MacBook & Gotorama... a new musical dawn?

In my IMMENSE laziness... aehm, oblomovism;-))) I just had the VERY first computer-based listening exposure in my system... for easiness-sake, I used my Mac with its several hours of FLAC, 320bps and .WAV musical files stored in its belly... I browsed, and listened and browsed and... then I reminded a phone conversation with my friend Arnaldo who told me about his recent experience with digital streaming radio, throught  iTunes... so I took my chance, too...

... checked feverish The Grateful Dead, Psych, '60s classic rock and some classical devoted radios, mostly from the USA... then an Indian classical music radio and...

WOW... so my German friends, Reinhard in primis were right!

... and Arnaldo, as well...

My system, fed by my (humble) Mac Book Pro 17", through a Silflex Toslink to miniplug, straight to digital output, is delivering a very... you'd bet it;-))), liquid sound... effortless, ungrainy and EXTREMELY pleasant and detailed.

I learned that the apparently toy-like 3,5 mm earphones Mac's Output also has, coaxial, a digital Output which is switched ON via a slightly longer, proprietary miniplug... yes, everybody knows, BUT me;-)))... yet I was positively surprised by the Apple's people cleverness!

My TacT RCS 2.2 XP AAA reads a 96 khz sampling, as Toslink is not supporting 192 khz... yet, a nice, NICE, NICE result, indeed... possibly thanking cool TOSLINK / MINIPLUG PREMIUM SILFLEX' GLASS CABLE, so well made using premium quality materials vs. some shitty-made cables around!

Last weekend was the late, VERY late, oblomovist beginning of  TGE's Digital Era... I'll better dig the topic, folks.

Sure I'm late, VERY late, but I'm here.

NAGRA's Lino and Pico digital recorders: for every task and pocket

NO! They're not two razors:-)))

Here are two cool new gizmos from Nagra of Switzerland!

Lino

and

Pico

Both are VERY cool, easy and handy gears: sure each one will find his place in recording lovers, musicians and sounds chasers hands.

Max von Egmond

A great voice... and a nice story.

I love and cherish his recordings with Gustav Leonhardt and Marius van Altena!

Proudness

Clever mom... and cute pups.

Thomas Mayer's Line Stage and Cunningham CX-310

Got them!

Smothness in spades... Space Age from the Roaring Thirties!

Manu Chao's "Me Gustas Tu" or EMT 930st is spinning, again...

Me gustan los aviones, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta viajar, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la mañana, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta el viento, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta soñar, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la mar, me gustas tu. 
Que voy a hacer , 
je ne sais pas 
Que voy a hacer 
Je ne sais plus 
Que voy a hacer 
Je suis perdu 
Que horas son, mi corazón 
Me gusta la moto, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta correr, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la lluvia, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta volver, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta marihuana, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta colombiana, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la montaña, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la noche, me gustas tu. 
Que voy a hacer , 
je ne sais pas 
Que voy a hacer 
Je ne sais plus 
Que voy a hacer 
Je suis perdu 
Que horas son, mi corazón 
Me gusta la cena, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la vecina, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta su cocina, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta camelar, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la guitarra, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta el regaee, me gustas tu. 
Que voy a hacer , 
je ne sais pas 
Que voy a hacer 
Je ne sais plus 
Que voy a hacer 
Je suis perdu 
Que horas son, mi corazón 
Me gusta la canela, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta el fuego, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta menear, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la Coruña, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta Malasaña, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta la castaña, me gustas tu. 
Me gusta Guatemala, me gustas tu. 
Que voy a hacer , 
je ne sais pas 
Que voy a hacer 
Je ne sais plus 
Que voy a hacer 
Je suis perdu 
Que horas son, mi corazón 

Me gusta el 930, me gustas tu...

Listening to some awesome vinyls I cherish in my discotheque - i.e. Manu Chao's Próxima Estación: Esperanza or Harmonia Deluxe or Steven Wilson & Mikael Akerfeldt's Storm Corrosion or Jonathan Wilson's Gentle Spirit on EMT 930st, well... it's THE broadcasting turntable, THE statement and rock and jazz simply sound so right and pleasant... the Garrardzilla is far, FAR superior, detailing-wise... but my EMT 930st - which I own since 1992 (...) - is perfect for playing the DJ and the radio owner... broadcasting for myself and best friends:-)

My pleasure.

Laurel Canyon - Those were the days...

A documentary that explores the musical legacy of Laurel Canyon, an L.A. neighbourhood that was home to a number of influential 1960s musicians including Joni Mitchell, Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills and Nash. Narrated by rock photographer Henry Diltz, the documentary makes use of a blend of archive footage, photographs and contributions from those close to the bands to bring to life the uniquely creative atmosphere of Laurel Canyon during the period. Those to contribute their thoughts include David Crosby, David Geffen and John Hartmann.

WOW!

Ivan's Choice - BEF

British Electric Foundation are proud to announce the release of a brand new album – Music of Quality and Distinction Vol.3 “Dark” on the Wall of Sound label.

BEF take a journey into ‘Dark’ territory with the third release from the ‘Music of Quality and Distinction’ series. ‘Dark’ features some highly distinguished talent;  Boy George, Kim Wilde, Sandie Shaw, Green Gartside, Andy Bell and our very own Glenn Gregory all flex their vocals over unexpected covers, laid across Martyn Ware’s distinctive electronic beats.

Pulp's Music

The Tarantino Experience is a double album comprised of 24 tracks, a vibrant and magical collection from start to finish. Full of the unique sounds that are so much a part of the films of this celebrated director. The Tarantino Experience includes gems such as Bang Bang by Nancy Sinatra (Kill Bill) to Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon by Urge Overkill and Misirlou by Dick Dale and the Del-Tones (both from Pulp Fiction). Midnight Confessions by The Grass Roots also appears, which was used in the film Jackie Brown.
The Tarantino Experience is an album full of the sounds of cine noir, an album that will conjure visual images with each listening!

Audio tattooing?

... why not: it's better than some awful tattoos around... yet, definitely NOT a pentode, please... I'd go for a Cunningham CX-310 triode, instead:-)))

... and NOT this large!

Again and again about Robbie Basho: funding the movie

Kickstarter is ON, folks...

Let's support Liam and his documentary: Pete Townshend will be also interviewed.

... yet, NOBODY will rediscover Robbie's mighty twelve strings guitar, maybe sitting somewhere in an obscure Meher Baba's people warehouse!

... and that's sooo sad.

"Tone Float Organisation" on RCA Victor SF 8111 (UK)

Superb, SUPERB pre-Kraftwerk group and SUPERB music...

Here are some details:

• Bass, Bells [Small Bells], Shaker [Shaky Tube], Percussion [Plastic Hammer] – Butch Hauf
• Composed By – Butch Hauf, Florian Schneider-Esleben*, Fred Monicks
• Design [Cover Design] – 'Comus'*
• Drums, Bongos, Maracas, Cowbell, Tambourine – Fred Monicks
• Flute [Alto, Electric], Bells, Triangle, Tambourine, Violin [Electroviolin] – Florian Schneider-Esleben*
• Glockenspiel, Congas [Conga Gong], Performer [Musical Box], Bongos [Bangos], Voice – Basil Hammoudi
• Organ – Ralf Hutter*
• Producer, Engineer – Conrad Plank*, Organisation
• 
  

I LOVE this disc... grab it in any format... lots of bootlegs, around and original RCA, well... it's insanely high priced... but, I repeat, music is first class.

B 13 Records' coloured vinyls

All the following titles are live, seldom heard and coloured vinyl limited editions.

AMON DUULLIVE IN MUNCHEN 17..1LP
AYERS, KEVINLIVE AT THE BBC 1970 &..1LP
AYLER, ALBERTLIVE IN SAINT..25TH JULY1LP
AYLER, ALBERTLIVE IN SAINT..27TH JULY1LP
BLIND FAITHLIVE IN GOTEBORG,..1LP
BLUES CREATIONRECORDED LIVE AT THE..1LP
BUCKLEY, TIMLIVE 1968 AND 19741LP
CALE, JOHN & FRIENDSLIVE AT THE OCEAN CLUB..1LP
CANA DOUBLE PROMO ALBUM BY2LP
CANFUTURE DAYS: LIVE IN..1LP
CANLIVE AT ASTON..1LP
CANLIVE IN HANNOVER1LP
CANMONSTER MOVIE: LIVE1LP
CANTAGO MAGO: LIVE1LP
CHERRY, DONLIVE IN PARIS, APRIL..1LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT FILLMORE WEST1LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT HILL AUDITORIUM1LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT NEUE STADTHALLE1LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT THE PHILARMONIE..1LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT THE PLUGGED..11LP
DAVIS, MILESLIVE AT THE PLUGGED..21LP
DEEP PURPLELIVE 1969-19721LP
DEWRECORDED LIVE AT THE..1LP
ENO, BRIANLIVE AT THE BBC1LP
FLEETWOOD MACLIVE AT THE BBC, 19701LP
FLEETWOOD MACLIVE AT THE BBC, LONDON..1LP
FLEETWOOD MACLIVE AT THE RECORD..1LP
FOTHERINGAYBBC LIVE IN 19701LP
GENTLE GIANTLIVE IN ESSEN, GERMANY..1LP
GILBERTO, JOAOLIVE IN NYC OCTOBER 9,..1LP
GILBERTO, JOAOLIVE IN NYC OCTOBER 9,..1LP
GURU GURULIVE IN WIESBADEN 19721LP
GURU GURULIVE IN WIESBADEN 1972/731LP
JOY DIVISIONLIVE AT THE PARADISO..1LP
KOSUGI, TAKEHISASTUDIO IMPROVISATIONS..1LP
KRAFTWERKLIVE1LP
KRAFTWERKLIVE 19712LP
KUTI, FELA RANSOMELIVE AT THE AFRO SPOT1LP
MOTHERS OF INVENTIONFZ AT ARTISAN 1LP
PASTORIUS, JACO & RASHIDLIVE IN CANNES, FRANCE,..1LP
PASTORIUS, JACO & RASHID LIVE IN CANNES, FRANCE,..1LP
PASTORIUS/METHENY/BLEY/DILIVE IN NEW YORK CITY,..1LP
SOFT MACHINELIVE 1967-19691LP
SOFT MACHINE (PROTO)EARLIEST RECORDINGS 1LP
SUN RA ARKESTRALIVE AT THE STORYVILLE,..1LP
SUN RA ARKESTRALIVE AT THE STORYVILLE,..1LP
TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE1LP
TAJ-MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE AT SOHGETSU HALL..1LP
TAJ-MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE AT THE MODERNA..1LP
TAJ-MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE AT THE MODERNA..1LP
TAJ-MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE IN TOKYO, 19TH..11LP
TAJ-MAHAL TRAVELLERSLIVE IN TOKYO, 19TH..21LP
TELEVISIONLIVE AT THE OLD..1LP
VAN ZANDT, TOWNESLIVE AT THE WHOLE..1LP
VAUGHAN, STEVIE RAYLIVE AT MCNICHOLS ARENA..1LP
VAUGHAN, STEVIE RAYLIVE AT TINGLEY..1LP
VELVET UNDERGROUNDLIVE AT END OF COLE..1LP
VELVET UNDERGROUNDLIVE IN DALLAS, TX: 28..1LP
WIFFEN, DAVIDAT THE BUNKHOUSE..1LP
YARDBIRDSLIVE IN STOCKHOLM APRIL..1LP

Cool!

 

Maxonic DS-701 - the ultimate coaxial

Field Coil Coaxial 15" Full Range Driver.

World first perfect synchronous coax in field-coil category, world heaviest full range unit!

Tens of years ago Maxonic was marketing the famed DS-405 driver. The DS701 inherited the basic technology to position mid and high range diaphragm from DS405; the diaphragm sits coaxially and in-phase, and was replaced the permanent type to field-coil type magnetic circuit.

Labors of Hercules have been achieved in the DS701.

Frequency response 25-20.000 hz, 104/db/W efficiency and forty, forty, FORTY (40) kilos weight... each!

... and P.S.U.

Cool!

VIV Lab. RF Floating arm from Japan

Intriguing... VERY intriguing...

“Rigid Float/H” tonearm

... the radial error increases... BUT it sounds better... it's an opinion;-)

Anyway, I love the concept of an arm, a' la Kimura Labs. RS1-A, to be SIMPLY put on the turntable plinth!

Available in 7, 9 and 13 inches lengths... and the 2 kilos weight helps. as well...

Musings - The Stick

... something that Howling Wolf would agree and like;-)

... and, please forgive me... aehm, what about Pussy-USB-Door;-)))?!?!

I'm pretty sure "she" far more likes looooong downloads!

Reiner Glass' "Audio Desk Systeme" Disc Cleaner

I got it!

... after selling my old, battered KMAL's, I had to bother my friend Giorgio and his VPI's... well, I'm ready to do it by myself again:-)


Thanking Reiner and his kindness.

Elodis' "Vocalitas Machina Grandis"

My friend Franz Hinterlehner completed a project after some months of accurate, painstacking woodworking, soldering, assemblying and measuring...

The result of the active four-ways system is nothing short of  IMPRESSIVE: an integrated multiamping/crossover assembly wiyth minimal wiring, deadly silent and dynamic as it can be.

Short description (by Franz Hinterlehner himself): bassreflex subwoofer enclosure optimized for maximum performance for GOTO SG38WN
4-way active electronics realized with components from GROUNDSOUND, custom made transformers by BADEL,
enclosures made of 30 mm beech plywood - targeted braced and targeted damped with triangular blocks made of BASOTECT.
Power is 300 Watts at 4 Ohms for the sub-channel and 150 Watts at 4 Ohms each for the 3 upper ways,
2 separate linear PSU were used - 1 for the sub channel and a second for the upper ways. The superior DSP crossover unit is also supplied by a linear PSU.
Now the whole 4-way system - assembled with GOTO 505 (double driver/throat, S200), SG370 on S600 and SG16 (I delivered the horn holders 2 month ago) - is ready for final "fine-tunig". The electronics is de facto noise and hum-free also at compression drivers with their high sensitivity. Sound of the electronics modules is impressive, detailed with very realistic spatial impression and at the same time sound never "analitical" or "processed" also not at very high sound pressure levels - fits perfect with compression Goto Unit drivers/horns.

Here are some pixes... here you'll find the link for first instalment, concerning the Goto's upper ways holder, already safely in customer's hands.

Bravo, Franz... your skill is always awesome, like materials used - always of the VERY best quality - and superb workmanship.

BTW... nice brand-name for this project;-)))

Hemiolia's Official site unveiled, at last!

WOW!

Enjoy!

Thanking Giorgio and wishing to him, Marco and Claudio the VERY best!

Munchen Hi-End 2013 - The Mysterious Ratio: people or gears?

Yes, folks... audio is - in my humble opinion - a ratio, a formula:

G : M = P : E

Where G stands for gears, M for music, P for people or pleasure and E for enjoyment... mixing these all makes the miracle of "our" incredible passion.

We all know how's soooo nice enjoying a music listening session with best friends... swapping disc after disc after disc, sharing obscure records, learning and teaching and viceversa... definitely having good time, unworried about cables and the like!

I spent two full days at Munchen's M.O.C. and I tasted several very, VERY nicely sounding systems, saw, listened to, caressed, knuckle knocked every kind of sexy gears I could... but... BUT, beside some very nice music I heard, what I appreciated more was... gathering... meeting old pals, close and not so close friends, and audio pals I only knew from emails... years and years of emails... old and new friends were the bonding force of this IMPRESSIVE audio fair.

Crowd is crowd, as everywhere at any audio show, but as the offer is REALLY awesome and Munchen's show isn't held at an hotel in some shitty room with bed "shadow" on wallpaper, but in a very nice place with rooms of different size, there is a nice turnover and rooms and booths seems always unstressed places where it's possible to properly enjoy music and ask for informations about this and that.

Yet, P and E are the keys of Munchen's success... at the end of the day my legs were so tired and heavy I felt ten years more... but I felt so light-hearted, folks and... happy, yes... I met friends like Thomas Mayer and Thomas Schick, Frank Schroder, Holger Barske, J.C. Morrison, JROB... I've been so pleased to know you in person, dear Joe... yes, Joe Robert, the man that - with Jean Hiraga and La Maison de l'Audiophile - began "it" all, decades ago with his "Sound Practices" magazine and my pal Laurence, a truly unexpected pleasure to meet him, at last, thanking Peter's hinting at Silbatone's; had a GREAT time with Serge Schmidlin, for me a truly special persona, sharing a seldom experienced, bonding empathy and friendship and Roberto and Pierre from Bruxelles and Peter Reinders from Amsterdam... and Axinia Schaffer and her Arche' headshell and freshly brewed superb new arm and Mr. Manho Oh - Silbatone's patron, so generous and kind with his sharing those seldom heard Western Electric's Mirrophonic and great, classy amps and preamps... and Manolis Proestakis' Tune Audio Anima speakers from Athens, Greece, at his fourth Munchen's audio show and Rolf Bayer, a great, GREAT friend from Munchen, so warm and cool, who organized with other pals (The Triode Mafia) a fantastic Audio Tasting, years ago... and Christian Bayer, what a pleasure, Chris, meeting you, at last.

... with Joe

... and Graziella, the MOST handsome tube amps ambassadress at the show.

I'm trying to say that, more than the shiny gears faceplates and exotic or huge or super expensive components, it was an experience meeting Akira Nagai-san, the man behind Satri/Bakoon's circuit, the extremely cool and passionate Silbatone's President and Tim de Parravicini and his beard:-)... and all the above mentioned guys, of course.

Most of the above pals and the people attending the show own good to superb audio systems... what an event like Munchen is able to make - IMO - is, more than buying new systems... making old and new friendships blossoming and informations and tips and ideas being shared and suggested: music, technical solutions and chatting, chatting, chatting... as everyone has the friends he deserves... well, I'm so satisfied and happy of the two days I spent with among the best people around:-)... driving in the night with heavy rain, waking up at 4 A.M.... all is forgotten, as, hey... we're a bunch of daredevils searchers, hating... MP3 and, most of all, wall-paper, distract music listening:-)))

Posting here only a couple of gears-free pixes... but attaching this for a TRULY special and professional photographic report of Munchen's event: thanks a lot to Leo Ye.