or delay with different settings to each of the two mono tracks and then, again, slightly pan L/R each mono track to create the 3D effect. I’m sure there are many other methods (tricks) that are commonly used to create such depth.
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,111 posts
 
Even with my big vocal ribbons in a larger space there is floor and ceiling bounce which get encoded
easy to hear
but reverb and other tricks can get things out of control also... I call it Ten feet Tall Diana Krall....
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