LETTER: No mono for Romano: mono ruined my mix

In your "Sonic Boom" article, one of the panel members, Jack Gray (who runs a studio in competition with my Greenwood Studio), criticized my job of mixing Devon Sproule's new CD, Keep Your Silver Shined.

Later, I ran across him outside Miller's, introduced myself, and asked him to elaborate over a friendly beer. He explained that the Hook had not provided the panel with a decent stereo upon which to hear the albums they were there to discuss. In fact, the only sound system provided was a single Peavey speaker.

Astonished, I contacted your correspondent, Vijith Assar, and he confirmed that, yes, the panel was forced to listen to these albums in mono.

As a musician and producer, this strikes me as thoroughly absurd. It's analogous to an art gallery opening where they hand out flashlights and ask you to view paintings in the dark, because they were too lazy to turn the lights on.

There is important music being made in this town, and your panel discussion was a fine idea, but your follow-through was the worst kind of dreadful. Next time, before the Hook elicits public criticism from a panel of experts, I hope it will properly equip them to do the job– for their sake, the public's sake, and the artists' sake.

Jeff Romano
Greenwood
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