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Soundkeeper Recordings

Welcome to Soundkeeper Recordings

 
"This is a highly recommended recording of fine musicians making an original contribution to the great American songbook."
- Mark Wheeler at TNT-Audio
 
"Kay Sa is filled with music of verve, spirit and flow… Diament’s production lets all this soulful music breathe: the music projects without any artificial hindrances to dynamics and flowing textures, making for a genre-busting feast of delights."
- Nelson Bill at Boston Concert Reviews (Music of Global Reach and Openness)
 
"Halperin… is a treasure to behold: his gift for grabbing a pop curve is infinite and his best songs will remain in your head long after their last refrain… There is no one like Diament and his ability to light up a musical performance to joyful, transfixing results."
- Nelson Brill at Boston Concert Reviews (Soundkeeper Recordings: Wonderment in the Music)
 
"The overall sonic image is entirely different from most jazz albums—more open and realistic… Americas is an engrossing, euphoric jazz album with topnotch audiophile credentials."
- John Sunier at Audiophile Audition
 
"This album is a lovely mix of sweet, caressing ballads and lively, rough and rugged rock tracks… The illusion of being there is literally breath-taking…"
- Lucio Cadeddu at TNT-Audio
 
"While the technical info is impressive, and the peerless sound is gloriously unaffected and real, the compelling and exotic blend of music on Equinox is equal to the technology–a balance of art and craft that all recordings, audiophile or not, should aspire to."
- Robert Baird in Stereophile (Recording of the Month)
 
"The material is freshly imaginative and simmered in talent; the sound is spacious and superbly mastered."
- Hector C. Chrest at The Audiophile Voice


The sonic story in two sentences:

In our experience, once the signals are leaving the microphones the recording's ultimate quality ceiling has already been determined.

Everything after the microphones (i.e., mic cables, AC mains power, AC mains cables, mic preamps, recording format, recording device, mix, if any, mastering, playback format, playback device, interconnecting cables, amplification, speaker cables, speakers, speaker positioning, vibration isolation, room acoustics, etc., etc.) merely determines how much of what was captured the listener gets to hear.


The Twain Shall Meet
The Twain Shall Meet
Kay Sa
     
Winds of Change
     
Americas
Kay Sa Winds of Change Americas
Confluence
     
Equinox
     
Lift
Confluence Equinox Lift


What they're saying

"It’s rare to find an album recorded with an audiophile process that’s musically compelling. Barry Diament has struck the balance consistently on his Soundkeeper Recordings label."
- Tom Fine in the June 2022 issue of Stereophile

"Such a pleasure! A recording label for country, bluegrass, pop, world and other acoustic musicians that truly brings the listener into the presence of the live performance... This is the way acoustic music should be heard... If your goal is to enjoy hearing the musicians as if in the presence a live performance, to experience the energy that only live performances create, then you should explore the recordings Barry Diament is making at Soundkeeper Recordings... Let me encourage you to explore the Soundkeeper Recordings catalog. In addition to the most recent The Twain Shall Meet, there are six more. If you value recordings that bring the live performers into your listening space, take a listen to any of the albums with music you might enjoy. I know you'll enjoy the sound quality. Given Barry Diament's tastes, it's likely you'll enjoy the musicians as well…These results are simply exceptionally good and not often heard in recordings of these genres. Well done, Barry Diament. More power to you. I look forward to hearing your next recording venture."
- Read Rushton Paul's Soundkeeper Recordings - Bringing The Live Performance at posi+ive feedback

"Stunning clarity and realism.  The way recordings should sound."
- Mark Tobak, Audio Alternative

"Diament’s skillful techniques consistently produce recordings that are unequalled in their capture of the natural breathe of instruments and vocals and how they light up the airy confines of their acoustic spaces."
- Read Nelson Brill's Music of Global Reach and Openness at Boston Concert Reviews

"The protection of recorded art that draws you in and holds your spirit – that’s what I’ve found listening to Barry Diament’s series of recordings... Artisan recorded art for music fan and audiophile, captured by an audiophile master masterer!... There’s an immediate sense of the space, with natural dynamics... All of Barry’s principles and technique are plainly discernable in the intimacy and naturalness of the sound... Add the careful attention to the provenance of each performance, and here we have a growing collection of select curated art."
- Read Richard Varey's Soundkeeper Recordings: A Completely Different Way Of Capturing Music at witchdoctor.

"Mr. Diament is a master at producing true real stereo recordings, with no dynamic compression while keeping everything as close as possible to the real live event."
- From Lucio Cadeddu's review of Winds of Change at TNT-Audio.

"Soundkeeper is that special record label where every performance is captured with a feeling of vitality and natural energy; every recording feels as if it is lit from within with a natural illumination that shines into every nook and cranny of the music to reveal its every texture, detail and the artistry of the musicians involved."
- Read Nelson Brill's Soundkeeper Recordings: Wonderment in the Music at Boston Concert Reviews

"These are among the finest recordings I have..."
- Soundkeeper Recordings was selected in the 9th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2012 - The Best of the Best!

"I've been playing nothing but Soundkeeper Recordings disks today. East coast engineering maven Barry Diament captures the illusion of life on each and every disk. It's a small catalog (4 so far) but each one unique. The best thing is that your system doesn't have to be world-class for the illusion to work. Even on my desktop system (vintage tubed Fisher 500C and small Rogers LS3/5a monitors), it's like YOU ARE THERE. I know Barry likes to record in a pure way, nothing close-miked and NO limiting, compression or outboard EQ to get in the way of the natural dynamics of the sound. Too bad all the records of the world aren't recorded this way! Start with the fab Equinox by Markus Schwartz & Lakou Brooklyn and move on to Paul Beaudry & Pathways Americas. Then try Jason Vitelli's Confluence and Work Of Art Lift. Try 'em, trust Steve, you'll really be in music heaven."
- Steve Hoffman, Mastering Engineer

"Critical point...you have to let this sound reset your ears because you have never heard it recorded and reality will sound foreign. In a famous experiment a group of people wore prismatic glasses which turned the world upside down. After a few weeks this became normal and when they took the glasses off the world seemed inverted. This is what listening to Soundkeeper Recordings is like - it will turn your world back right side up."
- Lawrence de Martin


 

A STORY ABOUT SOUNDKEEPER RECORDINGS

A Story About Soundkeeper Recordings
A Story About Soundkeeper Recordings

Read Rushton Paul's article about Soundkeeper on the posi+ive feedback website.



 

MORE ABOUT SOUNDKEEPER RECORDINGS

Another Story About Soundkeeper Recordings

Read Richard Varey's article about Soundkeeper on the witchdoctor website.



In the hearing there is only the heard.
Buddha



This site last updated 3/11/2023.