Ampzilla, VMPS and Live Music at January CES

Housteau · « **Reply #60 on:** 4 Dec 2008, 09:58 pm »

Just weeks away now.

PLMONROE · « **Reply #61 on:** 5 Dec 2008, 01:58 pm »

Like under five and counting. Yippiiiiie!

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #62 on:** 5 Dec 2008, 11:01 pm »

Okay, now I have a pair of 18" Sabian orchestral "crash" cymbals unpacked and staring at me.

First impression:
The things are damned heavy, nearly 5 lbs each. You gotta be a muscleman to carry these hours at a time. Plus they're thin, sharp, vengeful and bite me right out of the box before I even attach the straps. Better hold them well away from my body or I'll look like Samurai after a swordfight.

Second Impression:
Just slapping them together doesn't work too well. They have a tendency to hit each other twice if you're not careful to use the right angle of attack. I'm going to need practice. Well, I've got a month.

Third impression:
My Lord, what a powerful sound! And how it lingers on! The fundamental is quite midrangey, in the 1kHz area I'm sure. I'll check them with an RTA for energy spectrum but it's gotta be very wide.

Fourth impression:
Live and close up, they sound nothing like any recorded cymbals I've heard. No grit, no artifacts, and not particularly treble-oriented. Wonder why they are so hard to capture faithfully, particularly on digital equipment? Redbook CD obviously doesn't do the job.

Got a triangle coming too. Wonder what THAT sounds like!

Note: you have to watch for dents and cracks which will ruin their sound. Plus, they ain't cheap. A good pair of professional cymbals runs $500-$600!! Mine are more modest, made in Canada, but still $130 discounted online.

Early B. · « **Reply #63 on:** 6 Dec 2008, 03:18 am »

Brian --

I didn't know you were a musician.

mjosef · « **Reply #64 on:** 6 Dec 2008, 03:19 am »

So what's the procedure for obtaining tickets for this demo? I thought I had read something about that somewhere but couldn't find it when I went looking again.
I would like to attend this demo.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #65 on:** 6 Dec 2008, 05:50 pm »

mjosef:

Send me an email with the subject line "CES demo".

Specify which set you'd like:
Noon, 3pm, 5pm and which date, Thurs-Fri-Sat-Sun. You will get a return email with an eticket.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #66 on:** 6 Dec 2008, 08:47 pm »

Early B:

I would have loved to have become a professional musician. I studied music in my youth, took piano lessons, attended 2-3 concerts a week for years while in Munich, hung out at the Musikhochschule, audited master classes, did everything I could.

But I lacked talent. I ended up an audio engineer to stay close to the music and became a speaker manufacturer to make a living, which I've done for 32 years now.

I haven't performed in public since my exit recital in piano from Oberrealschule, and have my doubts about a career in percussion. But I think I can learn the cymbals well enough to not embarrass myself at CES. We shall see.

mjosef · « **Reply #67 on:** 7 Dec 2008, 05:15 pm »

Thank you Brian, email sent.
CES2009 is my Christmas present to myself.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #68 on:** 7 Dec 2008, 07:09 pm »

We have about 360 tickets available. Any AC'er who contacts me this month should get one. Ticket emails will go out first week of January.

John Casler · « **Reply #69 on:** 9 Dec 2008, 07:28 am »

Here is some of the Publicity for THE Show

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #70 on:** 25 Dec 2008, 08:57 pm »

In two weeks we take the stage for our live-vs-recorded CES demo and I have already learned a lot.

From several runthroughs with our pianist Chris Salocks I am learning to play an instrument in the context of an ensemble, a concept new to me. Right now I specialize in early and late entrances, but hope to improve by Show time. I have added triangle and woodblock to my percussion battery and am rehearsing a vocal number.

There are still plenty of tickets so if you're in Vegas for CES, contact me. It would be a shame to miss out on such an informative and entertaining demo like this one.

Here is the set list:

12 noon: piano recital by Chris Salocks on the Yamaha C7 concert grand

1pm Jeanine del Carlo, vocals, with instrumental tracks she has laid down herself in contemporary style

3:30 (Thurs/Fri) 3pm (Sat) Leslie Olsher vocals, Fred Haller alto sax/clarinet, Bill Bailey, acoustic bass, Chris Salocks, piano, yours truly, percussion. Program will vary.

5pm Instrumental with the full combo, then vocal duet with Jeanine and Lesley, vocal by yours truly, and "The Wrong Note Rag" (L Bernstein) with Lesley, Jeanine, Chris, yours truly, and our audience (that means you!) singing the choral part.

Ray Kimber will preside on the Sony Sonoma DSD two channel DAW fed by Schoeps mics, with playback over the V60 speaker system featuring VSS dual subs.

Lesley Olsher and Ray Kimber will sell their CD's and LP's, and our artists will sign autographs. Comment cards will be supplied to all audience members, your input is welcomed.

Sunday's schedule TBA depending on attendance. Venue: Zeus Ballroom, Alexis Park Hotel, right in the lobby. Look for signage.

There will be guest artists each day, so drop by anytime and have a listen.

Should be a blast.

Hipper · « **Reply #71 on:** 26 Dec 2008, 09:47 am »

I live in the UK and won't be going but I would like to wish you the very best for this bold enterprise.

I'm sure it will be fun whatever the outcome.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #72 on:** 26 Dec 2008, 05:57 pm »

If it goes badly, believe me it won't be fun.

If you recall Boesendorfer decided to introduce their (expensive) speaker line with a live-vs-recorded demo in NYC a few years back and the audio press was invited. You know the outcome. Money and reputations went down the drain, instantly and in quantity. The company fell into such distress it went on the selling block, finally being bought out by Yamaha. The NYC facilities are now closed.

I appreciate your encouragement, however.

Hipper · « **Reply #73 on:** 27 Dec 2008, 09:39 am »

In that case, fingers crossed for you.

As far as I'm concerned you have a very high reputation as a speaker designer and manufacturer: the evidence is in my listening room and will remain there whatever the outcome.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #74 on:** 27 Dec 2008, 06:45 pm »

Thank you for the kind words.

As I draw performers, co-exhibitors, musical instruments, and gear together from many different distances and directions I am struck by why I should attempt this in the first place.

It has been suggested elsewhere on AC that I should have little trouble since some historical live-vs-recorded demos (back to the mid 1950's) managed to fool a lot of people into confusing one with the other. A piece of cake, in other words. This is the "sources rule!" school of audio thought. If true then just about any good speaker (and there are many on the market) should do the job. Somehow I feel this won't be the case. I have deliberately made things difficult for myself by challenging the reproduction gear (in particular the speakers) to their limits. The grand finale of our four daily sets requires one pair of stereo speakers to reproduce sax, clarinet, piano, two female voices, string bass, percussion, and 30 audience members singing at the top of their lungs, with conviction. I sincerely doubt that's possible, but we're going to try and you, dear reader, will hear about it from the entire audio press.

The other big consideration is expense: at least $15k for me personally so far, about five times the amount we normally spend for a Show. The big investment has to have a big reward or I am just indulging in a vain fantasy.

Some years back there was a speaker manufacturer whose name said it all: "Freudian Systems" (or some such). Their models were the big "Ego" and the even larger "Superego". This is the only example of real truth in audio marketing I can think of. I hope to have progressed beyond that level.

We shall see.

Housteau · « **Reply #75 on:** 31 Dec 2008, 03:03 am »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 25 Dec 2008, 08:57 pm

Ray Kimber will preside on the Sony Sonoma DSD two channel DAW fed by Schoeps mics, with playback over the V60 speaker system featuring VSS dual subs.

I thought the plan was for two VLA towers. It would seem to me that if ever there was a perfect venue for the complete V60 / VLA system, this is it, the perfect showcase. I would think that you would want your ultimate statement system for this event.

I will admit that before my towers came in I was quite happy with the VSS, but after having the towers there is no going back.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #76 on:** 1 Jan 2009, 06:03 pm »

We sold out our VLA towers two months back and I located a new, very good domestic woodshop to make new ones. The CES demo pair turned out very well (based on pix sent to me) but on their way up from Riverside (only 400 miles), the trucker managed to damage both heavily. "Damage" is too mild a word, "destroy" would be more appropriate.

There was no time to make more, as the supplier had closed down for the holidays. So I am going to use two VSS. Our live music demo has little content below 30Hz so I expect twin VSS will do the job. I will miss the sound of the VLA's in the demo.

New price for the VLA is $5500 each with amp in piano black, veneers a little more. Availablility is end of January.

Housteau · « **Reply #77 on:** 1 Jan 2009, 09:31 pm »

I am sorry to hear that had happened. It is too bad that there isn't anyone close that could donate a pair to the cause for a few days, but I know that would be a logistical nightmare and risk the same sort of damage. I am sure the music will be fine, it is just the visual impact that will be slighly hurt.

Have you thought about stacking pairs of subs together for the event? I know that John Casler had mentioned in other posts that this can be quite impressive in his room, and that may very well help in the larger room for the CES. I think it could have a certain positive visual impact as well.

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #78 on:** 3 Jan 2009, 05:42 pm »

That's a good idea. If we have room for extra subs I'll bring some. Right now the van looks pretty full, but stacked subs might be just the ticket.

John Casler · « **Reply #79 on:** 3 Jan 2009, 05:50 pm »

Quote from: Brian Cheney on 3 Jan 2009, 05:42 pm

That's a good idea. If we have room for extra subs I'll bring some. Right now the van looks pretty full, but stacked subs might be just the ticket.

Ah yes the "poor man's" VLA = VSS stacked 2-3 high!!! (requires anti-slip device between subs)

Nothing like 4-6 UltraMegaWoofers powered by 2000w, to move (ALL) the air in a room.