Vol. IV No. 3

In recent issues of Stereophile magazine, Art Dudley states that most new vinyl releases are in fact digitally processed versions.  Therefore, caveat emptor.  Use microscope to verify any suspect vinyl's provenance.  He also quotes an industry insider who says "jaws drop" for many audiophiles who hear 15 ips magnetic tape versions for the first time.  He refers to the Tape Project, a group trying to implement a 15 ips, 1/4" magnetic tape standard for a broad consumer market.  I feel obligated to mention that my sound-on-film system will be much better still, particularly since it will use the same transducers for record and playback.

Vol. IV No. 2

Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash illustrates a point I have recently realized, which is that playing back rock music at too low of a volume can ruin the quality of the sound. In reference to my remarks in III. 8 of this blog, I now feel that I may have been making the same mistake. SISOSIG sounds very inane and jejune at low volumes. But play the same song cranked on a high-powered system, to simulate how the band themselves would play it! At low volumes, a great deal of the content in a rock song is below the amplification threshold.

Vol. VI No. 1

I have been enjoying listening to Majic 102.7 FM Miami.  It's hard to express how much many of those songs mean to me.  I know no better way than to say that for all practical purposes, this is the only station I listen to for music.

102.7 recently began playing vinyl.  My only complaint at this point is that for frequent listeners, there is too much repetition of some songs and artists.  I urge other listeners to request of station management that they emphasize variety over 'rotation'.

Vol. III No. 12

Examine any mid-range speaker driver and you will see the copper voice coil, the magnet, and the accordian-like fabric "spider" element. All motion of the cone is reciprocated and opposed by the spider. This causes the droning tone of spoken male voices and the "muddiness" of the tone of the wound strings of the electric guitar. Less obviously, it detracts from the clarity of the other instruments and voices. I suggest a driver made from an elastic cone-shaped element tensioned by a wire leading from its apex. Electric guitar pickups, here functioning as output transducers, are arrayed parallel to the wire. Each has 6 magnet-and-coil units.