Robbie Basho 💫

 

I always loved this picture from the “Basho Sings!” rear-cover.

The one and only…

… and his colorized, modern, yet aged avatar, like he would have deserved!

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King Crimson’s 40th Anniversary Boxes💫

 

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… more AI ☺️

 

… with some Sistina Chappel, Versailles-esque, Frank Lloyd Wright and Tadao Ando’s flavor… with some Rothko, too.

Then finishing with some NYC, Bali, Gstaad, a Japanese ryokan, a Brutalist loft and a Tibetan temple!

 

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With a little help from AI 🤭🫣🤭

 

An unseen picture of Robbie Basho 💫

 

From the photographic-session which produced the greatest picture included in one of his late records.

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Toy for Krautrockers 💫

 

Studer C37 💫

 

After the recent summer heatwaves when also turning ON a CD player was too much, now with upcoming Fall, it’s a joy to turn on the mighty Studer C37 and enjoy the rich, luscious sound from my tapes collection, again.

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Alex de Grassi talks about his debut album on Windham Hill 💫

 

Alex De Grassi on Turning: Turning Back, his debut album, and the fourth album released on Windham Hill 

Hear Alex perform live and hear more insights at the Windham Hill 50th Anniversary Live event in Berkeley, California on November 1st. 

"By the time I got around to writing my first solo guitar pieces, which were probably in the mid-'70s, I had played in bands, I'd been in college for a couple of years and dropped out, and done a lot of things, and continued to play guitar all through that. I started to write some solo pieces, and that very first recording I made, Turning: Turning Back, was recorded in '77. I think it was just a strange mixture of all these things I had been interested in, which included everything from a little bit of rock and roll and blues, but also a lot of the British Isles folk guitar, and even a little bit of classical guitar in there. I like to think I kind of found a voice about that time for what I do now.

One of the other key elements in all that was I always felt like I was trying to narrate or tell a story, or describe what I was seeing around me. Not necessarily the way a songwriter would, where they're telling a story: this is who fell in love with who, and this is how this person came to an end. More just describing the elements. So a lot of my early pieces have titles of places I went, like Klamath, which is in Northern California and Southern Oregon, a Native American wilderness area, or "Causeway," which is taking a train across the Great Salt Lake Causeway. A lot of those pieces had that sense of place, and I think that became one of my trademarks: trying to describe, through my own experiences, the places I'd been and the way I perceived sound happening.

If you asked where that came from, I'd have to say John Fahey and Leo Kottke were big influences for me as well in those early years. But I remember thinking about this once, when I was about that age: what I really like is all the idioms of folk guitar, the hammer-ons, the pull-offs, the ringing open steel strings, those things you heard a lot in folk and country blues. But I also like the more adventurous possibilities you could find with jazz and classical harmony. So I was always trying to put those things together. It was the kitchen-sink approach, and hopefully I've been able to do that in a way that has a voice, or a style that has a coherence to it as well."

Disk of the day - Maria Muldaur sings the Blues 💫

 

A truly cool and pleasant disk by a superb performer whose voice matured like a great Barolo.

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An open-letter from Misho Myronov 🍀

 

After many years of building, learning, experimenting, and sharing this journey with wonderful people around the world, I feel that I have reached a moment when I need to reflect on the way I continue my work.

This is not an easy decision, because what I do has never been only about building audio equipment. It has always been about searching, discovering, learning, sharing, and creating a connection between people through the love of music and sound.

For many years, I have never been good at putting a value on my own work. My greatest satisfaction has always come from creating something that I truly believe in, rather than from calculating what it should cost. Looking back, I understand that I have often underestimated not only the time required for my work, but also the knowledge, experience, and dedication that stand behind every piece I create.

I built my first valve amplifier forty-eight years ago. Since then, audio has never been just a hobby or a profession. It has been a lifelong journey. Every success, every mistake, every experiment, and every unexpected discovery has become part of the experience that I bring into every new project.

The amplifiers and preamplifiers I create are not assembled from standard solutions or ready-made components chosen from a catalogue. Every part of the design has a purpose. Every decision is the result of many years of research, experimentation, measurement, and, most importantly, listening.

I deliberately follow one of the most demanding paths in tube audio. I believe in pure Single-Ended Triode circuits without negative feedback, with transformer coupling wherever it serves the music. This approach leaves very little possibility to hide imperfections. Every element becomes part of the final musical expression, and every choice matters.

Each amplifier is built individually, without shortcuts and without the mindset of a production line. There are no identical units waiting on a shelf. Every project receives my personal attention from the first idea to the final listening session. The finished amplifier carries not only components, but also the experience and decisions of the person who created it.

During almost five decades, I have developed many ideas and solutions that are entirely my own. They were not created by following ready-made recipes. They came through years of work, prototypes, failures, improvements, discussions, and an endless desire to understand music reproduction more deeply.

A significant part of this knowledge exists not in books or published designs, but in personal experience gained through many years of experimenting, listening, discussing, and learning.

My journey with transformers actually started when I was still a child. When I was around ten or twelve years old, my father was already explaining to me the fascinating and sometimes controversial nature of audio transformers—their compromises, their limitations, and the difficult balance between theory, construction, and the final musical result.

Those early conversations left a deep impression on me and planted a curiosity that has remained with me throughout my whole life.

Later, this journey continued through communication and work with talented transformer makers, as well as through countless discussions and exchanges of ideas with dear friends who are also dedicated audio builders. Every conversation, every experiment, and every shared experience has contributed something valuable.

I have been learning all my life, and I am still learning today. For me, this is one of the most beautiful parts of audio: there is always something new to discover.

This is especially true for my approach to transformer design. For me, the transformer is not simply a component placed inside an amplifier. It is one of the essential voices of the instrument itself.

Every transformer I create is developed with a specific purpose in mind. The materials, the construction, the winding approach, and the final behaviour are the result of many years of exploration and refinement. Much of this understanding comes not from theory alone, but from practical experience—building, measuring, listening, questioning, and discovering new possibilities.

During this journey, I have often found myself exploring ideas and approaches that are outside the usual paths of conventional audio design. My motivation has never been simply to be different. It has always been to understand more deeply and to find solutions that bring me closer to the musical result I am searching for.

Interestingly, I have never been strongly motivated by protecting my ideas through patents. I did patent one of my developments in the past—the crossover design—but over time my view changed.

Today, I see less value in keeping every idea locked away. My motivation has always been understanding, creating, and improving rather than building barriers around knowledge.

This is why I am still willing to openly discuss some of my recent developments, including ideas such as coreless output transformers and my line-level output transformer work. These developments represent many years of exploration, but I believe that communication and exchange of ideas are an important part of progress.

The true value is not only in a particular schematic, a winding arrangement, or a construction method. It is in the accumulated experience of understanding why something works, when it should be used, and how all the individual elements must come together to create a complete musical instrument.

For a long time, I looked mainly at the cost of materials and the hours spent building. Today, I understand that this is only a small part of the whole picture. What a person receives when choosing my work is not only an amplifier, but also forty-eight years of experience, original thinking, individually developed solutions, and the personal attention of the person who created it.

Over recent years, I have gradually reached a point where the way I work has become difficult to sustain. I find myself in a kind of bottleneck.

New ideas and new projects are constantly waiting for the time and attention they deserve, but that time is consumed by existing work. At the same time, the possibility of accepting new projects depends on developments that I have less and less time to complete.

My present work limits the time available for future development, while future development is necessary to continue improving my present work. The income from my current projects allows me to continue creating, but it does not always provide enough space for deeper research, experimentation, and exploration.

I believe this balance needs to change if I want to continue moving forward.

There is also a more personal reason. I can feel that the current pace carries a real risk of exhaustion. Perhaps I am already approaching a point where the joy, curiosity, and excitement that have always been the foundation of my work could slowly be replaced by pressure and obligation.

This is something I want to avoid.

Creating something meaningful requires not only time, but also mental space, patience, and the freedom to think, experiment, and listen.

I do not want to turn my workshop into an automatic conveyor of products. Increasing the number of amplifiers simply for the sake of producing more would inevitably mean giving less attention to each individual creation. That would go against the very reason why I chose this path.

I would rather build fewer amplifiers and make each one better.

I want to remain personally involved in every design decision, every transformer winding, every assembly detail, every listening session, and every final adjustment. I also want to preserve the time needed for new ideas, because without exploration and development there is no progress.

Equally important to me is maintaining my complete independence. I have always followed my own path, guided by my own understanding of what is right and what is wrong in audio engineering.

I have never wanted to create according to fashion, marketing expectations, or external pressure. The freedom to question accepted solutions, to experiment, and to follow my own convictions is one of the foundations of my work. I want to protect that freedom.

At the same time, I want to express my deep appreciation and respect for every person who has become part of this journey.

I deeply value everyone who has chosen my work, who is currently waiting for a project, or who is simply interested in what I do. I do not see these people only as customers. I see them as friends, at least, connected by the same curiosity and love for music.

I am always happy to communicate, discuss ideas, plan future projects, or simply share thoughts about sound and music.

Recently, I have had to refuse many requests—not because I do not appreciate the interest, but because I do not have enough time to give every person and every project the attention they deserve.

However, I remain open to communication. A conversation does not always have to become a project. Sometimes the most valuable things begin simply with two people sharing the same passion and curiosity.

The purpose of my work has never been only to build amplifiers.

My deepest wish is that these creations bring joy, emotion, and happiness into people’s lives. In my own small way, this is the most realistic contribution I can make toward making the world a little better.

Because of all these reasons, I feel that I have reached the moment when I need to rethink the way I continue my work.

This is not about creating distance, becoming exclusive, or changing the relationship with people who appreciate what I do.

It is about creating the conditions necessary to continue working in the way I believe is right: with full attention, complete independence, honesty, and the time required to create something truly meaningful.

Every amplifier I build is unique. There will never be many of them.

My time is limited, but my commitment remains unchanged.

If you feel connected to this philosophy, to this way of approaching music and craftsmanship, please do not hesitate to contact me. I am always happy to communicate, exchange ideas, discuss possibilities, or simply share our common passion for sound and music.

Not every conversation has to lead to a project. Sometimes the most valuable things begin simply with a conversation between people who share the same appreciation for music.

Let’s take care of our twogoodears 💫

 

Ear wax may not look attractive, it's your body's natural defence mechanism to lubricate and protect your ear canal and to keep harmful debris and bacteria out of the ear.

Usually, this isn't a problem as ear wax should fall out on its own, but sometimes it needs a helping hand.

If you experience any earache, difficulty hearing or a feeling of fullness in your ear, you may have a buildup of wax in the ear canal!

...and this was my very case: driving my motorbike wearing soft earplugs to mitigate wind noise, using earpods for lengthy phone calls, playing electric guitar and listening to music almost daily, all these activities augmented ear wax build-up as the body detected potentially harmful noises, and - again - ear wax protects inner ear.

As a musician and an audiophile, after every time I have a routine-ears irrigation, it's like an epiphany: all the noises are well here, BUT... as I'm doing right now, after a couple of hours since my ears treatment, I'm listening to some quiet music - actually Ralph Towner solo guitar - at home and IT'S UNBELIEVABLE WHAT AND HOW I HEAR and EVERYTHING IS SO BRAND-NEW and hyper-detailed and PERFECT!

I truly suggest every serious music lover to pay attention to their most precious musical instrument: your twogoodears!

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The origin of music 💫

 

Wood can be amazing, isn’t it?

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The Big Dummy 💫

 

Fast’n’bulbous, too!

I love Capt. Beefheart.

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Disk of the day - Andrew Cyrille Quartet on ECM (2016)

 

A truly fantastic record… a must have for Bill Frisell’s fans, as Bill is in truly impressive form on this album.

Something to be noted: the disk isn’t produced by Manfred Eicher.

The recording is first class, dynamically and spatially, and greatly supports the atmospheric and extremely nuanced music.

A joy for the 👂 👂.

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