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[Scott Hofmann]

?? You sure that isn't common core history??

Here's a picture from the 1920 republican convention (same system was used at the later democrat convention). These were indoor SR, I vaguely recall reading about outdoor SR attempted after WWI for some of the huge parades celebrating armistice. Another technology milestone was Hitler using a wire recorder to makes speeches without being in the same place and same time. Perhaps useful in a war when several countries are trying to kill you. 

JR

Were not  Hitler's speeches were recorded on magnetic tape, which had much more fidelity than wire recording? I thought that was the reason the Allies had trouble figuring out if it was a live broadcast or not, as the fidelity was astounding for the time.

[Jonathan Goodall]

?? You sure that isn't common core history??
JR

Sorry,  not quite sure what you mean.

[Scott Holtzman]

Me to.

I knew a guy years ago that had some HUGE cobalt magnet horn drivers.  He said they were from the 30s or 40s.

I never heard them, but they were REAL impressive looking.

It makes you want to back in time to hear such events.

When they invent the time machine-the first place I want to go is the original Woodstock.

Then I want to visit some of my gigs from the 80s-to see what they really sounded like.

I have a feeling I would be sorely disappointed-given my current "reference".

But hey-everybody was happy-I got paid and got more work-so it could not have been "that" bad----------

Ivan I am 50 and went to quite a few concerts in my teens and twenties.  I was already into sound so I would like to think that I had a somewhat critical ear:

Here are a few I recall:

1 - The Who (or part of the Who) in the Sportatreum in South Florida.  I am not even sure it was music.  Just a mass of noise above the crowd.  The venue was awful.  It was like being inside a bong with dirty water and then the sound.

2 - Jimmy Buffet -1981 - I still talk about this one vocals were unintelligible.  He also has some early moving leeco's that made a god awful racket.  No contrast or black level in the early video projectors

3 - Journey in an outdoor stadium in Orlando 1982 - (Also Aerosmith, Hagar one of those rock super bowl deals) anyway.  We were not on the field but the sound was excellent.  Even the girls commented on how good it was - decent level outdoor concert possible

4 - Best intimate show I have ever scene was Al Stewart around the same time frame.  It was in a small venue Tirrea Verde in St. Pete.   The mix was perfect.  His musicianship on the piano spectacular. 

What I do remember is in 1980 the theater at my college had just  pair of Altec Lansing VoT in an elevated room off either side of the proscenium arch.  It was a 1000 seat facility.  I remember walking the seats and we had decent even coverage, no large areas of combing.  I was able to later add small fills for the first few rows.  I was a student but the facility leaned on me heavily.  It was my first pro "working" experience.



I know these are pretty lame descriptions.  The memories are more vivid.  Now that I wrote this I too would like to compare it to the sonic experiences we create today.

[Ivan Beaver]

Ivan I am 50 and went to quite a few concerts in my teens and twenties.  I was already into sound so I would like to think that I had a somewhat critical ear:

Here are a few I recall:

1 - The Who (or part of the Who) in the Sportatreum in South Florida.  I am not even sure it was music.  Just a mass of noise above the crowd.  The venue was awful.  It was like being inside a bong with dirty water and then the sound.

2 - Jimmy Buffet -1981 - I still talk about this one vocals were unintelligible.  He also has some early moving leeco's that made a god awful racket.  No contrast or black level in the early video projectors

3 - Journey in an outdoor stadium in Orlando 1982 - (Also Aerosmith, Hagar one of those rock super bowl deals) anyway.  We were not on the field but the sound was excellent.  Even the girls commented on how good it was - decent level outdoor concert possible

4 - Best intimate show I have ever scene was Al Stewart around the same time frame.  It was in a small venue Tirrea Verde in St. Pete.   The mix was perfect.  His musicianship on the piano spectacular. 

What I do remember is in 1980 the theater at my college had just  pair of Altec Lansing VoT in an elevated room off either side of the proscenium arch.  It was a 1000 seat facility.  I remember walking the seats and we had decent even coverage, no large areas of combing.  I was able to later add small fills for the first few rows.  I was a student but the facility leaned on me heavily.  It was my first pro "working" experience.



I know these are pretty lame descriptions.  The memories are more vivid.  Now that I wrote this I too would like to compare it to the sonic experiences we create today.

Some of the concerts I remember

My very first concert was "the Four Tops"-i got a free pass from a friend.  The only thing I remember was during their set a speaker on house right started buzzing and making a lot of racket.  It took awhile for them to figure out which one it was and "I guess" unplug it.

Blue Oyster Cult (Agents of fortune tour).  I don't remember anything about the sound-but the laser show was AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I had never seen a laser show (as most people had not back then) and it blew me away.

ZZ top (late 70s).  The sound was so bad I actually left  Just a big mush

Rush (1977)  The only thing I remember is that they setup the PA and sidefills wrong.  On house left the Main horns were double driver JBLs and the sidefills were single driver horns.  On house right they used the single driver horns for Mains and double driver horns for sidefills.

J Geils Band -Blow your face out tour  Probably the most fun I have ever had at a concert.  Old Community system and I remember it sounding GREAT.

Charlie Daniels Band (Souths gonna do it again tour)   The whole PA "appeared" to be 2x12" cabinets with no horns.  The cabinets were stacked horizontal and vertical and TONS of C Clamps were used to keep the cabinets together-all different colors/sizes etc.  I remember it sounding good

Ted Nugent/Foreinger/Black Oak  Outside and they used the Call Jam PA.  It was LOUD LOUD.  Everybody sounded fine except Foreinger.  The distortion in the system was "passable for Nugent and Black Oak but really made Foreinger sound bad.

Jimmy Buffett (1977)  The local college gym where I saw a lot of bands in and I was very disappointed when I walked in.  The PA was small.  A pair of Altec VOT and some other cabinets.  After the warm up band played they removed the other cabinets and just left  1 or 2 pair of VOTs.  It was was of the best sounding PAs in that room-but not as loud as the other acts.

There were many others-but these just stick out a bit.

[Scott Holtzman]

J Geils Band -Blow your face out tour  Probably the most fun I have ever had at a concert.  Old Community system and I remember it sounding GREAT.

My wife loves Bob Seger and he happen to be in town for her birthday last week.   J. Geils opened and it was the best part of the show for me.  Peter Wolf still has it, it was just plain a great show. 

Seger's band was also great.  The drummer from Grand Funk is now a Sliver Bullet.  Bob's voice was tired.

I didn't recognize the array they used nor did I spend many cycles thinking about it.  We had seats on the mezzanine first row right above FOH and it the levels were good for me and we simply had fun.  I don't do that often enough.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Were not  Hitler's speeches were recorded on magnetic tape, which had much more fidelity than wire recording? I thought that was the reason the Allies had trouble figuring out if it was a live broadcast or not, as the fidelity was astounding for the time.

I should probably google this but I think there were some recordings made on actual metal tape, literally thin metal foil rolled up on reels. Scary stuff... but pretty much the same electronically as wire recorders. 

I think there were some machines captured by the military and given to WE or Bell Labs to "check out" (reverse engineer).

Not in Dad's notebooks. So I do not have any details.

JR

[John Roberts {JR}]

Sorry,  not quite sure what you mean.

Sorry I am not a big fan of modern education policy. So I was being snarky, suggesting that the history might be flawed.

JR

PS: If you have to diagram your jokes they are not very good jokes.

[John Roberts {JR}]

Ivan I am 50 and went to quite a few concerts in my teens and twenties.  I was already into sound so I would like to think that I had a somewhat critical ear:

Here are a few I recall:

1 - The Who (or part of the Who) in the Sportatreum in South Florida.  I am not even sure it was music.  Just a mass of noise above the crowd.  The venue was awful.  It was like being inside a bong with dirty water and then the sound.

I saw the Who as an opening act for the Doors back in the '60s on long Island. I actually knew who they were (my friends were there to see the Doors and didn't). When I predicted that Peter Townsend would smash his guitar my friends thought I was psychic  (some still do). It was an outdoor venue so sound was so-so but it was loud enough for a near riot after the Doors did their set and Morrison stirred the pot.

Many years later I ran into John Entwistle (RIP) smoking a fag outside the front door of my office building (Peavey headquarters). I tried to show him some respect and told him I was in the audience several decades earlier. but it was awkward.   

2 - Jimmy Buffet -1981 - I still talk about this one vocals were unintelligible.  He also has some early moving leeco's that made a god awful racket.  No contrast or black level in the early video projectors

3 - Journey in an outdoor stadium in Orlando 1982 - (Also Aerosmith, Hagar one of those rock super bowl deals) anyway.  We were not on the field but the sound was excellent.  Even the girls commented on how good it was - decent level outdoor concert possible

4 - Best intimate show I have ever scene was Al Stewart around the same time frame.  It was in a small venue Tirrea Verde in St. Pete.   The mix was perfect.  His musicianship on the piano spectacular. 

What I do remember is in 1980 the theater at my college had just  pair of Altec Lansing VoT in an elevated room off either side of the proscenium arch.  It was a 1000 seat facility.  I remember walking the seats and we had decent even coverage, no large areas of combing.  I was able to later add small fills for the first few rows.  I was a student but the facility leaned on me heavily.  It was my first pro "working" experience.



I know these are pretty lame descriptions.  The memories are more vivid.  Now that I wrote this I too would like to compare it to the sonic experiences we create today.

I've had live bands jamming in my living room... Nobody you guys would recognize, but it was real.

JR

[Tom Roche]

...(Also Aerosmith, Hagar one of those rock super bowl deals)...

I saw Sammy Hagar open up for Aerosmith ... likely the same tour.  This was in '82 at the Capital Center in D.C.  Sammy was great, but Aerosmith was aweful......bad sound and poor performance.  Perry hadn't returned to the band.  Tyler was sporting what I call a Robin Hood style mustache & goatee just like Errol Flynn's.  Still the worst concert I've ever attended.

I swore off attending concerts in large indoor venues about 20 years ago, but attended this year's Eagles show after my girlfriend surprised me with tickets.  I've got to say, it was one of the best shows ever. 

[Steve M Smith]

I should probably google this but I think there were some recordings made on actual metal tape, literally thin metal foil rolled up on reels. Scary stuff

If I remember correctly, it was particularly scary because it had to run at high speed. It could cause quite an injury if it broke.


Steve.