Sony Archives — AudioTechnology

Sony Launches MDR-MV1 Open Back Headphones

Audio Technology — Mon, 17 Apr 2023 01:43:19 +0000

Sony Electronics has announced the MDR-MV1 Reference Monitor Headphones, designed for professional sound engineers and music creators. The headphones combine sound quality with long-lasting wear and reliability. Their open back design enables accurate reproduction of a wide sound field, making them a suitable option for mixing and mastering immersive spatial sound, such as 360 Reality Audio, as well as stereo sound with hi-resolution capability.

“With the rise in spatial sound and high-quality streaming music services, we are seeing a demand for headphones that can adaptably address and enrich all of these immersive needs,” said James Leach, Category Head for Connected Content Acquisition at Sony Europe. “Sony’s deep heritage in audio is on display with the introduction of the MDR-MV1, a flexible and stylish new option for home or studio use. The headphones prioritise comfort, showcase Sony’s craftsmanship and provide long-term durability while offering users the ability to accurately reproduce sounds, as the artist intended them to be heard.”

Sound Characteristics

The MDR-MV1 offers extended spatial sound reproducibility and accurate sound object positioning within a 360-degree space, as well as clear, high resolution, nuanced sound with a super-wide frequency range and accurate soundstage. The headphones’ uniquely developed driver units provide ultra-wideband playback (5Hz – 80 kHz) with natural high frequencies. This makes it easier for professionals to capture localisation, spaciousness and detailed changes in sound processing. The open back structure of the headphones reduces internally reflected sounds and eliminates acoustic resonances while accurately reproducing natural, rich spatial information and sounds. These robust features support their use in professional mixing and mastering environments while accommodating audio engineers’ highest standards.

Comfort & Design

Engineered with comfort in mind, the MDR-MV1 feature breathable ear-pads and are intentionally lightweight, soft and fitted to provide a pleasant wearing experience, even after hours of use. The MDR-MV1 includes a high quality replaceable, detachable cable with machined aluminium connectors and a stereo mini-jack adapter for ease of use in a professional setting.

“To create great listening experiences for streaming and immersive audio, it’s important for artists and studio professionals to have sound equipment tuned for these technologies,” said Mike Piacentini, Mastering Engineer, Battery Studio, Sony Music Entertainment. “The MDR-MV1, developed by Sony’s Headphone Engineering team in collaboration with Sony’s Music engineers, provides creators mixing both in studios and at home with a new reliable reference point for modern sound design needs.”

Highlights

Studio monitor sound for mixing and mastering
Excellent wearing comfort
Spatial sound creation
Stereo sound creation with High-Resolution Audio capability
Carefully tuned open back acoustic structure
Specially developed HD driver units
Detachable cables for professional use

The MDR-MV1 will also work seamlessly alongside Sony’s just announced 360 Virtual Mixing Environment (360VME) service to free creators from space constraints and heighten reproduction abilities from virtually anywhere. The open back headphones are planned to be available in April 2023.

CONTACT

Sony Electronics: pro.sony

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Sony Sounds Untethered

Audio Technology — Thu, 14 Apr 2022 04:40:58 +0000

Sony has launched the new URX-P41D two-channel portable receiver, supporting MI (Multi Interface) shoe with digital audio interfaces. The URX-P41D, comes with the same features included in the 4th generation UWP-D series, such as improved sound quality from digital audio processing, NFC Sync for an easy set-up between receiver and transmitter, and offers functions such as Auto Gain Mode and Output Level Control which makes the job of recording audio easier.

As part of the UWP-D Series, the URX-P41D will work with all UWP-D transmitters (backwards compatible with previous generations) and will be available as a stand-alone receiver, or as part of a new kit, the UWP-D27, which includes two UTX-B40 Bodypack Transmitters. The URX-P41D is geared towards XDCAM and Alpha lens users for broadcast and news productions, run and gun style interviews, and documentary and series productions.

New features include:
Digital audio interface to improve sound quality
Sony’s Digital Audio Processing, which uses DSP for digital companding
SMAD-P5 MI shoe adaptor enables direct digital audio recording, skipping the D/A and A/D process for better audio quality
NFC SYNC function to allow quick channel setting
Compact form factor with improved ergonomics
Small form factor means URX-P41D can sit on top of the camera or ILC attached to the MI shoe or cold shoe
External Microphone Input and Three-channel mixing function
Stable RF reception using a space diversity reception system
Auto Gain Mode and Output Level Control ensures levels are correct when out in the field

The URX-P41D and UWP-D27 are available from April 2022 onwards.

CONTACT

Sony: pro.sony

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Sony C100, ECM 100U & 100N Hi-Resolution Microphones

Audio Technology — Tue, 05 Jun 2018 03:00:00 +0000

The sleeping giant has woken. Sony has finally released new studio microphones, its first new studio-specific designs in over two decades.

So why now? Is it just having a corporate mid-life crisis, reminiscing over the golden days of mics like the C37? Or was Sony’s revered C800G thermo-electrically cooled tube microphone (released 25 years ago) just too hard of an act to follow?

To understand the reasoning behind Sony’s new microphones, we perhaps need to dig deeper into the guiding principles of Sony’s entire audio vision. Unlike other manufacturers racing to the bottom. Sony Music doesn’t just support Hi-Res audio, it’s built an entire eco-system around it. It makes Hi-Res audio players, both for home and portable, it makes some very nice-looking signature series Hi-Res players and a range of Hi-Res audio headphones which have a frequency response from 4Hz-120kHz.

There’s actually no universal definition for Hi-Res audio, though generally speaking it is uncompressed audio delivered in a higher bit rate and sampling rate than CD quality; 16-bit/44.1k. Typical Hi-Res file formats would be 24-bit/96k, 24-bit/192k or 1-bit DSD or DXD.

It’s polarising, and I could open a can of worms. Briefly, there is a mathematical theory called the Nyquist Theorem. You probably already know it, but it says if the highest frequency component (say in Hertz) for any given analogue signal is fmax then to adequately reproduce that signal in the digital domain the sampling rate must be at least 2fmax. If your sample rate is 44.1kHz, like a CD, the maximum frequency component it could reproduce would be around 20kHz, which is the top of the human hearing range. Or a few kHz above for many. It’s why CDs use a sampling rate of 44.1kHz. On the bit depth side, it’s linked to dynamic range.

Now, why would you need to go any higher than 16-bit/44.1k? Well, there’s a case to be made for having a longer slope to your anti-aliasing filter, which a higher sampling rate affords; there’s also intermodulation distortion; quantisation noise; and loads of other things you can obsess over once you crack the seal on this particular can.

The takeaway is that a higher sample rate and higher bit rate yields a greater frequency range and larger dynamic range. Whether you can hear it is up to you.

SONY’S NEW CLASS

Sony has a big stake in the Hi-Res audio market, manufacturing sound systems for listeners to enjoy Hi-Res recorded works means it supports Hi-Res content creation by labels. That support led it to recognise a possible weak link in this high-end audio chain. It’s no longer file formats or playback systems, it’s the capturing device itself.

While interfaces, DAWs, plug-ins and even some digital monitoring systems have embraced this rarified air, microphones have rarely bothered to focus on anything humans can’t hear.

Sony wanted to do something about that, and has created three new Hi-Res-capable transformer-less microphones: the C100, the ECM100U and the ECM100N.

NEED TO KNOW

PRICE

Expect to pay
C100 – $2595
ECM100U – $1795
ECM100N – $1650
CONTACT

Dynamic Music: (02) 9939 1299 or info@dynamicmusic.com.au
PROS

Impeccable detail
Natural frequency extension
Consistent performer
CONS

None
SUMMARY

It’s been a long time since Sony delved into high-end microphone design. The last time it did, it released an instant classic, the C800G. While these new mics are focused on bridging the gap with Hi-Res audio, they’re simply astoundingly transparent mics.

I had the opportunity to try these microphones out in my Blue Mountains studio, where the C100 arrived in a very sturdy plastic protective case accompanied by a purpose-built shock mount. At first glance it looks like a standard side-address large-diaphragm condenser, but inside holds a rather unique snowman-like dual-capsule design. The 25mm bottom diaphragm is designed to capture a response range of 20Hz to 25kHz, while the smaller 17mm capsule on top captures 25kHz to 50kHz.

The microphone is very well built and incorporates some of the anti-vibrational design of the C800G microphone. It’s not a large microphone at all, which is a great advantage in studio work. The C100 has three available polar patterns: omni, cardioid and figure eight, accessed by a firm switch mounted just under the logo.

The first instrument I recorded with the new C100 was an acoustic guitar. I recorded the guitar with the microphone in cardioid and pointed slightly towards the lower edge of the bridge. In cardioid the microphone is very focused. However, the guitar was being tracked solo so it didn’t afford a great deal of insight regarding off-axis or rear rejection. Using a Maselec preamp, the guitar sounded very clear and clean. The image was quite focused but never felt unreal or too forward at any point. I went on to record violin and uke with the C100. All the recordings were airy, open and true, without a definable mid presence or peak.

My studio is very focused on piano recordings and we are fortunate enough to have one of the finest concert grand pianos in Australia, in our main room. It’s always a good test for any equipment, be it microphones, preamps or monitors. It was here that I really put all three new microphones to the test.

TRIO OF TESTS

I had a trio of some of Australia’s very finest players coming in for nine days of recording. We were recording new modernist compositions from Australian/New Zealand composer Alan Griffiths with concert pianist Nicholas Young, violin played by Dominik Przywara, and orchestral musician George Yang on cello.

Sony didn’t have enough production models available to send a complete kit to me at the time of recording so I miked the concert grand with my own studio microphones. I used the C100 alongside a Brauner VM1 on the cello, both in cardioid as it was in the same room as the piano. The violin was isolated and mic’d with both Sony ECM 100U (cardioid) and ECM 100N (omni) smaller condenser mics, as well as a vintage 1974 Neumann U47.

One of the challenges I most enjoy when recording instrumentalists is they intimately know the colour and nuances of their instruments and how they should sound. Once we were finished tracking, we all sat together to listen to the new microphones.

The Brauner VM1 is a fantastic microphone. It’s a modern design that’s also valve. I don’t think we can sincerely compare apples to apples, but after a few listens all of us chose the C100 in cardioid over the Brauner. The Brauner is superb but the C100 actually seemed more open, with more space around the instrument. The cellist, George, played with great passion and strength, and the C100 held the accuracy and SPL of this ferociously played cello, whereas at times, the Brauner seemed to be ever so slightly gathered in the 1.5kHz region. This could likely be corrected with a little more distance from the source. We could have chosen either recording but used the Sony for the final mix.

The violin sounded so sweet through the Neumann U47 and custom-built Giles Audio valve preamp. The mic is in mint condition, so rich and musical. You’d be hard pressed to find a geezer who wouldn’t think that combo of virtuouso violin-playing and vintage mic sounded great. However, we all chose the Sony ECM 100N omni. Its detail, ability to handle the extreme highs of the violin, and overall accuracy in capturing the dynamic range and intensity of the playing was outstanding. The cardioid we had in the room sounded good, but was possibly not in the correct position and distance from the violin for it to be in the running. Again, we could have used the genuinely beautiful Neumann recordings, however, all our ears immediately gravitated towards the Sony.

The violin sounded so sweet through the Neumann U47 and custom-built Giles Audio valve preamp… However, we all chose the Sony

MIC POSITIONS

For a look at Craig’s hybrid Decca Tree setup and Blumlein positions, check out this video filmed during the sessions.

THIS TIME IN STEREO

The following week I was back in the studio recording a classical pianist and violinist. By then I’d received an additional C100 to try a Blumlein setup on the piano, which is ideal for that genre of music. On the violin was an augmented Decca Tree setup I have used a number of times in my studio for classical violin recordings. I had a pair of the ECM 100N omnis in a close stereo spaced pair with the ECM 100U (cardioid) as the centre forward-projecting microphone. The way I use this array is still in the equilateral triangular shape, but I move the inner cardioid microphone to focus on capturing some of the atmosphere from directly above the player. It’s slightly off axis and not pointing perfectly towards the violin, which takes some work to get right. Too much here or there and the image is out and the violin moves from left to right. Get it right and it sounds extremely natural and the violin seems to inherit a space rather than be the centre of an image.

The C100s performed exceptionally well, netting a little wider image than previous microphones I’ve recorded with. I really took my time with the setup and felt I had the right length of note for the space and music being recorded. The definition in the lower bass notes from the piano was exactly what you could hope for when recording an instrument like this. The microphones easily handled the huge range and sound pressure of the concert grand; you could not hope for a more transparent and lovely image. My homemade mongrel Decca Tree worked well too. The violin can at times be very hard to capture as a sound recordist. It can also be quite a subjective sound; it’s a good idea to listen well and ask the violinist about their preferred elements of their instrument.

Last year, my studio was involved in a very large project where we had almost 24 weeks of continuous violin recordings and mixing/mastering. Needless to say, I have some experience with the instrument. Another joy of this array is that when placing an accompanying instrument, you can very subtly place the image slightly to the left or right depending on how it naturally sits to your ear. This gives a very realistic and true positioning of the instruments, even though they are recorded in isolation, in two separate rooms, with two different atmospheres.

The two smaller Sony microphones utilise the 17mm diaphragm from the C100 design, and work in the range of 20Hz to 50kHz. There would appear to be no real points in that frequency range where anything is particularly exaggerated, though the cardioid is obviously quite different to the omni. These are both sensational microphones. The challenge of capturing the very upper register of the violin was effortlessly overcome with both designs and the silkiness of those higher frequencies was a real joy.

To sum up, I must say that recording with all three members of Sony’s new High-Res series of microphones was a great success. They seem to have limitless openness when capturing sound sources and I doubt any instrument would be too hard for them. The C100, I believe, is a very interesting design and a studio all-rounder. I did not get to try it on vocals but the way it captured the stereo image of our studio’s concert grand was, in a word, stunning.

NEUMANN VS SONY

Mastering engineer and tech guru Dave Askew helped fill out the picture of what the Sony mics are actually capturing by comparing Craig’s piano recordings using a stereo pair of Neumann KM84s versus a pair of Sony C100s . As you can see, there’s barely anything going on above 20kHz or so on the Neumanns, yet there’s a remarkable extension to the Sony sound. For a better look at Dave’s process, let him walk you through his comparison in a video here or watch it below.

Neumann

Sony

FUTURE IMPRESSIONS

Is High-Res the future of music? I’m not the person to answer that, though I sense many of us who have been working in this industry for years can sense we are still a little in the wilderness. What is apparent, though, is a huge sense of nostalgia in the recording industry, perpetuated by re-releases of classic equipment, both in hardware and software emulations. This might reveal a longing for a time when we knew where we were heading, or perhaps a lack of imagination. Either way, Sony has made three modern designs for the modern era of sound recording and whether you’re sold on Hi-Res audio or not, they’re still great mics. We should all be thankful for a new sound, a new song, a new day.

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Sony WH-1000XM2 Bluetooth Headphones

Mark Davie — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 23:00:00 +0000

Bluetooth headphones aren’t the stock-in-trade for AT reviews; notwithstanding, we all have smartphones and like listening to music on the go. We thought we’d look at what’s out there for the discerning travelling engineer/producer who wants to go wireless.

Sony’s noise cancelling is right up there with the best. Without any content streaming through, the silence is almost draining, close to the disorientation of hanging out in an anechoic chamber. You’ll be thanking Sony when you step off a long haul for its efforts though, having curtailed the tiring effects of a consistent rumbling plane engine in your ears.

BLUETOOTH FLAVOURING

While these puppies will work with the supplied cable just fine. Admirably, Sony has also ‘wired in’ every current means of delivering ‘hi-res’ audio over Bluetooth. First, Sony’s own LDAC technology, which ups the transfer rate from Bluetooth’s own limited 328kbps, to 990kbps. Still not enough to transfer an uncompressed 16-bit/44.1k WAV, but Sony says it uses the extra bandwidth to let it encode higher resolution formats with less loss. Unfortunately, you need Sony products at both ends, which I don’t have.

For those already existing outside the Sony paradigm, Qualcomm’s AptX HD codec is also built-in. This supposedly allows you to transmit 24-bit/48k LPCM data over Bluetooth, which sounds like the bees knees when compared to MP3, but it’s still not a lossless format. Essentially, it uses a bit rate of 576kbps, and uses a split band adaptive differential pulse-code modulation (ADPCM). Unlike PCM, which transcodes each sample at a specific amplitude, it simply transcodes the difference between adjacent samples. The split-band part is where Qualcomm divvies up the encoding bit-level by frequency band, so you’ll have four-bit encoding in the low frequencies, and 10-bit encoding in the highs, where you need more detail. Then it’s all summed together in the listening device. It’s pretty impressive stuff, but once again, it’s device specific. At the moment, it’s onboard phones from LG, OnePlus and HuaWei. Samsung, and other Android devices carry the standard 16-bit/48k LPCM AptX variant.

iPhones have neither, leaving you with bog standard Bluetooth SBC encoding. Sony has a fix for that, too, with its DSEE HX Technology. It’s supposedly undoing the damage done by compressed codecs. How, is anyone’s guess outside of Sony. It would mostly give a slight high frequency lift, which would push up the ride and percussion sounds on things like Radiohead’s Reckoner and drive the sound stage out to the edges. I never noticed the DSEE HX filter to be demonstrably artificial and it was satisfying enough to leave on.

NEED TO KNOW

PRICE

$499.95
CONTACT

sony.com.au

HEAD SPINNING CONTROL

DSEE HX can be controlled via Sony’s Headphone Connect app, which also lets you do weird things like control where the sound is coming from. You can turn this phasing trick off or pick one of the five different points of a surround system to send it to different points around your head. Why, who knows? You can also add different reverb effects. Again… pointless for music listening. There’s an EQ too, which I left well alone.

The app can also individually tailor the noise cancelling to your environment and your current hairstyle. It seems it was pre-set for short back ’n’ sides, because my custom profile didn’t seem to tinker too much with the existing formula.

Bluetooth pairing is a doddle, just hold down the power button until it starts flashing. Onboard NFC makes it even quicker for users that have a compatible device. You can also switch noise cancelling on and off from the headphones, or adjust the amount of ambience pushed back into the cans. There’s also the ability to take and make calls as well as navigate your playlist and adjust volume, all from the touch-sensitive side of the right ear cup.

Fact of the matter is, you can still wire these in, and they sound like a good $250 pair of headphones. It’s when you put the noise cancelling on, even in mildly noisy environments that these cans really stand out. Everything clears up dramatically.

These are a great pair of everyday, go anywhere Bluetooth headphones. They may be slightly on the expensive side, but that’s because Sony has pulled out all the stops to deliver the best possible listening experience in any environment, for any device. These are a workhorse of personal listening, with 30 hours of battery life, that just happen to look and feel great too.

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SONY UNVEILS SONIC SURF VR

Audio Technology — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Sony unveils Sonic Surf VR at SXSW 2018, a unique suite of spatial audio technology combined with new multi-channel speakers and specially developed software designed to simulate popping, moving, and partitioning sounds in one space using an intuitive software application. The result is an interactive space where sounds move freely around within a space to create immersive experiences.

Sonic Surf VR is suitable for wide range of applications, such as location-based entertainment like theme parks, special events, exhibitions, museums, aquariums and corporate showrooms. As a stand-alone audio experience or combined with digital signage, projection mapping and lighting, creators and producers who are producing attractive and dynamic content with additional, innovative special design elements can further enhance the value of their work.

Sonic Surf VR has been demonstrated at the various events and exhibitions including live event of the brand campaign called “Lost in Music” (2018) as well as ISE (2018) and received lots of great responses.

At SXSW 2018, Sony will have two unique demonstrations of Sonic Surf VR.

In the first demonstration, Ghostly Whisper, participants are invited to a series of simulated paranormal events designed to stimulate the senses, surrounded by the immersive sounds. The demo also shows the Sonic Surf VR’s capability of virtual sound partitioning; sometimes certain sound can be only heard by selected person, even if all are in the same room.

This demonstration is held in collaboration with Universal Creative, the division within Universal Parks & Resorts that designs and creates theme park attractions and experiences around the world.

Thomas Geraghty, Director of Technology & Innovation, Advanced Technology Interactive Group, Universal Creative, Universal Parks & Resorts said, “At Universal Parks & Resorts, our attractions place guests in the midst of an incredible adventure that relies on compelling storytelling and great characters. To help all of that come together often relies on cutting edge technology and we search worldwide for unique and innovative ideas. One of the places we’ve found that is with Sony.”

He continued, “Sony’s one-of-a-kind solution, Sonic Surf VR could be a key element to create attractive and dynamic attractions at our theme parks and resorts in the future. We expect the Universal Creative collaboration with Sonic Surf VR to offer customers exciting and unforgettable experiences.”

A second demonstration, Acoustic Vessel Odyssey allows visitors to immerse themselves in music, enabled by a one-of-a-kind combination of music and Sonic Surf VR that creates a space where sounds are free to move around. Using 576 speakers controlled by its sound field synthesis technology, visitors will be taken on an unforgettable audio voyage through time and space. Enveloped in a dynamic wave of sound, guests will undertake an epic journey spanning cityscapes and lush forests, the depths of the ocean, and even the outer reaches of the solar system. The audio is accompanied by a pioneering light installation.

Sonic Surf VR is the industry first packaged solution which combines Sound Field Synthesis with speakers, a control unit and software based on an algorithm unique to Sony. It is also scalable depending on customer needs and location size. The authoring software license and player software licenses will be available in different durations to enable flexible operations.

The Sonic Surf VR will be available from June 2018.

Sony: www.sony.com.au

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