Natural interaction, one circle, one take: recording without headphones
At Sound Liaison, we are always searching for ways to make recordings that capture the true essence of live musical communication — no barriers, no artificial separation, just musicians interacting naturally in a beautiful acoustic space.
So when the band came to us with the wish “we want to play without headphones”, it immediately defined the spirit of this session with Gidon Nunes Vaz (trumpet), Karl-Martin Almqvist (tenor saxophone), Timothy Blanchet (piano), Kas Jiskoot (bass), and Martijn Vink (drums).
Building the circle
Martijn’s first request was simple and very human: “We want to stand as close together as possible so we can hear and see each other.”
That single sentence shaped everything that followed.
We started by positioning the piano — the one instrument that couldn’t easily move. Once the piano found its spot in the room, we began building the circle around it.
The drums came next, placed on a rug and moved as close as possible toward the piano — so close that the edge of the ride cymbal actually ended up tucked slightly under the piano lid.
Between drums and piano we placed Kas on double bass, creating a compact rhythm section where communication was instant and physical.
From there, we completed the circle: the horns, Gidon and Karl-Martin, were positioned next to each other, to the right of the drums and at the head of the piano. This gave everyone clear sight lines and a natural stereo field — every musician could see and hear everyone else without the need for headphones.
When the setup was complete, the feeling in the room changed immediately. The musicians were suddenly in it together: no monitoring, no isolation, just shared sound in shared air. The connection was immediate — a conversation instead of a construction.
The acoustic advantage of close proximity
A fascinating acoustic phenomenon occurs when musicians play very close together, even in a large studio: the spill (or bleed) between microphones becomes far less roomy.
Because each microphone captures more direct sound from nearby instruments and less reflected sound from walls and ceiling, the spill loses its diffuse, ambient quality. Instead, it adds definition and presence to the total sound.
Rather than causing muddiness, this kind of spill actually glues the recording together. Each instrument slightly colors its neighbors, creating a natural blend and a cohesive sonic image. The result is a tighter, more focused soundstage — one that feels open, intimate, and incredibly real.
It’s one of the great paradoxes of recording: the closer the players are to one another, the more natural the recording sounds.
Challenges for the engineer
For me as the recording engineer, this close-circle setup brought a beautiful set of challenges. With every instrument only inches apart, microphone placement became a matter of precision and intention.
The goal was not to fight the bleed — it was to make it work for the music. When managed carefully, the interaction between mics becomes part of the recording’s depth, not its problem.
Microphone setup
-
Piano — Inside the grand piano I used an AEA stereo ribbon microphone in Blumlein configuration. Blumlein uses two figure-eight ribbons crossed at 90°, capturing sound from the front and back while rejecting from the sides. This characteristic helped control drum spill while maintaining a warm, realistic stereo image. The result was a beautifully defined, dimensional piano tone that sat naturally in the mix.
-
Drums — The drums were captured with two omnidirectional overhead microphones, giving a full, balanced image of the kit (excluding the kick) and a pleasing sense of openness. These omni mics also picked up some of the piano at a distance, which broadened the piano’s stereo field and enriched the total sound.
To complete the drum picture, I added a Josephson C715 on the bass drum. This large-diaphragm condenser delivers tremendous clarity and weight without aggression. Placed just inside the resonant head, it provided the solid low-end anchor the rhythm section needed, perfectly complementing the natural tone of the overheads. -
Bass — The double bass was mic’d with a Neumann M149, positioned for both warmth and definition — a round tone with enough “finger sound” to feel the pulse. A small acoustic panel between bass and drums gave minimal separation while keeping full visual contact intact.
-
Horns — Both Gidon Nunes Vaz and Karl-Martin Almqvist chose Coles ribbon microphones. These ribbons produce a rich, warm, and smooth tone — perfect for brass and reeds.
Because both horn players performed directly into their mics, and horns are naturally loud sources, bleed was never an issue. In fact, the subtle amount of spill between the horns and rhythm section added coherence and a beautiful sense of shared space.
Recording in Pure DSD256
The entire session was captured in pure DSD256, one of the most transparent formats available today.
When we listened back to the first takes, the musicians were stunned by the realism. Gidon’s reaction was priceless. When I briefly switched playback to PCM (using real-time sample-rate conversion in Merging Pyramix) for comparison, he looked at me and said, slightly alarmed:
“Where is my sound? The sound is gone. Can I still listen to DSD256?”
When I switched back, he smiled with relief:
“Ah, good — the sound is still there.”
That moment summed up perfectly what DSD256 does: it’s not just about numbers or dynamic range, it’s about emotion. Musicians feel the difference. The sound seems to breathe with them.
As Karl-Martin later said:
“I hear in the recording literally what I hear downstairs while playing. It’s fascinating.”
About DSD and real-time conversion
For those unfamiliar with DSD workflows: DSD256 records audio as a 1-bit signal at 11.2 MHz, capturing extreme nuance and transient detail.
Merging Pyramix allows real-time sample-rate conversion between DSD and high-resolution PCM (DXD, 352.8 kHz/24-bit) for editing. This means we can make precise edits in DXD while maintaining the full purity of the DSD256 recording for playback and mastering.
Reflections
This session reaffirmed what I’ve always been searching for as an engineer: a way to capture not just the sound, but the feel of a performance.
By first positioning the piano, then building a true circle of musicians around it, we created an environment of shared air and shared energy — and captured it with the fidelity that pure DSD256 makes possible.
The combination of:
-
the organic circular layout,
-
the carefully chosen microphones (especially the Blumlein piano and Josephson C715 on bass drum),
-
the tight yet natural spill, and
-
the depth and realism of DSD256,
…resulted in a recording that feels alive, open, and profoundly human.
At Sound Liaison, we’ll keep exploring this path. Pure DSD256 recording offers musicians and listeners something rare — an unfiltered, emotionally direct window into the music itself.
Thanks to Gidon Nunes Vaz, Karl-Martin Almqvist, Timothy Blanchet, Kas Jiskoot, and Martijn Vink for this inspiring session.
For more about our DSD recording techniques, microphone setups, and upcoming high-resolution releases, visit www.soundliaison.com.