Nimbus Records


-	It has been reported that all Nimbus recordings are ambisonic
	UHJ encoded.This has turned out to be incorrect. In the mid to
	late '70's during the height of the Quadraphonic era, Nimbus
	released LP's in the Sansui QS matrix format (see the Classical
	Quadraphonic Discography).
	The current catalog lists over 450 recordings (Including Prima
	Voice label and other historical recordings.)
	Recently a few classical titles showed up in the store with no
	mention of Ambisonic UHJ encoding, this worried some folks that
	Nimbus might have abandoned the format. This prompted me to
	inquire with Nimbus the status of UHJ and their recordings. This
	is the response I received.

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With a couple of exceptions, all of our recordings are UHJ encoded
Ambisonics.  We have been using essentially the same recording technique
for almost thirty years now - a single microphone going to a home made
gain control box which outputs B-format.  Until we started recording
digitally the direct output from the microphone was recorded onto 4
track analogue tape, usually 1/2" or 1".  From when we switched to
digital, some time around 1980, we recorded the UHJ only.  Now we are
starting to record B-format again.

We have used several different microphones over the years.  We have used
a pair of Neumann SM69s, then a Neumann QM69 (limited edition quad
version of the SM69), then our own B-format mic. combining two Shoeps
figure-of-eights and a B&K omni, which we still use today.

Our recordings are made without any compression, limiting or
equalisation - the trick is to find the right musicians, the right hall
and the right place to put the microphone.

The exceptions to all of this are any recordings we have have licensed
over the years (there was a Rakhmaninov Vespers we put out a couple of
years ago which we did not record ourselves), and perhaps one or two of
the World music recordings.  Our World Music producer frequently used a
Calrec Soundfield Microphone for his location recordings.  Nimbus does
not own any battery-powered Ambisonic encoders, so location recordings,
often made way out in the countryside without access to an electricity
supply, had to made in this way.  This includes some of the recordings
made in Brazil.  Most of the World Music catalogue is recorded in UHJ
encoded ambisonic, as the majority of the recordings were made either in
our own studios or in locations where electricity was in much more
plentiful supply.
the rest of the catalogue, includingthe Prima Voice and Grand
Piano series, are all UHJ encoded.


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-	Nimbus Released a CD with 16 tracks thru dealers in '91
	for the Mitsubishi DA-P7000. A home theater system with
	a digital Ambisonic decoder. The CD contains some, but
	not all of the same tracks as the sampler listed below
	released by nimbus that same year  NI 1417 ('91)

-	A Nimbus CD Sampler, is a compilation of Nimbus tracks.
	It comes with excerpts from critics & album covers. It also
	has a schematic of the performance space detailing the 
	location of the microphone and performers as well as a 
	color photograph of the hall so one can visualize what one
	is hearing. On one track that was recorded in a night club,
	the positions of the audience members are actually
	denoted. The disc notes which mikes were used for each
	recording NI 1418 ('91)



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