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Thread: Hello from Scotland

  1. #11
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,853
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Martin,

    The photos of your system deserve to be enlarged:





    Being a bit of a Quad fanatic, I would love to see your Quad/Roger LS3/5a set up as well.
    Barry

  2. #12
    Join Date: Jan 2021

    Location: West of Scotland

    Posts: 47
    I'm Martin.

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    Sandy

    No it didn't, my then employer got it for me at trade price, one of the advantages perhaps of being in the profession. I do remember Kerr's though I don't believe I ever bought anything there. I've lived here for 40 years and I sometimes wonder at how so much has changed, regrettably not all for the better.

  3. #13
    Join Date: Jan 2021

    Location: West of Scotland

    Posts: 47
    I'm Martin.

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    Thanks Barry, I think it likely I haven't worked out which button to press. It's too cold and too late to venture into the workshop tonight, I'll take a pic tomorrow.

  4. #14
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MartinS View Post
    Hi folks
    New kid (who am I kidding) on the block, I seem to have found a hifi forum that appears to be inhabited by normal people, which I hope will be enjoyable. I'll put together some words and pics about me, my system, and musical tastes and post later.
    Martin
    Hi Martin,

    Welcome to AoS!

    Where in the west are you? I have both friends and relatives in Helensburgh, Largs and Saltcoats, but you probably hail from somewhere more exotic up north, such as Skye I was born in sunny Glasgow (south side).

    Normal? Not sure - all depends if you tune in before midnight, and stay well clear of Tabatha's dungeon After that I can't give you any guarantees...

    Anyway, enjoy and get stuck in. The biggest difference with here and some other hi-fi forums, is there's no one-upmanship, trolling or endless circular debates about 'Do cables make a difference?' - well only on Tuesdays!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  5. #15
    Join Date: Jan 2021

    Location: West of Scotland

    Posts: 47
    I'm Martin.

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    Thank you Marco, not exotic at all but the south side, you'll know where but I'd rather not be more specific on a public forum. Cables, hmm, there a discussion I'd rather not have. As you say it's circular and boring, and beyond the laws of physics, completely unprovable.
    Martin

  6. #16
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    No problem, Martin, totally understand

    As a big fan of (mainly vintage) BBC broadcast audio equipment, I'm intrigued by this part of your employment history:

    Quote Originally Posted by MartinS
    Finally a personal bit, I spent 20 years in the professional audio industry, half of it with BBC Engineering and the other with a small company building radio stations in the UK
    Could you outline what your responsibilities were, and also what sort of equipment has been through your hands, as it were, over the years?

    I'm not sure how old you are, but my interests lie mainly in the analogue/vinyl replay equipment used in the likes of Radio 1 from the 60s through to the late 80s, which for me, sound wise, represented the 'golden era', and when vinyl was cleaned on Keith Monks professional record cleaners by dedicated sevice personnel, and replayed on the likes of Garrard 301s, Gates CB500s, fitted with Gray Research arms/Goldring G800 cartridges, then latterly Technics SP10s with Shure SC35Cs, fitted to bespoke BBC pickup arms, and lastly the king of kings, EMT 950s.

    As an '80s boy', I have very fond memories of listening to the Top 40 chart show on Sunday nights, hosted by the likes of Tommy Vance, and the wonderful 'big punchy' sound shows like that produced, which just isn't heard now from any BBC radio broadcasts, as it's all streamed digital files, etc, which to me in comparison sound thin and tinny. and just not the same as when vinyl was used, and 'DJ' really meant a DJ, not just a glorified mouse-clicker!

    Anyway, what are your thoughts on all of that? Plus, if you could shed any light on exactly what equipment was used in those shows in question, plus also which turntable arm and cartridge Tony Blackburn used when he introduced the launch of Radio 1 in 1967 (see image below), that would be most interesting, plus what sorts of speakers were used in the control rooms of the eras in question



    My guess for the above would be some form of modified Garrard 301, but I've always wondered what that strange looking 'slip mat' was on the platter and what it's purpose was? Would I also be right in thinking that the cartridge used was a ceramic type, such as a Decca Deram?

    Oh, and some pics of your workshop system would be great. As much as your main system is lovely (particularly your valve monoblocks), I'm more of a vintage guy at heart! Cheers.

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #17
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Hi Martin,

    Have I scared you off?

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  8. #18
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Ayrshire, Scotland

    Posts: 231
    I'm Ian.

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    Welcome to the Forum
    we are getting quite a few from the west of Scotland

    The mention of James Kerr in Woodlands Road brought back memories. They used be in Sauchiehall Street (at at time when one had to build ones own Amps) and sold an amp I used to drool over- A "Williamson". knocked my mullard 5 20 for six but was at a price I couldn't look at.
    Ive never heard it mentioned since way back
    Technics 1200 tweaked,Ianmac Bearing,DACT DIY Phono Pre, Belcanto CD-2, Engineered Switzerland DIY Renderer, Benchmark DAC2, Hypex NCore, ATC SCM40
    2nd system --Engineered Switzerland DIY streamer, Sony CDP11,Topping D50 DAC, Hypex NCore. Kef 1point2 speakers. Ianmac Filters

  9. #19
    Join Date: Jan 2021

    Location: West of Scotland

    Posts: 47
    I'm Martin.

    Default

    Hi Marco
    No, not at all, I did feel it was worth my while to read some of the threads to get a feel for the tenor of the forum. As a new boy I don't want to go stomping around with my size 12 prejudices/experience without understanding the level of upset that I may cause.
    This is my workshop system in all its simplicity, currently it allows FM radio only, I could add a streaming device if I felt the need but since I'm often using one or other of the machines I don't see the point. BTW I can't see how to post pics in the body of the post at a decent size, am I missing something obvious?

    IMG_1077.jpg IMG_1078.jpg

    The BBC, there's a subject for discussion, the engineering division when I joined it in London in 1979 was sub divided into various departments. By far the largest was tech ops both radio and television although there was little or no cross pollination. They were responsible for operation and maintenance of equipment, after which there were capital projects, TCPD for transmitters and SCPD (Studio) for everything else, and then all the specialisms, Research Drepartment, Designs Department, and Equipment Department which I hope are self explanantory.

    I was allocated to SCPD in a section called Broadcast Systems Unit A which was broadly radio, B was television. Both units were subsequently made dual purpose. There were others, radio studios, television studios, OBs, studio lighting, television cameras, power distribution (electrics), architectural and acoustics, etc. It was I suppose about 500 people and nowadays seems totally unlikely but it should be remembered that there was virtually no external industry at the time. For personal reasons I left in May88 by which time the writing was on the wall for the engineering division, for example it no longer has a directorial representation at senior level and I have no doubt redundancy would have been too far off. I was lucky, when I joined Alasdair Milne was the DG, almost the last one to have a proper understanding of programme making, after that it was all accountants, overpromoted news journalists, and plain incompetents. It was though by far the best ten years of my working life. Because of the vagaries about how projects were allocated I spent just over half that time in Glasgow which is partly how I come to be here now, however my first project in the summer of 1979 was at Maida Vale converting EMT140 echo plates to pseudo stereo workig.

    All that waffle will tell you that I didn't have much involvement with studio equipment but I can tell you that Blackburn is sitting in Con2 at BH London, the desks are type B, the last with rotary faders, the mic is an STC4038, the grams I have no clue any involvement I had with grams was EMT units. The slip mat suggests a turntable that has a slow run up, holding the mat stationery with the turntable running give an almost instant start and keeps the segues tight. Loud speaker monitor at the time would have been an inhouse unit and it was just before the LS5/5 and 6 and of course it's all mono.

    I could go on, enough for a Sunday afternoon, hope I haven't bored everyone rigid.
    Martin

  10. #20
    Join Date: Feb 2013

    Location: W Lothian

    Posts: 99,005
    I'm Grant.

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    cheers martin.. good info.
    Regards,
    Grant .... ؠ ......Don't be such a big girl's blouse

    I've said it before and I'll say it again: democracy simply-doesn't-work
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    “You see these dictators on their pedestals, surrounded by the bayonets of their soldiers and the truncheons of their police ... yet in their hearts there is unspoken fear. They are afraid of words and thoughts: words spoken abroad, thoughts stirring at home -- all the more powerful because forbidden -- terrify them. A little mouse of thought appears in the room, and even the mightiest potentates are thrown into panic.”

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