Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Tape Splicer » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:33 am

The comments about the pocket record player and the other portable record player I mentioned in this post viewtopic.php?p=12825263#p12825263 started me thinking about the technology I would like to bring back and what I would like to dump.

I've tried to edit audio digitally and found the process quite a challenge . I'd bring back audio tape, the splice block/splice tape and the razor blade.

My wife and I have discussed this at times and she would like to go back to TV's with channel changers that click through the channels. Today's remotes have too many buttons. Another thing to bring back is a radio that tune with a know instead of up down buttons.

For both of us touch pads without defined keys or buttons are a big challenge. as are touch screens as on smart phones.

The floor is open.... any thoughts - This can be radio related or not.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Eldon-Mr.CFAY » Tue Oct 22, 2013 12:54 pm

Greetings,
Thanks for bringing this question up Tape Splcer, much appreciated. There are a few things I would definitely dump with current so called Technology. One are the Batteries used in Cell Phones, they suck! Are very expensive to replace. Use good old fashioned readily available rechargeables or alkaline batteries such as double A or Triple A or flat calculator or watch batteries. I own two cell phones and cannot stand the expensive hard to find batteries they come with. Another point on this is when your cell phone is three years or so it is extremely hard to get a replacement battery for them even though its expensive as hell to buy and almost more practical to just buy a new cell phone. Another thing which Allan Weiner owner of WBCQ has brought up a few times on his Friday night Radio Talk Show is Wall Warts. You know those Adaptor type transformer plugs that are used with many electronic devices for years now. Some of them work okay, some create hum etc. in certain radio and audio devices. The other thing I do not like are IPODS , my nephew gave me one one, don't like them at all. I like cassettes a lot better and like the fact you can have shorter recordings on them and they fit in your shirt pocket and you can have them for different shows, radio station airchecks etc.. Cassettes come in 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes and 120 minutes units. I don't recommend the 120 minute ones too much unless you have high quality cassette equipment still because they can jam more easily. I find the 90 minutes and under the best. I want to take individual cassettes with me for specific stations, programs etc. and just find them a lot more flexible than having everything recorded on some other device. Yeah I know cassettes are from the past but big deal!!!! You can still buy new ones and some technology from the past is better than what is currently trendy. I actually hate buying anything just because it is trendy or current! To me I have to like it and it must work well if I buy it, I really don't give a care if its trendy at all!!!!

The other thing I do not like are touch screens. I find them to be too sensitive at times and act up. Oh one thing from the recent past that can cause a lot of problems in radio or audio equipment are cheaply made SLIDE audio potentiometers, the better quality ones are okay but I have seen some awful ones over the years. On rechargeable batteries from the past I really don't like the old Ni-Cad. batteries too much either. Another frustrating item to deal with is thin gauge speaker wire like number 24 or 28, it may be stranded but some of it sure rips and tears a lot when you try using a wire stripper to install it with speakers. Also some of the so called Smart phones can be a pain in the butt to use too. What I hate the most about using some Blackberries or cell phones is the really small number keypad that you almost need a microscope to see the numbers. My sister has a Blackberry cell phone and its so easy to press the wrong number because the key pad numbers are so small. She has done it and uses it all the time for Real Estate Work. My cell Flip Phones are much easier to see the numbers on the key pad.

There are probably other devices from current and past electronics technology I am not fond of either but those are a few that come to mind.

73s All the Best,

Eldon
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby isthisthingon » Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:48 pm

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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby jon » Tue Oct 22, 2013 1:56 pm

Tape Splicer wrote:Another thing to bring back is a radio that tune with a knob instead of up down buttons.

Even though I prefer digital tuning, because I want to know exactly where I am on the dial without guessing, I really like the tuning knob on this radio, which is my favourite in my price range:
http://www.ccrane.com/radios/am-fm-radi ... io-ep.aspx

I am also a huge fan of digital editing. So far, Audacity has all the features that I need. The only time I ever did splices was if the tape broke or some idiot let a record stick in a music tape for the automation machine. My days in the Production control room were spent with multiple carts and reel to reel tape machines all cued tightly, with split second timing on the Start button to make a tight product. Digital editing lets me do the slight overlap (segue) of pieces that I did with the multiple machines, but you cannot do with a splicing block.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby former tv guy » Tue Oct 22, 2013 4:26 pm

Note to Eldon...

What are you doing to your cell phone that you have to keep replacing the battery?

Ive had various types since the first small handsets came out and have never had to replace a battery.

Now if youve had the same phone for a decade or so, I'd understand perhaps needing to replace it once....
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby J Kendrick » Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:02 pm

I want back the ability to do a fast forward cue on tape... hearing the audio go past the heads at high speed so I can find a cue quickly without having to hunt for it...

I want my old TC-142 back in full working order...
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Mike Cleaver » Tue Oct 22, 2013 5:56 pm

All my gear still is analogue, except, of course, for the computers and digital phones and television sets.
The audio stays analogue until it's recorded and edited on the computer in .wav format, in which it stays.
Music for the phone, to be listened to when walking, is digital of course, but not lossy mp3.
I don't really miss editing tape at all, it's much easier on the computer (Adobe Audition CS6.)
But I do miss the sound of tube amps, great vinyl and excellent speakers in clubs and live venues.
Digital is just too sterile sounding.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby jon » Tue Oct 22, 2013 7:51 pm

In response to Mike:

This is not really my argument about which is better, digital or analogue, but I simply wanted to say how surprised I was at my own reaction to analogue after years of digital.

When my ears were younger and better, I never noticed the scratches in vinyl on airchecks of radio stations that I recorded. It was a real shocker in 1998 when I listened to an hour of the late Lan Roberts on KOL Seattle from Hallowe'en morning 1969. I had not heard it for about 25 years, and had been listening to nothing but CDs for about 4 years. With much older ears, the scratches, especially on the beginning of the KOL control room copy of then-current "When I Die" by Blood Sweat and Tears, were excruciatingly painful.

Likewise, on (the music behind) the few surviving pieces of my own production work from the early '70s.

On the other hand, it used to drive me crazy back to 1970 to hear the tape hiss in parts of "Take a Pebble" by Emerson Lake and Palmer. It doesn't bother me today even though it is still very audible in the version of the CD that I have (not remastered). Even turntable rumble used to bug me with headphones on while listening to some passages on some FM stations.

Probably my biggest radio audio gripe though, back in the analogue days, was with early FM receivers where the SCMO carrier created a very unpleasant White Noise effect. Thinking about it now, I realize why. I only really noticed it on CKLG-FM, and not CHQM-FM, even though both ran SCMO, LG for Muzak, and QM for Q Music, both background music services ("elevator music"). Because LG did not use an "automatic volume control" to boost quieter passages of music. As a result, I usually had the volume control way up on LG-FM, which, of course, made the SCMO hiss a lot louder sounding.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Toomas Losin » Tue Oct 22, 2013 8:14 pm

I've been thinking some formative thoughts to myself about advances of technology that have made my life easier. Thanks for the opportunity to flesh them out a little here. These advances are why I've said to people that we are living in a 50's or 60's science fiction movie: Many of the cool gadgets that we have now would be at home in such a movie.

Tape Splicer wrote:I've tried to edit audio digitally and found the process quite a challenge . I'd bring back audio tape, the splice block/splice tape and the razor blade.


I have fond memories of tape but I will not make a new recording on tape unless I have no other choice. I grew up with cassettes and played with them since before I can remember (the evidence is on the tapes!) and the earliest I can remember is the thrill of being able to record stuff. The technology has moved on and the most obvious use that tape may now have is forcing analogue distortion into recordings.

Moving on with digital, I've taken advantage of the advances that digital recording has brought us. My current portable recorder records WAV files at 96/24 and one example of what I've used that for is to record the ultrasonic calls of bats and other night critters.

A very useful side-effect of digital audio is that the time of any sample can easily be determined knowing the time the recording started, thanks to having a sampling rate. Audacity displays a time offset into a recording so all that one needs to do is add the start time to it to know when some event happened. My point is that for a while during my first go at DXing I was recording to cassette but I found it to be a management nightmare due to tape not having such an in-built clock. Digital makes indexing a recording so much easier.

I wouldn't be happy if we had a new dark age without digital audio.

Another thing to bring back is a radio that tune with a know instead of up down buttons.

Yes, a knob gives one variable speed control over the tuning rate whereas buttons don't; it's instinctive, one isn't even aware that one is turning the knob at a variable rate. Maybe that's the DXer in me - I operate the tuning knob all the time.


Smartphones and tablets. Incredible stuff! In reality these are extremely portable computers (some of which can take phone calls!). Keep the battery charged and they can run 24x7 with no startup time. Touch is a huge win provided that one has steady fingers and that icons are sized properly for one's fingers. What I find lacking with touchscreens is a really usable touch keyboard; can anyone productively type into a touch keyboard — even on a tablet, never mind a phone? I find it's a battle of single finger typing versus a touchscreen looking for an excuse to misread which key I pushed. A touch keyboard must feel like an insult to the typical touch typist!


Flat panel monitors. They're still getting better. For the longest time the CRT was the most common vacuum tube still in use. Does that honour now fall to the humble magnetron in a microwave oven?
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Mike Cleaver » Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:45 pm

Jon makes some convincing arguments but the stations at which I worked all had top equipment so rumble, hum, hiss, especially on the FMs was negligible.
Records with cue burn were replaced, we used to get four copies of lps and six of 45s and when carts came along, especially the Aristocarts with ITC decks, most frequently played cuts were carted and later, almost all music at the majors was on cart.
One of the FMs at which I worked had "click and pop" filters in the turntable chains to take care of the static and scratches on disks.
As to SCMO, despite the fact that he owned almost all of the Muzak franchises across Canada, Alan Waters refused to let his FM stations use SCMO, instead, leasing those channels from his competitors to distribute the background music because of the degradation caused to the main FM channels.
As to hearing loss, it's a fact of life that as we age, we lose high end.
My latest hearing test a year ago shows frequencies after 8k are starting to decline as they go above that but the declining curve is the same for both ears.
For critical listening in my home studio, I have an equalizer that I use to tailor the headphone and monitor response to boost the freqencies that I'm loosing.
Good vinyl or tape played on good analogue equipment still beats the pants off digital recordings, most of which are brick walled in volume and far too crispy on the top end while also lacking in true bass.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Eldon-Mr.CFAY » Tue Oct 22, 2013 11:12 pm

Greetings,
Interesting reading all the postings on this topic! I agree with you Mike about analog listening to vinyl and thanks for posting all that. I agree with what you said completely. I like digital readout on radio receivers but must tell you I do like analog technology better for many things. I know other radio people including WBCQ station owner Allan Weiner loves analog a whole lot more over digital. Yes a tuning knob is much better for radios Toomas, I agree. I also prefer rotary volume controls over those square push button things which I find more awkward to use and not as precise for volume adjustment. Thanks for your comments Jon. Interesting too.

Regarding my cell phones. I own two of them as previously stated. However I did not state I have to replace the batteries all the time. My point was I hate the expensive batteries that cell phones use and prefer easy to find over the counter alkaline batteries or rechargeables to use. I have only had to replace one cell phone recently but I had it well over 3 years, closer to 4 years and Bell could not order a replacement battery for that cell so I had to buy a new phone. When I first bought my cell phones in late 2008 and early 2009 I was told very clearly that the battery in them only lasts 3 to 4 years, perhaps 5 if you are lucky! Also was told its almost cheaper to buy a new cell phone when it goes than to buy a battery since they are at least 60 or 70 dollars each for the cell phones. So I have only had to replace on cell phone recently. About three years ago or so I replaced one because the original cell I got was a used one from a relative and it was probably at least two years old when I got it. I just used flip-up cell phones, I don't want any of those other types. I use the cell phone for only one thing phoning! Not even that interested in the camera on them although I have used it a few times. I absolutely hate texting on cell phones and don't waste my time doing that at all although I have known how to type since grade 8!!!!! I would never listen to radio on my cell phones either, I use radios , wi-fi internet radios and sometimes my laptop computer for radio station streaming, nothing else!!! I bought the cell phones because of a lack of payphones in Langley City and to keep in touch by phone in case of emergencies when mobile.

Anyway I love good tube equipment like Mike mentioned. McIntosh Labs. out of New York State manufacturers some of the best amplifiers, recievers and other audio equipment around. Their tube equipment is very good!!!

Take care everyone!

73s Eldon
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Tape Splicer » Wed Oct 23, 2013 12:30 am

isthisthingon wrote:http://bit.ly/H8URkb


I don't think anybody who posts here is as old as grandpa Simpson - almost perhaps.

Thank goodness we still have a little fire in the furnace, along with a bit of a front porch and snow on the roof; We can still dispense the advise and comments to those who choose to listen... and it is all free to the reader.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby pave » Mon Oct 28, 2013 6:51 pm

I find I still prefer the warmth and thickness of vinyl recorded to cassette.
Otherwise, ProTools gave me a new lease on life - and a whole new set of headaches. :)
Digital editing, processing and mixing, though, is the way to go.
It was painful selling all my tape decks as boat ballast.
As for tuners for radio reception: Since I find listening to the radio to be a disturbing experience, I have no desire for high quality audio. I'll monitor online or tolerate whatever is on the car radio.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby hagopian » Mon Oct 28, 2013 9:32 pm

I had a hearing test, and was amazed that I wasn't worse.

Loud cans, eh.

I use the Itunes equalizer and pop the top end, when I want some tuneage.

Warning to those ear bud freaks. You'll lose 300 cycles first.....and that's where the consonant sounds of the voice are - c - d - t....so when you are in a noisy environment.....better start practicing the lip reading.

It's frustrating.

I would dump my car Radio. I would like to get an internet enabled ride.
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Re: Technology; What woud you like to keep/dump?

Postby Jack Bennest » Tue Oct 29, 2013 5:44 pm

wood, woud, would

I am fusedcon :rockon:
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