ECHO project - 2L-Prism

ECHO project - 2L Prism

This is the fascinating microphone array of the ECHO project. It was invented by Morten Lindberg. It is no surprise, then, that it is named the 2L Prism and you can easily tell who his brother is.

It was a long way, and a magic word from a fairy godmother was also needed to get it done.
We are now proudly presenting the rebuild of Morten Lindberg's ECHO projects array, the "2L Prism".

Upon closer inspection, you will see that this is an extension of the 2L cube with two additional omnis (Lss and Rss) in the middle. 
The challenge lies in the length of the rods and how to maintain stability without significantly increasing the total weight.
We were also forced to increase the number of light stands from three to four. Anything else does not work, or at least, it is not stable, nor sturdy.

The problem here is that it requires eleven (!) omnidirectional microphones whose parameters—such as sensitivity, frequency response, and many others—must be quite similar, or better, as similar as possible. 
Since the differences between the recorded signals are determined solely by the time delay (interchannel time difference (ICTD)) , an exact spacing between the microphones is a crucial factor for quality.
It is therefore worth being as precise as possible here.

The choice of DPAs 4041 and 4006 proves, that this is a very sensitive system. 

However, the array's outstanding level balance and transparent tonal reproduction, especially of low frequencies, make it ideal for a classical context, particularly in a circular setup. In other words, the array is surrounded by the orchestra. This provides listeners with a unique and fascinating listening experience.
Typically, the orchestra plays in front of the audience. (More or less.) With the 2L Prism, however, you put the listener right in the middle of the music. 
Give it a try and let us know what your thoughts and feelings are.

A word about assembling this array:
Don’t try to put it together when you’re in a hurry!
It requires a great deal of care and attention to detail. Even though it’s quite sturdy, we’re working very close to the material’s load limits here. So handle with care and caution.

It’s recommended that two people perform the assembly. One person should hold the structure in place while the other continues to assemble it.
Good preparation and assembling some "modules" in advance help prevent mistakes that sometimes require unscrewing half the array to correct. Take our word for it. 

As with all the arrays we’ve shown, this is our method of assembly—a reproducible approach that yields solid results. But perhaps you have a different—or even better—method.

In that case, we’d love to hear your feedback

As always, the tutorial and shopping list are work in progress.
Stay tuned, or tune in again!

What a have sneak-preview? - Here you come! 
(Still work in progress)