It’s like a coffee commercial: with the launch of the new store over at Hemi-Sync.com, we’ve secretly replaced Einstein’s Dream with a new and improved master recording. Although it was released without fanfare, a few members of The Monroe Institute Professional Division noticed, often describing the new edition as being “alive” compared to the orignal. More than once we’ve heard that the new edition represents a “quantum leap” and they wanted to know what changed.
On a recent business trip to California, I sat down with Barbara Bullard, the project producer, so that we could talk about the changes. We recorded the audio so we could post it along with a transcription, but the recording on my phone was a little strange. Parts of the following conversation were reconstructed.
Einstein’s Dream is a unique interpretation of Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D, K.448. I arranged the music to fit the needs of what producer Barbara Bullard described as “betamusic,” which is ideally suited to engage a process known as “super learning”.
The new version of Einstein’s Dream is a note-for-note reproduction of the original arrangement that benefits from today’s high production standards without losing the magic and charm of the original edition.
BULLARD: I wanted to tell you that when I was at the 2012 Professional Division Meeting for The Monroe Institute at Virginia, many of the Professional members said to tell you that they were really enjoying the recent remastering of Illumination, Ascension and Einstein’s Dream. But, they noted in particular, Einstein’s Dream as having almost a “quantum leap” in sound quality from their earlier versions. They wondered why that was and asked me to inquire of you. I certainly find the remastered version to have much more “spark” and dynamism. Is it the newer technology in equipment that you used from 1995 to 2010, would you say?
EPPERSON: It’s interesting that you say “dynamism”… Yes, technology played a huge role in this new iteration of Einstein’s Dream. First of all, we recorded the new Einstein’s Dream at bit depth of 24 bits, allowing for a much wider dynamic range in the recording process. This allows the music to be more expressive: the quiet parts are quieter and the loud parts are louder. If you are only familiar with Einstein’s Dream on cassette tape, then you are in for a huge surprise. The new recording has some serious breathing room.
Also, the new recoding is fairly high resolution: the new master was recorded using at least twice the sample rate of the first. This allows for an incredible frequency response and a much more natural sounding recording.
BULLARD: Well, that answer had more specific technology than my “pay grade,” but I am sure it will answer many of the questions that the musicians and techies at the Professional Division session wanted. I wonder if you think there is also an added component to the enhanced effects of the remastered Einstein’s Dream to the expertise, and care that Kevin Cowan from Monroe Products has added to the remastering process in the past years. I certainly have noticed much more impact in the remastered versions versus the originals.
EPPERSON: Kevin has amazing ears, and an almost intuitive sense of how to place the carrier frequencies so they don’t distract. To my ears, the Beta carrier frequencies have moved up a few octaves. Rather than a “hum” that people often associate with binaural beats and Hemi-Sync, the frequencies used in the new Einstein’s Dream have an almost shimmering quality that sound more like room reflections – like the reverberation or echo from the room itself. For me, the most important thing was creating a stage for the sound, a sense of space that was “present” and “alive”. Kevin’s Hemi-Sync frequencies accentuated that sense of space; they helped shape the “liveness” of the recording.
BULLARD: You mentioned to me that this remastering used a “virtual room” to enhance the effects. What exactly is that?
EPPERSON: I really wanted the sonic space occupied by the music to be alive – to excite the listener, like they were in the room. To accomplish this, we used an acoustic 3D room model for the entire mix. Everything from the placement of the instruments to the position of the listeners to the reflections of the instruments off of the walls were modelled to create a lively 3D space that springs to life from the very first note. It’s kind of exciting, really.
BULLARD: Well, all that being said, it was clearly an excellent quantum leap to an already extraordinarily effective metamusic for learning and peak performance. I look so forward to the new success stories and also I am eagerly awaiting your next musical project. Kudos!
Audio Sample of Einstein’s Dream with Hemi-Sync®: Before and After
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTMLD1zlxB8&w=610]
Einstein’s Dream with Hemi-Sync®
Enjoy the lively music of Mozart and the remarkable brain synchronizing effects of Hemi-Sync® with this brilliant interpretation of Einstein’s favorite music. Einstein’s Dream can be used to enhance mental capabilities while stimulating creativity and imagination and may also be helpful for ADD/ADHD, dyslexia and other learning challenges. (60 min)
