One of the joys of John Atkinson's RMAF panel session was discovering a remarkable unanimity of understanding and vision amongst a group of men who work in different countries on different areas of sound reproduction. Amidst scribbling seven pages of notes that barely scratch the surface of the knowledge and wisdom shared by panelists, I looked up to discover John and everyone having a ball as they spoke with one mind about the current state of the commercial recording industry, and the future of high resolution formats.

To give you a hint, many of the panelists agreed that the future lies in high-resolution digital files rather than physical media. For my husband and every spouse/partner who bemoans the arrival of yet another cabinet whose shelves are bending under the weight of CDs and LPs, and who nightly risk their lives wading through piles of recordings that threaten to engulf the bed, this comes as welcome news indeed.