SMRD – Studio Master Reference Disc – are one-to-one copies of our original Direct-to-PCM studio master files. Some of our older work is meticulously converted from 1-Bit Direct Stream Digital studio masters. They are 24bit/192kHz or 24bit/96kHz files that will be mailed to you on archival gold DVD-R data-only discs, ready for you to upload to your computer or computer music server for playback through your sound system. They are data-only-discs containing raw computer .wav files that will not play on any media disc playing machine. They correspond with all of our existing titles. A typical release fits on two DVD-R discs.

This is a rare opportunity to witness what our microphones actually hear without further degradation of file compression. All of the harmonic warmth, the spatial focus and swell is completely experienced. It really shows how much is lost in all other formats including the presumed "lossless" formats. SMRD from Unipheye Music has been called a truly breathtaking experience.

The transcendent digital music experience is Studio Master Reference Disc in 32bit Floating-Point/192kHz and 32bit Floating-Point/96kHz formats. They do sound significantly better than 24bit and will play in professional recording programs and are also supported by some of the audiophile playback programs. You may purchase these at the same price as the 24bit. Make certain your system will play them prior to ording.

Become aquainted with SMRD - Studio Master Reference Disc – some tech and some FAQs:

What do I need to play SMRD?
To play SMRD files, you will need a modern computer with abundant storage space, a DVD-R drive and a sound card and/or external digital-to-analog converter (DAC) that can play up to 24Bit/192kHz or 32bit Floating-Point/192kHz resolution. You will also need music playback software such as Media Monkey, Foobar, or XXHighEnd. Even better would be playback using a professional music recording program. They all vary, sound a little different from one another and have some greater or lesser degree of tedium in setting up. SMRD works on Mac and PC.

Why does SMRD exist?
I have a friend who was willing to perform a two-week download of files of keyboard synthesizer samples. Not everyone is willing to commit a computer to do that, so we developed SMRD – technically a storage transfer method – as the most practical way to deliver the enormous file sizes of our Ultra-High Resolution studio files from our music production computers to your computer. A typical release spans two DVD-R discs.

How can I order SMRD?
Included in the File Format drop-menu of each of the currently available titles, beginning the Add to Cart process for purchase, are the individual SRMD selections.

What is the price for SMRD?
The price for each full length SMRD title is $53.00 for a set of two DVD-R discs. The Beethoven String Quartet release, being short - less than 25 minutes, is only $20.00!

How will it get to me?
We will send the set of DVD-R discs to you in a storage case including cover-art and complete liner-notes.

Will an SMRD disc play in any disc playing machine?
An SMRD disc is a storage medium only, designed to transfer large sized files from our music computer systems to yours. They will not play music when placed in any disc player. They can only be used to upload the .wav format music files, contained on the disc, to your computer which will then be played through your sound system via your computer or computer music server.

What is the sonic advantage of SMRD – Studio Master Reference Disc?
Since its inception, now over a quarter century ago, in order to produce a Digital Compact Disc, the original studio recording, produced in an over-sampled format had to be down-sampled. This process severely degraded the sound quality, but the format that the compact disc played back in was thus limited.

Today, a computer connected to a music reproduction system allows us to play back files of enormous size –not limited to the storage capacity of a compact disc- and which are not down-sampled; they are the original high-resolution file format. We now experience, for the very first time since the beginning of digital audio, what the microphones actually hear in the recording studio or live concert hall.

The increased file size and lack of down-sampled sound degradation allows us to hear unprecedented tonal and spatial detail. We will hear much, much more information pertaining to the warmth of the wood of the instrument and the reflection points and construction of the acoustic recording space.

This is not a small or barely perceptible difference from any other format.

This is extremely exciting! There has never been a time in the history of the digital recording experience that we have been able to be this close to the musician playing the music, the instrument being played and in the actual acoustic space that the recording was captured in. This is SMRD – Studio Master Reference Disc – from Unipheye Music.