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Author Topic: RMAF 2011  (Read 10608 times)

Offline ironbut

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RMAF 2011
« on: October 17, 2011, 12:59:14 PM »
Whew,.. I got home from Denver late last night and for a tape lovin' fellow, it was just about heaven.
To begin with, almost all the folks who have a hand in making our favorite media a reality with the Tape Project were there. I did my best to pester each and every one of them to the point that they were probably ready to slap me!

Doc and Eileen, Paul and Piper who we all know were there but also Paul Birkland who builds all the Bottlehead Tube Repros was toiling away at the Front Panel Express display. Bob Hodas who tunes the mastering room at 1340 Mission also had an exhibit and his contribution to everything that comes out of there should never be overlooked.
In fact, aside from Romo's absence, I can think of only a couple of guys from the "extended" Tape Project family who weren't there. Shawn (who does the engraving on our reel flanges) and Paul Joppa who had a hand in the design of the Repro, Seduction, and Eros tape amps.

The list of subscribers and members of this forum who I was able to do a little face time with is a long one but here's a few that stuck out in my mind.

Ki Choi who I'd never met doesn't appear to be insane but his collection of studio machines says otherwise.
Myles Aster who looks like he spends his spare time tearing phone books in half.
As far as I know, both of these guys were relatively new to serious reel to reel but wow, they really know their stuff now.
Rich Brown (U47). I finally got to meet the guy after numerous attempts to hook up. Very nice talking with you.

There were a number of rooms who were using tape as a medium to display their gear. Here's a list off the top of my head.

Bottlehead (obviously). Dan and Eileen had the Nagra running series 3 tunes in the CanJam room through a extensive variety of their headphone amp offerings. Many of my headphone buddies couldn't get over how good the sound was on these.
VTL/TAD The big TAD speakers and Luke Manley's huge amps were sounding excellent especially on Sunday. Piper was operating the Otari MTR-20 1/2 inch and doing an excellent job of explaining what the Tape Project is all about to the general audiophile population. It may seem odd to anyone who's a member of this forum that most folks still don't know anything about it, but that's reality folks. Piper does one hell of a job of explaining what it's all about and that's important to the health of the Project.
Paul spun reels in the VTL room too and anyone whose heard him talk about audio and music knows what an elegant speaker he can be.

The Magico room was using their smaller monitor speakers and spinning tape with a Nagra/Repro (gee, I wonder who set that up for them?).

On a Higher Note was running Arian Jensen's ATR10 which was sounding excellent and gets my vote for the best sounding single box/small footprint reel to reel solution.

Greg Beron of United Audio was using one of their modified Tascams (level (9?).

Blue Light Audio Mike Spitz had a beautiful ATR102 using the Aria ss electronics and the smaller Evolution Acoustics speakers.

Doshi Audio was using a Technics RS1506 via a very nice sounding NAB only, head amp.

GOTO USA was spinning tapes through their horn speakers (hopefully Myles or Neal who were actually making notes can let us know the gear being used).

Kara Chaffee was playing 7" reels (some nice vintage tapes) on her Ampex 350 via her hybrid head amp.

Charles King had his modified Levenison LNP-2 on static display but I believe he found a spot to hook it into a system on Saturday night (any info on how that went?).

I'm probably leaving someone out on this. I kinda decided to just enjoy this show so, as noted above, I didn't take a single note or struggle to find out exactly what was playing (if I could figure it out from my listening seat, cool, if not,..).

And enjoy I did!
Thanks for the "private listening session". My pal Al (who joined us a little late) has been on the fence about the TP and hopefully that will put him over the edge. He's actually considering those big ass TADs too!

« Last Edit: October 20, 2011, 08:05:15 PM by ironbut »
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
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Offline MylesAstor

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2011, 08:09:01 PM »
I think Nick's tape pre did both NAB and IEC.
Myles B. Astor
Magico S5 Mk. 2/cj ART>cj GAT Series 2 preamp>Doshi 3.0 phono>VPI Vanquish/3D arm/Atlas SL/Ortofon A95 cartridges/SRA Ohio Class XL+2 base>Technics 1506/low ind. FM heads/balanced out/Doshi V3.0 tape stage>Kubala-Sosna Emotion/ Transparent Audio Gen. 5; Viero speaker cables

Offline MylesAstor

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2011, 08:19:42 PM »
Pictures from The Tape Project Subscriber's Event!

Myles B. Astor
Magico S5 Mk. 2/cj ART>cj GAT Series 2 preamp>Doshi 3.0 phono>VPI Vanquish/3D arm/Atlas SL/Ortofon A95 cartridges/SRA Ohio Class XL+2 base>Technics 1506/low ind. FM heads/balanced out/Doshi V3.0 tape stage>Kubala-Sosna Emotion/ Transparent Audio Gen. 5; Viero speaker cables

Offline MylesAstor

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2011, 08:23:45 PM »
More pics!
Myles B. Astor
Magico S5 Mk. 2/cj ART>cj GAT Series 2 preamp>Doshi 3.0 phono>VPI Vanquish/3D arm/Atlas SL/Ortofon A95 cartridges/SRA Ohio Class XL+2 base>Technics 1506/low ind. FM heads/balanced out/Doshi V3.0 tape stage>Kubala-Sosna Emotion/ Transparent Audio Gen. 5; Viero speaker cables

Offline MylesAstor

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2011, 08:25:56 PM »
More pics!
Myles B. Astor
Magico S5 Mk. 2/cj ART>cj GAT Series 2 preamp>Doshi 3.0 phono>VPI Vanquish/3D arm/Atlas SL/Ortofon A95 cartridges/SRA Ohio Class XL+2 base>Technics 1506/low ind. FM heads/balanced out/Doshi V3.0 tape stage>Kubala-Sosna Emotion/ Transparent Audio Gen. 5; Viero speaker cables

Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2011, 11:07:11 AM »
So much good listening and fun for a 3 day event. This Saturday night event was a highlight. That is me in Miles' 3rd and 4th shots with glasses. I enjoyed good conversation and great listening to Tapehead samples. What more can a tape loving audiophile ask for?
Neal - Ampex Fineline F-44, 3 - Otari MX5050BII-2, Revox A77 Mk II , Teac A 4010s, 4070, Sony TC102A, Magnecord 1020, Systemdek IIX/Dynavector Karat 17D2MKII, CEC CD3300 CDP, K Works NanoMax DAC, Van Alsine Transcendence Eight+ tube preamp, Dynaco MkIV amp pair, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v1

Offline docb

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« Last Edit: October 19, 2011, 06:56:21 PM by docb »
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President for Life, Bottlehead Corp.
Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline ironbut

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #7 on: October 19, 2011, 07:37:38 PM »
Nice stuff!
The photographers sure do love Piper! (I know the feeling)
I hope that she was listening to the HD800's before or during your experiment with the balanced cables (do those look familiar Xavier?). Some knucklehead had the right and left channels switched when the TRS cable went back on (no biggie, the L and R on the output connectors is super hard to see).
I didn't notice till I plugged them into my MIO yesterday and " What the ****!"
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
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Offline ironbut

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #8 on: October 19, 2011, 08:56:04 PM »
Geeze, I just stumbled across another picture of Piper and 1/3 of Doc!

http://www.sonicstudio.com/amarra/newsreviews.html#rmaf2011A

BTW, did anyone write down the RMAF discount code for Amarra?
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
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Offline docb

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #9 on: October 20, 2011, 10:34:14 AM »
Nice stuff!
The photographers sure do love Piper! (I know the feeling)
I hope that she was listening to the HD800's before or during your experiment with the balanced cables (do those look familiar Xavier?). Some knucklehead had the right and left channels switched when the TRS cable went back on (no biggie, the L and R on the output connectors is super hard to see).
I didn't notice till I plugged them into my MIO yesterday and " What the ****!"

The knucklehead was me. I couldn't find the channel indicators but I thought I had them plugged in in what seemed to be the proper orientation by the little ridge in the connector. The red and black colors of the HD600 style connectors made it a lot easier to sort, and I will probably color code the HD800 connectors if I acquire the cable. That Cardas balanced HD800 cable sounded really nice with the Smack amp.
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President for Life, Bottlehead Corp.
Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #10 on: October 20, 2011, 07:49:12 PM »
Both sounded really nice with the Smack. Anyone who talks smack about the Smack hasn't really listened to it long enough. I WANT ONE! but will have to finish the Eros first.
Neal - Ampex Fineline F-44, 3 - Otari MX5050BII-2, Revox A77 Mk II , Teac A 4010s, 4070, Sony TC102A, Magnecord 1020, Systemdek IIX/Dynavector Karat 17D2MKII, CEC CD3300 CDP, K Works NanoMax DAC, Van Alsine Transcendence Eight+ tube preamp, Dynaco MkIV amp pair, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v1

Offline docb

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #11 on: October 21, 2011, 09:52:54 AM »
Thanks Neal. My take on the Smack is that it really digs deep and brings out a lot of subtle info, info that one just couldn't hear with the background noise of the Can Jam room. The amps that people were talking about were the really punchy ones, S.E.X. 2.1 and Crack. I think this was because their particular strengths were more clearly audible over the din. I dig the Smack, and I found that many  recording industry types would gravitate toward it as well. I did crack up when I saw one comment that one of our amps had "no center image". I'll bet money that the guy was listening to some classic 50s or 60s hard left-right panned recording like Nat Cole sings, George Shearing plays....
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
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Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline Listens2tubes

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #12 on: October 21, 2011, 10:37:42 AM »
When I was more active in the NY tri-state area headfi meets, it was always part of the advisory that newbees be sure to clean their ears before coming out to a meet. "Old wax ears" has a 6db attenuated right ear. And only notices this difference when listening to headphones.
Neal - Ampex Fineline F-44, 3 - Otari MX5050BII-2, Revox A77 Mk II , Teac A 4010s, 4070, Sony TC102A, Magnecord 1020, Systemdek IIX/Dynavector Karat 17D2MKII, CEC CD3300 CDP, K Works NanoMax DAC, Van Alsine Transcendence Eight+ tube preamp, Dynaco MkIV amp pair, Paradigm Reference Studio 100 v1

Offline ironbut

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #13 on: October 21, 2011, 10:56:06 AM »
Yeah, meet/show impressions are pretty tricky to sift through. Guys that rush through and listen to everything once, then post their thoughts without qualifying their listening sessions, really do the community a disservice I think. I'm sure they think that they're doing everyone a favor but they aren't.
Most of the time these kinds of posts are well meaning but often ego driven.

I could go on and on about the how misleading some folks on the internet can be (and sometimes, downright spiteful), but that's the "bad" half of this electronic frontier.
And I can get a heck of a headache separating the informative from the "noise", but I wouldn't have it any other way.
steve koto
 Sony scd 777es(R. Kern mods)> Vpi Aires>Dynavector XX-2mkll>Bent mu>CAT ultimate>CJ premeir 140>Magnepan 1.6qr(Jensen xover)Headphone Eddie Current Zana Deux>AT ad2000,HD800 ,Metric Halo ULN-2 (battery powered),
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Offline docb

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Re: RMAF 2011
« Reply #14 on: October 21, 2011, 11:47:57 AM »
Yeah, meet/show impressions are pretty tricky to sift through. Guys that rush through and listen to everything once, then post their thoughts without qualifying their listening sessions, really do the community a disservice I think. I'm sure they think that they're doing everyone a favor but they aren't.
Most of the time these kinds of posts are well meaning but often ego driven.

Actually it's not the guy who does that kind of post that gets me as much as the guys who respond with, "Gee thanks for helping me to avoid buying that thing you didn't like!" No way in hell anyone is gonna choose my gear for me ;^)>
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
President for Life, Bottlehead Corp.
Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project