Life Imitates Humor
Remember the article I posted in June entitled Drum Roll Please about the Electro-Voice Model SP13.5TRBXWK? Well, it appears that someone has built something that looks a whole lot like it called the Hornmassive. According to the
By the way, Jim Long of Electro-Voice, writes the following about the origin of the Electro-Voice Model SP13.5TRBXWK .
Saga of the Electro-Voice Model SP13.5TRBXWKRearaxial Softspeaker Data SheetBy Jim Long, July 20, 2004,for KahnVention VI Souvenir Booklet - This is primarily from my recollection and samples of three different variations of this no-doubt-famous data sheet created by the late, lamented and brilliantly clever Dean Nordquist, former EV sales and advertising man and, later, the EV rep in the Pacific Northwest. The model number is a takeoff on the EV convention of the 1950’s, in which high-fidelity component loudspeakers sported monikers such as 12TRXB, SP15B and 15WK. Figure 13 shows a line drawing of the device, which reveals it to be rather ahead of its time, being both powered (note ac cord) and evidently capable of acting as a standalone PA system (note ribbon microphone).Three Different Versions - The SP13.5TRBXWK data-sheet variations with which I have been familiar turn out to be the two later ones, identical except for an updated format for the last version. A couple of years ago, Jon Kelly, a kingpin in the EV hi-fi businesses of the 1960’s and early 1970’s, pointed out that there was an earlier, first version, different not only in format but also in copy and in the Figure 5 testimonials from satisfied customers. The four testimonials themselves are unchanged but the first three customers are different. Jon explained that the copy and customer names contained thinly veiled references to competitors of the day. According to Jon, Al Kahn, founder and president of Electro-Voice until 1968, and in my view a true audio gentleman, took offense to these references and ordered them changed.In July 2004, Jon not only sent me an original of the first version but also supplied interesting comments about the competitive references. I have reproduced the text of his e-mail message below (slightly edited):Here is what I can recall/deduce about Dean's arcane references in the data sheet, and later mods. Front side: Feathers good-luck charm and stylus pressure gauge: obvious reference to Paul Weathers, who had a one-gram-tracking phono pickup when most others were still at 6 grams or so, and a cute, simple and accurate gauge. FEATURES: lavatories instead of laboratories seems pretty innocuous, but Al must have been using his highly sensitive good-taste filter. Bob N.: it was changed so must have been a reference to someone, but I don't know who. Maybe George remembers. Miss Myriam S.: a reference to Myriam Simpson, a factotum at Masco, amplifier manufacturer. (My first "component" amplifier was an 8-watt Masco, circa 1952.) Walter S: not certain, but could well be Walter Stanton, the phono-cartridge manufacturer. Back side: Kensico Ave.: it was changed to North Southwestern Ave. in the revised version. Allied Radio in its heyday was at 100 North Western Avenue. Kensico may have been the address of someone else more "sensitive," but I don't know. Large Barrington: High Fidelity magazine was headquartered in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, in those days. Faith and Charity, Ark: obvious pass at Klipsch, in Hope, Arkansas. Madglockenschpielergongenemoryclothenlab: because it is spelled "emory," it is a reference, I think, to Emory Cook, early maker of audiophile recordings. Hope this helps. Funny...I can't remember what happened yesterday, but this old stuff is still retrievable.
Thanks For The Referrals
The most referrals have come from the following forums. (thank all of you for mentioning us in your posts)
We try not to come across too hard sell but we would love to have you as a customer. We would consider it a favor if you would spread the word about the site and PLEASE give us some feedback as to what you find interesting or annoying so we can make it more relevant to you. Thanks for visiting.
SoundMan Steps Into It Again
SoundMan is feeling kind of spunky after his recent review and has decided to share a little industry scuttlebutt. Reading yesterdays post about the back story on the Klark-Teknik's Square One Dynamic processor has reminded me of a little 'back story' of my own. From highly placed anonymous sources of course, there is an interesting story behind the Bosh buyout of Telex. It seams that Bosh, wanting nothing but the best, rejected the other major players for Telex because the other candidates were not up to snuff, including the 800 lb. gorilla Harmon Industries (you know JBL, Crown,
I used to say that if you bought gear from any of the premium manufactures you weren't getting ripped off you were just buying a different sound philosophy. They were all producing quality products but what's been up with JBL recently. A once proud company now turning out an unrelenting stream of inferior products. It couldn't be that all their talented engineers have jumped ship and joined the TELEX team.
I'm still waiting for a response on the line-array loudspeaker shootout challenge.
Congratulations TELEX! Maybe next time Harmon (love your car speakers though).
Sincerely - SoundMan
[Note from the publisher: Darn it SoundMan, you can't publish that stuff. I'm sorry I had to step in and censor your post but we've talked about this kind of stuff before and you promised to behave. I'm sorry readers that you had to see us fight in public like this but we have to have some kind of standards - right?]
[Note from Dale: To heck with the publisher. I'm putting the censored text back in!]
[Note from John: This kind of junk doesn't belong on the CareySound site SoundMan. If you want to air your dirty laundry , get your own blog. Don't get me wrong now, I've yet to meet a JBL product that I can stand to listen to, but it seems that you are trying to start a war and this just isn't the place to do it.]
[Note from SoundMan: Hey wait a minute. I'm just trying to get a little friendly competition going. I'm sorry if the truth hurts. Come on, how about a little Dynacord on JBL action (and what the heck a little Yorkville or Meyer). We could even sell a few tickets for the old soundman's retirement home. It would be fun! Quit taking life so seriously.]
[THE FINAL WORD FROM Ken Carey: Alright everybody, you need to take this outside so we can get back to the mission at hand, proving a useful SAFE place for all of our readers to sharpen up their audio knowledge and skills. PLEASE dear readers let us know the kind of things you would like to see on the CareySound site before this kind of nonsense erupts again!]
Klark-Teknik DN-100 DI Box
It's amazing how many cheap DI's I see in a years time. I've even seen major audio players hook up expensive bass guitars and keyboard synthesizers to those dinosaurs. They will spend thousands of dollars on their rig and then have their underpaid soundguy run your carefully created sound through a cheap $30 box. I hope you wouldn't sing through a $30 microphone, so why trust your sound to some cheap DI made by some wire company?
The Klark Teknik DN100 Direct Injection Box is a ground-up redesign that provides extended dynamic range, lower noise floor and all the world-class audio performance that you’d expect from Klark Teknik. DN100 is also designed to handle the rigours of life on the road: a thick aluminium shell protects the electronics, and this in turn is protected by a tough silicone rubber casing, which is replaceable and available as a spare part. They've also fitted a Kensington security slot in one of the end panels to allow the unit to be made secure using a Kensington MicroSaver security cable. (Click here for DN100EDS specifications)
It's not any more expensive than a couple of fill-ups of that SUV you drive. It's only $187.50 and what the heck, I'll even help you out. Bring me your old DI and I'll pay you $30 bucks for it if you replace it with the DN-100. I have found a few good uses for the old ones.
