CD STATIC

Voland seems offended by the technology which “hacks that oboe solo into bits of information,” as if the classics were above such abusive treatment.

He blames the medium for a lack of musicality while only mentioning in passing the extreme difficulty of making an accurate recording in the first place. Most recordings, analog or digital, fall far short of the goal of being indistinguishable from the live performance. The CD brings high-fidelity sound to more people than could ever afford the equivalent analog equipment. To the audiophile, $500 would only buy a “mid-fi” turntable/cartridge combination.

Voland vigorously asserts his aesthetic right to choose analog over digital sound reproduction. At the same time, he belittles the pop music listener, who must be “inured” to the sound of modern studio recordings.

Voland must realize that, by definition, a studio recording is not “real.” Sound waves that travel only 12 inches into a microphone are intended to be manipulated in a way that sounds good to the listener. That is freedom of choice, indeed.

GREG FALKEN

Santa Monica