Plus John Curl announced that there was nothing new in audio electronics in the last 30 years, so there is nothing left to talk about. 
I have recently had to work on a rash of cassette decks as well as an Otari MTR-24 2" machine. I have greatly enjoyed using my ST-1510A once again, Plus, it's performance (considering it was made in 1984) is nothing to sneeze at. For SOA audio circuitry it is not really capable enough, with the ability to resolve down to 0.01% distortion and -97 dB s/n, but it is well good enough for magnetic recording.
What I like about it best: no PC/Mac, no ASIO driver issues, no USB isolation issues, no separate audio interface, none of those complications and the convenience of rapid boot and one-button pre-defined test modes and rapid operation make it a joy (like that analyzer you linked to me, Ed). Plus it can fully test professional equipment I/O like the AP with 25 V (+30 dBm) max output, and 42 V (+34 dBm) max input. When used for measuring amps it is fully balanced so no worries about bridged amp testing, and it can measure up to 220 W into 8 ohms.
I think someone should come up with a set of inexpensive plug-in PCBs to retrofit the unit to give it 24-bit 348K capabilities. That should be easy, right? Oh yeah, and we have to do something about the CRT display...
Enough silliness, has anyone seen or used the current (or latest) crop of Sound Technology audio interfaces? It looks like they haven't updated the website in 20 years, dunno if they are even making them any more, I have emailed them for info. (edit - the ST webpage was last updated in 2013)
Cheers!
Howie
I have recently had to work on a rash of cassette decks as well as an Otari MTR-24 2" machine. I have greatly enjoyed using my ST-1510A once again, Plus, it's performance (considering it was made in 1984) is nothing to sneeze at. For SOA audio circuitry it is not really capable enough, with the ability to resolve down to 0.01% distortion and -97 dB s/n, but it is well good enough for magnetic recording.
What I like about it best: no PC/Mac, no ASIO driver issues, no USB isolation issues, no separate audio interface, none of those complications and the convenience of rapid boot and one-button pre-defined test modes and rapid operation make it a joy (like that analyzer you linked to me, Ed). Plus it can fully test professional equipment I/O like the AP with 25 V (+30 dBm) max output, and 42 V (+34 dBm) max input. When used for measuring amps it is fully balanced so no worries about bridged amp testing, and it can measure up to 220 W into 8 ohms.
I think someone should come up with a set of inexpensive plug-in PCBs to retrofit the unit to give it 24-bit 348K capabilities. That should be easy, right? Oh yeah, and we have to do something about the CRT display...
Enough silliness, has anyone seen or used the current (or latest) crop of Sound Technology audio interfaces? It looks like they haven't updated the website in 20 years, dunno if they are even making them any more, I have emailed them for info. (edit - the ST webpage was last updated in 2013)
Cheers!
Howie
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Old Tube Radio [w stereodog] ... did U listen to one like this ? ...
Now, now gentlemen. That's a bit of what I was talkin' aboot.
I'm sad to hear he's gone.
...
Anyhoo, here's a little find you guys might enjoy:
Old Tube Radio ... did U listen to one like this ? ...
I'm really hoping that someone listened to some cool historical broadcast ... with the whole family gathered around the radio at 8ish on, oh I don't know, maybe a, say Sunday night ....
Got a cool story?
Left the guts glory pic big so you can zoom in!
Cheers,
Jeff
PS Ok, so I was really hoping Nelson or John or one of you other old bastards listened to the War of the Worlds, or something like that ...
Now, now gentlemen. That's a bit of what I was talkin' aboot.
I'm sad to hear he's gone.
...
Anyhoo, here's a little find you guys might enjoy:
Old Tube Radio ... did U listen to one like this ? ...
I'm really hoping that someone listened to some cool historical broadcast ... with the whole family gathered around the radio at 8ish on, oh I don't know, maybe a, say Sunday night ....
Got a cool story?
Left the guts glory pic big so you can zoom in!
Cheers,
Jeff
PS Ok, so I was really hoping Nelson or John or one of you other old bastards listened to the War of the Worlds, or something like that ...
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... speaker, coils, tubes, ... Type 245, 175 Watts, Camden NJ; DS Cullen Kitchener
More glory pics...
...
oh and
...
Type 245, 175 Watts, Camden NJ
...
and
...
DS Cullen Kitchener
.
.
.
I hope I've unearthed as many smiles as I hoped ...
oh and YES she weighs a ton, i separated the beautiful cabinet from the electronics and ... they b o t h still weighed a ton ?!!11!?1!?!?
More glory pics...
...
oh and
...
Type 245, 175 Watts, Camden NJ
...
and
...
DS Cullen Kitchener
.
.
.
I hope I've unearthed as many smiles as I hoped ...
oh and YES she weighs a ton, i separated the beautiful cabinet from the electronics and ... they b o t h still weighed a ton ?!!11!?1!?!?
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Of course! I only do analogue. Look to Markw4 for digital. Still, many of my 30-50 year old design concepts are still viable and are used in a number of audio products. They were ahead of their time, conceptually, BUT the actual products can be updated and improved (through experience) into even better sounding products. This is where most here, (not necessarily you, Howie), fall down.
I'm glad to hear you are still at it, John!
I've auditioned your JC3+ Parasound phono preamp, compared it with the Clearaudio Balance+ and IMHO both are faultless, well done. The only deciding factor was build quality, in broadcast use I expect equipment to run for at least 10 years in 24/7 use. The Clearaudio won out on that basis alone, it looks like it's designers had a similar approach you did with the BT, in terms of materials and construction. Although the initial performance of the JC3+ was wonderful, I know you do not have 100% control over Parasound's execution of your designs.
I wish I could afford either of them, or some of the amps you have designed, but... food and shelter get in the way.
Stay healthy and happy!
Howie
Dept of unusual music. The proms last night was at the more challenging end of the spectrum including Anna Meredith's 'axeman' for amplified bassoon. For those who cannot get a feed from the proms here is another performance of it Anna Meredith: axeman for electric bassoon - YouTube
Steve Reich 'city life' seemed positively normal after that!
Steve Reich 'city life' seemed positively normal after that!
