Travis In Austin

PHOTOS OF THE EVENT GARY AND MARTY THE DAY BEFORE THE CONCERT

Thanks very much for that head's up Eric. When you coming over? What are you doing this weekend? The Austin Record Convention is this weekend. lets go buy some vinyl and then come back to my place. Travis

the original was recorded onna 1/2" Ampex machine .. the result, wart's 'n all are that of a junior producer .. who didn't know the Equipment > record interface i spent years in an all Ampex outfitted Studio, in the '70's Duke, I am not sure what you are referring to. Aja was tracked on a 2" 24 track machine. There were 3 engineers, and they won a Grammy for the recording. It was the only Grammy the lp won. I cannot confirm the machine yet, but it would not surprise me that it was an Ampex. It was mastered on an all tube Ampex 350 1/4" machine by Bernie Grundman at A&M, the best in the Biz. Travis

I am sitting on plane getting ready to go back to NYC., will post a whole bunch more later, but wanted to get a big thankyou to Larry and Gary. Had a great weekend. Thank you both, Travis

Good to know, when an opera singer hits a strong F above middle C it can shatter a bottle of beer like nobody's business so you are better off with beer in cans. Nice to know we can live it up and bring bottled beer. Travis

So with the symphony can we bring bottles, or is it like the opera and we need to bring cans? I have been been to a lot of operas, but this is my first symphony and I don't want to cause a scene especially in light of the fact that an officer of the Beethoven Society of America is going to be with us. Travis

Could be worse, could be a photo of your stupid cat in a toilet bowl[] Actually, to to the top and find where is says, signed in as "your name" and click on that, That takes you to your page and there should be an option for Avatar, it will let you select from other stupid looking characters (I started with the cowboy and had it for about a year, it is by far the least stupid of those available) and it will also allow you to upload a custom one or photo. Hope that helps. Travis

Popcorn? Coyotee-o are you T Coytee O now? I was grabbing an extra lounge chair for you and I have my famous cooler full to watch the fireworks, but if you want popcorn . . . The Answers is: The Ultimate Amplifier is the one that sounds best to you. I had NOS Valves VRD's on mine when I had them and loved them. I have heard them on 300b SET's and they are incredible. The only thing they don't sound good on is Crown SS Amps (I'm just kidding). If you are happy with the 240, which is a great amp in my opinion, then my advice would be to leave well enough alone. However, the fact that you even posed the question means that you are an audioholic like the rest of us and can't leave well enought alone--and no matter what we tell you-- you will still have to make a few more purchases just to satisfy your own mind. [] One real piece of advice, don't sell that MC 240 until you have had a chance to listen to a lot of stuff, you don't want to be sorry later on. I know more then a couple of folks that deeply regreated selling their MC 240, MC-30's, 275's, etc, etc. Is your Mac up to date, and to specs? If not, I wouuld go that route first before trying new amps. Travis

Bill, I am so jealous!!!!! I'm hopefully right behind you. Have you hooked them up yet? How do they sound? Are you going with the EV active cross-over whatcamacallit Roy talked about, or passives? Looks like a beautiful theater room, or 2 channel, both? If HT, what are you going to run for sub, if any, center, surrounds? I can't wait to hear and see more. Travis

That is because the radio station is paying someone different (songwriter) then the record company pays (artist). You are overstating the playing the radio requirement. It is very difficult for ASCAP to be able to charge a business for playing the radio, and they have lost on this many, many times. This is from ASCAP's own site: 1. I'm interested in playing music in my restaurant or other business. I know that I need permission for live performances. Do I need permission if I am using only CD's, records, tapes, radio or TV? Yes, you will need permission to play records or tapes in your establishment. Permission for radio and television transmissions in your business is not needed if the performance is by means of public communication of TV or radio transmissions by eating, drinking, retail or certain other establishments of a certain size which use a limited number of speakers or TVs, and if the reception is not further transmitted (for example, from one room to another) from the place in which it is received, and there is no admission charge. Your local ASCAP licensing manager can discuss your needs and advise how ASCAP can help you. Keep in mind this is from the ASCAP site, and they are going to take the position most favorable to them. Congress clarified the issue of playing TV and Radio back in '99 because of over-reaching by ASCAP, and it is clear they are very limited in being able to charge for playing a radio broadcast. By the way, I don't think I have ever heard of ASCAP suing a marching band. ASCAP does not sue performers, or collect from performers. They collect from business owners, promoters, etc., the person who derives the benefit from the music.

Buying the greatest hits might get you around liability for stealing the songs, but it won't get you around liability to ASCAP for playing the songs if you charge a fee for people to listen to you. There are two seperate issues at play here. I don't know the specifics about the lady who got the big judgement against her, I am going to try and get more facts about that, but from what little I read she was nailed for sharing music on the internet. They were filing similar lawsuits against UT students here in Austin but we got the federal judge to shut that down until until a test case had gone all the way through. I think this one is getting a lot of coverage because she did not settle, and it is a big (record?) judgement. RIAA represent the record companies and helps account for and collect their cut of the CD/Record price. They are like ASCAP, but ASCAP is for song writers. The second issue is liability for playing a song. Do you have to pay someone (ASCAP) if you play a song in a business, sing it on stage, etc. So if you rip off the song (illegal copy) and use it in a commercial enterprise without paying ASCAP, or BMI, or whoever, then you could be looking at being hit with two seperate lawsuits. Travis

The airwaves are free. As a former nightclub owner in Las Vegas I am all too familar with ASCAP,but they cannot charge someone for playing the radio in their business becasue the radio station has paid the royalty to ASCAP and they are not allowed to collect it twice. However, if the store plays CD's, etc. then ASCAP, or whoever the royalty rights company is, can collect the royalty. So now, if you want commercial free music in your business, either piped in the store, or on while people are on hold, you use XM. XM has paid ASCAP so you don't need to, because you have paid XM instead of an advertiser. If songwriters don't get paid, who is going to write the songs? I think what people are upset about is the formulas that were created a long time ago. It was a compromise between performers (who think they should get the royalty), song writers, record companies, distrabution networkds, radio stations, etc. By the way, if you want to help that lady pay her judgement, here ya go. Only on ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/Donate-to-Jammie-Thomas-who-has-to-pay-RIAA_W0QQitemZ180166837902QQihZ008QQcategoryZ306QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Congratulations on your new purchase. Thank you for helping to keep the Heritage line alive. Michael, that is incredible, only at the House of Klipsch. Travis

Michael, I am a big believer in those Target wall racks for a turntable if you have any type of vibration issues from the floor. They are great. Do you have a couple of photos of that room? Travis

Travis... I'm beginning to think that there is a conspiracy and it really means those who make the planes are in cahoots with those who make the conveyor belts....thereby forcing us all to buy automobiles since our personal planes are confused about whether or not they'd take off..... [ap].............. [au].............. [:^)] You got it half right, the conveyor belt people are in cahoots with the airplane wheel manufacturers, and those folks consipire to compromise the quality of raw PVC that is required for the making of LP's, and as a result, the PVC folks are pumping more oxygen into copper which requires people to buy expensive cables. I have not chased it down completly, but I am on the right track, I know it.

The attached PDF file was very helpful and lists to product reccomendations for POTs, hope it helps. Travis SB_FS9-1-1[1].pdf

They do have a lot of great products, and it does take some time to figure out which is best for what. On the pots for the Scott, I would think Craig would be the best bet on that to ask, but I would think you would want one with flushing and that left some lubrication. Don't forget their newer ProGold high tempature formula which is great for tube sockets. Travis

Doc and Mark, I'm with Coyotee-O on this, what in the heck does all of this mean in lay terms. Does it mean you should not use EQ even if it sound better? Does it mean if EQ sounds better you are an idiot. Does it mean that people who make EQ's are in a conpiracy with the people who make audio cables? Or, does it mean that if you don't have an EQ you are missing out on a lot of stuff? Or does it mean that if you had an EQ you could be listening a whole lot better? Travis

Photos pretty please, and I want to come look at them with James. I'll bring the BBQ Travis

Luther, You get your Cisco Aja yet? I am dying to hear what you think. This is what Fremer thinks, I usually take what he says and do the opposite, but he makes a couple of interesting observations here. Review by: Michael Fremer 2007-09-01 Lets get right to the point of this reissue, which is the sound, since anyone shelling out big bucks for it is doing so because he or she is familiar with the music and loves it to death. This new Cisco reissue is vastly superior to both the original pressing (ABC AA 1006) and to Mobile Fidelitys ½ speed mastered reissue (Mobile Fidelity MFSL 1-0333). If your stereo system (or your personal savior/used record dealer) tells you otherwise, blame it and/or him, not Elliot Scheiner, one of the original engineers on Aja who oversaw this reissue, or Donald Fagen (no introduction necessary), or Kevin Gray and Robert Pincus who mastered it from the original analog tape at AcousTech. Let me tell you why this new reissue is easily the best sounding Aja yet. The bass on the original is (only by comparison to this reissue) a mushy, indistinct, unformed blob. The originals top end (I sampled four clean ABC originals), particularly the cymbal shimmer and ring, is undernourished, soft and shelved back in amplitude. The midrange is pushed forward, creating a false zone of warmth that gives the upper range of the kick drum a highly colored but forward thonk. The entire picture is mildly compressed and Fagens voice is thin and sounds tracked with a phasey aural exciter (in reality it's layers of voice overdubbing as Fagen covers his tracks to produce a fatter vocal sound). Back in those days it was impossible to manipulate the multiple tracks to match perfectly. Today thats relatively easy to accomplish. That's a fine formula for FM radio, college dorm and crash pad stereos and mass vinyl production circa 1977, but for a high resolution, high dynamic system in 2007? No. The superb recording and pristine production by Roger Nichols, Elliot Scheiner, Bill Schnee and Al Schmitt (a CSN&Y-like super group of recording engineers) had much more to give. The Mobile Fidelity piles on even more blobby bass and while the half speed high frequency groove etching is incredibly detailed and well-focused, its also been bleached and brightened and the upper mids have been sucked out to make the high frequency transients stick out. This reissues bass is tight yet lithe, well-focused and harmonically complex, texturally detailed, solid and revealing. You'll follow the bass line tune with new ease. However, if your system doesnt go all the way down, it wont sound like theres great bass and probably the original and/or the Mo-Fi will sound richer and fuller but thats because the original was produced for mass, not audiophile consumption. The cymbal crashes have that I can count the rivets quality my friend Frank Doris used to write about Bill Porter's productions, revealing incredible detail that glistens with sweet brassy, percussive textures and extends to the stratosphere without sounding tipped up or in the least unnatural. Putting it more bluntly, this is a stupendous production. If it doesnt sound good on your system now, it awaits being revealed for how good it really is when your systems is elevated to match the occasion. If you hear hashy, sizzly highs, thats your system speaking. If you hear anemic bass, same thing, and if the original sounds more dramatic, vivid and full, dont blame the reissue. The better your system, especially in terms of dynamics, bass weight and slam and transient clarity, the better this reissue will sound. The title track reveals layers of hidden detail and dynamic nuances and layering buried on the original. Steve Gadds drumming has never sounded as dramatic or full-bodied. There are small percussive accents including triangle and wood block that emerge from the former haze to become cleanly rendered events without sounding bright, bleached or etched and Fagens voice layers become full bodied and easily separated yet the totality of the desired intended effect becomes more fully expressed. This remaster exudes the kind of musical honesty you might expect when one of the original engineers and the artistic center of gravity are involved in its production. Truthfully, Ive not heard a truly bad sounding edition of Aja. Its such a well recorded, sumptuous production one would have to work hard to make it sound bad. Compared to most pop/rock recordings, any edition of Aja (that Ive heard) sounds good. This one sounds great. So, this most elegant and ambitious of Steely Dan albums featuring jump in production depth and cinematic sweep has never sounded better in my opinion. The tape has obviously held up as well as the music. I cant imagine the upcoming Japanese reissue at best mastered from the analog tape copy originally sent to Japan, sounding any better, though Ill be sure to have a listen. By the way, if someone says the reissue doesnt sound any good, be sure to ask about that persons playback system. For the record I listened on The Continuum Caliburn turntable with Cobra arm, the Grand Prix Monaco turntable with Graham Phantom arm and the Merrill MS21 turntable with Triplanar arm. Cartridges included Lyra Titan i, Koetsu Urushi Vermillion and Air Tight PC-1. Phono preamps included Einstein Turntables Choice and Manley Steelhead. Preamp was darTZeel and amps were Musical Fidelity kWs driving Wilson MAXX2s. Cables were TARA Labs Zero interconnects and Omega speaker cable. Believe me, I heard whats on the vinyl loud and clear and it's spectacular!

Jay, Just about everything you have said above is a wrong assumption. The thrust to weight ratio does not matter becasue the plane is able to roll foward, relative to the ground, get air moving over it's wings, develope lift, and fly. It could be a Piper Cub, or a 747. The only difference is that the Cub is going to take off at a ground speed of about 50 to 60 mph. The fact is that if the plane can fly off of a regular runway, it is going to be able to take off of the conveyer runway in the same manner. Not only that, it will take off in the same distance as on a regular runway assuming the wind is the same, 0, or 5 mph headwind, etc. Going straight up does not cause the engine to stall. The wings stall, meaning they are reach the point where they no longer develop lift. You do not crash because the wings stall, nor do you crash even if the engine quits. Travis

Eric, I forgot this section even existed until I saw your post in 2 channel. Bring that CD over and let's play it!!!!! Travis

That is easy to believe with that LP. Which original one do you have Gary, stereo or mono, what color is the label? It is easy to believe that the reissue is going to be better on that particular LP because Jimmy somehow managed to "lose" one of the master tapes, right before it was supposed to go off to production. This is rumored to be because he did not like the sound. This was half the songs on the lp. Chas Chandler and Eddie Kramer remixed the entire side in one night except for "If 6 Was 9" which they could not match their original first mix. They discovered that Noel Redding had made a copy of that song at 7.5 ips to listen to as home on his deck. Unfortunately, his deck had eaten part of it up so they had to iron that flat and then mastered from that. There has been a whole lot of improvement in what they can do since then to clean things up. I would be really interested to see what they did on that lp in terms of remastering, if they converted it to digital to work with and then clean up and then back to analog. Do they discuss anything about the recording or mastering in the liner notes of that reissue Gary? I think I will have to give that one a try. Travis

I will defer to counsel. "We're in negoiations"