ANAHEIM, CA — Sennheiser is exhibiting a concept microphone developed by its San Francisco-based Technology and Innovation Lab at its booth at Winter NAMM (Hall A, Booth 6577) that uses visuals (laser vibrometers) instead of audio (acoustic waves) to trigger the gates for each drum.
More details from Sennheiser (www.sennheiserusa.com):
The concept, developed by Sennheiser’s in San Francisco, is unique and based on a recording technology supported by lasers.
In the past, Sennheiser has used exhibitions such as the NAMM Show as sounding boards to gain insight and feedback on its latest developments in its Pursuit of Perfect Sound. The new laser drum concept will be demonstrated on the Sennheiser stage to visualize the idea.
Typically, many microphones are used to capture the sound of a drum kit. However, each single microphone usually captures many other sounds in addition to its intended source. This is why many engineers have used gating techniques to keep the sonic image focused and avoid what is commonly referred to as comb filtering: a series of delayed signals that create sonic interference.
Rather than relying soley on dynamics processing, Sennheiser’s laser drum microphone concept uses laser vibrometers to measure the vibration of the drum head. Instead of being triggered by acoustic waves, the gates for each drum are triggered using the laser beam which picks up the visual vibration of the drum head. This equates to less bleed across the the pieces of the entire kit, and a more focused overall drum sound.
To experience Sennheiser’s unique laser drum microphone concept in person, please visit the Sennheiser booth between Thursday, January 23rd and Saturday, January 26th at 11:15 a.m., 1:50 p.m. or 4:50 p.m.
A related video is posted here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPFrNdG1qbc
