I began experimenting with digital audio recording about 5 years ago hoping to determine why so many CD’s sounded so lifeless and unsatisfying. I had just re-discovered my 1800 or so LP’s, and had almost quit listening to CD’s at all. While there are many reasons for poor CD’s, I found that the main one appeared to be curable by the same means any successful recording can employ: placing the microphones right where the ears want to be and using as clean and simple a signal path as possible.  Implementing this philosophy, I made a series of stereo CD's that delighted audiophiles.  However, I was still not satisfied.  One day, I had an epiphany.  What's that applause doing coming from the same direction as the performers?  Then, why is the antiphonal organ coming from the same direction as the Great?  Finally, why is the return of the building coming from the FRONT?  Devilishly simple, but apparently not widely understood.  Stereo, no matter how well done, is no more capable of delivering what I've come to refer to as "Virtual Presence" than mono.  But of course, there is X.1 surround sound.  It doesn't seem to be working too well, either.  I think I've determined why, and you can consider my reasoning by downloading my paper "Virtual Presence and the Six Cardinal Rules of Sound Acquisition." Since my move to Houston 3 years ago in a new job I’ve not had the time to build local links to continue my recording. I hope to remedy that in the near future. When that happens I will expand this site and perhaps be able to make “ready to play” recordings available. If you'd like to comment, please email Dave.. The following links are to stereo (one mono) samples of what I consider to be successful digital recordings. Several are my own location recordings. Some are high resolution (24/88.2) and will require a PC and appropriate DAC or sound card to play and are VERY (think gigabytes) large! While not surround, the stereo location recordings are made in accordance with the paper above. A Peasant Celebration The Hubbard Chamber Music Ensemble recorded for release. It features several top Dallas Symphony musicians including Delmar Pettys, former Principal 2^nd Chair Violin with his marvelous Amati. I was hired to engineer, so I had no say in the location, which was the Mesquite Center for the Performing Arts. With some 1500 empty seats this seemed rather cavernous for chamber music. As the compliment changed for almost every piece, I was constantly moving my two ribbon mikes to minimize this effect. Many have come to really like the sense of “intimate spaciousness” achieved. Stephen Wayne Foster Stephen Wayne Foster won the 1998 Dallas International Organ Competition in 1998. This recording was made in the near flawless acoustics of the Church of the Annunciation, Lewisville, Texas the next week, where Stephen played the dedication of a Kawai grand piano donated to that parish. Piano is the proving ground for engineers, and I have always felt most failed, especially with stereo where often one hears a piano that feels 20 feet across. I used a 1936 vintage RCA KU-3A ribbon directly into the soundboard equidistant from all strings, with Beyer ribbon about 4 feet off the end of the instrument and at 90 degrees to the RCA to try to contain this. The image heard should be left and middle and approximate the actual size of a grand piano. Asylum Street Spankers Live (1) Asylum Street Spankers Live (2) Asylum Street Spankers Live (3) These three 24/88.2 recordings comprise the entire 8PM show of the band. They use no electric assist of any kind, not even a voice mike. You will hear a buzz on the left channel. This is from a dying neon sign in the room and you’d have heard it if you’d been there. These files are VERY large and assume you have the ability to replay them. If you do not or are not sure, email me for guidance. Kid Ory “Muskrat Ramble” (c. 1932) Finally, this recording is proof that “thar’s music on them ol’ 78’s!” It is also 24/88.2 and features the immortal Kid Ory and his band. I’ve heard MANY modern recordings where the performance was not remotely this good and the disc only quieter but not as satisfying. The disc was played on my Empire 598 Mk II turntable which is rigged to get the most from vintage recordings. No other processing was used. File1 File2 Which do you prefer? Please respond to the thread in the 2 Channel Forum.

Figure 1 Able assistant (and son) with the MBS SoundCube prototype on Galveston Beach during Virtual Presence experimental recording.