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CO-100K user's report from Mick Sawaguchi Fellow M/AES/IBS M/C.A.S. Sound Producer



CO-100K used on Unamas Jazz CD
 "Dairiki Hara & His friends Vol.1" and "Dairiki Hara & His friends Vol.2".
featuring YUKI ARIMASA TRIO
Dairiki Hara : drums
Yuki Arimasa : piano
Yasuhiko"Hachi" : bass
Unamas's web-site is here.

Nothing to add, nothing to deduct. 
This is Mick Sawaguchi’s philosophy.

 
Mick Sawaguchi  Fellow M/AES/IBS   M/C.A.S. Sound Producer 
The Jazz music label UNAMAS JAZZ was established in 2007. It is my private label. In 2004 I and Minako Sawaguchi started a small Jazz club UNAMAS in Mitaka, Tokyo Japan, where quite a few jazz artists have performed.  
This title is a live recording performed there; 16 channels at 96k-24bit into a Pyramix DAW. Surround miking was done based on the Hamasaki SQ method.
 
One of the most unique aspects of this label is that most all jazz performances in Unamas are recorded, and when I feel the magic in the music, I release it on the UNAMAS label. Actually, this seems very inefficient and is uneconomical, but I know this is the only way to capture the magical spontaneity of music.
 
The key tool of these recordings is Sanken CO-100K microphones used on piano.
A difficulty in a live jazz recording is how to manage performance and sonic quality, and have them be compatible. The Sanken CO-100K gives me the best solution. It creates a natural sound and an atmosphere in a piano sound. It sounds like you are there.
 
Another key issue was how to pick up a natural wood bass sound without any electric pick up. It has been a tough, long term experiment. This was done using a combination of Royer R-122 and DPA 4060.
The sanken CO-100K is a vital tool in not only classical music but also acoustic jazz recordings.

The recording-style of Unamas

2 Sanken CO-100K are placed in the acoustic piano. Because of the narrow space, a normal boom stands could not be used, so special goose-neck arm stands are used. It is one method to avoid capturing a wood bass sound from the piano.

Normally, a DI box is used to pick up a wood bass in a narrow jazz club, but here in UNAMAS, no DI box are used.  We can see the Royer R-122 microphone.

A quite unique “ flying ” microphone mount system for drum over-head. The position can be  freely adjusted. This is hand-made by Mick Sawaguchi.

For a bass drum, an Audix D-6 and a Sony C-38 are set. 

For snare drum, AKG D-224E is used.  
Sanken CU-32, Earthworks CR-20 for Hi-Hat.

For surround ambience recording, 4 Amcron PCC-160 boundary layer microphones are used. These are set in the position based on the Hamasaki-squear method. 

Pyramix DAW and RME Octa Mic II microphone pre-amplifier.