President's Message
January 2000

1. In any amateur society there is always the problem of the same people doing all the work year after year. I would like to invite a wider group to participate--there is no requirement for staff to be in Boston, or Massachusetts either. When I took on this job I was leery about being president while living in a different state. But it has worked out well due to email. There is no reason an active officer or staff member can't be in California, [ noted - webmaster] or Australia for that matter. Please keep this in mind when we are looking for replacements.

2. Hot news in the cryogenic dept: People who freeze their CDs in liquid nitrogen will be interested that musicians are freezing their brass and woodwind instruments in hope of improving their sound, according to the New York Times, Nov 2, 1999. Tests show no measurable difference, but musicians are say the process makes the sound "richer and "more focussed" and the instruments as "easier response."

3. Madisound is advertising two subwoofer amplifiers for amazingly cheap prices: 200 watts for $169, 300 watts for $225 (4 ohms). They include a variable low pass filter, a boost of 4 dB at 25 Hz, a polarity switch and auto on/off. I presume they're made in China--a U.S. manufacturer of similar amps wouldn't last long.

4. The November Pro Audio Review: Frank Beacham writes about archiving disasters. In 1988 he recorded with a new DAT machine reminiscences by Jack Lemon for the laser disc edition of "Some Like It Hot". Following the interview, everyone was pleased with the sound of the recording. A few days later he received a panic call: "Frank, there's nothing on this tape." The tape never played again. Fortunately, being paranoid about technology, he had brought along an old Marantz cassette recorder--the $3 cassette became the master for the release. During a panel discussion at the 1995 AES, not one person recommended the format as an archiving medium. For non-music recording he uses MiniDisc--in 5 years of using MD almost daily he has not had a single failure.


 

The Boston Audio Society
PO BOX 260211
Boston MA 02126

problems? email Barry: webmaster@bostonaudiosociety.org

updated 11/11/04