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  1. #1
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    Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Last week, we were lucky enough to be invited by Bert van der Wolf, recording engineer with 3 decades of experience.
    Thank you, Ben van Leliveld, for arranging this visit!

    We were thrilled about this event, as we enjoy his albums so much.
    We own dozens of them, and listen in multichannel in our living room.

    He started his own label, Turtle Records some 2 decades ago.
    He has worked for almost all the major labels in the world, and has been on the payroll of dCS.
    Since dCS left the pro-world, he is working with Merging Technologies, like many recording engineers do.
    Lately, he's also the importer of Merging Technologies for Germany, Austria, The Netherlands and Belgium.

    I won't repeat information that has been everywhere on the web.
    Like this good interview here: https://www.psaudio.com/article/bert-van-der-wolf/

    His studio is situated in a quiet neighbourhood in a little town in The Netherlands.
    You wouldn't expect that behind a very "normal" looking facade, some of the greatest recordings of the world are being mixed.

    Bert was waiting for us, with good coffee and tea, and started to tell about his career, but also his children.
    You can easily sense Bert's passion.
    The love of the music is the driving force in his life.

    The place he's working in is the fruit of steady improvements and adjustments.
    It's a warm and welcoming room.
    I could see myself functioning here, it is inviting.
    Room treatments have evolved from Bert's own efforts till the RFTS devices that Ben himself has installed.

    This is the studio when it is cleaned up, a couple of years ago.
    Bert sent it to us after our visit.
    Maybe to give a tidier impression?




    The other pictures are taken by my wife Meta, my faithful audio companion.
    I do prefer his studio like this, it is much cosier.

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  2. #2
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    9 Avalon speakers, of which the Eidolons are the left and right front speakers.

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  3. #3
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Bert told us a couple of anecdotes.
    Like the circumstances in which he sometimes has to record orchestras.






    Sometimes, you arrive, and the orchestra's waiting impatiently in the concert hall.
    Then you have 30 minutes to set up the microphones, acoustic devices, and your own little surround system, somewhere in a small room.
    It's sheer experience that steers you through such rough circumstances to still capture the qualities of the orchestra.

    Very often, your reputation alone, is already enough to soothe the stress that ensembles often have when they are to record.
    They only have limited time in that expensive recording studio, will they succeed?
    And you enter, they relax and you see them thinking: Now everything will be alright!

    .
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  4. #4
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands




    My 5 large Avalon speakers are already more than 10 years old, says Bert.
    So, with newer designs, I could maybe reach even better sound, but I'm so used to this system, that I will not change them now.




    A turtle on every Avalon.
    A statement, not a voodoo device.

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  5. #5
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands








    Lovely artefacts everywhere.

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  6. #6
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands






    A true master clock?!



    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  7. #7
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands




    Turtles everywhere...

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  8. #8
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    These are not your most common artefacts: the Merging NADAC stack.









    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  9. #9
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Amplification by Spectral:



    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  10. #10
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands






    Lots of wires of course.




    Bert knows from experience that cables do matter.
    But also that very often, in recording venues, not the best wires are used.
    It would simply cost too much.
    You try to sit as close as you can to the orchestra or ensemble, but that ca still be dozens of meters away.
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  11. #11
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands




    Enough talking!
    How does it sound?!
    Bert let me take place in the master and commander seat.

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  12. #12
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    We started with this:




    Only three musicians, but also here, having sound coming from 5 equidistant speakers (the floor has a pattern of a star ad the chair is placed exactly in the middle), shows it added value!
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  13. #13
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands




    It sounded really good.
    I mean, really good!
    Very lifelike.
    You can put here all the audiophile words that are usually written in a review of good gear.
    I will content myself in saying: "Yes, I can imagine the musicians in this room, playing at this very moment."

    When I bent a little forward, it became even better.




    Yes, that's how I am positioned when I'm working, said Bert.
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  14. #14
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Next recording:




    Gunar Letzbor is one of my favourite violinists.
    Don't expect smooth playing from him.
    His interpretations of Biber, Vivaldi, and these Mayr pieces will not caress your senses, but excite them in a slightly edgy way.

    Again, impressive reproduction of music.
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  15. #15
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    How would a bigger ensemble fare in this room?




    La Mer sounded how it has to sound.
    Just right!
    Impact, soundstage, separation of instruments, it was all there.
    This comes from a music lover, who attends some 20 classical concerts per year.
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  16. #16
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    More goodies?
    Oh yes!




    The live atmosphere perfectly recorded and reproduced.
    I adored it!
    Where the source (the performance and the recording of it), the gear and the room are all terrific, you get this kind of an experience...
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  17. #17
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Last one with the Merging NADAC + power but without the clock:




    This is a recording I have listened to a lot of times.
    But it still touched me more than at home.
    The textures of the violin were so lifelike, it was amazing.
    The orchestra... all instruments in the right places...
    Could I live with this system?
    Hell yeah!!!
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  18. #18
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    So far, we were listening to the stack without the clock.
    We are talking about a 8-channel DAC, streamer and preamp in 2 boxes (you can buy the DAC/pre/streamer without the power, and that sounds already very decent!) that retail for 22-23K.
    Still within reach for some of us.

    But now we got into other territory.
    The Merging clocks are quite new.
    There will be 3 levels.
    They all have extremely rare and expensive, selected crystals.
    Level 1 will set you back 20K. It delivers 95% of what the top clock offers.
    Level 2: 40K.
    We listened to level X, not yet on the market, but in the testing phase here in this studio.

    We went back to the Beethoven recording:




    Oh my goodness...
    I cannot describe what happened to me.
    No.
    Simply not able.
    Audiophile words won't do it here.
    But it did happen.
    And I was in tears.
    Just like when we attend a good concert. (When I haven't shed a tear during a concert, I consider it as a one that didn't make any impression on me).
    Well, let me try to express what I experienced that moment.
    That clock helped me to time-travel.
    I came closer to Liza Ferschtman than I thought could be possible.
    In time, and in space.

    Bert told me he tested all the best digital from today.
    The top dCS, the MSB Select II.
    With the clock, Merging beats them all, he said.
    And it is still way less expensive than the others.

    He is the importer of Merging, so you can be sceptical.
    I tend to believe him...
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  19. #19
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    With the other recordings, the result was the same.
    You experience something.
    But you cannot describe it in words what happens.
    Is this measurable?
    I doubt it.

    We ended with a recording Bert had done in Sweden, in April.
    From the composer Rolf Martinsson.

    https://rolfmartinsson.com

    We could hear it in world premiere!



    http://metazahren.com/photography/ge.../Northstar.mp4
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  20. #20
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Of course, you can't appreciate how good this recording is from a simple video.
    But let me tell you, it doesn't get much better than this.
    This was a recording that Bert undertook with the clock, for the first time.
    Most gain is to be expected on the playback side, but putting the clock in the recording equipment adds a few percent, Bert said.

    If you visit Bert's website, you will see that you can purchase SACDs and downloads.
    If you want his whole catalogue, I'm sure you can get a nice package price.
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  21. #21
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    To end, let us indulge ourselves in Meta's photography skills.










    The Avalons are photogenic!

    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  22. #22
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Old acoustic treatments next to modern ones.







    Bert, thank you for letting us into your space!
    We enjoyed our visit immensely.




    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  23. #23
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Thanks for the great read and beautiful photos Bart & Meta!

  24. #24
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Thanks Bart! Fascinating read and pictures!!
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    Custom Win10 Transport | Mutec MC-3+ USB | Lampizator Amber | Acoustic Portrait Thiyaga | ATC SCM20PSL + JL Audio E-Sub e110

  25. #25
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Absolutely awesome photos and write up. Thank you so much.
    Fleetwood Deville by Oswald Mills Audio, Vienna Acoustics Haydn Jubilee, Wharfedale Linton w/ stands, Klipsch RB-75, Klipsch RP-160M.

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  26. #26
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Matt, Nikhil, Joe, thank you for your kind comments.
    Always nice to share beautiful, moving moments in our hobby!
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  27. #27
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Epilogue


    When we were in the studio, I asked if the Merging NADAC accepts bits coming from a multi-channel silver disc.
    I was thinking about myself, owner of several hundreds of them (SACDs, Blu-rays and DVD-audios).
    The Ravenna input on the Merging may be the way it's going to be in the future, but I don't have the time nor do I wish to rip all my discs or buy the downloads again.

    Bert admitted that the people who buy these devices indeed own large collections of physical media.
    He vaguely mentioned something about a disc-drive that could be added in the future.

    This week, I got the following pics of him, taken in München:




    The future is now!
    The disc-drive is already in the test phase.
    A multi-channel version might be the last transport you ever buy...

    That gives us the full stack: transport, clock, DAC/pre/streamer + power + clock:



    .
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

  28. #28
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Amazing photos and write up!! Thanks for sharing.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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  29. #29
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    Re: Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Amazing photos and write up!! Thanks for sharing.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

    Thank Mike.
    Did you get to hear his set-up, with a 5.1 Geithain speaker system?
    Vivid Audio - Burmester - Hegel - Marantz - Oppo - Pioneer 60" - Wireworld

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Our visit to Northstar Studio, The Netherlands

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