Soundkeeper Recordings - Americas

**REShaman** · 06-16-2012, 06:38 PM

Barry,

Congratulations on the Teresa Goodwin review at Positive Feedback: "A very enjoyable disc with wonderful music and state-of-the-art high resolution sound. It will show what your sound system is capable of. Highly recommended."

She stole my review. Luckily, I gave mine first. Wishing continued success.

Also, merely as an aside, found her comment curious: "Yamaha DVD-S1700 with the Terra Firm Lite Clock mod sounds superior to my Mac Mini". Means nothing in the end.

Best,
Richard

**bdiament** · 06-16-2012, 07:04 PM

Hi Richard,

Originally Posted by REShaman

Barry,

Congratulations on the Teresa Goodwin review at Positive Feedback: "A very enjoyable disc with wonderful music and state-of-the-art high resolution sound. It will show what your sound system is capable of. Highly recommended."

She stole my review. Luckily, I gave mine first. Wishing continued success.

Also, merely as an aside, found her comment curious: "Yamaha DVD-S1700 with the Terra Firm Lite Clock mod sounds superior to my Mac Mini". Means nothing in the end.

Best,
Richard

Thank you sir, for your much appreciated support.

Just yesterday, there was another review, this time by the editor at TNT-Audio:
[Album review] Paul Beaudry and Pathwways - review of the album Americas on TNT-Audio [English]

I hope these get the attention of more folks who might enjoy Paul Beaudry & Pathway's music, as I do. (And turning folks onto Soundkeeper wouldn't be bad either. ;-})

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**REShaman** · 06-17-2012, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by bdiament

Hi Richard,

Thank you sir, for your much appreciated support.

Just yesterday, there was another review, this time by the editor at TNT-Audio:
[Album review] Paul Beaudry and Pathwways - review of the album Americas on TNT-Audio [English]

I hope these get the attention of more folks who might enjoy Paul Beaudry & Pathway's music, as I do. (And turning folks onto Soundkeeper wouldn't be bad either. ;-})

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

Barry,

The TNT-Audio is an excellent review for several reasons, which I appreciate as both a listener and a customer and as someone who posed several questions to you including being introduced to some of the intimacy of the production.

In my earlier post, I forgot to mention how much I appreciated (even if I am not familiar or do not understand the significance of the specific equipment used) reading about the equipment used, the location, the set-up, the producer's objectives/criteria/outcome.

With the TNT-Audio, I especially appreciated Lucio Cadeddu's additional comments about the DR data and cues about the lack of compression and the resulting need for turning up the volume to get even more gratification from what is there waiting to be discovered. I also appreciate something I am also aware from my own listening experiences which include listening from another room in my house, and as Lucio comments, hearing what sounds like the musicians are in the house. Sometimes, I do not know what makes that happen, I enjoy the sound as much (even better) when I am not sitting right there in the near field spot. Perhaps from the old days when I was sitting in a less desired table at live music and I allowed myself to enter the music and forget everything else. That way, when Miles walks off the stage, the way I know that is because, I do not hear his trumpet. ;>} (that was lame).

I concur with Lucio's conclusion:

"I don't know whether this is the perfect jazz recording, for sure it is one of the best I've ever heard. There are several excellent jazz recordings (especially from Reference Recordings and Chesky) but nothing comes close to Americas in terms of realism and presence effect. Need I say more?"

Did not he just say enough?
Richard

**bdiament** · 06-17-2012, 08:33 AM

Hi Richard,

Originally Posted by REShaman

Barry,

The TNT-Audio is an excellent review for several reasons, which I appreciate as both a listener and a customer and as someone who posed several questions to you including being introduced to some of the intimacy of the production.

In my earlier post, I forgot to mention how much I appreciated (even if I am not familiar or do not understand the significance of the specific equipment used) reading about the equipment used, the location, the set-up, the producer's objectives/criteria/outcome.

With the TNT-Audio, I especially appreciated Lucio Cadeddu's additional comments about the DR data and cues about the lack of compression and the resulting need for turning up the volume to get even more gratification from what is there waiting to be discovered. I also appreciate something I am also aware from my own listening experiences which include listening from another room in my house, and as Lucio comments, hearing what sounds like the musicians are in the house. Sometimes, I do not know what makes that happen, I enjoy the sound as much (even better) when I am not sitting right there in the near field spot. Perhaps from the old days when I was sitting in a less desired table at live music and I allowed myself to enter the music and forget everything else. That way, when Miles walks off the stage, the way I know that is because, I do not hear his trumpet. ;>} (that was lame).

I concur with Lucio's conclusion:

"I don't know whether this is the perfect jazz recording, for sure it is one of the best I've ever heard. There are several excellent jazz recordings (especially from Reference Recordings and Chesky) but nothing comes close to Americas in terms of realism and presence effect. Need I say more?"

Did not he just say enough?
Richard

Thank you again for your greatly appreciated support.

As to what makes that "out of the room" test work, I think prime among the reasons is unfettered dynamic range, something I consider one of the last and unfortunately, widely unexplored (to put it mildly) frontiers of recorded sound.

I mention this in the first paragraph of my article on the loudness wars.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**REShaman** · 06-17-2012, 12:18 PM

For the record (puns abide):

I re-listened with significant volume changes. Lucio Cadeddu's admonition to play Americas with more volume because of the absence of compression to make the recording even more satisfying is absolutely correct. I must admit that I was ignorant about this in a certain way. I was playing this album on several prior occasions feeling something was missing even though it felt "there".

In turning up the volume, the effect was as Lucio described. The soundstage opened up, I could hear the ambiance of the chapel, the instruments became vibrant, the music more alive. That's probably the operative word, alive, present. 3D like.

There have been times when what I wanted to hear was not there to begin with. I knew turning up the volume was not the solution. If it's not there, it's not there no matter how loudly a recording is played. What I failed to do earlier with Americas was, sensing the "it" present, turning up the volume turned 2D to 3D with more vibrance, presence, voice essence of the instruments in the room, soundstage deepening and widening.

I will remember to remember,
Richard

**barrows** · 06-17-2012, 12:37 PM

Good point Richard. As the average level is much lower with a higher dynamic range, "turning it up" is going to be necessary with an uncompressed recording. I find I play things like Reference Recordings HRx stuff at least 10 dB higher levels than an average "decent" recording (and 20 or more dB higher than typical "loudness wars" compressed pop/rock) , and Soundkeeper's Equinox at least 15 dB higher. One does have to be careful about the peaks when doing this though:
Barry, it would be helpful for you to perhaps include infomration on playback levels with your discs: especially helpful to know would be the level of the highest peaks, for those of us who are familiar with what dB levels our systems can handle without dramatic problems (clipping, bottoming drivers against the stops, etc). Listening to Equinox, I suspect the highest peaks do not reach 0 dB ever? Or, if they do, these peaks are of such short duration and so infrequent, as to not be a "problem" when the playback level is quite high (to where a 0 dB peak might be a problem for the system)?

**bdiament** · 06-17-2012, 01:16 PM

Hi Richard and barrows,

I believe it was half a century ago when Peter Walker said words to the effect that every recording has one correct playback level. My experience has told me he was right on the mark.

With a naturally recorded album, I set the playback level to match what is in my experience, the *real* level of the instruments. This is perhaps easiest to do when there is a vocal -especially one recorded with some air between the vocalist and the microphone(s), as opposed to the more common "mic-on-the-uvula" method we usually hear. Human voices are things most of us hear every day and setting volume with voice as a reference will likely be easier than say, with a grand piano, a bass, a saxophone or a full set of drums, unless of course, the listener is used to experienced these live.

As long as the instruments are *acoustic* in nature, one can use their experience as a reference for setting playback level. With electric instruments, such as an electric guitar or an all electric ensemble, of course, there is no reference. In such cases, one would have to use any acoustic instruments (and of course, vocals) as references for establishing the playback level. Again, this is all true for naturally mic'd recordings. In my experience, with the more typical, close, multimic recordings produced in most studios, we have a constantly moving target; a level that is correct *some* of the time or for *some* of the instruments or voices, will be wrong at other times or for other instruments or voices others.

barrows, any recording I master will *always* have its maximum peak level near 0 dBFS. In the early says of digital, it *was* 0 dBFS but in the intervening years, we've learned about intersample peaks (i.e., transients in the reconstructed analog signal that exceed the value of the samples in the digital signal). Nowadays, I usually set the max peak ~ -0.3 dBFS.

But this information is not necessary in order to set playback levels. Just aim for a level you would expect based on your experience hearing any of these instruments. In the case of an album like "Americas", we have some powerful players. Tim produces a lot of volume from his horn and Tony is not shy when it comes time to hitting the drums a bit harder. Setting the volume correctly will also reveal more nuances during the moments when the band is playing on the quieter side of the dynamic range.

As you mentioned barrows, I too find I play Reference Recordings (or Soundkeeper Recordings) anywhere from 10-15 dB louder than typical recordings. Or, to put it more correctly (in my opinion), I need to turn things *down* 10-15 dB for more recordings that have been made with close, multiple microphones and have had their dynamic range truncated.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 06-20-2012, 12:50 PM

...

**bdiament** · 06-20-2012, 12:53 PM

Fellow music lovers,

In the next few weeks, we're going to be doing an interview with Paul Beaudry.
If anyone has any questions they'd like us to ask Paul, please let me know, either in this thread or via an email message to Soundkeeper (contact).

We'll take the most interesting questions and add them to the ones we've planned for our conversation with Paul. The interview will be posted on the Soundkeeper site.

Thanks in advance.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 06-25-2012, 09:01 AM

Just did a Q&A with Michael Lavorgna at AudioStream.com:
Q&A with Barry Diament of Soundkeeper Recordings | AudioStream

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
www.barrydiamentaudio.colm

**REShaman** · 06-25-2012, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by bdiament

Just did a Q&A with Michael Lavorgna at AudioStream.com:
Q&A with Barry Diament of Soundkeeper Recordings | AudioStream

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
www.barrydiamentaudio.colm

Barry, read with great interest the Q&A with Michael Lavorgna. at AudioStream.com. I was also interested is the "long list" which provided me with a staggering list (some albums I have in my collection and did not know it was you) of your wake of recordings. It's kind of nice to post to someone I admire for his professional expertise that arrives in the past as a CD engineered by and now a CD and DL that was created and labeled by...
I have had several past lives as copywriter in advertising when it was an art-form (McCann-Erickson) back in the 60s which I gave up to go to law school and do something serious, like represent indigent clients, to construction as a laborer to what I do now that I always did from the time I was a child. And that resonates with me as I read about your experiences and pursuits as a child which in a sense (am I stretching to match?) mirrors my own except that you did not require a circuitous route to finding yourself as you had already found yourself. I consider either circumstances Grace extended when what you do is what you love. As your customer, I receive what you love every time I purchase a Soundkeeper Recordings issue. Appreciate the time you allow to promote yourself and your label and the rewards could easily be regarded as someone who practices Work is Love In Action.
I'll throw one of my CDs even if not yet converted to AIFF on the fire and listen to what your created that I did not even realize.
Good fortune. I know this is a public forum for members. My message is worthy of publishing without the need to PM you.
Richard

**REShaman** · 06-25-2012, 11:02 AM

Barry, got caught up in the Dream. What I do now that I did when I was a child that is really meant as a communication to you but chose to post it anyway, is to now represent not the indigent, but those seeking to make it happen in the pursuit of excellence, which include several criteria we share except I do it privately. What you provide the public on a greater scale, I do privately so that someone seeking what you do but is having difficulties finds an ally in me to help her/him make it happen.

Those values inspire me to support someone like yourself who values the same outcome. The outcome may be different in physical form but the inspiration behind it is the same and on that level from that perspective, we are all the same.

Best,
Richard

**bdiament** · 06-25-2012, 12:25 PM

Hi Richard,

Thank you again for your kindness and your much appreciated support for Soundkeeper.

Looking back, my early fascination with records and recording seems clear to me but at the time, if asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always "an astronomer". This turned out to be the case, although I do it as an amateur stargazer.

Early in college, one teacher asked the students in the class to pick a single word to describe themselves or their interests, to be used a prefix to their first name. The word I chose was "acoustic".

Though I very much enjoyed the astronomy classes I took, by that time, I was spending most evenings with some audio buddies discussing preamps and speakers and turntables for hours. I'd compared my Technics turntable with an AR and was shocked to find some important sonic differences, where I'd previously thought "it just turns, how can it sound different?" Then one evening, one of those friends brought over some speaker cables he'd just purchased. Again, I thought "How can it sound different?". Then we listened.

There was a large format "coffee table" book by Mark Tobak, called "The Audio Alternative" that entranced all of us. I wonder if you or anyone here remembers that one. I must have read it and re-read it until the paper disintegrated.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 08-06-2012, 05:51 AM

The interview I just did with Paul Beaudry is now up on the Soundkeeper site.

Paul spoke a bit about his musical background, the inspiration for the Americas album and what it was like recording the Soundkeeper way.

To read the interview, click here.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**Jud** · 08-06-2012, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by bdiament

Hi Richard,

Thank you again for your kindness and your much appreciated support for Soundkeeper.

Looking back, my early fascination with records and recording seems clear to me but at the time, if asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, the answer was always "an astronomer". This turned out to be the case, although I do it as an amateur stargazer.

Early in college, one teacher asked the students in the class to pick a single word to describe themselves or their interests, to be used a prefix to their first name. The word I chose was "acoustic".

Though I very much enjoyed the astronomy classes I took, by that time, I was spending most evenings with some audio buddies discussing preamps and speakers and turntables for hours. I'd compared my Technics turntable with an AR and was shocked to find some important sonic differences, where I'd previously thought "it just turns, how can it sound different?" Then one evening, one of those friends brought over some speaker cables he'd just purchased. Again, I thought "How can it sound different?". Then we listened.

There was a large format "coffee table" book by Mark Tobak, called "The Audio Alternative" that entranced all of us. I wonder if you or anyone here remembers that one. I must have read it and re-read it until the paper disintegrated.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

The one I read was by Harvey Rosenberg.

What kind(s) of telescope(s) do you have? Any DIY?

**bdiament** · 08-06-2012, 03:49 PM

Hi Jud,

Originally Posted by Jud

The one I read was by Harvey Rosenberg.

What kind(s) of telescope(s) do you have? Any DIY?

I never read (or heard of) HR's book.

Are you into astronomy too? (I've met a few audiophiles who are - and one telescope/eyepiece manufacturer who is an audiophile.)

Both my scopes are commercial products (my DIY efforts have been audio-related).
My small scope is a TeleVue Oracle 3 - a now discontinued apochromatic triplet. It is a beautiful small refractor.
The "big boy" is an Obsession 15 - a Dobsonian reflector.

The Oracle replaced a Celestron C90 long, long ago.
The Obsession came after a Safari 14, which was followed by a Tectron 15 (both Dobs). The Obsession showed what (in my opinion) both previous designs lacked. I'm still amazed a scope large enough for me to squeeze *inside* of is so well balanced I can move it with one finger.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 08-22-2012, 03:50 PM

I'm happy to share some news I heard today:
Paul Beaudry & Pathways' "Americas" has entered the top 10 on the jazz charts at CHUO radio in Ottawa, Canada.

CHUO 89.1 MHz - Ottawa
Jazz

TW LW Artist Title Label
1 2 Peter Appleyard Sophisticated Ladies True North
2 re Francois Houle 5+1 Genera Songlines
3 9 Ranee Lee Deep Song: A Tribute To Billie Holliday Justin Time
4 3 Shuffle Demons Clusterfunk Linus Entertainment
5 10 Tyson Naylor Trio Kosmonauten Songlines
6 7 Stacey Kent Dreamer in Concert Blue Note
7 4 The Odd Trio Birth Of The Minotaur Self-Released
8 re Cory Weeds Up A Step Cellar Live
9 1 Jon McCaslin Sunalta Cellar Live
10 -- Paul Beaudry Americas Soundkeeper
re = re-entry to chart

Thank you CHUO!

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**REShaman** · 08-22-2012, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by bdiament

I'm happy to share some news I heard today:
Paul Beaudry & Pathways' "Americas" has entered the top 10 on the jazz charts at CHUO radio in Ottawa, Canada.

CHUO 89.1 MHz - Ottawa
Jazz

TW LW Artist Title Label
1 2 Peter Appleyard Sophisticated Ladies True North
2 re Francois Houle 5+1 Genera Songlines
3 9 Ranee Lee Deep Song: A Tribute To Billie Holliday Justin Time
4 3 Shuffle Demons Clusterfunk Linus Entertainment
5 10 Tyson Naylor Trio Kosmonauten Songlines
6 7 Stacey Kent Dreamer in Concert Blue Note
7 4 The Odd Trio Birth Of The Minotaur Self-Released
8 re Cory Weeds Up A Step Cellar Live
9 1 Jon McCaslin Sunalta Cellar Live
10 -- Paul Beaudry Americas Soundkeeper
re = re-entry to chart

Thank you CHUO!

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

Mazel Tov, as we say in the industry.
Richard

**bdiament** · 08-22-2012, 04:32 PM

Hi Richard,

Originally Posted by REShaman

Mazel Tov, as we say in the industry.
Richard

Thank you. Very much appreciated.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 09-07-2012, 06:35 PM

Two weeks ago, I happily posted that Paul Beaudry & Pathways' "Americas" had entered the top 10 (at #10) on the jazz charts at Ottawa, Canada's CHUO FM.

Today, I see it is now at #2!!!

CHUO 89.1 MHz - Ottawa
Jazz

For the Week Ending: Tuesday, September 4, 2012

JAZZ
1 – Saint Dirt Elementary School — Abandoned Ballroom — (Barnyard) — CC
2 – Paul Beaudry & Pathways — Americas — (Soundkeeper Recordings)
3 – Francois Houle 5 + 1 — Genera — (Songlines) — CC
4 – Ravi Coltrane — Spirit Fiction — (Blue Note)
5 – Peter Appleyard — Sophisticated Ladies — (Linus) — CC
6 – Chris Tarry — Rest of the Story — (self-released) — CC
7 – Pat Metheny — Unity Band — (Nonesuch)
8 – Vitaly Golovnev Quartet — What Matters — (Tippin’ Records)
9 – Evan Parker & Georg Graewe — Dortmund Variations — (Nuscope Recordings)
10 – Elizabeth Shepherd — Rewind — (Pinwheel Music) — CC

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**bdiament** · 09-12-2012, 09:58 AM

Just checked this week's Jazz charts at CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada and
Paul Beaudry & Pathways' "Americas" is now at #1 !!!

CHUO Charts 09/10 | CHUO

Congratulations to Paul & Pathways!
Yes!!!

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**REShaman** · 09-12-2012, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by bdiament

Just checked this week's Jazz charts at CHUO FM in Ottawa, Canada and
Paul Beaudry & Pathways' "Americas" is now at #1 !!!

CHUO Charts 09/10 | CHUO

Congratulations to Paul & Pathways!
Yes!!!

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

Mazel Tov X2. The Canadian's have an ear. My mother was Canadian before she came to America. I may have developed her ear as well. Very happy for your success Barry.
Best,
Richard

**bdiament** · 09-12-2012, 10:33 AM

Thank you Richard,

Very much appreciated.

While Soundkeeper has received Stereophile's Recording of the Month (for Markus Schwartz & Lakou Brooklyn's "Equinox", which also got a lot of airplay), reaching #1 on any chart is new territory.

Feels good to know the music (and Soundkeeper) are getting out to the listeners.

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

**Paul.Raulerson** · 09-12-2012, 10:46 AM

It's getting out there, this page claims a quarter of a million views for it.

@CriticalJazz: Paul Beaudry & Pathways Americas Soundkeeper 2012

-Paul

**bdiament** · 09-12-2012, 11:03 AM

Hi Paul,

Wow! I hadn't noticed the view counter.
Nice!

Best regards,
Barry
Soundkeeper Recordings
Barry Diament Audio

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"Americas" hits CHUO FM top 10