about Franco
Ciao, and ... pleased to meet you!
My name is Franco Viganoni. In Italy, I gained a reputation among hi-fi insiders and classical music lovers, becoming an opinion leader within these circles. I was humorously greeted with funny titles like "the Count" and "His Grace" (I have always loved joking!).
However, in 1995, fed up with Italy, a problematic and rapidly declining hi-fi market, the real lifestyle of Milan, its unpleasant climate, and high pollution, I immigrated to New Zealand with my family. It turned out to be the smartest decision of our lives, and now we're ... proud Kiwis!
Well, I'm 80, and I can honestly say that I have dedicated my life to music, hi-fi, and sound research. My late Mum had a Conservatory Diploma in Piano, and I spent much of my childhood listening to her play. As a teenager (those glorious and unrepeatable Beatles days), I was the bassist and one of the singers in the Italian band "Gli Sciacalli". In my adult life, besides sailing, music, electronics, and hi-fi, my true passion has been capturing and reproducing sound in the best possible way (not bad for a geologist, ha ha!).
So, my main hobby has been (and still is) live recording of classical music. I started in 1976, using reel-to-reel analogue recorders, as one would expect at the time. However, to my knowledge, I was the first one in Italy to make a digital live recording of a classical concert on May 12, 1981.
Much to the dismay of today’s pathetic "nostalgic fans" of analogue and reel-to-reel recorders, when I listened to the recording, I just stated: "hi-fi has been born"!So, from that day onward, I’ve solely used digital recorders.
In Italy, I had the opportunity to meet and record many of the biggest names in classical music, and you can find a summary list of them on the live recording page. Here, in New Zealand, I have continued to nurture this big passion of mine, becoming the "official recorder" for Bach Musica New Zealand (of which I had the honour of being a member of the Board of Directors for more than ten years), Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (Learn & Participate), Auckland Youth Orchestra, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, and other smaller but equally talented musical ensembles. I have also recorded numerous world premieres of contemporary classical music by Kiwi composers. To learn more about recording, which is the foundation of sound reproduction and the essence of hi-fi, visit the live recording and live music vs. hi-fi pages. Both are engaging and educational. However, growing up listening to my Mum's piano, playing in a band during my youth, and recording live classical music have all contributed to my profound sound experience. I have successfully leveraged this skill professionally, as an insider in the Italian hi-fi market. Since January 1973, I have worked in the distribution of various hi-fi and hi-end brands before eventually making New Zealand my new home. In 2000, almost as a game, I started the sachem project. After two years of research and experimentation, filled with both daunting and exhilarating moments, and with the essential help of my old friends and brilliant technicians Rino Cieri, Allen Gill, and Daniele Gherardi, the final result turned out to be much more than "just a game"! Ten years later, driven (or perhaps more accurately, tormented) by sachem enthusiasts who were not fully satisfied with their hi-end preamps, I began seriously considering the development of an innovative and unconventional preamplifier. Thus, the sachem pure project started, and in 2013, the pure joined the family. The new "baby" has been a success and another big source of pride. If you visit the testimonials page, you will surely be impressed by the unconditional approval of our very demanding customers and friends! However, my latest exciting (and challenging) endeavour has been building this unconventional website. With a very "politically incorrect" tone (forgive me, but the Italian half of me simply can’t resist), I aim to teach audiophiles the fundamentals of true hi-fi, in the hope of ferrying them from "dogma" to "discovery". And please, don’t call me a pathetic dreamer … I made peace with that long ago!
So, if you ever need my expertise in sound and hi-fi, feel free to consider me at your disposal. In this regard, please visit the hi-end doctor page.
To conclude, a humble request: please, turn a blind eye to my "Oxford English"?
His Old Grace Franco
In Italy, I had the opportunity to meet and record many of the biggest names in classical music, and you can find a summary list of them on the live recording page. Here, in New Zealand, I have continued to nurture this big passion of mine, becoming the "official recorder" for Bach Musica New Zealand (of which I had the honour of being a member of the Board of Directors for more than ten years), Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (Learn & Participate), Auckland Youth Orchestra, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, and other smaller but equally talented musical ensembles. I have also recorded numerous world premieres of contemporary classical music by Kiwi composers. To learn more about recording, which is the foundation of sound reproduction and the essence of hi-fi, visit the live recording and live music vs. hi-fi pages. Both are engaging and educational. However, growing up listening to my Mum's piano, playing in a band during my youth, and recording live classical music have all contributed to my profound sound experience. I have successfully leveraged this skill professionally, as an insider in the Italian hi-fi market. Since January 1973, I have worked in the distribution of various hi-fi and hi-end brands before eventually making New Zealand my new home. In 2000, almost as a game, I started the sachem project. After two years of research and experimentation, filled with both daunting and exhilarating moments, and with the essential help of my old friends and brilliant technicians Rino Cieri, Allen Gill, and Daniele Gherardi, the final result turned out to be much more than "just a game"! Ten years later, driven (or perhaps more accurately, tormented) by sachem enthusiasts who were not fully satisfied with their hi-end preamps, I began seriously considering the development of an innovative and unconventional preamplifier. Thus, the sachem pure project started, and in 2013, the pure joined the family. The new "baby" has been a success and another big source of pride. If you visit the testimonials page, you will surely be impressed by the unconditional approval of our very demanding customers and friends! However, my latest exciting (and challenging) endeavour has been building this unconventional website. With a very "politically incorrect" tone (forgive me, but the Italian half of me simply can’t resist), I aim to teach audiophiles the fundamentals of true hi-fi, in the hope of ferrying them from "dogma" to "discovery". And please, don’t call me a pathetic dreamer … I made peace with that long ago!
So, if you ever need my expertise in sound and hi-fi, feel free to consider me at your disposal. In this regard, please visit the hi-end doctor page.
To conclude, a humble request: please, turn a blind eye to my "Oxford English"?
His Old Grace Franco