Making a cable for Uher 4200 report for connecting a mic with XLR output

Normally a transformer will exist between the 2.


A vintage Belden 8451 FR-1 thin cable was used which had been found soldered to an RCA BA-6A limiter.


An original 3 pin Cannon? bayonet connector was used for the Uher mic input.

Restoring the 1st Pleiades mic input transformer box

It is an aluminium box containing 2 specially ordered Sowter transformers, 3104 with 2 secondaries so that it can be either 1:10 or 1:20.


It had been ordered to Brian Sowter before 2000 so that the Grampian 25Ω GR1/L ribbon mics can be connected to Ferrograph 634 or 632.


The transformers had been resecured and re soldered. Currently one at 1:10 and the other at 1:20.


The primary inductance is about 3.9H.

Sony TC-D5M connected to a 1:10 Sowter mic input transformer

It was tried today by chance in order to find out if the connections in the input transformer box are in phase between input and output.


A very bad sound had been expected as the 1:10 ratio steps a 200Ω mic impedance to 20KΩ.
Signal path:


Male voice - Shure Unidyne B Mexico - Sowter 3104 connected as 1:10 - Sony TC-D5M connection to mic in L channel - Sennheisr HD580 - listener's ear, brain


Whiteout the input transformer the sound is nice.


With the input transformer the sound is impressive, focused, with no excessive bass or treble, much louder.

A new little melody Πως να σ' αγγίξω

It was heard in a dream just before waking up after a kind of nightmare. Only beginning of chorus had been heard.


On a 16/16 matrix:


Key is B minor ie all F or C are sharp.


B----AGF-E------ (E)Πως να σ'αγγ(A)ιξω
A----GFE-D------ (D)Πως να σου δεί(D)ξω


In parenthesis is shown the bass


So the bass code can be:


E or E7
A6
D9 or D7
G7


remember all F or C are sharp otherwise it sounds nonsense


A rough demo of it had been recorded yesterday while experimenting with mics, Pleiades filters, Pleiades V6 1H4 and Uher 4200.

Violence and CD generation?

See previous post including effects of brain waves at lower bandwidth than 20KHz

Extended frequency responce and brain waves in Rupert Neve lecture

Lecture CRAS 2001
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SsgQcyXyzss


It is mentioned after 1:00 that high frequency response above 20KHz of equipment leads to relaxation, lack of anger, even perhaps violence.
There are references to research published on papers.


Does a similar argument apply to class A versus class AB, B or class D amplifiers?


A similar argument between analog or digital recording?


As this is written a CBS digitally remastered cassette is being listened to playing Baroque music on a nice Panasonic RX-4922L portable radio cassette player.
Harpsichord and violins sound so realistic and extended in high frequency. It makes one feel tranquile and happy.

Pleiades V6 1H4 with Uher 4200 report stereo

See next post on the Pleiades Studio setup.

Advantages of the Pleiades studio signal path

At your risk.


It is simple and minimal.


It uses just 3 pieces of equipment.


1 An Uher 4200 report stereo reel to reel tape recorder.


2 A JVC Nivico 70's radio fed from Uher and feeding the monitoring speaker.


3 The monitoring speaker is a Pleiades made of linoleum sheet Auratone 5C type fullrange speaker with a Tesla drive unit. The speaker wrapped by a net hangs from the ceiling and is currently at about 1 meter and half from floor.


The studio setup is battery powered. It is semi portable.


The JVC radio used as a bass boost amplifier to compliment the small speaker has the added advantage of immediate listening to FM radio just by disconnecting the AUX in mini jack fed by UHER.


Currently commercial radio stations with well known pop songs sound great with balanced frequency response or amazing sound.


Currently almost everything recorded to Uher from CD sounds great through the JVC and monitoring speaker.


Currently almost everything recorded with a microphone connected to Uher sounds bad. Like singing to a broken bathtub while inside a plastic bucket.


But this is the point. It forces one to make any change needed so that the result sounds towards an excellent commercial recording.


Today while trying to record a melody phrase with male voice, the most natural or professional sounding recording is one made with an Electro - Voice 635a omnidirectional microphone at 45o at 2-3 inch connected to a Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) gentle slope low cut filter. This filter is used for reducing bass, mid heaviness to listener's brain due to equal loudness curves (Fletcher, Munson curves) and due to voice effort curves (a softer singing voice produces more bass and treble than a loud singing by the same singer).[Lowe, Morgan]


Connecting the Pleiades V6 1H4 mic booster front end amplifier created a bad sound full of every ambient detail from yards away and at the same time distortion at sibilant sounds. This indicates clipping distortion at some transistor stage of the Uher.


The Fostex M80RP sounded more airy but with above distortion as it has been only connected so far to the Pleiades V6 feeding the mic input of the Uher. Similarly for Shure SM59 which less bright than the M80RP. Ambient sounds from far away could be recorded even with the excellent but low output SM59.


The expensive AKG MI 201-100 omni direction mic gave bass and mid bass and mid heaviness directly connected to Uher, possibly due to,above reasons.


More investigation needed.


A way to go is trying low turn ratio (1:2 etc) input signal transformers with the Uher 4200 report.


Next day addition: the 1/4in was replayed today. The most natural sounding and more treble extended is the recording made with Fostex M80RP - Pleiades (130Ω,40mH) - Pleiades V6 1H4 but there is the s clipping problems.


Later addition 20090216:
Other way to go is connecting the Pleiades V6 CV2269 low gain electron tube mic booster amplifier with a low inductance output transformer for reducing bass heaviness to listener's brain.


See also:
https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2020/09/at-last-vocal-recording-starts-to.html


Reference:


Sound Picture Recording and Reprodicing Charactersitcs - D. P. Lowe, K. F. Morgan - JSMPE

Why do good tape recorders do not need lubrication or need minimum lubrication

For example the Uher report 4200, 4400.
They use sintered bronze bearings according to the manual.


https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-lubricating_chain
By reading the Wikipedia article it can be seen that Crysler engineers developed such bearings.

The four five 45 chord revisited, exercise

It consists of the 4th interval above bass together with the 5th interval above bass and resolved to ordinary 35 (harmonic triad).


This is how it sounds like for example:


G and C and D    to
G and B and D


Vivaldi for example had been using it a lot. For example on mandolin concerto in C.


The 4th is prepared, for example:


C bass and E G C
G bass and D G C
G bass and D G B
C bass and E G C


In modern pop music it appears on quality crafted songs.


For example:


The look of love - Bacharach


A Salty dog - Procol Harum


Alone - Heart


Instabile - Nec


Eclipse - Pink Floyd


Echoes - Pink Floyd


Spending my time - Roxette


California Dreamin' - the Mamas and the Papas


Etc



Where does it appear on these songs?



Further reading:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF


Harmony - Piston

E bass with C major chord, Nothing compares 2 U - Price, Sinead O' Connor, μπαςο ΜΙ με συγχορδία Ντο μείζονα (3η)

It is E bass and E and G and C


Bass code is:


F It's been...(counting 4 beats)
E6               (counting 4 beats)
D7 Since you...     (counting 4 beats)
F46  (counting 2 beats)
C45?  (counting 2 beats)
See how all dissonant intervals are prepared and the 3rd with respect to bass added
[Bach, Niedt]


So since key is F major ie all B are flat we have:


F A C
E G C
D F (A) C
C F (A) C
C F G
(A) may not be used


It can be played gently with left hand at the middle of the piano keyboard and right hand playing the nice melody


It can be added to the Pleiades Melody Book


See also:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

The Pleiades studio

at the moment consists of the following signal path:


Mic - Uher 4200 report - JVC Nivico radio used as subtle bass boost compensating amplifier for using a small speaker - Pleiades linoleum Auratone type 5C speaker


First recording of a demo of It's the Summer Time sounds somewhat good on male voice (when not singing softly) and average of female voice.


This is good news as the case may be that this setup at once reveals a fault in the recording process. Voices sounded muddy.


But it is not a problem of the Uher, neither the JVC radio, nor the Pleiades Linoleum Auratone type 5C monitoring speaker as when recording or playing back a commercial recording from CD for example the sound is not only nice but impressive, full of detail including extended high frequency.


The mic used so far is an AKG MI 201-100, a plastic omni.


The reason of the bass heaviness should be the Fletcher, Munson equal loudness curves, voice effort curves.


So next time, a Pleiades (R,L) gentle slope low cut filter will be used in order to make the frequency response flat from producer's brain to listener's brain [Lowe, Morgan].


Reference:


Sound Picture Recording and Reproducing Characterists - D. P. Lowe, K. F. Morgan - Journak of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers

Singing in tune part x

Since [Stevens, Warshofsky] at high sound intensity the brain hears a flatter pitch and therefore a singer sings flat... (a percentage of a semitone lower)..,


would this imply that a singer should listen to the music at low intensity and therefor sing not loud.


Would this imply that singing loud requiring a loud backing track would lead to pitch error not because of the vocal chords but because of the brain hearing flat.


But why some singers can sing loud and not out of tune?
Is it because they have less ear sensitivity?
Or is the answer that they do not sing loud after all.
We know [Sound on Sound article on how to make a loud mix] that the softer something is recorded the louder it sounds at reproduction.
And it is also known that loudness does not depend on intensity only, it depends on frequency band shape [Fletcher, Munson curves], how the resonant cavities of the body, (mouth, head, nose) are used to multiply the molecule excursion at certain frequency bands.
And of course it is emotional content that creates loudness out of a whispering voice [conversation with Stelios Yianakopoulos, recording engineer at EMI Columbia Athens no longer existing recording studios].



Reference:


Sound and Hearing - Stevens, Warshofsky - Life Science Series

T-shirts with Pink Panther wearing a mask?

The Mind's Influence

It's chapter 4 at page 76 of the unique book,
Sound and Hearing - S. S. Stevens, Fred Warshofsky - Life Science Series


This chapter begins by showing that pitch does not only depend on frequency but also on intensity.


I feel so privileged having found this book at my dad's library when I was a kid. It had been translated to Hellenic language by medical doctor Manos Tierry.
It's funny that my best friend at school Yiannis had once told me that his dad had been translating a Life encyclopedia to Hellenic.
Many years later I discovered by looking up at the beginning of the book that my favorite book had been translated by my best friend's dad.
I wish he is well. A so fine, smart doctor and person. He took us once on foot to visit Radio Katouma shop where would would buy Josty electronic kits, RIAA preamps and the like.
We would be impatiently exhausted walking Athens till getting to the shop. He would keep telling us, we are almost there...

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It's the summer time, Semele - Public Domain

Heard yesterday on a dream with Vicky, been played by the radio, this simple melody with simple lyrics.
Only the first 2 verses are reconstructed as the music lasted only a few seconds before waking up.


Apparently it is in F minor.


, , , , c , d c , , d c , , , ,    (It's the summer time)
, , , , b , a b , , a b , b a ,  (It's a reason why)


A demo has been made while singing this melody and harmony as:


F bass and F A C
F bass and E G B
D bass and F A C
D bass and E G B
B bass and F A C
B bass and E G B
A bass
(Remember all B, E, A, D are flat)
(And now all notes are sharp since modulation is to A sharp minor)
F bass and A C E
D bass and F A C E
A bass and A C E
G bass and A C E
(The last 4 chords support the melody of Semele)


The demo using Pleyel piano model 9 - AKG MI 200-101 mic - Uher 4200 report stereo 4th (Vicky's ) sounds quite nice.

Who pays the ferryman - Markopoulos, Ποιος πληρώνει τον βαρκάρη - Μαρκόπουλος

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hK95EavfLOM


Remembering being at kid at around 10?
My parents were summer renting a mountain country house from a friend family at the Afidnae village.
There was a huge tree at the garden.
Under its shadow there I was using a table to mount my Polycyclomatic (πολυκυκλωματιστης) toy with springs holding connections for resistors, capacitors, germanium transistors.
It could also (by making the relevant connections) transmit at MW AM so with a JVC Nivico radio I could hear my voice speaking on a crystal earphone.
HRT (Hellenic radio television) at some instant was transmitting this nice instrumental. So the record knob was immediately pressed and it could then be listened to from cassette magnetic tape anytime, so many times.

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Sign of the Times - Harry Styles chords

So simple and so nice.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z0GKGpObgPY


(There must be double tracking at the vocal).


Bass code is just:
F
D
C
C7


So for example it can be implemented with suitable inversions as:


F bass and A C F
D bass and A D F
C bass and C E G
Bb bass and C E G


(Bb was played yesterday on bass for the C7 chord instead of a bB on the right hand and it sounded great, close to the song).

Deriving the chords of Spending my Time - Roxette

Of the right notes are played it sounds amazing even on a almost toy PSS-14 (using the strings voice).


All B, E, A, D are flat.


The notes below are meat to sound together.


C F A what's the time when it's already
B D F A already
B F G morning    resolved to B E G
...
C F A
B D F A
B F G resolved to B E G
B E F resolved to B D F changed to B bD F
...
...



Bass can be omitted but even if we do so we must have it in mind while harmonizing so that we can derive the other parts or voices (simply said notes) of the chord derived by bass so that bass can be reconstructed at the listeners brain.


The above notes sound amazing together but how are they derived?


We use the very simple rules of music.


Everything is referenced to bass.
Bass is one note at a time but we need to find what that note is
Once the correct sounding bass is found, ingredient notes of chords can be derived from the series C
E G B D F A C E G B ....
We count the natural notes and then add flats or sharps.
We use the right inversions so that from going from one chord to the next we make as less changes to each voice notes as possible. For example keeping as many notes as we can the same.
We may even keep notes sustained instead of replaying the same note and it sounds even better.
Then it sounds like the real song.
7th intervals, 9th intervals, with respect to bass are prepared and the 3rd added [Bach, Niedt]


So what is the code from which everything is derived in the fabulous introduction of this song?


F
B7
E9 to E
...
F
B7
E9
B45 to B to B(-3)


B(-3) means B minor 3rd


Remember all B, E, A, D are flat.



Reference


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

Making love Out of nothing at all - Air Supply

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qEd6QUbK2Mw
Video with lyrics

Unsuccessful attempt in making the Pleiades V6 1H4 mic booster amp on off switching silent

At your risk.
Always use a suitable fuse in series with any battery for fire hazard or other protection.
Protect your ears.


The cathode of the 1H4 and other cables to be grounded have been disconnected from Vf (1.5V) minus and are now connected to plus. So cathode and other cables to be grounded are now connected to Vb(12V) minus.


Since now the potential at plate is less than 12V instead of more than 13V, anode current has dropped from aproximately 50μA to 36μA.


There is still switching off noise when disconnecting Vf.


Sound quality seems to be better but test is inconclusive yet as only the Electro-Voice 635a mic has been tried. The sound is even less bass heavy. Still the signal to noise ratio is excellent.


Signal path:


Reverberant room - male singing or speaking voice - 635a - Pleiades V6 1H4 with Altec input, output transformers - Realistic Disco Mixer connection to its mic in - Sennheiser HD 580 - listener's (singer's) ear, brain


In practice it was found that increasing the fader on the Disco mixer although making voice louder did not make the click noise while switching off as loud, perhaps because this second stage is being clipped.


Indirect heater electron tubes do not suffer from this effect.


But since the direct cathode filament has a tremendous advantage is less battery power consumption (50mA compared to (200-300)mA...


And since no electrolytic capacitor is derived to be used across filament....
(would a small film capacitor reduce the switch off noise?..,)


it is decided to live with this noise when front end amp is switched off.

Η μπομπινα σου φέρνει και την ψυχική κατάσταση του αλλου

Comment of Vicky after listening to a BASF broadcast 5in reel of a pre 2000 piano recording inside a church in Endinburg.


Analog tape records, reproduces the psychic state of the performer.

Technics SL1200MK2 patents?

By finding the inventor's name on the SL1200 article or the Trchnics article on Wikipedia, Shuichi Obata.


Then searching at espacenet advanced search with inventor's name and Matsushita or record as keyword etc...


These are 2 relevant patents already found:


Pickup arm device:
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/mosaics?CC=US&NR=4203606A&KC=A&FT=D&ND=3&date=19800520&DB=EPODOC&locale=en_EP


Rotational speed signal sensor:
https://worldwide.espacenet.com/publicationDetails/biblio?DB=EPODOC&II=11&ND=3&adjacent=true&locale=en_EP&FT=D&date=19811124&CC=US&NR=4302692A&KC=A

Δισκάδικο Loden στον Πειραια, Loden record shop - Piraeus

We used to go to Loden record shop when we were teens with my best friend John.
We would buy top quality imported 45rpm maxi singles of Madonna, Sandra etc.
We would play them on Technics SL1200 MK2 rented by Vasilis at Monastiraki while DJing for the school ball dances. Towards the end of the ball we would play slow songs such as Brathers in Arms - Dire Straits and we leave the turntables to get to the dance floor too.


Αγοράζαμε μεγάλους δίσκους 45 στροφών το λεπτό (Maxi Single), εισαγωγής, τελειας ποιότητας ήχου, με τον κολλητό μου φίλο Γιάννη.
Παίζαμε μουςικη στα πικαπ Technics SL1200 MK2 σε χορούς της τάξης μας στο ξενοδοχείο  Intercontinental κτλ.
Μια φορα τα νοικιάσαμε απο τον Βασίλη στο Μοναστηράκι. Άλλες φορες απο το Hi-Power.

Erotic dance between melody and bass Ερωτική σχεςη μπασου μελωδίας

They are both one note at a time and they usually move in contrary motion. [Bach, Niedt]


Ειναι και οι δυο φωνές μια νοτα καθε φορα και κινούνται συνηθως σε αντίθετη κατεύθυνση. [Bach, Niedt].


Examples:


Air from suite in D - Bach - score - YouTube
Bass and uppermost melody:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E2j-frfK-yg


Fave to Face - The Twins
The riff played at 0:19 on the PPG analog, digital synthesizer:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vpHUcqe2v-w


Reference, αναφορα:


Bach Bass Rules - Bach, Niedt - PDF

Ενα πιθανό αίτιο σπυριων στο δέρμα απο ρούχα απο πλύσιμο ρούχων

Με δικη σας ευθύνη.
Δεν αποτελει ιατρική συμβουλή.


Περισσότερα στο διπλανό post στα αγγλικα.


Μπορει να ειναι σύμπτωση πολλών παραγόντων.


Πχ


Το ατύχημα με το πετρέλαιο στην θαλαςςα της Αθηνας.
Το χημικό που ρίχτηκε σαν αντίδωρο.
Άγχος.
Ακατάλληλη διατροφή.
Τσίμπημα απο έντομο.


Προσωπική παρατήρηση ειναι οτι οταν τα ρούχα έχουν πλυθεί με νιφάδες σαπουνιού Έλενας (πχ Αρκάδι) αντί για απορρυπαντικό δεν εμφανιζονται χοντρά σπυρια στο δέρμα.


Τα υφάσματα που έρχονται σε άμεση επαφή με το δέρμα ειναι τα πιο ύποπτα. Πχ μαξιλαροθηκη, εσώρουχα, κάλτσες.


Ευχαριστώντας τη Βίκη που πρότεινε το Αρκάδι που χρησιμοποιειται στα ρούχα για το ευαίσθητο δέρμα μωρών.

Skin irritation from cloth washing detergent

At your risk. This is not a medical advice.


Multinational companies are kind to warn on instructions of the product box.


An irritation even in the form of nasty spots may take place when one is wearing the cloth especialy when one is sweating and there is some amount left in the cloth from a non perfect rinsing.
A recent (2 years ago) accident on oil spillage in Athens sea seems to make skin more sensitive. Perhaps it is the antidote chemicals that had been thrown to the sea which had contacted a swimmer.


After changing from petroleum based detergent to olive oil based soap from personal observation spots seize to be produced.
Such soap flakes have been diluted in water for washing clothes.


Thanks to Vicky for suggesting the olive soap flakes with brand name Αρκάδι for washing baby clothes.


See also adjescent post in Hellenic language.

Stanton cartridge blueprints

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/mbrs/recording_preservation/manuals/Stanton%20(Misc.).pdf

Καλο φαγητο ειναι πιο σπάνιο απο καλο σεξ

Good quality food is more scarce than good quality sex

Hello to Japan, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Russia

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Τι ειναι μουσικη

Στο προηγουμενο post στα αγγλικα:


https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2020/08/what-is-music.html

What is music

This is trying to explain to Elena.


Music consists of :


Melody (one note at a time)
Bass (one note at a time)
Harmony (many notes at a time) like cooking with many ingredients together
Rhythm


Melody can stand on its own.
For example singing a Capella a song.


Bass is the base of harmony.
It is one note at the time.


Harmony follows the simple rule of choosing ingredient notes from the series Do Mi Sol Si Re Fa La Do Mi ... etc ie C E G B D F A C E ....


Rhythm consists of patterns reported in time that make your body feel moving to it.


The above applies to anything from a simple song to a complex symphony.


For example on a more involved song:
Stepping Stone - Daffy
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KFjF64Mcaao


Main melody is what Daffy sings.
La Fa Mi Fa Mi Fa Mi Re Re (I remember way back way back way...)


Bass is
Re Re (when melody is I remember way back way back way)
Re Re
Re Re
Re Re
bSi bSi
bSi bSi
Sol Sol
Sol Sol


Harmony is derived from above rule ie:
Re together with Fa together with La ie Re Fa La while bass is Re
then
bSi Re Fa La while bass is bSi
then
Sol bSi Re Fa while bass is Sol


All Si are flat because the key is Re minor 3rd ie D minor 3rd.


See also:


Bach Bass rules - Bach, Noedt - PDF


Harmony - Piston

Pleiades V6 1H4 battery powered electron tube, grid at space potential, microphone booster preamplifier tested with Electro-Voice 635A and Shure SM59 microphones

At your risk.
Take all safety precautions.
Any battery must be connected in series with a suitable fuse for fire hazard or other protection.


The Pleiades V6 1H4 one electron tube preamp with direct heater filament is described on recent posts.


Vf is 1.5V from an alcaline AA Fujitsu battery and Vb is 12V from a tiny Fujicell (garage remote control type) battery. It is still operating greatly from the same batteries.


Altec octal base input and output transformers are currently used.


Attention had been paid to grounding of the transformers so buzz and hum which existed in previous tests is now eliminated to such an extent that when a short circuit is at the input of the Pleiades V6 1H4 preamp one cannot tell whether it is on or off and this by it being connected to the (following) Realistic mic input, (see signal path).


Signal path:


Reverberant room - male or female speaking or singing voice - 635a or SM59 - Pleiades V6 1H4 - Realistic Disco Mixer connected to its unbalanced mic mono in - Sennheiser HD 580 - listener's ear, brain


Excellent smooth sound and very low noise.


635a sounds better on speech than singing, having a bit bass or treble heaviness on signing.
It was used at 3in to 12in.
Vicky observed it sounded much better at an angle of 45o from mouth in the horizontal plane, almost no sibilant problem.



SM59 sounds smooth, detailed without hype and amazing. No sibilant problem.
It was used at 24in to 36in.



The Pleiades V6 running at about 50μA anode current at (low) 12V plate potential at grid space potential is so low noise that a great microphone of low output such as the Shure SM59 can be used at 2-3 ft with no problem.


The taste it leaves is flat fluency response from singer's to listener's brain [Lowe, Morgan] with smooth sound like real life and no noise.


Reference:


Sound Picture Recording and Reproducing Characteristcs - D. P. Lowe, K. F. Morgan - Journal of the Society of Motion Picture Engineers