COPPER

A PS Audio Publication

Issue 223 • Free Online Magazine

Issue 223 Table of Contents

Table of Contents – Issue 223

Table of Contents – Issue 223

“Art is the highest form of hope.” – Unknown

To the person who sent me the very nice e-mail about my Korean soundtracks article – an e-mail problem caused me to lose it before I could reply. If you read this, please contact me at frank@psaudio.com.

In this issue: I speak with recording engineer Barry Diament of Soundkeeper Recordings. World fusion meets flamenco music in Octave Records’ latest, Gratitude from Steve Mullins and Rim of the Well. B. Jan Montana pays tribute to a lost friend. Joe Caplan takes car audio seriously: how good can it get? Rich Isaacs says you can’t judge an album by its cover. Ray Chelstowski interviews contemporary troubadour Grant Lee Phillips about his new album, In the Hour of Dust. Wayne Robins tells us what it was like to be the editor of Creem, the world’s most iconoclastic rock magazine. I review the Ramones – in surround sound! Paul McGowan has another excerpt from The Audiophile’s Guide with advice on creating a dedicated listening room.

The Vinyl Beat looks at albums from Jean-Luc Ponty, The Mavericks and Ozzy Osbourne and digs into some rare 12-inch singles from Prince. I review new jazz and pop albums from Anette Askvik, Jane Ira Bloom, The Secret Trio, Eddie Daniels, and Zack Lober. Our series on how to play in a rock band talks about rehearsing and getting your band ready for prime time. Harris Fogel offers a look into California’s EmpowerLogic recording and performance studio. Our friends at PMA Magazine give insight into the art of listening. The Listening Chair spends time with PMC’s prophecy1 speakers. Ken Kessler looks back on a very special reel-to-reel accessory. PS Audio earns multiple raves for its PMG Signature Preamp and more. We conclude this fall issue with a trained ear, joy to the world, and a disappearing act.

 

Click here for information on how to post comments in Copper.

Contributors to This Issue:
Joe Caplan, Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Harris Fogel, Rich Isaacs, Ken Kessler, Howard Kneller, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Pascal Ravach, Wayne Robins, Peter Xeni

Logo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’Amico

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

Post-publication Nitpicker:
Rich Isaacs

Advertising Sales:
No one. We are free from advertising and subscribing to Copper is free.

Copper’s Comments Policy:

Copper’s comments sections are moderated. While we encourage thoughtful and spirited discussion, please be civil.

The editor and Copper’s editorial staff reserve the right to delete comments according to our discretion. This includes: political commentary; posts that are abusive, insulting, demeaning or defamatory; posts that are in violation of someone’s privacy; comments that violate the use of copyrighted information; posts that contain personal information; and comments that contain links to suspect websites (phishing sites or those that contain viruses and so on). Spam will be blocked or deleted.

Copper is a place to be enthusiastic about music, audio and other topics. It is most especially not a forum for political discussion, trolling, or rude behavior. Thanks for your consideration.

 – FD

More from Issue 223

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#234 A Life in High-End Audio: The Roy Hall Interview, Part One by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Jason Greenlaw Offers His Personal Perspective on Jazz Guitar in Vantage Point by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Transcendent Phoenix: Lucina Yue Brings the Ancient Konghou Into Modern Times by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 We Must All Follow Our Bliss by B. Jan Montana Sep 07, 2026 #234 How to Play in a Rock Band, 27: Leveling Up by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 Ross Valory: Traveling Into New Musical Territory With All of the Above by Ray Chelstowski Sep 07, 2026 #234 Singer/Songwriter John David Schrader: On the Need to Create by Joe Caplan Sep 07, 2026 #234 The People Who Make Audio Happen: More From T.H.E. Show SoCal 2026 by Harris Fogel Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Vinyl Beat Digs Into the Gadget Box by Rudy Radelic Sep 07, 2026 #234 The Rolling Stones: Foreign Tongues Spoken Loud by Wayne Robins Sep 07, 2026 #234 Musical Moments by Rich Isaacs Sep 07, 2026 #234 Rags for Solo Piano and a Dog: David Chesky's Ragtime Music for the Modern Age by Frankly Speaking Sep 07, 2026 #234 HIGH END 2026, Vienna: Here to Stay by Carsten Barnbeck Sep 07, 2026 #234 From The Audiophile’s Guide: The Two Main Types of Loudpeakers – Box and Panel by Paul McGowan Sep 07, 2026 #234 Letting it Slide by Frank Doris Sep 07, 2026 #234 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Sep 07, 2026 #234 Long Playing by Peter Xeni Sep 07, 2026 #234 La Mer by B. Jan Montana Sep 07, 2026 #233 A Report From The Total Hi-Fi Experience Show SoCal 2026 by B. Jan Montana Aug 03, 2026 #233 Bluegrass Meets Country, Folk, Jazz and More in All That We Carried by The Squid City Slingers by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 Corey Glover and One Tribe Nation: A Variegated Musical Collective by Ray Chelstowski Aug 03, 2026 #233 Excursions with Clive: The Late Clive Davis, A Personal History by Wayne Robins Aug 03, 2026 #233 AI, Art, and Music: A Conversation With Synthography Art by Joe Caplan Aug 03, 2026 #233 New American Symphonies: A Rediscovered Gem and a Vital Contemporary Work by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Vinyl Beat: Genesis, the Dave Clark Five, Antonio Carlos Jobim and More by Rudy Radelic Aug 03, 2026 #233 How to Play in a Rock Band, 26: When It's Time to Record Your Music by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 More From T.H.E. Show 2026, and the People Who Made it Happen by Harris Fogel Aug 03, 2026 #233 Underappreciated Artists, Part Three: Icehouse by Rich Isaacs Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Surprisingly Rich and Varied Music of Somalia by Steve Kindig Aug 03, 2026 #233 A Remarkable Discographic Legacy: The LP Recordings of the Basel Symphony Orchestra by Stephan Haberthür Aug 03, 2026 #233 From The Audiophile’s Guide: The Importance of Loudspeakers by Paul McGowan Aug 03, 2026 #233 From Swimming Pool to New Listening Room: A Conversation with Norman Varney of AV RoomService by Gilles Laferrière Aug 03, 2026 #233 PS Audio in the News by PS Audio Staff Aug 03, 2026 #233 Audio Jewelry by Peter Xeni Aug 03, 2026 #233 Enrich Your Life by Frank Doris Aug 03, 2026 #233 The Searcher by James Schrimpf Aug 03, 2026 #232 What came first: Art or Music? A Conversation With Artist Jose Acosta by Joe Caplan Jul 06, 2026 #232 Blow By Blow: The Jeff Beck Story: An Insightful Book About a Guitar Icon by Ray Chelstowski Jul 06, 2026 #232 Creed Over Camaraderie? by B. Jan Montana Jul 06, 2026 #232 Chronicles of a Sound Pilgrim at the 2026 Montreal Audiofest by Hugues Morin Jul 06, 2026 #232 The Vinyl Beat: Summer Grooves by Rudy Radelic Jul 06, 2026 #232 Hibbing Hillbilly Dylan's Acoustic Rock by Wayne Robins Jul 06, 2026 #232 Quad Quads and Plasmatronics Tweeters: An Extraordinary System Comes to Life by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026 #232 In Praise of Live Music, Once Again by Ted Shafran Jul 06, 2026 #232 Allnic Audio’s L-9000 Preamplifier: Design and Engineering Innovation by Howard Kneller Jul 06, 2026 #232 “Best Of” Lists and Rage Bait: Enough Already by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026 #232 Quick Takes: Bud Shank, Paulo Almeida, Jakob Dreyer, Tim Eriksen and Peter Irvine by Frank Doris Jul 06, 2026

Table of Contents – Issue 223

Table of Contents – Issue 223

“Art is the highest form of hope.” – Unknown

To the person who sent me the very nice e-mail about my Korean soundtracks article – an e-mail problem caused me to lose it before I could reply. If you read this, please contact me at frank@psaudio.com.

In this issue: I speak with recording engineer Barry Diament of Soundkeeper Recordings. World fusion meets flamenco music in Octave Records’ latest, Gratitude from Steve Mullins and Rim of the Well. B. Jan Montana pays tribute to a lost friend. Joe Caplan takes car audio seriously: how good can it get? Rich Isaacs says you can’t judge an album by its cover. Ray Chelstowski interviews contemporary troubadour Grant Lee Phillips about his new album, In the Hour of Dust. Wayne Robins tells us what it was like to be the editor of Creem, the world’s most iconoclastic rock magazine. I review the Ramones – in surround sound! Paul McGowan has another excerpt from The Audiophile’s Guide with advice on creating a dedicated listening room.

The Vinyl Beat looks at albums from Jean-Luc Ponty, The Mavericks and Ozzy Osbourne and digs into some rare 12-inch singles from Prince. I review new jazz and pop albums from Anette Askvik, Jane Ira Bloom, The Secret Trio, Eddie Daniels, and Zack Lober. Our series on how to play in a rock band talks about rehearsing and getting your band ready for prime time. Harris Fogel offers a look into California’s EmpowerLogic recording and performance studio. Our friends at PMA Magazine give insight into the art of listening. The Listening Chair spends time with PMC’s prophecy1 speakers. Ken Kessler looks back on a very special reel-to-reel accessory. PS Audio earns multiple raves for its PMG Signature Preamp and more. We conclude this fall issue with a trained ear, joy to the world, and a disappearing act.

 

Click here for information on how to post comments in Copper.

Contributors to This Issue:
Joe Caplan, Ray Chelstowski, Frank Doris, Harris Fogel, Rich Isaacs, Ken Kessler, Howard Kneller, Paul McGowan, B. Jan Montana, Rudy Radelic, Pascal Ravach, Wayne Robins, Peter Xeni

Logo Design:
Susan Schwartz-Christian, from a concept by Bob D’Amico

Editor:
Frank Doris

Publisher:
Paul McGowan

Post-publication Nitpicker:
Rich Isaacs

Advertising Sales:
No one. We are free from advertising and subscribing to Copper is free.

Copper’s Comments Policy:

Copper’s comments sections are moderated. While we encourage thoughtful and spirited discussion, please be civil.

The editor and Copper’s editorial staff reserve the right to delete comments according to our discretion. This includes: political commentary; posts that are abusive, insulting, demeaning or defamatory; posts that are in violation of someone’s privacy; comments that violate the use of copyrighted information; posts that contain personal information; and comments that contain links to suspect websites (phishing sites or those that contain viruses and so on). Spam will be blocked or deleted.

Copper is a place to be enthusiastic about music, audio and other topics. It is most especially not a forum for political discussion, trolling, or rude behavior. Thanks for your consideration.

 – FD

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