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| Meetings
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Meeting
Notice for July 2019
Date: Sunday,
July 28, 2019 RESCHEDULED
!
NEW DATE: Sunday, AUGUST 4,
2019
Time: 6:00 PM –
9:PM
Place: Boston University,
Life Science & Engineering Bldg,
24 Cummington Mall, 1st Floor Conference Room
103, Boston, MA 02215
Featuring: Jim Doucas
and his ZOOM
F6 Digital Recorder
This meeting is dedicated
to learning about a new field recording technology
from ZOOM Corp, Japan.
What’s new about
this technology is the ZOOM F6 FIELD RECORDER.
It is a low-cost 6-channel digital
recorder with a dynamic range in excess of
120 dB! It is small – 4” w x 4 .7”
deep x 2.5” tall; it weighs about a pound,
can take AC, or 4-AA batteries internally
or a Sony L type camcorder battery. It can
handle SDXC cards up to 1-Tera byte, potentially
recording all day, and it is totally portable.
Jim Doucas will demonstrate his recorder/player
and present test results we ran at Foster’s
Test Bench to insure it is living up to specifications,
and supply what we know about how ZOOM implemented
this design.
Refreshments will be
available at 5:30 PM
—
Webmaster's note: When using any good device
such as this (e.g. anything that costs money)
NEVER use alkaline batteries: ONLY use Energizer
Lithium as they will *essentially
never leak and will operate -40 to 140 degrees
F which means your car in winter or summer
with no expensive surprises.
* Nothing in life is perfect.
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Directions: Note
that parking is no longer allowed in
the block in front of our meeting place
(temp parking for unloading/loading
is OK). There is a gap in the BU buildings
on Commonwealth Ave. so you can walk
through directly to the meeting location.
At Boston University,
Cummington St. (Mall) is an east-west
street just south of Commonwealth Ave.
It is one-way going west. From Storrow
Drive going east, take the first BU
exit. At the stop sign turn right on
Commonwealth Ave (a left is not permitted).
Bear left and at the 3rd light take
a u-turn, go half a mile and turn right
on Blandford St.(Mall) (at a traffic
light) and turn right on Cummington
St. (Mall) The entrance is on your left,
number 24.
From Commonwealth
Ave going west, after Kenmore Square,
after the tracks come up out of the
tunnel, there is a traffic light at
Blandford. You should turn left on Blandford,
but no left is permitted. Instead turn
right and make a U-turn. Continue on
Blandford and turn right on Cummington
St. The entrance is on your left, number
24.
MBTA Green line
- exit at Kenmore Square or the next
stop, Blandford St. & Commonwealth
Ave. Walk a short distance and make
a left turn onto Blandford Mall and
then a right onto Cummington Mall.
Parking is free
on Sundays and available on Commonwealth
Ave. and Beacon St. (take a hard right
at Kendall Square and park on the bridge
and take the stairs down) and Bay State
Rd (parallel to Commonwealth Ave next
to the river)
-or-
Use your GPS (!)
—
Webmaster's note: Google maps and Apple
maps show them as Blandford Mall
and Cummington Mall. Bing maps
shows them as Blandford Street
and Cummington Street. YMMV.
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The
BAS Message
July 2019 |
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1. BAS Speaker
V40n4 has been published. This completes
the fourth volume in our CDR series of BAS
archive documents (dating back to our first
issue). It features coverage of the 145th
AES convention by David Weinberg and CEDIA
Expo 2018 by Kenneth Wacks and Favorite Recordings
Meeting 2016 by David Hadaway.
2. RIAA In
the Stereophile review of the Levinson No.
5805 Integrated Amplifier, John Atkinson notes
that the RIAA phono response is up .6 dB at
20 Hz. The Audia Flight FLS1 ($6995) is down
3 dB at 20 Hz.
At first I thought the
Audia was yet another example of high priced
poor design, but then I realized it was implementing
the IEC recommended low frequency rolloff,
designed to reduced rumble problems. However
there is no corresponding boost in recording
LPs (and never likely to be) so it is simply
an audible error (-1 dB at 40 Hz). Space is
at a premium on records and low frequencies
take up a disproportionate amount of space.
As Bert Whyte famously said “If I had
a dime for every record cut with a high pass
filter I would be sipping Don Perignon on
my yacht.” If you need to reduce rumble
the proper solution is an 18 dB Butterworth
(maximally flat) low filter which effectively
reduces the lows without affecting the audio.
The Davis-Brinton Preamp used an even steeper
initial cutoff, a Chebychev filter, at the
expense of ripple in the pass band.
There is no excuse for
not doing the RIAA right — calculating
the values and implementing them.
For comparison the DB
Systems DB-8 Phono Preamplifier (1995) is
+/-.04 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz ($175).
email me here
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| Local
Area Audio News |
| Frequency
Therapeutics in Woburn announces a drug
trial for Hearing Restoration |
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| Below,
other meetings and notices which may be of interest
to BAS members |
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| BAS
MICROPHONE CLINIC REPORT ! |
| In September 2009
the B A S held a microphone clinic, testing 37 different
microphone models. The ambitious nature of the clinic
effort, the extent of data collection, the number
of individuals involved in microphone testing and
in writing various sections of the report, and the
complexity in determining how to construct the clinic
report and make it available to members resulted it
not being published until now. The dataset is extensive.
Representative samples were
included in the abbreviated report in "The
B A S Speaker"
(Fall 2015; v37n3)
Go to the MICROPHONE
CLINIC PAGE for more...
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When collecting
and plotting "noisy" data
it is often useful to have Microsoft
Excel plot a Trend Line through it.
If that data is to be used for
further work, it may be necessary to
have an X-Y table of the Trend Line.
That is not easy to get and this paper
will show how to do it.
Joseph DeMarinis
has a new article here: Extracting
Numerical Data from an Excel Trend Line
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Foster's
Test Bench !
by Alvin Foster ! Click
the logo: —> |
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The rapidly-becoming-famous
BAS Headphone Test Article is
now available in the BASS VOLUME
25, ISSUE 4, on Page 17, available
HERE
PDF 3mb |
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Visit
our PODCAST PAGE
for:
The LIVE video podcast of our meetings,
Archived video of past meetings (only
one so far!),
and Audio Podcast interviews by Alvin
Foster |
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There is a supplemental
and further explanation addendum paper to the
E. Brad Meyer / David Moran paper published
in the September, 2007 issue of the AES
Journal. That page, which documents
the experimental protocol and audio systems/source
material is here:
www.bostonaudiosociety.org/explanation.htm
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| There
is a Power Point Presentation of the lecture
given by Dr. Barry Blesser at the March 2007
Meeting. The Meeting page synopsis is HERE;
the Power Point Presentation (as a web page)
is HERE |
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Some earlier
BASS issues, previously available only
directly by mail, are now available online,
on the BAS SPEAKER page, HERE
Show your
appreciation for the immense amount of dedicated
work that went into both the original writing,
gathering, editing and printing, PLUS
the more recent scanning and conversion to
PDF format, by joining the Society, HERE
!
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A
L L O F F S I T E L I N K S O
P E N I N T O A N
E W W I N D O W
- AND FOR CONVENIENCE
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The Boston Audio Society
needs individuals who will write summaries of BAS meetings into
*.pages, *.doc, or *.txt files. We usually have audio recordings
of the meetings. We pay for your work. Ask about our bonus program
for meeting-writers! Contact David B. Hadaway (603-899-5121;
dbsys22@att.biz).
For sale: Audio Precision
System 1 audio test system. SYS-322A, s/n SYS1-31968, IMD, BUR,
W&F options, A-weighting filter, PCI interface card, rackmounts;
asking $5000. Contact Mark Chambers machambers@charter.net
For sale: Several CD storage
racks, some made by Bostonwood (www.BostonWood.com/cd.html):
Two four-shelf units (25.5"Hx17"Wx5.5"D); One
four-shelf unit (25.5"Hx24"Wx5.5"D); Two three-shelf
units (19.5"Hx17"Wx6.5"D); one home-made three-shelf
unit (18"Hx14"Wx6"D). I have attached a handle
and chains to several units, making them convenient open-top
carriers. David J. Weinberg (Maryland; 301-593-3230).
Seeking a two-channel preamplifier
such as an Apt Holman, an early Hafler, or an early NAD. Must
work properly. Fred Ampel (FAmpel@KC.RR.com).
Seeking prereceord Advent
cassettes, especially Russell Sherman Beethoven and Liszt recordings,
and Handel's Messiah performed by the Handel & Haydn Society
under Thomas Dunn. David R. Moran (DRMoran@aol.com).
I am disposing of all my old copies
of the BAS Speaker, which go back to 1978, more or less complete.
I am going to recycle these with waste paper unless somebody
wants them for free. I'll even pay shipping. Doug Pomeroy Audio
Restoration & Mastering Services audiofixer@verizon.net
Discography of Test Records.
I am compiling a list of technical test records from all recording
eras and would like to exchange information in order to confirm,
expand, correct and add entries. Send me your list and/or other
information about test records and I will send you my discography,
which has nearly 200 entries to date. I am interested in commercially
released records, as well as discs intended primarily for in-house
use by audio engineers, broadcasters and for other special applications.
I am generally excluding demonstration discs of the "Super
Stereo bouncing ping-pong ball" type unless they include
at least some tracks of a technical nature, such as frequency
response and tracking tests, etc. Nicholas Starin, Portland
Oregon, NTSTestDisc@Gmail.com.
Nashville AES Test CD. (www.AESNashville.org;
click the small round symbol where it says "Click here
for more info:" to download the four-page description and
track list. Use the link on the website under <Products>
to send an email for pricing and availability.) From the website:
"Assembled 'by engineers, for engineers' after a survey
of the needs of a broad cross-section of working audio pros,
the disc features 71 tracks of test signals ranging from level
calibration tones, noise signals, third-octave tones, polarity
and digital meter calibration pulses, bandpassed noise and swept
sinewaves. Additional tracks include dry-recorded kick and snare
drums, acoustic guitar and piano along with spoken word and
a cappella male and female vocals. A data area on the disc features
BPM charts, Excel-based calculators and other bonus material.
The CD booklet includes tutorial information on using the test
disc."
For sale: Three Denon DR-M34HR
cassette decks ($500srp) with three heads and live monitoring
of the recording, dual Dolby B/C and Dolby HX Pro circuitry.
Handles normal, chrome and metal-tape cassettes. Highly regarded
in 1988. Gasparo Records used them as duplicators. In good shape.
Data at www.VintageCassette.com/denon/dr-m34hr.
$125 ea+shipping. Contact David B. Hadaway. dbsys22@att.biz.
For sale: Arcam Solo Movie
5.1 (www.Arcam.co.uk/products,solo,Movie-Systems,SoloMovie51.htm;
$4500srp) The manual is downloadable from the Arcam website.
I do not have original packaging. $1000+shipping, which will
be calculated once destination is determined. Funds transfer
or cash only; no checks. Fred Ampel (FAmpel@KC.RR.com).
For sale. Two Tannoy HPD
315 speakers, made in the mid-1970s, woofers might need refoaming.
Steven Weiner (SDWeiner@ATT.net;
818-865-0601; Thousand Oaks, CA) is asking $500+s/h. [I have
seen a photo; the cabinets and grill look to be close to mint
condition. This ad was placed at the request of member Randy
Hoffner. DJW]
Seeking: Soundfield Mark
IV microphone. Jim Mastracco (James.Mastracco@Verizon.net).
Laserdiscs for sale by David
J. Weinberg (301-593-3230; WeinbergDJ@BostonAudioSociety.org)
Four have Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack. Nine have DTS5.1 soundtrack.
Make offer for all or selected items.
| TITLE |
CLV / CAV? |
ASPECT
RATIO |
| Video Essentials |
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| Apocalypse
Now |
CLV |
2 |
| Apollo 13 |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Batman (Michael
Keaton) |
CLV |
1.78 |
| Blade Runner
(Director's Cut) |
CAV |
2.48 |
| Blown Away |
CLV/CAV |
2.35 |
| Crimson
Tide |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Daylight |
CLV |
1.85 |
| Evita |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Forbidden
Planet |
CAV |
2.35 |
| Golden Eye |
CLV/CAV |
2.35 |
| The Grifters |
|
|
| Highlander
(10th Anniversary Director's Cut) |
CLV/CAV |
1.82 |
| The Hunt
for Red October |
CLV |
2.35 |
| In The Mouth
Of Madness |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Jurassic
Park |
CLV |
1.85 |
| Jurassic
Park |
CAV |
1.85 |
| Phenomenon |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Pocahontas |
CLV |
1.66 |
| Pretty Woman |
CLV |
1.85 |
| Raiders
of the Lost Ark |
CLV |
2.35 |
| Raiders
of the Lost Ark |
CAV |
1.33 |
| Star Wars:
Episode 1 - A Phantom Menace |
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| Toy Story |
CLV |
1.78 |
| Who Framed
Roger Rabbit |
CLV |
1.75 |
Own a movie theater sound system!
For sale, top-of-the-line High Performance Stereo HPS-4000-XL
screen speaker systems. Three (left, center, right) HPS model
545-4 speaker systems (www.HPS4000.com/pages/fivefortyfive_.html)
and two HPS model 545-W subwoofer speaker systems (www.HPS4000.com/pages/545_w_.html).
All in perfect working order. The speakers are not light, but
consist of modules that can be lifted by two moderately strong
men. Truck delivery only, or come pick up. Make me an offer.
David J. Weinberg (301-593-3230; WeinbergDJ@BostonAudioSociety.org):
Most units come with user manuals
(some also with service manuals), remotes and cartons, as applicable.
Make offer:
- ReplayTV 2020 with aftermarket
larger disk drive. Includes lifetime electronic program guide
service.
- Faroudja VP400A video quadrupler.
Upscales NTSC video to 960 progressively scanned lines for
a front or rear CRT projector. Generates great image on my
big screen. I don't need it because I'm modifying my video
system.
- Runco 980Ultra CRT projector (original
packing, user and service manuals).
- Vutec concave high-gain silvered
screen. 8' wide, 16:9 aspect ratio, with wallmount brackets.
Silvered surface makes it appropriate for 3D projection, as
the high gain overcomes the substantial light loss caused
by the various consumer 3D projection technologies, and the
curved shape can deliver a wide viewing angle with little
hotspotting.
- Lexicon DC1 surround processor,
with all options.
- Panasonic RP-91D DVD player with
JVB Digital regionfree mod.
- Sony DVP-NS755V SACD (multichannel
and stereo), DVD, etc., progressive-scan output. $250srp.
- Tektronix D11 rackmount single-beam
storage oscilloscope with 5A15N vertical amp and 5B10N time-base/amplifier.
- Tektronix 5111 rackmount single-beam
storage oscilloscope with two 5A18 vertical amps and 5B10N
time-base/amplifier.
- Teac AN-180 external dual Dolby
B processor. Simultaneous stereo record and playback.
- Pioneer CT-F4242 cassette deck,
in excellent condition.
- Garrard RC88 turntable with Shure
M3D cartridge, in excellent condition.
- Sony XM-5046 car audio amp, 4x50W
into 4 Ohms
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