Sunday, 13 August 2006
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| Arcam DV79 vs Technics SL-PG590 Glenn Richards 15:57:54 |
| | After setting up my system in the new house recently, my friend (who
knows a lot less than he thinks about audio) wanted to know exactly why
I'd spent ??1,000 on a DVD player. (Actually I spent ??530 on it, but
that's another story. It's still a ??1,000 DVD player.) And he was
insistent that there was no way it could be worth the ??900 price premium
over the Technics 590 player.
Firstly I pointed out that the Technics is a CD player, it doesn't do
DVDs like the Arcam. Therefore a fairer comparison would be the CD92.
Which I believe uses the same DACs as the DV79 for its analogue outputs.
So I rigged up a little test, and played Duelling Banjos from Hayseed
Dixie's "Hot Piece Of Grass" CD. (Don't ask, if you don't already
know... just... don't!)
Started on the Technics. Intro sounded fine, but when the acoustic
double bass kicked in the sound just went muddy and confused.
So I switched over to the Arcam and played the same track. Much better.
Switched back and forth a few times, the Arcam wiped the floor with the
Technics.
Which is to be expected.
My friend's comment? "Oh, but you're using a Cambridge Atlantic
interconnect on the Technics and a Chord Cobra III on the Arcam, of
course it's going to sound better."
Just thought I'd share that with people. For the record, while you can
hear a difference between the freebie rubbish cable and the Atlantic on
the Technics, nothing above the Atlantic makes any audible difference.
On the Arcam it does make a difference, but for the purposes of that
quick test it didn't matter. (No, I don't want to go into the "it's all
in your mind" arguments here so don't even bother, it's not relevant to
the point above.)
--
Glenn Richards Tel: (01453) 845735
Squirrel Solutions http://www.squirrelsolutions.co.uk/
IT consultancy, hardware and software support, broadband installation
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| |  7 answers | Add comment |
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| Using FuzzMeasure acoustic analysis software in live setting? Qzectb 08:59:44 |
| |
I'm with a classic rock cover band, and we usually set up and run the
sound ourselves from the stage. I've just discovered a cool piece
of shareware call FuzzMeasure
(http://www.supermegaultragroovy.com/products/FuzzMeasure/) that runs
on my Mac laptop, and I'm wondering whether it might be of value in
adjusting the PA EQ for a given room. Here's what it does:
1) It generates a series of rapidly ascending sine waves that can be
sent to the PA.
2) It records the ambient sound via any microphone plugged into the
Mac.
3) From the recorded signals, it uses Fourier analysis to compute and
display the following:
a The end-to-end frequency response (including speaker, mic, and
room properties)
b) Reverberation decay time as a function of frequency (by octaves)
c) The apparent distance between the source and the microphone,
based on the time delay.
d) Other stuff that I don't understand (e.g., speaker impedance).
It occured to me that both (a) and especially (b) might be useful for
identifying frequency bands that should be cut in order to control
muddiness due to reverberation as well as incipient feedback. I've
notice for example, that when I raise the gain on the PA, peaks begin
to show up on the frequency spectrum even before feedback is audible,
and I can notch these out with the 31-band EQ. Also, a cool thing
about the reverb decay time calculation is that it doesn't seem to
depend on the mic or speaker properties
My question is basically whether there is a "correct" or "optimal" way
to take advantage of a package like this in a live setting, or whether
I'm better of sticking with the old-fashioned way of ringing out a room
before a gig. I noticed that the web page for the package doesn't
specifically mention live sound as one of the possible applications,
though they do mention home theaters and recording studios.
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| | 1 answer | Add comment |
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| Presonus Comp16 or BlueMax for Vocal compression. VocalMan 07:57:23 |
| | I was wondering what you guys would recommend for vocal compression. I
want something easy to use at first and then something I can tweak over
time if I need to. Both of these above were recommend from another
source just wondering what some neutral parties would have to say about
the topic
I see that the BlueMax is more adjustable than the Comp16 and both can
be had on Ebay for about the same price or pretty close.
I was to use compression I've decided since I've got a wide vocal range
and when I really start to nail a note into a cresendo I have to really
back off the mic. I don't mind working the mic but I'd like to be able
to stay a little closer in and feel that this might help those
situations.
Thanks in Advance,
Rick
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| Crown K1 switching amp William Sommerwerck 07:32:08 |
| | I'm considering replacing my current amplification with these amplifiers.
If anyone has had experience with them, I'd appreciate their comments.
Thanks.
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| | 48 answers | Add comment |
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| The 5 Browns - No Boundaries - Out Now! Annleaha 07:01:56 |
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Hi everyone,
Has anyone heard of The 5 Browns? I just discovered them & they are
absolutely amazing! What a talented family! If you like classical
music, you HAVE to hear this group. They have just put out a new album
called No Boundaries & I have been listening to it nonstop since I
picked it up. Check out the track listing:
1 Rhapsody in Blue
2 Malaguena from Andalucia Suite
3. Simple Gifts/Going Home
4 Shaker Hymn
5 Going Home
6 Full Stride Ahead (Rag)
7 Feria from Rapsodie Espagnole
8. Gargoyles, Op. 29
9 III. Allegro moderato
10 IV. Presto feroce
11 Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6
12 Variations on a Theme of Paganini
13 Danzas Argentinas, Op. 2
14 I. Danza del viejo boyero (Dance of the Old Cowherd)
15 II. Danza de la mozo donosa (Dance of the Delightful Young Girl)
16 III. Danza del gaucho matrero (Dance of the Artful Herdsman)
17 Valse and Romance
18 Valse
19 Romance
20 The Firebird (from the 1911 Version)
I just joined their i-squad & found out they are on tour now too. I
hope I can get some tickets soon. The i-squad seems pretty neat. You
earn Bonus Points and then trade them in for merchandise from The 5
Browns. If you are interested in checking out their music visit this
link (hope it works for ya!)
http://i-squad.com/ The 5 Browns.html
http://www.the5browns.com/
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| | 75 answers | Add comment |
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| white iPod earphones THD Kevin T 06:57:47 |
| | The vast majority of music is currently being listend to is MP3 over
iPods with standard earbuds. At some ref level/Freq ( IEC 60268-7 )
etc. What is the THD of this defacto standard at the listeners ear ?
Thanks
Kevin T
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| | 16 answers | Add comment |
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| Ferguson Studio 50D - any info please Slowchordchanger 05:43:03 |
| | Hi,
I've just bought an old "music centre", model Fegurson Studio 50D.
This unit looks very much like a Hitachi unit I had many years ago.
At present just the tuner and amp are working, I'm very impressed with the
quality of the amplifier and would love to restore the whole unit to life.
The cassette deck runs however, there is a minute amount of output on one
channel and nothing on the other. I've cleaned the tape heads with fluid
and the chamois leather tipped sticks. The VU meters don't follow the
cassette being played. The Dolby switch reduces hiss, and the three bias
positions seem to do something - difficult to tell due to tiny o/p.
I've Servisoled the various switches and pots and have got the tuner doing
its stuff and the various controls are now smooth and fine. I'd be most
grateful for any advice or info.
Thanks in advance
Tony
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| DJ Mic's Andy & Kim 05:37:51 |
| | Hi Guy's, i read the forum all the time and again seek your advise. I have
just lost my SM58 and just before i replace it with the same is there
anything better i could be looking at. I work in night clubs an a 58 has
always been good for me but reading all the post makes me wonder should i
move on. Any thoughts?
Andy
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| | 12 answers | Add comment |
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| Mackie powered sub problem Steve Hoover 05:19:51 |
| | Hello all - we have a Mackie power sub - the 1st issue model with the 15"
speaker - that has developed a weird problem. When it's turned on for a
minute or so, it starts emitting a loud a rapid-fire thumping sound - this
occurs with the volume up or down and whether or not there is a signal at
the input. Anybody else run into this? Is it toast? Any insights would be
greatly appreciated!
thanks!
Steve Hoover
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| | 1 answer | Add comment |
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| Sennheiser MD421 U-5 clips Pj 02:22:39 |
| | Hey guys  I'm looking for someone that may have a Sennheiser MD421
mike clip that goes onto the mike stand....i unfortunately misplaced
the last one, and are now doing a lot of voice over work, and currently
just relying on a steady hand (eventually some tape too if that doesn't
work).
The distributors in Australia are dragging their feet, would love it if
someone could sell me a clip, will pay for postage, etc.
Let me know !
I'm in Australia.
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| | 19 answers | Add comment |
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| Questions for Jim Williams about upgrades Guest 02:15:27 |
| | Hi Jim,
Not too long ago on r.a.p. you mentioned a tweaked Yamaha MLA-7. What
do you do for those and how much would it cost me? Also, have you ever
upgraded any Ashly gates (SG-33, SG35) or compressors (SC52, CL52)?
What about a DBX 172 "Supergate".
I'm also wondering if you ever upgrade field recorders or mixers, or
if you have any opinions or suggestions for specific models worth
buying and then upgrading.
Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.
-Paul
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| For Sale:Alesis Quadraverb 2 Blind Johnny 02:11:50 |
| | Have 2 Q2's in great shape..studio use only. $125 each or $200 for
both..plus shipping to USA.
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| | 1 answer | Add comment |
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| Mics For Sale Blind Johnny 02:08:40 |
| | I have 2 EV ND38 mics..these are the large dynamic mics with the built
in 16 position EQ on the back for complete tailoring of the mic
response..great for all kinds of instruments from kick to
trombone..bass..guitars..etc. One is missing a side screw but can be
replaced. $400 for the pair plus shipping to the USA.
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| | 1 answer | Add comment |
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| Any LAME experts here? Lorin David Schultz 01:51:30 |
| | Avoiding the obvious joke about how lame some of the "experts" here are
<g>, I'll ask the question anyway: Is anyone here well-versed in
command-line switches for the LAME mp3 encoder under Windows?
I have two folders full of files; one has several hundred mono wav
files, the other has stereo wav files. All are 44.1K/16 bit.
I'd like to batch convert them to mp3 files. I've figured out how to
force 128K mono and 256K stereo and how to force high quality mode.
What I can't figure out is how to convert a whole batch at a time. I
found a .bat file in the LAME directory, but it appends the file suffix
rather than replacing it. Instead of filename.wav becoming
filename.mp3, it becomes filename.wav.mp3 which just throws another
spanner into the works.
Does anyone know how to do a whole batch at once and still wind up with
"typical" filenames?
--
"It CAN'T be too loud... some of the red lights aren't even on yet!"
- Lorin David Schultz
in the control room
making even bad news sound good
(Remove spamblock to reply)
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| | 7 answers | Add comment |
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| Custom racking vintage gear? Rickymix 01:17:39 |
| | Hi y'all,
I'm trying to remember the name of a guy in the San Francisco area
who had a reputation for doing really excellent work custom racking
vintage audio gear. He used to run an ad in the back of MIX, but I
can't find it now. Is he still around?
I've got some API, Neve, and Spectrasonics mic pres that a friend
has put into a "Super Lunchbox" for me. It's almost done, but it's
been "almost done" for several years now and needs to get finished, so
I'm searching for alternatives. My friend's a great guy, absolutely
brilliant, but always way too busy. I'm itching to finally make some
music with this gear!
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks, Rick.
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| | 4 answer | Add comment |
Saturday, 12 August 2006
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| Electrovoice 635 vs. Beyerdynamic M101 Federico 23:55:12 |
| | Beyerdynamic M101...
There is nothing about it on Beyerdynamic website...
It should be the omni version of the M201.
What do you think about it?
What would you mainly use it for?
How is it in comparison to EV635?
F.
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| | 3 answer | Add comment |
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| Audio over IP, alternative to ISDN Soundgun 23:07:46 |
| | I know there was a thread concerning this topic on RAP a month ago.
It's an issue that is of growing concern in the broadcast industry.
I didn't see an answer to the original poster's question about a
software solution to sending/receiving audio over an IP connection.
Check out this company:
http://www.audiotx.com/
They even have a DEMO version so you can try before you buy!
Another alternative is software called Source-connect
http://www.source-elements.com/Source-Connect/Source-Connect2.5.php,
which is plug in for Pro Tools. Until recently it was a $1500 plug in,
but they recently released a stripped down version for $400, MUCH more
in the range for an individual VO user or musician.
I am a studio installer specializing in VO artist home studios, so I am
dealing with kind of thing often. Up until now the industry standard
is ISDN, and I am still fighting to get ISDN installed in homes all
over the country. In some markets I have success, and in others,
especially rural areas, I don't.
Anyone located in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho by chance? I have a client
looking to buy a home there and I need to get him setup with a reliable
ISP. Any suggestions would be appreciated...
George Whittam
eldorec.com
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| | 2 answer | Add comment |
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| Has XLR spec changed? Graham W 22:41:41 |
| | Hi everyone.
Just a quick question, I hope! Has XLR wiring spec changed in the last
35 or so years? I ask as I have three Sennheiser MD 214 U-2 lav mic's
(those old ones that hang round the neck on a string) and I can't get a
peep out of any of them. Just thought it would be rather unusual if all
three had died by sitting in a cupboard for the last decade, so maybe
thought my mic mixer is too modern for it.
As you can probably tell, I've reached the stage where I'm clutching at
straws!
TIA,
Graham W
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| | 12 answers | Add comment |
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| Do audio signals suffer from multicores ? Matthias 22:39:03 |
| | Hi Pros,
somewhere in this forum I read, that audio signals might suffer from
multicores, i.e. like the ones used for ADATs.
Is this mainly because of the cross-talk (although these signals are
balanced) ?
Can someone post a short note on this, please ?
Thanks for reading this (and hopefully replying)
Matthias
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| | 21 answer | Add comment |
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| Repairing overdrive with click/pop NR Carey Carlan 21:48:05 |
| | I've been transferring some old reels to digital.
One of them had the most obnoxious clicky-distortion that sounded a lot
like an overdriven dbx input (these are all dbx I tapes). The noise is in
the tape (audible with dbx playback bypassed).
I discovered that Audition's automatic click/pop eliminator did a wonderful
job of removing this racket. The impact on the sound is minimal, and the
removal of the clicks is remarkable.
Surprising enough to merit an announcement on RAP.
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| VST Hardware Federico 21:25:35 |
| | Hi,
are there any hardware-standalone-rackmounted "machine" that allows me to
play vst instruments or effects?
Sometimes I'd like to play my NI AkoustikPiano live, and some others I'd
like to have some Waves plugins to carry around.
F.
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| | 8 answers | Add comment |
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| Advice needed: Best blank media for a pro stand alone CD-R deck? Guest 21:04:45 |
| | I don't record CD-Rs on a computer, I have two Tascam CD-RW700 stand
alone decks. These are pro units and not 'home audio' units... I was
using Maxell CDr-Pro blanks because they're made in Japan, which I seem
to read alot about the dye and the manufacturing process of Japanese
blanks being superior to Korean, Taiwanese, etc blanks... I've always
had good luck with them, but lately, I have a hard time getting the
Tascams to properly calibrate the OPC. It takes 3 or 4 attempts before
the disc loads. I recently notice a note on the packaging of the Maxells
that they can indeed cause a problem on 1X drives - something I never
noticed written on them in the past...... I've even tried TDK Audio
blanks, and they're tempermental too.......... Anyway - I'm seeking
advice and opinions on which blank media is superior to others for a pro
stand alone deck. Thank you in advance......
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| | 4 answer | Add comment |
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| Sample copyright Guest 20:44:14 |
| | I am doing some sound effects work for a new console game.
I have already submitted some sounds from my archive but there might be
a small problem.
I know that some of these sounds originaly came from the internet even
though they have been altered by myself.
My game developer wants me to sign a release contract giving them
ownership of these sounds.
How do I stand with regard to the current sampling laws.
Also how much do I need to improve (or modify) the samples before they
are mine.
Thanks for any comments.
ps. I'm based in Australia (just in case we have different laws).
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