ULSI
ULSI stands for Ultra Linear Stereo Image. ULSI is a new stereo technique invented and developed by Erik Sikkema and propriety to Erik Sikkema Studio, but available to any label or enduser. The technique is mainly invented to overcome the general problems of most common stereo techniques in organ recordings, but the effect is stunning aswell on a wider spectrum of other instruments and combinations.
Advantages of ULSI in comparison to standard stereo techniques are:
1. More natural sound balance in the lower octaves and a more precise stereo image.
2. Less low frequency disturbance from harpsichord-, piano- and organ keyboard and pedal actions.
3. A more natural dynamic behaviour.
4. Singers and instrumentalists blend better together without any spot microphones at all, which improves the stereo depth enormously.
5. No hearing fatique, no pressure on the ears.
6. Listening with headphones, gives a very pleasant sound, very similar to Dummy Head stereo recordings.
7. Enjoyable also on very low listening levels of your amplifier at home.
8. Sounds also very convincing on simple and cheap equipment.
Its claims are true, there is a very much more precise and solid stereo image and an easy effortlessness to the sound, it becomes even more of a joy listening to sounds of this wonderful organ.
Adrian Richards, The Organ Magazine
Maybe I have made you very curious about ULSI, and you would like to hear something. Below are music samples, jazz-trio, baroque organ, grandpiano and clavichord. But you need a fast internet connection, some of them are more than 20 Mbyte. Here you can find what others say about ULSI technique, click here.
Soundfile from Tyska kyrkan -
Stockholm played by
Hans Davidsson and recorded with
ULSI stereo technique V5.0 (mk V)
Loading this file may take a while before you see or hear something.
Not available on CD.
This organ is a reconstruction of the original instrument from
1608 built by Paul Müller. That organ was sold in two parts and
placed in Övertorneå and Hedensäset, Sweden. In one church
the Hauptwerck is still used, in the other church the Rückpositief
is still played. This reconstruction was realized by Grönlunds in
Gammelstad, Sweden. www.gronlunds-orgelbyggeri.se
Manualrange C-c’’’, Pedal C-d’
Inaugurated: 2004
Other soundfiles recorded with ULSI technique V5.0
Click on Grandpiano orClick on Clavichord 2.6 Mb or
May I also invite you to look around on the other pages, you will find many covers of CD productions I have made the last 15 years, and some of them have also sound files in high quality 320Kbits/s MP3 files. Some of them have links to the artists their websites or webstores where the CD's can be ordered.