CLASSICAL RECORDING ADVANCES AT CANDLEWOOD DIGITAL
WITH LAVRYBLUE AND LAVRYBLACK AD10

Versatile Music Production & Mastering Company Requires Lavry Conversion on the Road, In the Studio for Work with Elite Classical Musicians

NEW FAIRFIELD, CT: Candlewood Digital insists that their business approach is strictly old school: values, respect, and kindness come first. But a second look at their style of recording classical music performances reveals an advanced mindset, as Candlewood founders Richard Price and Wayne Hileman push the envelope of what is possible.  

Equipped with the extreme transparency and full-frequency response of the LavryBlue 4496 modular AD/DA conversion system, and the highly flexible LavryBlack AD10 A/D converter, Candlewood Digital arrives on location fully prepared to meet the sublime standards by which classical recordings must be judged. Their commitment to going above and beyond is borne out by recent projects for such luminaries as the Grammy-nominated Borealis Wind Quintet, the Mainstreet Brass, pianist Ann Schein with longtime Juilliard Quartet violinist Earl Carlyss, the return recording of pianist Alberto Reyes, and the ongoing Robert Craft recordings of Stravinsky and Schoenberg.

“We like to say we’re an old-fashioned business; that’s really what’s at the heart of it,” says Price. “The very finest equipment and the best technology available, yes, but everything here centers on the music and on client service. Within the context of all this cutting-edge technology, our goal is to be great musical craftsmen.”

“We really want to provide musicians with a comfort level,” Hileman adds. “We’ve both been on the other side of the microphone, and we know how vulnerable a musician can feel while recording -- about the only thing more stressful is auditioning.”

Both musicians and record label clients alike have developed a high comfort level with Candlewood Digital, due to their ability to travel nationwide and deliver pristine recording, editing and mastering projects afterwards. On the road with them at all times are eight channels of Lavry M.AD-824 conversion in the LavryBlue 4496 chassis, frequently accompanied by the Lavry AD10 for use on live concerts and smaller sessions. Meanwhile the M.DA-824’s in the LavryBlue serve Candlewood’s studio D/A for mastering and editing.  

“The equipment we select varies with the job, of course, but there are three criteria really for what we record with,” explains Price. “First, it has to be the very highest quality appropriate for the job, secondly it has to be bulletproof, and third it can’t be fussy. Quite often in the real recording world one is pressed for time; perhaps an hour or two to set up for a large concert, and the sound check is the tuning note. Our gear has to be not only great; we have to be able to take it completely for granted. Turn it on and it goes, and then our attention can be focused on the score, where it belongs.”

“I wouldn’t go to any live remote anymore without my AD10, whether it was an opera or a jazz trio – period,” Hileman says. “The AD10 in particular gets a lot of field use for live concerts, as well as being the converter we use in the studio for analog remasters, so we really appreciate its reliability as well as its excellence. I have to mention especially the difference the AD10 made in our live choral recordings. It’s a fantastic little box! Indispensable.”

“What has so particularly struck Wayne and me about the Lavry gear is the pleasure it gives our ears,” notes Price. “Sound is so hard to quantify, but when I finish listening to a master on the Lavry, if I’ve done my job right and if the original material is good, I want to listen to it again. The Lavry converters—both the AD10 and our 8 channels of M.AD 824s -- make me want to stay in that world. The physical sound itself reduces my anxiety level—that sounds kind of odd I’m sure. But it’s true, and it’s a better test to me than an A/B shootout.”

This consistently dependable clarity of sound is a great boon to Candlewood Digital, as the ever-expanding variety of classical recording scenarios continues to challenge both them both artistically and technically. “No matter how you plan, every job is different -- that’s what keeps me interested,” Wayne Hileman says. “There’s always a problem to solve, whether it’s recording an organ in a 4-story loft or setting up a control room in 30 minutes or properly micing a harmonium.”

“Our gear, and the companies behind it, have to do for us what we try to do for our clients: achieve our highest goals with no problems,” says Richard Price. “I’m a musician, not an electronics guy, and I’m grateful that we have fantastic machines, like our Lavry converters, that can make the music sound so beautiful.”

About Candlewood Digital:
For more information, please visit www.candlewooddigital.com.

About Lavry Engineering:
Lavry Engineering, located in Poulsbo, Washington, was founded by digital audio expert Dan Lavry in 1993. The company specializes in products for professional audio, broadcast, audiophile and surround markets designed to satisfy the growing demand for hi-res digital audio performance. Lavry Engineering’s Gold, Black and Blue product lines offer a range of systems accommodating a wide range of budgets and applications. For more information, please visit www.lavryengineering.com.