About this Christmas. Right up front, Santa, I need more memory. This time, though, don't send those chips, just a gift certificate for up to 512 meg of SIMMs that I can use wherever. Thanks. Also, and I know this is a little extravagant, but what the hell, how about a second B&K 4007 so I can have a stereo pair, along with a pair of AKG C414 Vintage TLs, or, even better, a pair of those retro C12s. Just tell the elves at AKG they gotta match! Not like last time. Actually, what I really want is a pair of tube mics with switchable patterns that have flat response within half a dB at all polar angles, self noise below 0 dB SPL, will tolerate levels up to 150 dB SPL, are totally transparent, and sound really warm and wonderful on vocals! For, oh say, $700 a pair.

While we're talking transducers, along with the NS10s and Genelecs, how about some little Paradigm speakers? Actually, what I really want are one-way omnidirectional speakers about the size of Auratones that are flat from twenty to twenty K (within half a dB) at all polar angles, have a sensitivity of 1 watt input yields 100 dB SPL at 3 feet, and will handle a kilowatt of pink noise continuously for a week. For, oh say, $700 a pair.

I'm pretty well set on the console stuff, but I definitely need some digital I/Os for general purpose conversion. You'd think the 4-channel Digidesign Audio Interface you sent last year would be enough, but would you believe the I/Os only can be used when you are running Digidesign software in the foreground on the computer, or playing back a Pro Tools file? They sound fine, don't get me wrong, but I thought I'd be able to use 'em in real time to access other digital toys, like Nuverb. It ain't happening. Bummer!