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Author Topic: Tape Project presentation at United Home Audio, Annapolis Junction, MD 12/05/09  (Read 9704 times)

Offline docb

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The Baltimore/Washington DC Metro Audio Society will be hosting a presentation by Paul Stubblebine of the Tape Project at noon, 12/05/09, at United Home Audio
www.unitedhomeaudio.com
Come see and hear the UHA-HQ tape machine and Tape Project Tapes that were awarded Best Source Component at RMAF 2009 by Jonathan Valin of The Absolute Sound magazine.
If you plan to attend the meeting please email [email protected] with the subject "The Tape Project" to confirm. Please include your name and a contact phone number along with any comments or feedback.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2009, 04:07:30 PM by docb »
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
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Offline U47

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Isn't Valin still writing for TAS?

Rich Brown
Acoustic Arts
Portland, Oregon
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Offline docb

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Oops. He sure does write for TAS. Too many things going on at once this morning. I have corrected this.
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President for Life, Bottlehead Corp.
Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline High and Outside

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Re: REMINDER Tape Project presentation at United Home Audio, 12/05/09
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2009, 02:27:28 PM »
Just a reminder, if you're in the Washington DC metro area on Saturday, day after tomorrow, c'mon by and say howdy, maybe listen to some music on tape. Details in the first post on this thread.
Paul Stubblebine
Managing Director, The TapeProject

Offline cam3xl

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Great wintery afternoon had by all.  The tapes sound increadable and United Home Audio put together a system that did them justice.  Paul was really informative and kinda did liner notes for the sample tape he brought with him.  It all went very well.  Still want to know what's cookin' for series three.
Whatever sounds good,  Do that!

Peace,
Bhek

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Offline Satch

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I saw photos on the United Home Audio site. Looks like they were running their "Phase 6" UHA-HQ R2R through an MBL system.

I wonder if there are going to be any more seminars like this...

Ray

Offline astrotoy

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I was in Shenzhen over the weekend (just over the border from Hong Kong) in China. Thirty years ago it was a fishing village and now a city of a couple of million. A real example of capitalism under communism. We were staying in a Crown Plaza where my brother-in-law has connections, in a very nice suite with a concierge/butler (for US$70 per night - special rate - normal rate is about $140). My sister-in-law mentioned that I collected vinyl and they found a couple of shops that had used classical vinyl and took us to a building with quite a few audio shops - mostly used American and European audio, but some Chinese made. Several stores also had pro audio equipment. Anyway, it was most impressive for a supposed back water town (there are hundreds of Chinese cities over a million in population.) Among the equipment for sale was a pair of Mbl Radialstrahers - the ones that list for $200K US. There certainly is a lot of money there. Many of the stores carried used MacIntosh tube amps, some Altec Voice of the Theatre horns, and other vintage stuff- Thorens TT. There was some Chinese tube stuff and a lot of Chinese tubes. No R2R though. Shenzhen is famous for pirated goods - from cheap to really excellent copies of purses, watches, dresses. These were real, however. Fortunately TP tapes can't be digitally copied, since DVD's sell for $1.40 and blurays sell for $9. Increasingly there are Chinese brands which sell on their own merits - some better than the Chinese goods that we get at Walmart. Typical workers get paid about $150/mo, about 3-5 times what they would make as farmers. But the skilled workers - managers and technical people can be paid as much as in the US. So they have Mercedes, Lexus, BMW's and the top of the food chain have mansions like Donald Trump, and Mbl Radialstrahlers.. BTW, Shenzhen is connected to Hong Kong by a subway about 45 minute, $4 ride from Hong Kong. The only catch for a US citizen is that the entry visa (which can be multiple times within a year) costs about $150 - what the US charges for Chinese to visit the US.  Larry     
Larry Toy CharterMember-BHReproTechnics1506/Akai747dbx/OtariMX5050B3-ClassicalVinylFreak-15Krecs-VPIHRXRimDrv-LyraSkala-HelikonMono-HerronVTSP3A/BHPhonoPre-PacificMicrosonics Model2 - Pyramix&MykerinosCard-OppoNE-Proceed AVP2+6/CVP2-CJ MET1-Cary 2A3SE-AvantgardeDuos-3Solos-VelodyneDD18Sub

Offline ironbut

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Fascinating Larry.

One of my pals sources some components from China for the gear he designs and sells. A couple of years ago he went to the factory to check out some stuff. I guess the factory was way out in the farmland and they had someone keeping an eye on him 24/7 while he was there. He said it was a eye opener what a huge contrast there was from the large cities,.. like a different world or century.

Thanks for the update on your trip.
Enjoy!
steve koto
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Offline Tim

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Many thanks to Paul for making the trip to snowy Annapolis Junction.
It was the best music I had heard in two years. 
Given that my system sounds a little boxy, it is in storage after all, the music sounded wonderful.
I introduced myself to Paul as #54.
His look of bemusement lead me to conjecture that Paul was a fan of the old TV series 'The Prisoner'.
I am not a number!!!!!
After the tech and the tripe and the hype justified or not (the latter two of which were not in evidence during Paul's balanced and factual presentation) it is the music stupid!
As I have confessed previously in this forum, I am a listener, not a tech expert.  My eyes and mind begins to glaze over when folks start to discuss gear and format shoot outs.
As such the music was sublime.  Even in less than an ideal setting, the world fell away and it was just the music me, and 25 other folks.
You could hear a pin drop except for the sound of music.
Priceless.
The paradox seemed to be that the 'best' sounding music was from the oldest tapes.

The selections of jazz titles from series 2 in particular were drop dead stunningly alive.
Folks from as far away as Wheeling West Virginia made the snowy trek, and said it was worth the effort.
All in all I was most pleased to have made my short journey.
The down side?
I guess I will have to tell Mike at ATR to dust off my ATR and get to work.
Thanks Paul, it is peanut butter and jelly for 2010.  Good news?
It will be on whole wheat.


Offline c1ferrari

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Tim,

Thanks for the link to the event pics.

Best,

Sam
Sam Lucero
SPQCV
:-)

Offline ironbut

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Atta boy CV!

Glad to hear you made it there!
Paul certainly is good at making folks understand where the Tape Projects coming from. Not that the sound of the series 2 titles need a whole lotta help.
I hope you got a chance to hear the Jimmy Smith. It sounds killer! Sometimes when I listen to the older recordings, I wish there was a way that the musicians that are on them could hear them this way. I can't help but imagine that it would make them proud of what they've been a part of.

#54 Ok, now I get the ",.. where are you?" bit.
I hope that some of the other members in the general area made it there too.
It's always great to hear from the early members of this forum come up for air every once in a while and say Hi.
steve koto
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Offline rbwtapeinterlink-Bob

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Good day all,

What a joy it was to have Mr. Paul B. come down for the mountain top to spend some time with us. It's no secret that you guys on that end of the globe get all of the perks. But for an evening we had Paul and what an evening it was. When my friends and I arrived there were no seats available and Paul was just beginning to give us the real deal about the Tape Project, it's history and where it's headed.

The man did not lecture but shared a story about music and all it represents from the recording studio right on through to how the interest developed to start the Tape Project with other interested music lovers. I was finally able to get a seat when a gentleman had to leave. I was able to sit close to the front and directly behind the guy in the blue stripe shirt. This seat provided a means of getting up and not disturbing anyone, but being near enough so I did not miss a beat. Of course Paul never missed a beat either. He was kind enough to break up  his generous presentation so that some beautiful tapes from jazz to classical could be played in between. After the presentation we were able to introduce ourselves to Paul and others who have a love for music and audio. My dear friend Bhek (Cam3X1) got me there and back in very bad weather. I enjoyed every minute of our time together and he introduced me to a new friend as well.

These were all beautiful people who were glad to have made it to a first and we hope not the last time folk from the mountain top come to visit us. I just hope the next time other staff can make the trip. Steve, maybe you can make it too. Everyone here have a blessed and wonderful Christmas and New Year.

Bob
« Last Edit: December 23, 2009, 02:18:59 PM by rbwtapeinterlink »
Bob W. (African American) VPI, Ref Standard Grado, Denon 103r, Threshold, DecWare tube pre and Classe pre amp, Jolida tube phono pre amp, (Peter Gunn) modified Magnapan 1.6, Tascam 32-2B & 42B tape decks, Parasound belt drive CD transport, Pacific Valve tube DAC, VPI  TT, various upscale cables.