What people have to say
Let's say there are two types of High Performance Media Reproduction "Experts". Generally one's in the game to "talk tech and will be talkative, highly opinionated and most often arguementative. The other is characterized by an actual technical competence, often quite deep, and is adept in the related art and science of technology. Often you'll note that he or she will mention creating or customizing gear, and offer a comprehensive explanation of why they are hearing improvements in their hand-crafted technology, unburdened with jargon
The one arguing with you and everyone else, generally without any foundation, references, support, is annoying.
Avoid them.
If you're looking for an example of an extraordinary, authentic media reproduction experience, you'll want to sit at the knee of Nathaniel Kunkel. And just listen...
As you set out on your needing to actually pay attention to what you're hearing, you would know pretty quickly if you were the kind of person who could "get a feel" when presented with an extraordinary example of High Performance Playback, if you were exhilarated, to the point of being "blown-away" by the viscreal effect of a new experience you're our "Premium Listener".
And Studio Without Walls will be well worth experiencing..
— George Massenburg (Inventor)
Studio Without Walls has made all of my life-long Studio Dreams come true. Together we assembled the perfect team and designed a haven for creativity with a forward thinking Dante networked compound that allows for unhindered flow with heretofore impossible sample rate flexibility between collaborators running multiple computers at once and the best of both analog and digital workflows. With a custom coded Crestron touchscreen system which Nate programmed to control everything from the Audio to the Lights to the KVM USB infrastructure I can safely say that there are very few institutions around which allow such freedom and fun and fidelity. To paraphrase Martin Short’s immortal character Franck Eggelhoffer from 1991’s Father Of The Bride... Nate is a Genius… and we Need… his Mind.
— Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5)
Studio Without Walls helped turn my entire home into a musical masterpiece now called Lonely Feather Studios. I had always pictured a studio like this in my head but never knew exactly how to build it. Nathaniel understood from day one that I didn’t just want a room full of great gear, I wanted my whole home transformed into a place where the technology completely gets out of the way and lets us create.
We built the entire studio around that idea. Dante networking, analog and digital workflows, multiple computers, video, and control are all tied together through Crestron, which Nathaniel configured as the brains of this state-of-the-art professional studio. From the user side, everything feels incredibly simple, even though there is a huge amount happening behind the scenes. He connected five separate rooms into one seamless creative environment. I can move from writing to producing to tracking without stopping to think about how everything is routed or connected. It just works.
That freedom is probably my favorite part of the studio. When an artist walks in, I don’t want the session dictated by technology. I want an idea to happen and immediately be able to follow it wherever it goes.
Nathaniel has a very rare ability to understand both the technical side of a studio and the creative reason all of that technology is there in the first place. He didn’t just help build Lonely Feather Studios; he transformed my home into the environment I always wanted to make music in.
— Dillon Margolis (Lonely Feather Studios)