Recent content by astrotoy

Do you still have it in operation? If so, what cartridge are you using with it? Thanks. Larry

I remember back in the '80's or maybe early '90s that people were recommending recording high quality audio on the recently introduced SVHS system, using SVHS blank tapes. The specs showed that the quality of the sound should have been equal or better than audio tape (R2R at 7.5ips). Also...

My two Ampex ATR-102's are from the late '70's, so getting close to 50 years old. I use them every day, my main sources for recorded music. Both were bought used separately 8 years ago, both came from recording studios where they were no longer being used. My Pacific Microsonics Model Two is...

Here are my 15ips 2 track machines (2 Ampex ATR102's one with 1/2" headblock, other 1/4" headblock, 1 Otari MX5050BII plays both 2 and 4 track stereo). All have bypass playback wiring to my Merrill Trident tape preamp (which takes three inputs, hence the name). Larry

Interesting. I have a 2 reel 15ips 2 track tape copy made from a Studio Master by CBS International in Holland. The original tape with catalogue Epic 85930 listed looks like it was made in 1984, it says 84RE which usually means a reissue from two years after the original release, listed on the...

In 2019 we found a highly rated carpet cleaner in the East Bay (SF Bay Area), Larry's Extreme Clean. Did a great job. When he was here he was looking at my record and tape collection. I asked him whether he was a music fan. He said that he was a musician. I ask him about his career. He...

A special treat in the sky tonight (Monday night December 21). Jupiter and Saturn will be in conjunction (something that happens every 20 years) but this one is super special. Jupiter and Saturn will be within 1/10th of a degree from each other (1/5th the diameter of the moon). This hasn't been...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdmPjhKMaXNNeCr1FjuMvag Larry

We watched Sleeping Beauty last night from the Bolshoi. They are doing several free ballets and operas per week. The current one stays available until the next one. Larry https://youtu.be/cLWK53UuZgM...

https://www.metopera.org/ Starts tonight with Carmen - 7:30PM Eastern Daylight Time (US) and then available for the next 20 hours. First week of operas announced. Larry

https://www.berliner-philharmoniker....-concert-hall/ Includes their back catalogue of 600 concerts online. Free subscription for 30 days, can sign up until March 30. Cancellation not required. Larry

I'll be helping out my friend Tim Marutani and spinning tapes at his room at the CAS in Oakland (Airport Hilton Hotel) June 26-28. The room (Board Room 3) will feature Martin-Logan speakers, Doshi electronics, and Scott Rust (512 Engineering/Marutani) cables and power supply. The main signal...

Last Saturday, we had a real treat. Jon Nakamatsu and his long time accompanist Chris Salocks played the Rachmaninoff second piano concerto at our home on our two grand pianos. Jon, winner of the 1997 Van Cliburn competition, played our Boesendorfer 225 (which if you look very carefully at the...

I noticed a recent post selling high end tubes from a member who had just joined (on February 23, 2019) and posted the for sale ad the same day. He has not posted since then, not even responding to some questions about his post - now about 3 weeks since the initial post. My impression is that...

Here is shot of my system, taken last month. It shows three of my Avantgarde speakers, all from the beginning of the century. Two Duos and one of my three Solo's. The other two are behind forming the back channels of my 5.1 system. I am sitting to the right of Nick Doshi who was visiting...