Description
Audiophile Masters Volume 2
Various Artists
Our finest compilation album yet
Audiophile Masters, Volume II is available as a stereo SACD and download bundle and features 10 all-new high-performance tracks, ranging from a spacious string quartet by composer Michael McLean to the soulful funk of saxophonist Briana Harris, the acoustic guitar duo of Taylor Sims and Kyle Donovan, and an audiophile solo accordion performance that’ll put a smile on your face. The tracks were lovingly recorded in pure DSD using Octave Records’ Sonoma DSD recording system at Animal Lane Studios in Lyons, Colorado and the cavernous First United Methodist Church in Boulder, CO, to capture the sound spaces of the recording venues with ultimate fidelity and musical realism. This is a limited edition Audiophile Masters that will be a treasured addition to anyone’s library. Reference quality tracks. Each and every one a sonic gem.
About the Artists
The album showcases an eclectic variety of musical styles and sounds. To name just a few: Michael McLean’s “Tango” is a string quartet piece that combines the ensemble’s lively playing with the warm acoustics of Boulder’s United Methodist Church, with every instrument clearly defined yet with a smooth ensemble blend. “Amethyst” by Briana Harris captures all the power and groove of her quintet, a sound that hearkens back to the classic jazz of the 1950s and 1960s. The captivating “Me and My Baby,” an acoustic guitar duet by Taylor Sims and Kyle Donovan, conveys the harmonic richness, depth and sparkle of their instruments with stunning presence and clarity. And…an audiophile reference track featuring accordionist Alicia Jo Straka’s “Musette au Paris” will make everyone who hears it a believer – the instrument is recorded with remarkable depth, complexity and ambience.
Track Samples
Octave Audiophile Masters
The Recording
The recording was brilliantly captured in pure DSD by Octave Records’ engineer, Steve Vidaic at Animal Lane Studios in Lyons, Colorado. The tracks were later mixed in analog at Immersive studio in Boulder, Colorado by Steve Vidaic and mastered on the Sonoma DSD workstation. Microphones used:
- Coles 4038
- Neumann U87
- Neumann U67
- ADK Z-251
- BeesNeez LuLu FET KM84
- Royer 121
- AKG C24 as modified by Tim Paravicini
- AKG C414
- Audix D4
- Sennheiser 421
- Beyerdynamic M201
- EV RE20
Preamps:
- Manley Force Vacuum Tube
- Fred Forssell SMP-2b
- 2016 Grace Design M201MK2
- Summit Audio TPA 200B
- Neve 5012
Recording System:
- Sonoma 32 track DSD recorder
- Trident 48 channel monitoring system
Album Features
- One pressing Austrian gold-pressed dual-layer SACD
- Pure DSD + PROMastered CD layers
- DVD data disc containing DSD64, DSDDirect Mastered 192kHz 24 bit, 96kHz 24 bit, 44.1kHz 16 bit PCM
- Pure DSD recorded on the Sonoma DSD system
- Mixed in analog on Octave Record’s Studer analog console
- DSD64, DSDDirect Mastered 192kHz 24 bit, 96kHz 24 bit, 44.1kHz 16 bit PCM download
- No compression in the mastering or mixing process
- CD layer of SACD playable on any CD player
- Mastering monitored through the PS Audio DirectStream DAC
- All tracks hand-curated on the Infinity IRSV in PS Audio’s Music Room Two
- Limited edition one-pressing physical media
About Octave Records
Honoring the Music and Those Who Make It
Our mission at Octave Records™ is simple – respect musicians by paying them fairly, and respect their music by bringing it to life in the highest-quality possible.
Too often, musicians have to absorb the costs of production, leaving them little or any earnings – or even putting them in debt. And the quality of their recordings end up in last place. We at PS Audio and Octave Records are dedicated to correcting these inequities.
To support musicians, Octave™ covers 100% of all studio, mixing, mastering, production, distribution, and marketing expenses so that artists may directly share in retail sales revenues – while retaining ownership of their music.
Octave Records is dedicated to offering the highest-quality recordings in high-resolution formats including pure DSD on SACD , as well as 192kHz PCM. Located in Boulder, Colorado, Octave utilizes the world’s finest studio equipment, based around the acclaimed Sonoma™ DSD recording, mixing, and mastering system. Gus Skinas, our world-renowned mastering engineer, has hundreds of album credits and helped design the Sonoma system.
