jt1stcav

Royal Albert Hall organ in London, and at Riverside Church, NYC...no Black Beauty, although on the back of the jacket it shows VF playing the famous Rodgers touring organ. Those '70s RCA Red Seal LPs never sounded good IMO...

Way to go, Max.[H] It is a shame though, that he and his own system isn't mentioned more in the article, but then again, Max would probably say his system is of modest means compared to the systems of his club brethren. Not that it is or should even matter if it was! It would've been great reading, regardless, especially if Robert Deutsch commented on Max's home-made loudspeakers! But I suppose that review will have to come some other time. In any event, it's good to see Max's name in print on this infamous audio rag. My real interest is if Ken Barnes does another video sequal to the club's ever-popular short film, and Max's system is also highlighted...

Dave, I sent a PM your way...

You're absolutely right, Dave...I'm thinking manufacturers of both stone and wood vibration dampening platforms will boast and make claims that their products are the sure-fire best at what they do, and all others are inferior and should be avoided. If your ears tell you differently, then that's what you should stick with and use IMO. Maybe you have the best of both worlds since you use both granite and plywood, and loads of ballast to boot. If it works for you, then that's all that matters. I, for one, think your granite platform is top-notch.

Fender, glad your problem was an easy, inexpensive fix. I had problems with my picture frames and my window vibrating like crazy when I had my McIntosh MC7200 crankin' out 300Wpc and my two Carver M-400t amps each bridged to 500 watts mono driving my DIY subwoofer! I later fixed that buzzing problem when I purchased my 6.5Wpc 300B SET power amp...can't play my pipe organ recordings at over 100dB SPL anymore, and no more rattles!

Impressive, Dave. The granite top is sweet, indeed.[Y] I've read online and elsewhere that granite's not as good an isolation material as is hardwood maple. Honestly, I prefer granite (or even slate) myself if I was to ever need a dampening platform for my rig (the concrete floor in my room does the trick for me), but I'm wondering if you ever considered hardwoods instead of stone, or if you had tried wood first and wasn't impressed with its vibration isolation properties?

It truely amazes me how digital recording technology has advanced to such heights in this last decade alone. If only Virgil and his recording engineers had this latest technology back then...

Thanks, kev...it sounds a whole lot better than it looks, lemme tell ya...[8]

Thanks bsam and Mike for the kind words. With 28 watts (as opposed to my SET's 6.5Wpc) driving my 97dB efficient RB-75s, it's definately more than reasonable high power for my needs (even with pipe organ music)! But 60Wpc from your yet-finished Altec is even better, me thinks. Now get the gumption to work on it, Mike!

Before I connected the Baldwin to my system, my youngest brother (who was celebrating his birthday that day) was allowed to hook it up to his 2-channel/home theatre setup, replacing his huge Adcom GFA-555II power amp. When driving his new 90.5dB efficient AV123 X-Statik dipole towers alone (no subwoofer) with the Baldwin, he immediately noticed more improved transparency and soundstage, and bass response was equal (or maybe slightly better) to his SS Adcom (his words)...the 6L6s are not bass-shy by any stretch of the imagination! Now he wants to sell the Adcom and eventually replace it with a Baldwin!

I could not attend the pilgrimage yet again, but Dave was nice enough to send me the 4 CDs in the mail awhile back. Although I did write a review already on Clay's earlier thread last month on this subject, most here probably haven't read it yet. So I'll include it here (it's the least I can do): **************************************** I received the discs in the mail yesterday; they all arrived in great shape. I fired up my 300B SET amp and let the bottles warm up a bit before playing the first of the set: Stewart Wayne Foster: In Recital, the Dedication of the John Scott Memorial Grand Piano at The Episcopal Church of the Annunciation: From an average listener's standpoint, this recording is every bit as good as any from such big time labels as Dorian or Chesky (IMHO). The piano is properly miked so its full frequency spectrum is fully capitalized, which includes the natural ambiance of the room as well (in essence a sounding board in itself). Close miking properly placed allows the instrument to sound brilliant, dynamic and true, regardless of any squeaks or groans a mechanical device such as this will generate while being played...IMO those extraneous noises (what few are there) are what makes the piano come alive. Overall, this is an exceptional recording to my ears. Dallas Camerata In Concert, James Rives-Jones, Music Director: The wind ensemble recorded here has a different tonality to my less-than stellar ears. Maybe it's different mics, their placement, or the recording equipment/bit-sampling rate is different from the Foster piano recording...although imaging and soundstage are present, it's just not as dynamic or open sounding as the first disc I auditioned. It's almost as if the recording is somewhat congested or chesty sounding. Maybe it's my playback equipment, I dunno. It's not a bad recording by any stretch of the imagination, just different (a thicker sound to me...I'm afraid the more I try to describe the differences I'm hearing, the more this critique will come off as sounding like a bad review, and that's not the case at all). A Peasant Celebration, The Hubbard Chamber Music Ensemble, Michele McDonald, Artistic Director: This recording sounds every bit as lively and dynamic as the Foster recital! I can only assume the mics used are the same (or similar) as those used in the piano concert. Definately not chesty or heavy sounding, the instruments here shine; they're clear and exceedingly detailed! Imaging and soundstage are eerie acurate; placement of each musician is clearly defined to my ears...this recording is also extremely enjoyable to listen to thru my Klipsch RB-75s and SET power amp! Asylum Street Spankers: 8PM Show, Volume 1, Saxon Pub, Austin, Texas: Another excellent live recording...love the naturally dry acoustics of the pub, the tinkling of glasses and the yammering of the well-intoxicated crowd, plus the instruments sound spectacular...the bar was transported into my listening room (without the spilled drinks or the stale smell of cigs lingering in the air)! Only flaws I could detect I don't think were the fault of Dave or his equipment...the 60 cycle buzz to the left that was always apparent throughout the gig from either the florescent lights or the PA equipment, and some of the singers (the female in particular) were somewhat drowned out by the instruments themselves, due to maybe improper on-stage monitor levels. Regardless, this is yet another fine example of Dave's recording method and his Virtual Presence technique! All I can say is bravo, Dave...bravo!

Dave, you don't mean this old MR-1, do ya?[*-)] Analog all the way, baby! If I'm not mistaken, I believe Roland, Tascam, Sony and M-Audio also make these iPod-size field recorders. Don't ya just miss the good ol' days when you'd cart around a bulky Marantz, Nakamichi, or Nagra pro recorder outside?

Craig, Erik and others...thanks for the clarification on my attempt at describing this amp! I thought the parallel push-pull nomenclature might have been off; guess I read something wrong when I Google searched the wording (and I could've sworn Will told me that when I spoke to him awhile back...maybe he meant something else and I misunderstood him. Nothing new there).

Yeah, you'll never be happy with those albums played thru your Heresys...that's why you need to send them down my way so both my RB-75s and dual Dayton subwoofers will really appreciate 'em![] Seriously, great find! I have all but the Gould/Goldberg LP (I do have Gould's organ performance of Bach's Art of Fugue LP which is really spectacular). Glad you're enjoying this new-to-you music, Invidiosulus, especially at those prices.

I think the pitting adds character, don't you? I'd love to know the history of this particular Model 40 amp (or a Model 45...Will's not even sure). What model Baldwin organ did this amp come from? Did it reside inside the console or from a tone cabinet? What became of the organ it belonged to? Did it provide many years of joyful music making? Questions that'll probably never get answered...

And this is one beefy amp! It weighs in at over 35 lbs, most of which is probably from the power supply alone...just look at the size of that tranny! The chassis is nothing to look at, especially since it originally was never meant to be seen. This particular amplifier wasn't cosmetically finished like the majority of Will's creations, but I don't mind that industrial look. Its functional approach only shows that this amp means business! And its business end is nothing short of phenomenal! With its solid chassis and stocky PS iron, it also houses two NOS '50s GE 5U4GB rectifiers; it's overkill for audio only applications, but I guess for filling churches with lots of volume, it's a necessity. The dual 12AX7 gray plates are '50s era American drivers, but the lettering's all rubbed off ("USA" can barely be seen on both of them, but nothing else is left...Will wasn't sure what they were, but either RCA or Sylvania come to mind). The quad output tubes are new Shuguang 6L6GCs, which sound perfectly fine to my tin ears. Someday when I have the extra funds, I'll do a little tube rolling. But for now I'm quite content with what Will supplied me.[Y]

I have to publicly thank Erik Mandaville for bringing these old Baldwin amps to my attention! I won't go into any specifics, but let's just say that I wouldn't be enjoying this spectacular amplifier today if it wasn't for Erik's insight on the wonderful craftsmanship Will Vincent provides for his customers! Many thanks, Erik.[]

A bargain, indeed! From direct comparisons with my 300B SET (which is totally different from your fine Melody; I assume it's PP), the more powerful Baldwin seems to have more weight and air to its presentation, and loads more oomph in the bass department, which is no surprise given the SET amp is only 6.5Wpc. I wouldn't say the quad 6L6s are better sounding overall than the 300Bs, only different (in a good way...they both sound equally excellent to my ears).

Some forum members here have owned and enjoyed Will's creations over the years, while some others have not been too keen on his ways of upgrading or modifying old Dynacos and Baldwins and such. That's all well and good...not everyone is pleased with souped-up conrad-johnson, Cary, JoLida, or old Heathkit, Magnovox and Bell amps either (though most probably are; to each their own, natch). All I do know, from what I hear, is that Will Vincent does an acceptable job of rebuilding old tube amplifiers such as this Model 40 (or 45?) Baldwin for instance, converting them for stereo use in audio systems that can reproduce high quality recorded music of any type and be enjoyed for many more years to come!

Some of you are aware of a gentleman on AudiogoN who sells modified/upgraded Dynaco ST-70s, along with modded Baldwin Model 40s, and even brand new SET 2A3 monoblocks and stereo amps...Will Vincent of Autospec has been resurrecting old tube amps for many years now, giving new life to some of these amps that would otherwise be pitched to the curb from those not in the know that would consider them rusted out hulks unfit for human aural consumption. Here's a closeup when I first hooked it up to my 6SN7 SRPP line stage pre. The Baldwin originally had two gain controls for the high and low frequency drivers in their tone cabinets; after being modified for 2-channel stereo playback, these two knobs are now the left and right channel gain controls for a pair of loudspeakers. Like my old McIntosh MC250 stereo amp with its left and right volume control, you could hook up a CD player straight into the amp directly, thus bypassing a preamp altogether if you wish.

Well, ol' Paul (Parrot) would be proud of me right about now...uh, kinda sort of anyway...[] I'm giving my 300B flea-powered SET amp a rest for the time being and driving my RB-75s with 28 brute watts of good ol' American power from an updated mid '50s Baldwin Piano & Organ Company 2-channel electronic organ amplifier, complete with a quad of matched 6L6s in parallel push-pull mode. It's been modified obviously for stereo use with two brand new output trannies (Hammond?), some new caps and resistors (as needed), an in-line fuse, power switch, and an IEC power cord adaptor for any heavy-duty power cord. I know...it's a 50 year old organ amplifier that wasn't designed as high quality home audio stereo playback equipment but for muddy sounding electronic organs that need to fill large spaces with loud music thru antiquated tone generators and PA quality 2-channel (high and low frequency) tone cabinets. As I recall from the repair work my dad did on old Baldwin Model 5 church organs back in the early '70s, they weren't the epitome of high fidelity. Funny thing is, after the modifications and upgrades, this tank of an amplifier does a spectacular job of sounding every bit as good IMHO as any consumer grade audio PP vacuum tube amp I've ever heard (such as those from JoLida, Consonance, Dared, J. Sound Lab, Fisher, Magnavox, McIntosh, and others that have crossed my path over the years).

You're right, Dave...everyone wins with both E. Power and Dr. Fox! Their individual interpretations on John Bach's tunes are part of what brought his ancient music to new 20th (and 21st) century ears. No matter the differences in how his music is performed and from what instruments, the fact that it's still performed today and is still as popular as ever is a living testiment to the ol' man's genius.

Cool...play on![Y]

Nice new tops, G.Kennedy...511Bs with Altec drivers are a fine addition to Klipsch Heritage (as my brother did with old Cornwalls over a year ago). Before my kid brother modified our dad's '79 Cornwalls, I drove the big guys stock with my 6.5Wpc 300B SET amp (BEZ Model T3B) with excellent results! I also used a DIY subwoofer with the Cornwalls years before...as long as the sub is tuned for the room and your system and doesn't bring attention to itself, it should make a nice addition.

Good question, Dave...I also find that sentence somewhat vague and lacking specifics (any white papers on the '77 session recordings would be great reading). I think a custom mixer was used and no transformers or other processors were used in the recording chain. Maybe each recording device had its own set of mics, maybe not...I'd love to discuss the recording session with the late Bert Whyte; alas, that is not to be. I've always been a big fan of both Biggs and Fox...maybe more so with Virgil because he proved to the purists that Bach didn't have to be performed only on authentic tracker instruments, that his genius could also transcend to symphonic/concert instruments with shimmering, romantic strings and vox humanas and actually come alive! Leopold Stokowski proved to the world just how wonderful Bach's music could sound given the Romantic treatment, and I also think if old Bach were alive to hear Leopold and Virgil put some swing into his music on modern instruments that he would've approved (and maybe also given a thumbs-up to Wendy Carlos and her interpretations on the Moog synthesizer)!