[Nicolas Noiseux]

BOSTON AUDIO SOCIETY
December 2007 Meeting

Date: Sunday, December 16, 2007
Time: 6:30 PM (Refreshments at 6:00)
Place: Boston University, Life Science & Engineering Bldg, 24 Cummington
St,
1st Floor Conference Room (room 203), Boston, MA 02215, (617) 271-6588

Featured Guests: Jim Doucas, Nick Noiseux and BAS Members


Topic: Live Concert Recording Playback, Member's Favorite Recordings and
Flea Market

Jim Doucas and Nick Noiseux will talk about and demonstrate their recording
of the Boston Classical Orchestra.

Also attendees are invite to bring their favorite recordings to share.

Bring along anything audio-related you wish to sell, exchange, get rid of
and never want to see again.
That includes old receivers, tuners, amplifiers, CDs, tape decks, Elcaset
players, Shakti Stones that
have lost their zip, and anything else. The agenda/purpose is to rid you of
equipment that would
otherwise collect dust or go unused for another year. The equipment or
materials you bring do not
have to be working, but it should be of some interest to a society of
members who possess a broad
imagination and an expansive interest in everything, The meeting will be of
particular interest to
people who are unable to throw anything away; you can sell it if the price
is right.

We will also have more CDs from Ira Leonard's collection of mostly Jazz.
These were donated to the
BAS by Joe Leonard.
Also some freebies.

President's Message for De 2007

1. The first 5 volumes of the BAS Speaker are now available on CDR with
word-searchable text. The price is
$5 per volume with a discount for BAS members. (In those days a volume
covered a year, with about 360
pages of text). These cover the 1970s when there was a high intensity of
audio interest. We expect
the remaining volumes to be published in the next year. Volumes 22 to 27
are also available.

2.Foster's Test Bench Reviews: The Centrance MicPort Pro
Just in case you have not noticed, two new, inexpensive approaches to
recording were introduced by
Centrance ($150 Mac/Win) and MicMate ($79.95 Mac/Win). Both units contain a
microphone preamp, supply
48V phantom power (via the computer's USB port), convert the analog output
of the microphone to digital
at the USB port, and are not much bigger than an XLR connector. They enables
pocket size, instant computer
recording with all the benefits of digital (freedom from noise pickup, and
low distortion).
The MicMate features a 16-bit Delta Sigma A/D converters in the digital
section, 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz
sample rates. It has a three-position gain selector switch and comes with
free MXL USB Recorder software.
It was not tested. http://www.mxlmics.com/

The most interesting unit is the Centrance. It features 24-bit and up to
96-kHz sample rate recording, and
variable volume controls on the headphone jack (1/8 inch) and the output to
the USB port.
Centrance MicPort Pro http://centrance.com/

BAS member Jim Doucas was more interested in the Centrance MicPort Pro
because of its claimed state of the
art features. He purchased two units, required for stereo, and they landed
on Foster's Test Bench within
a few days. My early test bench results demonstrate that the Centrances
exceed their claimed
specifications - distortion (less than 0.01 THD), frequency response (20-20
kHz, +/- 1.5 dB) and
S/N (-103.5 dBV, A-Wtd.) Our next and most grueling test is to take them
along to our next recording
of the Boston Classical Orchestra. Their sound will be compared to known,
highly regarded microphones
and preamps. The units will replace a lot of bulky recording equipment if
they sound is as good their
specifications suggest. Recording on site may become a lot easier and
cheaper. The only requirement
will be a laptop computer, condenser microphones, and the Centrances. More
next month on our listening
and tests results.

2. I was watching a PBS program, Wired Science, an anthology program about
technology, and spotted
"Audio File, Is analog better than digital? Unfortunately they took a
complex subject and churned
it into mush. For starters they made no distinction between a digital
console, MP3, and CD as far
as digital content. They quoted various studio engineers with comments like
"LPs are better than an
MP3 downloaded from an obscure website." They did an AB comparison,
arranged by Digidesign, between
a digital console (presumably 24 bit/96 kHz) and an analog console. Not
surprisingly the subjects
(two musicians and two studio engineers) couldn't hear a difference. A real
mess.

3. For BAS members out of town we have a special offer for Jazz lovers. A
package of 30 Jazz CDs,
randomly picked from Ira Leonard's collection, for $22 including shipping in
the USA. To order,
send a check, made out to "Boston Audio Society", to David Hadaway, POB 460,
Rindge NH 03461.
These were donated to the Society by Ira's brother, Joe Leonard.

AES Future Meetings www.bostonaes.org/
Acoustical Society of America Future Meetings www.gbcasa.org

Directions: At Boston University, Cummington St is an east-west street just
south of Commonwealth Ave.
It is one-way going west. Parking on both Commonwealth Av and Cummington
St. is free and available.

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. (at a traffic light) and turn right on Cummington St.

From Commonwealth Ave going west, after Kenmore Square, after the tracks
come up out of the
turn left onto Blandford (at a traffic light). Then turn right onto
Cummington St.

MBTA Green line - exit at Kenmore Square or the next stop, Blandford St. &
Commonwealth Av. Walk a
short distance and make a left turn onto Blandford St. and right onto
Cummington St.

The Boston Audio Society, POB 260211, Boston, MA 02126, Tel: (603) 899-5121
http://www.bostonaudiosociety.org,



-------------------------------------
Check for storm cancellations he
BU will announce University closures by a recording via 617-353-SNOW or on
its website at www.bu.edu.