Rocky Mountain Audio Fest Starts Today – The Rocky Mountain Audio Fest starts today, October 7, from noon to 7 pm, in the Denver Marriott Tech Center. The three-day audio show, which ends on October 9 at 4pm, promises 128 exhibit rooms, 32 vendor displays, plus three more in the parking lot, 332 exhibit companies, and, at 62 exhibits, and a CanJam for headphone aficianados.
Stellavox Reference Recordings – Kostas Metaxas had an ambitious project creating hi own library of reference recording which can be used to create the ultimate playback system. He says that many manufacturers are already using some of his tracks to “voice” their equipment. He is stuck on the Stellavox SM8 and SU8 decks, one of which he purchased on eBay and and had refurbished by an expert in Switzerland. He also uses a Stellavox AMI48 modified mixer, and modified Neumann TLM50 mics plus a pair of Newmann M150 tube mics. There is an interview with Mark Levinson on YouTube about how Metaxas was inspired by Stellavox, and some of his albums can by purchased as actual copies of the master tapes from Todor Dimitrov.
An Immersive VR Experience at a Kansas Convention Center – A special headset device using the latest Samsung Galaxy 7 phone and Beats headphones produce a stunning AV experience at the Overland Park Convention Center in Kansas. The latest in dynamic VR software and the creative production of one of Hollywood’s most respected visual entertainment producers is used. One moves thru the facility simply by looking in a specific direction. The production company, V Squared Labs, spent three days with a 3D HD camera digitally filming fully decorated event areas. The 3D images were then stitched together so that while wearing the headset, customers can virtually move thru the decorated spaces by moving their head or body and can enjoy every foot of the event space in any direction. They can also see and hear the decorated facility thru any tablet, smartphone or laptop computer thru a browser interface. The illusion of being in the room is powerful enough that one forgets where they are actually located.
Roy Gandy of Rega Feels Vinyl Superior to Digital – He says that neither digital nor analog is good or bad, but that if one wants to capture the specific performance characteristics of a special musician or amazing voice, then this is only possible on tape and vinyl replay. (Some of us might disagree, but that part of what makes audiophilia interesting…Ed.) He also says there are thousands of badly-recorded vinyl albums out there but maybe a few good ones. He says most CDs emasculate the music. He says “listen to the music and be confident in your own beliefs and what you hear.”
