In 2020, Joshua Sobel was asked by then-classmate Matthew Cates to assist in recording Beethoven’s last piano sonata. The resulting recording was the first produced using a prototype of what would eventually become our Metaphonic™ technique. It was clear and intimate, yet possessed a stunning ambiance.
Over the next year, Joshua and Matthew teamed up to produce a handful of recordings of themselves and their colleagues, and Synesthete Recordings was born. One esteemed organist, upon hearing a particular set of Franck recordings, remarked that he had “never heard a recording of an organ so realistic.”
Why Synesthete?
Some people see colors when they hear sound. The condition is called “Synesthesia,” and one who has it is a “Synesthete.” We felt it was an appropriate name for a recording company whose goal was to capture all the colors of a performance as faithfully as possible.
For Co-Founder Matthew Cates, it was also a personal choice, since he has synesthesia himself.
The Metaphonic™ Technique
From the beginning, our goal was to capture the atmosphere in which a performance took place as realistically as possible. To that end, Chief Recording Engineer Joshua Sobel has spent years fine-tuning a recording technique that captures as much ambiance as possible without compromising clarity or listenability. The Metaphonic™ Technique (really a family of related techniques) achieves this through a unique system of microphone choice and placement, paired with a proprietary signal processing chain.
Comparison: Metaphonic™ vs Regular Stereo (Blumlein)
Hear the difference between our technique compared to an industry standard technique of recording. Note the improved breadth of sound, and deeper bass. Good speakers or headphones recommended!
Synesthete Recordings 