The album "Didge & Bass" was completed in 2011. The title is a play on words, referring to the electronica genre known as Drum & Bass. Dan did most of the recording and editing himself (using Ableton Live and Pro Tools), but he would not have been able to complete the project without the help of his sister, Shauna Sprunger, who is a professional studio technician. Every bit of the album is innovative, from the way the instruments are played to the manner in which they are recorded. For example, in addition to using pro-level microphones, Dan also builds his own large-diaphragm mics out of subwoofers and sympathetically-resonating kick drums. When a ten-feet long, 45hz (low F#) didge is played into this set-up, the sub-mic adds a whole new dimension of robust and clean bass with plenty of attack. The smaller diaphragm, pro-level mics are also used alongside the sub-mic, preserving all of the higher frequencies for a well-balanced, unsaturated overall sound. Some other innovative features include the use of multi-band compression, EQ and panning to give a stereophonic impression to the various trumpet notes. Also, besides the standard mic placement at the bell end of the didge, Dan uses an additional mic at the mouthpiece end to capture the impedance minima notes and pan them left or right.

1. Hunt You Down -- Raw track, including didge and a kick drum sound made with sub-mic to define the downbeat.

2. Artifact -- Track created by looping samples of "F" didge, shaman's drum played in front of sub-mic, flute, and hand claps...

3. Space Caravan -- Raw track on C didge, featuring odd-time signatures...

4. Anyuta -- Mostly ambient track, featuring a CADSD didge played to sound somewhat like a Cello (with delay, reverb and flange effects), sub-mic to capture "dropped drone" sound, culminating in a percussive melody...

5. Pacific Avenue -- Raw track that evolved while busking in Santa Cruz, CA, featuring some slow dub with swing, and impedance minima tones...

6. Drunk Horse -- Raw track performed on ten-feet long, sub-bass didge played against sub-mic#1 (thin coned 16" subwoofer mounted at the back of a sympathetically-resonating kick drum)...

7. Leviathan -- Ten-feet long, sub-bass didge played against sub-mic#2 (stand-alone, thick-coned 12" "Punch" subwoofer)...

Contact Dan at: DidjesByDan@gmail.com