Moderator: Welcome to PSW live chat, featuring Mr. Ray Rayburn. Ray, I understand from Curt Taipale that you're working on a book. Can you tell us a bit about it?

Ray Rayburn: I am working on two chapters for the next edition of Handbook for Sound Engineers. One will be on Virtual Sound Systems. The other will be on Digital Audio Interconnection and Networking. I am almost done :>)

Moderator: What's a Virtual Sound System?

Ray: A VSS is the sound system that exists in a computer. It may be made of many parts, but all are "virtual" and not traditional audio components. It has a single control surface for all its parts.

Moderator: When is the book due to be released?

Ray: It is supposed to be out this fall.

Doug Sebens: Hi Ray, We sure miss you on the CSC (churchsoundcheck.com) list!

Ray: I can't wait to get back. I have maybe another two or three weeks if all goes well, and then I will be back.

Dave D: I exist in a computer, does than make me a virtual soundman?

Ray: Hopefully there is a human brain behind that computer. :>)

Dave D: You are chairman of the AES standards group. What exactly are "Single Program" Connectors?

Ray: They had to have some way of splitting snake connectors from the rest of connectors. Single Program was everything but snake connectors. There is talk of changing the names to make things clearer.

Jim R: What's your view on Peak Audio being bought by Cirrus Logic?

Ray: It will bring good things to Peak, and hopefully the rest of the audio industry too. We hope to bring CobraNet down in price by turning it into a chip. We also hope to bring the sort of configuration technology used in MediaMatrix to other markets.

Gerald: So would the chip be included in other devices to facilitate CobraNet?

Ray: The vision is to use CobraNet to interconnect all the audio devices in your home. That will also bring the price way down for professional applications. How about a chip with CobraNet, DSP, and power amp?