Student collects pieces of a musical medium
Alex Kendall
-Art & Life Editor-
The arm swings over toward the center, hovering for just a few seconds. As it drops, the needle comes into contact with the vinyl and traces along the impression. With a few hisses and pops, John Stewart’s “Cannons in the Rain” begins to play over the floor speakers across the room and STLCC-Meramec student David MacRunnel settles down into an armchair.
“[Analog] sounds better, flat out,” MacRunnel said. “There is something about it. It is noisier, it does have its limitations, but when you work within them, it just sounds better. That’s why I use it.”
With a closet lined with thousands of vinyl records, reel-to-reel recordings and tapes accompanied with a wall full of playback equipment, MacRunnel has made analog audio his livelihood.
“Well I measured, and between my closet and a few other places, I have about 40 feet of vinyl,” MacRunnel said. “I’ve stopped counting, I just go by feet now.”
From local Goodwills to the record shops around town, MacRunnel began collecting when his parents first gave him an allowance. His collection includes many genres including classical, rock and jazz.
“I’ve been interested in audio as far as I can remember,” MacRunnel said. “I’ve just always been interested in turntables, recording. It’s always been my dream to go out and record things and transfer tapes and bring them to new life.”
With such a vast and diverse collection, MacRunnel said that he has learned to appreciate all types of music.
“To be a music fan in general, you have to be able to appreciate all styles of music and all genres of music,” MacRunnel said. “You have to be able to appreciate everything, whether you like it or not. You have to be able to see what gives it value. You have to recognize that all music has value to be a true music fan.”
In high school, MacRunnel said he began recording for Parkway Central and was surprised by his results.
“I recorded one concert and it turned out absolutely fantastic,” MacRunnel said. “I learned that I kind of knew what I was doing.”
As his knowledge and experience with audio evolved, MacRunnel set off after high school to attend Meramec to obtain a degree in mass communications with an emphasis in multimedia. MacRunnel continues with his recordings in analog at Meramec, where he has taped performances in the theater.
“He is far more knowledgeable about audio in general,” professor Gary Gottlieb said. “And analog audio in particular when compared to his peers.”
In the time of iPods and MP3 files, MacRunnel says that vinyl’s sound quality cannot be rivaled.
“I got my first record player at the age of three,” MacRunnel said. “And ever since I was little I’ve had this driving passion for gear, music and sound quality, all three of them equally.”
MacRunnel said that in these times the music industry does not care about quality, but rather quantity. With a high compression rate in MP3 files, the highs and lows of the song are squashed down making the songs louder, not better, according to MacRunnel
“People don’t know how to listen to quality and they don’t realize there is something better out there than iPod ear buds or dollar store ear buds,” MacRunnel said. “No one actually sits down and listens to an album all the way through.”
MacRunnel’s extensive collection of records and audio knowledge has caught the attention of “Time Magazine”, “CBS Evening News” and the recognition of Michael Fremer, writer for the magazine “Stereophile” and sound director of the original “Tron”.
“There’s this resurgence now and kids are hearing a record for the first time,” Fremer said. “I think David’s kind of in that camp. He heard it early on and he likes recording to analog tapes, he likes the old stuff better, and I think it’s pretty cool.”
Fremer said that MacRunnel had contacted him through email and his knowledge of audio and equipment peaked his interest.
“He reminded me a lot of myself,” Fremer said. “He struck me as someone who’s more fanatical about it than I am, and I am pretty fanatical.”
With all of his years of being surrounded by music, audio, equipment and the support of those around him, MacRunnel said that he could not explain where or how he came to love music.
“I don’t know, I think it is an innate thing with me. I mean, I have always loved music,” MacRunnel said. “I can’t explain why or how, you just do. I enjoy listening to it and I enjoy listening to it critically.”
MacRunnel said that as he continues to work with audio and music, he could not wait to be surprised by what comes next.
“You’ll never stop being surprised,” MacRunnel said. “That is, by far, the biggest thing that’s impacted me, that you’ll never know what you’re going to hear next.”
