Two Phantastrons, built by Jesse Stiles and friends were featured in a New York performance for the release of “Music for Merce” a box set of music for the late Dancer / Choreographer. The 2 Phantastrons were used to perform the piece “Nikola Tesla, Cosmic Engineer” by Pauline Oliveros. An article in the New York Times reviews the event and ...

Just got a new test pressing, “hot off the presses”. It’s the forthcoming Tendorizor album I mastered. They’re an Albuquerque band with a unique style in metal — modern “thrash” meets classic metal. It’s a challenge to make a good master for Vinyl when the band demands “LOUD!!!” and some tracks seem to have about 20 guitars. I’m happy with ...

This is a 1958 Hammond M3 power cord removed from my personal organ. It practically crumbled apart in my hands when I removed it from the back chassis. Power cords often do not last 50+ years. In fact, if your old instrument or amp cord is starting to fray where it is visible, it could look even worse inside! The ...

I thought I would digress and talk about a personal project and shed some light on an instrument which has a real lack of technical information available: The Hammond Solovox. Solovoxes are strange little keyboard instruments, similar to the Ondioline or Clavioline in concept and fundamental circuitry. All three have small keyboards, vacuum tube oscillators, a knee bar controlling volume ...

I just repaired a Spectrasonics 610 (probably mid to late 70s model). It had been bought on ebay (for an Albuquerque studio where I am chief tech) and looked to be recapped in a couple spots. However, capacitors ain’t everything. Especially if the metering circuit is damaged, bulbs are burned out, it is out of calibration, grounding is bad, and ...

What you’re seeing is a spectrogram showing four beats from a drum kit. I recorded it into ProTools, and then carefully put the mono recording through the 1936 Warmifier Prototype ensuring that the signal coming out was the same overall level as the signal going in (unity gain). Read it like this: It is read from top to bottom. Time ...

Perhaps I’m stating the obvious, but making kits & custom instruments is not my only bag. In fact, I do a lot of work outside of audio. For instance, fabrication work and more traditional engineering / inventing. And then I spin wool. Yep, I spin wool and I wear my cowboy hat while I do it sometimes. Things have been ...

I wrote a little bit about Phantom Power for microphones and others stuff: What it is. What it does. When you need it. Why it sometimes is not there. How to get it. The only DIY method shown uses rechargeable batteries. I’ll add some non-battery schematics later. However, as long as I’m talking about mics and batteries and how much ...

You’ll be seeing some “real objects” from me soon. But first, here’s DIY microphone body which can be made entirely of 1/8″ acrylic. This can be cut  out on a laser cutter at the FabLab ABQ really darn quick and put together say, by you… Will it sound like a million bucks? I honestly don’t know, but FUTURISM IS AWESOME!. ...

Click to listen: Bass recorded with EW Kit mic That’s upright bass –> Behringer mini-mixer –> Marantz Pro Field Recorder There’s some TV and some other house noise in there too. I wanted to try to little Behringer mixer to see what this thing sounds like with budget gear… Lorin