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Boston Audio Society Meeting - 12/16/2007
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. |
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