Remember These?

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Cressy Snr
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#556 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

izzy wizzy wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 8:42 pm
Am I missing something here? Any wise words for a new presenter? I just thought you say what you got and play some stuff; show and tell stylee. Is there some kind of "plinkty plonk taste police" out there ... whatever that is? Reckon I better bring a load of records.

Cheers,
Stephen
It’s all right for you, with 100WPC of push-pull 813s.
Plonky plonk girl/guitar bollocks is about all you can play with 1W of OTL power in a room like Owston. :lol: :lol:
But I’ll have a crack at some proper music just to see if I can get any sparks inside the valves.
Last edited by Cressy Snr on Sat May 11, 2019 11:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Cressy Snr
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#557 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

IslandPink wrote: Sat May 11, 2019 8:54 pm Are you sure you're feeling OK Steve ? I've never noticed any rules.
Neither have I. Being a Mod in a room full of rockers gives a certain frisson of danger to the proceedings though.
DTB, menacingly fingering his Triumph triplex primary chain belt usually concentrates my mind when I’m picking stuff to play. :mrgreen:
Last edited by Cressy Snr on Sun May 12, 2019 12:03 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Wolfgang
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#558 Re: Remember These?

Post by Wolfgang »

For testing those OTLs I can recommend the following CDs, all real music (no plinkty plonk) and very revealing of what the amps (and front end) can deliver. This selection doesn’t demand acoustically treated rooms or a lot of amp power.

John Zorn: Masada guitars (especially the songs played by Marc Ribot)
Norma Winstone: Distances (song #1 and 2 )
Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet: Intents And Purposes
Meadow: Blissful Ignorance

If I listen with my 6C33 OTLs to these songs the instruments and especially the female voice are present like in a very good live performance (small venue, Jazz Club style).
Cressy Snr
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#559 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

Wolfgang wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 12:01 am For testing those OTLs I can recommend the following CDs, all real music (no plinkty plonk) and very revealing of what the amps (and front end) can deliver. This selection doesn’t demand acoustically treated rooms or a lot of amp power.

John Zorn: Masada guitars (especially the songs played by Marc Ribot)
Norma Winstone: Distances (song #1 and 2 )
Rez Abbasi Acoustic Quartet: Intents And Purposes
Meadow: Blissful Ignorance

If I listen with my 6C33 OTLs to these songs the instruments and especially the female voice are present like in a very good live performance (small venue, Jazz Club style).
I have Meadow - Blissful Ignorance. I’ll bring that one. Thanks Wolfgang. Would never have thought of that one.
Truth is, I hate picking stuff to play at audio meets because I seldom get it right. The music I like does not have what most folk would call good sound quality. I’ve spent nearly twenty years trying to put together a system that will do Stax, Motown, Atlantic, Chess stuff justice. I’ve succeeded I think with the current system. It’s either go ahead and show what has been achieved in terms of the system’s ability to play gnarly old 60s mono soul/R&B or chicken out and go all tinkly.

It’s quite a few years now since I heard a guy’s system playing old blues 78s in a cavernous hall at Eggborough Power station via EL34 amps and a phono stage with switchable eq to deal with shellac records and Acoustic Energy speakers. It was not hi-fi in the conventional sense, but the music being allowed out was stunningly good. I wanted that sound for myself and think I finally have it.
Sgt. Baker started talkin’ with a Bullhorn in his hand.
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izzy wizzy
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#560 Re: Remember These?

Post by izzy wizzy »

OK gotcha. Can be a tricky audience. Go with what you know and don't look them in the eye. Have planned exit strategy :)
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IslandPink
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#561 Re: Remember These?

Post by IslandPink »

I'd rather hear the Chess/Mowtown/Atlantic/Stax stuff Steve ! - it's a chance to hear great music - and I know you have great taste in these areas.
"Once you find out ... the Circumstances ; then you can go out"
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izzy wizzy
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#562 Re: Remember These?

Post by izzy wizzy »

Cressy Snr wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 9:48 am The music I like does not have what most folk would call good sound quality. I’ve spent nearly twenty years trying to put together a system that will do Stax, Motown, Atlantic, Chess stuff justice. I’ve succeeded I think with the current system. It’s either go ahead and show what has been achieved in terms of the system’s ability to play gnarly old 60s mono soul/R&B or chicken out and go all tinkly.

It’s quite a few years now since I heard a guy’s system playing old blues 78s in a cavernous hall at Eggborough Power station via EL34 amps and a phono stage with switchable eq to deal with shellac records and Acoustic Energy speakers. It was not hi-fi in the conventional sense, but the music being allowed out was stunningly good. I wanted that sound for myself and think I finally have it.
Isn't that the whole point of this? Make a system that plays the music you like the way you want.

I've found over the years, people make changes, even a lot of changes to their systems yet they still sound like that person's system. It's an expression; like a painter doing their thing. Arrange the colours/colouration how you like. Who wants "neutral". I'll get me coat.

So I would love to hear your music on your system. It's what it will do best.

Cheers,
Stephen
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Ray P
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#563 Re: Remember These?

Post by Ray P »

Just do your own thing Steve! :thumbup:

And ignore any of these... :director: ... it's their loss.

How about some Dusty with some lush orchestration?
Sorry, I couldn't resist!
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pre65
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#564 Re: Remember These?

Post by pre65 »

Ray P wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 1:30 pm
How about some Dusty with some lush orchestration?
:lol:

Reaches for his Dusty CD to see if anything suitable. :)
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Ali Tait
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#565 Re: Remember These?

Post by Ali Tait »

Reaches for his shotgun. :D

Seriously, Steve, play what you like, as said you built the amp for your own taste, I’m with Mark and Stephen on this one.
Cressy Snr
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#566 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

OK, so I’m going down the rock’n roll/soul/R&B route with the music; right back to the late 50s/early 60s. Sod it! That’s what I built the system for. The stuff I’ve got is endless, so now it’s a task of narrowing it down.
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Wolfgang
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#567 Re: Remember These?

Post by Wolfgang »

A lot of angry reactions and defense mechanisms showing just because I was making some suggestions based on my own experience with single output tube OTLs.

The case in point was:"Well, a week down the line and I’m no nearer, finding anything, although it’s been great fun reacquainting myself with music I haven’t played for donkeys’ years."

What’s wrong with this picture?
Cressy Snr
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#568 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

Wolfgang wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 3:41 pm A lot of angry reactions and defense mechanisms showing just because I was making some suggestions based on my own experience with single output tube OTLs.

The case in point was:"Well, a week down the line and I’m no nearer, finding anything, although it’s been great fun reacquainting myself with music I haven’t played for donkeys’ years."

What’s wrong with this picture?
Eh?
If this is directed at me I need to ask.....What defense mechanisms?
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izzy wizzy
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#569 Re: Remember These?

Post by izzy wizzy »

Wolfgang wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 3:41 pm A lot of angry reactions and defense mechanisms showing just because I was making some suggestions based on my own experience with single output tube OTLs.

The case in point was:"Well, a week down the line and I’m no nearer, finding anything, although it’s been great fun reacquainting myself with music I haven’t played for donkeys’ years."

What’s wrong with this picture?
Have you got the right end of the stick? I thought there was a bit of larking around ... well I was. Bit of a piss take on musical tastes ... standard. And I think a desire to please the audience ... don't bother was the result I think ;) Wasn't aware of any anger; just a bit of fun.
Cressy Snr
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#570 Re: Remember These?

Post by Cressy Snr »

Might have been this:
IslandPink wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 12:41 pm I'd rather hear the Chess/Mowtown/Atlantic/Stax stuff Steve ! - it's a chance to hear great music - and I know you have great taste in these areas.
Not aimed at you Wolfgang. There’s a lot of history of me turning up at audio meets and pleasing neither myself or the listeners with the music I played.

Mark Islandpink) was, I believe, referring to this past recurrent overthinking and advocating a Rick Nelson approach to my choice of music ie “you can’t please everyone, so you got to please yourself” hence the reference to just getting on with it and playing Stax, Motown Atlantic, Chess, which is what I’m deeply into.

Now this OTL, in conjunction with the Fane single driver speakers, certainly does classic rock’n roll/soul/r&b better than anything I’ve built in the past, and I’ve decided that this type of music is what I’m going to show the system with and damn the consequences. At least I’ll have been true to myself.
Sgt. Baker started talkin’ with a Bullhorn in his hand.
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