Monthly Archives: December 2011

VALVE Magazine 1994-1999 Archived Online

Posted on 12/28/2011 by chris

Image Source (n.b.: clicking link will initiate PDF download) The Bottlehead Company is a long-running fixture of the DIY tube audio world.  If you’ve spent any amount of time Googling-about for tube-audio related themes you have probably come across their … Continue reading →

Posted in Publications | 1 Comment

Christmas 2011

Posted on 12/23/2011 by chris

Despite the hectic nature of the holiday-season, I am inevitably able to produce one piece each year as a gift for some person or persons near+dear to me.  This year’s recipient of the prize-winning entry in Connecticut’s Got Free Time! … Continue reading →

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Sound Practices Zine Archive Available on CDR

Posted on 12/17/2011 by chris

I was checking out this bro’s blog (or bros’ blog? lots of chick pics) recently and I came across an endorsement of the PDF version of Sound Practices magazine.  I had never seen an actual issue of Sound Practices (it … Continue reading →

Posted in Publications, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Original EMI-modified Altec compressor on eBay: UPDATE

Posted on 12/16/2011 by chris

image source NOTE: the above unit eventually did sell on eBay for $35,000.  See below for scan… Here’s something that you don’t see everyday.  Courtesy of this eBay auction, an apparently original EMI-modified Altec 436B.  Buy it now for $55,000 … Continue reading →

Posted in Altec, Technical | Tagged , | 8 Comments

The BRDCSTR

Posted on 12/15/2011 by chris

Above: The BRDCSTR, a two-stage vacuum-tube microphone preamp inspired by classic 1940s broadcast audio preamps.  Single-ended design with a 6SJ7 and 6J7 tubes, massive output transformer, and only one capacitor in the signal path.  I have built more of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Custom Fabrication, Uncategorized | Tagged , | 2 Comments

New Live Radio Show Available to Stream Now: WPKN 89.5 FM 12.8.11

Posted on 12/14/2011 by chris

Last Thursday I put together an impromptu 200-minute, all-vinyl drive-time set for WPKN.  No real theme for this set; just yr basic ‘it’s 1973, feeling hazy and fatalistic’ kinda mood. Stream the show in high quality at: http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/listen/28950 Gene Clark: … Continue reading →

Posted in Mixtapes | Tagged | 1 Comment

Astatic Microphones 1964

Posted on 12/13/2011 by chris

Download the complete eight-page 1964 ASTATIC microphone and phono cartridge catalog: DOWNLOAD: Astatic_1964_catalog Models covered, with text, specs, and photos, include:  hundreds of phonograph cartridges and needles; Astatic microphones model 332, 22, 225H, 335L, 77, 77-L, 788 ‘Metro’, 888 ‘Tempo,’ … Continue reading →

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Power Supply/Audio Interface for Antique Carbon Microphones

Posted on 12/07/2011 by chris

One of the most widely-read articles on Preservation Sound dot com is this piece on double-button carbon mics. You know, those big old mics with all the springs that are a fixture of music-videos and recording-artist-photo-shoots but conspicuously absent from … Continue reading →

Posted in Custom Fabrication | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Live DJ set this Thursday December 8

Posted on 12/06/2011 by chris

This Thursday 12.8.11 I’ll be doing a live set at The Outer Space in Hamden CT.  The Outer Space is the 21+ venue operated in conjunction with Hamden’s legendary “The Space.” I’m appearing as part of BDUB’s Sway night.  I’ll … Continue reading →

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UPDATED: So You Want A Good Cheap Ribbon Mic: Upgrading the $69.99 MXL R40

Posted on 12/03/2011 by chris

UPDATE: since this article seems to get an enormous number of pageviews, I thought I should mention that we did in fact carry-out the intended shoot-out of the mod’d R40 versus a range of other similar ribbons (with a Royer … Continue reading →

Posted in Microphones, Technical | Tagged | 9 Comments