You mention the centrality of poetry to these pieces. Can you talk a bit about the relationship between poetry and music in these works?

Since the genre of the pieces is “Lieder ohne Worte” or “Lieder für das Pianoforte” it is very fair to say that there could have been a poetic text (even if non-verbal) meant for these songs, just as the ‘normal’ Lieder were composed on poems by different authors. Text or no text, the most important characteristics of poetry are very vivid in these pieces: to attempt to stir the listener’s imagination or emotions and the intensity of this expression is being helped by a certain style and rhythm. Thus they are musical poems narrating different stories or ideas, also with music sometimes having the privilege of being able to express things that words cannot. 

How did you choose the particular works heard on this album?

It was a pure blessing and struggle in one – so difficult to choose from the waterfall of beautiful pieces. I decided to make a compilation of those which were so dear to me that I definitely could not part with them, but also of course to make a bigger-scale narration: as a pearl necklace where every pearl is different, but altogether forms a gorgeous piece of art. 

What are the relationships between these pieces?

The pieces tell us different stories and when they are combined together, they start emphasizing various angles of each other. Like a horror story becomes a blurry nightmare between two lovely landscape depictions. In such a way I would say they create a dialogue with each other and that’s why shuffling them can create a different ‘novel’.

Is there a structure to the order of the pieces on the album?

Indeed there is a certain dramaturgical order to them – in several bigger blocks. There is a big A major arch from the so-called ‘Hunting’ Lied to the ‘Thalberg-style’ “La Fuite” (a nickname not by the composer). What happens in between I would like to leave to the listeners’ imagination. Just as an example, I have always heard a little cycle starting with Gondellied MWV U 136 – an amorous duo that Felix presumably composed for his future wife Cécile shortly before their wedding, then Op.38, No.5, Agitato in A minor, a tragic ballade very much resembling Erlkönig (Mendelssohn himself used to accompany Schubert’s Erlkönig) where one can almost hear “In seinen Armen das Kind war tot” at the very end. Again, I truly encourage everyone to try to follow different paths (just like in Cortazar’s book “Hopscotch”!) and to surprise oneself with an unexpected turn of events. 

Can you talk about the instrument you chose for this album, and why?

The gorgeous Graf 1836 is from the Geelvinck collection (NL) and is one of my favorite instruments. It was also much loved and played on by the Mendelssohns siblings. The piano has beautiful diverse registers and colors, but what also attracts me so much in the Viennese mechanics and this piano particularly, is the rhetorical aspect – the possibility to not only sing, but also ‘speak’ with notes, which for me supports not only the poetic foundation of the pieces, but also the style and way they used to sing back in the time during the salon evenings. It reminds of the declamation of the melodrama genre and very often in these pieces it allows to make a real “recitando”. 

What are your upcoming concert and recording projects?

There are quite a few concerts with the “Guess Who?” program coming up, and also related projects such as “Reimagining ‘Das Jahr’ by Fanny Hensel” with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment featuring also new commissions by great women composers for example by Roxanna Panufnik. I am very much looking forward to continuing the Mozart-‘saga’ with Il Gardellino – touring and recordings included. As well as the new Schubert project and recording with Georg Nigl! And a special place in my heart – the Cineconcerts project with Jed Wentz and in 2026 we are aiming to celebrate 100’s anniversary of Murnau’s genius “Faust” movie, with which I am entering in a dialogue with a tailor-made (by Jed) soundtrack of most exciting romantic piano masterpieces. 

We have heard about your Cineconcerts project. Can you tell us a bit more about them?

To add to the above  –  the idea of this project is to intensify the experience of perceiving art by combining two types of art. The “moving pictures” (the silent movies) become even more “moving” (in the figurative sense) when combined with music that could have just been played in  a normal solo piano recital and which boosts one’s imagination and emotions. Compiling the score with pieces that suit exactly the story on the screen and syncing them live on stage together with all the tears, laughter, love and hatred, but also closing door accents and winks – makes it a really special art immersion. 

The post Artist Interview: Pianist Olga Pashchenko on album ‘Guess Who?’ appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

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Both albums from the Maxwell Quartet are currently
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Do you have any specific methods when it comes to rehearsing?

Not anything particularly rigid, but we do have a consistent approach, especially when working on music by composers like Haydn. We always spend a lot of time going over the score together, making sure we don’t miss any details. Because, for us, the details really are everything.

From there, we focus on creating a collective interpretation of the music. It’s not just about following the composer’s intentions; we try to blend that with our own musical personalities. Our goal is to come up with an interpretation that says something about both us and the composer, something unique that brings the music to life.

When it comes to Scottish traditional music, the process shifts a bit. One of us will typically bring in a tune or melody from our Scottish heritage—something we’re already familiar with. From there, we’ll jam on it, improvise, and see where it takes us. Afterward, we go away, write it down, and turn it into something more structured—like a composition. Then, we bring it back and develop it further, letting it evolve into something that feels natural and rooted in folk tradition.

Regarding this particular recording, how do the folk music selections and Op. 77 relate to each other?

We approach the selection of traditional folk music with great care, aiming to complement the classical pieces we perform. For Op. 77, we focused on both the stylistic elements of the string quartets and their emotional tone.

For example, we begin the album with Captain Campbell’s March, a pipe march that carries both a noble feel and a playful energy. This mirrors the opening of Haydn’s String Quartet Op. 77 No. 1, which itself begins with a march. We wanted to emphasize that connection because marches hold a special place in Scottish traditional music—they often serve as a prelude, establishing a celebratory yet purposeful tone.

Moving forward, we chose a set of eighteenth century tunes by well-known folk musicians, Niel & Nathaniel Gow, and William Marshall. We chose the slow Strathspey, Master Francis Sitwell, because we felt it resonated with the slow movement of Haydn’s Op. 77 No. 1. We even borrowed the main motif from that movement as a bass line, as well as the dotted rhythms that feature prominently. We then included slip-jig, which we felt shared a rustic quality with the Minuet and Trio in Haydn’s quartet. And for the finale, we chose a reel, which we used to echo some of the thematic patterns and passing motifs from the quartet’s finale. In these folk pieces, we intentionally mirror Haydn’s own compositional devices in our arrangements.

The album concludes with Hector the Hero, a beautiful slow lament that we’ve cherished for a long time. It felt like the perfect way to close the album, especially since it echoes the profundity of Haydn’s last quartet, particularly the slow Adagio movement. Moreover, it served as a tribute to our dear mentor, Hatto Beyerle, who passed away last year.

Since we’re on the subject, why did you decide to dedicate this album to Hatto Beyerle? Did he have any advice that you still refer to regularly?

Hatto was a true visionary, and we were incredibly fortunate to study with him. We often recall his teachings, particularly the mantra that to truly understand classical string quartets, like those of Haydn, one must first understand folk music. He was deeply passionate about the language of the time—especially the rhetoric of chamber music in the works of Haydn and even Beethoven.

Many would argue that after a certain period, composers began to blur the lines of rhetoric in their music. But Hatto always believed that we should continue to consider rhetoric, as it forms the foundation of the ancient musical language. His wisdom continues to resonate with us every time we approach a string quartet. It felt only right to dedicate this album to him, as Haydn was one of his greatest passions. We hope this album serves as a fitting tribute to him.

How did you choose the particular folk music selections for this album?

Our aim was for the folk music to complement, not overshadow, the mastery of Haydn’s quartets. We wanted these pieces to act almost as a commentary on the quartets, as if saying, “We understand where you’re coming from. We feel what you felt.” It’s about creating a deeper connection with Haydn’s work through the lens of folk music, which is something we believe both the composers and performers of that time would have understood.

*The pieces in these videos are not from the album mentioned. They are here to demonstrate the quartet’s abilities in both traditional Scottish folk music, and with Haydn’s works.

Why did you decide to round off your Haydn series with these particular quartets? What’s next for you in terms of recording plans?

Although it may seem like an end, we don’t view this as the conclusion of our exploration of Haydn. We actually started with the Opus 70 quartets, which is a bit unconventional, but we felt that the Opus 71, 74, and 77 quartets formed a beautiful trio to bring together at this stage. We’ll definitely return to Opus 76—it’s a complete masterpiece with six quartets, so there’s more to be said there.

In the meantime, we’re expanding our horizons to explore the folk influences on composers beyond Haydn. We’re looking forward to diving into the works of composers like Dvořák, Bartók, and Janáček—figures who, like Haydn, were deeply influenced by the folk music of their homelands. We plan to ask similar questions about how that influence shaped their music.

Do you have a clear division of roles within the quartet?

We each bring different strengths to the table. For example, some of us are particularly good at internalizing or conceptualizing ideas, while others excel at externalizing them or communicating effectively. We play to each other’s strengths, but at the same time, we share responsibilities quite a bit. Though we’re four very different individuals, we function as a cohesive unit, and over the years, we’ve learned how to work together fairly seamlessly.

Have there been any challenges recently, and how have you overcome them?

It’s certainly not the easiest time to be a musician, but we’ve learned that it’s never been an easy path. The challenges we face as classical chamber musicians remain constant, and it’s our shared creative drive that keeps us going. The pandemic, of course, had a huge impact on musicians worldwide, and in more recent years, we’ve all become fathers, which has shifted how we structure our work.

The recording industry itself has also changed significantly. In response, we’ve placed greater focus on building direct connections with communities. We’ve recently launched an initiative in East Lothian, where we live, to engage with the local community. We’re actively working in schools, hosting our own concert series, and focusing on personal, intimate engagements rather than relying solely on promoter-led events.

These initiatives bring us immense joy, and we stay positive because we see how much people appreciate our music. It reminds us that what we’re doing is truly worthwhile.

What’s the dynamic between the members of the quartet? Any special family connections or relationships?

We’ve known each other in various ways for years. George (2nd violin) and I first met at college in Glasgow, and it turns out we share a family connection—we were born in the same hospital in Dundee, just a few months apart. We now live in the same village in Scotland, and our children go to school together, which is a lovely connection.

Colin and George met as teenagers in the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, so it was special when they got the chance to reconnect in the quartet. Elliot and Colin also met at college when they were studying on music courses. It was a bit of a reunion when they joined the group, with some of us knowing each other already and others not.

Over the years, we’ve become like family. We’ve stayed at each other’s homes, and our families have become intertwined in many ways. We’ve built a deep personal connection that extends beyond the music—at this point, we really are family!

The post Exclusive Interview with Maxwell Quartet appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Audio enthusiasts have diverse motivations. Some seek the most “pleasant” sound, while others indulge in nostalgia, cherishing vintage gear or the bombastic effects of home cinema soundtracks.

Siegfried Linkwitz, audio pioneer and co-inventor of the Linkwitz-Riley crossover was a long-time subscriber to the San Francisco Symphony. He always aimed to experience their recordings in the most authentic way at home, focusing on reducing tonal and spatial distortions that distract from the musical event. So for Siegfried Linkwitz loudspeakers had an absolute reference when evaluating their performance: The live event!

Furthermore, Siegfried Linkwitz was aware that a sensible chain starts with the proper recording technique. https://www.linkwitzlab.com/Recording/AS_creation.htm

An excellent example of such a recording-replay chain makes use of the synergies, that come into play when minimal micing (one-mic) is paired with a dipole playback (Linkwitz LX521). The chain transferred the music from the recording venue to the control room in DSD256 format. This happened a few days ago. We heard the live performance vs. the rendered recording over LX521.4MG in the Hilversum Studio of Sound Liaison record label.

Download Links for Comparison

Pure DSD 256

DXD 352kHz Conversion

On a crisp autumn day in Hilversum, the Sound Liaison studio hosted a unique recording event. The focus was on capturing the purest essence of a live performance using a minimalist approach: a single microphone array. The artists for this session were the renowned Peter Bjørnild on double bass and Iman Spaargaren on sax/clarinet. Their synergy and musicality promised an engaging auditory experience. The goal was to achieve a 1:1 reproduction of the original event, leveraging the one-mic technique, DSD256 digital format, and the holographic LINKWITZ LX521.4MG dipole speakers. This report delves into the intricacies of the recording process, the technical choices made, and the resulting high-fidelity reproduction that brought the live event to life in stunning detail.

The One-Mic Technique

The one-mic technique is a purist’s approach to recording, aiming to capture the natural balance and spatial characteristics of a performance. By using a single, high-quality microphone array, the recording preserves the integrity of the soundstage, avoiding the phase issues and artificiality that can arise from multi-mic setups. For this session, a Josephson C700S was chosen for its renowned clarity and sensitivity, positioned strategically to capture both instruments in their natural acoustic environment.

DSD256 Digital Format

Digital recording formats play an important role in preserving the fidelity of the captured sound. For this session, the choice was DSD256, a high-resolution format known for its ability to reproduce audio with exceptional detail and accuracy. Higher rate DSD (e.g., DSD256) has come of age, and many older misconceptions found on the internet about SACD and DSD64 are now outdated. DSD256 doesn´t involve quantization issues, sample rate conversion, and other artifacts. DSD256 may offer an analog-like sound, maintaining the warmth and depth of the original performance. Today, postproduction of DSD is possible, even in Quad-DSD256 (11.2MHz) format, without needing (lossy) conversion steps to/from PCM. The decision for DSD256 ensured that the recording remained as true as possible to the source, from capture to playback. Furthermore, DSD256 files can be stored, copied, and archived without the unavoidable degradation and aging of analog master tape.

The Recording Session

The recording session took place in Sound Liaison’s acoustically treated studio, designed to provide an optimal environment for capturing live performances. Peter Bjørnild and Iman Spaargaren were positioned to achieve a natural balance, with the Josephson C700S placed strategically to capture the full spectrum of their sound. The musicians performed several pieces, including intricate jazz improvisations, each showcasing their dynamic range and expressive capabilities.

Throughout the session, the focus was on maintaining the purity of the sound. The signal chain was kept as simple as possible, with the microphone feeding directly into a high-quality preamp and then into the DSD256 recorder. This minimalist approach minimized the potential for signal degradation, ensuring that the recording captured the true essence of the performance.

Playback on LINKWITZ LX521.4MG Dipoles

The final step in the process was the playback of the recording on the holographic LINKWITZ LX521.4MG dipole speakers. These speakers are renowned for their ability to reproduce sound with remarkable accuracy and spatial realism. Their open-baffle design and advanced driver technology allow them to create a three-dimensional soundstage, making them an ideal choice for evaluating the fidelity of the recording.

During playback, the recording revealed its true potential. The one-mic technique captured the natural interplay between the double bass and sax/clarinet, preserving the nuances of their performance. The recording format ensured that every detail was rendered with stunning clarity, from the subtle overtones of the double bass to the breathy nuances of the saxophone and clarinet. The LINKWITZ LX521.4MG speakers brought the recording to life, creating an immersive listening experience that faithfully reproduced the live event.

Holistic Approach to Music Capturing and Reproduction

This recording session exemplified the holistic approach to music capturing and reproduction, where every aspect counts. From the minimalistic microphoning with the Josephson C700S to the analog-like DSD256 format for storage and transport, each step was carefully considered to preserve the integrity of the performance. The final rendering on the holographic LX521.4MG dipole speakers ensured that the recording was reproduced with the highest fidelity, capturing the essence of the live event in all its dimensions.

3D Soundstaging and High-Fidelity Reproduction

One of the most impressive aspects of the recording was its ability to recreate the three-dimensional soundstage of the live performance. The one-mic technique, combined with the DSD256 format and the holographic LINKWITZ LX521.4MG speakers, allowed listeners to experience the spatial relationships between the instruments as if they were present in the studio. The depth and width of the soundstage were preserved, providing a sense of immersion that is often lost in multi-mic recordings.

The high-fidelity reproduction extended beyond the spatial characteristics. The tonal balance and dynamic range of the recording were exceptional, capturing the full spectrum of the duo’s performance. The double bass had a rich, resonant quality, while the saxophone and clarinet were rendered with a natural warmth and clarity. The recording also preserved the subtle details of the performance, such as the ambient sounds of the studio and the expressive nuances of the musicians’ playing.

Conclusion

The test recording event at Sound Liaison Hilversum demonstrated the potential of the one-mic technique, DSD256 digital format and LX521.4MG dipole speakers to achieve a high-fidelity reproduction of a live performance. By capturing the natural balance and spatial characteristics of the double bass and sax/clarinet duo, the recording provided a 1:1 reproduction of the original event. The recording format ensured that every detail was preserved with exceptional clarity, while the holographic LINKWITZ LX521.4MG speakers brought the recording to life with their remarkable accuracy and spatial realism. This session highlighted the importance of simplicity and purity in the recording and rendering process, offering a compelling example of how high-fidelity audio can transport listeners to the heart of a live performance.

Download Links for Comparison

Pure DSD 256

DXD 352kHz Conversion

The post Recording Event at Sound Liaison: A One-Mic Recording of a Double Bass and Sax/Clarinet Duo appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

After a two-year break due to the pandemic, we had the pleasure to record again with great musicians as part of the of My Reel Club™ project. This time we also participated as a label.

The My Reel Club™ recording events were launched 3 years ago with ambitious plans. The Club members and founders were determined to introduce audiophiles and music lovers, who were also engaged in the technical background, the work in a recording studios, and thus to open a unique opportunity for them to understand and appreciate how music is recorded. Unfortunately, the pandemic has made it temporarily impossible to realise some of our ideas. Hopefully, the situation is improving, and we are still determined to expand our special recordings, although with a limited audience for the time being.

This time, we worked with Gábor Juhász’s Trio, featuring Julia Karosi and Tony Lakatos on the recording of the album Planets at Digital Pro recording studio. Gabor is a Gramophone and Artisjus award-winning jazz guitarist and composer, and Aegon co-award-winning jazz guitarist and composer. He taught jazz guitar at the Béla Bartók Music Secondary School and the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and was named Jazz Guitarist of the Year 2021 in Hungary. My relationship with Gábor goes back a long way, even our musical careers met once, I was happy to welcome him after many years.

The trio, founded in 2006, features Zoltán Kovács on double bass and György Jeszenszky on drums. They are highly skilled musicians with a masterly command of their instruments, who have also brought much joy to the crew with their exciting playing and humility in the course of our work. I highly regard musicians who do not consider themselves, but the whole production is essential in such situations (too). They are like that. The trio has been completed with two new members this time, according to Gábor’s musical plans. Julia Karosi added an impressive colour to the material and the male group with her truly unique vocal technique. Tony Lakatos has been living abroad for some time. He is a saxophonist well-known to all jazz lovers in Hungary and worldwide with a highly considerable international reputation. Now he has returned home for a few days to record this album. His skilful routine combined with his musical and human authority made an outstanding contribution to the success of the project.

István Matók, the head of the Digital Pro Studio, where the recording took place, is a leading figure in the Hungarian sound engineering community and is well-known to My Reel Club™ members, having hosted our first studio meetings in 2018.

He confidently managed the technical crew and equipment from the planning stage of the recording. We recorded the main points of reference based on the musical ideas, time and technical equipment available:

• The recording is completed “live”. We call it Live-To-Tape™ and Live-To-Disk™ process. All the musicians were playing simultaneously, in a shared space, to see and hear each other live. They can react to each other in real-time by this method. It is essential in this improvisational musical style.
• Sound processing and effects are kept to a minimum.
• We record what is happening in the studio with carefully chosen microphones.
• We use various recording technologies, producing 192kHz/24bit PCM material in ProTools, stereo DXD/DSD material with Merging Audio’s Anubis and analogue tape stereo recording. The three versions will be targeted at different audiences, formats and produced differently.
• As we stick to the original sound, there will be no mastering and post-production on the DXD and analogue tape recording. However, the 192k/24-bit PCM multi-track recording will be produced with usual post-production and mastering to fulfil commercial expectations and provide an Atmos version. The high-resolution PCM recording was done on the AVID ProTools system installed in the Digital Pro studio. Each microphone signal is on a separate channel, allowing for post- production sound mixing required by the future CD, Atmos release and streaming service provider’s requirements.

Gábor Juhász brought two instruments to the recording.

He played track “Copernicus in Tartu” on a Collings C10 Deluxe acoustic guitar. He picked a legendary Gibson ES 175 Herb Ellis Model Plus electric guitar with Thomastik Jazz Swing JS13 strings for the other tracks, the thickest set of which he used for a full sound. The electric guitar was played through a tube/FET hybrid amp built by András Nyerges, and a 30 cm Fane speaker, miked with Sennheiser MD 421 and Shure SM 76 microphones. The guitar sound was a mix of the two mic feeds.

Zoltán Kovács’s double bass was a 2006 model by Géza Fábián, with two Neumann TLM103 microphones placed in front of it, close to the strings and under the bridge. In front of the saxophones was a Warm Audio 67 Tube Condenser (Neumann U67 clone) microphone, and Julia Karosi sang into a Warm Audio 47 Tube Condenser (Neumann U47 clone) microphone with great passion and excitement.

For drums, AKG D25 (kick), AKG C251 (snare), WA-84 (hi-hats), AKG C414 (toms) and AKG C12A (overhead) mics worked around György Jeszenszky’s custom-made and great sounding DDrum rig:

Everyone played in the same studio space in the recording room but separated by screens to reduce unwanted acoustic leakage between instruments. The isolation is not perfect, the sound still got in where it shouldn’t have, but that’s inevitable in a live recording. If the musicians had been completely separated, the sound would have been technically better, but the musical content would probably have been compromised. The signals of the microphones, selected based on the lessons learned from legendary jazz recordings, were fed into Trident, Warm Audio and Bricasti preamps, where they underwent some light analogue dynamics processing. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable. It would be virtually impossible to record the events in the right quality without it. Finally, the amplified signals were fed into a 16-channel APB-DynaSonics analogue (!) console used for live mixing and programme output distribution.

The tape recorder and DXD/DSD recordings were made using the console PGM outputs without any digital processing, and the two stereo recorders received the same mix from the console’s L-R main output. The signals were digitised from the analogue desk’s channel-by-channel Direct Outputs for the ProTools multi-track recording, with each microphone on a separate track.

This is the working environment in the studio control room with the three recording systems installed:

Not much space left in the control room, but just enough for the producer and my friend Ferenc Koscsó, the MRC project’s innovator and organiser. The analogue mixing console and preamps on the right with the tape recorder, the ProTools system control surface in the middle, and the DXD/DSD recorder on the left. The latter is a supercharged Luxor PC with linear power supply (optimized for Merging’s Pyramix), Pink Faun’s OCXO clocks for the motherboard, passive cooling and custom cabling, running Merging Pyramix software in DXD/DSD mode. As being usual in case of MRC recordings, the A to D conversion was the highest resolution available with today’s technology.

The Merging Anubis interface was driven from a high-quality linear power supply, connected in stereo 2 channels, with Evidence Lyric cables to the mixing console’s output. The analogue tape recording was made with a Nagra IV-S NQS-LSP reel to reel recorder, SM468 tape at 38 cm/s, with CCIR equalisation, under the supervision of Tamás Perczel. We used Yamaha NS- 10 near-field and Dynaudio midfield monitors for monitoring in the studio. We all brought our own headphones, including a high-end Focal. A well-known headphone can help us immensely to control and fine-tune the recording.

I have lived in various studios for 25 years. I have ‘retired’ from such ordeals, but I still occasionally enjoy to participate in more serious activities, such as the My Reel Club™ recordings. Living among so many knobs, switches and reels for long time teach you to respect the technique and your colleagues. It’s an exhilarating feeling when you get to work with like-minded and like-mannered people, as was the case with this recording. Due to the musicians’ busy schedules, we had a limited time of only one-half day for rehearsals and another half day to record. This can only be achieved if there are no technical problems to slow down the process and if everyone is in control and maintains their own level to a high standard, including the technical crew and the musicians. The one day installation and set-up went smoothly, the technical staff did their job with confidence. Let it remain between us that many musicians would feel uncomfortable in this “live” situation because they are typically used to the fact that everything can be corrected in recording and post-production. That was deliberately not available this time, so great discipline and concentration were required.

The signal gaining is an essential parameter for live recordings. Since there is no room for a correction here in a “live” recording, the recording signal levels must be adjusted to achieve the highest possible signal-to- noise ratio and dynamics without overdriving. In the case of My Reel Club™, recordings, limiters and compressors are not used for this function, so levelling is a bit stressful, and there is a constant fear of recording. Fortunately, I managed to adjust everything so that the peaks on the digital material dropped to around -5 dB FS, which is still a safe distance from the deadly 0 dB level, but already results in excellent dynamics. And speaking of dynamics… When listening to music at home, a recurring question is what volume reproduces what is actually happens in the live music. This time, we continuously monitored the loudness in the studio, as shown in the graph below. We will also give you a little help for the listening process in that the album will feature a sustained saxophone sound as a reference. If you set the volume of this sound at home to between 75–80 dB SPL (yes, unfortunately, an instrument is required for this), you can enjoy the whole material at roughly the same dynamics and volume as it was played live in the studio. Of course, this won’t work for many people due to the limitations of playback systems and rooms, but I think it’s worth a try. Below you can see the original (C weighting, slow av.) sound pressure curve of the track “Saturn”, measured in the studio at a distance of 3–5 m from the musicians. Peak values were 98–100 dB SPL, with an average of 85–90 dB SPL(C).

The technology performed flawlessly during the recording, and I didn’t have to constantly juggle it (despite many beliefs, this is one of the main characteristics of pro audio over commercial equipment). So I had time to listen to music while I worked. In concerts and studios, I’m always competing with the musician and the sound engineer in myself; sometimes I am focusing on musical details, sometimes on technical parameters. Fortunately, they tend to support each other; there is no fierce battle between them. While recording, I was sometimes able to contemplate the technical beauty of the Nagra tape recorder and the musicians’ playing too. As a bass player I particularly enjoyed listening to Zoltan Kovács. The miracle of music being made just a few metres away from us, with attuned minds and equipment, is still a thrill for me.

We listened to the recorded material together. Some requests were made by the musicians and some lessons were learned by us. At the end of the process, we will need all the creators’ blessing to produce a recording approved by all the participants. This also reflects that the sound engineer(s) is/are not the final decision maker(s) in the studio. They cannot make decisions solely on all matters. Still, they/he/she will respond to the technical, aesthetic and artistic requests in a chosen way based on their experience and professional knowledge. The question has also arisen about which recordings represent a higher quality or are closer to a “live” sound. “Live” is in quotes here because we in the control room are not hearing the original sound of the instruments, but the sound of the microphones, and we can compare the recordings to that. It was agreed that the DXD and the analogue tape recording were very close to the live sound, with only a tiny difference in taste. For my part, I would put the digital DXD version first. My analogue tape operator friend Tamás Perczel, of course, voted for tape. Obviously, our ears are tuned differently, but that’s okay It is worth noting that the enormous differences between the recordings, which are mentioned by audiophiles way too often, of which we only perceived a fraction, each containing much more information than most home HiFi systems can show.

The recordings are done, processing, uploading, publishing and all the associated paperwork is next, and with a bit of luck, the production will be released to the public in a few weeks. After that, we plan to make it available on major streaming providers, high-res file download portals and as an audio CD and possibly as vinyl too. My Reel Club™ members will get them first. So, I have selected the versions that the musicians have voted, making some basic corrections (editing, tracking, making fade in/out runs, signal level correction, converting to multiple file formats, uploading metadata, etc.), all done in the privacy of my own home.

The final product is very different from the usual sound of commercial music releases, mainly in the dynamic range. Because only minimal dynamic compression was applied, the recording preserves the difference in volume between the quieter and the more powerful musical events to almost 60 dB. (This is typically 15–30 dB for commercial material). Playback of this album may be problematic for some home systems. To get the quietest details to sound, they need to exceed the background noise level in terms of SPL, typically 35–45 dB SPL in a home environment. So, the peaks are around 100 dB, which weaker HiFi chains cannot reproduce enjoyably without aggressive distortion. But then again, hi-fi fans have long cherished the dream of high dynamic range recording, so there you go! Another feature of the recording is that the timbre may seem duller at first listen than on most releases without mastering. I suggest to give your ears time because the human ear can correct such “problems” in a few minutes! The frequency range is quite wide, and the graph below shows that there is still plenty of musical content above 20 kHz:

A 2-minute sample is now available in 44kHz/24bit, 352kHz/24bit and DSD128 formats.

The post My Reel Club™ – Recording of Juhász Gábor Trio featuring Julia Karosi and Tony Lakatos: ‘Planets’ appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Homeland – Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor and De Falla’s Noches en los Jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain)
Judith Jáuregui (piano), Kaspar Zehnder, Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León.
Eudora Records 2024 (Pure DSD256, stereo and 5.1 channel surround).
Available only from NativeDSD.

Utter transparency. Abundant detail. Extreme delicacy and nuance. A soundstage to die for. Unrestrained dynamics and immense power. This is a recording to cherish, a recording to celebrate.

Such were my reactions when first listening to this amazing new recording from Gonzalo Noqué and Eudora Records. After repeated listenings, my initial reactions hold. This album is a tour de force of orchestral recording magic.  And it is entirely recorded, edited and mastered in Pure DSD256*. Not a bit of PCM processing anywhere in the production chain. From microphones, to editing, to mixing, to mastering, all is accomplished entirely in the DSD domain. 

*Technically, this is pure PDM (pulse density modulation) using both single-bit and multi-bit PDM, with the final output being the single-bit PDM standard that is known under the Sony marketing name “DSD”. But for simplicity, I refer to this as DSD in the title and throughout the article. Whether multi-bit or single-bit, it is all PDM and not PCM (pulse code modulation). See Tom Caulfield’s explanation HERE.

This is perhaps the only large orchestral recording made to commercial standards (with a full complement of 22-27 microphone channels mixed post-production in the studio) that has been produced in Pure DSD256 throughout. Yes, I have heard some other wonderful Pure DSD256 recordings of large orchestral performances. The Pure DSD256 recordings from Hunnia Records come most immediately to mind, such as the remarkable Bartok Piano Concerto No. 1 with László Borbély (HERE). But most Pure DSD orchestral recordings that I’ve heard have been non-commercial recordings, and most have been minimally mic’d, with limited post-production mixing—truly special, but not commercial, recordings. 

I’ve been told over the years that making a large orchestral recording to commercial standards is simply not possible with DSD. Supposedly, you can’t mix DSD.

Well, I’m here to tell you it is possible.

And the result is the most transparent verisimilitude of an orchestra that I have heard in a commercial recording. Ever. It simply sounds like the real thing: no compression, full dynamic range, incredible detail, beautiful capture of the timbre of the full range of instruments found in a large orchestra performance. Most apparent is the utter transparency of the sound. There is nothing between you and the instruments themselves. For me, “transparency” is an ultimate goal in the recording of natural acoustic instruments. And this recording delivers that transparency in spades with its Pure DSD256 heritage.

And you can hear it for yourself with the free download sample at full DSD256 resolution that Gonzalo has graciously agreed for Positive Feedback to make available to you. More about that below with my further discussion of how this recording was made.

But first, let me tell you about the music on this album.

The performances by Spanish pianist Judith Jáuregui are invigorating, brilliant and an utter joy to hear. She plays with power, precision, and technical mastery. But, more importantly, she plays with emotion, fluidity, and a striking singularity. She clearly has something unique to say. Born in San Sebastian in northern Spain, she has grown up in a multicultural environment through her Basque mother and her Mexican father who grew up in France. After initial studies and a debut recital at the age of just 11, she moved to Munich to study with the Russian pianist Vadim Suchanov at the Richard-Strauss Konservatorium. 

When asked about the music she plays best, she replied, “I am comfortable in general in the romantic light of Brahms, Liszt, Chopin… where the piano sounds in all its glory. I feel very natural also in French music since I have a french side: my father was born in Mexico but grew up in France, and I was born in San Sebastian, just 20 km from the border between Spain and France. Many of my childhood memories are from the other side of the border, where Ravel was born. I am attracted to everything that has to do with the Paris of the beginning of 20th century. I have also a very special link with the music of Spanish composer Federico Mompou, with its purity, its essence.” (HERE)

In performing the music of Norwegian Edvard Grieg and then the music of Andalucían Manuel de Falla, Jáuregui demonstrates remarkable comfort traversing cultures to find the common love of homeland, the title of the album. Says Jáuregui, “A homeland is the profound affective bond between a human being and their land, their culture, their nature. It is the root from which our initial experiences grow, leaving an indelible mark on our identity. It is also the ensemble of physical and emotional homes that we construct throughout our lives… On this album we find two authors who made of their love for their homeland a musical message: Edvard Grieg and Manuel de Falla. Both scholars of the folklore of their respective origins, Norway and Andalucía, they knew how to introduce and emphasize elements of this in their music, creating a new, unique, original and personal register.” 

And throughout, Judith Jáuregui’s expressive refinement and infectious brightness of being bring to us a joy in the music that she seems delighted to share.

Conductor Kaspar Zehnder and the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León provide excellent partnership in this musical journey. Orchestral ensemble playing is tight. There is overall a fluid flow and ease with which the orchestra approaches the music, very aptly complementing Judith Jáuregui’s own fluidity and ease.

Oh, and did I say that these are large orchestra works? Yes, indeed they are. De Falla scored Nights in the Gardens of Spain for piano, three flutes and piccolo, two oboes and English horn, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani, cymbals, triangle, celesta, harp, and strings. The variety of timbre is an aural delight.

The one sonic weakness of this album is the overly forward piano sound in the Grieg Piano Concerto. It is too prominent, too divorced from the overall soundstage of the orchestra. Fortunately, the sound of the orchestra is just fine. Very balanced, very well integrated, very natural. 

In contrast, the piano sound in Nights in the Gardens of Spain is beautifully well integrated with the overall sound of the orchestra. It sounds here as I assume Gonzalo wished for all of it to sound. And, accordingly, it is  this selection, the opening movement of Nights in the Gardens of Spain, that I have chosen to offer to you as a free download sample. You can hear for yourself what a brilliantly mixed and mastered Pure DSD256 recording is capable of delivering.

Free Sample Download
This free sample download, all 10:32 minutes and 1.7GB of it, is available courtesy of Gonzalo Noqué and NativeDSD. It is track four from the album Homeland, Manual de Falla’s Noches en los Jardines de España (Nights in the Gardens of Spain): En el Generalife (the jasmine-scented gardens surrounding the Alhambra):

Use this link to download the Pure DSD256 file. This file is a Pure DSD file with no PCM processing. (For best results, please be sure your DAC is capable of playing a DSD256 data stream without remodulating or converting it.)

Use this link to download the track as a 352.8kHz DXD/PCM file. This DXD file is provided for those who cannot play DSD256 and for those who’d simply like to compare formats. This DXD file is the original edited PCM session mix, with no intermediate conversions or remodulations. 

Please note that only albums downloaded from NativeDSD will be in Pure DSD. Any other release you may find, including any SACD, will have been PCM processed. This is because the Pure DSD mixing and mastering of the album is accomplished by a collaboration between Gonzalo and NativeDSD’s mastering engineer Tom Caulfield. Tom actually creates the Pure DSD mixes in Signalyst HQPlayer Pro from the Pure DSD tracking channels and mixing instructions provided by Gonzalo. You can’t obtain it anywhere else.

The Recording Process and Pure DSD – a deeper dive for those similarly obsessed

I start with a format bias. For me, DSD256 presents a level of audio excellence unmatched by any other digital format. DSD256 delivers a degree of ultimate transparency and fidelity to the timbre of the instruments that subtly eludes DXD and any of the PCM resolutions. I wrote about my wife’s and my experiences in this back in 2021: Pure DSD256 – What We Hear.

There is a reason Bob Witrak (High Definition Tape Transfers) makes all of his tape transfers in DSD256 even when further PCM post-processing will be required due to issues in the vintage tapes. There is also a reason Gonzalo Noqué (Eudora), Jared Sacks (Channel Classics), and Brendon Heinst (TRPTK) all lay down their microphone tracking channels in DSD256 even though they typically apply PCM post-processing in their classical music recordings to achieve the final results they are looking for. In all four cases, these exceptional audio engineers tell me they use DSD256 because it most accurately captures the sound of the source. 

The problem with Pure DSD final releases is not that they can’t be accomplished. It is because, as Gonzalo tells me via an email conversation, the problem is practicality. The mixing process for a Pure DSD release “is very time-consuming and impractical compared to a DXD mix workflow, which is very fast and straight forward.”

And, in the Pure DSD realm, “you cannot use limiters or compressors, which is becoming more and more common in the Classical music recording world.”

But, when I asked if he would make another Pure DSD recording of a large orchestra, his reply was, “Yes. In fact I have another orchestral recording coming before summer where we’ll do it again. As I said in the article you wrote about this topic (Mixing in Pure DSD – No PCM Allowed), there’s something that I love conceptually about remaining in DSD256 for the whole process. Maybe it’s just the idealistic, utopic side of me, but I do think a Pure DSD256 release represents the best quality achievable in the digital world right now. Whether the difference is large or small, noticeable by many or few, I find it very rewarding having the opportunity to work this way.”

I asked about microphones and Gonzalo explained, “The main sound (I’d say at least 90% of the overall mix) comes from the main orchestral pair (2 x Sonodore LDM-54) and the four microphones used for the piano (2 Rens Heijnis modified Neumann U89 relatively close to the instrument and two Sonodore RCM-402 further away). The rest of the mix (around 10% of the overall mix) includes several spot microphones for the different orchestral sections: Schoeps MK4, Pearl CC22, Gefell, Neumann… There are overall 22 channels/microphones in Grieg’s concerto and 27 channels/microphones in Falla’s Noches en los Jardines de España.

In describing the mixing process at this scale, Gonzalo said that it was exactly as described in that last year’s article discussing how Gonzalo and Tom Caulfield create a Pure DSD recording: Mixing in Pure DSD – No PCM Allowed. Just many more microphone channels! “Once I found the mix I was happy with within a DXD project in Pyramix, I then started “translating” the visual representation found in Pyramix’s mixer into the command line-style found in HQPlayer.” Tom then takes these command line mixing instructions into HQPlayer Pro and generates the Pure DSD256 file. The process clearly works. But as Gonzalo observes, “It is definitely a very impractical workflow.”

As explained to me most patiently by Tom, “Recorded music post processing and mastering is done using tools named Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). These provide the function of editing and microphone channel mixing to the final channel format, plus the numerous sweetening provisions like channel equalization. With the exception of HQPlayer Pro, they all convert a continuous DSD bitstream into discrete PCM samples for processing. HQPlayer Pro uses remodulation at the original DSD bitrate for channel mixing and EQ. For acoustic recorded music, requiring minimal channel sweetening, HQPlayer Pro is the ideal DAW for channel mixing without the incurred filtering effects of PCM conversion.”

What Gonzalo and Tom have done is remarkable. Gonzalo has essentially mixed this album twice. Once in PCM in Pyramix to create the channel mixes he wants for a final product, and again to copy out the mixing and EQ parameters for HQPlayer Pro.

Gonzalo could stop once he has his Pyramix PCM mix. He has a fully satisfactory commercial release of the album and he can make all of his format renders from this PCM mix using Pyramix Album Publishing, including a DSD256 render. Most labels do stop here.

But, Gonzalo does not stop. He goes that major step further. He uses all of the settings that he’s determined in his Pyramix final PCM mix, every channel, every fade, every mix, and translates those settings into line by line coding for the command language used in Jussi’s Signalyst HQPlayer Pro.

Tom then loads the original DSD256 channels into HQPlayer Pro with command language parameters Gonzalo has created to mix again, but this time entirely in the DSD/PDM domain. Tom will then send the Pure DSD256 mix out of HQPlayer Pro to Gonzalo for approval. If Gonzalo approves, Tom will start this process all over again from the original DSD256 channels to generate each format render of this album that appears for sale on the NativeDSD website: DSD512, DSD128, DSD64, DXD, 192kHz PCM, and 96kHz PCM. Every file format is a separate independent render directly from the master DSD256 channels, so every format render found at NativeDSD will be as close in purity to the original DSD256 channels as is possible to make. (The DXD sample file download above was created this way.)

For both Gonzalo and Tom, this is an act of pure dedication and love for the art.

As an audiophile who has always valued the highest quality sound reproduction I can possibly achieve, I absolutely delight in Gonzalo’s and Tom’s willingness to strive for the pinnacle of what is currently achievable in digital sound recording and playback. Yes, it is impractical from a purely commercial standpoint. But, so are the single sided, 45-rpm, high purity vinyl discs that I was always eager to obtain in my days of listening to vinyl. It is the love for achieving excellence, to strive to create something that is as close to the maximally accurate reflection of the real acoustic event as possible using today’s technology. And I feel so utterly grateful to fellow sound quality fanatics who are willing to take this effort.

So, I hope you will listen to this Pure DSD256 file from Eudora for yourself! I hope you will hear in your own system that which Ann and I hear, and that you will find in it the same joy of discovery that we find. And, I hope that you will encourage their continuing efforts to create for us such glorious recordings as this. 

Here are some additional Pure DSD256 albums from Eudora that I’ve reviewed elsewhere in Positive Feedback (see search results HERE). I’d highly recommend any of these to you:

The post ‘Homeland’ – Pure DSD256 Large Orchestra Recording from Eudora Records appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Had you heard of DSD before making this album?

To be honest, I hadn’t heard of it until HR Recordings mentioned it to me. They are known for recording in high resolution, capturing every detail, down to the sound of the fingers on the strings.

Was that a new experience for you?

Yes it was! It felt more exposed than when the microphones are farther away- but also somehow really true. It was very nice to have a small intimate team also- my husband was my Tonmeister- as in the one looking after that everything was covered- he and Augustin, the sound engineer and owner of HR records, were inside the church with me while I was playing. Originally I was planning to record this more slowly- but Agustin inspired me to go for recording all 12 now – it required a big push to go for it in quite a short time but I’m glad we went ahead and finished them!

So, the project began with transcribing the 12 Fantasies for solo viola. What inspired you to undertake this?

The viola has a unique history, especially during the early Baroque and classical periods. Initially, it was primarily a harmony filler instrument due to its size limitations. Unlike the violin and cello, the viola’s acoustical characteristics differ, giving it a distinct mellower tone but also posing challenges in tone production and clarity. In the world of solo viola music there is limited original repertoire from the 18th century, prompting me to explore transcriptions and adaptations. Discovering Telemann’s Gamba Fantasies, originally composed for the viola da gamba, intrigued me. The viola’s journey from a supporting role to a solo instrument fascinated me, leading me to transcribe and adapt these pieces for the viola.

 What was the process like for transcribing these pieces?

Transcribing these pieces was a labor of love. I stumbled upon existing transcriptions but found discrepancies and compromises that deviated from the composer’s original intent. Utilising modern technology like Staffpad, I meticulously transcribed the pieces, striving to remain faithful to Telemann’s compositions. Each fantasy presented its own challenges, especially in adapting chords and multiple string techniques characteristic of the viola da gamba. My aim was to preserve the integrity of Telemann’s music while making it accessible to contemporary viola players.

Your efforts have resulted in a significant contribution to viola repertoire. How does it feel to have your name associated with these transcriptions?

It’s a humbling experience. Throughout my career, I’ve interpreted and performed numerous works, but seeing my name associated with these transcriptions feels special. It’s a testament to the collaborative efforts with scholars, editors, and publishers who recognized the value of these adaptations. As a viola player, expanding the repertoire and exploring lesser-known works is immensely gratifying.

Moving to the recording process, what was your experience like working with Agustin and HR Recordings?

It was a very comfortable collaboration. Agustin’s husband is a very old friend of mine and he mentioned that HR Recordings was looking for new projects. He asked if I had anything I would like to record, and I did! The recording process was intensive yet rewarding. We chose a picturesque location, a quaint church north of Madrid with amazing acoustics and ambiance. Recording all twelve pieces in three days was a challenge, requiring meticulous preparation and focus. Despite the time constraints and physical strain, the experience was enriching, allowing me to immerse myself fully in Telemann’s music.

Did you encounter any unique challenges during the recording process?

Recording solo pieces was a departure from my usual ensemble or orchestral work, requiring a different mindset and approach. The intimate setting and single microphone setup made me feel exposed, intensifying the focus on every nuance and detail. Playing in a cold environment presented physical challenges, I had to wear extra layers and use a little heater next to me to stay warm. However, the solitude allowed for introspection and deep connection with the music, resulting in a profoundly personal recording experience.

Did you find it easier or more challenging to connect with the music in a solo recording setting?

I think it was a bit of both. With someone else, you can feed off each other’s energy, although there’s also the potential for conflict. Going solo is definitely an inward journey, allowing you to really immerse yourself in the music. It’s about bringing the composer’s intentions to life and understanding the story within each piece. For me, it’s crucial not to impose too much of my own interpretation but rather to honor the composer’s vision.

So, you mentioned initiating the recording process. Did that involve a lot of preparation, perhaps with Agustin, or was it more spontaneous? Did you just fly in, assess the space, and dive into it? You mentioned earlier that what you initially thought would take around six days was condensed to just three by Agustin.

Yeah, essentially, I would have preferred more time. It was a bit of a mixed feeling because, of course, it’s great to get things done efficiently. However, having more time would have been preferable. I had been living with the pieces for about three years, so they were deeply ingrained in me, but I needed to translate that understanding into my playing, which required a lot of extra effort, especially considering my other commitments like teaching. Yeah, and I had a minor injury just before the recording.

Oh, really? In your hand?

Yeah, just one finger. I overdid it with practice. Thankfully I discovered something called Body Mapping – without which I’m not sure I would have been able to record solo music for hours like that! With the knowledge of how to use your body in an optimal way one can play with much more freedom and much less danger of injury and pain! Even if I managed to hurt one my fingers on the left hand from over working it – it would have been much worse had I not had the understanding of why it occurred and how to handle it…

Were there pieces that required more time than others, or was it a balanced distribution?

Well, in terms of time, they were done sequentially. However, towards the end, I made a decision. Number eleven—I postponed that to the following morning when I was feeling fresh. So instead, I tackled number twelve in the evening when I was a bit fatigued. But indeed, each piece presents its own set of challenges. What’s fascinating about these twelve fantasies is their individuality. None of them feel repetitive. Starting from C minor in the first one and ending in the relative major, it’s quite significant in terms of harmony if you’re interested in that aspect.

Besides being dedicated to his amateur gamma player friend, is there a backstory to these pieces?

I’m not sure. He must have shared copies with someone. Others must have played them. Considering he composed such an extensive body of work—3000 pieces in total—calculating how many were out there is quite a task. This particular fantasy, however, disappeared for about 300 years until it resurfaced in 2015.

Incredible. It was found in someone’s private collection, correct?

Yeah, there was some documentation that led to its discovery in a private collection. Remarkable, isn’t it? It makes you wonder how much more lies undiscovered. Anyway, these fantasies he wrote for solo instruments are truly unique. There are twelve for flute, twelve for violin, and thirty-six for keyboards. They’ve gained popularity over time, with numerous recordings and editions available. Since I began my work, there have been at least three new editions. 

One of my students, about two years ago, came to a lesson with a new  edition of the same twelve fantasies for viola—edited by my colleague Brian Schiele in Scotland who plays in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. It was funny because I was on my way the following week, to guest lead the viola group in the SCO. He had a quicker publishing process compared to mine. And he made different choices so we had a nice nerdy conversation about “why did you do this down the octave there?” And  “how did you solve this problem?”

And did you stand by your decisions after you spoke with him about it?

Oh yes, I did and I still do. I’m very happy with how this project turned out. 

Well we are too, Asdis. It’s great to add another solo viola work to the collection. Thanks for joining us.

The post Ásdís Valdimarsdottir speaks about ‘Telemann: 12 Fantasies for Solo Viola’ appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

When NativeDSD started making the Songlines high-res back catalogue available, I was very interested in checking out their Higher Rates Program. All our DSD recordings are from the 2000s and are therefore DSD64. Would I hear a significant improvement when remodulated by NativeDSD’s engineer Tom Caulfield at DSD256 or 512? The full-range audiophile stereo system that I listened on is the creation of my friend Nic Morelli and it has been one of my reference systems for decades. It is almost entirely self-built, and Nic continues to improve and upgrade digital playback. His main DAC is a Signalyst-design DSD DAC, and he works hard to eliminate as much digital noise from the chain as possible.

“Nemesis”, the first track of the eponymous album by Canadian jazz composer Mark Nodwell, is a 2001 analogue recording that was mixed in analogue to DSD and mastered by Dawn Frank at the Sony SACD Project in Boulder.

So it’s Pure DSD, and was therefore remodulated using the Signalyst HQPlayer Pro. We didn’t have DSD128 to compare, but at DSD256 the sound opened up considerably: there was more space around individual instruments, creating a more coherent and spacious soundstage; we also noticed more fine detail and improved dynamics. The big revelation for us though was DSD512. It sounded so…organic. There were further significant improvements in ambiance retrieval – each instrument stood clearly in its own space with its own bloom. And the instrumental timbres themselves preserved an analogue smoothness and realism that was very seductive. Yet nothing was smoothed over – textures were actually more palpable than before. To sum it up subjectively, we could “hear into” the music in a deeper, more relaxed way.

Our second test track was “LB” from Wayne Horvitz Gravitas Quartet’s Way Out East.

This chamber jazz group (piano, trumpet, cello, bassoon) was recorded in DSD and  mixed in analogue in 2005, then mastered in Pyramix in DXD. It has therefore been remodulated up to 256 using the Pyramix Album Publishing software, but Tom also produces a DSD512 version using HQP. We wondered whether the fact that this recording had gone through a DXD post-production stage would limit the benefits of remodulation. But no – we heard the same types and degrees of improvements at 256 and 512 that we’d experienced with “Nemesis”. The 512 sound was just wonderfully present, and it was a joy to follow the counterpoint and relish the instrumental colours as the players wove the music together.

Our conclusion: if you have a modern, sophisticated DAC that’s optimized for DSD playback then please give remodulated DSD files a try. Certainly these legacy DSD recordings on Songlines never sounded this good back when they were recorded.

NativeDSD Plus Membership – the most affordable way to explore different DSD rates on your system.

The post Songlines Recordings compares different DSD rates appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

Firstly let me say thank you to the both of you for taking the time to speak to me today. I’m very excited to get to know you both a bit better, and to learn more about TRPTK and how you guys operate. If we may, I’d like to start with some personal background into your lives. I find it fascinating to hear the journeys that brought professionals such as yourselves in to the world of making music.

Brendon Heinst: Well for me, I didn’t grow up in a particularly musical family, but everyone of us did listen to a lot of music and all of us played some as well. My father listened to a wide range of music and was in some bands as well. My brother was also really in to music, so from a very young age I just started picking up instruments and starting to learn how to play. I was always more of a tinkerer, rather than like a ‘proper’ musician at heart and soul. I liked to open stuff up and see how it works, and then try putting it back together. I guess I would say I was kind of 50/50 interested in making music but also breaking apart things that make music. 

I played a lot of guitar and I started building a lot of stuff for that: I built my own amp and my own pedals – I even started to build my own guitar at once, but it turns out I’m terrible at woodwork. 

Was there a time that you remember your interests turning towards actually recording music rather than playing or tinkering?

Brendon: I don’t know about a specific moment, I just always had an interest in how music was made. I remember watching a ton of those behind the album documentaries that always came on VH1 and I grew this fascination towards the musical process. It seemed like the perfect combination of creating music, hanging around socially, and also tinkering with the technical stuff. But honestly I didn’t know I would become a recording engineer.

My first work was actually in photography and I had my own graphics design business which I was mostly busy with. While I was abroad one summer though my father – who was already ill for a while – became extremely sick really quickly and one of the last conversations we had before he passed was about this exactly. I was in Singapore, it was about 3:00 a.m., and honestly I don’t know why I called him. I just remember the overwhelming feeling that I should. We spoke for hours about many different things, one being what I should do about the fact that I am interested in music but the business is extremely hard to make it in. The last thing he said was, “You gotta do what you feel you have to do. If it feels right just go for it”. That really inspired me to take music seriously as a profession. 

Wow, that’s powerful. Then is that right when you decided to start TRPTK? 

Brendon: No, it was about four years before TRPTK was born. I started studying at the Utrecht University of Arts and had a few classes instructed by Eelco Grimm who is now famous for his hifi company Grimm Audio. It was really inspiring to attend his classes because I felt I had similar interests and approaches to working with audio. While I was writing my master’s thesis about recording in surround sound I also did an internship with Bert van der Wolf of Turtle Records. Through these experiences I got to see the classical music world up close and I hated it… passionately. It was so conservative and there was nothing young or creative about it. Back in those days I also recorded rock bands fairly often, and I loved the world and atmosphere much more.

So I was torn – I enjoyed recording classical music the most because it was the most challenging from a technical stance, but I enjoyed the creative and energetic atmosphere of other types of music sessions. I really wanted to merge those two interests, but I couldn’t find anything for a really long time. Then finally I met Maya, we did one session together and I really loved working with her. At some point we started to record Schnittke together, the first cello sonata, and we had such a nice crew together that the whole session was extremely fun and energetic. And we did things in a totally different, non-traditional or conservative way, because Maya is not conservative in any shape or form. 

Maya Fridman: No, you’re right. And for me Schnittke was an amazing composer who broke a lot of boundaries – for example he combined rock music with classical – and unfortunately was quite unknown. Starting my professional recording career with this piece felt very symbolic for me as an artist. 

So is that a feeling or view that you share as well, Maya? That you have a love for classical music, but you feel the atmosphere around it is too traditional or conservative?

Maya: Yes sure, for me it was a really long road to get to where I was playing music I actually enjoyed. I started as a classically trained cellist at six years old. At around seven or eight I decided that I wanted to pursue it professionally and for the rest of my life. 

Brendon: Haha, as children do!

Maya: Yeah well, I was asked very directly because this kind of musical education requires a lot of investment from the parents. It cost a lot of money, but it also required a lot from my mother to be disciplined and get me to practice every day. I recorded my first album when I was eleven. It was never published, but it was a great learning experience for me to realise that I enjoyed the recording process just as much as I enjoyed performing.

As I grew up and got to find my own identity a bit more, I realised that I love rock and metal music so I started to play with bands, although in Moscow at that time it was basically impossible. In the culture there if you were a classical musician that is all that you played. Finding rock bands who wanted a cello player was very difficult, to say the least. I remember at the time I didn’t have internet at home, so I would go to internet cafes and look for advertisements of black metal bands looking for a cellist. Safe to say I didn’t find many. I ended up playing keyboard in a black metal band once, and then I found a post-rock band that I could play cello with. Then I came to the Netherlands and though I didn’t find many musicians to play this specific mix of music I wanted, at least here I started to do my own thing and break out of the classical world. I started my jazz/rock trio Dinosaur,

I was working with singer/songwriters, playing with folk artists and stuff like that. Then I responded to an ad that Brendon had put up and that’s how this all started. 

Oh wow, that sounds like a story. You first connected because of an ad? 

Brendon: Yeah it’s actually a pretty funny story. I was busy with my master’s degree and I had finished all the theoretical ground work but what I needed was test subjects. So I hung up a poster at the Amsterdam conservatory explaining that what I need is the player and the material to test my recording thesis, and what you’ll get is a free recording. I only ever got one reply in all the time that the poster hung there, and for years afterwards I wondered, ‘Why is it that at a conservatory of hundreds of musicians, only one person was interested in a free recording?’ Turns out Maya didn’t write down the phone number as I had intended that people do, she just took the entire poster! 

Haha, that’s amazing. Smart plan Maya, to make sure you’re the only choice!

Maya: Yeah, haha. I don’t think I even did it consciously. It was just a natural instinct. But I’m very happy I did that, because it led to the partnership that Brendon and I have. 

Well this brings me to a question that I just have to ask. Many of our listeners probably don’t know this, but your partnership is very unique in that it’s not only a partnership in TRPTK, but in life and love as well. I’m curious, how did this amazing story start between you? Did it start right away with that first session recording Schnittke?

Brendon: Well I knew right away that Maya was someone very special but I couldn’t quite place it. It was only once we started working later hours with the editing and mixing of that project where I started to understand what she really meant to me. 

Maya: And for me it was only from the second album that we worked on together. Of course I felt very open and comfortable with Brendon from the beginning, but at first I couldn’t imagine anything more than just being friends and colleagues. But while I was working on the arrangements for our second album together Fiery Angel something changed.

The album was this very romantic story about a woman who falls in love with an angel who turns out to actually be a demon –

Brendon: Can you see the connection here? 

[All three of us were cracking up at that one]

Maya: Haha, yeah for some reason I don’t know why, during all of the musical arranging and the complicated love story, I started to feel something for Brendon more than just friendship. 

Well that’s an amazing story. It makes me think of the deep connecting force that music can be.

Brendon: Yeah it really has that power for sure. Not just romantically but socially and culturally as well. With the benefit concerts that Maya organises you can easily see it. She goes on stage with people from Ukraine and people from Russia, and despite everything that’s going on there is this huge sense of connection between everyone there. 

Maya: And also music can bring up the deepest emotions that we have as humans, and it can express them sometimes better than we can. 

Maya, can you tell me more about these benefit concerts? 

Maya: Yeah well I started doing them about a year and a half ago when Russia invaded Ukraine. When it all began I couldn’t sleep, we talked a lot, but I felt completely desperate and extremely angry at the situation. Suddenly the idea came that ‘maybe I can do something’ and to organise a benefit concert with Ukrainian and Russian musicians. The next day I started calling colleagues and fellow musicians and in one week we managed to put on a concert at the Concertgebouw. The tickets sold out and we raised over €100,000. It was incredible, and I just thought that I have to go on because the momentum was there. I created the TRIDA Foundation and have continued doing the benefit concerts since then, among other things. 

Wow, that is amazing. Where can we go to find more information about the foundation and the concerts? 

Maya: You can visit the website tridafoundation.org

Definitely will check that out. 

So we’ve made it to the point of how you both met and how your relationship formed, but I would like to go a bit deeper in to how TRPTK actually came to be. That first project together was not technically a TRPTK production yet, right? 

Brendon: Yeah I actually pitched that first album [The Invisible Link] to a couple of different labels. And with my background as a photographer we had shot photos and made artwork for the album as well, but not in the traditional manner. This just didn’t look or sound like an album that these labels were used to. So the general comments were like, “No, no-one listens to Schnittke so we’re not going to do it” or “This is not a classical music cover”. And I couldn’t understand why, just because something hasn’t been done before, that’s a reason not to do it. As if it being a new idea made it a bad idea. So this, along with many other examples, left me feeling like a lot of the labels just had it backwards, or were stuck in another time. Because I wanted to work with Maya and with other artists like her who were really bringing new and creative ideas to the table – and since other labels weren’t interested – I decided to just do it myself. Then I started TRPTK. 

When I visit your website one of the first things I see is this term Optimised Omnidirectional Array, can you explain to me what that is exactly? 

Brendon: I did my master’s research on this, to make a microphone array for surround recording, and it was based on doing a lot of simulations and going back to the science that’s been done in stereophonic listening. I made countless recordings, micro-tweaking the microphones countless times, listening back in the anechoic chamber at the HKU, and really crafting this microphone array. Then we did a lot of listening tests with a really wide audience – I didn’t want to just include students or teachers, but also friends of mine and family, people outside the music industry. Through the simulations and the listening tests, I put together this microphone arrangement that is the most natural or realistic way of recording things – the Optimised Omnidirectional Array, or OOA for short. And every single recording that TRPTK has ever made utilises this technique. 

And has your pursuit for the most natural audio representation also led you down a never-ending search for the right microphones? Or do you have your tried and tested mics? 

Brendon: We started out working with Sonodore microphones and I really love them, but they’re not without their faults – like noise rejection, because they’re unbalanced microphones, so they are prone to interference. By some weird coincidence my business partner Ben [Ben van Leliveld] got in touch with Rembrandt Hissink (the main representative of DPA in the Netherlands) on the very same day that I had emailed them asking if I could possible test out some microphones. So then we moved on to using their microphones and I just really love the 4006A from them. Later on I made a recording with Eelco Grimm, or rather we made the recording together but on our separate systems. He used his own Grimm Audio AD1 DSD convertors (which are astounding) in combination with Josephson microphones which I had never heard of at the time. What they do is take these measurement microphones and they create a body to put on it to use for recording, but since they are measurement microphones it’s really ‘what you put in you get out’. There is no coloration on these microphones, and I love it. They really help us achieve our view on recording which is to capture exactly what is there, not adding anything or taking away from it. 

Your studio has such a distinct and dramatic look with the blue speakers on the white background. Was there intention there or do you just love the speakers?

Brendon: Haha, I’m not gonna lie, I do love the way they look! It’s not the main reason I use them, but it’s a nice perk. When we started out we had these GoldenEar speakers, pretty nice for the money they cost, but at some point I began to hear the limitations of that setup. Also at that time we made the jazz record Elegy with the AEON Trio – which included Maya –

and when it was finished I took some CDs to a friend of mine who I knew liked this type of music. I wanted to ask him if he knew anyone that could help us with the business aspects of TRPTK, because all I know is making records. What happened is that he came on board himself, and the first thing he did was come see the studio and say, “This ain’t gonna cut it. If we’re going to set something up then we’ve got to move, and we’ve gotta get better equipment”. He talked with a couple different manufacturers and in the end we decided with KEF for our speakers. They’re a great combination between perfect imaging and not being overly analytical. 

I also noticed on your website that you always work with a 50/50 split deal with the artists you record?

Brendon: Yeah I do. I’ve seen some artists in the past getting taken advantage of by the label and it always confused me. The way I see it, the percentage you pay to the artist is a direct reflection of how you value your artist and how you value yourself, and the work that you both put in. The only way that made sense to me was to go into a deal with an artist and split everything 50/50. We split all of the costs that are involved in making the recording – i.e. hiring the location, instruments, extra musicians, etc. We also have an equal 50/50 royalty split so for the artists and for us it’s a big incentive to sell the records: what we put in is what we get out, equally. I mean, I’d love to give more royalties to the artists, but then I wouldn’t be able to make recordings anymore. But giving less than 50% to the artist is never going to be an option.

Maya: It is really a relationship, you know? We are there for the artists and for the music and we are extremely involved. I feel it has to be this way also from the artists, I mean it’s like becoming part of a family for me. When I’m looking for artists, I’m also trying to feel if it will work or not with our personalities and commitment to the project. 

Is there any story behind the name TRPTK?

Brendon: Honestly I wish I could answer with some philosophical masterpiece, but in reality it’s just because it was started with three people. Haha, nothing too exciting about it really. 

Haha, okay gotcha. 

Well my last question is one I ask in each Meet the Magicians interview, and it’s typically the least favorite to be answered. Can you tell me your 3 Desert Island Albums – your three favorite albums that you’ve created which you’d prefer to have if you were stranded on an island.

Maya: I think I know mine. First is the album B.ACH with Kersten McCall, and I can’t really explain why exactly but I just love the way it sounds. 

Brendon: Oh man, that’s tough. We’re up to 111 productions that we’ve done so I’m gonna have to look through our list real quick… Ah! My first choice would definitely be The Power of Indifference mostly just because of the process. It was an intense and long creation process for this album, so different than just renting a church for a few days and then you’re done. We set up our living as kind of a studio and we made music for weeks creating this album, so it holds a special place for me. Another would be Kinn by the Marc van Roon Trio –

Maya: I also wanted to say this one! But I was doubting between Kinn and B.ACH. 

Interesting that you both choose Kinn… what makes it so special for you? 

Brendon: Such good memories is one reason. We had two days of complete and utter freedom and it was great. We were supposed to do a Schumann recording that week but due to COVID the piano player didn’t have any concerts at all and he was unsure if he would be able to do a full on CD recording, so we cancelled it. We still had the location booked however, so a week before those dates I called Marc van Roon whom I had been talking with for years already about doing something. I said, “This is probably going to be a long shot, but do you want to record in a week from now? We have the church booked, a beautiful piano rented and it would be a shame to let it go to waste”, and he said yes! He came up with the idea to make a fully improvised album with three people (piano, double bass and drums) where he usually started with a poem in mind and the other two musicians came in. It resulted in a really extraordinary album. Oh, and I definitely need to include Into Eternity, especially now with the situation in Israel. This album has a lot of importance and was made with so much passion.

Great, well that makes four but since you are two people we’ll let it slide. You did it! I know it’s not easy to choose between your ‘babies’. Thank you both so much for your time. It was great getting to know you better and discovering more magic behind the curtain of TRPTK. I look forward to many more amazing albums in the future!

Albums Mentioned

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The post Meet the Magicians: Brendon Heinst and Maya Fridman of TRPTK appeared first on NativeDSD Music.

This album represents a personal tribute to the genre and its literature from its origins to the present day, offering a unique perspective.

NativeDSD’s David Hopkins visited the Recording Session to have a talk with Tom Peeters, Owner and Recording Engineer of Cobra Records. The album is available here.

I did the filming and editing. Enjoy friends!

Jonas Sacks

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