As I was reading the back issues of Pro Audio Reviews to prepare for my little 10th Anniversary remembrance on page 90, I noticed something familiar. How little Pro Audio Review has strayed from its original mission — reviewing products for the people who use them.

Yes, we have adapted and changed some things over the 10 years, improved our graphics, added some features and a little bit more news, but the main emphasis in 2005 is still the product reviews - just as it was in 1995.

Here are several paragraphs from inaugural column that illustrates my point: "Why another magazine?" I asked rhetorically in the 1995 column. "PAR is different, however, in that it focuses on professional audio product... With the many hundreds of products introduced each year, end-users are hungry for information in order to help make informed choices on what products to buy."

"Pro Audio Review will endeavor," I added, "to bring the reader balanced, informative and insightful reviews as well field reports, new product announcements and technical features." That description still fits PAR perfectly. Balanced reviews by end-users for end-users who can use the information to make an educated decision on what to buy.

Another thing that has not changed is the integrity of our reviews. And as I stated to the manufacturers way back at the beginning: in PAR, you can't buy a good review. We like it when you advertise, but ads do not mean you won't get criticized. Most of the time, I have found that manufacturers have respected this credibility commitment.

Our style of reviews are apparently appreciated by the readers, More than 70 percent of the readers in three different PAR reader surveys have said our reviews are the most credible in the industry, and that these reviews do have significant influence on what they buy. Those results are something to be proud, so we are sticking with our guns. Reviews are here to stay.

Toast 'em 24/96

As a magazine that is on record supporting better-than-CD quality audio formats, I always like to point out products, techniques and stories that further that cause.

Recently, Roxio, now owned by Sonic Solutions, sent over its latest version of Toast, called Toast 7 Titanium. Toast 7 has a number of enhanced features, but the one that caught my attention was the ability to burn linear PCM stereo audio tracks at 24-bit/96 kHz onto a DVD-Video.

Now other programs can burn high-res onto DVD-Vs, but they cost hundreds more than Toast. The 24-bit/96 kHz feature is activated when burning what Roxio Calls Music DVDs, which are not DVD-Audio, but regular DVD-Vs that can be played in any old DVD player that can play a movie.

Because these DVD-Vs play in any player, the Toast-burned DVD could be a great tool for pros. If you have done a project in 24-bit/96 kHz, you can burn a copy in Toast and give it a client, in full-res, to take home and listen on his regular DVD player. Most DVD players have 24-bit/96 kHz DACs.

Now this under $100 program is not as advanced as Minnetonka discWelder Bronze DVD-Audio authoring program, which offers surround capability as well as linear stereo PCM up to 24-bit/192 kHz. But the Toast-burned Music DVDs don't need a DVD-Audio player to be played. For more information, go to the Roxio web site, www.roxio.com.

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