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Other Stuff => Archived Manufacturer Circles => Music Reference => Topic started by: Roger A. Modjeski on 5 Aug 2014, 02:14 pm

Title: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 5 Aug 2014, 02:14 pm
I have posted this poll to get a feel for when and what to schedule for the school. Additional comments are welcome. You can vote for multiple items.

Long term classes (5 to 10 sessions) will be modeled after similar educational programs in the Bay Area. Those meet one evening a week typically from 6-9 or 7-10 pm. I would like to get a feel for the preference on time. Weekend classes go from 9 to noon, break for lunch, and then 1 to 4pm. Weekends would be for building classes, design classes and seminars.

Class size is 6-8 for the long term classes.  For the monthly meetings we could manage up to 25 people.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: jtwrace on 5 Aug 2014, 02:16 pm
Sure wish you were closer.   :(
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 5 Aug 2014, 02:26 pm
Sure wish you were closer.   :(

I hope to attract people who visit the Bay Area for business or pleasure. Plan a family vacation. You get to do what you love while they get to enjoy the city. San Francisco has a lot to see and do. The school is close to public transportation (BART) so everyone can see what they want. Staying on the East Bay is less expensive and the city is easy to get to.

When we look at the time and money invested in our hobby, this could be less than the cost of some cables and far more enjoyable. You could learn how too make your own cables.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: terryh on 21 Aug 2014, 06:44 pm
Greetings,
I'm sorry to be so dense---- but, how do I get to the poll?  I can see the questions if I'm not logged in but they do not appear if I'm logged in.  I would like to put in a vote for an Internet based class.
Terry
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 22 Aug 2014, 04:44 pm
Greetings,
I'm sorry to be so dense---- but, how do I get to the poll?  I can see the questions if I'm not logged in but they do not appear if I'm logged in.  I would like to put in a vote for an Internet based class.
Terry

HI Terry,

I don't know what the problem is. Perhaps another member can help. Since I put up the poll I don't see it the way you do. If you still have trouble just let us know your thoughts in a reply.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: terryh on 22 Aug 2014, 05:58 pm
Hi Roger,
I don't know what changed but everything is A-OK now.  The poll is at the top of the page with active vote boxes.  Thanks!
Terry
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: terryh on 22 Aug 2014, 06:04 pm
Hello again,

I just noticed that this poll is slightly different that one I saw posted with another topic.  That one included a vote for an Internet based class.  I am up in Oregon and can't attend a live seminar but I'd definitely pay for and attend a web based class.
Terry
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 23 Aug 2014, 12:01 am
I plan to have both on location and internet classes later this year. We have to get settled in first, this is a rather big move.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: terryh on 23 Aug 2014, 02:39 am
Sounds great-- I'll watch for it.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: soundofrockets on 23 Aug 2014, 05:19 am
Interested.  Waiting for more specific information.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Kenneth Patchen on 23 Aug 2014, 11:13 am
+1 on the Internet version.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: who?me? on 23 Aug 2014, 09:35 pm
Classes sound great! Don't forget to inform the SFAS (SF Audiophile Society) website,
there will be supporters and interested parties there!
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 25 Aug 2014, 02:15 pm
Classes sound great! Don't forget to inform the SFAS (SF Audiophile Society) website,
there will be supporters and interested parties there!


Yes I am in touch with the society. Thanks.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 29 Aug 2014, 03:09 pm
Ben and I have been packing boxes all week. Today we load a 22 ft truck to take equipment, benches, tools, parts and some fun stuff to the school. We hope to have an openhouse next weekend Sept 6-7. Look here for details.

Anyone in the area interested in helping with the unpacking and set-up can contact me here by private message.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 4 Sep 2014, 03:58 pm
I am happy to say that we made the trip to Berkeley without any problem though it was a lot of work. We had some welcome help setting up from members and friends of the Bay Area Audio Society (BASS). I have already met and heard some great systems here. I have encountered more interest in our hobby here in 3 days than the lasts 30 years on Santa Barbara. I also have encountered people who do real experiments and have interest in either building their own equipment or making real scientific improvements in their systems.

One member I visited had assembled an inexpensive great sounding system and was able to produce a graph of the response of the system in his room. For $300 he had bought a measurement system and equalized his room to a pretty flat response. He and another member were using phono preamps, line amps and power amps they had built from the Randall Museum classes. One had an expensive phono preamp that was noisier than the one he had built for a fraction of the cost. He wondered why, I said: I know that designer, he used the wrong tube.
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: soundofrockets on 8 Sep 2014, 08:42 am
Any further updates?
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 8 Sep 2014, 04:51 pm
I will be speaking to the BAAS on the 20th. Sign up now. I hear it will fill quickly
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Mortsnets on 8 Sep 2014, 08:15 pm
http://sanfranciscoaudiophilesociety.com
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: soundofrockets on 8 Sep 2014, 09:51 pm
Where is the sign up info?
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 9 Sep 2014, 07:14 am
Where is the sign up info?

http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=jztj8trab&oeidk=a07e9t25jvgf74574da&oseq=

see brown button at the bottom of page
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: soundofrockets on 9 Sep 2014, 11:12 pm
thanks
Title: Re: School in Berkeley opening in this Fall
Post by: Roger A. Modjeski on 26 Sep 2014, 02:30 pm
We will soon have a website dedicated to the school. We are still looking for those in the area who want to help in creating this school for audio enthusiats. Here is the first offering that I distributed at my presentation to the Bay Area Audio Society on Sept. 21.

Audio School Curriculum

Listed below are four classes that start with the basics and go toward more detail. Start date to be established.

Basic Electronics: Volts, ohms, amps, AC and DC circuits. Ohm's law explained in simple terms anyone can understand. What resistors, capacitors, inductors, transformers, tubes and transistors do. Meets 4 times for 2 hours per class.

Preamp Circuits: From a single gain stage to a full function preamp. Phono and tape EQ, line amps, filters, tone controls. How noise, distortion, frequency response, input/output impedance affects what you  hear. How to manipulate these parameters for the best sounding preamp.
Meets 6 times for 2 hours per class.

Power amp Circuits: Classes of operation, output stage topologies (SE, PP, OTL, SEPP) and their application. How to determine bias, load impedance, power output, output transformer specs, distortion, noise and damping factor. Learn how these output circuits behave into different loads. Driver topologies, drive and gain requirements, feedback, input impedance.
Meets 8 times for 2 hours per class.

Power Supplies: Choosing transformers, caps and chokes for optimum performance. High Voltage regulators, Filament regulators, where to use DC heaters and where not. Choke input, Pi and multiple stage filters. How to make good supplies without regulators.
Meets 4 times for 2 hours.

Courses are priced depending on enrollment. Get your friends to enroll and reduce the cost for everyone. $20 per hour per student for class of 5, $15 per hour for class of 8-12 students.
Dates for classes are open and will be determined by the majority of the participants.

Future classes: It appears the Randall amplifier building classes have come to an end. I am interested in filling that void by offering construction classes. America also needs a Triode Festival like the one in Europe. http://www.triodefestival.net/  There have been several successful group meetings for DIYers in NYC and other places, however these events are no longer offered.

Opportunities at the School: This is a new adventure from the ground up. We plan to create a non-profit school with a board of directors. As the school grows there will be paid positions for staff and other instructors. Go to Music Reference on YouTube to see current videos which can be moved to the new school channel. https://www.youtube.com/user/MusicReferenceAudio. We have over 46,000 views and are only in our first year.

Opportunities at Music Reference: We are looking for people with the following skills to take designs from prototype to production in exchange for a finished unit of their work or a product of similar value. Currently we have several products that need to have metalwork drawn up on CAD. We have need for a circuit board layout person. The Electrostatic Speaker system is ready for production and needs a separate space and team to build it. The design now includes direct drive 5000 volt amps.

We are also open to meet with people who would like to expand the business in the areas of marketing, production, sales and management. Write Roger at ramtubes@gmail.com.