Marvel

A fairly inexpensive piece of software is Goldwave. You can open a file and then save it with a different sample rate/bit rate. Nice editor too. You can try it before you buy it as well. http://www.goldwave.com Bruce

Michael, I have contemplated replacing the PS caps in my 430, and I think there are only about six in there that would need to be replaced. It wouldn't hurt, and these things ARE getting up in years. Bruce

What's bad is I think I remember seeing that when it aired. Carson was certainly one of the best. Thanks Bob, a nice way to start the day.

Time is, indeed, flying by. A short story for you: Barbara had participated in a home school discussion group, and had gotten to know one of the other members quite well. In 2001, when first diagnosed with mel, this friend of hers started praying for Barbara. Later that year, their youngest daughter (age 4) was diagnosed with Leukemia. By that time, Barbara was okay and just receiving follow-up exams. But the little girl, Adrienne, prayed for Barbara, and Barbara certainly prayed for her. Last year, after her new diagnosis, Adrienne prayed for Barbara all the time, and a novena during the nine days leading up to Christmas. We had never met this family, but only communicated through email and regular mail. They live in Kansas, a distance that was just a bit too far for us to drive, never on the way to anyplace else we wanted to go. At the funeral, as we left the church, a woman came up to me and handed me a white rose, a gift from Adrienne, for me to place on Barbara's casket. (they had contacted someone else they knew who lived in the area, to get the flower to me) She has now been declared cancer free! This week I received a card from her, which ends with this: "Have a Merry Christmas! I will pray for you and Mrs. Barbara when we go to Midnight Mass. This will probably be her best Christmas ever. :-)"

Not straying at all. If this is for a center channel, you will probably want to keep the same drivers, so the tonal balance remains the same across the front. I have personally toyed with the idea of replacing the mid horns with some Smith Horns. Not sure how they would work as they have a very wide dispersion, and may cause trouble with reflections off the side walls. Bruce

Nice job on the transform perspective and skew tools Bruce! Thanks Michael. Some of those tools are pretty easy to use. I just needed a pic with close to the same aspect ratio. Then it was easy. I also brought the brightness down, since there would be no light in the cabinets. If I did this all the time, I could get paid for it, but most of the time I just fumble around (as do many Photoshop owners). The pros can do this in their sleep (I'm thinking of my son Josh here).

Most days it is as if nothing has changed at all. Like she is off doing something somewhere else. In some ways it has been easier than we imagined it would be, and at the same time the loss will just nail each of us with some memory. I've put it into words for others, but this isn't the time or place. It would seem rather selfserving. Life moves on... and is not cyclical, it doesn't repeat. Perhaps having a girlfriend helps, yet I don't know where that is going to lead. Really, we are doing okay and I am glad to be on here, calling you my friends. We laugh a lot, and life hasn't stopped for us. Life is good.

Well, most of the old forum guys know this, but today (Dec. 28th) is the one year anniversary of my wife Barbara passing away from skin cancer. You have all been like a family here, and I just wanted to say thanks for all the support we received last year. The family has been making it okay. The three kids (ages 27, 25, 21) all seem to be holding up well. The middle one is in Montreal with his girlfriend for Christmas, the oldest lives a few miles away and the youngest and I are getting ready to listen to some CDs he just got today. In a nutshell, God is good to us, His mercy endures forever and ever, and great is His faithfulness. Bruce

Robert, The original circuit sets the bias for both output tubes simultaneously. Shannon's boards allow your to get the bias for each tube set correctly. This means it is not as critical to have matched output tubes. Bruce

Paul, You have to at least line everything up. [Y]

woo, That is why we took out all or the carpet and made the ceiling solid tile. Absolutely great for singing. I have been in too many churches where you can't even tell the person next to you is singing. Bruce

Our church just went through some extensive renovations this past year. For our church, our choir is in the back and requires absolutely no amplification. The organ speakers are above the doors at the rear of the church so the music carries quite well throughout. The ceiling tile was replaced with solid tile (actually plastic tile on 1/4 inch wood panels, to hold them in place. All carpet was removed, with ceramic tile on the aisles and wood flooring in the area under all the pews. We had a couple of small Bose or TOA speakers mounted on the side walls previously, but our pastor wanted nothing visible. Since the only PA is for the single mic on the lectern, there are two speakers mounted in the area of the two side arches, behind some grills. You can't tell they are there, and the sound is excellent throughout the room for the spoken word. I usually get roped into these things, but someone else at our church worked on it and it has worked out great. The pic has red arrows to show where the two speakers are mounted. I don't know if they are coaxial or not. Could be, but I don't know. Again, they are certainly unobtrusive. For a church that requires more of a PA, it could still be done. When we moved in to this building (a former Baptist church), there was a 24 channel Mackie board and monitors everywhere. A huge Yamaha wedge was suspended from the ceiling over the lectern that was placed right in the middle, facing the congregation. We didn't need any of it, so it came down almost immediately. Bruce

So that's what we can blame it on? [] Craig, I hope you had a good Christmas. This was the first for us without Barbara here, and it was a bit different, but we got through it alright. Bruce

I am thankful for my Savior, who came and died for all. What might be more readily apparent though, is how we managed to survive this past year. Learning to live without someone you loved, coping with all the changes that took place. I'm thankful that Josh survived his car accident this past summer, with only a scratch. For my daughter not being hurt more seriously when she fell at work a few days ago. For my youngest son's good grades at school, despite all that happened in our family. For all the friends I have in my life, many of them here on this forum. They don't get much better. For a new love in my life, and hoping it all works out, even though some difficulties lie ahead. Just thankful for life itself. Bruce

Merry Christmas all! It's going to be quiet here. Josh is in Montreal with his girlfriend, so only the other two kids will be here. Zachary, who is home on Christmas break and Anna Grace, who will come visit with her boyfriend. What a year - hard to believe it's only three more days before passing the one year mark of Barbara's passing on to Glory. Blessings to all of you. Bruce

Ditto the thumbs up! I am sitting here far too late in the evening, weeping over your post Tom. I am just days away from the anniversary of Barbara's passing due to cancer, and thinking of how much she loved God. Perhaps more importantly, how much He loved her, loves her, and loves us. And I, well, I haven't reached such a point of despair that you did, but I do have struggled through this past year. I now have a girlfriend of sorts. She is teaching in China at the moment, and I have a trip to be with her in February. Just got the plane tickets today, and will meet up with her in the Philippines. Life takes funny turns sometimes. It is an expensive trip but it is, in a way, only money. Have a great Christmas, Tom. God is a God who loves us as His own children, for that is what we are. Some day we shall see Him face to face. What a Glorious day that will be. Bruce

Dana, I can send you info on the Smith Horn. Mr. Widget kindly posted a bunch of dimensions for them on the Lansing Heritage site. I think the regular ones that JBL made actually go to about 375 Hz, but I would have to look it up. Bruce

Dana, I still would like to build a pair of these, but I'm saving money for a trip the Philippines in February. Maybe sometime next summer I can get to them. Chris, The cabinet looks good. I also think you will be pleasantly surprised when you get a second one loaded up to try out a pair. Bruce

Sheesh - I do have another life. It just took me a while. Okay, it's a paper punch, with my username on it. A little quirky perhaps, but I like it. That's why I can be "punchy" with it. [8-|] Marvel

Fini, Your package arrived right on schedule. I will get a pic of it and post it here. It will probably replace my avatar, it is so cool. Thanks also for the music my friend. Ya'll will have to just wait to see it. Bruce

Maybe calling from the ship costs a lot. I have a friend, a very close friend, who call me from China pretty regularly. She uses and IP card, and international phone card. You buy prepaid minutes, and the rates aren't too bad. My own cell company (verizon) allows me to payabout $4.50 a month extra, so the interantional rate to China is only 29 cents a minute.Not really too bad for checking in. Most of the time we use the phone feature on Yahoo! to talk (along with a webcam, it is like a video phone). Skype would also work, as well as most other computer based communications. Since we spend between one and four hours a day talking with each other, the Yahoo! method is great, not costing us anything. Bruce

Dang Michael, I warned you that Southern girls can steal your heart. Weren't you listenin' at all? [:^)] What a time y'all must have had. Memories for a lifetime for sure. Bruce

What, prey tell, is Echinacea? Is it legal is the U.S.? Where do I get that. My mom used to be real big on Zinc also, I forgot about that too. Travis Echinacea info can be found here . A lot of folks think it works great (this includes my household), but studies are negative to inconclusive. Quite legal, too. Zinc gluconate is the main stuff in Zicam. There are also zinc based lozenges. Both of those really are better if you start using them at the first sign of a cold and/or flu. Another homeopathic remedy, mainly for flu, is oscillococcinum, marketed by Boiron. You can get it at the drugstore too, and it is OTC as well. A good friend of mine where I work does the sinus wash regularly. Since we live in northwest Georgia, we have some of the worst pollen in the world (really). He says it helps him stay healthy with fewer pollen/allergy side effects. I prefer a few good shots of Scotch myself. I think it is called the two hat method. You hang a hat on the bed post, and drink until you see two hats. Go to sleep and wake up feeling better. Bruce

Since my son plays trumpet, he is very careful. The good news for trumpet players is that they sit in the back row. Sometimes there is percussion behind them, but not often. Craig, I don't think anyone was saying that a 60 watt amp is more dangerous than a 3.5 watt amp. It is the volume at which you listen. If you can carry on a conversation while listening to your system, you don't have them very loud. Bruce

Well, she could have foam ear plugs in too, but not likely. Paul, My son plays in an orchestra, and listens to Mahler, and other BIG sound music. He likes the Moondogs on the LS. He understands volume and quality. You just aren't listening to my system. I was, quite honestly amazed at how good some of this stuff sounds. It also depends on the recording - a lot. The bass is really there, but prehaps, as mentioned, not as tight. More bass thatn I thought I would get from the LS.