Code Word: Success

July 23, 2008

Musician, songwriter and producer T-Bone Burnett along with a team of engineers have come up with what they call "a proprietary audio technology." Called (Greek for "Code"), it is said to create "high-definition audio that is virtually indistinguishable from the original master tapes, but does not require any new or special equipment to play it." Any standard DVD player, whether standalone or built into a computer, can play Code-recorded discs. "Additionally, the DVD contains files that can be copied into most computer music software, including iTunes, and downloaded into personal music player, such as the iPod" as WAV files. Oh, and for all of you who don’t give a whit about high-resolution audio, any /Code-encoded disc will have MP3 and ACC 256 files too, though if you use those you probably aren’t going to be reading this article on SoundStage! Plus, /Code contains no DRM (digital rights management)!...(more)

Pimp Your Turntable

July 9, 2008

I ended my review of the Boston Audio Mat1 by revealing that "Boston Audio is working on a thicker, better Mat 2." I went on: "Until [the Mat2 is] available, the Mat 1 will be holding a place for it on my turntable." Well, that time has come -- the Mat2 ($279) is here and obviously thicker: 5mm versus 3mm for the Mat1 ($199). Using it with your turntable requires more than simply plopping it on top of the platter. Its thickness will throw the vertical tracking angle (VTA) off, and because it raises the record surface you'll also want to measure and set the vertical tracking force (VTF) again. Unless you have a tonearm like the Graham Phantom, whose center of gravity is at the 'arm's pivot point, the higher up the record is, the greater any given setting of VTF will be. This is why it's vitally important to measure tracking force at the record height. I adhere to this even with my Phantom....(more)

Patterns in Mono

June 19, 2008

A painter as well as a composer and musician, Gil Melle recorded a handful of albums for Blue Note, including 1956's Patterns in Jazz, which was one of the earliest Blue Note recordings made in Rudy Van Gelder's first studio -- his parents' living room in Hackensack, New Jersey. When I received a test pressing of the LP from Joe Harley and Ron Rambach at Music Matters, whose Tiffany-quality Blue Note 45rpm reissues have developed a rabid following, I was surprised to discover that it was in mono. Music Matters touted its use of stereo master tapes, pointing out that the mono mixes were often derived from the stereo, so a mono release seemed unusual....(more)

As Luck Would Have It

June 9, 2008

I was at Goodwill scrounging for LPs when I saw something unusual -- not an unusual occurrence at Goodwill. Off to my left was a silver-and-black rectangular box that, on quick glance, looked like a cross between a stainless-steel microwave and a toaster oven but not really like either one. It was big and eye-catching sitting there among the old rotary telephones and beat-up fax machines....(more)

Brushing Up on Record Cleaning

May 22, 2008

Shortly after my review of the Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions record-cleaning fluids went live, Galen Carol, whose audio dealership in San Antonio, Texas, bears his name, wrote to tell me that he had addressed an issue with the AIVS product line that I noted in my review: no brushes or cloths to aid in using the fluids....(more)