In The News: High Altitude Drums IsoMike SACD Review

This is another four-channel audiophile SACD in a series using the experimental acoustic baffle system developed by Ray Kimber and called the IsoMike. It uses various baffles mounted near to the mikes to minimize the interference of inter-channel sounds that can compromise fidelity. The baffles are heart-shaped or egg-shaped, and they eliminate the line-of-sight between the mikes, thus revealing more detail and increased sensitivity. Extreme efforts must thus be made to reduce noise in the recording environment.

When I first saw this SACD I thought, “Oh boy, fife and drums in surround…” After hearing it, I’m saying, “Wow! fife and drums in surround!” It’s not what you might suspect. There are selections from Shostakovich and Ravel, some fine arrangements and some interesting original pieces. The Prelude is for the brass alone and there are only two tracks – Square Push and Street Beat – for the drums alone, and they are demo-quality for sure. There are many other uncredited band instruments heard, with the vibes prominent on several of the selections; this isn’t your usual boring fife and drum corps.

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