Haufe Transformers

 

I heard this name for the first time when dinning at Pizza Hut in London with Brian Sowter, manufacturer of the excellent Sowter transformers. just after an AES meeting on mastering.

https://www.haufe-uebertrager.de/

Searching for transformer shrouds, Asco components came up

 

https://ascocomponents.co.uk/metalwork/shrouds/

A single vacuum tube (electronic valve) small power amplifier in class A using the EF183 in triode connection

 At your risk. Potentially lethal voltage present.

This is continuing from previous posts on the Pleiades EF183 power amplifier using an input transformer making unnecessary the use of a voltage step up driver electronic valve (electron tube). 

It sounds fantastic and loud.

Resent time is devoted in building it into a small box just fitting the following.

A small power transformer placed as half shrouded. 

The very important fuse holder.

An octal base connected 1:12 input transformer.

An 1MΩ potentiometer. It may be possible to connect the wiper directly to the control grid of the triode connected EF183.

A cathode resistor of say 130Ω in parallel with 100μF.

The air gapped output transformer.

A few more bits and pieces.

The very interesting and unusual thing about this amplifier is the use of only one active device from input to output. The EF183 electron tube.

So it is only the euphonic distortion products of just one electron tube. The the distortion products of one electron tube feeding another electron tube creating new distortion products for each distortion product of the 1st electron tube.

So hopefully it may take the smoothness of the electron tube to its limit.

Waasner. A very interesting manufacturer of transformer laminations, tape wound toroidal cores including split ones for air gap.

 

www.waasner.de

I had the pleasure of learning about them on Sinadinos shop for transformer manufacturers in Athens.

Alphaville

 

Number of Syllables in Lyric's

 At your risk.

Moon River   8?

Annabel 5?

There is Nothing Wrong With Money But...

 (At your risk)

There is nothing wrong with money but make sure you don't pay the price.

Michalis

Lionel Richie on Songwriting

 

Increasing the pitch after the first milliseconds so that it sounds correct to the human brain

At your risk.

I have not heard anyone teaching this expect Sean Davies (the disc cutting lathe restauration expert) when he commented that I am singing pitch low the endings of words.

I think all good musicians seem to increase the pitch just after the attack of the note. 

An example is here at 1:30, the hand of the cello player's sliding slightly down while doing vibrato at the same time, meaning, the average frequency is subtly increased till it sounds correct to the listener's brain.

Or listening to Maria Callas:

Some songs suitable of sax solo?

 

The last two I heard my friend Lazaro Anardo play on Sax.

George Michael

 

Single electron tube vs single transistor audio power amplifier in class A operation with no negative feedback

At your risk. Potentially lethal voltage. 

Take all safety precautions. Additionally a suitable fuse should be used in series with any battery in order to protect from  a potential fire hazard or skin injury.

An additional precaution in the heft hand inside the back pocket. To the best of my knowledge this is a military rule of thumb in order to avoid an accidental electric current flowing through the heart.

It looks like the triode (or pentode triode connected) starts to win.

So far attempts to increase power output using bipolar transistors give a loud sound but there is some kind of grit, not a very clean sound.

For example the Darlington MJ1000, operated at Vb=12V, Ic=400mA with 21mH to 22mH output transformer with air gap.

Or 2N3055 operated at Vb=12V, Ic=140mA (must softer better sound, sweeter)

So far perhaps the best sound from transistors on these experiments is the Pleiades 2N3053 amplifier, one 2N3053 transistor for each channel with bias resistor from collector to bass (the examples above are biased from Vb to base). Operating conditions Vb=24V, Ic=12mA, output transformer 2.5Kohms to 8 Ohms. It is low power and it sounds fantastic on loudspeakers and perhaps this explains why the Neve 1073 using the 2N3055 at low power is reputed to sound so good.

Higher Vb experiments on the above amplifier gave louder sound at the expense of quality. What is left to do is to repeat the experiment with bias from Vb to base rather than from collector to base.

What about the electron tube?

Well the DL94 triode connected at Vb=90V, Ia=10mA, output transformer 2.5 KOhms to 8 Ohms and the EF183 triode connected at Vb=120V, Ia=20mA, output transformer 5 KOhms to 4 Ohms, both sing with depth, deep bass, clean smooth sound, hard to describe in words. On these amplifiers a step up input transformer of 1:7 is used to drive the control grid instead of a voltage amplifying triode! Bias is normally from cathode resitor bypassed by a good quality Elna magenta color Starget electrolytic. The DL94 was also operated with no resistors or capacitors and a Vc battery instead for bias through the input transformer.

Signal path of above experiments:

CD, for example Flashdance Soundtrack - Sony CD Walkman line out - Pleiades one electronic device power amplifier in class A with no negative feedback - Marantz 5-C for some of the latest transistor experiments and Celestion Ditton 150 for all the rest

When we like what we do all the doors open

The iMusical Interval of 6th major

The first chord immedately after the singer beggings:

At the capital letters of the lyrics the bass is A flat while melody is F is an interval of major 6th.

Beginning of lyrics: "to ka-lo-KE-e-ri"

Don't Know ANy Better - Purescence

A Nice Interesting, Funny Perspective on the Analog vs Digital Debate

 At your risk.

Trying to increase the power of the single transistor power amplifier in class A

At your risk. Please take all safety precautions. A suitable safety fuse should always be connected in series with a battery in order to avoid burn injury or possibility of fire.

The resent schematic has the bias resistor from Vb to base rather than from collector to base.

Signal path: CD - Sony CD Walkman line out - Pleiades single 2N3055 - Marantz 5-C loudspeaker

When the air gapped output transformer has an impedance ratio of 64 ohms to 8 ohms the sound is good even with Vb=10V, Ic=100mA or even less.

While staying with just one 12V battery and trying to increase power output by using a transformer or lower primary inductance (less turns ratio) and increasing Ic, did not work very well. Possible cause exhausted battery or inability of the CD Walkman to drive the lowered input impedance of the single power transistor.

Changing to the MJ1000 Darlington gave a much louder sound with some distortion with a transformer of 84mH:22mH or 22mH:22mH.

Music played on CD: Sodad - Cesaria Evora, Flashdance Soundtrack

Carol of the Bells (Ukrainian Bell Carol) - Mycola Leontovytch, Arr. Peter F. Wilhousky

At last I found from a girl who was playing this on the outdoors piano of SNFCC the name of this very nice composition:

A compilation LP or CD titled My Best Song of Each Year

For example:

2008 We are the People - Empire of the Sun

2015 Castle in the Snow - Kadebostany

One Dress Many Costumes - Anastasia Vlachaki

At your risk.

https://anastasiavlachaki.wordpress.com/2017/10/18/one-dress-many-costumes/

Αν το καταλαβαίνω σωστά και μόνο για αυτό το έργο η Αναστασία Βλαχάκη είναι ήδη σημαντική τολμώντας να τα βάλει με ίσως το πιό επικίνδυνο νυμφίδιο, την κοκκινοσκουφίτσα. Το δάσος είναι το ομορφότερο μέρος για καθαρή σκέψη, ομορφιά, η αφοβία. Τα ζώα στο βουνό πιθανότατα θα πλησιάσουν για να μοιραστούν την χαρά της δημιουργιας, την ομορφιά ή α-φοβία ή να σου κάνουν παρέα.Σε περίληψη. το γνωστό παραμύθι προσπαθεί να δημιουργήσει φόβο ενώ ο φόβος σαν ;eννοια ούτε καν υπάρχει.

If I get it, Anastasia Vlachaki, creator of this photographic work is already an important photographer, trying to expose the nastiness of the Little Red Riding Hood. A forest is possibly the best place for clean air, bringing out original thoughts, beauty or a-phobia. Animals will most likely approach to share beauty, kindness or love. In summary the well known fairytale tries to create fear whereas fear as a concept (notion) does not even exist.

Further reading on lack of fear:

Enchiridion (The Art of Living) - Epictetus  

Περισσότερα για την α-φοβία:

Ενχειρίδιον - Επίκτητος

It is the Product that Makes the Name and not Vice Versa

(At your risk).

But the product must be visible or audible, etc.

Konstantina Touni

 

Lazaro Anardo

I had the pleasure of meeting recently (before attending a concert at Odeon of Herodes Atticus) while he was playing, saxophonist Lazaro Anardo.

An interesting blog of photographer Anastasia Vlachaki

Almost an hour ago I had the pleasure meeting Anastasia at the library.

Here is her blog:

https://anastasiavlachaki.wordpress.com/

Sodade - Secaria Evora is a great example of avoiding consecutive 5ths

It is: 

C bE

C bE

D  F

D  F

bE  G

bE  G

D    F

D    F

and not

C  bE  G

C  bE  G

D   F   A

...

And if notes are sustained:

It sounds:

C  bE

C   bE

C    D    F

C     D    F

C     D     bE   G

C      D     bE    G

B      D      F     G

B     D     F     G

It is ingenious.

Here is what Bach says about consecutive fifths:

Please find General Bass Rules Bach PDF

Ο Κύριος Κάππος

Τραγούδι Ζειμπέκικο

C# major

9/8

Melody:

- C C C C C B C D D - - - - - - - - 

- D D D D E F D C C - - - - - - - - 

Chords:

C 

D

G

C

Best to play C E, D F, DF, C E and not C E G, D F A, ... in order to avoid consecutive fifths. Just like Sodad - Secaria Evora.

Όταν ξυπνάει ο κύριος Κάππος

Μην του μιλάτε είναι κάπως

Όταν πεινάει ο κύριος Κάππος

Ωσπου να φάει είναι κάπως

Και όταν τρώει ο ΄κθριος Κάππος

Ώσπου να χωνέψει είναι κάπως

'Οταν διαβάζει ο κύριος Κάππος

Αν τον διακόψεις είναι κάπως

Όταν ακούει ο κύριος Κάππος

Ώσπου να μιλήσει είναι κάπως

Κι όταν μιλάει ο κύριος Κάππος

Αν τον διακόψεις είναι κάπως

Όταν βραδυάζει ο κύριος Κάππος

Αν είναι μόνος είναι κάπως

(Μ' αν είσαι εκεί ο)

Μ' αν κάτσεις ώρα ο κύριος Κάππος

Ωσπου να φύγεις είναι κάπως

Looking at the 2N3055 datasheet on how promising it can be as a single transistor low voltage single ended power amplifier

 At your risk.

So far one nice combination is Vb=10V, Ic=100mA, using a 64ohm to 8ohm output transformer. Nice sound, a test using the Flashdance soundtrack CD.

How would high power sound with an 8ohm to 8ohm output transformer while increasing Ic? Or for example 24ohm to 8ohm.

Or even higher Ic for example 2A, a Darlington transistor and a step up output transformer, for example 1ohm to 8 ohm. If this works it can be a joy to make such transformers as there are few turns of wire to wind involved.

 

BJT or IGBJT (insulated gate bipolar junction transistor or MOSFET for single device audio power amplifier?

 At your risk.

Having the pleasure today discussing with George Gialousis.

I was telling him of a desire to make single device (electron tube or transistor or MOSFET) class A power amplifiers and compare the sound quality. For example the already tested Pleiades EF183, or Pleiades 2N3053 low power amplifiers in class A operation (electrons flowing all the time).. 

Asking him which might be better, a single device power amplifier at high voltage low current or low voltage high current operating point, he recommended the BUX37 high voltage Darlington which should operate either way.

After asking him for a MOSFET recommendation he also suggested the use of a IGBJT which seems a very nice idea.

On a discussion of general marketing ideas he said even a prince cannot expect people to buy because he is a prince. Hard work is needed to earn your value to a target market. 

Also it is not the name that makes a product. The good quality product makes the name.

A favorite quote is the 3 or 4 Ps in marketing.

You need to have a suitable Product.

A suitable price.

Suitable timing, place in time. For example you cannot expect to sell as retail swimming suits in winter.

Promotion. 

We were discussing whether promotion is included in the suitable product requirement.

Vasilis

At your risk.

I had the pleasure to discuss a few days ago with Vasilis about his making of a virtual 3D responding gallery in 2 dimensions at least.

Next morning 3 images came to my mind. 

Some airplanes paused in the sky, each airplane having inside it the works of art of each artist.

A virtual art exhibition at SNFCC park.

Refugee tents, where each tent can be visited having inside the works of art of each artist.

In this way the virtual galley can become surreal.

But the virtual world consumes electrical energy.

  

Back to Pleiades single ended 2N3055 audio power amplifier with single transistor 2N3055

At your risk.

Bias resistor has been disconnected from collector and connected to power supply Vb.

Now as Vb was increased from 12V to 24V to 36V to 48V with corresponding increase in Ia, increase in loudness could be heard.

With the Pleiades 64Ohms to 8 Ohms output transformer used, typical good sounding condition is:

Vb=12V, Ic=70mA.

Vb=24V, Ic=113mA

Vb=36V, Ic=150mA

Vb=48B, Ic=200mA

But there is some kind of graininess to the sound.

Is this coming from the Walkman CD source or from the power amplifier?

Pleiades MJ1000 single Darlington audio power amplifier in class A

 At your risk.

It worked with much better sound when bias resistor was connected from Vb to base rather than from collector to base. But there was thermal runaway.

Pleiades single Darlington audio power amplifier part 2

 At your risk.

By biasing with a resistor from Vb to base, Ic increased with time as the transistor was increasingly becoming warmer. That is, there is thermal runaway.

Hopefully it can be solved by a descent heatsink or an emitter resistor.

Pleiades single Darlington audio power amplifier in class A operation

 At your risk.

It seems bias resistor must be connected from Vb to base and not from collector to base.

Now things are getting better and bass is back. It sounds louder too.

So far test at Vb about 14V, Ic about 100mA. Output transformer 64 ohms to 8 ohms.

Rich Beato YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/@RickBeato

In the room with Reitzas

 

The Pleiades single electron tube EF183 power amplifier in class A (electrons flowing all the time) sounds amazing

 At your risk. Potential lethal voltage. Take all safety precautions.

Operation conditions: Va=120V, Ia=20mA, 1:12 input transformer, 5KOhms to 4Ohms output transformer, Celestion Ditton 150 speaker used is 8Ohms.

Signal path:

Constant Craving - K. D. Lang on CD - Sony CD Walkman line out - Pleiades EF183 single ended power amplifier - Celestion Ditton 150 

Huge bass, smooth mid and treble, dynamic.

It is funny how loud and big just.an electron tube the size of ECC83 can sound.

Limit to how powerful a single transistor power amplifier can be?

 At your risk.

Signal path:

Constant craving - K. D. Lang on CD - Sony CD Walkman line out or Philips CDR 870 line out - Pleiades 2N3055 power amplifier  with various output transformer ratios, Vb= 9V or 12V or 24V - Marantz Imperial 5C

Trying to increase power output by increasing Collector power dissipation (by changing Vb or base bias current), increased loudness but not as much as expected while transistor with a heatsink was getting warm.

It seems there is a limit as transistor amplifiers need signal power input due to their low input impedance which depend on how much the collector circuit is loaded. There is hfe (ratio of collector current to base current), and if the collector current is increased the base current must be increased to and the same applies to a changing base collector or base current i.e. a signal current. 

A CD player at line out for example can give a certain amount of small power output.

Connecting the sigle electron tube Pleiades EF183 power amplifier at 2.4W plate dissipation to the CD Walkman line out gave by comparison a huge sound, surprisingly loud and big. The reason seems to be that an electron tube does not take power from the signal source as it has a very high input impedance.

So it seems the winner will be the electron tube.

A Darlington can be tried. But it is 2 transistors although the configuration or connection between them is a simple as possible.

   . 

Can output transformers be made with ordinary power transformer laminations?

 At your risk. Take all safety precautions. Potentially lethal voltages may be present. 

Surprisingly enough the sound can be very good. See previous post.

Yesterday by the way on the larger transformer the I laminations were separated from the E laminations while music was playing. Bass reproduction decreased as expected. Then E laminations were removed, mid reproduction was decreased as expected by high frequency reproduction was still there. Meaning that the high frequencies can pass through air without needing the metal.

In fact this seems to be more correct. The primary is now a coil without core. Its inductance is low. But since reactance is ohms is proportional to frequency too, impedance is high at high frequencies. So the output impedance of the transistor is not loaded so there is no voltage drop. Therefore high frequencies appear at the primary and since the coils are hugged together energy passes through electromagnetic  induction to the secondary. Or is it electromagnetic radiation?

Mid and high frequencies need the iron so that there would be no voltage drop at the primary of the output transformer. And possibly the circulation of magnetic flux?

Pleiades single ended class A 2N3055 continued

 At your risk.

The use of the somewhat big (size75mm) transformer with air gap and low ratio described on previous post makes possible a good quality sound with only a 12V battery.

But today a smaller size transformer made years ago rediscovered by chance produced a sweeter and better quality sound, more natural, easier and even smoother to the ear.

The size of this transformer is 60mm. Es are stacked together and there are 2 long screws keeping them together. While Is are stacked together and placed over the Es with no 3M Scotch invisible tape separating them. There is still of course a true air gap as metals do not fit exactly together.

Also thin wire is used by "mistake" on both primary and secondary.

Also and this is the most interesting point perhaps, the laminations are ordinary "thicker" laminations used on power transformers.

I thought there would be no extended high frequency response. By surprise there was amazing bass, mid and treble.

The experiment with this transformer sounds less loud but it sounds much better or listenable with musicality.

Signal path:

Constant Craving - K. D. Lang on CD - Sony CD Walkman line out - Pleiades 2N3055 resistor biased from collector to base, Vb=12V, Ic typically 60mA - Marantz Imperial 5-C with Tweeter setting at Low

Later addition:

Perhaps this comparison of the 2 transformers is not as relevant as it seems as the 2nd one has an inductance ratio of about 1.5H to 47mH i.e. is has a larger turns ratio. 

It is likely that popular music of recent years will be the classical music of tomorrow

 For example Constant Craving - K. D. Lang advances the art.

Moonlight Sonata - Beethoven is very characteristic of beginning with a minor chord and then the 2nd chord harmony is created by the bass going down one step of the scale while the upper parts played by the right hand remain exactly the same. It is the principle of least change in music creating a fantastic effect by this passing bass note.

In Constant Craving exactly the same thing happens with a great difference. This 2nd chord takes place as the 3rd chord while the 2nd chord is an ordinary one with a remote bass. So the 3rd chord takes place unexpectedly. But the brain of the listener somehow still relates to what was the 1st chord. 

I have not heard yet another music classical or pop that uses this harmony structure as on Constant Craving. If you know one please kindly post it at the comments below. 

Beginning harmony of Moonlight Sonnata.

Bass bD       harmony bA bC E

Bass bC        harmony bA bC E

Beginning harmony of Constant Craving:

Bass F         harmony  C F bA

Bass C         harmony C bE G

Bass bE       harmony  C F bA (equivalent to what tales place as 2nd chord on M.S.)

Bass bD       harmony C F bA

it can also be played:

(right hand notes played together higher than middle C notes);

C      F bA

C bE G

C bE F bA

C bD F bA 

All this intelligent harmony carries on from introduction to verse.

A low power class A amplifier sounds loud enough as it sounds beautiful

 At your risk.

There are at least 2 other reasons.

Steven's law. How ear brain perceives sound intensity (ie power). 10 times less power sounds only 2 times less loud. So for example 100mW should sound only 4 times less than 10W. See Sound and Hearing - Stevens, Warshofsky - Life Science Library.

Nice distortion at peaks simulating real life instruments getting gradually non linear at high playing levels. See the paper Tubes vs Transistors - Russell O. Hamm.

How to create or fine tune an air gap output transformer?

 At your risk. Take all safety precautions. Potentially lethal voltage present.

See previous post on Pleiades 2N3055 single ended class A power amplifier.

How would a bifilar wound 1 to1 air gaped output transformer sound with a single 2N3055?

 At your risk.

Or even a Darlington transistor with an inverse ratio output transformer, for example 1ohm to 8 ohms in order to get very high power even with 12V power supply?

Pleiades 2N3055 single ended power amplifier revisited

 At your risk.

This is on one transistor only single ended audio power amplifiers with no negative feedback.

Using Italian Transeria Ligure E,I laminations a new lower ratio output transformer was made that the used for the Pleiades 2N3053 operated at 24V, 10mA.

This transformer was made by winding 64 turns of 0.55mm wire, then 270 turns of 0.25mm wire, then 64 turns of 0.55mm, then again 270 turns of 0.25mm,  then 60 turns of 0.55mm.

Inductance ratio with no air gap is 340mH to 47mH.

This sounded very nice with Pleiades BD139 at Vb=6V, Ic=25mA.

Signal path: Flashdance soundtrack on CD - Sony CD Walkman line out - Pleiades power amplifier - Marantz Imperial speakers

Then air gap was introduced by attaching a layer of 3M scotch invisible tape across the open end of stacked Es. Inductance ratio became 227mH to 33mH.

Sound is still very nice with amazing bass, mid, treble.

.

Then Vb was changed to 12V and Ic to 60mA for louder sound but 2N3055 sounded better at 12V and Ic=80mA.

Then transformer was opened up again and airgap was increased by putting all Is in a small transparent plastic bag and placing them by hand on top of the Es while music is playing.

Now inductance ratio is 173mH to 26mH.

Sound is very nice and loud .

 

A quote of Elia Kazan for talent or genius

 

Yesterday at 3rd (classical) Hellenic radio were noticed 2 quotes of film director Elia Kazan from his autobiography book. Here they are roughly translated back to english.

Talent: maniac of working

Ταλέντα, μανιακοί της εργασίας

Genius: shines happiness (they do what they like)

Ιδιοφυίες, ακτινοβολούν ευτυχία (κάνουν αυτό που τους αρέσει)

It's a concert in Vienna and is this microphone an AKG C12?

Juan Diego Florez

 

Creating a boundary microphone out of a mobile phone

At your risk.

First time I saw it was when Zhanna placed the mobile phone on top of the right side of the piano keyboard.

Apparently by placing the mobile phone this way, the mic capsule comes so close to the boundary (the wood of the piano) that it picks up mainly the main reflection of sound from wood (boundary mic principle), plus the vibration of wood itself.

Here are 2 recording of the same piano same day, different solo pianist (the person at the right side), different mobile phones, but one phone is held by hand, the other recording is by placing the phone (Galaxy A13) as described above.

 

Some more information on boundary microphones:

The Wikipedia article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_microphone

Pietro Mascagni

 

I am lucky to having received this nice link of so beautiful music by Luda.

Silence

 

Κλεις τα ρολα σου ισαμε κ'οτι προλαβαμ' να ειδούμε τo 'δαμε

Recording outdoors percussion

 At your risk.

It sounds fantastic.

Priority list on music production

 At your risk.

The closer to the source the more important the quality is.

For example the song is more important than the recording. No matter how good a recording an unimaginative composition is an unimaginative composition.

So what could be a priority list?

What the producer has in mind.

What the composer has in mind.

The song.

The arrangment.

The quality of music instrument or instruments used.

The quality of voice or intonation of the singer.

The acoustics or lack of acoustics, for example recording outdoors, or not recording near wall reflections etc.

The mic positions.

The microphone or microphones.

The mic preamp.

The recording equipment.

The recording medium.

The reproducing system.

The monitoring loudspeakers.

The brain of the listener.

Music I Like

Big In Japan - Alphaville

Bones - Telenova

Chi Mai - Morricone

Julia - Pavlov's Dog

Largo - Concerto in F minor - Bach - Glenn Gould

Maria Magdalena - Sandra

Suzanne - Leonard Cohen

A signal path for Madonna

 At your risk.

Neumann U47 - NTI PreQ3 - NTI EQ3 - Tube Tech CL1B, Dave Reitzas

https://gearspace.com/board/so-much-gear-so-little-time/106967-madonnas-vocal-chain-past-present.html

Giorgio Moroder

 Here showing how he created I Feel Love:

It is very important to treet others with respect

They can then bring out the best in themselves.

CV of Georgios Tsakiris

The pleasure of meeting yesterday Alexandros and his unique kindness is an inspiration on making a better CV. Or at least one that I can enjoy writing.

Born in 1972 in Athens.

1972-1982 (0 to 10 years old)

Piano lessons at National Conservatory

Starting teaching myself the ability to recognize musical notes by ear. It is something very useful that can help understanding how notes are combined together even when passing through any place where music is being played. I still seek to improve it everyday as any newly discovered interesting song is always a challenge. Recognizing the notes in the bass is the most difficult but once this can be mastered the door to understanding opens as the word bass can be traced in the Hellenic word "Βασις" meaning foundation [1]. Below is the song Bones by Telenova which reveals itself beginning with the bass only:

Of course lack of this ability is no obstacle in enjoying or even composing great music.

First attempts in constructing electronic circuits, radio receiver, transmitter, amplifier on the pedagogic games Polycyclomatic 1002 or 501, discovered on a schoolmate's party. The electric and mechanical connection of the electronic components is done with springs while following the assembly instruction schematic. At the time I did not know what an amplifier is so when noting was heard on the speaker except a click sound I was puzzled to what was done wrongly.. Disappointment have itself to joy when a radio receiver was connected to it and music appeared clearly heard in the room. The simplicity and nice sound of these experiments are still an inspiration on designing or improving the simplest possibly electronic circuits.

1982-1992 (10 to 20 years old)

co DJing at school class parties, usually at Intercontinental Hotel ballroom

It's the 80s and we would play with schoolmate Yiannis Tieris vinyl records on rented Technics SL1200 MK2 turntables beautiful songs such as:

Small range FM radio station after building the legendary HF65 JostyKit. It is around 1985 and it is a joy broadcasting in city of New Smyrna songs like:

Making up a piano, electric bass, drums band at school's basement studio. This is the only instrumental we tried to play, there is a recording on cassette, here is the original:

Sorbonne C1 literature - University of Paris - Sorbonne French Language Diploma

Finished High School Lycee Leonin Franco-Hellenique - New Smyrna - Athens 

Failed panhellenic examinations for admission to a Hellenic university

With the help of family business Homer "Ομηρος" schools of English attending 1 year foundation course for university preparation at Coventry Technical College - UK. Distinction marks in Mathematics and Physics allowed entrance to University Of Warwick - UK.

University of Cambridge Proficiency in English diploma

I have the pleasure to meet and communicate with piano tuner Albert Ketenzian in his workshop and exchanging information on musical acoustics beyond the usual academic norm. For example that a musical octave (one that sounds correct to the human brain) is slightly higher than an exact 1 to 2 ratio which is the engineering octave. 

1992-2002 (20 to 30 years old)

Final year project for B. Eng. degree: Design and Investigation of a Triode Single Ended Audio Frequency Amplifier with No Negative Feedback

Joined the Warwick University Chorus conducted by Collin Touchin.

Singing polyphonic choir music. Concerts in Coventry and London. 

Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Electronics class C - The University of Warwick - England

Worked for a few months at Audio Note UK. Participated in the assembly of high end electronic valve (electron tube) amplifier kits for high quality music reproduction.

 

Withdrew from Master's of Philosophy - Napier University - Edinburgh 

Area of research is on comparison between electron tube and transistor class A audio amplifiers for music reproduction 

Military service at Hellenic Air Force. 

Telephony, Radar maintenance assistant. 

Joined the Air Force modern music band, playing keyboards, entertaining officers with their families on vacation dinners.

Co-formed rock band Obsession with Markos Delivorias and Albert Ketenzian.

I have the pleasure to meet Lefteris Logaridis who studied in England. I did not know at the time that Lefteris was a major technical force since being a kid for record productions of his uncle Stamatis Spanoudakis.

Lefteris promptly got me into pro audio equipment techniques such as using audio signal transformers and their importance for audio quality.

Joined Fons Musicalis choir. Concerts in Athens concert hall (Megaron Mousikis), Odeon of Herodes Atticus ancient theatre, Epidaurus ancient theatre.

Teaching at IEK Halandriou, Athens, sound engineering electronics relevant to sound engineering, acoustics

I have the pleasure to meet at IEK Panos Diamantopoulos, specializing in modifying pro audio equipment by simplifying the signal path. Together we begin recording concerts at various indoor or outdoor locations including ancient theatre Odeon of Herodes Atticus. Panos hands on a paper the simplest possible schematic of a microphone preamplifier with a JFET transistor.

Teaching at Akis Golfidis' MIA (Mixing is Art), electronics in sound engineering

.

Attended masterclass in choir conducting with the choir conductor of Fons Musicalis chorus, Costis Constandaras.

Pro Audio

Design, development and prototype procuction of electron tube studio equipment for music production

2002-2012 (30 to 40 years old) 

Records songs as composer, recording artist and producer in Sound Studio and Paraxis studio in Athens.

Mastering of some of these songs at Abbey Road Studios, England. A very valuable experience confirming that good studios around the world treasure, preserve and use high quality equipment or microphones of any decade together with the latest technology.

Publishing in UK some of these mastered songs with the CD and 7'' vinyl single title Songs of Innocence and Experience - William Blake poetry, Yorgos Tsakiris music.

Not exactly a commercial success but a valuable lesson, including learning from my mistakes.

2002 Pro Audio Historic Equipment

Restauration of vintage electron tube pro audio equipment such as RCA, Telefunken, Neumann, Altec.

2004 Tranquilo Marangoni

Found by chance the lost wood engraving work of art by Tranquillo Marangoni, "La Principessa e il Trovatore", negotiated  with the Italian municipality authorities for the return to its birth place where it is exhibited at the museum of Monfalcone.

2007 eBay

Taking part in worldwide electronic buying and selling.

September 13 2010 beginning of euroelectron blogspot. It concentrates on how music and electronics can work together. On the design of extremely simple electronic audio amplifiers. On why we like what we like on popular music. On explaining electronics or music getting at times as close to the heart of the vibrating (almost like dancing) electrons or air molecules that carry music from place to place. From the producer's or composer's brain to the brain of the listener.

 

2012-2022 (40 to 50 years old)

Having the pleasure to meeting again and interviewing legendary Hellenic songwritter Mimis Plessas in his 90s, on how he crafted some of his songs. The series is called Sectrets of Music (Μυστικά της Μουσικής). Here is the 1st episode recorded in binaural (3D recording) using the Pleiades binaural microphone (in ear headphones converted to housing a small microphone capsule for each ear). It is to be listened with headphones:

November 2014, published Hit Song Ingredients with Examples:

https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2014/11/hit-song-ingredients-with-examples.html

First success in making high end baterry powered audio power amplifiers operating in class A1 (electrons flowing all the time) with only one active device per channel (transistor or electron tube). The Pleiades 2N3053 currently the near field monitoring speaker power amplifier in Pleiades studio lab.

2014 Pleiades Tuning for the Yamaha DX7, or Korg Triton synthesizer.

There are all note scale tuning parameters so that the synthesizers have correct sounding octaves to the listener's brain. Sold as an upgrade on eBay and later on published as open source on euroelectron blogger. 

2022-

First success in making a high end battery powered DL series electron tube audio power amplifier with only one electron tube per channel, no other active or passive device (no capacitors, resistors) except an input and an output transformer and 3 battery power supplies. It is found that such high end amplifier was patented by Arnold 100 years ago. 

Current unfinished projects:

Designing and producing prototype of:

Pleiades EF183 or EL84 single ended class A1 audio power amplifier with no negative feedback with an input transformer instead of an extra electron tube

Pleiades DL94 battery powered class A1 audio power amplifier with no negative feedback and an input transformer instead of an extra electron tube

Pleiades DK series battery powered electron tube microphone booster preamplifier

Continuing The Melody Book

Continuing the book A Letter to Clive Davis:

https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-letter-to-clive-davis.html

Recording outdoors vocals or other instruments in order to have almost no reverberation at low frequencies.

Creating music with others:

https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2025/09/creating-boundary-microphone-out-of.html

 

Despina Vandi signal path

At your risk.

Today meeting by chance Giorgos, I asked and  his kind reply was:

Neumann U87 to mixing desk preamp to DBX 160XT compressor.

Making an outdoors recording of drums or percussion with the Shure Unidyne B and SONY TC-D5M

 At your risk.

Such a recording was made at Varkiza beach near Athens.

Just one mic and one cassette track was used.

Amazing sound quality. Crisp and clear. 

Same with recording singing voice in the forest.

No processing needed, just the Shure Unidyne B microphone directly connected to the Sony cassette recorder.

Bones - Telenova

 At last I found from Vicky what is the name of this nice song I had heard on FM radio in Athens:

Pleiades EF183 Audio Power Amplifier in Class A1 Operation

 At your risk.

While contemplating building a single ended EL84 power amplifier driven by a 1;12 input transformer instead of a driver electron tube...

It was decided to try the EF183 as a triode connected power amplifier which has a similar pinout and much less power consumption.

It sounded expressive, loud and smooth.

Operating conditions:

Vb=120V

V(Rk)=2.4V (V across 120ohm cathode resistor) hence

Ik=20mA

Ck=100uF

input transformer 1:12

output transformer 5Kohm:4ohm 3Watt, (possibly from Collins receiver)

Rg=470Kohm

input transformer is coupled to control grid by use of a coupling capacitor  

Signal Path:

Big in Japan-Alphaville, on CD - SONY CD Walkman line out - Pleiades EF183 - Celestion Ditton 150 (8ohm speaker typically 30ohm at mid band).

The PSU used is a top quality component, military power transformer, 5U4 rectifier electron tube, choke input filter, paper in oil 10uF capacitor, 10Kohm 10W dropping resistor, 50uF electrolytic capacitor. All this is overrated as this PSU was intended for higher power.

life is Too...

 Life is too short to have time-space for sorrow or too long for happiness.

On Dry Shaving

At your risk.

Razor blade should be disinfected by use of isopropyl alcohol.

Soft hair can be removed from the body by dry shaving if it is done gently, slowly with patience.

Then waiting for at least half an hour before a shower. This avoids infection by water.

Dry shaving if done properly can avoid red spots on the body by wet shaving infection. 

The above is derived from what Julie told me on waiting half an hour after manicure or pedicure before washing to avoid contamination of nails with water, towel microbes etc.

Pleiades 2 EL84 stereo single ended power amplifier with no other electron tubes or transistors

 At your risk. Lethal voltage.

Under preparation.

Each channel consists of just one EL84 electron tube triode connected with step up input and step down output transformer.

Currently prototype created on an aluminium diecast box where components are places on top. Orientation of box is like on NAIM NAIT 2 transistor amplifier.

Colors possibly orange and blue for output transformers.

At the back is the power supply with toroidal transformer, EZ90, octal base electrolytic capacitor.

Will it work?

Daft Punk

 

Full Episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-hvaaoSDXQJQu4qVx3RFeqYLo9mQutuT

Any Decision Based on Fear is Possibly the Wrong One

 At your risk.

Edgar Marion Villchur

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Villchur

After loosing his patent he decided to take a different route from E.H. Armstrong inventor of broadband FM radio.

Προσεχοντας το δασος ειδικα πριν τον δεκαπενταυγουστο. Taking care of forest while in warm, dry or windy season.

At your rusk.

In Hellas forest fire is very popular just before about 10 of August when nobody remembers the so many forests on fire last year at the same period.

For some reason many forests including those in islands catch on fire at about the same time. This makes the job of firemen very difficult. There may be fire starting at 5am.

The high wind of that period which takes place every year makes the fire grow or expand.

This wind is called meltemi:

https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/%CE%9C%CE%B5%CE%BB%CF%84%CE%AD%CE%BC%CE%B9

Synths used on Enola Gay - OMD

 

See also the OMD Documentary:

Update to Pleiades 3 DC90 RIAA electron tube battery powered moving magnet cartridge preamplifier for vinyl records

 At your risk.

Va is 1.3V, Vb is 48V.

One channel has been built so far with Wago connectors.

It works and sounds very nice. 

Signal path:

Africa - Toto - Sony CD Walkman line out - Lipshitz inverse RIAA network - Pleiades 3 DC90 - Sennheiser HD580

It consists for an input transformer, 1 DC90 with grid at space potential (only a capacitor is connected to control grid), 1 DC90 with 10MOhm grid leak bias, 1 DC90 with 1MOhm grid leak bias, and the output transformer. Signal transformers are Sowter ones on octal bases.

As there is no chassis it picks up RF and FM radio can be heard!.

So there is some hiss which should almost be gone when it is built on a Hammond diecast aluminum enclosure.

A rough preliminary frequency response test with anti RIAA (inverse RIAA Lipshitz) network gave -5dB at 20Hz and 20KHz.

Al Schmitt on recording techniques

 

How Frank Sinatra managed to record in 30th street church studio

 Sound engineer Frank Laico narates his discussion with producer Don Costa:

There should be OR not AND on the All Rights Reserved notice of sound carriers

For example, below the second sentence is possible correct as the logic operator OR covers all cases. Is the 3rd version the correct? 

For example in a room are musicians and somebody asks: "Please come forward those who play flute and piano" 2 musicians only come. If the proposal is: "Please  come forward those who play piano or flute", 7 musicians come. Those 2 who play both, those who play the piano only, those who play the flute only. 

I was very lucky to learn this by my teacher of Mathematics Babis Pantazatos. He would thoroughly explain the Aristotelian Symbolic Logic, logic, operators, truthy tables, set theory. On few books such as the book of BBC producer Alec Nisbet on microphones the OR operator is used.

All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited.

All rights of the producer and of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance or broadcasting of this recording prohibited.

All rights of the producer or of the owner of the work reproduced reserved. Unauthorised copying, hiring, lending, public performance and broadcasting of this recording prohibited.

Updates on the Pleiades 3 DC90 battery powered electron tube RIAA MM or MC vinyl disc reading cartridge preamplifier

At your risk. Take all safety precautions. There may be smoke or fire in case of short circuit until a suitable fuse is used in series with a battery.

Va is 1.3V. A 100mA safety fuse is now used.

Vb is 48V.

1st stage operates with grid at space potential, ie with just a coupling capacitor connected to control grid. 2nd and 3rd stages would not turn on in this way due to the initial transient voltage at turn on from the previous stages. S0 a 10Mohm resistor was connected between grid and ground.

It works and the preamplifier sounds very nice. It is directly feeding the Sennheiser HD580 headphones through the output transformer at a low volume.

It makes sense to use an input transformer even for MM cartridges and and additional input transformer for MC cartridges. So thing to having one transformer inside a ribbon microphone, and then the input transformer of the preamplifier.

Promising results.

There is hiss from the second stage, due possibly from bad electron tube contacts or RF pickup.

NOWHERE, NoWhere or NowHere?

 At your risk.

Someone was wearing a NOWHERE T-shirt on the bus.

Could it be the sound leakage to the other instrument mics that can make a piano sound recording so good?

 

If more than one microphone is used even in mono, this can help the listener's brain recognize which is the direct signal and which is the reverberant signal.

If just one microphone is used, the mic has no brain, it picks up the sum of 2 signals. Direct and reverberant. So the information of what is the direct signal is lost forever.

But there are 2 microphones at different distance from the source,  hidden in the 2 sums are 2 almost exactly the same direct signals with the only difference a time delay. The extra time direct sound takes to travel to the more distant microphone.

Is it possible that the brain uses this information to recreate the original direct signal from the musical instrument? So thereby making the distinction between sound of instrument and sound or the room? 

Could it be that solo piano recordings with just 2 microphones will have an inferior piano sound to a piano concerto where mics are used for the orchestra section. And these microphones pick up the piano too with a meaningful delay? 

Apart from the soft playing is this one reason why Largo from concerto in F minor - Bach, pianist: Glen Gould sound so nice and atmospheric but with definition?

Information for this thought was provided by Al Schmitt on Vocal and Instrumental Recording Techniques book explaining the importance of leakage of good acoustics to very good quality microphones to the end sonic soundscape. 

For example the guitar microphones picks up also the singer, or the singer's microphone picks up also the guitar>

On he above example the orchestra microphones pick up also the piano which is also captured with the closser to it piano microphones.

Recording the upright piano with 2 microphones one behind the other

 At your risk

This happened almost by chance trying in almost in vain to record a nice sound. 

So by instinct this unorthodox way came by.

Stand at the right of the piano by its side.

First mic a Unidyne B Mexico pointing at a angle to the cetre of the piano at 24in distance. Then on the same stand another Shure Unidyne B USA behind the other mic by 24in again. Both at the same line pointing towards the center of the piano. The 1st mic feeding the right channel, the 2nd mic feeding the left channel of Sony TC-D5M.

Interesting and promising result. Maybe the best recording i have done so far of a piano in a small living room.

So far my best piano recording may be one at Napier College church in Edinburg. A large church helps so much doing away the early reflections. 

A similar one mic behind the other setup in a bedroom with mics pointing at right angle sounded amazing with a Pleiades oscillator and glockenspiel recording, see previous post. Instruments were on top of of bed with Tempur matresse.

Pleiades BD139 Oscillator Schematic

At your risk. Take all safety precautions. A suitable fuse must be in series with any battery.

Another variable resistor can be added in the feedback path instead of the wire link.

This schematic naturally derived from the Pleiades 2N3053 single transistor audio power amplifier operating in class A (electrons flowing all the time). 

Most of this plus the original schematic (above) is derived from the electronic construction  game with springs Polycyclomatic 1002. Here is how it looks like:

https://www.radioerasitexnisam.gr/articles/15-%CF%80%CE%BF%CE%BB%CF%85%CE%BA%CF%85%CE%BA%CE%BB%CF%89%CE%BC%CE%B1%CF%84%CE%B9%CF%83%CF%84%CE%AE%CF%82-%CF%84%CE%BF-%CF%80%CE%B1%CE%B9%CF%87%CE%BD%CE%AF%CE%B4%CE%B9-%CF%84%CF%89%CE%BD-70s

Thank to a discussion on the beach with John and his Xenophon, both studying engineering there was encouragement to just convert one of the Pleiades single transistor prototypes. In just a few seconds a nice oscillator came up. Wago connectors made the modification possible so quickly. The 12V battery powered oscillator was feeding a Philips 8 in woofer. By adjusting the 2 variable resistors a bass sound repeated in tempo was created. The tempo can be changed by touching the cone of the speaker for current unknown reason. So there is much more flexibility as the pitch can also be affected.

2 Shure Unidyne B microphones, one behind the other at 24in were used to record in stereo the oscillator together with a glockenspiel. The result has some kind of magic from the natural reverberation of the glockenspiel together with the antithesis of the electron generated bass with harmonics sound. It was recorded on SONY TC-D5M.

The amazing Largo from F minor concerto by Bach

 

Here it's Glen Gould recording it in the famous orthodox church of 30th street used as a recording studio by CBS (Columbia Broadcasting System) engineers:

A Forest Recording?

 Malte Marten

A major 7th chord is nicely used. Key is F sharp minor. So D major 7th is beautifully used.

Wicked Game (cover) - London Grammar Using Shure SM7 Moving Coil Inside Magnetic Field Microphone

 

Notes originally written to my friend Markos:

When we talk about dynamic microphones we really mean a moving coil inside a magnetic field microphone. 

A similar mic to the SM57 (God Only Knows - Brian Wilson vocal, possibly uses the Shure Unidyne III which is really the same to SM57) is the SM7. SM stands for Studio Microphone.

Here is London Grammar on a cover using the SM7. Listen for what we were discussing on how humans sing the first few milliseconds of the note flat, and then good singers immediately raise pitch so that it sounds correct to listener's brain.

The singer is very close so the mic will receive spherical waves instead of plane wave fronts so there will be proximity effect, boost of bass and mid. They probably correct bass using a external electrical filter or they might use the filter inside the mic activated by a switch on the side.

Do Great Singers Increase the Musical Pitch of a Note Just After the Attack?

At your risk.

It seems we all tend to sing flat as some of us may hear flat (below true pitch, see chapter 6 The Mind Influence, Sound and Hearing - Stevens, Warshofsky).

Do great singers increase the frequency just other attack?

Is this iterative process creating the vibrato itself?

Hello _ Lionel Ritchie

I Will Always Love You - Whitney Houston

Recording the upright piano with lid removed

At your risk.

Currently trying microphones at a distance of 3 to 6 feet  away from the right side of the piano. Microphones such as Shure Unidyne B, Fostex M55RP. 

Recordings are so far in mono, just one microphone directly connected to the right channel of SONY TC-D5M.

Sound is improving but reflections still almost ruin the result.

Removing the lid clears up the sound.

Tuning well the piano is very important.

A Recording Studio Without a Record Producer is Like a Ship Without Captain

 A song without a record producer is like a ship without sea.

The Failure of Euroelectron

 At your risk.

Too much time was spend on choosing microphones, whether digital or analog and so on when there are much more important areas.

For example whether the singer sings out of tune. Most singers seem to sing flat except the exceptional ones. I am humbly currently training myself to increase pitch just after the attack of each note. As I do more of this it seems to me by listening that the great singers also do the same. So recordings of my voice sound so much better no matter which microphone is chosen.

Acoustics or lack of pay a tremendous role. For example recording outdoors where there are very much less early reflections can make almost any microphone sound exceptional. Bass muddiness, prominence, mid confusion, treble hardness, sibilance almost gone. Microphone distance can be increased and still the vocal sounds close and coming out of the speakers. Windshield should be used to protect the microphone.

In general microphones sound so much better at a distance, for example 24in. Most microphones, directional ones are to pick up parallel acoustic waves, not spherical ones. Spherical waves create the bass, mid boost proximity effect. And the closer to the microphone, the worst. The further the best as we increasingly depart from spherical wave front towards straight line wave front. Then frequency response becomes straight, that is even for most frequency bands. High frequency detail shines as there is no masking effect from other frequency bands. 

Monitoring is very important, good commercial recordings should sound great.

Experience so far demonstrates that we are not to mic the mouth. Pointing the microphone towards head, or nose produces much better and more natural result.

Repertoire is extremely important. The good song, composition is what drives it all.

Some aspects of good music with commercial capability are covered on a book currently being written or euroelectron titled A Letter to Clive Davies.

https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-letter-to-clive-davis.html

Pleiades DK91 electron tube battery powered microphone booster amplifier continued

At your risk.

A suitable fuse must be used in series with any battery.

On previous posts it can be seen that only the 2nd grid, the nearest one to the direct heated cathode after the control 1st grid, was used as anode.

Yesterday all grids that can be connected together were joined in order to create the anode. Anode current still increased as more electrons could be collected.

For Va=1.3V and Vb=9.3V...

When control grid is at space potential. Ia=20uA to 30uA.

When grid is connected through 8.2M to (-) terminal of Va, Ia=100uA.

When grid is connected through 8.2M to (+) terminal of Va. Ia+140uA! 

In this last case if an anode load resistor, Rl=24K is connected Ia=70uA!, Va=7.7V.

This is amazing considering that anode supply comes from just a 9V battery.

Today input and output transformers were connected through coupling capacitors.

The Shure Unidyne B microphone was feeding the input transformer, and the output transformer was feeding the SONY TC-D5M.

Soft singing male voice was at 24in from microphone, microphone higher than head, pointing head at 30 degrees.

The sound quality was very nice, and the preamplifier worked even when grid was at space potential.

Microphony was high and interesting, a loud glass metal sound when the electron tube was gently hit by a finger nail.

Hiss was higher than expected. RF pickup was suspected, as all was constructed with long cables on a table without a chassis. So to prove this the input transformer circuit was removed, and a link cable was connected between minus supply and input capacitor. Hiss almost disappeared!, while the SONY TC-D5 was at full REC level volume.

It all looks promising as a very low noise input amplifier and a diecast aluminum orange box will be used to make the 1st prototype.

Sunkissed Waters 2023 - Zhanna Light

 

Agnus Dei - Samuel Barber - Voces8

When I Fall in Love _ Nat King Cole

 

Italian 50's Songs

 

Dave Gilmour with his daughter Romany Guilmour

 

On Recording Outdoors

 At your risk.

Today at about 7am the stand supporting the Shure Unidyne B microphone was bravely placed outside on the balcony.

Acoustic guitar (with thinner strings at tuned higher than 440Hz in order to create slightly higher than times 2 overtones which are more euphonic than x2, that is second harmonic octaves) and male voice were recorded by direct connection of the microphone to the right channel of the SONY TC-D5M.

The microphone was about 24in away from the mouth, 1 foot or so higher than the head.

The recording has some of the amazing sound for example of the 40's to 60's era.

Crisp sound, with detail and no offending bass.

Since every recording sounds more reverberant than real life, a microphone has no brain [reference]. recording outdoors sounds somehow magic.

The birds was a problem! In fact the bird sounded so loud and crispy clear with amazing overtones that it was mistakenly thought not to be in the recording!

Reference: Cinema Engineering (this book was found as reference on Elements of Sound Recording - Frayne, Wolfe)

Recording an Upright Piano

At your risk.

See also previous post on increasing the distance between soundboard and back wall.

For the time being the upright Pleyel model 9 piano (made in approximately 1921) was very carefully (see previous post on avoiding health or other injury) was separated from back wall at least one more foot from a usual position in a house and placed in a non parallel position.

This has already created some openness to the sound.

The piano was tried in a recording by having the front wooden panel removed which again should create standing waves. This had a very good effect on recording by direct comparison with recording with the piano closed. By comparing the playback the sound was more real, more open, more loud, more easy, less fatiguing. 

The front lower wooden panel could also be tried to be removed while recording.

Recording took place by having just one Shure Unidyne B (made in Mexico) at about 60in distance, a bit higher from the piano, at about 30 to 40 degrees in reference to piano line, on the right hand side of the piano. The microphone was connected to the right channel only on the SONY TC-D5M.

Increasing the Upright Piano Distance from the Back Wall

 At your risk.

The back wall and the soundboard, 2 material surfaces of high area should produce standing waves in air.

Same thing with a grand piano between soundboard and floor. But the distance here is greater, creating a more open sound.

But it this respect the upright piano is more advantageous since the back of soundboard to wall distance can be made much greater than on a grand by for example placing the piano at about 90m degrees to said wall. (An assistance of many people should be used for moving safely the piano and avoiding injury. If there is skill the mechanism and other wooden parts lids etc could be removed in order to make the piano less heavy. using its wheels should help too.

Is it nonsense to have an upright piano close tro the back wall since half of its sound at least is radiated from the back of the huge vibrating soundboard?

Tuning again the Pleyel piano model 9

 At your risk.

See previous posts on how this piano was repaired.

As it settled at around A 446Hz, it was decided to use this reference as octaves plus 3rds sounded very euphonic together with the corresponding low note. For example playing E flat together with a high G. There was corresponding cacophony when the piano had been tuned to higher than 450Hz.

So it seems the 5th overtone of a low note mates almost perfectly with no beats with the corresponding high note fundamental when this piano with apparently the original? Ferminy factory strings  was tuned on reference A 446Hz. 

Octaves correspond greatly too giving what the human brain wants which is slightly higher than times 2.

The upright piano distance from the back wall has been increased to better effect see nearby post.

For explanation on overtones see Piano Tuning - Reblitz, Musical Acoustics - Hall.

 

There are YouTube videos on how to replace rubber belts on SONY TC-D5

 At your risk.

Μαζεύουμε, Ταχτοποιούμε - Κατερίνα, Tactopoetry, demo

 

Playing back from SONY TC-D5M. Recording made with Shure Unidyne B and Pleiades K177 1.3V mic booster preamplifier, see previous post. Live singing is taking place with playback while mobile phone records, so voice is really double tracked.

A Book on The Principle of Least Change in Music

 

It started as a letter to Clive Davis. But somehow it evolves naturally to a humble small thesis.

Here is the link:

https://euroelectron.blogspot.com/2025/04/a-letter-to-clive-davis.html

We Chace Beauty Not Money

 

For example the music industry at its best practice.

The best paradigm is Clive Davis.

Testing Pleiades K117 1.3V JFET AA battery microphone booster in real recording conditions

 At your risk.

Schematic is:

It was used yesterday to record a rough demo of Tactopoetry, see previous post.

The Shure Unidyne B microphone was at 24in or more, and singing was almost breath whispering. So in order to fully modulate the SONY TC-D5M recorder, this mic booster was used. Very nice edge timbre and very low noise level performance. Piano was gently played at the same time.

It would be nice to have a small box of 2 of these preamplifiers for stereo recording.

 

Children's song Tactopoetry, παιδικο τραγουδι Μαζευουμε, Τακτοποιουμε, μουσικη απο την Κατερινα

 

Going down the street in Varkiza, a city by the sea near Athens, there is a kindergarten.

Yesterday morning a young teacher could be heard singing to the little kids in the garden, μαζευουμε, μαζευουμε, κακτοποιουμε. It means we pick our things, we pick up our thinks, we tidy up.

I realized it was a good idea, came back, played on a Yamaha PS-3, finding that the key is C sharp major, not C.

Below are the interesting notes she used (most black keyboard keys), and the harmony I humbly realized they imply. Her permission was asked to publish this.

It works well as it helps me tidying up better.

(La,Si,Do,Re,Mi,Fa,Sol) is (A,B,C,D,E,F,G)

Bass                  Melody                Harmony             Lyrics

#C                   - #C #G #G            #E+#G+#C         μα-ζευ-ου

                     #E #C #G #G                                       με-μα-ζευ-ου

#C                #D  -    -     -              #F+#G=#C          με

#G                 -   #C #G #G            #F+#G+#B             τα-κτο-ποι

#C                 #G  -     E    -            #E+#G+#C           ου   -   με

Tactopoetry comes etymologically from ταξις=order, ποιω=to make, create, hence ποιηση=poetry.

Τακτοποιω in Hellenic means to tidy up.

Pleiades K117 1.3V Schematic

At your risk. Please take all safety precautions, including protecting your ears from high sound pressure level. Any battery should be in series with a suitable protective fuse to avoid skin burns or fire hazard. For this reason it is out of the question to wear metal jewellery, for example a ring, when working near a voltage.