digital Archive
Audio News for April 11, 2017
Hi-Res Streaming on Smartphones, PCs, and Tablets – Qpbuz Sublime+ will offer hi-res streaming next month for about £300 annually. It will offer 24-bit hi-res streaming of 60,000 albums. Currently the highest Qobuz tier is Sublime, offering CD-quality 16/44.1 audio for £190 per year. If you want to purchase any hi-res album via downloading, there will be permanent discounts for Sublime+ subscribers. Tidal introduced hi-res streaming of its Masters-quality albums on desktop-only PCs in January using their MQA format. “WAV could Become the New Record Player” – says Dustin Bates of Starset, whose new album, Vessels, is available in a 360-degree mix for maximum VR enjoyment. He says you can definitely tell the difference between 16-bit and 24-bit recordings. He also says he sees the streaming of WAVs and FLACS as being the inevitable standard. And that he finds it encouraging that the major labels have reached consensus regarding making hi-res streaming options the standard operating procedure. And that the cost of storage of files is an irrelevant argument at this point. He says their good songs, especially with all the sampled strings, sound their best in hi-res form. Several Starset sci-fi videos are available on YouTube (in compressed audio, […]
Audio News for April 7, 2017
V-Moda Wireless Bluetooth Headphones Go Hi-Res – The M-100 – a favorite of DJs – now has improved sound, better battery life, more colors, and a much-requested hinge. This model of the V-Moda lacks the noise cancellation of some other more expensive phones, but that can pollute the pure sound. The new Crossfade 2 has larger and deeper cushions and an adjustable Steelflex headband, to keep the bad noise out and the good noise in. The Japan Audio Society was involved in approval of the model in wired mode. The M-100s are both cabled models and Bluetooth-enabled. New dual-diaphragm 50mm drivers feature hi-res CCAW coils and the AptX codec has been improved. They have a concealed mic for phone calls and voice recognition. And one feature that was conspicuously missing from the original Wireless headphones was the company’s CliqFold hinge mechanism, an omission that caused much disquiet among Crossfade users and resulted in the travel case being quite bulky. This was rectified in the Crossfade 2 Wireless circumaurals. They are $350 in gold, and less in black or white. T+A Introduces MP 3100 HV Media Player with SACD Drive – Enthusiasts with substantial SACD collections will take a keen interest […]
Audio News for March 10, 2017
How Contemporary Composers Are Reinventing Classical Music – Composing classical music in 2017 is similar to how it was in 1817: You create a piece and hand it to someone else to play, often a large number of people you probably have never met. But audiences are increasing – a Canadian festival curator said “It seems to me more people are going to the orchestra now than 20 years ago, and new music concerts seem more popular – perhaps as a response to a desire for living arts…” A handful of composers have a foot in the pop music world and one in classical. The Canadian Symphony Orchestra performed with Inuit throat-singer/composer Tanja Tagaq a harrowing work titled Qiksaaktuq, about murdered and missing indigenous women. She straddles her own “punk/metal/experimental/strange” music and the classical realm. Members of the orchestra find entirely new ways to play their instruments, making sounds inspired by her uncommon range of singing tones and vocal effects. The CSO has create the New Creations Festival to give second performances of such worthy compositions, and more are sought by performers eager to tour them. New Rosewill Hi-Res Headphone Series – Their EX-500 ($60 retail) and EX-700 ($70 retail) […]
LISZT: The Transcendentals: Twelve Etudes; Funerailles, October 1849; Valse Oubliee No. 1 in f-sharp minor – Barbara Nissman, p. – Three Oranges
Barbara Nissman gives us a dynamic and emotionally aggressive Liszt, virtuosic and poetic. LISZT: The Transcendentals: Twelve Etudes; Funerailles, October 1849; Valse Oubliee No. 1 in f-sharp minor – Barbara Nissman, piano – Three Oranges Recordings 3OR-22, 75:18 (1/31/17) [www.threeorangesrecordings.com] ****: Barbara Nissman,long associated with the music of Franz Liszt, turns (rec. 1-3 August 2013) to his most imposing legacy, his 12 Transcendental Etudes (1852 edition), recast in more accessible form by the composer from his 1837 version, which Berlioz had deemed impossible for any other artist to realize. Schumann had been only slightly more optimistic, calling them “studies in storm and dread for, at the most, ten or twelve players in the world.” Much in the spirit of the Chopin Preludes, which follow the circle of fifths, the Liszt Etudes follow a pattern of descending thirds, starting in C Major and working their way to b-flat minor. In the course of the progression – or spiritual journey – Liszt consolidates his consummate keyboard technique while paying homage to his arsenal of Romantic rhetoric and heroic gestures, his capacity to embrace ecstasies of emotional extremes that look to Dante as their analogy in imaginative expression. Nissman opens with two preliminary […]
Audio News for February 7, 2017
Jamie Parker Commemorates 150 Years of Classical Music in Canada – He is the face classical piano music thruout Canada and enjoys bringing its joys to audiences around the world. He is judge for the Cliburn Competition and often paralyses his Facebook followers with laughter. Competitors in the annual Piano Hero competition are evaluated mainly on their pre-recorded video presentation. Jamie says it is not a question of quality but rather of relevancy control: “…boards of directors do not do an adequate job of raising funds or keeping audiences engaged in their outreach initiatives.” He says “all musicians play well, if there are enough starving artists, then only the best are going to get jobs today.” “The Baby Boomers have not really migrated to classical music.” Linkplay Offers Turnkey WiFi Speaker Solution with Alexa – Linkplay Technology, a leading WiFi audio solution provider, offered at a one-day conference a way to educate customers interested in designing and building Powered by Linkplay products. The Amazon Alexa Voice Service is a broad ecosystem which can develop customer-differentiated audio products and other smart home devices. Linkplay’s patented Smart WiFi audio hardware and software module provides AVS integration, streaming music integration, app and cloud […]
Audio News for November 29, 2016
New Sony Dub Stage Equipped to Master Films in Immersive Sound Formats – The new Culver City stage is designed to simulate a typical home theater environment. It includes object-based surround formats like Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and Auro-3D. It is currently preparing several feature titles for Blu-ray, 4K UHD and digital delivery. It is equipped to master feature films and TV in immersive sound formats. The mix stage features an Avid Pro Tools S6 mixing console with 24 faders, two Pro Tools HDS systems, Ancillary gear from Blackmagic, Pegasus and Brainstorm, and a custom-built Delicate Audio truss system for mounting nearfield speakers to conform to the specs of individual sound formats. “Flexibility is essential,” says one of the Sony designers. New Complete Mozart on DGG & Decca – Deutsche Grammophon and Decca have released the ultimate in over-the-top gifts in their 200-CD Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition. The box weighs about 20 lbs. and includes 240 of old and new recordings of every known Mozart score: his operas, symphonies, concertos, piano music, even his arrangements of Bach and Handel. Some 600 eminent artists perform the Mozart works and you download the opera librettos and song texts from a web […]
Audio News for November 4, 2016
Classical Music Can Be Your Best Friend in This Political Turmoil – Research suggests that classical music could be just the thing to calm you down. Sort of like Vivaldi replacing Valium. Recent Research in Bochum, Germany had 120 participants in which half lay down in silence while the other half listened to classical music. When vital signs were taken afterwards, all had lower heart rates and other benefits, but the benefits were greatest in those who had listened to the classics. iPhones Not the Only Apple Products Dropping the Optical Out Jack for Headphones – The old MacBook Pro had an optical audio output but it is gone with the new 13-inch model, and not likely on higher-end models either. The port is described by Apple as a 3.5mm headphone jack with support for audio line out (digital/analog). There is no listing for S/PDIF optical digital audio output. Apple says “plenty of USB-C zero-latency professional peripherals are available now, or coming very soon.” Whether the MacBooks are provided with an adaptor for headphones like the new iPones is unknown. New Inexpensive LG 3D Blu-ray Deck – The PB556 is only about $166, plays Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs, has Wi-Fi […]
Lean – Lean – Music Wizards
Lean in and listen: trio music which is loose and lingering. Lean – Lean [TrackList follows] – Music Wizards 712411776534, 57:16 [9/16/16] ****: (Jerome Sabbagh – tenor and soprano saxes; Simon Jermyn – electric bass, effects; Allison Miller – drums, bike, effects) Lean is a New York City-based trio consisting of saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh, bassist Simon Jermyn and drummer Allison Miller. To appreciate what this forward-driving jazz threesome can do, follow the dictates of the trio’s self-titled debut…and lean in. Listen closely. Pay attention. This hour-long album is rich with compositional creation, improvisational imagination and masterful musicianship. Sabbagh is from France but has called NYC home since the early ‘70s. He’s played with Victor Lewis, Bill Stewart, Billy Drummond, and others; and has led or co-led several groups over the years. Jermyn was raised in Ireland and since moving to New York City has been on stage with John Hollenbeck, Tony Malaby, Dan Tepfer, and many more; issued solo records; and is associated with other NYC-area bands. Miller fronts Boom Tic Boom and is a member of Honey Ear Trio; has performed with songwriters Ani DiFranco and Natalie Merchant; and frequently sits in with the house band for late-night talk-show […]
Audio News for October 7, 2016
Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Starts Today – The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest starts today, October 7, from noon to 7 pm, in the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The three-day audio show, which ends on October 9 at 4pm, promises 128 exhibit rooms, 32 vendor displays, plus three more in the parking lot, 332 exhibit companies, and, at 62 exhibits, and a CanJam for headphone aficianados. Stellavox Reference Recordings – Kostas Metaxas had an ambitious project creating hi own library of reference recording which can be used to create the ultimate playback system. He says that many manufacturers are already using some of his tracks to “voice” their equipment. He is stuck on the Stellavox SM8 and SU8 decks, one of which he purchased on eBay and and had refurbished by an expert in Switzerland. He also uses a Stellavox AMI48 modified mixer, and modified Neumann TLM50 mics plus a pair of Newmann M150 tube mics. There is an interview with Mark Levinson on YouTube about how Metaxas was inspired by Stellavox, and some of his albums can by purchased as actual copies of the master tapes from Todor Dimitrov. An Immersive VR Experience at a Kansas Convention Center – […]
High Risk – Dark Territory – Greenleaf Music
“Welcome to the future.” High Risk – Dark Territory [TrackList follows] – Greenleaf Music GRE-CD-1049, 40:10 [7/8/16] ****: (Dave Douglas – trumpet, producer; Jonathan Maron – electric and synth bass; Mark Guiliana – acoustic and electric drums; Shigeto – electronics) Trumpeter Dave Douglas knows more than a bit about heading into unknown or new terrain. He makes that clear on Dark Territory, the sophomore release with his quintet dubbed High Risk, which includes Douglas, Jonathan Maron (electric and synth basses), acoustic and electric drummer Mark Guiliana and electronics music expert Shigeto (AKA Zachary Shigeto Saginaw). The 40-minute, seven-track album is an acute creation which blends avant-jazz with electronics and shadowy atmospherics. The title comes from Fred Kaplan’s 2016 book, Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, which quotes former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his description of cyber espionage as a “dark territory” with no light, invisible enemies, and catastrophic consequences. The Dark Territory record has been issued as a compact disc, vinyl LP and as a digital download. This review refers to the CD configuration. The sense of imminent danger, of possible threats on the horizon, can be felt on the nearly seven-minute opener, “Celine,” where Douglas’s healthy […]
Plantronics BackBeat GO 3 Headphones
Plantronics BackBeat GO 3 Bluetooth Headphones $100 [$90 at Amazon] If you want to plunge into the tech-savvy world of Bluetooth headphones, the BackBeat GO 3 is a good place to start. Specs: Listening time: Up to 6.5 hours. This is about average, but can be improved (see below). Standby time: Up to 14 days. Audio: HQ custom SBC codec, 6 mm custom dynamic drivers, frequency response: 20-20,000 Hz, 20 db passive noise reduction, total harmonic distortion: <3%, sensitivity 102 dBspl/mW @ 1 kHz. Noise reduction for calls: MEMS microphone with digital signal processing (DSP) and full duplex echo noise reduction. Charge connector: micro USB. Charge time (maximum): 2.5 hours (power requirements 5V DC – 180 mA). Battery type: Rechargeable, non-replaceable lithium-ion polymer. Bluetooth v3.0: A2DP 1.2, AVRCP v1.5, wideband audio HFP v1.7, HSP v1.1. (Odd they still use v3.0, when v4.2 is available with its improved range and other benefits.) Headset battery meter onscreen for iOS devices. Weight: 19 g/0.67 oz. Operating + storage temp: 14°F to 122°F/-10°C to +50°C. Operating distance (range): Up to 33 ft/10 m from phone or tablet. Bluetooth’s been around for almost twenty years, but didn’t make much of a splash in the headphones […]
Audio News for September 9, 2016
Everything by Mozart Gets 200-CD Set – Decca Classics has now released a massive 200-disc box set for Mozart completlists. DGG also participated in the Universal Music Group release titled Mozart 225: The New Complete Edition, which arrives late next month. It contains all his symphonies, concertos and all 22 operas plus a newly-discovered composition. (It was a friendly competition with Antonio Salieri and involved a song.) There are also two hardcover books, with a new biography and several frame-worthy prints. The collection was created in partnership with the Salzburg Mozarteum Foundation and Mozart expert Cliff Eisen. Amazon will sell it for $479.36, while Presto Classical appears to have it for only $350. Other Mozart products being prepared are a 33-DVD package all of his operas, a 3-CD collection of “singles,” digital download bundles, streaming albums and themed playlists. The box set consists of 4000 tracks, with 15,000 minutes of music, 600 performers and ensembles, 60 orchestras, 20 different record labels, 5 hours of newly-recorded performances, two hours recorded on Mozart’s own instruments, and it would take ten days to listen to all the music. 70% of the recordings are different from the last major Mozart box set. Video Games […]
BACH: St. John Passion (A ritualisation by Peter Sellars) – DVDs & Blu-ray (2014/16)
An unsettling visual version of questionable value, but high musical marks. BACH: St. John Passion (A ritualisation by Peter Sellars) – DVDs & Blu-ray (2014/16) Performers: Mark Padmore (Evangelist)/ Camilla Tilling (sop.)/ Magdalena Kožená (mezzo)/ Topi Lehtipuu (tenor)/ Christian Gerhaher (bari.)/ Roderick Williams (Jesus)/ Berliner Philharmoniker/ Rundfunkchor Berlin/ Simon Rattle Director: Peter Sellars Studio: Berliner Philharmoniker BPHR140031, 2014 (2 DVDs and Blu-ray disc) Video: 1080i Full HD for 16:9 (Blu-ray) Audio: PCM Stereo, DTS 5.1 (DVDs), 2.0 PCM, DTS-HD MA 5.1 (Blu-ray) Subtitles: German, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Korean No Region Code Length: Concert: 135 mins, Extras: 52 mins. (in Hi-Def on Blu-ray) Digital Concert Hall: 7-Day Ticket for the Berliner Philharmoniker’s video streaming service Rating: *** This is the BPO’s second Sellars foray of this type into Bach, the first being the St. Matthew Passion a few years back. What type, you ask? Well, a dramatization of the passion. And I’m a long way from being convinced about it, despite the slobbering European press and other predictable quarters hailing it as “revelatory”. Perhaps I am simply being overly-religious in my sentiments; I have always found that the Bach passions speak very well for themselves, with a simplicity and directness […]
Audio News for August 23, 2016
Sennheiser Coming to the Big Apple – Headphones will take center stage in October when Sennheiser opens two retail outlets in New York. Both a flagship Soundscape showroom in Westfield World Trade Center and a pop-up store in SoHo will stock Sennheiser’s audiophile range of headphones, including the new HE 1 electrostatic reference headphone system, and demonstrate the AMBEO 3D audio technology. Starting in Chicago on September 27, Sennheiser is planning a series of special “HE 1 Listening Experiences” in selected U.S. and Canadian locations, continuing on to other cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver and Toronto. Bryston Introduces New Digital Music Player – The BDP-π (yes, that’s the Pi symbol) is currently available for a $1295 suggested retail. The device is built upon the Raspberry Pi and HifiBerry platform, with a chassis that’s one-third the size of Bryston’s BDP player. The BDP-π will playback a range of digital files — from MP3 to lossless 24/192 — and can be connected to virtually any digital-to-analog converter, according to the company. It can also be connected to a network-attached storage drive and access Internet radio and Tidal streaming. The player features four USB 2.0 and one Ethernet (10/100 Mbps) input; […]
Audio News for April 15, 2016
Black Contributions to Classical Music Thru Video Games – The National Endowment for the Humanities has given a start-up grant to faculty members of the American University School of Communications for a web-based game called The Search for Harmony, which explores the rich influence of African descent musicians on classical music. Players will understand vital multicultural influences on classical music, learn rudimenary composition concepts and discover the expressive power of music. Tiny Tube Headphone Amp From Woo Audio – The WA8 Eclipse is pure tube, with two 6S31Bs and one 6021 tubes. It is built to the highest audiophile standards and plays from three to four hours on one charge. The built-in digital converter handles up to 384-kHz/24-bit files. It excels in transparency and seems to work with many different headphones. It has top-notch design and is currently about $1800. Virtual Reality the Hottest Technology Today – The new release of Facebook-owned Oculus Rift and the Vive – from Bellevue’s Valve and Taiwanese phone company HTC – will be the biggest test to date as ot whether consumers are interested in a device that wraps an immersive screen around their faces. A cluster of start-ups are also watching the market […]
J. Peter Schwalm – The Beauty of Disaster – RareNoise
The fascination and allure of catastrophe. J. Peter Schwalm – The Beauty of Disaster [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR059, 60:20 [2/26/16] ****: (J. Peter Schwalm – producer, guitar, piano, electronic devices, acoustic and digital sound modules, mixing decks, drums, synths; Neil Catchpole – viola (track 1); Eivind Aarset – guitar (track 2-4); Tim Harries – bass (tracks 2, 7-8); Martin France – drums (tracks 2, 8); Michael Wöllny – pump organ (track 5); Christine Schütze – grand piano (track 9)) Guitarist and keyboardist J. Peter Schwalm is probably best known for his partnership with Brian Eno, such as the 2001 album Drawn From Life. As a solo artist, Schwalm has reinterpreted the work of others: notable exemplifications being the 2013 commission, Kraftwerk Uncovered—A Future Past, for the Icebreaker orchestral ensemble; and the 2014 studio project, Wagner Transformed, which comprised reconfigurations of Richard Wagner’s “Tristan & Isolde,” “Parsifal” and other Wagner material. For the hour-long instrumental CD, The Beauty of Disaster, Schwalm found inspiration from pictures of environmental devastation, specifically the 2010 BP oil spill which affected the southeast US. He clarifies, “I had been deeply impressed by satellite images of the catastrophic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico while composing […]
Ergo – As subtle as tomorrow – Cuneiform
Emily Dickinson meets electro-acoustic jazz. Ergo – As subtle as tomorrow [TrackList follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 419, 42:16 [2/5/16] ***1/2: (Brett Sroka – trombone, computer, co-mixer; Sam Harris – piano, prepared-piano, Rhodes electric piano; Shawn Baltazor – drums, co-mixer) To fully appreciate jazz trio Ergo’s fourth release, the 42-minute As subtle as tomorrow, one should also become familiar with Emily Dickinson’s poetry. It’s not a necessary step, but immersion in both Ergo and Dickinson creates an imaginative overlap which accentuates both. In particular, this short text: As subtle as tomorrow That never came, A warrant, a conviction, Yet but a name. This brief, tantalizingly philosophical poem is a huge influence on the seven tracks which Ergo co-founder Brett Sroka put together for As subtle as tomorrow [the album title and track titles keep the same capitalization as Dickinson’s poem]. “She’s my favorite poet,” Sroka explains. “There’s something about her simplicity and succinctness and clarity, which is so direct and poignant.” Dickinson’s fragmentary writing formed the foundation for the long-form, seven-section suite which fills the album, like a transparent thread which weaves in and out of reiterating themes and parallel motifs which resurface from track to track. That’s also why the […]
Audio News for April 1, 2016
Onkyo Has AVRs With Custom Integration in Mind – The three RZ Series receivers expected next month (from $799 to $1299) have features making installation and integration with control systems easy for audiophiles and custom installation crews. Later this year they will have 9.2, and 11.2 channel RZ network receivers, and the PR-RZ5100 network pre-processor. All but the lowest-level unit are THX Select2 Plus certified and decode Dolby Atmos and DTS:X surround formats. Appreciation for Beauty of Classical Music Dying – Most of the music around us in no longer classical – the world is filled with digitized voices and instruments, lip-syncing so-called “performers” and entertainers who are more interested in making a political statement than making great music. For a few, there is nothing more beautiful than classical music. Listening to it can cause one to breathe more slowly, one’s heart rate to drop, and the stress in your life seems to float away. Some are brought to tears by the shear beauty of the sounds created by exceptionally talented musicians. More people should take the time to listen to and appreciate the great classical works of art. Request for Reader Feedback on Hi-Res Benefits – Secrets of Home […]
Audio News for March 4, 2016
Black Violin Breaks Stereotypes of Classical and Race; DVIGear UHD Multiviewer Switcher/Scaler Allows Various Presentation Environments; Microsoft’s Xbox Chief Says Their Games Console Will Be Upgraded Regularly – Like Other Digital Products; Smart Audio Provides Automated Audio Production for Telecasters; The Economic Times of India Recommends Eight Tech Upgrades
Audio News for February 12, 2016
Samsung and LG Show OLED Walls; Dying Technology – Hardware On the Way Out; Study Shows People Who Listen to Music Out Loud Have More Sex; New Canadian Site Offers Better Music Quality Plus Convenience; Only a Rumor So Far, But Apple May Make Lightning the Hi-res Audio Port of the Future
Audio News for January 1, 2016
Another Sony Hi-Res Audio Walkman; CES Coming Up; Apple May Broadcast More Beats Radio Channels; Progress Sometimes Brings Regress
Chaplin’s 15 Essanay Comedies, Blu-ray (1915/2015)
15 newly-restored shorts by and starring Charlie Chaplin, on both DVD & Blu-ray.
Stereotypes Audio
Cembal d’amour
Pure Pleasure / Speakers Corner
Cedille
