[net.audio] potpourii

wjm@whuxk.UUCP (MITCHELL) (01/10/84)

In reply to some questions that have appeared on the net:
1.  The new turntable that corrects for off center records is the Nakamichi
Dragon (same name as their high-end cassette deck).  I would suspect that
some Nak dealers have demo models by now.
2.  As for radio stations in the Windy City,  Chicago residents who like
classical music are blessed by having one of the finest radio stations in
the nation - WFMT.  They are one of the few outfits who care about signal
quality.  Even if you don't live in Chicago, you still may be able to get
it since some cable companies carry it via satellite.
3.  dbx licenses its technology to record companies, who then produce dbx
encoded disks.  I haven't noticed dbx disks being particularly noisy (I don't
think the companies who produce them are the type who would try to take advantage
of the 2x noise reduction - I suspect CERTAIN record companies would, but they
don't produce dbx disks, "pseudo-audiophile" poor quality digital recordings,yes
but not dbx disks).  My main gripe is that so little material is released in
dbx form.
4.  I believe Bose called the dummy head for the Delco-GM/Bose auto system
"Morgan"
5.  What do you get for the extra $100 for a dbx 224 vs. a NX-40?
The 224 is a bit quieter.  As mentioned earlier, there is some residual hiss
with an NX-40.
6.  Greg Rogers comments are quite interesting.  As I mentioned, I thought
the Sax/Mayorga article would spark some interesting discussion on the net.
As I've said many times, I'm not anti-digital, but I am concerned about
a.  is the present CD/EIAJ/etc. digital recording standard adequate for
tomorrow's high-fi, or are we locking ourselves into soon-to-be obsolete
technology?
b.  there are a large number of POOR quality CD's and digitally mastered analog
recordings being marketed by the aforementioned record companies.  So far,
the only digital recordings I've found to be consistenly high quality are
Telarcs (what else is new)?
I haven't heard any digital recordings by CBS, or Denon that sound "right"
There is something wrong (I can't quantify it, which bothers me) with the
sound of the orchestra.  (I've been listening to LP versions on a high-end
turntable (my Mission) but I strongly suspect that this also applies to the
CD's as well, since the faults are with the music or ist souic balance,rather
than surface or other forms of LP noise).
Bill Mitchell
CSO
Whippany, NJ  07981
(whuxk!wjm)

fish@ihu1g.UUCP (Bob Fishell) (01/11/84)

I take it that the mention of WFMT in this article is in response
to my laments about Chicago's loquacious radio fare.  As a matter of
fact, WFMT and its only classical competitor, WNIB, are the only radio
stations in Chicago I can stand to listen to.  This is in spite of the
fact that I like other kinds of music, including rock.  Unfortunately,
both of these stations still have an excess of gab, albeit high-brow gab.
It still isn't music.  

For example, WFMT plays an hour-long (or maybe it's a half hour) news
program nightly at 10:00, which is just about when I'm settled down and
ready for a little nachtmusik.  As for WNIB, they have some stupid radio
college classes on from 10:00 to 12:00, so I can't win.  Since I have
college classes piled on top of work, I have little time to listen to
the radio, except when they're yak-yak-yakking away.  Oh, I could tape
an hour or so of radio and listen to it later, but it isn't the same.

Will move this to net.flame on request.


                                  Bob Fishell

thomas@utah-gr.UUCP (Spencer W. Thomas) (01/11/84)

Well, not to brag, but lowly Salt Lake City (out here in the sticks of
Utah) has 3 (count 'em, 3!) classical music stations.  One (the only
commercial one) is a 24 hour station - plays classical all night, nice
for those extended hacking sessions.  The second (the U of Utah station)
has NPR news (Morning Edition and All Things Considered), arguably the
best news shows on radio (I won't even mention TV!), with classical from
9am to 4:30pm, and Jazz from 6pm to 1am.  This is a really nice
combination.  Finally, BYU has a classical station which is off some
hours in the night (not sure, don't listen to it much, but I think from
midnight to 6), but tends to play "devotional assemblies" just when I
want to listen.  Ah well, can't have everything, I guess.  At least two
of the stations have CD players, but are obviously not using them for
all their programming, nor will they for a long time yet, I imagine.

(BTW, how did this get in net.audio?  We're still running 2.9 (shame,
shame), and I can't change the destination of a followup.)

=Spencer

gayde@iwu1b.UUCP (Peter Gayde) (01/11/84)

Anyone lucky enough to live in Ann Arbor has access to 6 (count 'em, 6)
radio stations with varying amounts of classical broadcasting.  They
include:

	WUOM:	NPR station at the University of Michigan with a
		classical morning program and "Afternoon Musicale" from
		1 to 4:30.

	WKAR:	NPR station at Michigan State University

	W???:	NPR station in Toledo, Ohio.  This station is (or at
		least used to be) primarily jazz.

	WDET:	NPR station in Detroit, Michigan (Wayne State University).
		They used to record and broadcast the Detroit Symphony
		Orchestra.  They are primarily jazz now because of
		tremendous budget cuts.

	WQRS:	The only 100% classical station in Detroit.  Somewhat
		comparable to WFMT in that they broadcast all of the
		US orchestra programs (Boston, Cleveland, etc.) as well
		as many excellent locally-produced programs.

	CBC Windsor, Ontario (I'm not sure what their call letters are):

		This station belongs to the CBC network and includes
		two of my favorite radio programs: "Arts National",
		highlighting Canadian musical ensembles such as the
		Toronto and Montreal Symphony Orchestras; and my
		all-time favorite, "Off the Record" with Bob Kerr (sp?)
		from CBC Vancouver.  Unfortunately, I can't pick up a
		CBC station here in Chicago.
		I cannot get over here in Chicago)
-- 
	Peter Gayde	ihnp4!{iwu1b,ihuxp}!gayde
	AT&T Technologies
	Naperville, IL
	(312) 979-7186