Hi from Cardiff!

[alexthemusicbloke]

Hi Y'all

Thought I'd join up here as I've been a lurker for some time.

I'm Alex from Cardiff, Wales, UK. Self-confessed geek of hifi/audio, although I spend a lot of time in the Studio as an engineer. As a student, I wouldn't claim to have the greatest system going, but I think it's pretty good considering!

I'm running:
Rega Planar 3 (with motor upgrade) + RB250 with Michell Tecnoweight + Ortofon 2m RED
ProJect PhonoBox (planning to upgrade this ASAP)
B&O Beomaster 6500 pre-amp (also have a Beomaster 4400 in storage)
Beogram CD7000 (by far my best sounding digital source)
Adam A7 active speakers
All running with custom made cabling using Neutrik connectors and Van Damme cabling.

I listen to everything and anything (except maybe a lot of free jazz, Ornette Coleman etc sort of does my head in, as does a lot of really heavy rock/metal).

Looking forward to many hours of nerdiness :cool:

[keiths]

Morning Alex - welcome to AoS :wave:

Nice system and a nice wide taste in music is always going to go down well here.

Is studio engineer going to be your career?

[alexthemusicbloke]

Morning Alex - welcome to AoS :wave:

Nice system and a nice wide taste in music is always going to go down well here.

Is studio engineer going to be your career?

That's the plan yes, although it's a pretty difficult area to get into at the moment - lots of studios closing down left right and centre, if not tightening their belts. It's kinda frightening but I'm of the opinion things will start to look up in the next few years.

Who feeds the artists? (http://torrentfreak.com/copyright-is-failing-says-european-commissioner-111121/)

[tannoy man]

Welcome Alex from another Cardiff Boy.

[Reid Malenfant]

Hi Alex, welcome to AoS from me to :) At least if you do get a job in a studio we'll know who to moan at for the lack of dynamic range on modern recordings :D

Thankfully I don't listen to pop though, so you'll not be hearing complaints from me :eyebrows:

Best of luck job hunting & I hope you enjoy your stay here! :cool:

[Alex_UK]

Welcome Alex, from another one. :) (Another Alex that is, not a "Self-confessed geek of hifi/audio" oh - hang on... ;))

I know what you mean about free jazz - "a lot of musicians in a race - nobody wins" as my mate always says... :eyebrows:

Hope you enjoy the forum and good luck with your course... :)

[alexthemusicbloke]

Hi Alex, welcome to AoS from me to :) At least if you do get a job in a studio we'll know who to moan at for the lack of dynamic range on modern recordings :D

Oh don't even get me started! :chainsaw:



I know what you mean about free jazz - "a lot of musicians in a race - nobody wins" as my mate always says... :eyebrows:

:lolsign: That's a great way of putting it!

[Puffin]

Hi Alex,

You have virtually the same turntable as me. I would be interested to know what the total cost was. I ask because I "made" mine over a period of about 15 years. I first picked up a plinth from a shop in Brighton for £15 (he had all the colours - so I thought I would use it as an isolation platform).... oh and it is Purple. Some years later I saw an ad in the local paper for a Rega 78...aha a platter and arm for £25. Then I got an uprated Rega motor and a Rega Super Bias. Latterly I added the Michel Technoweight.

Rob.

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Alex.

Good to have another member in the recording business.

Admire your broad taste in music. Apropos 'free jazz' (such as Ornette Coleman), agreed it is challenging! I have some of his stuff, bought thirty years ago and I'm still trying to 'get into it'. :scratch:

Welcome again

Regards

[alexthemusicbloke]

Hi Alex,

You have virtually the same turntable as me. I would be interested to know what the total cost was. I ask because I "made" mine over a period of about 15 years. I first picked up a plinth from a shop in Brighton for £15 (he had all the colours - so I thought I would use it as an isolation platform).... oh and it is Purple. Some years later I saw an ad in the local paper for a Rega 78...aha a platter and arm for £25. Then I got an uprated Rega motor and a Rega Super Bias. Latterly I added the Michel Technoweight.

Rob.

How do you find it? I love mine! I can get over the slight pitch instability (which seems to be fairly common among Rega decks) but the sheer toe-tapping pace of it is superb! Everything's got this real forwardness which I love, I'm not into a laid-back sound, maybe because of the time I've spent in studios.

My arm cost £80 I seem to recall, and I also got a second hand Ortofon VMS20 mk2 which I quickly replaced with the 2M Red (VAST improvement).

The deck used to belong to my late grandfather. He bought it as part of a retirement present for himself along with a Sugden A48/T48 combo and a pair of Kef Calindas (which now reside in my dad's flat). It's kinda sad though because he developed severe tinnitus 6 months after buying the system, probably as a result of fighting in the war. The motor was replaced when the old one burnt out before it was passed to me. I then swapped the original arm for the RB250, as the R200 just wasn't cutting it for me.

I love my hifi, but the deck has real sentimental value. The Beogram CD7000 was also a christmas present from my (also late) grandmother (on the same side) so I guess I have a certain attachment to that as well.



Welcome to AoS Alex.

Good to have another member in the recording business.

Admire your broad taste in music. Apropos 'free jazz' (such as Ornette Coleman), agreed it is challenging! I have some of his stuff, bought thirty years ago and I'm still trying to 'get into it'. :scratch:

Welcome again

Regards

I'm sure I'll get into it at some point!

Sad to see that Paul Motian has just died though. Some friends of mine are having a listening night this Sunday, although I can't make it (which is bloody annoying as I actually built the speakers they'll be listening on)...

[Puffin]

I think the Rega sounds pretty good, but it gets little use as I am lazy b*^tard and CD means you can skip tracks without leaving your seat!

[alexthemusicbloke]

I think the Rega sounds pretty good, but it gets little use as I am lazy b*^tard and CD means you can skip tracks without leaving your seat!

Why would you want to skip tracks? :ner:

[keiths]

Sad to see that Paul Motian has just died though...

I hadn't heard this news. Very sad - I loved the recordings he did with Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro and I also have a couple records of his own trio.