EST.1997 | F.K.A. Turtle Records®

The Spirit of Turtle

A Music platform for Ultra High Resolution Stereo, Surround-Sound and 3D Spatial Immersive Audio recordings by HQ|NORTHSTAR. Over three decades of Musical Recording Craftsmanship from The Netherlands.

New Release

April 5th 2024

New Release

April 5th 2024

New release

May 3rd 2024

New Release

Vol.1 June 2024

Edison Production Company to start distribution Master Fidelity, Musik Electronic Geithain and Naiu Laboratory products

Read more

What science cannot declare, art can suggest; what art suggests silently, poetry speaks aloud; but what poetry fails to explain in words, music can express.

Hazrat Inayat Khan

HQ|NORTHSTAR / TURTLE RECORDS®

Proprietary HQMM® Immersive Recording Technique

HQ|NORTHSTAR / TURTLE RECORDS®

Historic & Contemporary Recording Locations around the world

HQ|NORTHSTAR / TURTLE RECORDS®

Immersive Audio Mastering Studio

HQ|NORTHSTAR / TURTLE RECORDS®

Recordings with the most renowned orchestras and conductors around the world

HQ|NORTHSTAR / TURTLE RECORDS®

FEATURING

ALBUM OF THE WEEK

During the course of week 10-14 / 2024, this album and download can be bought with a 20% discount using the code: AOTW2220

Shop now

Like film, performances in audio don’t just occur, they must be captured; we take for granted the artistry and vision of those who guide the recording process. Conveying these musical truths to the listener is the true Spirit of the Turtle.

Neil Patel | Avalon Acoustics

What you produce, just sounds better than nearly anything else I can find.

Matthew Greenberg | Long time customer

The sound is extremely enjoyable. There’s subtlety to the way producer and engineer Bert van der Wolf handles the mix: a wonderful tactility and texture - pockets of fretwork emerge like a dolphin’s fin out of water...

Mark Seow - Grammaphone Magazine
Get acquainted with The Spirit of Turtle

MT+3D9.1DXD

All customers can use this voucher code for €10,- at check-out 1 time as Turtle's 25th anniversary present!

Absolutely unparalleled products and service. I'm confident that this store will be the next big thing in its industry, and that its products will be timeless.

Steve Jordans

It is one of the most natural reproductions of sound I ever experienced

Wilfried van Baelen | Auro Technologies

My feeling is "If Bert recorded it, I want to hear it." I've yet to be disappointed.

Rushton Paul | Posi+ive Feedback

... this is truly demonstration quality sound!

HiFi+ (UK)

The Spirit of Turtle consistently crafts the most revealing multi-channel recordings in the world today.

Neil Patel | Avalon Acoustics

So natural, so direct, so strong... Ich war völlig von den Socken!

Christoph Prégardien (vocalist)
35 years of musical Recording craftsmanship

The Spirit's heritage

A Boy's Dream to Reality

Making music, self-built amplifiers and a passion for reproduced sound with HiFi loudspeakers (Wharfedale at the time), started the quest for becoming a record-producer/engineer around 1979. In 1986 the dream came true. (On the picture the just released album of Supertramp, Breakfast in America.)

Read more

Extensive choice in High Resolution Downloads

In our catalogue you'll find state of the art Studio Quality Recordings in the highest resolutions available (DSD from 64 to 256, PCM from 44,1kHz to 352,8kHz and 5.1 Surround Sound up to Immersive 9.1 AURO-3D), all for you to enjoy at home.

Read more

Vintage and New Physicial Albums

The Spirit's music is not only captured in digital downloads. We also love good packaging, so you'll find a fair amount of CD's, SACD's, BLURAY's, DVD's and Vinyl in our catalogue.

Read more
SCOPE

The tale of Achilles & the Turtle

Like the baffling mathematical paradox of "Achilles & the Turtle", apparently introduced by the Greek philosopher Zeno from Elea, The Spirit of Turtle strives to win "The Race” against an overwhelming and seemingly unbeatable opponent, by applying wisdom and resourcefulness.

Staying a bit ahead all the time, already for over 25 years, by offering the worlds Finest Musicians, applying the Ultimate Recording Esthetics and always deliver the best Union of Sound and Performance!

THE SPIRIT OF TURTLE PHILOSOPHY

If Kuijken & Co are playing Mozart piano quartets and Bert van der Wolf takes credit for the recording one might as well buy it blindfolded.

Adrian Quanjer | HRAudio.net

...there are some absolutely stunning 24/352.8 PCM recordings out there from Northstar Recordings that may just be the finest I have ever heard...

Richard Murison | Copper Magazine

A realistic sound stage and surround depth, with no disturbing noises from the audience or unwanted echoes from the walls. But with NorthStar Recording Services in charge, that does not surprise.

Adrian Quanjer | HRAudio.net

It’s generating so much emotional impact that every hair on my arms and neck starts to arise

Werner Ero | HiFi.nl

No wonder that it has become a wonderful album, partly thanks to the recordings made by Bert van der Wolf at two different locations. The fact that they 'coincide' perfectly with each other in this regard is partly due to Van der Wolf's craftsmanship.

Aart van der Wal | Opus Klassiek

Well, all I can say is that Bert's recordings are now firmly ensconced in my bucket: "if Bert recorded it, just get it, you'll most likely enjoy the heck out of it."

Rushton Paul | Positive Feedback
EDISON PRODUCTION COMPANY BV

Distribution Master Fidelity, Naiu Laboratory, Euphony SUMMUS and Musikelectronic Geithain in Benelux, Germany & Austria

Contact us: info@spiritofturtle.com

NADAC-D

Endorsed by The Spirit of Turtle, state of the art D/A converters, & Clock units by Master Fidelity.

Find here

NADAC-C

Ultra Low Phase Noise master clock units, the biggest improvement in digital audio in decades.

FIND HERE

ELLA Mark III

"Class N" Power Amplifiers by Naiu Laboratory

Read more

STYLUS & SUMMUS

Audio Streaming by Euphony Audio

Studio Monitors

by Musikelectronic Geithain

HAPI MKII

Multi-channel DA Converters by Merging Technologies

FIND HERE
Technical Excellence

Standard & Custom delivery formats

Choices we make for producing and delivering our recordings, to ensure the maximum transparency and create an optimal gateway between musicians and audience.

All Formats straight from the Source

The Spirit or Turtle offers only recordings exclusively recorded and/or mixed/mastered by HQ|NORTHSTAR's pioneering recording producer & -engineer Bert van der Wolf from The Netherlands. A personal portfolio of over 30 years and a professional statement using the proprietary HQMM® (High Quality Musical Mastering) principle.

Read more

Your favorite format not available? Ask for it at info@spiritofturtle.com

It is practically impossible to permanently host all possible permutations of sample-rates and multi-channel systems, but TSoT can deliver custom versions if you like. Send a request mail and we'll see what we can do.

Read more

High Quality Musical Mastering®

These High Definition Stereo, Surround Sound & Immersive Sound Recordings are Produced, Engineered and Edited using the ‘High Quality Musical Mastering’ principle. (HQMM®)

Read more
Video

The Spirit of Turtle

HQ|NORTHSTAR Recording Services

HOW TO DOWNLOAD YOUR MUSIC

A quick tutorial for understanding the process for downloading your purchase.
Dropbox logo
Smooth File Transfer

Dropbox incorporated

The Spirit of Turtle have chosen to supply our content through Dropbox. This worldwide highly accepted cloud-service delivers optimal accessibility and flexibility for all involved and also connects seamless with several Hi-Fi player applications, such as f.i. Roon Labs.

video download process
Sign up for our Newsletter
Get informed frequently about discounts, new releases, new recordings and receive the following welcome voucher code of €10,-: MT+3D9.1DXD