hi
Lineup here.
We sometimes, quite often actually! mention
the name, papers & amplifier works of Matti Otala.
There are a few, very few, audio profiles that can become
a legend in their own lifetime.
We are fortunate to have some of those at this forum .......
Become a legend when you are dead and bueried, is much less difficult.
Anyway, this man Dr. Matti Otala from my neighbour
country of Suomi ( I live in Ruotsi http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruotsi )
is actually still alive and working & thinking
He has passed his 60th birthday, going for 70 now.
But this is not always a major drawback.
In fact, it is a nice thing to be able to get old & still be in good shape
Me, Lineup, like to honor Matti, while he still may ba able to read my lines.
Here is a picture of this friendly looking man.
And some further links to his current whereabouts in internet.
HighTechForum Finland: http://www.hightechforum.fi/index.cfm?j=365834
Otala Family: http://www.otala.com/
Matti Otala, 60yrs, reception 28-Dec-1999: http://www.otala.com/webcast4.html
Regards, Lineup
Lineup here.
We sometimes, quite often actually! mention
the name, papers & amplifier works of Matti Otala.
There are a few, very few, audio profiles that can become
a legend in their own lifetime.
We are fortunate to have some of those at this forum .......
Become a legend when you are dead and bueried, is much less difficult.
Anyway, this man Dr. Matti Otala from my neighbour
country of Suomi ( I live in Ruotsi http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruotsi )
is actually still alive and working & thinking
He has passed his 60th birthday, going for 70 now.
But this is not always a major drawback.
In fact, it is a nice thing to be able to get old & still be in good shape
Me, Lineup, like to honor Matti, while he still may ba able to read my lines.
Here is a picture of this friendly looking man.
And some further links to his current whereabouts in internet.
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
HighTechForum Finland: http://www.hightechforum.fi/index.cfm?j=365834
Otala Family: http://www.otala.com/
Matti Otala, 60yrs, reception 28-Dec-1999: http://www.otala.com/webcast4.html
Regards, Lineup
Lineup,
I agree with your assessment. Matti Otala was very significant in the development of audio amps, as has been Pass, Wurcer, Widlar, Bailey, JLH, and Peter Walker.
Reading through his CV it is evident that Telecommunications has been more his line in recent decades, Nokia must be very pleased with him!
I thought Matti died of cancer in Canada last year, but it clearly states he is a Professor at a Finnish University?
Could be wrong, John Curl and Nelson would know......
Cheers,
Hugh
I agree with your assessment. Matti Otala was very significant in the development of audio amps, as has been Pass, Wurcer, Widlar, Bailey, JLH, and Peter Walker.
Reading through his CV it is evident that Telecommunications has been more his line in recent decades, Nokia must be very pleased with him!
I thought Matti died of cancer in Canada last year, but it clearly states he is a Professor at a Finnish University?
Could be wrong, John Curl and Nelson would know......
Cheers,
Hugh
AKSA said:
Cancer?
My father died in prostate cancer in March 2000
This I know very well. Because I cried out loud and my tears were many, many at his funeral.
About the person Matti Otala I do not know too much.
Except, that anyone thinking he is a good audio designer,
have to mention him in papers & references.
Otala represent a paradigm shift in amplifier making.
The past transistor happiness about the new possibility of having 'unlimited gain' + huge negative feedback
was not all justified.
To be a bit moderate in gain, allows for a good open loop bandwidth
and so using moderate level of global feedback reduces some types of distortions.
Like TIM. Which is said our human ears are very sensitive to.
I will have to make some better research to find out if he is among us living, still.
Dead or alive .. he is forever a part of Audio Amplification History.
For sure
Lineup
lineup said:
About the person Matti Otala I do not know too much.
Except, that anyone thinking he is a good audio designer,
have to mention him in papers & references.
Otala represent a paradigm shift in amplifier making.
Lineup
Here is an example of such references to Matti Otala.
This time in a classical audio paper by Jean Hiraga.
Translated from french to english by a www.diyaudio.com member!
Lineup
lineup said:
Here is an example of such references to Matti Otala.
This time in a classical audio paper by Jean Hiraga.
Translated from french to english by a www.diyaudio.com member!
Lineup
Matti Otala made valuable contributions to the audio industry, even if some of us do not agree with all of his conclusions and assertions. At minmum, he made us think harder and put the spotlight on some important issues in amplifier design.
He was actually very much an objectivist and a measurer in many ways. With most of the distortions he described, he proposed means of measuring them that were valuable. This was the case with IIM as well. The spotlight he put on IIM largely led to more focus on the need for high-current amplifiers. His conclusions about IIM and negative feedback were not quite right, however.
More can be learned about IIM on my website at www.cordellaudio.com in the published papers section.
Matti tended to wrongly blame these readily measurable distortions (using his proposed techniques) on the use of negative feedback.
Cheers,
Bob
Bob Cordell said:
Yes, that is the way I have got it from some projects.
Accessive negative feedback is 'the crook' of these distortions.
And Otala was one of the first to go deeper into this issue.
Thanks for shining some light on audio history by your perspective, Cordell.
You are your self a small part of common audio electronics heritage
> More can be learned about IIM on my website at
> www.cordellaudio.com in the published papers section.
I think I have missed your paper about IIM.
What is actual Title of that publication of yours, Bob?
Regars, Lineup
lineup said:
Happy birthday, Mister Otala of Finland.
You look friendly.
Sure would like to meet you.
/lineup
Happy Birthday, Matti!
Thanks for the heads-up lineup.
I had the pleasure of meeting Matti several times at AES conventions long ago, and he is indeed a friendly guy who is also a gentleman.
Cheers,
Bob
I built an Otala inspired amp 1975, the in Sweden famous RT75.
http://www.sjostromaudio.com/_unsql/hifi/rt75/index.html
http://www.sjostromaudio.com/_unsql/hifi/rt75/index.html
Bob Cordell said:
john curl said:Better than me.
I like to take you apart, in front of your boss.
John Curl.
I had me somethinking about those amplifier men that has influenced my knowledge most at this forum.
I compared 3 great amp-designers of our forum:
- Nelson Zen Pass
- John Vendetta
Curl- Hugh AKSA Dean
I asked myself which one person of these I like & respect most?
They are all 3 their own personalities. With their ways.
To talk and act.
I came to the conclusion, even if I can appeciate all 3 very highly,
that the one that triggers my warm emotions, empati the most,
is the least symphatic one: Mr John Curl
I asked myself: 'Why Curl?'
My own reflection resulted in this reason for my liking of John:
He is honest!
There is not much of a hidden agenda with him.
No calculated this and that
.. and maybe this is why he, so far,
has not made as much money out of his skills.
I simply trust better a man that TELLS me what HE THINKS.
It is genuine and I can better put my trust: He is what he is.
Sorry, Robert Cordell.
But you had slipped my mind.
But out of the 4 of you, you actually do not end off among the last ones ...
Not in my book, that is.
lineup - ends with a Cat Stevens quote,
that gromanswe has used for his signature
in this diyaudio.com public board many years ago:
.
1.You've got so much to say,
2. say what you mean,
3. Mean what you're thinking,
4. and think anything.
Now why
why
why not?
Listen People: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoVAF-aiUxQ
.
peranders said:
peranders - is it possible to have these scans in better res. ?
btw. - http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?postid=1668203#post1668203
lineup said:I compared 3 great amp-designers of our forum:
- Nelson Zen Pass
- John Vendetta
- Hugh AKSA Dean
Your post reminded me of this Sesame Street skit
.
Re: Contribution to Audio
Thanks very much for your kind words, Arthur.
Some of the credit for this actually goes to Matti Otala. He was perhaps the most influential in getting me going on this topic many years ago. I did not always agree with him, of course, but looking deeply into what he did and asserted helped me learn a lot. He got us all thinking, even if we did not agree.
Sometimes we learn more from arguing with those we don't agree with than from those with whom we exchange pats on the back.
Cheers,
Bob
PHEONIX said:
Thanks very much for your kind words, Arthur.
Some of the credit for this actually goes to Matti Otala. He was perhaps the most influential in getting me going on this topic many years ago. I did not always agree with him, of course, but looking deeply into what he did and asserted helped me learn a lot. He got us all thinking, even if we did not agree.
Sometimes we learn more from arguing with those we don't agree with than from those with whom we exchange pats on the back.
Cheers,
Bob