Anyone who red 2009 CES reports about our live vs recorded demonstration at the Zeus Ballroom could learn much about the challenges we faced. This was new territory and many of my assumptions coming in proved incorrect. But, that's why you go exploring in the first place--it's the Undiscovered Country, an audio frontier.
What struck me immediately about our demo is, although we could EQ in the frequency domain, adjust delays, treat the room, and have good equipment. we were not reproducing the dispersion patterns of live instruments properly with our dipole V60. Instruments radiate either omnidirectionally (strings, keyboards, percussion) or in cardioid pattern (voice, winds, brass). Two types of speaker mimic these patterns: the omni and the bipole. Of the two, the bipole is less problematic in the average listening room because you can control the amount and incident angle of reflected energy with baffles and waveguides.
Bipoles require a very sturdy cabinet and cannot be done well on the cheap. Also, I wanted more treble surface area to help overcome the HF absorption of large listening rooms like the Zeus. An array of tweeters was necessary. Side by side arrays (line sources) need drivers in very close proximity in order to radiate as a coherent source, so the tweeters would have to be short and narrow, placed as close to the mid panels as possible. The integral bass section would have to be large and powerful. The entire design shouts out for execution at the highest quality level, better than what we had done before.
We also needed a system that could take full advantage of modern DSP and be user friendly and accessible. Just dealing with typical room problems is impossible without such processing power. This has little to do with the quality of the speaker - no uncorrectable speaker we know, regardless of price, would have reproduced live music properly in that environment. Simple "linearity", "accuracy", "time alignment" or fixed off-axis dispersion patterns would not do the job for every listener, and we had 30 of them to make happy.
Sound reinforcement systems ignore virtually all these considerations and focus on deliving adequate sound pressure levels to a wide audience. We had to do this too, but without the coloration of horns or many other types of waveguides. Indeed, the task at hand was daunting and would require a complete rethinking.
In the RM50, a true Live Music Reproducer, the challenges have been almost entirely overcome, as we demonstrated at THE SHOW. We had have live vs recorded demonstrations all four days with solo piano, voice, winds, string bass, percussion, guitar, bass drum, just about everything. And we played your CD's on request. They sounded much closer to live too.
Audiophile life has become easier now, its frustrations far fewer, satisfaction levels much higher. Listen to RM50 and see if you agree. -
Brian Cheney
VMPS at The Home Entertainment Show
2010 - Las Vegas
It is a great pleasure to announce that VMPS has partnered with Ralph Karsten's fabulous Atmasphere OTL tube electronics for another live-vs-recorded festival of music and sound at THE SHOW, Flamingo Hotel Las Vegas, Jan 7-10.
Those with good memories will recall debuting the VMPS RMV60 speaker in Jan 2006 at the St Tropez with the Atmasphere MA2 220W OTL monoblocks. This upcoming CES will feature the Mk III version of the MA-2, the MK III version of the 18 tube, two piece MP 1 Atmasphere preamp, and some extra goodies to be announced. Our source will be vinyl, CD, and live music.
Best of all, we have obtained the largest and finest demo room at CES: the 28x62x9ft Lake Mead I and I, strategically located at the top of the escalator just to the right of THE SHOW's registration desk. You can't miss it. There will be live and recorded playback nonstop all four days, with at least 30 seats available, so come by any time if you're in town.
This time we are bringing our own 24/96 and DSD recording equipment with tube condenser mics, and will employ two to five channels depending on number of performers. CD's of the event will be burned and made available to showgoers on the spot. There will be plenty of audience participation, not just the passive listening common to hifi shows.
At the Alexis Park this year we learned how to do a convincing live-vs-recorded demonstration and this time will be even better.
Below are links to videos of five performances from 2009 event. After you listen to "Jerusalem of Gold" live, stick around and hear it again reproduced via the two channel DSD recording over the Ampzilla/VMPS V60-VSS speaker system. You can tell that, even with the different balances imposed by the use of the single stereo mic, we really nailed the playback! Fidelity is outstanding.
There are four other cuts from our 2009 demo available to click on here. Brian Cheney introduces all the tracks and play percussion, with Chris Salocks on piano, Bill Bailey on string bass and Fred Haller on sax and flute.
Recorded
vs. Live
at The Home Entertainment Show
2009
Brian Cheney has announced that he and
VMPS Audio, with James Bongiorno of
Ampzilla 2000, John McDonald of Audience Power
Products, and Ray Kimber of Kimber
Cable, will thrill the attendees of the HIGH END Audio show with a
LIVE versus Recorded Playback Event in Las Vegas this January 2009. This will take place in the
VMPS Room (Zeus Ballroom) in the Alexis
Park Hotel.
There will be live-vs.-recorded demos 3 times daily at 12:00 noon, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm Thurs, Fri, Sat, and Sun.
Advanced tickets are available at no charge by sending an e-mail to
VMPSAudio@aol.com with “CES demo”, in the subject line. Just request your day and time preference, and an e-ticket will be sent to you.
Ray KIMBER will record a 7-piece ensemble, with his specialized,
state-of-the-art DSD gear. This system will feature a Sony Sonoma DAW, with Millennia Media preamp and EMM Labs converters. The recording will be stereo only.
Playback will immediately follow on the incredible
VMPS RM v60 Open Baffle, Reverse Horn, Ribbon speakers Powered by AMPZILLA 2000 amplification, with cable and Power Products by Audience, in
direct A/B comparisons of LIVE to PLAYBACK.
This event will feature several great performers:
Lesley Olsher - Vocals Jeanine Del Carlo - Vocals Chris Salocks – Piano Bill Bailey - unamplified string bass Fred Haller - alto sax and clarinet Brian Cheney – Percussion
Additional performers to be announced.
Playback System Details:
Preamplification: Spread Spectrum Technologies
Amplification: Ampzilla 2000
Interconnects/cables: Audience AU24
Power Conditioning: Audience aR12
Speakers: VMPS RM v60
SubWoofers: VMPS Very Large Arrays (VLA)
Sub Amp: VMPS 1000w Sub AMP
The openness and air that a rear facing tweeter can bring to the sound is well known. To meet those preferences, we now offer the
Ambience Add-on Tweeter.
This is an add-on
usable with all our speakers (except the RM V60) that is freestanding and complete with crossover and user-adjustable level control.
This can stand on top of a speaker or be attached to the back baffle with double-sided tape. It consists of our spiral ribbon tweeter with a 5kHz xover built-in mounted in a black MDF enclosure 4x4x1.5" deep.
It simply plugs in to the back of any speaker we make. The user can direct its output to the rear or side wall, or even the ceiling depending on room acoustics and his tastes.
Rear facing will have the sonic virtue of creating more airy depth to the sound.
Side firing will offer wider appearing soundstages.
Ceiling orientation will create a bit of height to the stage.
We will include this tweeter in the SDE versions of the RM30, RM40 and RM2 at no extra charge for the next 90 days, (till May 30th) thereafter $129pr additional for the built in option.
The built-in ambiance tweeter is flush with the back baffle and fires rearward.
This is also GREAT for the L&R Mains and Surround speakers for HT use.
The user adjustable volume control allows you to achieve that "perfect" blend.
Introductory Pricing = $169 (MSRP will be $249)
Or
Built in to your new speakers = No Charge till after May 15th then $129.
SDE speakers
SDE stands for Special Digital Edition,
meaning that the largest part of an analogue
passive crossover is replaced with digital
active crossover. We now offer all of our
speakers also in SDE configuration, which
requires bi-amping. Active crossover unit
(Behringer DCX 2496) can handle six channels, so
it can be also used for any pair of main
speakers together with any pair of our
subwoofers.
Please contact vmpsaudio@aol.com
for details on configuration and pricing.
Special
priced models
Continuing from a first special for our 30th
anniversary, we now offer several loudspeaker models in
limited quantity and special configurations at incredibly low
prices.
626R Jr ($975/pair), LRC Jr
($549 ea.), RM2 Jr ($1999/pair) and RM40
Jr ($2999/pair). There is also a special
price for SDE version of RM30 (both M & C). All Jr models can
be upgraded with most of available upgrades.
Please contact vmpsaudio@aol.com
for details on configuration, exact pricing and
available finishes.
VMPS at CES
2008 - Las Vegas
VMPS exhibited at CES 2008, Las Vegas, St Tropez Hotel January
7th to 10th, room 1801. Our system was three RM V60s and two VLA sub
towers in the Ampzilla Trinaural
configuration, with all Ampzilla electronics
including the new Ambrosia preamp.
VMPS 30th Anniversary
RM V60
VMPS announces its first new model in three years, the
RM V60. RM V60 had its first public appearance at CES 2007.
The RM V60 is composed of two sections. The
V, which includes the 6 Neopanel Midrange Drivers and single Tweeter, and
the Base which houses 3 - 6.5" megawoofers in an acoustic suspension system.
To celebrate our 30th year VMPS announces an irresistible bargain,
the 626 Jr. at $975pr!
Features:
• Dehorned Spiral Ribbon Tweeter (7 kHz-20 kHz)
• Push-pull neodymium planar mid (280Hz up)
• 6.5" poly/mica cone woofer w/20oz magnet, 4 layer VC and cast frame
• Piano black Bud Bailey cabinet made in USA
• SR71/BH5 cabinet damping
• CDWG - the Constant Directivity Waveguide for 180 degree dispersion full range
• Fully CD equalized polpropylene crossover
• 200W rms power handling, 89dB/1W/1m sensitivity
• 8 Ohms with 4.6 Ohm minimum impedance
Regular price $1598pr ...
New 6.5"
woofer
Our new 6.5" woofer, found in the RM 30,
626R and RM V60 speaker systems, is an
evolutionary development of a driver we first
built 5 years ago. It is a true lowbass, not a
midbass, and as such features a four-layer
1.5" voicecoil, 7 mm of Xmax, a woven
carbon fiber cone with natural rubber surround,
40oz magnet, and 250W of power handling.
It is quite simply the finest quality, and best
sounding, such loudspeaker ever produced. Made
in USA.
VMPS at Rocky
Mountain Audio Fest 2006 (Denver, Colorado)
VMPS exhibited at RMAF from Oct. 20th to 22nd
2006. On exibithion were RM30 (MLS Piano Ebony
finish, OXO outboard crossovers) and Larger
Subwoofer.
New
"Piano MLS" finishes
RM40 in MLS Piano
Ebony (with piano black CDWG)
The finish has a shimmering, tactile, liquid
quality quite unlike the "under glass"
look of many coats of clear gloss lacquer over
veneer. You expect ripples when you touch
it.
The finish is achieved by applying glaze over
the satin finish and hand-buffing for 2 hours.
RM30 in MLS Piano
Rosewood (with matching rosewood CDWG)
CES/THE Show
2006, Las Vegas, USA
VMPS exhibited in room 1303 at the St. Tropez
(T.H.E. Show) again this
year, from 5th to 8th of January 2006.
On show were the new absolutely stunning RM30
as "BlackBirds" (SR-71 w/MLS Piano Black cabinets, and CD Wave
Guides) and in MLS Rosewood cabinets.
These were the best sounding RM30s ever produced featuring the following option/upgrades:
1) First and foremost new
Constant Directivity Wave Guide 2) SR-71 (Black Hole 5) package 3) MLS Piano Black Cabinet
(Diamond Lacquer finish) and MLS Rosewood 4) Auricaps 5) Woven Carbon Fiber MegaWoofers 6) A special wiring from Brian Kyle's
Xtreme Cables.
Introducing 
VMPS at The Home Entertainment Show
2010 - Las Vegas
This is an add-on
usable with all our speakers (except the RM V60) that is freestanding and complete with crossover and user-adjustable level control.
