Jeff Fritz: What do you hear with 24/96 that you don’t hear on 16/44.1?
David Chesky: More air, extension, low-level detail.
JF: What do you say to those audiophiles that feel vinyl still sounds better than high-resolution music from HDtracks?
DC: Digital has gotten a bum rap. It is not the digital but the execution. We do not have the jitter and error correction that laser players have. Try an HD file off a hard drive and hear for yourself.
JF: Do you hear a difference between 24/96 and 24/192?
DC: As you go farther up the differences diminish.
JF: Is 24/192 all we need to achieve the sonic potential of source material? Is 24/96 enough?
DC: We can go and go and go . . . In the future we will have 12 channels of something like 384. We should never stop!
JF: What do you hear in live performances that you still don’t hear on your best recordings?
DC: In a live performance it is a social thing and you hear with your eyes. But the music I want to hear is not performed live so much, so I need to have the best stereo to hear the music I enjoy.
JF: What do you feel is the greatest limitation in the playback chain?
DC: It is the source material. You are only as good as the source lets you be.
JF: What does your audio system consist of?
DC: We have so many different ones at the office. We use dynamics and stats. We have some nice tube amps and a lot of pro converters as well.
JF: What is, currently, your favorite recording venue in NY City? Why?
DC: St Peter's, because it has a great sound to begin with. And if you do not have a good hall, all the 24/192 is not going to help you.
JF: What’s your favorite restaurant in NY City?
DC: For Dim Sum, it's Jing Fong; French is Jean Georges; Italian is Vice Versa; and French Bistro is Tout Va Bien.
JF: What are you recording next?
DC: My Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra and my two ballets. This is going to be something very different. A new technology we have been working on for over two years. This will be out in October.
JF: Can it ever sound just like live?
DC: One day, and one day maybe even better than live?
JF: When will CD and all physical formats become nonexistent?
DC: It is right around the corner. There is no need to have a CD. All you need is the data.
