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.

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.

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:

First sucess in making high end batterry 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.

2022-

First sucess 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 batterry 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 Davies

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

 

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.