To my thoughts the thought of woman president is a thing speculative, going after dark generally accepted rules possibly at
the top be subject to the theoretical and philosophical comprehension.

Regarding Steve Jackson’s Pultec gear, there’s even more to it than you wrote. Steve is a materials scientist, and an EE. He befriended Pultec founder Gene Shenk and got many insights into the design and manufacture of the original gear. Then, he got actual examples of dissected them, to find out exactly how those long-out-of-production Peerless, Triad and Chicago transformers were made. Steve knows the exact wire types and materials used, the windings layout and numbers and the core materials. No one else has done this. That’s why Steve’s EQP-1A’s behave just like real Pultecs, not similarly or along the same lines.

Steve will be making a version of the Bob Fine “Light Compressor,” which is actually an optical dynamics controller, similar idea to an LA-2A but different design. The solid-state module you referred to drives the light source, it’s not in the audio path. The audio path is all Pultec MB-1. As I understand it, Steve will be including a compressor-bypass switch so one could have a stock MB-1 if one needs that.

The “Light Compressor” was developed at Fine Recording in order to have a super-fast way to knock down voice-over peaks. Nothing that they tried in the sound-for-picture production studio (Studio C) would produce super-loud (squashed) voice-overs without also producing artifacts like pumping of the noise floor or thumping (common with variable-mu tube compressors when they’re hit too hard). The Light Compressor was designed to react fast both ways, so the noise wouldn’t fly up between words or phrases. Fine Recording was well known for producing super-loud TV ads back in the day.

There were several variants of the Light Compressor built over the years. The version Steve is working on should be ideal for any modern studio purpose — vocals, instruments, drums, etc. Given Steve’s track record of superior build quality and faithfulness to the Pultec design and function, I fully expect a real winner.

Regarding AES in general, I thought the exhibit floor was not as obsessed with “new for no other reason except to say it’s new” this year. More back to basics, and more crowded than 2 years ago. Vendors I know told me they had a good show, lots of fun visits and increased interest in their products.

I met Jack Douglas (Aerosmith’s producer for the great Record Plant albums) at Steve Jackson’s booth, definitely a thrill. I still have the original vinyl of “Rocks” and “Toys In The Attic,” but I’m glad Jack remastered them a few years ago because my records are worn out! Also met mastering ace Bob Ludwig in person for the first time. There were very good crowds at the Beatles Sgt Pepper session photos presentation and also at the Phil Ramone and Ray Dolby tributes.

Preservation Sound readers might also be interested in Dave Amels’ AnaMod analog tape machine simulator:
http://www.anamodaudio.com/ats1.html
The way Dave explained it to me, he took “the math, the physics” he figured out for a digital plugin and “work it out” with analog components, so he produced a tape machine-like effect without using any magnetic heads or media and no moving parts.

— Tom Fine