I used a 1k sine wave and a 100 watt 8 ohm dummy load with a true RMS multimeter across the load. I also measured the resistance of the dummy load while it was warm after the test. The heat causes the resistance to rise slightly

Here are my findings.

Spitfire build – 12 watts (P/P EL-84, cathode bias, EZ81 recto)

B-18 build – 40 watts (P/P 7027, fixed bias, 5AR4 recto)

Micro AA764 – 2 watts (SE 6AQ5, cathode bias, SS recto)

Now my numbers are pretty conservative because I was looking for the clean output. I didn’t allow the crossover notch to appear in the sine wave when I did my test.

Maximum output was,

Spitfire – 21 watts

B-18 – 105 watts?!

AA764 – 3.5 watts

This was the point where things were horribly distorted and the scope had a grotesque looking square wave. Interestingly, the AA764 produced a beautiful square wave with the right input signal. It really is a high gain amp for your bedroom if you like the smooth overdrive of a 6V6-family tube.

I added a negative feedback wire to the chocolate champ to increase the headroom. I never took a picture of the insides so there you go. I tidy layout and pretty blue tag board. Some of my best work.

When I go browsing for books, I often see the latest bestsellers stacked up at the front of the bookstore. Their fancy cover art adorning nice hardback editions. I can’t help but wonder though, why the authors keep romantisizing musicians in their titles.

I compiled a list by release date:

2000 – The trend really began here with Katharine Weber’s The Music Lesson, and Wladyslaw Szpilman’s The Pianist. The latter book was made into a movie that earned three academy awards.

2002-2003 – We get a few more books, including El Guitarrista by Luis Landero, and my favorite title by far, The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason. Having never read the book, I can only speculate what makes a cranky old guy who carries a wrench in a briefcase interesting.

2007 – The Violinist by Robert Kahn and The Piano Lesson by August Wilson. Even though The Piano Lesson was written in 1936, Toni Morrison is anticipating the spate of music novels that will be released the following year.  If things had stopped here, all would be fine.

2008 – The Long Beat of the Metronome by Bruce Adam, The Musician’s Daughter by Susanne Dunlap, The Soloist by Steve Lopez. (There are several other books titled The Soloist, although this one is a movie now)

2009 – The Piano Teacher by Janice Y. K. Lee (again, several other books with this title, including one about a psychotic killer) The Music Teacher by Barbara Hall.

Now I don’t fault any of these books individually, but taken as a whole, they seem more like marketing hype than literary genius. The stark title is what sets these books off as being somehow more important. This is similar to the trend in restaurant names. Names like Rye, Baoguette, Spice, Orange, Eve, and … you get the idea.

This is type of fiction that makes me both admire and hate books like The English Patient. The historical trappings, exotic locales, and belief that nostalgia can elevate any mediocre work to greatness.

I am announcing my own novel to be published later this year. It will be titled The Sousaphone Repairer.

I spent some time last night going through various drum tracks I’ve recorded as well as some LP’s where I was pulling an individual hit. I loaded all these up into the EXS24 to compare them. Some observations:

• There are many different snare sounds out there.
• Your overall drum sound will only be as good as your raw tracks.
• Rimshots sound trashy in the studio.
• Sometimes trashy sounds good.
• Piccolo snares tend to sound thin. (I’ll probably use ONLY piccolo snares in ten years now that I’ve said this)
• It is cool to line up different sessions on the sampler and play the different kits.
• Be really careful not to overcompress going in. I found a track or two like that.
• At the end of the day. No one can tell a $100 dollar drum from a $1000 if it tuned right. Too many other factors at play.
• I’ve gotten better at recording drums.

So I was listening to the White Album last night, and as I’m apt to do, I was thinking about a one album version like Mojo magazine did in their Aug. 08 issue. I gave it way to much thought, and came up with the following list:

Side 1

Back in the USSR                        (2:43)

Dear Prudence                              (3:56)

Glass Onion                                  (2:18)                     

While My Guitar Gently             (4:45)

Happiness is a Warm Gun        (2:44)

Martha My Dear                           (2:29)                                   

I Will                                                (1:46)

Julia                                                  (2:54)

Side 2

Birthday                                            (2:43)

Yer Blues                                           (4:01)

Blackbird                                          (2:18)

Me and my Monkey                       (2:25)

Sexy Sadie                                        (3:15)

Helter Skelter                                  (4:30)

Cry Baby Cry                                    (3:10)

Savoy Truffle                                   (2:55)

My reason for even thinking about this is that the White Album turns some people off because of it’s lack of cohesion. Some people love the diversity of the tracks. I find myself wanting to skip songs that haven’t aged well, or seem like genuine filler. Revolution 9 is the top of that list, followed by Good Night (I wish Ringo had a stronger track on this album. He did quit the band for two weeks during the making?) Wild Honey Pie, Piggies, and I’m so tired. I’m so tired sounds like it should have come off Rubber Soul.

Now the big omissions are Ob-La-Di, and Revolution 1. In my mind, should be singles and not included on the album. I also kept the considerations for vinyl so the louder tracks are toward the beginning of each side and the side are well balanced. That meant that Blackbird had to go to side 2 too prevent a pileup of ballads on side 1. Other than that, the track order stayed much the same. Lots of lists I’ve seen try different openers, second-guessing the bands preference to begin with Back in the U.S.S.R. and Birthday.

Try setting this up in your ipod and see what you think.