Car Stereo Security Special

Tested! NEC's Digital Noise Reduction Super VHS VCR

AU DI OOH • VI D E O F • TESIDELITY T RE P O R T S • MUSI C

AUGUST 1988 $2.50 USA CAR STEREO SECURITY SPECIAL What You Can Do To Protect Your System! NO MORE POPS & TICKS! How Digital Noise Removal Is Cleaning Up Old Recordings PLUS 5 Exciting New Lab Tests

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Compact disc without musical compromise,

• For thirty-five years Harman a on as represented the at all. This all discrete circuit is completely free of the highest standards of sonic excellence. Our long harshness of TIM and does not require the steep filters experience in designing high resolution circuitry, which destroy spatial perspective. The result is the clear, including such Harman Kardon innovations as Low clean, stunning musical realism lacking in other Negative Feedback, Ultrawidebandwidth and High Current CD players. Capability, uniquely qualifies us to bring high Taking the ultimate format even further, Harman Kardon 'S performance to the demanding compact disc format. HD800 introduces the Charge Coupled Interface (CCI, Although recognized as a true breakthrough. most critics patent pending). This circuit is placed between the DA agree that CD technology has not fully translated into converters and the increased musical performance. Two aspects of analog section so that conventional CD player design are responsible for this: they are electrically integrated circuits (IC's) in the analog section and completely isolated, excessively steep analog filters. While desirable from a preventing noise from pure cost consideration, analog IC's have very narrow being passed out of the bandwidth and require huge amounts of negative digital circuitry. feedback which creates, among other things, the TIM Increased dynamic (Transient InterModulation) distortion responsible for the range, maximum phase harsh, metallic sound that is a common complaint of the coherency and greatly CD format. improved small signal The other widely recognized criticism of the CD format is resolution are also The unique all discrete wideband. zero feedback enhanced by dual 16-bit circuit that prompted critics to say tie best a lack of spatial perspective ("depth") in the sound field. sounding CD player from a major manufacture - ' This is the result of the very steep filters (typically linear a'A converters operating at 176.4kHz (fourtimesoversampling). 60dB ,octave or more) required in conventional CD circuit design. Harman Kardon 's CD players are equally advanced when Harman Kardon both addresses and solves these it comes to convenience. The HD400 and HD800 feature problems in the HD200, HD400 and HD800. Our analog wireless remote control with 10-key random access section is constructed entirely of precision discrete programming. All models incorporate 36-track program components (no IC's) and has Ultrawide- memory, track .index search and audible two-speed cue, bandwidth of 0-250kHz and no review, as well as a multifunction front panel display. negative feedback Harman Kardon compact disc players. The CD promise fully realized through no-compromise performance.

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For more information and your nearest dealer call toll free 1-800-525-7000 ext 101 or write 240 Crossways Park West, Box 9101, Woodbury. New York 11797

harman/kardon

A Harman International Company — 10:1112/11

V Interview H111010IG • Viol11 FIDELITY Monster Cable Products. Inc AUGUST 1988 VOL. 38 NO. 8 (Follows pay..

Tested: NEC 5- VHS VCR. five more 21 Copy Code truths revealed 41 The legacy of Walter Legge

TEST REPORTS COLUMNS NEC DS-8000U S-VHS VCR 21 Front Lines News from Japan. Akai GX-52 cassette deck 24 MICHAEL RIGGS 5 Technics SL-P990 CD player 30 Crosstalk Audio beginners' blues; why rock is loud. Sony TC-RX8OES cassette deck 32 LARRY KLEIN 15 Proton AA-1150 power amplifier 35 Bits & Pieces Details on the ADS M-12 loudspeaker 38 No Noise system. DAVID RANADA 16 AUDIO & VIDEO Tape Tracks Why you need EQ controls on your deck "La commedia è finita." The truth about Copy Code: the NBS report. ROBERT LONG 17 D A VID R A N A D A 41 The Autophile Security systems How to Read Our Tuner Curves. A guide to tuner-quieting curves. for the car. ROBERT LONG 46 CHRISTOPHER J ESSE 18 Medley An era ends. MUSIC THEODORE W LIBBEY, JR. CLASSICAL Walter Legge: The Doyen of Record Producers. Cryptic Compact Discs from the The second in a continuing series of portraits ofp honographic pioneers. Residents./HANK BORDOWITZ 49 ROBERT LONG 50 POPULAR/BACKBEAT On the Trail of the Blues. Who's really got 'ern? DEPARTMENTS The author spends two weeks in four Delta states to find out. Letters 6 LESLIE BERMAN 69 Currents Electronic chops: synthesizer power for wind- On the cover: the NEC DS-8000U instrument players. 13 S-VHS VCR (top) and the Akai GX-52 cassette deck (bottom). The CD Spread Two by Tchaikovsky, three Well-Tempered Claviers. four Haydn piano trios. 57 11111PRIR Classical Reviews New discs from two young violinists; the latest from Levine, Leonhardt, and Lerdahl. _ 61 Jazz Reviews James Williams; Donald Byrd; Ellington CDs. 73 Pop Reviews Graham Parker; Joni Mitchell; Jane Siberry; Timbuk 3. 77 In Short Order Mission of Burma's not-short CD. 79 Cover design: Joanne Goodfellow Advertising Index 79 Cover photo: Tony Pettinato

HIGH FlO WTY (ISSN 001S-1455).s published monthly at 825 Seventh Ave.. New York. N.Y. 10019. by ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc.. °division of ABC Publishing, Inc., o Capitol Cities/ABC, Inc., company. © 1988 by ABC Consumer Magazines, Inc. The design and contents ore fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner. Second-class postage paid at New York, New York, and at additional moiling offices. Authorized as second-class mail by the Post Office Department. Ottawa, and for payment of postage in cosh. Yearly subscription in the U.S.A. and Possessions $13.95, elsewhere $20.95. Single copies $2.50 (Canada $2.951. Subscribers: Send subscriptions, inquiries, and address changes to HIGH FIDEtitr, P.O. Boo 10759, Des Moines, Iowa 50340. Change of address: Give old and new addresses, including ZIP codes. En- close address label from lost issue and allow fire weeks for change to become effective. POSTMASTER: Send chant* et address to HIGH FRIKITY, P.O. Box 10759, Doe Moines, IA 50340.

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 3 Yamaha lust solved the est problem. All those little capacitors, resistors and You'll also find 8 times oversampling. semiconductors? Giving you incredibly accurate waveform They make up what's known as a CD resolution and unbelievably player's analog filter. natural sound. A necessary evil designed to remove Hi-bit twin D/A converters unwanted digital noise. to improve dynamic resolution While unfortunately and eliminate interchannel phase Ht-Bit DIRECT DU distorting otherwise distortion. • ON / OFF crystal-clear sound with And a host of features that

phase shift. add up to the most pleasurable - &It Ahem. listening experience yet. Presenting Yama- Stop by your nearest Yamaha Use the 46-key Yamaha's exclusive i Irirri out wireless remote, or technology bn passes the analog filter. ha's exclusive hi-bit dealer today and hear the re- use a Yamaha RS resulting in pure, crystal-clear sound. integrated amp. direct output technology markable new CDX,910U CD preamp or receiver A revolutionary technology we've incor- player for yourself. remote. porated into our CDX-910U, giving you the We think you'll come away sharing our option of completely eliminating the analog philosophy that anything that comes between filter with the touch of a button. you and your music is definitely a big Allowing you, in turn, to enjoy improve- problem. ment in music you thought couldn't be No matter how yAmA improved. small it may be. HA®

YAMAHA .

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Yamah.1 Electn mics Corpot FrontLines Bright Lights, Big City

Dy Michael Riggs

n May I visited Japan for the first time since the dollar cause the heart of Digital Pure-A is a prediction circuit stepped on a banana peel, prepared for sticker shock that would not be practical without a digital input. I(and not disappointed). A quick tour of Tokyo's famed When the input is digital, the signal is split into two Akihabara section—where multistory electronics super- paths. The first goes into a digital memory buffer that de- markets coexist with a raft of smaller shops and back- lays it by about 150 milliseconds before it reaches the dig- alley stalls at which you can buy parts of every descrip- ital-to-analog (D/A) converter. The second goes directly tion (by the scoopful, you might think, from a glimpse of to a control circuit that determines from the bit stream the bins of resistors and other small components)—re- exactly when more power will be required than the amp's vealed no bargains. DAT decks were there in abundance, low-voltage mode can handle. Because of the delay in the at extravagant prices. But more on that later. path to the D/A converter (which feeds into the amplifi- The real reason for my trip was to visit JVC's audio er's audio circuit), the controller has time to think the sit- division. Perhaps because JVC is so well known as the in- uation over and tell the power supply exactly when to ventor of the VHS system of video recording, and of VHS shift into overdrive—and exactly when to shift back out. Hi-Fi and the new Super VHS format, people sometimes It never has to guess, which means that it never moves tend to forget that the company also makes audio gear. too soon or too late; it is as efficient as it can be. And so Perhaps it was just that fact that prompted the home of- we see yet another useful innovation made possible by fice to invite a few journalists over from the United States digital encoding of audio signals. and Europe for a tour of the facilities and some previews In fact, virtually everything JVC showed us (apart of coming attractions. Although the main spotlight was from new speakers, which were designed with the aid of on JVC's new K2 digital interface (which is supposed to computers) was based on digital technology. The other prevent any noise riding on a digital signal from degrad- standout was a new surround-sound processor based on ing the final analog output), I thought that was the least digital signal processing. Except for the Lexicon CP-I interesting of several new developments. The most inge- (which, as our review next month will explain, proceeds nious, to my mind, is a new amplifier using what JVC from somewhat different premises), the JVC unit is the calls its Digital Pure-A circuit. As you might guess from first true competitor to Yamaha's groundbreaking de- the name, it is a Class A amplifier—but with a twist. signs. (See last month's review of the Yamaha DSP- Like a number of previous designs, this amp uses a 3000.) We got only a brief demonstration, but its ability dual-voltage power supply. Only when the input signal is to re-create the sensation of being in a variety of realistic large does the supply switch to its high-voltage mode. At acoustic spaces was stunning. And JVC is looking to low signal levels, the supply operates at a lower voltage in bring it in for less than $1,000. order to conserve power and minimize heat. The latter is What about DAT? JVC has machines now —and is especially significant in this amp because it is designed to working on a new generation— but if you want one, you run in a traditional Class A configuration, which main- may have to go to Akihabara. We roughed up the compa- tains a constant, relatively high bias across the output ny management a little-on this issue, but even after the transistors to completely eliminate crossover distortion, defeat of Copy Code (see "La commedia'e finita," page even when the amplifier is operating at full output. 41), they are reluctant to move. JVC's president indicated (A conventional Class AB amplifier moves from Class A that the company considers a negotiated settlement with operation to the more efficient Class B mode at high out- the record industry a prerequisite to an American launch. puts.) This is wasteful, but clean. To which we said, "Lotsa luck." In the JVC scheme, however, the amplifier is working At the beginning of our morning in Akihabara, we in a low-power mode most of the time, so the amount of met with the president of Laox, which is the district's wasted heat and power is correspondingly small. Only largest retailer, with numerous stores all over the rest of when signal conditions threaten overload does the unit Japan as well. When I asked him how DAT was doing, turn into a high-power amplifier. And it's still Class A, he replied that in the entire month of April his company because the bias gets cranked up along with the power- had sold only 78 decks. Even in its home market, where supply voltage. they have been available for more than a year, DAT ma- So far, so good. But the most interesting part is that chines are far from becoming a mass-market item. The the Digital Pure-A system is engaged only when the am- problem, he said, is price. And this, I think, explains the plifier is getting a digital input (from the digital output reluctance of the manufacturers to storm the gates of the jack of a CD player, for example). Otherwise, it runs as a American market. Why risk getting slapped with restric- more conventional high-power amplifier using JVC's Dy- tive trade legislation for the sake of marketing a product namic Super A "sliding bias" system, which varies the that currently has little prospect of bringing in much rev- bias constantly according to the level of the analog input enue? When will America have DAT? At this point, your signal to maintain efficient Class A operation. That's be- guess is as good as mine. My crystal ball's in the shop.

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N O NOISE AVAILABILITY and runs on a high-speed minicomputer.) The "Currents" column in your July 1987 Some No Noised recordings already have Editor in Chief Michael Riggs issue carries a brief discussion of a com- been released, but the extent to which the Associate Publisher Kathleen Green Art Director Joanne Goodfellow plex new digital noise-reduction system process will be adopted by the record indus- called No Noise. Would this system have try is yet to be seen. Labels will base their Managing Editor Jonathan Tesser Copy Editor , Donn Teal improved the Frank Sinatra CD reissues decisions on whether to use the system on a Assistant Editor Annda J Segarra reviewed in the BACKGEAT section of your number of things, including cost, perceived Assistant to the Publisher Darleen D Edwards

August 1987 issue, which are criticized as benefit to the recording being reissued, and TECHNICAL DEPARTMENT being "moderately hissy AAD transfers"? the extent to which the process generates Technical Editor David Ranacla And is this system available to the public undesirable side effects. This last is a par- Associate Technical Editor Christopher J Esse Consulting Technical Editors Edward J Foster. for use in cleaning up the hiss, clicks, and ticularly tricky question: Some producers Robert Long pops endemic to old recordings? That this feel that No Noise does more harm than Contributing Editor Larry Klein new process may (or may not) be used on good on certain types of material. For more MUSIC DEPARTMENT rereleases isn't much help to those of us on No Noise, see this month's "Bits & Classical Music Editor Theodore W Libbey, Jr Popular Music Editor Ken Richardson desperately seeking some magical (read Pieces."—Ed. Associate Classical Musk Editor Patricia Reilly "digital") way to clean up what is left of Contributing Editors Robert E Benson. Leslie Berman. our precious recordings. My collection ORIGINS OF CAR AUDIO urn Bessman. Pamela Bloom, David Browne. Francis Davis. Rev Thomas L Dixon. Thor Eckert, Jr., goes back to the 1930s. In "Front Lines" [May], Michael Riggs Edward Greenfield. Thomas Hathaway. Paul Hume, Even if the No Noise system isn't now brings up the question of who invented the David Hurwitz, Paul Moor, John Morthland, Mark Moses, generally available, wouldn't some enter- car radio. The first car radio, as we know Andrew Nash. Jeff Nesin. Robert R Reilly. K Robert Schwarz. Terry Teachout. Noah Andre Trudeau. prising company see it as a great product it, was designed by Bill Lear for an outfit Mictiaei Ullman. Richard C Walls. James Wierzbicki for the record-playing public? DBX had called the Galvin Manufacturing Compa- ART DEPARTMENT ways of processing sound commercially, ny. (There were car radios before that, but Assistant Art Director Carol Morrison Technical Art Hoy Lindstrom yet it managed to work its technology into they required - 13" batteries under the circuits priced in a range accessible to in- floorboard.) He called it the Motorola, as PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Production Manager Marina Paruolo dividuals. in Victrola or Mazola. [We wonder if Lear Ater System Manager Mildred Richardson Ted Earley wasn't thinking of "motor," as in "motor CIRCULATION DEPARTMENT Monrovia, Calif. car," together with Victrola.—Ed.] Later, Vice-President, Circulation Robert I Gursha Galvin took Motorola as the name of all of Circulation Staff ia Blackmon-DeBrown, Harold Buckley, Mitch Frank, Michelle Harrison, I have read in your magazine about a digi- its products and finally the name of the Beth Healy, James J Smith. Tom Slater, tal noise-reduction process called No company. A Heather Wood Noise. Several months ago I bought a new I can't take autosound very seriously; Subscriber Service 11800) 666-3977 audio system, including a CD player, and one is too busy playing bumper tag to ap- Vice-President have been stocking up on my favorite old- preciate anything except traffic reports. Group Publisher/Editorial Director William lynan ies. But after having my ears pampered by By the way, almost everything on a car, in- ABC CONSUMER MAGAZINES, INC. the silent sound of digital, I find the hiss on cluding bumpers, started out as an after- Senior Vice-President Marc Reisch some of these reissued recordings quite ob- market accessory. Vice-President, Production Ilene Berson Weiner Vice-President, Finance Richard Willis jectionable. Nonetheless, I have accepted Gilbert A. Johnson it as the best that can be done. But if they Woodinville, Wash. ONE OF THE ABC PERISHING • COMPANIES come out later with the hiss scrubbed out by No Noise, I'll certainly want to replace TAR RAMADA NUS President Robert G Burton 13'30 Avenue of the Americas. New York. N.Y 10019 them, at a loss of several hundred dollars. The combination of technical expertise HIGH FIDELITY is published monthly by ABC Consumer Magazines inc . a Anyway, what should I do now? and writing skill is a rare gift. Thousands division of ABC Publishing Inc a Capital Cities/ABC Inc company Should I stop buying CD reissues of pre- of electronics engineers and technicians 1988 ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc Member, Audit Bureau of Omuta lions indexed in Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature Current and digital recordings until No Noise versions "know the stuff," but pitifully few can ex- back copies of Hii ii Eu viii, are available on microfilm from University Microfilms Ann Arbor Mich 48106 Microfiche copies i 1973 forwardl start coming out? Is there some company plain it. When I get snowed by technical are available from Bell 8. Howell Micro Photo Div Old Mansfield Rd selling No Noise versions right now, or is information, I refer to David Ranada's ar- Wooster Ohio 44691 it something the major record labels will ticles, which I keep on file. ADVERTISING OFFICES New York: ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc 825 Seventh Ave . 8th Ii, be using in the future? If the latter, when? Edward V. Mace New York. NY 10019 tel 12121265.8360 Peter T Johnsrneyer. Group Advertising Director. Walter Stolz. Associate Advertising Director. James How will I know which record companies Tucson, Ariz. R McCallum, Advertising Director (Music/Books), Maria Manaser,. are using the process and which aren't? If I Classified Advertising Director. Gina F ledger, Advertising Production Manager order discs by mail, will I be able to specify TO O MUCH DYNA MIC RANGE Midwest HI.1 fl(4111 +. 580 Waters Edge, Lombard. III 60148 Tel 13121691.1165/7 Starr Lane Midwest Advertising Director No Noise versions? I am really sold on Compact Discs—for Los Angeles ABC Consumer Magazines. Inc . 2049 Century Park East. Please help. Many people must be fac- the same reasons, I am sure, that everyone Suite 3050. Los Angeles. Calif 90067 Tel 12 131284.8118 Howard Ber- man National Sales Manager ing this dilemma, especially those of us else is. They exhibit no background noise, EdItorlel correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, Hiun F 'pill,. 825 Seventh Ave . New York. NY 10019 Editorial contribu- who grew up in the 1960s. and their dynamic range is beyond that of tions will be welcomed. and payment for articles accepted will be ar• Ernest Swallow all other media. There is no question that ranged prior to publication Submissions most be accompanied by return postage and will be handled with reasonable care however. the pub. Ocean Park, P.R. they are the answer to recorded music. But fisher assumes no responsibility for return Of unsolicited photographs or manuscripts I wish that manufacturers of CDs would There really is no simple answer to these realize that we know these things. There is questions, except that there will be no con- no reason for them to record long periods sumer version of No Noise in the foresee- of silence and very soft, low-volume music able future. (The system is very complex so that we can hear that there is no hiss or

• H I G H FI D E L I T Y scratch. Why don't they record CDs the announce the peace settlement between When it came to anvils and the like, naked way they did LPs, at about the same level France and Spain and punctuate the duet indeed. Getting back to Don Carlo, we're throughout? I try to make cassette copies between Carlos and Elisabetta, have been puzzled that you don't hear the cannon to play in my car, but they are practically deleted. Why? shots on your cassette version of this splen- useless: I just can't hear the low parts over Can you imagine how Solti's recording did recording: On the Compact Disc re- the road noise. I can hardly hear them in of the Ring would have sounded had its lease, which presumably was prepared us- my home over ordinary house noises, such special effects been edited away? ing the same digital remastering. all six of as air conditioning. Ron W. Flowers them are clearly there.-Ed. If you have any way to get word to CD Scott City, Mo. (Continued on page 12) manufacturers, please tell them to record at a constant volume so that we can hear all the music. Penn Dawson WHERE HI END Clearwater, Fla. BUIS Electroni MEETS ROCK BOTTOM 'Poe m I 11151 LON, DEMON AUDIO TAPES What's bothering you is a manifestation of cAT A FREE CD IMES TOR 1110 A cro PLATER • CLEANER IN SlI K1U1 PouILHE I 11151 I.i Ps one of the Compact Disc's greatest benefits: -MAGNATE:15- SUPER SPECIALS 1 a 4/ 3 TOP REMOTE 22W91 - SONY - very wide dynamic range. The dynamic DB 471 SUPER VAlUt 119.91 D88 SMAILESTRAYS 3 5 COKLOW MAGA MOS CO M M M DEN ISSI M TOP RATED KIWI St -DENON- COMPACT URIC PIAINER REMOTE CD ISKIEM MADE HEADPHONES OTER D 3 SMALL LOW DLO 3300 REFERENCE 1249.99 NE range of a recording medium is the differ- PLATER IS FM • M U PROCIPMHE DT 3 SMALL Wi RA010 L OW nC01700 27 5.1 CONY 499.9f WIG OUADOTERIAMPUNG Is DIT VIZELEPDH110:GlIti DO USE!E Co Ur4 RESPONSE is 24.000 141 0160 FOR CAR ence between the softest and the loudest iiC01500 ii REMOTE $99.94 DA CONVERECHIS LOW SPECIAL 299. ts FEAST FOAM PADO ic01400 REMOTE 199.91 ow, 49.95 010 SMALLER LOW sounds that it can resolve (more than 90dB 'CD BOO REMOTE 129.99 0110 SMALLER WRA010 LOW 0600 REMOTE 279.92 I • 015 NEW LOW for CDs); the dynamic range of a piece of EAMANA IMA M REMOTE RECEIVER PARSEC EST POPES ANTENNA m - TOSHIBA - IFIC TOP PLATER 799.91 '((ER PC TE INNOTI COW M OVE FM RECIPE UP TO TWO music is the difference between the loudest (WOK MOTORIZED TOWN. CON STRENGTHS ALL STATIONS UPRIGHT AR 9431 279.99 Ox 510 NEW 2119.99 VIOL I SPIM SEUCTOR AUDIO • ITS CHINIOIRECTIONAL NOWIZORE- ER 9457 299.91 'ix 410 NEW 219.99 TEDIM CONTROLS • PROC TAt ITS DIRECTIONAL FOR A - CITIZEN - SPECIFIC STAM M o w, o 9s and the softest passages it contains (which -PIONEER- TOPS AM MO MET 499.99 CBM1000 16 TRACK PROG 179.99 varies widely, according to the type of mu- , 1, NEW STACKER LOW NEW STACKER LOW - Aseuris - NEW STACKER LOW YAMAHA MIS, RASTER TOWNIE PIR0.4 AC IBES POwleto Sivemialis sic, from a minimum of 10 or 20 dB to a • NEW STACKER LOW CONTIMUIR-SELICIOR ECK V 1 AMPLIFIED SPIRE FOR CO. OR 7905 4169.99 5905 929.91 INPUT VELICIVIri AFTER SITTING 7240 379.91 7180 P0I.l VIE EDP SINGLE LOW CASETTE DICAS ALSO FOR MO M. 'colum n ON . WEEK MUGS 1410 M U AC OUTLET & 7179 299.99 3321 209.91 maximum that approaches the limit of TAL NEW RIM SINGLE LOW tweroaNBEIV MmuSE vOuwm SOURCE SOP 501. MASI 3213 179.19 3210 119.92 • . 4100 NEW SINGLE LOW 08111 144.91 OEM 121.91 PR 6394 PR 119.11 6294 PR 119.11 what can fit on a CD). A truly high fidelity 101030 NEW LASER 1.0* 8266 PR 74.11 6265 PR 129.01 6258 PR 11.99 000 PR 179.91 recording will seek to capture the full dy- .104 600 NEW TOP STACKER )79.91 I ANSI III DIE AS AE 900 130W PC ROG AMP 109.91 - PIONEER - .t TA 400 NOV REMOTE STACKER291.91 DAT AL 500 135W PC NIG AMP 27191 0011 1 CCM XIII 8050 LOW namic range of the music as it is performed, M 300 6 DISC STACKER 219.91 SORT COT 503 PIrt1.14 AK 300 3011 PC INTG AMP LOW KEIT 6050 LOW RET 6020 LOW 555 NEW TOP SINGLE 2119.11 LAID 7441 T WA* T85 HIEN TUNER 359.91 ICE 4060 LOW FE 40100R LOW and for some pieces, that will mean alterna- 'It 444 NEW REMOTE 229.11 - NANAMICHI - AVC 30 AR CONTROLLER 119.95 KEN 8182TR LOW KEN 62621R LOW m'222 NEW 17191 DRAGON THE ULTIMATE L OW AVC 50 AA CONTROLLER 419.91 KIN 6363 LOW KEN 4343 LOW tions between very high and very low lev- 1041 RI 505 UM MC AR 1189.15 SR 50 SURROUND PROCESSOR229.92 - SONY - OMS 34 REMOTE CO 729.99 CR 3A NEW NITRO 449.99 N a t ..iiiA COX 120 NEW TRUNK MOUNT V DISC els-the very thing that is annoying you. OMS TA REMOTE CO 419.99 CR 2A NEW 129.99 STACKER WrEITHER TUNER OR REMOTE CHASIA REMOTE CO 219.99 - CR TA NEW FAVORITE 129.99 ONLY •99 95 We agree, however, that under some lis- -PAO- SDA 20 1049.91 PR - YAMAHA - MIR 88 TOP RATED [DRA M SP/ TI 5240 TOP CO PLATER 176.65 EX IMO 3 NOT BC Fix 0114 9119.99 SDACRST 499.99 PR 91A 12C •99.95 PR COX 80 CAR CO PLATER 399 95 tening conditions (especially in a car), wide 5720 CO PLATER 279.99 K 1340 BC NE PRO AR 979.95 RIK ITT 7)9.99 PR OR 1300 PULE OUT Al POWER 519 IS -SONY- Li 400 BC HE PRO 219.99 ER 7200 PULL OUT FEATURE NU M, 95 dynamic range can be too much of a good EDP C10 RUT CAROUSEL M .91 KX 200 2 MOTOR DOT 199.99 MONITOR 7C 449.91 PR ER 7150 PULL OUT FEATURE FUlt199 95 COP 910 TOP SINGLE RM1 91191 ADA 900 TOP DOUBLE CADS 516.11 MONITOR 58 848,RO PR ER 7050 NEW PULL OUT LOW thing, making it impossible to set a com- 10118500 DOulitE IC AR 149.11 MONITOR 5.1114. 279.91 PR RO MER% ER 6300 MR DIG HI POWER 119 95 - DEMON - MONITOR 45 209.91 PR -YAMAHA- ER 8 TAPE UNIT FOR COXR 88 119 95 fortable listening level without having to ORM 44nA COMPUTER 3 NEA0149.92 RE 900 85 WATT Roe 119.99 - DEP40111 - OHM 3011x MAT 3 HO HE PRO 419.99 AND ACCOUSTIMASS SYSTE11649.98 strain to hear the soft parts or being over- RE 700 60 WATT RUT 111. HI ? 4 WAY PORTED 999.99 pR OCR 7600 119.9f OCR 5520 519 95 RE 500 50 WATT RIC 149.99 ORMAN,' NT PRO RIOT 819.91 OCR 5425 179.95 OCR 5320 /59 95 3 RE 1 PORTE° 7I?.} PR whelmed by the loud ones. The best solution is a switchable compressor circuit built 1-800 223-3411 718) 871-7600 FOR NYS & INFO FOR ORDERS ONES HOURS M ON.-THURS. into the player, so that you can squeeze the 9-7, FRI. 9-3, SUN. 10-6 R 9 CLOSEOUT MVO ANT 179.91 OHM 2111 HO PRO. BC 249.99 2 BOOKSH LE 219 95 PR DCA 3500 191.91 DCA 3400 92, 91 dynamic range of your CDs into the dy- R8 CLOSEOUT 85 WATT 449.91 ORM BHA RC HE PRO 299.91 - PINNACLE - DCA 3280 299.91 DCA 3150 ES, 95 - OC - DMA 01 DOLBY RIC I /9.91 P46 * SLIGHTLY BIGGER 8 BETTER - /VC - namic range ofy our listening environment. HE IOW NEW SuRR 120 RMT 1199.99 - ETC - THAN THE 5 4 ONLY 179.99 PR ESFIX 618 )49.99 (ORE 518 101 91 RI 999 NEW VOW MAT 919.91 TN III NEW 3 READ PN54SMATTER BOOKSHELF 129.9SPR ESRE 418 249.91 KSRX 408 Low Sony's first car CD changer had such a cir- RE 771 NEW BOW MAT 419.91 TOP SINGLE 499.99 M48 ONLY 149.91 PR KSAX 308 LOW (SRI 208 LOW RE 555 NEW GOW ANT 270.91 MR 611 NEW A A SINGLE P19.91 PS MONITOR 700 ONLY 118.11 PR KSA18 199.91 EU 30 499 95 cuit. The best bet for your purposes, how- RE 333 NEW 45W OUT 219.99 TEM El NEW AR BC 1119.99 CALL FOO TAMEST. mow n KSA 20 219.95 KSE 15 I 89 9. 111227 NEW 35* RIA1 149.99 MR 311 NEW OOLEIT SINGLE 149.11 - YAMAHA - - 11111. - ever, is the DBX DX-5, which includes a so- RA 150 GREAT RE CF iv( R 149.99 ED* 999 NEW MP DOUBLE 129.99 ASTON 2 WAY BOOKSHELF 119.91 T1900 6E93 WAY VOW SKASE!, 9, PR -PIONEER- TOW 777 NEW DOUBLE AR 269.91 NS 20M 3 WAY SHELF 919.99 - 110STON-ACCOUST1CS phisticated variable compressor-the only ISO 9300 NEW 175W PRO SURR LOW TOW 444 SO AUTO REV 209.91 NS 2111 SUPREME 221.99 C MOINE 149.91 713 PR 129 95 1191 7300 NEW 175W RUT 808v TOW 220 DO AR IC 1119.99 - ROSS - /97 AWARD 015 6E9 3 METS9.95 PR one we know of in a home CD player.-Ed. VSK 5300 NEW 100* Rho Low - PIONEER - ACK 5000 WIRELESS 249.11 CALL FOR lal AAREAL CLARION VSX 3300 NEW 80* RUT LOW CTW 90OR NEW TOP DOUBLE LOW - REC OTON - !CASS° 299.99 10450 7,9 91 VS4 2300 NEW 60W PC LOW OW 706R NEW DOUBLE AIR LOW *EDO WIRELESS 219.91 USE IMP NEW ROW PC L OW COW RD NOW DOUBLE IC ION KR 350 229.92 TCR150 199 VS REISSUES WITH SO METHING MISSING -NAKAMICHI- CTW NO NEW DOUBLE HI SPO LOW TIM AMEN DER-40 REAMMOTIF SR EA 60W STASIS R1A1 149.11 CTS 800 NEW 3.0 13/C HE PRO LOW - WITH ANT 1100•11101 MOCHAS. SA 3A 4514 STASIS 199.99 CTS (OO NEW (VC NT PRO LOW/ has e a question about the process of reis- OSA OFFITO MAO WE TOP ToI TW DOW - ETC - SRA 30W STASIS 849.91 00700 MR SINGLE LOW TainnWITS III OMOOT. 01 III WO W CIS PC5,1 DUAL A • MICOROING CASSETTE suing "digitally remastered" versions of -DEMON- - AIWA - ((Cl WOO WIC FT IS M ai VIM I SAND GRAM M FAX M e ORA 95 8519 REMOTE LOW ABA 70 5 4 I CASSETTES 449.91 BSA 50 DIG FULL SIZE 49.91 MARTEN COMPACT DM MATER. CD IS recordings. Last year, I purchased the re- IRA 625 65W REMOTE 499.91 ADWX 909 TOP DOUBLE LOW INMOT1 COPERMLED A M PROGRAM OSA 443 DIGITAL awl 14.91 MAINE Toe IA 'RACAL COWART FOR IRA 425 45* PER CHNL /49.99 ADC( BOO AA NIL NE PRO 299.99 THE mAcsi me NOM OINET 4,9410 mastered cassette version of Verdi's Don ,A1I 35 40W PER CHNL 299.99 AVNX 707 A.R. DOUBLE. BIC 219.91 EISA Al DIGITAL FAR M 24.91 PCV 2 SINGLE COOS O M PlAYER111.11 CNA 25 301, PER DINE M .91 ADP 30 AR SINGLE CASS 119.11 - ROSS - PC 71 CASSETTE WITH DIGITAL TUNE - 0111450- SCA M ENO PIECE CORIMISS HEAD Carlos conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini RADIO TOPS 199.91 Ti 39 55 WATTS 279.91 - SEPARATE., PROMS wm4 w arns K w MVO HEADSET TRUE HEM IMPROO MTION - SONY - -NAD- - YAMAHA - with Placido Domingo and Montserrat MTN NO CORD IMETINICTION CF0444 WAN CASSETTE WITH [DA MP. 7600 PE BEST EVER 150W LOW ['OPT DIG SOLAR PROC 799.91 OMIT (ls 95 DETACHABLE SPRITS & GRO W ES LOW Caballe (Angel EMI 4AVC 34060); I also 7175 Pt RI 75W RC 41119.91 M 35 40E9 AMP FOR SSP) 2119.11 ALEX 3 PIECE CORDLESS 99.99 CEO 86 AMR CASSETTE CO LOW 7240 PE HT 40W PC 419 91 NIT 2130111 PC POWER AMP 449.99 own the original LP recording of this per- - SONVS IN STOCK - CFO 77 AMNIA A R CASSETTE CO LOW FOCUS asaioNECS D O W TIA 114.41494. NI ' IDER 011111119 fro rh4 9.944, Ir a , lit 44277 formance, which I like very much. In com- ONOIRS OFoT lb 111141 WOOTTOTTOO CO OTT STATE MOO RIMS COO v/1147171W1 TIM W M. 1 00 FIII31 COT TF1115410. WIIWIONOTSW OT.O. OSTI W. WEI WO COO CASCO , KCVOS SOW WITS CANT PA TOTOWA MONA C011 TWA MOTS ow LAMER/IMO MICRO ram w avy:Rocs anus [Am memo HALMACELM in Rumor El TENN° mA MIES AS AMAMI SOW &MATEO MOISKTS TM TAM 11 MU COR M EDI LIMP NMI ME Al Tiff OF ROO M MI MI OAT MEM MCI A TESTECHIS NI RH SI MAGID FM paring the digitally remastered version TINE Nommen Alm N EN NEM ALL MS AM RAMO WE atm TEAT sm *WON FOS !TWA III II CHOWS NISTCWITS RI I FOLSO M AMOR iTITI TS TOT As Am III NELMS W ANG MO M AM WO WICS LW ITou An NOOFTINACTial MOT •OCIFITIWI TO TWOWW W4 MPS W M ATIO TWILUITT W O TO CROW WN W TOTOCI AWOUTIll FRI LOTS NWT S Mul5110 Al 10/1 OF MO MS with the original, I was dismayed to hear PIM MEN el WINN& NM 01 TEA M MO OEM MVO SATIMED CLAIONERE AWE Ole OEST AMENTESSIENT that the cannon booms in Act One, which

J 7 Amazing.

How it uorks. Q. Why use a ribbon (kir vr? A brieftom mation with Bob Curt vr A. Becauve tbe sound oft' ribbon is nothing six,rio Woriouv! Q How can The Amazing Loudslwaker put outs() much Ave ofi ndirithad driver anomalicv and omen .erproblons. pour,* extended bass? *Amazing LoudspeakerS extendedline source &ter dein , A. Brutefi ne. A total of8 subwrgyers. each with I limes the ow a majestk smik image ihal litendic or& in 3-dlinensional carunion (!/regular bass dratrs/Or a total displacement acoustic spoil,. ,s'i• ultaneoud:.. it riproduces an ma:Mg (area limes elm:4 w ofalmost 2000 cubic inches The low amount ifinuskal dela !hats amply unmatched by aity *gum:Oa/1point i‘ MTh poinhoiric tb7Per.

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evolution Distributed in Canada by: technclogv This is not a Opical speaker ad Because The Amazing Loud- speaker is anything but a tjpical speaker

This isn't even a typical Carver ad. 'flue, the Amazing Loudspeaker breaks so many conventional speaker rules — and succeeds so spectacularly at it — that we're

tempted to fill this ad with a litany of hertz, "Its overall sound is spectacular. its bass perform- watts and exotic buzz words the way our ance surpasses that of:almost any other speaker competitors' ads do. one might name.- AMMO REVIEW Because there's bound to be quite a story behind a speaker that's 5/12 feet tall and yet just 1/12 inches thick. Especially when Bob Carver has a hand (or rather two hands, both feet and a year or so of lab time) in its creation. But ingenious design is only our means to an end. The beginning of a dramatic awakening that will The image is as wide, deep and multi-layered re-define for you the very essence of music. as I bare ever heard. Only Infinity's S35,000 The Amazing Loudspeaker can etch Reference Standard impressed me more." Henn Hunt a sonic image so detailed you can almost see rosin drift from a bow Ii, fidelity &Nor onto the polished surface of a violin. HOVSTON POST It can brighten your listening room with the sheen of a #4 A drumstick on a Zildjian hi-hat cymbal. Or darken it with the smokey midnight growl of a battered baritone sax. It can stun your senses and rear- colt-es certain design problems and achieves certain sonic results with a simplicity andf lair range your furniture with thunderous sal- that can Only be called welt amazing. - vos of tight, perfectly controlled low bass. Peter THE.11 1,711( It can meticulously separate every instrument and vocal on a dense, multi-track mix and project each in sharp relief at precise points across the sound field. In short, the Carver Amazing Loudspeaker restores what time and reading too many speaker ads often takes away. Sheer wonder. We have merely touched on the it's price is ridiculously lowfor what it does and...what comparable products cost." highlights of this truly amazing loud- Julian Hirsch speaker. We'd be happy to send you more information includ- ATERE O REVIEW ing reprints of several great reviews.

Q. But aren't ribbon &item inefficient? However, if your immediate interest is the sensation of a

A .Vot when designed frith enough magneticfi eld strength Each listening room melting away to reveal the crystalline clarity of pure Amazing loutispeafuT riblxm uses 30frel ofh igh energv mag- music, you need only visit your nearest Carver dealer. nets in a specialfi rmedfi ekl gap. Al 82(111 efficiency !MIS Your amazement will begin when you discover just how afford- kilning Juke as efficient as any other ribbon 11w/goes down to lOOHz. Our ht-101 pourramplifieryiekic peak ,SPLS caveat/lig able the Carver Amazing Loudspeaker really is. ifltidB: up lo 110d8 with an Al- 151! More tban ample to dent er a symphonic orchatnne son loourr fifth rou. center CARVER MUSICAL ACCURATE

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It can see in the dark. And attack without ing technology. Avionics systems unequalled being seen. Rain or shine, it can strike like anywhere in the world. lightning. It's fast, mean, and smart. The Army can train you to repair and But the Apache attack helicopter doesn't maintain those systems—important .bkills that fly by itself. It needs trained experts to keep it at can help you get an edge on life. its most ferocious. So talk to your Army recruiter. Or call You can be one of those experts. 1,800-USA-ARMY. And find out how you can If you're interested in electronics, there's a get under the skin of an Apache. lot inside an Apache to challenge you: Infrared Once you've seen what's inside, you'll be night vision sensors. Laser tracking and target- glad it's on your side. ARMY. BE ALL YOU CAN BE. (Continued from page 7) Nancy Wilson "began playing Seattle bars a little thicker. Unfortunately, it is larger NO LP OP STOKOWSKUSTRAUSS "IMA M" when women's role in rock was strictly than a Zippo in the other dimensions. If After reading your most interesting article limited to vocals." What about Carole you're interested, though, Panasonic's ad- "The Good Old Days Are Back" [Decem- King and Carol Kaye? Similarly, the dress is One Panasonic Way, Secaucus, ber 1987], I thought you might be able to book's description of Fanny as the "first 07094.—Ed. help me with a question no one seems able major all-girl rock group" is questionable, to answer. Stokowski and (I believe) the considering the band never had a Top 20 JAPANESE SPIAKERS Philadelphia Orchestra recorded Strauss's record. Fanny certainly deserves its foot- Although you frequently publish reports Death and Transfiguration for RCA Vic- note in musical history, but I think nearly on Japanese electronics, you hardly ever tor on 78s. In my view, it was the best read- all would agree that the first major all-girl print anything on Japanese speakers. Why ing of the work ever recorded, and I am ea- rock group was the Go-Go's. is this? Are Japanese speakers not of high ger to know whether the recording was Stewart Tick quality? ever transferred to LP and, if so, whether Bluefield, W. Va. Harold L Aryee it is available today. Lowell, Mass. I have not been able to locate the origi- AUDIOPNILIA nal anywhere. I would be grateful if you I have a very serious and potentially dan- Many Japanese loudspeakers are of high could provide some information. gerous problem —a mental problem. It quality, in the sense that they are well-built Joseph Gale seems I am never satisfied. I find myself and nicely finished, but most are not Millburn, N.J. buying stereo equipment, and after about a "voiced" to suit American tastes. Western month I desire new and, I think, superior ears usually find them rather forward, stri- Clough and Cuming's The World's Ency- equipment. Moreover, I am afraid that my dent, and bass-shy. This is gradually clopaedia of Recorded Music lists two 78- monthly desires are attributable to your changing, however. More and more Japa- rpm recordings of Death and Transfigura- magazine. With each review that I read, I nese companies are bringing out speakers tion by Stokowski, one with the Philadel- become more greedy. For instance, in your balanced to fit American preferences. The phia Orchestra (Victor 8288/90; set M March issue you reviewed the Harman obstacle of price remains, nevertheless. 217), the other with the New York City Kardon TU-920 Active Tracking tuner. I Shipping costs and currency exchange rates Symphony (Victor 11-8826/8; set M 1006). had never heard of that type of tuner combine to make most good Japanese loud- According to RCA, the Philadelphia ac- before, but now I won't settle for anything speakers relatively expensive in the United count was never issued on LP, and there are else. In other words, I want to get one. I States.—Ed. no plans at the moment to reissue it on don't think that I'll ever be satisfied with Compact Disc.—Ed. the components I have. FIRST IN-WALL SPEAKERS Now to my question: Is this behavior I was pleased to read your recent article NOW ARE YOU FIXED FOR BLADES? normal? My friends think that my prob- "Loudspeaker Design Trends" [May], I have always loved the movie Blade Run- lem is unique. It would be comforting to which included in-wall speakers; but I ner and recently bought what I thought know that others suffer from this wretch- want to point out one inaccuracy in your was the original soundtrack. When I got ed disease. otherwise fine piece. Sonance was the first home, however, I noticed that the music Brian Van Pelt company in the field—producing our first was performed not by Vangelis but by the Northfield, Ohio high-fidelity in-wall speakers in 1981, for New American Orchestra. I returned to use in our own custom installation busi- the shop and asked for the real soundtrack Congratulations, Brian: You're an audio- ness. At the 1985 Winter Consumer Elec- but was told it cannot be obtained in the phile. And no, you are not alone.—Ed. tronics Show, we offered Sonance speak- U.K. Could you tell me if it can be ob- ers to U.S. high-end dealers, and at this tained in the U.S.? GIZMO MADNESS time Sonance was the only company spe- Ronald Jones Reading your fine lamentation on the state cifically pursuing the high-end architec- Liverpool, England of the art in gizmo madness ["Front tural speaker market. Since then, we have Lines," March], I noted with double irony devoted ourselves exclusively to the de- SCHWANN lists only one Blade Runner al- your sentiments on being able to find sign, manufacture, and marketing of in- bum available in America, and it is the "components that suit your needs and wall loudspeakers and other architectural same one you purchased overseas. As far as style." The Holy Grail that would fill a audio products. Sonance is the largest we can tell, there is no evidence that a re- ten-year personal "dry hole" would con- manufacturer in the field. cording of the original soundtrack, as real- sist of the addresses of some manufactur- Although our design goals are to offer ized by Vangelis, was ever produced.—Ed. ers who offer an AM or FM radio smaller speakers that are acoustically transparent than a classic Zippo cigarette lighter. and that seem to disappear into the archi- ENCYCLOPEDIA DISHARMONY ILLUSTRATED Some men are chosen by cosmic fate to tecture, we had also hoped to be more visi- I enjoyed David Browne's guide to rock lead us, others by gizmo madness, and I ble within the industry than we apparently reference books, "You Can Look It Up!" am hereby appealing to you—in your made ourselves to your writer. [March]. I would like to point out, how- kindness and wit—as one of the illuminati Scott Struthers ever, that The Harmony Illustrated Ency- presiding over the court of last resort. President clopedia of Rock contains historical errors Rod Goertzen Sonance that are more serious than suspect discog- Moncks Corner, S.C. San Juan Capistrano, Calif. raphies and lineup listings. For example, All letters should be addressed to The Editor, HIGH in its discussion of Heart, the book makes Gosh, Rod. Panasonic makes a radio that is FIDELITY. 825 Seventh Ave.. New York, N.Y. 10019. the astonishing assertion that Ann and approximately the size ofa credit card, only Letters are subject to editing for brevity and clarity.

12 HI G H FI D E L I T Y R E N T S

Not for Listeners Only Last March under this heading I discussed the multitrack cassette recorder/mixer, an indispensable tool for recording musicians of any stature. Prior to that, in October 1987, the topic was the home studio: keyboards, digital samplers, and the significance of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) standard. I also had promised to talk about how MIDI is bringing the power of the electronic keyboard to players of other instruments. So here goes. As you recall, MIDI connections are commonly used to link a master keyboard to one or more outboard sound module. But those sound modules can be driven by any device that feeds them MIDI data. In principle, the electronic pulses generated by one's brain could be translated into MIDI data to control an attached sound device. Crazy? Maybe. But in the May issue of Mix magazine, Stephen St. Croix re- ported that at least one group has in fact developed a working system of this sort after eight years (predating MIDI) of hardware and software development. Di- rect brain-to-MIDI interface, it's called. On a less cerebral front, Yamaha has developed the WX-7 Wind MIDI Con- troller ($995), a device designed to give Top: Akai's EVI-1000 and EWI-1000 MIDI electronic instruments (foreground), and matching saxophone and other reed-instrument EWV-2000 MIDI sound module. Bottom: Yamaha WX-7 players entry to the electronic music world—without abandoning their instru- sizer specifically tailored for the two con- refinement of MIDI-based controllers, in- ment's expressiveness. The WX-7 has keys trollers. Again, lip and breath pressure are cluding the growing ranks of guitar-to- that correspond to those on a saxophone, the main parameters, although as opposed MIDI controllers. plus others that operate special functions. to the Yamaha, there is no flow of air If you'd like to get a taste of wind-driv- It can be connected to any MIDI sound through either Akai device. On the EVI, en electronic music, Casio offers the DH- source, although it is particularly suited to which is patterned after a trumpet, you ac- 100 Digital Horn. It looks somewhat like a Yamaha's affordable TX-81Z sound mod- tually bite down on the lip sensor to con- toy soprano sax but uses breath pressure to ule ($495). Breath pressure controls vol- trol the amount of glide between notes. control the dynamics of six built-in ume, vibrato, and tone of the driven Both the EVI and EWI can be set to gener- sounds, which are reproduced through an sound. Pitch bending is effected by pres- ate four-note chords through the sound integral speaker or a connected audio sys- sure from your lower lip, and the sensitiv- module. Interestingly, the connection be- tem. It also has a MIDI output jack for ity of the mouthpiece is adjustable. In ad- tween either controller and the supplied driving outboard sound devices or record- dition, two drain plugs adjust wind flow, sound module is not MIDI; Akai chose to ing the music pattern into a sequencer. adding to the ability to set up the instru- use an analog control system that it feels And it runs on batteries or off an optional ment to match your style. Other features provides better resolution of the musical AC adapter. Naturally, at only $170, the include an auxiliary pitch-bend rocker "data," and therefore increased expres- DH-100 is not aimed directly at the pro switch, an octave transposition key for a siveness. However, the sound module can market, although it illustrates again Ca- total range of 71/2 octaves, and two trill transmit MIDI performance data to other sio's ability to develop music-making keys for half-tone or whole-tone trills. You sound modules. products that have no business costing so can even send a held note to one sound How good are these new instruments? little. source while you are playing a lead line Well, judging by reviews in Electronic Mu- Information on the products discussed into another. sician magazine, very good. EM says that above can be obtained by writing to the As far as I know, Akai was first to offer the Akai EWI "has the potential to change manufacturers at the following addres- wind-driven controllers and has two mod- the face of recorded music" and that the ses: Yamaha Music Corp., U.S.A.. Dept. els: the EWI-1000 Electronic Wind In- Yamaha WX-7 enables a woodwind play- HF, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, Calif strument and the EVI-l000 Electronic er "to create expressive music in ways that 90622; Akai Professional, Dept. HF, P.O. Valve Instrument. Each sells for $2,099, are associated with (if not unique to) wind Box 2344, Fort Worth, Texas 76113; Casio, including the matching EWV-2000 Sound instruments." Such praise for first-genera- Inc., Dept. HF, P.O. Box 7000, Dover, N.J. Module, a programmable analog synthe- tion models bodes well for the continuing 07801. Christopher J. Esse

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 13 R E T S

• 4E. ,•••.-0• 0 Laser Innovations gor...:Nycert 01:11- 11111-111•111. Movies on Laserdisc can offer the best A

1:14...•• •• 11•••• • •••••••1 • combination of picture and sound quality ••01•6 •C1••“ ,1 commercially available, yet there is one LOC co 41/ annoyance: having to get up at some point 011,01214 ea " inn a 4 5• 6 to flip the disc. FM I I LJ LJ • Pioneer has now solved this problem. g•Pil frimeall COdE The LD-W 1 Laserdisc player ($1,700) can hold two discs and play all four sides, thus eliminating any need to swap or turn over Pioneer DEH-66: First car CD player with integral amp a disc during playback. The laser assembly in the back end of the extra-deep player "high-power" amp as well (rated by Pio- discs. To wit: 12- and 8-inch Laserdiscs, rises up and down and rotates to get to neer at 20 watts per side). This is the first CD-Vs, regular audio CDs, and the new 3- each side of two discs. The LD-W 1 is car CD player with an integral amp. The inch CDs (no adapter necessary). The strictly for 12- and 8-inch Laserdiscs, not DEH-66 also provides preamp outputs for audio section features dual 16-bit digital- for CD-Vs or audio CDs. an outboard back-channel amplifier. Fea- to-analog converters with four-times- An 8-bit digital field-memory provides tures include electronic controls for the oversampling digital filters. A typical special effects such as still-frame and volume, balance, fader, and tone controls, (that is, large) assortment of operating and strobe (both with sound continuing), the whose settings are displayed numerically programming features is provided for both former otherwise not possible on CLV on the large LCD panel; a random-play audio and video playback, as is a compre- discs. Other features include 20-step chap- mode and audible cueing; 18 FM and 6 hensive remote control. ter programming, nine-step multispeed AM presets with Pioneer's Best Station Next is the EDV-9500 ED Beta VCR play, six repeat modes, frame-by-frame Memory function (automatic storing of ($3,300), aimed at a group Sony calls steps in either direction, and time search the six strongest stations on either band); "prosumers." ED (Extended Definition) accurate to within one second. The remote and the "Secret Code" antitheft system. Beta, a wider-bandwidth version of Super operates all of these functions and has a Pioneer Electronics, P.O. Box 1720, Long Beta, is said to yield more than 500 lines of jog-shuttle dial for variable-speed scan- Beach, Calif 90801. horizontal resolution (should the source ning and slow-motion control. contain that amount of detail). Like Super VHS, ED Beta recordings must be made Another significant development ap- Videophile Alert pears in Pioneer's latest in-dash car CD on a special tape (in this case, a metal-par- player, the DEH-66 ($800). Somehow the Sony has introduced a wide range of decid- ticle formulation), although the machines company has managed to squeeze into one edly high-end video products. On the opti- can make and play back Super Beta re- DIN-size chassis not only a CD mecha- cal-disc front is the MDP-200 ($950), cordings as well. Input and output connec- nism and a Supertuner III tuner, but a which plays all varieties of CDs and video- tions include separate Y/C (S-Video) jacks that minimize crosstalk between the color and brightness components of a video signal. The 9500's extensive list of editing features includes dual flying erase heads, eight-segment assemble editing, index- I P point marking, and three control ports SOUND 1, that permit interoperation with compatible decks during editing. In addition, the deck has an 8-bit digital memory for an assortment of clean special effects. Other features, including Beta Hi-Fi, are what INVESTMENT you would expect in a high-end VCR. If you own vibration sensitive equipment like CD players, turntables, VCR's or videodisc players you While word has it that a high-band 8mm system is forthcoming (maybe in less can greatly improve your systems sound quality than a year), Sony continues to embellish with AQ's Sorbothane Big Feet its 8mm offerings. In this case, improved and CD Feet. They are audio is the obvious goal, represented by simply amazing in their the PCM digital stereo recording capabili- ability to eliminate ty in the new CCD-V220 8mm camcorder unwanted vibration. ($2,500). The digital audio signals are recorded separately from the video so that a "You can't buy more aq soundtrack can be added at a later time. improvement for less!" oudioquest The CCD-V220 also records the standard P.0.130. 3060 AFM mono soundtrack (which is embed- San Clemenle. CA 92672 USA ded in the video signal). An auxiliary mike Tel 714/498-2770 Fax 714/498-5112 TI, 205860 on the side of the camera facing the user (Continued on page 80)

14 H I G il F I 0 f 1.1 T Crosstalk Answers to Readers' Questions

Dy Larry Klein

Getting Started prolonged exposure to such levels—permanent. It could well be that some groups play as loud as they do only be- As someone just getting started in hi-j1, I'm sure I represent cause they are not aware that they are that loud. Their col- a large number of HIGH FIDELITY'S readers. My problem is lective thresholds have shifted—or, to put it in more com- that I don't really understand a lot of what you and the other mon language, they have already been partially deafened technical writers are talking about each month. Everyone and need the volume in order to hear themselves. (For starts as a beginner—have pity on us! much more information on hearing loss and hearing pro- Thomas Iiillecka tection, see last month's issue.) Philadelphia, Pa.

I know exactly what you are talking about since I have yet Power Upgrade to find a technical explanation of, say, a 16-valve overhead- I have a 30-watt-per-channel receiver that generally sounds cam engine in any monthly car magazine. The truth of the good, but !suspect that it is clipping when played at high vol- matter is that no special-interest monthly publication such umes. Jam considering trading up to a 60-watt-per-channel as ours can be entirely satisfactory to a novice. Monthly unit and wonder what sort of improvement that will make. magazines aimed at a wide audience cannot continuously Arnold Collardo provide beginners with all the basic information they need New York, Y. to fully understand a field. If we were to try, half the magazine would consist of technical definitions, and the other Not much. You should know that, all other things being half would consist of ultra-basic articles that all started: equal, if you double the available power (as measured in "The electrons revolve around the atomic nucleus ..." watts) from your amplifier, you'll gain only 3 dB more sig- Most of our articles are written with the assumption nal headroom before signal clipping (overload) occurs. Of that the reader has some basic understanding of hi-fl tech- course, every little bit of additional power helps, but if you nology and practices. Our goal is to broaden and enhance are changing your equipment specifically to obtain greater that understanding, and to introduce, as clearly as possible, power reserve, it makes more sense to trade up to at least new concepts and technology as they come on the scene. three times your present power, rather than doubling it. Basic information can best be found in books aimed specifi- When comparing amplifiers of equivalent cost and con- cally at newcomers, not in monthly magazines. tinuous-power ratings, it's a good idea to choose one with a Check the catalogs of TAB Books (Blue Ridge Summit, high dynamic headroom rating; say, 3 to 6 dB. Such ampli- Pa. 17214) and Howard W. Sams (4300 West 62nd St., In- fiers can provide two to four times their continuous-power dianapolis, Ind. 46268); both have an excellent assortment rating for brief musical peaks—which is precisely when of basic and advanced books on audio. you need more power. As to whether your present amplifier is clipping, that Overloud Rock would depend on your preferred listening levels, the type of music you like, the size and acoustics of your listening Perhaps this is not your sort of question, but why do so many room, and the efficiency of your speakers. If you have ac- rock groups play so loud in concert? cess to an oscilloscope, you can visually monitor the musi- Bill Shawn cal output waveforms being sent to your speakers for indi- Long Island City, N.Y. cations of clipping. Clipping will appear as bright spots at the tops and bottoms of the highest waveforms. There are When I lived in New York City and heard a lot of live mu- more definitive ways to spot clipping with a scope, but I've sic, I had frequent occasion to ask myself the same ques- not the space to describe them here. tion. Perhaps it is necessary to make the point here that I'm Perhaps you can borrow a high-powered amplifier to not a fuddy-duddy tut-tutting the sonic antics of "our substitute for your present one to see if you hear a differ- youth." At home, I listen mostly to rock and at fairly high ence at the levels at which you normally listen. If there is a volume—at least when my wife will let me. In the late '60s I difference to be heard, it will show up as a more "open" attended several concerts a month at what was then the quality with greater detail during the very loud passages. Fillmore East, and with few exceptions all of the groups There should also be a greater sense of dynamics in the mu- played at what I considered loud but appropriate levels. sic. Your listening tests should be done with music that has Today's groups, some of which consistently produce a wide dynamic range (lots of loud and soft passages) rath- well over 110 decibels, are doing a great disservice to themer than with hard rock or similarly compressed, consistent- selves, their audience, and their music. Even brief exposure ly loud material. to such high sound levels can cause a hearing impairment called "threshold shift." This may be temporary or—after We regret that the volume of mail is too great for us to answer all questions

A U G U S T 1 9 9 8 IS Dits&Pieces Sonic Solutions' Digital Denoising

Dy David Ranada

n the time since HIGH FIDELITY broke the story of (noise "pumping," or "breathing," and changes to the re- Sonic Solutions' No Noise digital noise-removal pro- verberant "tails" of musical transients), the system can be Icess for studio master tapes ("Currents," January set so as to produce these effects as well as to remove 1987), quite a few No Noise-processed CDs have ap- high frequencies to a greater or lesser degree. Sonic Solu- peared. Sonic Solutions has also become more talkative tions says its settings are ultimately determined by its about its techniques. These developments have made pos- customers, and that it attempts always to work with the sible an explanation of why the process seems to be so producers of the program material in order to find set- effective. tings that do no musical damage. The denoising part of No Noise processing can be lik- Declicking is the second primary service performed by ened to a multiband expander, similar in concept to cer- Sonic Solutions. Like denoising, it is performed digitally tain home analog components. But the concept has been and is largely an automated process. Analog click remov- extended far beyond what would be practical with analog al has traditionally meant many hours at a splicing block circuit techniques: Here, "multi" means division of the removing thin slivers of master tape, the result being a audio spectrum into more than 2,000 frequency bands. click-free master that is somewhat shorter than the origi- This makes No Noise, as computer types put it, very nal. The Sonic Solutions declicking process preserves "computation intensive." Denoising just one second of program length by filling the gaps left by the removed music requires more than 53 million computational oper- clicks with a musical waveform synthesized from the ations. Such complex processing cannot run in "real waveforms before and after the click. This doesn't always time"; denoising of a typical CD takes overnight. This produce a good-sounding result, but the system is smart complexity also precludes a real-time consumer device in- enough to realize when its guesses are likely to be audibly corporating the process, at least for the next several disturbing, and it marks those clicks over which it cannot years. interpolate successfully. The parameters of the click re- The basic frequency analysis and signal resynthesis moval/refilling process are then manually varied by the are performed by Fourier-transform techniques similar to system operator until the click is filled in successfully. those used in speaker impulse-response testing. Between Recent noteworthy processed CDs include the Bea- the Fourier transform and its inverse lies the key to the tles' Abbey Road (on which, I have been told, a few if not system's denoising abilities: a set of processes that esti- all tracks were processed), an Andrews Sisters disc mate when noise will and will not be audible. These are (MCA MCAD 41044), a series of jazz classics on Blue- psychoacoustically based computer algorithms that pre- bird (many originally from 78s; see our Duke Ellington dict the ear's response to noise. Specifically, the process review in this issue), and the initial discs of Philips' Leg- incorporates knowledge on how louder sounds mask soft- endary Classics series. At the press conference introduc- er ones depending on the frequencies and levels involved. ing the Legendary Classics, Philips gave out a demo disc For every instant in the music, the system looks forward containing excerpts of music before and after processing. and backward in time over psychoacoustically significant As the Philips disc shows, when properly used, No intervals (several milliseconds) to determine what is noise Noise processing works so well that it cannot be blamed and whether its removal would damage the music or not. for any remaining sonic deficiences of the final CDs. To calibrate the process so that it "knows" what There have been reports that No Noise alters the music should be considered noise, a "signature" is used. This is by removing high frequencies along with the noise. How- a sample of "pure noise," taken, perhaps, from a pause in ever, the degree to which music is altered by No Noise is the music. A signature could contain not only tape or mi- dependent on its settings. It could be that some producers crohone hiss or disc rumble, but other continuous noises want more noise removed and are willing to put up with such as hum, buzz, and air-conditioner rumble. During an occasional slight dulling of whatever highs are in the the denoising process, as the level in one of the analyzed original music. frequency bands falls and approaches the level of the It could also be that Sonic Solutions is reliving the noise signature at that frequency, the computer decides "missing highs" syndrome that Ray Dolby had to endure that the content is probably noise and it is more likely to when he started to promote his analog noise-reduction expand the band downward in level, thus reducing the systems. Hiss and other high-frequency noises can easily noise in the final signal. be mistaken by the ear for true musical high frequen- Sonic Solutions' denoising process is not a set-and- cies—and their removal as alterations to the music. It has forget operation. There are several operator adjustments taken the advent of low-noise digital recording to prove that can be made to increase or decrease the effects of the Dolby correct: A good Dolby-A analog master recording system on the noise and the music. Although none of the is often a good match for a digital master—high frequen- processed discs I have heard suffer from the major sonic cies and all. For some of No Noise's critics, it seems that problems endemic to analog noise-removal techniques reality takes a little getting used to.

111 H I G H FI D E l I T Y TapeTracks 11 i.II IAU nBEiQasaeldiz aVtiieown of A1101414 By Robert Long IIIr I 1 1

ome time ago, a reader wrote to HIGH FIDELITY ask- vice technician and, well, hoping for the best. ing why his cassettes, copied from a collection of The reason that recording-EQ controls can't be relied Sopen-reel tapes, sounded hissier than the originals. on to help much in this case is that they (or, at least, the Of course, the dubbing operation itself adds noise, but ones I'm familiar with) weren't designed to cope with what's unusual this time is that the tapes seemed noisier bumps in the treble. They were intended to give a rela- with Dolby C noise reduction turned on. Such a problem tively subtle, perfectionist rise or slope to the response can't be solved definitively without firsthand experimen- that results from the interaction between tape formula- tation with the equipment, tapes, and program material, tion and bias level. but I can make an informed guess as to what has hap- Let's say you start with a deck/tape marriage that was pened: a type of deck/tape mismatch of fairly recent made in heaven. (Tokyo will do in this case.) Then a origin. "hotter" tape formulation—one with higher coercivity These days, some premium Type 1 (nominally, ferric) and, perhaps, greater sensitivity—comes along. A higher- and Type 2 (chrome or ferricobalt chrome-equivalent) coercivity tape requires increased bias if frequency re- formulations aren't what they purport to be: Their pig- sponse is not to rise at high frequencies. Given a full ments (the magnetic particles that do the work) are range of deck adjustments (for bias, recording EQ, and toned-down versions of those from the next rung up the sensitivity—the latter a.k.a. Dolby tracking or reference coercivity ladder. Pure metal-particle pigments used in recording level), you would crank up the bias until the Type 4 tapes have been modified for Type 2 bias levels. midtreble is as flat as you can get it and then touch up Similarly, ferricobalt Type 2 pigments have been modi- the very top end with the recording-EQ control. Decks fied to accept the lower bias levels of ferric Type 1 tapes. with only manual or automatic bias trimming (and no re- There are some souped-up versions of Type 2 and Type 1 cording-EQ controls) generally cannot be adjusted to tapes that do not use pigments from the rung above. provide flat response with the Type 2 and Type 1 super- These cassettes tend to have slowly rising high frequency tapes. Adjusting the bias can take down the bump in the responses. treble response, but may also leave you with a high-treble The intent with the toned-down pigment types is to rolloff. Setting the bias adjustment by ear with such tapes take some properties of the upper rung to create a super- can be an exercise in frustration, since the output will al- tape at the lower one. High-frequency headroom, in par- ways sound different from the input. ticular, can be increased by this method, and the metal- For the real perfectionist, having both bias and re- particle Type 2 tapes really do excel in this respect. But cording-EQ controls offers the additional option of shad- these tapes—and, to a much less noticeable extent, the ing the settings to favor one parameter or another. Let's ferricobalt Type 1 types—don't really emulate their mod- say that you are recording a jazz trumpeter, and you're els precisely. Depending on the deck's recording-equal- worried about having enough high-frequency headroom ization and bias adjustments, they can come up with a to grab the transients cleanly. You can back off a little on bump in the frequency response curve between 5 and 10 the bias and partially tame the resulting high-end rise by kHz, right where the ear is most sensitive to noise. This reducing the EQ. But essentially such fine points are ac- effect tends to be exaggerated by Dolby C. If this is what cessible only to recordists with a lot of time, patience, is happening in our correspondent's deck, it would, in- and test gear (or a pink-noise CD and a really good set of deed, exaggerate tape hiss in the copy as he described. ears), in addition to a deck that offers the necessary con- The sleeper here is the recording equalization. The trols. The rest of us just muck along with rules of thumb, term seems to confuse many amateur recordists. Even taking what we get. knowledgeable (but careless) experts sometimes talk of Tape manufacturers will tell you that this dilemma is "120-microsecond recording EQ" when they should say the price we must pay for progress. They have a point. "the recording preemphasis that will yield a tape with Tapes are getting better and have been doing so consis- flat frequency response when subjected on playback to tently for decades—but only if you keep buying new 120-microsecond high-frequency de-emphasis." You can equipment that is engineered for the new tapes. Unfortu- see why it's easy to become careless. But the important nately, most of us can't afford new decks every year, and point of this mouthful is that if a new tape's playback re- furthermore, almost all the decks we have tested recently sponse no longer is flat—and the bump in the high-end is are factory set for older, non-souped-up formulations. often proudly displayed on a cassette's cellophane wrap- The tape companies cannot afford to stand still—nor per—the recording EQ is also supposed to change so that should we want them to. It is the equipment manufactur- flat response is restored. Unfortunately, very few decks— ers who have some catching up to do. Only when that and no recent models I can think of—have user adjust- happens will today's improvement that sounds worse be- ments for recording EQ. In most cases, optimizing a deck come the basis for tomorrow's status quo that sounds bet- for the new formulations would mean taking it to a ser- ter, if you see what I mean.

9 U G U S T I 9 8 8 17 TheAutophile Armed and Safe: Security Systems

By Christopher J. Esse

any years ago at this time I would return with and friends. Besides, you'll find that the various brands of my parents to their hometown of Walnut Grove, security systems tend to be more alike than different in MMinnesota (you remember, of Little House on features and options, if not in operation. the Prairie renown). One thing that still stands out in my Installation plays a particularly important role in the mind is that people in this tiny farm community left the performance of a security system. Dealers charge more keys in their cars. And they still do; but the demand for per hour for security installations than for audio installa- '72 Impalas has waned some since. Unfortunately, there tions, because more areas of the vehicle are involved, as is aren't too many places left in this Great Country where more checking of the system along the way. A poor in- you can safely say, "My keys are in the car." In fact, stallation can, at worst, result in a system that doesn't more and more of us are facing the grim need for a vehi- work at all; at best, it can mean a preponderance of "false cle security system. alarms" that will eventually erode your confidence in the I'll admit that my car is not equipped with an alarm system. You should find out as much as possible about a system. No, wait! I mean, it is. I was just kidding. You dealer's reputation for installing security systems. He don't think I'd leave a good chunk of my life's savings should be able to show you a sample installation; you can (the rest of which is safely invested in a Houston savings get references from others who have used his services. and loan) out there dangling from a stick, do you? Nowa- The above thoughts are largely shared by the Vehicle days, when you drive something suitably tempting, it's Security Association (VSA), which represents the inter- not safe anywhere: The nation's network of chop shops ests of security-product manufacturers in much the same may have a standing order for your fenders. manner as the Electronic Industries Association (EIA) Car security systems are ultimately designed to keep represents makers of consumer electronics products. In someone from taking your car. Ideally, the perpetrator speaking with VSA Secretary-Treasurer Antonio Arenas, will be discouraged before he even tries to break in. The who is himself a dealer, I learned that the VSA is work- latest FBI statistics count a total of 1,224,137 vehicles ing on a testing program to certify installers of security stolen nationwide in 1986, up 11 percent since 1985 and products. False alarms and more drastic failures are 25 percent since 1977. This means, on average, that about no longer as readily attributable to product deficien- 35 vehicles will have been stolen by the time you finish cies, therefore the next step is to ensure that installation reading this column, unless you take pause now to check skills keep pace with the improved reliability of today's your driveway. That's stolen: it's hard to say how many equipment. cars have simply had their interiors savaged. Still, securi- Security products have progressed from basic hood ty systems are pretty much a luxury item, far more so locks (which prevent engine parts from being lifted while than is a good car audio system. And the return on your you're idling on the Cross Bronx Expressway) to today's investment may be calculable only by those who failed to computer-based sensors that can even tell whether some- steal your vehicle or parts thereof. one suspicious is eyeing your car. Well, that's an exagger- Protecting your car radio alone suggests buying a re- ation, but it is true that advances in microelectronics movable model or fitting a Bensi Box. That wards off ra- have made just about any level of detection possible. The dio hunters who would otherwise smash your window or question arises, then: "How much protection is enough?" jimmy your door, no matter how inexpensive the offer- That is entirely up to you, and takes into account the val- ing; crack does not breed choosy shoppers. I am not con- ue of the car and its contents, your budget, where you vinced that radios with built-in security codes (that dis- live, and what you personally think will do the job. You'll able the unit) effectively deter a thief, who might plan to find that a good dealer/installer will be able to construct sell the goods to an unsuspecting fence. The best of both a system based on your specific needs and that later up- worlds would be to have a vehicle security system in ad- grades are often a simple matter. dition to a removable radio (and a transportable cellular You can expect basic systems—some of which are de- telephone, if you're really cool). signed for you to install—to offer protection of all entry When you go shopping for a security system, you'll be points (doors, hood, trunk) and a passive arming mode faced with a growing choice of brands with imposing that automatically activates the system after you lock the numbers of features. That can also be said of shopping last door. Most also supply a remote control that can, at for car audio products; however, it's possible to differen- minimum, arm or disarm the system from outside the tiate audio products based on performance, feel, and ap- car. Without a remote, the system will give you a certain pearance. Plus, many car audio manufacturers have period of time—"entrance delay"—in which to disarm proven reputations as makers of home audio equipment. the system after you enter the vehicle. Other common The performance of security products, when you get features are a "valet" mode (which neutralizes the system right down to it, can't be reliably predicted in advance: for valet parking and servicing) and a "panic" mode You need to count on the recommendations of dealers (which enables you to instantly activate the alarm). Be-

IS H I G H F I D E L I I Y yond this, it is difficult to categorize a typical system, be- wired. Suffice it to say that, short of tear gas and rubber cause all tend to offer a long list of options. bullets, you can have your way with vehicle security. Probably the most popular option is an ignition-kill And, thanks to the efforts of the VSA, five states— device that prevents the vehicle from being started when Michigan, Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Ken- the system is armed. Among other options to consider is tucky—now mandate that insurance companies provide a motion detector to protect your car from being violent- premium discounts for vehicles with qualified security ly entered, jacked up, or even towed away. Apparently, systems installed. In addition, Texas permits such dis- some motion detectors work against window smashers as counts, and California is currently being lobbied. Should well, although there are now devices dedicated to detect- the Golden Gate state fall in line, the VSA expects the re- ing the sound of glass being broken. The latter are a wise maining states to follow. addition, because setting the sensitivity of a catch-all mo- I lied: I don't have a security system and probably tion detector high enough to detect the impact from a wouldn't think of getting one unless my car were stolen. careful glass-breaker could mean that someone merely Besides, my driver James has been with the family for 30 brushing up against your car also sets off the siren. Man- years and has yet to lose a car. But seriously, few prod- ufacturers make a big point of how their sensors are im- ucts are as annoying and yet as compelling as a security mune to false alarms. Again, it's best if you can have the system. One of the problems is that people are often no- system demonstrated in order to verify its integrity. where near their armed cars, so that if the siren goes off, Remote pagers are becoming popular. These "beep" accidently or not, it just runs through its deafening cycle you when the alarm has been set off, as long as you're to the considerable discomfort of others. On the other within range of the transmitter. Many companies offer hand, Mr. Arenas of the VSA related a story about a man optional range extenders, complete with a power antenna whose alarm kept going off in his own driveway. After that rises when the system is armed. Remotes can also be putting up with this for a few nights, he decided that the used to activate power locks on the doors and trunk, turn defective system should be shut down. The next morning, on interior lights, flash headlights, or even start the car his car was gone. before you get there (to heat or cool the car in advance). One thief, it appears, has learned to work a siren to Systems typically come with a siren—much louder his advantage. But most of them tend to pass over cars than a car horn, as you're undoubtedly aware—and offer with blinking LEDs that warn of a security system. So an option for flashing lights. The duration of the alarm's that leaves you and me. cycle is often adjustable; don't buy a system whose siren must be shut off manually (if there are any still around), To receive the VSA's free brochure. entitled "How to Pro- as it could reward you with a dead battery. At least one tect Yourself Against Automobile Theft," send a self-ad- company lets you program the sound of the siren call. dressed, stamped business-size (no. 10) envelope to: Vehicle Another sells a Bomb Scanner that searches for dead Security Association, 5100 Forbes Blvd., Lanham, Md. electrical circuits to which an explosive device may be 20706. YVON NE BUCHANAN BUCHANAN NE YVON NI IN NI _ VI __11ii IL_ __11 III II OE M 11 IN MI 111 • INNS 1•11 NM U M W MI 11m111 NI MN _JO N E S u 111N IN NIS Y 1111 I_ 11 __ NI II 111 II __IN 1111 HIM MI MI 11 NI ON 11 II II E N Ili NI II 11 IN IN IN II In 1E1 INN MIL -- _Al 111 NI M I II .4a...1 ---- A K i m mimmumu m miesummi 111•1111•11111= MIONIIIIIMPINNimmillill AU D I O • VI D E O • TE S T R IP O R TS • M U S I C

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D My payment is enclosed n Please bill me later G1001 Report preparation supervised by Michael Riggs, David Ranada, Christopher J. Esse, Robert Long, and Edward J. Tegt Foster. Laboratory data (unless otherwise indicated) is supplied by Diversified Science Laboratories. Reports

hen we reviewed the NEC approach digitizes and stores an entire DX-5000U last December, I video field in a random-access memory. W was very impressed with the When the previous field is averaged performance of its digital noise reduc- with the current field, "coherent" pic- tion (NR) system for video signals. But I ture information can as much as double NEC DS-8000U pointed out that the sampling rate used in level (increase by as much as 6 dB) for converting the video data limited the while noise, being random and "incoher- S-VHS Hi-Fl video bandwidth, and hence the horizon- ent," can increase by no more than 3 dB. Videocassette tal resolution, to 2.7 MHz (about 216 This results in an improvement in the Recorder

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Dimensions: 17 by 4 inches (front), 143/3 inches deep plus clearance for connections. lines). Little did I realize how quickly the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio of as much as AC Convenience Outlets: One unswitched system could be improved. In less than a 3 dB, depending upon the "weight" giv- (400 watts maximum). year, NEC has doubled the bandwidth of en the previous frame relative to the cur- Price: $ 1,499. its NR system and incorporated it into rent frame. By keeping the process going Warranty: "Limited, two years parts, one its new top-of-the-line S-VHS Hi-Fi (averaging the third field with the aver- year vvieo heads, 90 days labor. VCR, the DS-8000U. Field-averaging age of the first two, and so forth), the Manufacturer: NEC Corp., Japan. video NR was impressive in the DX- video S/N ratio continues to improve. U.S. Distributor: NEC Home Electronics (U.S.A.), Inc., 1255 Michael Dr., Wood Dale, 5000U, but it is even more dramatic in The fly in this continuous-processing III. 60191. the DS-8000U. ointment is image blur. When subse- What's marvelous about NEC's field- quent fields are averaged, changes in true averaging approach to NR is that it pro- picture information are reduced in level vides a very noticeable reduction in along with the noise. The faster the im- video noise without affecting horizontal age changes and the more NR you're resolution. (A field consists of every oth- after, the more the blur. One can reduce er line of a video frame. There are two the amount of NR to reduce blurring by fields to every frame, and 30 frames are controlling the fraction of the old infor- shown every second.) Unlike line-aver- mation that is added to the new (the "K aging NR systems—in which each scan factor," NEC calls it) and by limiting the line of the picture is stored and averaged level of the recirculated signal. with the next—NEC's field-averaging In the DS-8000U the K factor is

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 21 TONY PETTINATO 424 Warranty:optionscontrolPrice: c not onnec and yetD t im RC-92 en ions s available. i on s wireless . : remote control Akai GX-52 BrunswickElectricU.S.Japan. Rd., Distributor:Manu Sales falabor. c Piscataway, tu r e America, r : N.I. Inc.,inches 08854. 225 deep Old plus New clearance for controls and Cassette Deck $549; prices for RC-32 wired remote FIDELITY T I L E D I F H G I H - Limited, Reports 16 Akai Electric Company, Ltd., 1/4 Test Akai Div., Mitsubishi by 4 one year parts and 1 / 4 inches (front), 13 A dB recording level). Flutter is below re- ing to 1.5 percent at 50 Hz (at the —10- changeabout incompression leveledge-track equal as —produces to you acially recording reference-level switch anis output at —the quite fromporting the point level EP one good, speed, to limits VHS of too. Hi- 3-dB as Of at is course, both distortion. speeds. flutter is ing-leveloverloadthe controls on other. the edge being As usual, track,reasonably inoperativereasonablyFor a the very the record-much low. for "tight" flat format, higher DSL's and than auto- reference the the in frequency A-weighted VHS Hi-Fi, level response espe-noise for is that mode.matic levelFi recording, control is so there's used to no prevent drastic pattern,the GX-52. but It without follows the the technological established eithercan add a wired (via or a a multipin wireless handset back-panel jack) nomanding remotemuchprovides of a comesthe top-line thethe with most convenienceflourishes much insistence elaborate. the of price. the deck, without performance of For on but That Akai's instance, convenience de- you is, top-line and the features GX-52 models or of Mono edge-track audio performance component deck from Akai shouldnyone feel who quite has used at a home recent with didn't think they would ably(especially lessductionyet blotchy inclarity seen. the snow, than reds butVCR Even it this normalfield-averaging large and with beats —all quickly. blues) color only with any Level otherareas Although are digital notice- I home the of VCR DS- video I've NR to an S-VHS pressiveyou'llscenes.the that findvideo expense Butnegligible you Level-I if noise will of you're seldom performance reduction, someNR, picture like not blur use only me,"straight" in any- so blur. you800OU's I fast-moving is im- think can there If video have S-VHS you an it resolution competition, need appreciable at more isn't in re- color up to its adapter, if thingyou choose. else. A fine achievement. STOP/EJECT;settein door. recent to To close open years it, it, you is press you the press motor-assisted that cas- open door into fast-wind or play, which damage(whichself thedoing the deck). reaching owner's suchtrols. for things manual the You says manually, door can may to thus close I go catch directly it my- from an is kindkey of again neat. or Still, any of the as someone operating used con- to My hat is off to NEC. Frankly, I A proprietary feature of Akai decks More obviously useful are the timer Edward J. Foster be able to apply switch; the recording-cancel panic but- ting while you're exercising the con- Test ton, which recues the tape to the point at trol—two capabilities normally Reports which recording began; the IPSS, Akai's associated with three-head machines. blank-seeking random-access feature, Also presumably a by-product of the which can be stepped to skip multiple se- tight head spacing and the extra-small lections; auto-mute to create the four- record/play head group are the contour- second blanks IPSS requires; and A-B effect "head bumps" that appear in the memory playback of a user-selected seg- frequency-response traces and extend ment of the tape. The multiplex filter can be switched at the front panel. DB Playback Response (BASF test tape; -20 dB DIN) Unique to Akai, as far as I know, is a

selective erase feature called "edit." You of .ar*A Wdadur 0 use the A-B memory button to mark the left channel +/12 , -3/4 dB, 315 Hz to 18 kHz beginning and end of the passage you -5 right channel + 1/4 1/2 dB, 315 Hz to 18 kHz want to erase. Then, instead of pressing GX 52 (1) REWIND (which would initiate repeated HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K playback of the A-B section), you press REC CANCEL. The deck rewinds, erases the marked segment, and stops. Record/Play Response, Type 2 Tape (-20 dB) If you are in doubt about your cues, DB GX-52121 you can check them without committing _ yourself by pressing the play button, which triggers a single replay of the A-B 5 left channel (no NR) +1, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 17 kHz section. If the cues must be superaccu- right channel: -10 no NR +1, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 17.5 kHz rate, you can play the tape at half-speed Dolby B +11/2, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 16.5 kHz by keeping the play button pressed for -15 Dolby C +1Y2, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 16.5 kHz more than one second. The sound is ap- palling, but it does help you zero in on a HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 1 OK 20K specific syllable or a specific transient. Initially, I worried that a careless stab at the A-B button in marking the end of a Record/Play Response, Type 4 Tape (-20 dB) passage to be repeated might inadver- DB tently trigger its erasure, because A-B . 0 and REC CANCEL are next to each other, M but I was unable to make this happen. A 5 left channel (no NR) +1, -3 dB, 21 Hz to 20 kHz fixed guard between the buttons helps right channel: -10 no NR +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 20 kHz prevent misadventure, but the deck's Dolby B +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 20 kHz logic interlocks and control timings 15 - - - Dolby C +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 17.5 kHz GX-52131 seem to have something to do with it as I I I I I I well. All told, Akai's edit function HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K strikes me as one of the most interesting cassette-deck features of recent years, at least for the sort of serious recordists Record/Play Response, Type 1 Tape (-20 dB) who are likely to make use of it. DB If you want to make live recordings, 0 • or if you just want to listen without as- % sembling a whole stereo system, there's a -5 left channel (no NR) +1, - dB, 22 Hz to 17 kHz i headphone jack with its own level con- right channel: -10 no NR +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 17.5 kHz trol. And there is a bias-trim control. But Dolby B +1, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 16 kHz both bias matching and the monitoring -15 - - Dolby C +1 /12 , -3 dB, 22 Hz to 16.5 kHz of live recordings are compromised to GX-5214) I I I I I I some extent by the lack of monitoring in HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K the GX-52. Presumably to make the edit feature more accurate, Akai has placed the erase head next to a double-gap re- unusually high in frequency. This is one cord-plus-play head in the main cassette respect in which cassette-deck per- opening. This doubtless contributes to formance has improved visibly (if not al- the accuracy of the edit feature, but— ways audibly) over the years, as manu- perhaps because of inductive interfer- facturers have learned how to shape pole ence between recording and playback el- pieces and head surfaces to wean the ements, due to their tight spacing—the moving tape away from them more deft- recording and playback gaps cannot be ly. The smaller the heads, the greater the used simultaneously. So although the required deftness. I can't honestly say GX-52 is technically a three-head deck, that I hear anything untoward that is at- you can neither monitor off the tape dur- tributable to the exaggerated contour ef- ing recording nor evaluate your bias set- (Continued on page 28)

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 25 "IfIHadItIODoATIO ThisisHc "The technology for a new generation there is no need in a home music system for of loudspeaker systems was already here:' the bass to emanate from the same source says Henry Kloss. I was just the first one to as the higher frequencies. (And many acous- put it together right:' tical reasons why it shouldn't.) "Right," in this case, meaning a stereo So to take advantage of this basic but system that allows the integration of speak- vastly overlooked fact, the bass units are built ers into a room in a way that's never before small enough to be placed where they'll been possible. produce the best sound, without visually Ensemble. overpowering your room. The last loudspeaker They are a compact 12" x21" x 4 .5 '.' Yet they generate the low-frequency energ of Henry Kloss. that would ordinarily require either a pair of Ensemble combines two bass units, two very large conventional loudspeakers, or mid- to high-frequency units and something adding on a massive "subwoofer." Moreover, you won't find in any store on earth. using two separate easily placed bass units Your living room. Which now, because dramatically reduces the creation of standing of Ensemble's unique "system" design— waves—the bane of pure hi-fl reproduction. becomes a seamlessly integrated part of the Without detriment to the sound, sound propagation process. Ensemble's bass units can be placed beneath The result is a system that gives you the couch, on top of the bookshelf, or under perfectly balanced energy the potted plant. tnrougnout rite run ten 14. And the result is octaves of music. And one 1..4 ' a happy coincidence: which, at the same time, Where the units sound can be virtually invisible in . the best is likely your living room. where they'll look the best. Even if that The first speaker system means not being able to that doesn't see them at all. cheat you out of either Thew is a wweryou can make, flyou don't mind taking moneyfi vm house guests. What Henry Kloss tells his friends: bass or space. Place EnsembleS satellites where they re list& Every time I came out with a new speaker Then hide one qf the bass units undo- the at AR, KLH, or Advent, my friends would ask The fundamental sofa, and put the other on thefl oor me,"Henry, is it worth the extra money for me octaves that so much with a plant on it. lithenyourfnCnds annr. bet them to point out where to trade up?" And every time I would answer, of music is built on... the bass is comingfivm. They II "No, what you've already got is still good enough': The almost sub- point to the satellites. &ay time. But today with the introduction of audible but palpable Ensemble. I tell them, "Perhaps now is the time sounds generated by the big pipes of the to give your old speakers to the children' organ, the bottom of the acoustic or electric As for the other 8 octaves bass, the low notes of the synth... Overcoming the fear The frequencies completely ignored of music. in the so-called "mini-speakers" now The rest of the sound spectrum, from a of paying too little. in vogue... nominal crossover of 140 Hz, is reproduced This is more difficult than it may sound. Ensemble provides them. With two by a stereo pair of two-way satellite units. Because the Ensemble System sells for dedicated, acoustic-suspension loudspeakers Each incorporates a low-frequency driver, an introductory price of only $499. whose jobs are solely to reproduce the bot- crossing over at 2,700 Hz to a direct-radiator And it can be jarring to accept the notion tom two octaves of musical significance. tweeter that goes beyond audibility that a product actually outperforms others It is by design, not afterthought, They are small enough (4" x5" x8" costing several times more. But think back that Ensemble comes with two, not one, high) to set the sound stage (or so-called on Henry Kloss' track record with AR, KLH, bass units. "imaging") wherever you want it. and Advent, the best selling high-performance Because the human ear can't easily Finished in scratch-proof, gunmetal speakers of their decades.. .0w commercial localize bass sound below about 150 Hz, grey Nextel, they will look good for a lifetime. success will come not from excessive prices verAgain...AndiDa..

Reseairh the 195in KLI the I96M and Advent the 1970 — the domincort oft heir decades—now brilgsyou Ensembk wrduolt"llawdos5.V the best- Member• ea of* vstem A oftHall his offtifile.eta The arat usik

on a small number of sales. but from selling Speaking directly to placement and other related audio equipment. a lot of systems to a lot of people. You, the people who make the speaker. lb get literature, to chat—or to order—the perhaps, among them. toll-free number is 1-800-252-4434. (In Canada, The second thing you rritist overcome is lb our knowledge, no other hi-fl manu- 1-800-525-4434.) Fax # (617) 332-9229. the misdirected notion that you must go to a facturer 1111,11rs you to call and talk about the dealer showroom and listen to the speakers. system. ("Hello, Mr. Sony?" No way) Because the fact is, the onyl V* welcome you. CAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS way to appreciate the astoniliing In fact, the easiest way to buy St.. Newton, Massachusetts 02158 sound reproduction of this uncon- Ensemble is to call us with your Send more information ventional system is to audition it credit card in hand, and speak with Send Ensemble risk-free for 30 days, for $499. in your own room environment. someone who will be happy to I'm paying by Check Li MC 111 Visa CI AE Therefore, we sell only walk you through, talk you through. factory-direct. Either by evelythingyou might ever want to Acct. Number ExP phone, by mail, or by our know about the system. Signature front door, to make it as From why or why not to buy easy as possible to get the Ensemble, to questions Name speakers to your about installation, room \ ddress front door. The f:msemble Retro ..Istem: City State Zip They come with a 2 bass units, 2 satellites, 100 straightforward feet of wire, mounting units, l'hone (Area Code) Number 30-day money- intelligent documentation, and a Iturm body. (1buraunbnil,,x FOR IMMEDIATE SERVICE: 1-800-AKA-HIF1 back return policy Soundlibrks audio opert.) MA residents add 5% sales tax. Suite 103 (Continued from page 25) Test fect of the GX-52 (the response wiggles mono amion , GIN-11111 Reports are too tightly spaced in frequency to be ALAI .z - —

heard as such), but smoother response POMO traces would inspire more confidence in the deck's audible excellence. Diversified Science Laboratories tested the deck with TDK SA as the Type 2 chrome equivalent, TDK MA as the 0 Type 4 metal, and Maxell UDS-1 as the Type 1 ferric, leaving the bias adjustment at its center detent for all but the 6111_0111 W • last graph (of bias adjustment range). In W m" all cases, the match is so good that I The GX-52's motorized cassette-well door doubt any adjustment could effect a significant improvement. The adjustment Tape speed is spot-on the nominal 1 7/, range is more generous than usual; this is ips, which can be said of few decks we've a mixed blessing, however, because inad- tested. The flutter measurement is fine vertent misadjustment can do more but not spectacular: about par for a mod- harm than usual. el with a single direct-drive capstan. The multilanguage manual is above average and distinctly more practical in format Bias Adjustment Range (-20 dB; Type 1 tape) DB and layout than has been the case with

..'" — t other recent Akai components. +5 ,..../ t ...... 4.••••" ) For a recordist who wants good per- •• -• ... , 0 formance and a few of the most impor- •-.- - / • tant convenience features but is willing 5 to put up with neither the clutter nor the maximu m setting -10 minimu m setting cost of going all-out in either direction, GX-52 (5) i the GX-52 is a tempting possibility. De- HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K pending on what you record and how you go about it, the edit feature can be Dolby tracking also is excellent and a particularly useful, and you won't find it Multiples Fliter (defeatable) on any other deck in this category. In - 1/2 dB at 15 kHz, -54 l/z dB at 19 kHz tribute to the deck's inherent match in S/N Ratio (re DIN 0 de; R/P, A-weighted) sensitivity (and bias) to the tapes used. fact, you won't find many decks at any Type 2 tape Type 4 tape Type 1 tape HX Pro, which is included along with price that offer this combination of sim- no NR 55 1/2 55 52 1/4 Dolby B and C, keeps the 0-dB response plicity and capability. Robert Long Dolbyll 64 1/2 64 62 traces virtually compression-free into Dolby C 70 3/4 70 IN 68 the high treble (about 10 kHz for the Indicator Reading for DIN 0 dB (31614) ABOUT THE dBW Type 2 tape + 2 dB (with 072% THD Type 4, somewhat lower for the other 0 dB (with 0.34% THD) two) but doesn't extend the curves ex- We currently are expressing power in terms of Type 1 bps 0 dB (web 0 12% THD) dBW —meaning power in dB with a reference (0 ceptionally toward the ultrahighs. Era- dBW) of I watt. The conversion table will enable Indicator Readings for 3% Distortion (316 Hz) sure of Type 2 tape is outstanding, but you to use the advantages of dBW in comparing Type 2 tape +4 dB (tor +1 7 dB DIN) noise and distortion performance is only these products to others for which you have no Type flaps +8 dB (for +6 5 dBDIN) dBW figures. about average for this class of deck. Type 1 taps +8 dB (tor +5 7 dB DIN) The level meters show basically 2-dB WATTS dBW WATTS dBW Distortion (THD M -10 dB DIN; 50 Hz to Idtz) signal increments from +8 down to —8 TYP• 2 tofie 5030% 1.0 0 32 15 Type 4 tape 50.23% dB, relative to their own 0-dB, which is 1.25 40 16 Type 1 tape 50 16% near DIN reference level, depending on 1.8 2 50 17 Erasure (at 100 Hz) 268 1/4 dB the tape in use. Below —8 dB, incre- Channel Separation (at 315 Hz) 38 3/4 dB ments become progressively coarser. A 2.0 3 63 18

Indicator "Balletic*" row of fine dots between the display itself 2.5 4 80 19 response time 3 0 rnsec and the calibration markings outlines 3.2 5 100 20 decay time =760 msec the recommended useful dynamic range overuhoot 0 dB for the selected tape type—based, as is 4.0 6 125 21 Speed Accuracy (105 to 127 VAC) the fundamental tape matching, on the 5.0 7 160 22 no measurable error Flutter (ANSI weighted peek ;15/P) 10 06% keyways at the back of the cassette shell. 6.3 8 200 23 All this works very well, but I wish Akai Senalthrtty (re DIN 0 dll; 315Hz) 125 my 8.0 9 250 24 could be persuaded to abandon the two Input Overload (at 1 Id4z) > 10 volts 10.0 10 320 25 Input Impedance 451‘ ohms other implied 0-dB calibrations it includes in its meters: the Dolby symbol at 12.8 11 400 26 Output Impedance 2,100 ohms what otherwise would be DIN —2 dB 18.0 12 500 27 Output Level (from DIN 0 dB) 066 volt and the "0 VU" at DIN —4 dB. Neither 20.0 13 630 28 has any practical value to the average re- 25.0 14 800 29 cordist, and therefore they only worsen an already confused situation.

25 I ri F iD F LI T "Before you buy insurance, examine the el/delIce::/

An agent who works for one company can only offer you the policies that his company sells. An Independent Insurance Agent represents several companies. So your Independent Agent can help you select the right coverage at the right price because there are more policies from which to choose. Me evidence is clear.

THE MORE-THAN-ONE-COMPANY INSURANCE AGENT. You'll find the Independent Insurance Agent nearest you in the Yellow Pages. Test t a time when most Compact There is also is a relatively common- Reports Disc players are so similar that place music-scan function that plays the Athey're difficult to tell apart, it is first 15 seconds of each track and then refreshing to encounter a model that moves on to the next. The obligatory dares to be different and makes those dif- track-skip buttons (forward and back) ferences count for something. The SL- are present, as are index-skip buttons to P990 fits that mold: Its lab data are im- move within a track that has indexing pressive, and among its features are some markers. Unfortunately, most CDs are I've encountered in no other model. not indexed. (The indexing subsystem, The grabber, on first glance, is the fly- which could be a major boon to lovers of wheel control for scan cueing, a feature classical music, is in danger of atrophy associated with professional digital from lack of exercise. Write the record equipment and some high-end VCRs. In companies—or, better, record produc- Technics SL-P990 the 990, it has three modes: fast, slow, ers.) Compact Disc and off. The last prevents accidental re- Random-access programming will cueing but is otherwise unnecessary as accept a sequence of as many as 32 Player

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Dimensions: 17 by 5 inches (front), 12/14 inches deep plus clearance for connections tracks. Random (shuffle) play is avail- Price: $825 far as I can tell. The fast mode can stride Warranty: 'Limited, one year parts and across the disc contents, sampling the able, as well. There are two repeat but- labor. music intelligibly only when you pause. tons, one for an A-B segment and anoth- Manufacturer: Matsushita Electric Industrial The discontinuities in between are a bit er for repeating the entire disc or the Co., Ltd, Japan jarring, but that's not the point. If you programmed sequence. A switchable U.S. Distributor: Matsushita Electric want to ease your way across the materi- "auto-cue" function starts play instant- Corporation of America, 1 Panasonic Way, Secaucus, N.J.07094. al, you can choose the slow scanning ly, eliminating the second or so of silence mode, which makes it easier to keep that often precedes the music. One dis- track of what the music is doing without play-mode button steps through several pausing along the way. If your timing is options of elapsed or remaining time; an- delicate enough, you can even "freeze" other switches between a quasi-analog the music at a single moment in this display of approximate playing position mode by reversing the flywheel at just (calibrated in minutes and also showing the right rate to compensate for the mu- total playing time) and a pair of output- sic's forward progress. Obviously, con- level meters. ventional scanning controls don't have All of these controls are repeated on anything like the flexibility of this one. the supplied wireless remote, which runs

30 H I G H F I D E L I T Y on two AAA cells. Beyond the scope of sponse both with and without de-empha- Test the handset is an additional group of sis is virtually perfect. Linearity figures Reports controls to simplify—or at any rate en- are exceptionally good (and more com- hance—making tape dubs from CDs. prehensive than in past reports, because Other CD players have offered what the lab has switched to a CBS test disc Technics calls "edit" functions to figure that includes test cuts with dithering and out automatically which cuts will fit on levels that extend down to —100 dB). No the available tape length. Here, you can point of weakness can be discerned any- work either from the disc's track order where among the measurements or (need or from a sequence that you've pro- I say it?) in the listening tests. grammed. The 990 won't accept a se- The SL-P990 is, in fact, an outstand- quence longer than 99 minutes, but then ing CD player, right down to the little most cassette decks (or their manufac- details like the timer-play switch and the turers) deplore anything longer than headphone-level control. Like most or C-90s anyway, with the possible excep- all new models, it handles 3-inch CDs All data were obtained using the Sony YEDS-7. CBS CD -1. tion of the new C-100 length. You can, without the need for an adapter ring and and Philips 410 055-2 and 410 056-2 test discs indeed, enter any tape length between 1 and 99 minutes using the programming Frequency Response Without De-Emphasis keypad. DB Most exciting, however, is the peak- 0 level search function. It scans the entire I i I I left channel +<0.1, -0.0 dB, 20 Hz o 20 kHz -5 disc or a programmed sequence—or, on right channe +<0.1, -0.0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz command, an A-B portion only—seek- I I 1 1 SL-P990 (1) ing out the highest signal level the tape HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K deck will have to contend with. The 990 then plays a six-second patch of the CD, including the maximum level, and re- Frequency Response With De-Emphasis peats it until you press STOP, giving you DB unlimited time for properly setting the 0 recording level on your tape deck. The 1 left channel +0.1. -0.0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz maximum evidently is digitally selected 5 right channel +0.1, -0.0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz using a sampling technique, and Tech- I I I I I I I SL-P990 (2) nics says a different maximum may be HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K picked up if you repeat the process (the 990 always chose the same spot when I tried it, but varied in another editor's tri- will play programmed contiguous Channel Separation (at 1 kHz) 125dB als). Looking for the peak level can take bands—successive "scenes" in Wagner, Channel Balance (at 1 kHz) <0 1 dB about three minutes if you ask the player for instance—seamlessly (except during S/N Ratio (re 0 dB; A-weighted) to scan the entire disc, so save a phone edit play, which always adds three sec- without de-emphasis 113 1/4 dB call or a trip to the refrigerator to while onds to the original track spacing to sat- with de-emphasis 115 3/4 dB away the moment. isfy the music-search function on cas- Harmonic Distortion (THD4N; 40 Hz to 20 kHz) atOdB <0.01% Internally, the 990 uses 4-times re- sette decks). I can think of only two CD at -24 dB 50050% sampling with 18-bit filter resolution. player features I've ever enjoyed that the IN Distortion (70-Hz difference; 300 Hz to 20 Ictlz) The digital-to-analog conversion is via 990 doesn't incorporate: automatic 0 and -10 dB <0.01% four converters: two in each channel, pause at the end of the current track and at -20 dB 0.016% handling the positive and negative wave- index programming. These two extreme- at -30 dB 0.016% form halves separately—which Technics ly rare functions aside, the SL-P990 is a Linearity tat lkHz) says eliminates a form of crossover dis- wish-list model, particularly for record- unaltered dithered 0 to -60 dB no measurable error tortion. Class AA analog circuitry (a ists who enjoy set-and-forget automa- at -70 dB +0.1dB +0.6dB proprietary configuration) is used at tion. Robert Long at -80 dB +0 2dB +1.1dB points that can benefit from its relative at-90 dB +0 3dB +2.5dB immunity to loading—in the headphone at-100 dB +12dB output stage, for instance. Digital- and REPORT POLICY Tracking & Error Correction maximum signal-layer gap > 900 sm analog-section power supplies are sepa- Equipment reports are based on laboratory measurements and controlled listening tests Unless maximum surface obstruction > 800 sm rated to prevent interference artifacts, otherwise noted, test data are provided by Diversi- &Mutated-fingerprint test Pass and the antiresonant chassis design con- fied Science Laboratories. The choice of equip- Maximum Output Level ment to be tested rests with the editors of High Fi- forms to current high-end thinking line output 2.65 volts delity Samples normally are supplied on loan from among Japanese manufacturers. Should headphone output (open circuit at dipping) the manufacturer. Manufacturers are not permitted 1.70 volts you ever need to work with unconverted to read reports in advance of publication, and no signals, the 990 supplies two digital out- report or portion thereof may be reproduced for Output Impedance puts—one coaxial (pin jack), one opti- any purpose or in any form without written permis- line output 560 ohms sion of the publisher. All reports should be con- headphone output 33 ohms cal—and the necessary cables. strued as applying to the specific samples tested. The data all represent superb per- High Fidelity and Diversified Science Laboratories formance, comparable to the best that assume no responsibility for product performance Diversified Science Laboratories has or quality. ever measured for us. Frequency re-

A U G U S T I 9 8 8 31 Test he TC-RX80 is a member of to facilitate dubbing analog discs. Reports Sony's ES line, making it one of A front-panel switch controls the two Tthe few bidirectional decks in directional modes: One mode defeats the such a premium series. Rarer still, for a automatic reverse in both recording and reversing model, is the RX80's fine-tun- playback; the other permits continuous ing adjustments for tape matching. And reversing at both ends of the tape during even more startling is its five-band spec- play but reverses automatically only at trum analyzer that permits tailoring re- the end of Side A during recording. The cording parameters to the signals at reversal process itself withdraws the hand—the only instance of an analyzer drive, rotates the head block 180 de- ever appearing in an auto-reverse model, grees, switches capstans, and reengages Sony TC-RX8OES as far as I can remember. Like almost all the drive. It may occur at either the be- other reversing decks, however, the ginning or the end of the cassette leader Bidirectional RX80 has no monitoring head (it's a tape, evidently depending on the leader's Cassette Deck

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Dimensions: 17 by 4/12 inches (front), 10 /12 inches deep plus clearance for cor.trols and connections. "two-head" deck). This simplifies the transparency, so a few seconds can be lost at this point in unattended record- Price: $600. problem of providing bidirectional re- ing. However, as the tape nears the lead- Warranty: -Limited, - three years parts and cording, but it complicates the tape- labor matching problem by requiring a cut- er, the counter begins to flash, alerting Manufacturer: Sony Corp., Japan. and-try method. Sony has eased the you that a manual direction change is in U.S. Distributor: Sony Corporation of latter problem by partially automating order if you want to avoid an awkward America, Sony Dr., Park Ridge, N.J. 07656. the fine-tuning process. break or the possibility of lost music as First, the RX80's convenience fea- the leader passes by. tures. In addition to the usual record/ The front-panel headphone jack is play timer switch, there is music scan equipped with a level control, a feature (often called "intro scan," sampling the without which the jack is relatively use- opening seconds of each selection in less, though not all designers seem to rec- turn), blank skip (which fast-forwards ognize this. The panel organization is past any unrecorded section longer than spare and uncluttered. For example, a ten seconds), auto play (to begin play- single button is used to step you through back automatically after rewinding), and several convenience-feature options, memory (counter-zero) cueing. There's called out on the display panel. My only no remote as such, but special back-pan- quibble in this respect is with the record- el connections provide for remote con- ing-level knob, which has a stiff clutch trol, including starting the deck in syn- between its left- and right-channel ele- chrony with appropriate Sony turntables ments. This, desirably, keeps the two

32 HI G H FI D E L I T Y working together as one in normal oper- serve the level on the regular meters and ation, but the shallow knob elements are adjust it on separate left- and right-chan- Test excessively difficult to adjust indepen- nel knobs to equal the test-tone input lev- Reports dently when the need arises. el. This compensates for tape sensitivity The display panel includes three sec- greater or less than that of the reference tions. That on the left contains indica- tapes for which the deck is set at the tors for the operating functions factory. (DOLBY B/C and OFF, for instance) This is a more thorough and delicate- and the counter (reading in approximate ly handled approach to tape matching minutes and seconds as determined me- chanically from tape motion). The dis- Playback Response (BASF test tape; -20 dB DIN) play's middle section is the spectrum an- DB alyzer, which shows energy in frequency TC -RX8OES II) bands centered on 100 Hz, 300 Hz, 1 0 -- H kHz, 3 kHz, and 10 kHz. At the right is 5 forward direction: , left channel +0, —3 dB, 315 Hz o 17 kHz the metering: left- and right-channel \ -10 right channel +0, 3 dB, 315 Hz to 10 kHz "bar graphs" with a nondefeatable peak- reverse direction: hold feature that retains maximum read- -15 — - — left channel +0, —3 dB, 315 Hz o 15.5 kHz ings for about seconds. — - - — right channel +0, —3 dB, 315 Hz o 14 kHz The analyzer's vertical scale is cali- HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K brated from "0" to "10," with five display increments between each calibrated step. The manual doesn't stipulate just Record/Play Response. Type 2 Tape (-20 dB) what these markings mean in objective DB terms or even how to use such a display 0 ,------e-ft,....z------+ as an adjunct to recording. But as an in- - dicator of relative signal energy in its five -5 left channel (no NR) +1, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 17 kHz bands, it's useful. If you know enough right channel: -10 no NR +1, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 16.6 about how magnetic tape works, you kHz Dolby B +1, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz N I could even use the bias control to shade - 15 — - — Dolby C +1, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 15.5 kHz performance for maximum headroom in rc-Rx8OES12) I I 1 1 1 1 the midrange or the treble, depending on HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K where the display indicates you will most need it. The metering evidently is calibrated Record/Play Response, Type 4 Tape (-20 dB) for a 0-dB reading at about 2 dB above DB the DIN reference used in our testing. 0 Calibration extends to +10 dB in 2-dB .. increments, though the display has finer 5 left channel (no NR +1, 20 Hz to 20 kHz right channel: divisions. An "overload" range is indi- i -10 no 12 cated above + 2 dB, but the manual sug- NR +1 /, —2 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz i Dolby B +1 /14 , —3 dB, 20 Hz to 16.5 kHz 1 -15 gests how this limit may be tempered, de- — - — Dolby C +1 1A, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 16 kHz ----1— pending on the specific tape in use. The TC-RX8OES 13) I I I I I I steps grow progressively coarser as level HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K drops below 0 dB. Overall, including the peak-hold feature, the metering design is more satisfactory than many others and Record/Play Response, Type 1 Tape (-20 dB) is significantly bettered by those on only DB a very few current models. 0 When you insert a cassette, the TC- left channel (no NR) +1, —3 dB. 20 Hz to 17 kHz RX8OES sets bias level and recording 5 right channel: EQ automatically for the tape type (as no NR +1, —3 dB, 20 Hz to 16 kHz -10 Dolby B +1, 3 dB, 20 Hz to 14.5 kHz determined from the shell's keyways). TC-RX8OES (41 Dolby C +1 /12 , —3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz To fine-tune, you press a calibration but- • HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K ton, then the recording button. The deck then records test tones for about ten seconds, rewinds, and plays them back. By than you find even in most nonreversing observing on the analyzer any level dif- decks these days. But, while I don't wish ference between the 300-Hz and 10-kHz to minimize its importance, it isn't up to bands, you can tell whether bias is cor- the standards of ease and precision of the rectly trimmed for the tape formulation best systems available in top three-head in use. (This seems to be the primary pur- decks. Moreover, the level ("Dolby pose of the analyzer. It is the only one tracking") adjustment alters playback— mentioned in the manual.) If the two are not recording—level. If it is to be spot-on unequal, you adjust the bias knob and try in each playback, therefore, you must again; once the bias is adjusted, you ob- either leave the controls at their detents

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 33 and use only tapes of more or less stan- for the odd high-frequency behavior of Test dard sensitivity or retain notations or our sample of the TC-RX8OES may lie Reports test-signals on your tapes to enable reset- somewhere in the relationships between ting of these controls each time you play these unfamiliar elements. the tape. And if a Dolby-encoded tape But I could hear no roughness or oth- made on the RX80 is to be played on an- er artifact attributable to this measure- other deck, tracking will be correct only ment oddity. All the tapes I made sounded at least as good as those I've been able to make on any bidirectional deck and DB much better than on most. The tapes were even comparable to dubs made on + 5 444. 1 \ good unidirectional decks, assuming ...444 ------11 41414111 1 .41100148 470,444 .44son r careful tape matching in all cases. In 0 ...... x ti maximum setting playing back previously recorded mate- 5 minimum setting rial, however, I experienced the same TC RXBOES 151 _1 L l problem as the lab did in measuring 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K HZ 20 50 100 200 playback response: an azimuth mismatch between the deck and the tape,

S/N Ratio (re DIN 0 dB; RIP; A-weighted) when that tape is of more-or-less stan- with a resultant loss of highs. I've cer- Type 2 tape Type 4 tape Type 1 tape dard sensitivity. tainly heard much worse, particularly in 56 3/4 dB 55 1/4 dB no NR 58 3/4 dB That being said, the measurements at reversing decks; but considering its ex- Dolby B 67 1/4 dB 66 3/4 dB 64 3/4 dB cellent results in some respects, I had Dolby C 74 1/4 dB 74 I/4 dB 71 I/2 dB Diversified Science Laboratories show that the RX80's tape matching system hoped for better from the RX80. Indicator Readktg for DIN 0 dB (315 Hz) Type 2 tape -2 dB (with 0 52% THD) does a good job. All tapes DSL used were The forward direction is noticeably Type 4 tape -2 dB (with 0 53% THD) from Sony (UX-Pro Type 2, Metal-ES better than reverse in azimuth match. By Type 1 tape -2 dB (with 0 37% THD) Type 4, and HF-S Type 1), but similar a small margin, forward also outpaces Indicator Readings for 3% Distortion (315 Hz) results can be expected with other major- reverse in flutter performance; however, Type 2 tape + 5 dB (for + 5 0 dB DIN) brand formulations. The record/play speed accuracy is marginally more pre- Type 4 tspe + 5 dB (tor +5 1 dB DIN)

Type 1 tape -i- 4 dR (for 4 4 0 dB DIN) curves show some departures from abso- cise in reverse. (The data column shows

Distortion (THD at -10 dB DIN, 50 Hz to 5 kHz) lute flatness that might have been ame- worst case for each.) For best possible a pe 2 tape TO 23% liorated with a different choice of bias playback of prerecorded material, there- Type 0 tape c 0 24% (and recording EQ, though the latter fore, you could choose to use the RX80 TO 14% Type 1 tape can't be adjusted), but overall behavior is as a unidirectional deck—forward only. Erasure (at 100 Hz) good. (The two capstans are of different diame- Type 2 tape '4 dB There is no way of telling on the basis ters—to avoid cumulative mechanical Type 4 tape 1,7 1/4 dB resonances in moving parts—which pre- Channel Separation (at 315 Hz) 49 dB of our tests what causes the high-frequency "wiggles" that sometimes make sumably contributes some dissimilarity Indicator "Ballistics" these curves hard to read, particularly to the performance of the two direc- response time 4 6 msec tions.) cursor decay time 300 msec the graph for the Dolby-C/metal-tape peak hold 1,600 msec combination. Sony's new Superbias This is, by a wide margin, the most overshoot 0 dB ultra-high-frequency bias-tone genera- sophisticated rotating-head bidirec- Speed Accuracy (105 to 127 VAC) last tor makes its bow for test purposes in this tional cassette deck we've ever tested. Flutter (ANSI weighted peak; RIP) 5 tall% deck, and it is tied into the Dolby HX Automatic reverse can be such a conven- Sensitivity (re DIN 0 dB; 315 Hz) 100 mV Pro high-frequency headroom-extension ience that it's good to see so much origi- Input Overload (at 1 kHz) > 10 volts system, which achieves its purpose by nal thinking lavished on it. And Sony's Input Impedance 52k ohms varying high-frequency bias. The re- initiative has paid off in performance

Output Impedance 3,000 ohms cord/play head, too, is new: a Sony La- that is, by and large, a big step forward

Output Level (from DIN 0 dB) 0 77 volt ser Amorphous design. The explanation for the format. Robert Long

LINEAR COUNTER

• f

4 4

131:1• 4.44 OVU• 444 . 4 WINO BOLEN NR ONE . M EM -2 0

••••• OE M IMM•111 M M. - 30 OWN. e n . 111 1 14.•4 M INEINNO - 40 • a W WI a a ION MIN Ilia Nib MIli R de SPECTRU M ANALYZER PEAK PROGRA M METER

The TC-RX8OES's display contains a five-band spectrum analyzer (center).

34 H I G H FI D E L I T Y ack in January 1986, we called thought to cover nearly all musically sig- Test Proton's D-540 integrated ampli- nificant transients. However, Proton re- Reports Bfier "the most powerful '40-watt' searchers have found that the standard amplifier we've ever tested." That com- rating time is, in some instances, too ment was prompted by the more than 6 short. So the company also rates the AA- dB of dynamic headroom supplied by 1150 with 100- and 200-millisecond the D-540's Dynamic Power on Demand pulses, which yield correspondingly low- (DPD) circuitry. As we've mentioned er headroom figures but also indicate many times since, dynamic headroom is that the DPD is useful for peak signals of a measure of the additional power— that duration. beyond steady-state, or continuous, What does a large amount of dynam- power—an amp can momentarily pro- ic headroom do for you? Basically, the Proton duce to avoid clipping high-level tran- advantage can be counted in dollars and sients. Despite its modest power rating, measured in size and efficiency. Because AA-1150 the D-540 at times acted as if it had more a DPD amp only masquerades as a mon- Power Amplifier TONY PETTINATO PETTINATO TONY

Dimensions: 16 /12 by 43/4 inches (front), than 160 watts (22 dBW) per channel on ster amp, it can use smaller power trans- 14 /12 inches deep plus clearance for speaker tap. Such amplifier designs are not exclu- formers and heat sinks, translating to an terminals. sive to Proton, but few others have attractive watts-per-dollar ratio. As Pro- Fuses: 4 ampere for power supply. matched the company's forcefulness in ton puts it in the AA-1150's thorough Price: $459. this respect. and well-written manual, the amp can Warranty: -Limited, - two years parts and Proton's latest DPD product is the "play as loud as an overdesigned 'heavy- labor. AA-1150 power amp. Briefly, DPD weight' while remaining moderate in Manufacturer: Made in Taiwan for Proton Corp., 737 W. Artesia Blvd., Compton, Calif. works by drawing from a reserve of ener- size, weight, and price." (There's no 90220. gy stored in large capacitors. After a magic here, however: 200 watts straight high-level signal has been delivered, the up from a conventional amp is at least as capacitors recharge for the next assign- good as 200 watts of dynamic power.) ment. Meeting the industry's test stan- The AA-1150 is extremely attractive, dard for dynamic headroom requires dominated by two large, mechanical that this extra power be sustained for 20 power meters that are said to reflect peak milliseconds, a duration generally power output (as opposed to just show-

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 35 ing average power). The meters' 0-dB The claimed 7-dB headroom actually Test markings represent the amp's rated pow- turned out to be TA dB for an 8-ohm Reports er (50 watts) into 8 ohms; the scale runs load, meaning the AA-1150 is capable of to 400 watts, or +9 dB referenced to the pumping out as much as 24.5 dBW (280 zero point. Three LEDs between the me- watts) per channel on peak signals. We ters indicate when and to what degree can't recall encountering a higher dy- the DPD circuitry is in use. They are namic-headroom figure. As a testament marked 0 dB (the threshold of DPD), to the amp's stability into low-imped- + 3 dB, and + 6 dB. The owner's manual ance loads, dynamic power increases sig- warns that if the last light is on most of nificantly at 4 and 2 ohms (although it the time, you are probably overdriving falls short of Proton's 2-ohm headroom the amp. specification). When the AA-1150 is first powered In every other respect as well—dis- up, its protection circuitry temporarily tortion, frequency response, separation, disables the speaker outputs to prevent and damping factor—the AA-1150 per- turn-on thumps. This is indicated by an formed superbly. The dual-mono design LED marked PROTECTION. If a speaker contributes to an incredible 107 dB of is drawing too much current or if DC is separation at 1 kHz; even at 10 kHz, sep- present at the amp's outputs, the LED aration is 94 dB. These extra-high fig- remains lit until the problem has been ures are not tangible (even 40 dB would corrected. be more than adequate), but they do The wide spacing of the AA-1150's speak strongly of the 1150's careful gold-plated input jacks gives a clue to its design. dual-mono design—a separate power DSL attributes a '/2-dB boost at 22 Hz Rated Power (8-ohm load) supply feeding each channel. A single set (inaudible) to a built-in infrasonic filter 17.0 dBW (50 watts)/channel of speaker binding posts accepts bared that cuts off at approximately 16 dB per Output at Clipping (at I kHz both channels driven) wires, spade lugs, or banana plugs. Ven- octave below 11 Hz. The lab observed 8-ohm load 18.2 dBW (66 watts)/channel that the DPD indicators were quite ac- 4-ohm load 19.8 dBW (95 watts)/channel tilation slots are plentiful, providing lots curate during the dynamic headroom Dynamic Power (at 1 kHz) of breathing space for the amp and giv- 8-ohm load 24.5 dBW ing you a good view of its neatly ar- test. 4-ohm toed 26 3 dBW ranged interior. Indeed, no small part of In listening tests, I was anxious to 2-ohm toed 26 8 dBW the 1150's appeal is its appearance: light up that + 6-dB DPD indicator. But Dynamic Headroom (re rated power; 8-ohm load) Sometimes you want to just look at the it never happened: By the time the first 4- 7.5 dB thing, its orange needles bouncing seduc- light came on (the threshold of DPD), Harmonic Distortion (THD; 20 Hz to 20 klitt) things were already way too loud at 17.0 dBW (50 watts) <0 01% tively through the soothing green light of at 0 dElW (1 watt) <0.01% the meters. A clear plastic panel covers through speakers of average sensitivity. Frequency Response the meters and contributes a luxurious I'm sure many people are unaware how 1/2 dB. 14 Hz to 30 7 kHz gleam. little power it takes to fill a typical listen- + 1/2. -3 dB, 11 Hz to 80 4 kHz In Diversified Science Laboratories' ing room with a reasonable level of S/N Ratio (re 0 dBW; A-weighted) 93 dB tests, the AA-1150 handily exceeded its sound. In its own way, the Proton AA- Sensitivity (re 0 dBW) 155 mV 50-watt (17-dBW) continuous-power 1150, with its telltale DPD indicators, is Input Impedance 22k ohms rating into 8 ohms, and output into 4 a triumph of reason at a very reasonable Damping Factor (at 50 Hz; re 8 ohms) 270 ohms was nearly 50 percent greater still. price. Christopher J. Esse Channel Separation (at 1 kHz) 107 dB rintrrose D1150 CIARIC $11401•Paor MOWN.

A QUICK GUIDE TO TAPE TYPES Our tape classifications, Types I through 4, are based on the International Electrotechnical Com- INATTS/8 t) mission measurement standards. JU, 006 025 125 5 12 5 25 50 100 200 400 TYPE 1 (IEC Type II tapes are lerrics requiring

-normal - bias and I 20-microsecond playback ‘ ‘ 1 1 I 1 -40 -30 -20 -10 -3 0 *3 45 • 9 equalization. TYPE 2 (IEC Type II) tapes are intended for use with 70-microsecond playback EQ and higher \ \"\'1"/' / / recording bias. The first formulations of this sort

used chromium dioxide: today they also include PEAK LEVElidll chrome-compatible coatings such as the ferric°. balls and a few metals. TYPE 3 (IEC Type III) tapes are dual-layered lerrichromes, implying the 70-microsecond

(-chrome -) playback EQ. Approaches to their bi- asing and recording EQ vary somewhat from one deck manufacturer to another, when they are ac- commodated at all. Formulations of this type are no longer being made TYPE 4 (IEC Type IV) tapes are the metal'

particle, or -alloy, - tapes, requiring the highest bias of all and retaining the 70-microsecond EQ of Type 2. The AA-1150's level meters are supplemented by three peak-indicating LEDs (right).

35 H I G H F I D E L I T Y The Power To Publish. Desktop publishing gives you the power to publish. But to be a desktop publisher, you need the skills and know-how that Personal Publishing magazine brings you every month. Each issue contains the latest information on how to put desktop publishing to work for you—with articles and reviews of the latest Personal desktop publishing hardware and software, and how to master them. Page makeup software, laser printers, graphics programs, the right computers, design advice, typography—all tools needed to succeed with desktop publishing, and all covered in the pages of Personal 181 Publishing, The Magazine for Desktop Publishers. Give yourself the power to publish. Give yourself the most

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Yo u IRi2ht Now! I Give Me The Power To Publish. 33% Sec I Start my subscription to Personal Publishing for p only $24. A $12 savings off the newsstand price. Off The 4•11.0,pil •///lass Newsstand • Resslaw Neon. maths, • [ I $24 [ $36 Canada [ $48 Foreign WIC M a w I% & [ ] Payment Enclosed [I Bill Me Price and 110111 =1 Gaily VII Save $12 Canondow 1611. M. VP,* WI .71/1 Name When You Subscribe Company now to HOW TO FIND PRODUC TS AND SERVICES Address Personal Personal Publishing Publishing, City State Zip The HF Return coupon to: Personal Publishing, Magazine P.O. Box 3019, Wheaton, IL 60189-9900. for Desktop I Or Call 1-800-627-7201 for faster service. Publishers. iim mumoisiono m mowoo m mosimunim m nimi Test ne down from the top of the ADS from ringing. A stiff stainless-steel coil Reports home-loudspeaker line stands former is used in the midrange unit, and 0the M-12, a slim and handsome its effect is a smooth extension of the tower model. It represents a rethinking driver's range for several octaves beyond of ADS's design principles and exempli- the tweeter's 2-kHz crossover frequency. fies quite a few refinements, especially in In order to promote stable and accu- driver construction and in the control of rate imaging, special care has been taken off-axis radiation. The sound has benefit- in the M-12's crossover-network design ed greatly from this design initiative. to produce a smooth radiation pattern by ADS M- 1 2 Although it has four drivers, the the prevention of "lobing" (from "lobe," M-12 is a three-way acoustic-suspension the preferential beaming in certain direc- Loudspeaker TONY PETTINATO PETTINATO TONY

Dimensions: 43 by 11 inches (front), 14 inches deep. tions of frequencies in the crossover re- Price: $1,900 per pair. system. The two 8-inch woofers have gions that is caused by interactions be- Warranty: -Limited, - five years parts and polymer cones. Radial resonance modes labor are suppressed by a compound curvature tween drivers). Linkwitz-Riley four-pole Manufacturer: Analog and Digital Systems, of the woofer diaphragms, a technique networks are used throughout to achieve Inc., 1 Progress Way, Wilmington, Mass. also used in the 5-inch cone midrange this. Ferrite-core inductors (for low dis- 01887. driver. Both the midrange unit and the tortion and freedom from saturation) 1-inch dome tweeter have diaphragms and metallized polypropylene-film ca- made of a proprietary copolymer. Com- pacitors (for low dielectric absorption) pared to ADS's earlier woven-fabric are used to construct the crossovers. soft-dome material, the new material is A look behind the removable grille said to have a molecular structure that reveals the drivers in an uncommon con- gives it greater strength while maintain- figuration: From top to bottom, the or- ing high internal damping and freedom der is midrange, tweeter, woofers. The

38 H I G H F I D E L I T Y midrange is at the top to elevate it as far axis response. The upper-bass dip also as possible from the floor, so that the fills in nicely on axis. But the midrange Test notch in response that would be caused peak remains, and even increases in level Reports by its floor reflection is moved in fre- to about +5 dB compared to the sur- quency to below the driver's operating rounding frequency region. Bass re- range. Similarly, the woofers are located, sponse begins to fall off an octave higher says ADS, "as near to the floor as practi- (around 100 Hz). So, in this position, a cal," so that floor-reflection effects lie slight touch of nasality remains, and the above their operating range. The mid- speaker can sound a bit thin with materi- range and tweeter are at about ear level al containing extended bass information. for a seated listener. Before you jump to hasty conclu- The M-12 is finished on all sides and sions, keep in mind that I am nitpicking the top and comes in either a matte-black here. I compared the M-12 with our ref- plastic laminate or a genuine oiled-wal- erence system, which costs more than nut veneer. Depending on the finish, the perforated-metal grille is either black or Room Response Characteristics bronze. On the bottom is a recess con- DB taining a pair of multiway binding posts. M- 1 2 +5 Those seeking banana-plug connection to the M-12s should be warned that if the 0 plugs are attached to heavy speaker ca- .,,..... '-% •,, 5 ble, the connectors may stick out too far — boundary-dependent region \ from the recess to allow the speaker to -10 on-ax s response -1 stand upright. Spade-lug or even bare- off-ax s (30°) response — I I i wire connection may be preferable. HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K For smoothest response and best imaging, the well written and complete manual urges placement of the M-12 en- twice as much. The ADS speaker, heard Sensitivity (at 1 meter; 2.8-volt pink noise) closures two to four feet from side or on its own, is excellent. Ignoring the 88 1/2 dB SPL back walls "or other major boundaries." midrange peak—which is by no means Average Impedance (250 Hz to 6 kHz) ohms The traditional equilateral-triangle lay- obvious with much program material— out is also suggested, with the accompa- the on-axis, out-in-the-room frequency nying drawing showing a direct aiming response can be characterized as a very of the speakers' front panels at the pre- fine ± 2 dB from 90Hz to 20 kHz. Imag- ferred listening position. ing is quite precise and solid. I recommend taking this hint when Distortion was never a problem, re- auditioning the speakers since, as our maining reasonably low until the 100-dB graph shows, the off-axis tweeter re- sound-pressure test level was reached. sponse falls off above 8 kHz. As a result, And even then, distortion above 100 Hz even when sitting directly on-axis, the was below 1 percent (except for a small M-12 at times sounds a little lacking in and negligible excursion to about 11/2 per- "air," that feeling of upper-frequency cent at 400 Hz). In DSL's tests, the spaciousness that is most easily heard speaker accepted 45 volts peak (equiva- with a good recording of massed strings. lent to 253 watts, or 23.7 dBW, into 8 At other times, the M-12 can even sound ohms), and delivered a calculated peak a bit dulled, compared to speakers with SPL of 112.5 dB at 1 meter. Impedance flatter off-axis high-frequency responses. was on the low side, averaging approxi- Our graph, however, paints too bad a mately 5 ohms with a dip to 3.8 ohms at picture of the speakers' behavior below 2 around 300 Hz. For purposes of multi- kHz. Diversified Science Laboratories speaker hookups, consider the M-12 a 4- obtained this response with the speaker ohm model, with all the parallel-connec- only 3 inches from the rear wall. And in- tion restrictions that apply to such units. deed, although the speakers' bass is most On the whole, the M-12 is a step for- extended in this position (being flat ward over previous ADS models in this down to almost 50 Hz), the — 5-dB up- price range. The sound is not as "for- per-bass dip and + 3-dB midrange peak ward" or "aggressive" as that of earlier are audible, the former as a lack of units, and the overall effect is smoother, warmth or richness and the latter as a cooler, and cleaner, particularly at high hint of nasality (which is abetted by the volume levels. The response aberrations dip around 1.6 kHz). discussed earlier are no worse than I've DSL's other response traces, taken seen for other speakers costing much with the speaker 34 inches from the wall more and are certainly minor compared and thus more in line with ADS's recom- to the problems found with other, more mendations, show a considerable flatten- popular and famous speakers costing as ing out of the midrange; the dip at 1.6 much. Do give the M-12s a listen. kHz is completely eliminated in the on- David Ranada

A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 39 Until now this was the only way to get a high-performance dubbing deck. Let's face it. Wow and flutter (WRMS) is no Performance in dubbing decks has tradi- more than 0.05%. tionally left the purist...well, fit to be tied. The KX-W90OU's separate If you wanted high-performance dubbing, meters and controls let you record you were forced to cough up the price of two two sources at once. While auto Use reverse and relay record let you separate, superbly-speced decks. the 4 1-ke) record up to three continuous Which happens to lead us directly to the wireless Yamaha KX-W900U twin deck. remote, hours from one source. Yamaha RS integrated We've doubled the normal Two independent decks in one cabinet, amp, preamp Or each boasting specs and features that put most receker remote. recording bias frequency to ensure single decks to shame. high-quality recordings, even in the high-speed Frequency response with metal tape is a dubbing mode. full 20-20,000Hz ±3dB. Dolby HX Pro continually adjusts bias to Signal-to-noise ratio is better than 66dB match signal output, extending headroom to with Dolby B, better than 74dB with Dolby C. handle the most demanding CD dynamic ranges. And that's just the beginning. To hear the rest, see your nearest Yamaha dealer today He'll show you why our KX-W900U twin deck is a superb new dubbing deck even the purisOt wveilrl aanpdp roevceiar te. VA 11111AHN again.

Dolby is a registered traclentark 198[4.1am:ilia Heal-taws Logi' ,rats n. l :SA Dolby Laboratories. Inc. W M , no norm " Atm 1 INTERVIEW

U 1 11111111 ,I0111 Sounding Off

An Interview With Noel Lee Of Monster Cable By Gordon Brockhouse

Among the most hotly debated issues in audio is the audibility of cables. At one end of the spectrum are avid audiophiles who spend $100 per foot and more for speaker cables and "interconnects." At the other end are conserva- tives, who maintain that any differences between 14-gauge hardware-store wire and premium speaker cables are inaudible. And even if differences can be detected, this group insists, there is no proof that the expensive cables are more accurate. Smack in the middle of the debate stands Noel Lee, thirty-nine-year-old founder and president of Monster Cable Products, Inc. A mechanical engineer, Lee founded the San Francisco company after working at the Law- rence Livermore Laboratory for several years. An audiophile since his youth, he built Dyna- kits and Heathkits as a teenager and later operated a recording studio. While working at Livermore, Lee experimented with some of the audiophile cables then available. "I discovered there were sonic differences between cables of the same cross-section- al area," he recalls. "According to the electronics textbooks, that didn't make sense. I started to wind cables different ways and got different sonic results, and came up with Monster Ca- ble." While Monster wasn't the first company in the field, it quickly became the largest seller of premium cables. More than any other firm, it is responsible for creating interest in speaker wire and interconnects.

[Editor's note: This interview has GB: The audibility of cables re- things to excite those frequencies. If been edited for space only, not for mains controversial. In controlled I can keep them under control, I know content. HIGH FIDELITY views the listening tests, the differences don't I'll be coasting when I play a good claims made by high-end cable mak- show up. Why? recording. ers with a great deal of skepticism. NL: They're not using material that All the A/ B tests that I've read Within reasonable limits, we do not will show differences strongly about have used a switching device. believe that the manner in which a enough and quickly enough. A lot of You can hear switches; you can hear cable is wound or the conductive cable-related distortions are most no- wire in the switch boxes. When audio- material from which it is formed ticeable on material with a lot of high- philes plug in a new wire in their sys- contributes directly to sound quali- frequency energy. If you are playing tem, they don't have a switch box, but ty. We also have strong reservations something that's rolled off, you're they can hear the difference immedi- concerning the application to au- not going to excite these high fre- ately. When Stereo Review did tests dio of physical principles generally quencies. When I'm listening to ca- between amplifiers, they couldn't considered to have relevance only at bles, I'll take an overcut record, I'll hear the difference through an ABX very high (radar) frequencies.] take a peaky cartridge, I'll do a lot of box. They did the same with CD play-

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ers and proclaimed there is no differ- balanced conductors in your inter- lance path for all frequencies? ence between a $2,500 Meridian and a connects? What benefit does that NL: As a signal's frequency rises, it $198 Magnavox or whatever it was. provide you? tends to travel along the outside of And they couldn't hear differences NL: Our aim is to control electromag- the conductor. If there's another path with cables. Their conclusion in all netic fields generated by the cable as with higher surface area for the high these cases was that there is no dif- current passes through. In most co- frequencies, they'll take it, because ference. ax cables, the plus and minus conduc- that's the path of least electromag- I would advise people to listen tors are different materials, used in netic resistance for them. with an open mind. The three major different amounts and in different GB: Can this be measured? Is there magazines won't even talk about ca- configurations. You might have a some kind of tool that shows high- bles. It's really disappointing, be- thin wire down the middle, with a frequency content higher on the cause we get such good press in every braided shield around the outside. So small conductors than on the large other country in the world. In other you don't have adequate control of one? countries the question isn't whether the two conductors as you have in a NL: Yes, you can measure them, but wires make a difference, but which speaker cable. there is no standard against which wire should one buy. As the signal travels through the you can measure. The time delays in- GB: Is there a problem with the wire, each frequency generates its volved are very small. In a one-meter basic methodology of blind testing? own electromagnetic field. The fields cable, it's several nanoseconds. How- Is there something about these dtf- interfere with each other as they en- ever, in percentage terms the delay of ferences that eludes testing? ergize and collapse. That creates a a low-frequency relative to a high- NL: No. I'd like to be subjected to a to- time-related distortion, causing the frequency signal is very high. It's tally blind test without switches. low frequencies to travel slower definitely audible. When you switch back and forth very through the wire relative to the high GB: What about the actual signal quickly, the mind integrates subtle frequencies. When we compare stan- content of the different conductors? differences. If you're switching be- dard wires with ours, they seem two- Can you measure these? tween speakers with gross differ- dimensional, collapsed, lacking in dy- NL: Not directly, but they can be de- ences in frequency response, there's namic range. They actually sound termined from complex-impedance no problem using a switch. But when brighter, although the highs are even measurements. you're switching between electron- rolled off. GB: I guess I'm showing my Eng- ics, the mind is integrating. It's like GB: Can you explain why you use lish-major background. People who pouring a bunch of different wines different wire thicknesses for differ- dispute these effects grant that high down your throat one right after the ent frequencies in your intercon- frequencies tend to travel along the other. You can't discriminate. nects? If I can be anthropomorphic, surface, but they say this happens GB: So what you're saying is the op- how do the low frequencies "know" only at very high frequencies, out in posite of conventional wisdom, they ought to travel down the large the radio band. which says you have to switch quick- center conductor and the high fre- NL: These effects do occur at audio ly because audio memory is short. quencies down the little strands? frequencies when you're talking NL: Absolutely. The people who de- NL: The audio signal takes the path about skin depth, which is the depth veloped this theory were working of least electromagnetic resistance. of penetration into the conductor. If with tones. They would switch back If you have only multiple small con- you do a calculation, the depth of pen- and forth between two frequencies ductors, bass frequencies will be etration of a 20-kHz signal in copper close together and see if they could forced to travel down those tiny high- is 0.02 inch, and at 20 Hz, it's V, inch. remember which one was which. frequency wires. The larger wires be- All this theory is fine, but in the end When we listen to audio equipment, come more inductive at high current it's what you hear. Either it makes we listen to the texture of the music, and are therefore a more optimum the grade, or it doesn't. the harmonic tones of the instru- path for bass frequencies. If you The fact that we use conductors of ments, the depth and width of the im- have a large wire for those bass fre- different thicknesses is one aspect of age, not only amplitude. quencies, that's where they'll go, be- the design. The second is how we The whole musical experience has cause there is less electromagnetic wind them. The big conductor for the to be taken in. One needs to take a resistance. bass goes straight through. In our In- mental photograph—the mind inte- GB: Doesn't the cable behave like a terlink Reference cable, we have four grates the whole thing. Whenever I single conductor, anyway? Or are conductors of intermediate size for do a listening test, I listen to a pas- the wires separately insulated? the midrange. They're wound around sage once, then again, so I make sure NL: They are insulated. If they the bass conductor. The high-fre- I have a fix on the material. Then weren't, this effect would still occur, quency conductors are very, very fine when a change is made, I can easily though not to the same degree. wires grouped together in several lit- pick that change up. GB: Why don't the high frequencies tle bunches. They are wound around GB: Let's look at some specific prod- travel down the big conductor? the bass and midrange conductors. ucts. Can you explain the need for Doesn't it present a lower-resis- Winding the wires this way creates

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an inductance, just like winding a large, solid conductor, the field NL: We build computer models of de- wire around a bobbin. So the highs moves along a small conductor signs. That gets us in the ballpark. are delayed more than the midrange wound around a tube. This way, it can That tells us the inductances re- frequencies. Everything is in line, so travel along the inside and outside of quired, the time delays of the sig- signals can travel through the wire the wire. That allows a more even dis- nal—that kind of thing. For a certain with much closer delays. tribution of the electromagnetic field diameter wire, we can calculate the The third aspect of our technology across the cross-section of the wire. makeup of the wire and its target is our Microfiber dielectric. Any di- With speaker wire, you're dealing price. During our first two years, electric has two properties: energy with much higher currents than with modeling was done independently. storage and energy loss. When the interconnects. It's like a turbulent Our engineers would run the calcula- signal stops, and the electromagnetic river instead of a stream that you tions, and we'd listen, not knowing field collapses, energy stored in the have to guide along. It's like the dif- what the calculations were. Our im- dielectric may not get released at the ference between turbulent flow and pressions correlated very closely same time as the signal stops. It's laminar flow in fluid mechanics. With with the calculated result. perceived as a "grunge," a noise, a After we model the wire, we fine- distortion that you notice especially tune it: the dielectric, the windings, on transients. As with many forms of even the termination methods. Then distortion, you become most aware of we listen to it on various systems: on it once you've gotten rid of it. small speakers as well as large dy- There's also energy loss. Some of namic and electrostatic speakers; that energy turns to heat. This is with receivers and separate preamps most noticeable on very sharp tran- and power amps. sients: a bass drum, a kettle drum, GB: What do you view as more im- the plucking of a string bass, for ex- portant, topology or conductor ample. On these signals, the leading type? Can you hear different con- wave can be 20 to 40 times higher ductors? Does copper of a certain than the rest of the signal. In listen- purity sound better than copper of ing comparisons, there's a significant a lower purity? Does silver really increase in perceived dynamic range sound bright as some audiophiles with Microfiber. Because it's 30 per- complain, or are their eyes influ- cent air, Microfiber doesn't store as encing their ears? much energy as a solid material. The NL: I'll tell you, sometimes audio- energy that is stored is dissipated philes let the price influence their very rapidly. There's also much less ears. You don't always get what you energy loss than with a solid di- pay for, especially in cables. We be- electric. lieve that as long as the conductor is GB: I gather your design approach of high purity, there are many, many for speaker cables has evolved con- M-Series interconnects, speaker cables more things that are much more in- siderably since you started the com- fluential than the conductor type. pany. slow-moving liquids, you can predict You cannot do an A/B test between NL: Absolutely. The initial Monster the resistance in a pipe and you can two cables of different conductors Cable was designed purely by listen- steer the fluid in a certain direction. unless they're of exactly the same ing. We didn't have any idea of the Once it gets to a certain velocity, it's construction. In our listening tests, theory behind what we were doing. much more difficult to control. we alter two or three strands in a We wound the wires this way and It's even more complex with elec- wire, and we can hear it. We change that way, and came up with a cable tromagnetic fields because you have the dielectric slightly, and we can that gave us more dynamic range and many frequencies at the same time. hear it. We change the amount of con- greater bass and treble extension Just imagine several fluids of differ- ductor or how it's wound, and we can than conventional 10- or 12-gauge ent viscosities being shot down a pipe hear it. When we change conductor wire. at the same time at great velocities, material, we can't hear it. We've refined that over the years. and you have an idea of the com- Let's put it this way: We haven't The foundation of our current tech- plexity. been able to determine a difference in nology is the use of helical windings GB: What's your actual design sound related to the purity of the cop- over what we call the Magnetic Flux methodology? Are there objective per between an oxygen-free copper Tube. There's a dielectric in the mid- performance parameters that (OFC), which we use, and other cop- dle of the wire. This dielectric breaks you're after when you design a ca- pers, such as linear-crystal (LCC). up internal inductor effects at the ble? Do you have a method for corre- What you do hear in these coppers center of the cable assembly. Instead lating measurementv with per- can be calculated with simple formu- of going around the outside of one ceived effect? las. You hear the magnetic properties

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of the materials as they either speed NL: Absolutely. There are some peo- Monster-wired studio to do all future up or slow down different frequen- ple charging outrageous prices for Barbra Streisand projects. And cies traveling through the wires, wires. In terms of performance, Bruce Swedien is using our cables in which is why silver sounds bright. If there's no justification for these all future projects of Michael Jackson you look at the magnetic permeability prices. We differ from our competi- and Quincy Jones. All recordings and the permissivity of silver, it has a tors in several respects. I feel we're from Telarc, DMP, and GRP in the wider disparity between higher and the only company that really has a last year have been made using our lower frequencies. handle on the technology, on what the cables in all the signal paths. You There are other reasons why dif- distortions are in cables and how to hear the difference. The recordings ferent materials sound better. When correct them. The others are where are quieter, cleaner, smoother, more you process something like an LCC or we were a few years back, when we natural sounding, more dynamic. OFC copper, there are different tech- didn't know what the answers were. GB: Some equipment suppliers are niques for drawing the wire. The They're grabbing onto technology offering direct digital outputs on crystalline structure at the outer sur- that really isn't real: solid-core and their CD players and digital inputs face may not be the same as the in- exotic materials, for example. on their preamps. How does that af- side, which may explain the differ- GB: High-gauge solid-core speaker fect the market for your products? ences in sound. That's why, when wire is being promoted in some cir- NL: In a fiber-optic link, you elimi- some of the exotic copper materials cles, especially in Britain. What's nate all these electromagnetic prob- came out, everybody said they sound- your view of that? lems we've been talking about. To ed great. Well, they didn't sound fan- NL: I think solid-core wire may be me, fiber is the way to go. Theoreti- tastic; they sounded different. A good suited to British tastes, just like Brit- cally at least, you can get rid of wire. product will survive in the market, ish loudspeakers. If you take one di- I'm in the wire business, but I know and they didn't, except in Japan. ameter wire, you can make it sound how bad wire can be. GB: There seems to be an inconsis- very good at one frequency, let's say But you have to pay attention to tency. You said if you change the the midrange, which is what I think the quality of the fiber-optic connec- strands or dielectric or winding, they're hearing. You get the sound tor because it has to be highly pol- you can hear that, but that when round and smooth. But the highs will ished and very linear. The shielding is you change the conductor type, you be rolled off, and the bass will be very important. That's why a lot of fi- can't. But then you said the mag- tubby. ber optic cables are armored. You netic properties of different conduc- In particular, it will lack dynamic need to have a connector that will in- tors account for different sonic range. You can't get powerful bass terlock and not be subject to vibration characteristics. Are you saying out of a small woofer. You're not go- or movement. This results in data loss there are differences in the way ing to get dynamic range out of a at the junction and consequently these coppers sound? small conductor either, beyond a cer- more interpolation. NL: When I said conductor material, I tain point. A small conductor will tend GB: Where do you see your business meant purity of the conductor. Cop- to saturate and thereby compress the in the year 2000? Is Monster Cable per—whether it's OFC, OCC, or sound. going to be much the same kind of LCG—will exhibit similar sonic char- GB: Some recording companies are company it is now, or are techno- acteristics. You can hear the differ- now using Monster Cable. How did logical changes in the 1990s going to ence between copper and other mate- that happen? force you into new areas? rials. There's a difference between NL: Traditionally, recording engi- NL: We're in the connecting busi- the magnetic properties of copper neers have viewed audiophile prod- ness. Whatever they do with cables— and other metals, like silver or alumi- ucts as crazy, lunatic. Audiophiles fiber optics or infrared, visible wires num, and consequently in their sonic think recording engineers can't hear or no wires—that's where we want to characteristics. what they're doing, because their re- be, always aiming toward the higher GB: How much better sounding cordings sound terrible. Now we're end of the market to provide audio- could a price-is-no-object wire seeing a fusion. The Compact Disc philes with the best ways of connect- sound than your best cables? places greater demand on the recording their components. Our computer NL: Our best wires are the best we ing engineer. People can hear a lot cable division and our pro division are know how to build. If the question is, more. Because of this, the recording both expanding rapidly. But we're can we build a wire better than we're engineer has become an audiophile. first of all an audiophile company. building now, the answer would be: If It's being demanded of them to create The major core of our engineering we can, it will be a commercial prod- good sound as well as good music. staff are all audiophiles who spend uct eventually. Our best wires aren't GB: Is this occurring primarily countless hours listening and fine- handicapped by a target price. You with smaller labels? tuning. have to realize that there's a demand NL: Oh, no. We're doing things with for higher-priced wires than ours. CBS and A&M. We're doing projects Gordon Brockhouse has been an GB: Are you saying other cable com- in major pop studios. For instance, editor of Canadian audio and companies are inflating prices? John Arrias has built a completely puter industry trade publications.

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A U G U S T 1 9 8 8 41 ity study. Its precise location would be searches were visual, not auditory. Filding the Killer Chord determined by a survey of music spec- Since college days, I have collected a li- tra combined with a battery of listening brary of orchestral scores covering tests. Since Copy Code had been under much of the basic symphonic and oper- As soon as the NBS's plans for testing development for some years by the atic repertory. One can flip through the Copy Code were announced, I volun- time the DAT debate surfaced, I felt pages of a Beethoven symphony or teered my services to the Home Re- that such testing would have already Wagner opera looking for specific cording Rights Coalition, hoping to as- been conducted and that the frequency pitches played by selected instruments sist it in shaping the procedures used in first mentioned by CBS (in the days much faster than a real-time playing of the test (the NBS having solicited rec- before it started acting defensively over the works. My score collection was ommendations from the HRRC) and the system) would be the optimum one. supplemented by several visits to the in selecting the program material for So, despite protests by Copy Code's many shelves of music at the New York the Copy Code listening tests. Al- sponsors that the notch parameters Public Library at Lincoln Center. though I submitted long memos on test had been changed, I concluded that Throughout the score scanning, I procedure and on various electronic 3,840 Hz would be as good a place as looked for three things I thought means to defeat Copy Code, perhaps any to start looking for audible degra- would be most audibly degraded: rela- the most important function I per- dation. Any change by CBS would tively long-held notes and chords con- t'onmed in this affair—and the work have to have been minor, otherwise the taining subharmonics of the Copy about which I'm most proud—was system would not be able to fulfill its Code frequency; passages in which finding music that could be audibly de- design objectives. notes of Copy Code subharmonics are graded by Copy Code encoding. Specif- Listening tests centered around rapidly repeated; and the rare passages ically, I found the "killer chord": the 3,840 Hz were thus in order. I decided in which the high B-flat is hit directly. musical excerpt whose alteration by to listen for only one specific effect: the Then, using a notch filter centered at the Copy Code notch filter was most attenuation of musical fundamentals 3,840 Hz but constructed to be slightly easily detected. or strong harmonics near 3,840 Hz that narrower than the original CBS Copy I started with one crucial and, as it would result from notch filtering. Oth- Code specifications, I listened to CDs proved, valid assumption, which had er effects could have been listened for, of the suspect passages while switching to be made because CBS had steadfast- such as a horrendous phase shift the filter in and out. I accepted only ly refused to provide many important around the notch frequency character- those passages in which a difference tech iical details about the Copy Code istic of narrow filters, or a highly col- was absolutely obvious: as if a sinewave encoder. Although CBS had by this ored filter-noise spectrum. But I con- oscillator at 3,840 Hz were being time (late 1987) also disowned earlier cluded that since severe attenuation at turned on and off behind the music. descriptions of the system, I reasoned 3,840 Hz is what a Copy Code decoder I concentrated on looking for pas- that the frequency of the encoder notch is designed to detect, any phase shifts sages containing instruments that I be- would be essentially unchanged from or noise should be considered as simply lieved would throw substantial har- its original location at 3,840 Hz. undesirable by-products of encoding. monic energy into the notch, preferring The notch frequency is one of the But CBS had chosen well. I pulled violins to flutes or piccolos, for ex- most important design parameters of a out my books on orchestration and in- ample, because violin notes have far system like Copy Code, because it in- strumentation and found that musical richer spectra than sine-wave-like flute fluences other critical aspects of both fundamentals near 3,840 Hz are rare. notes. Furthermore, violin vibrato and the encoder and decoder (such as the In general, only pianos, piccolos, pitch inaccuracy would be likely to minimum encoding-detection time). glockenspiels, and pipe organs ever throw harmonics directly into the The "richness" of all kinds of musical emit fundamentals at the two musical notch. Certain things received special spectra around the notch frequency, pitches closest to 3,840 Hz: the B-flat scrutiny: those discs that had been used the ability of various audio media to and B-natural closest to the top of a pi- by Copy Code's sponsors in demon- pass frequencies around the notch, ano keyboard. So I decided to extend strations of the system's alleged inaudi- and, of course, the notch's audibility all my search to the various "subharmon- bility (Barbra Streisand's "Bioadway constrain its location in frequency. ics" of those two notes (at one-half, Album," for example); those from art- Specifically, a Copy Code notch must one-third, one-fourth the frequency, ists who had issued statements in sup- be 'ugh enough not to intrude directly etc.), concentrating on those belonging port of Copy Code (Herbert von Ka- upon music fundamentals, and yet it to the high B-flat. All B-flats lower rajan, Leonard Bernstein, George Har- must be low enough to fall in a frequen- than 3,840 Hz thus became candidates. rison, and others); and pieces that cy range usually filled with musical E-flats, especially the ones that are one stood some chance of being recognized overtones. It could not be too high, or and two octaves above middle C, also by a congressman (Copland's Fanfare the system would not be effective with came under scrutiny. for the Common Man, Sousa's Stars low-fidelity media like analog video- It was, and is, absolutely impracti- and Stripes Forever, as examples). cassette soundtracks—remember that cal to listen to randomly selected CDs In all, I submitted to the NBS, via Copy Code was originally intended to hoping to find some passages with sub- the HRRC, three lists (totaling 68 sep- stymie all home audio taping. stantial energy clustered near 3,840 arate CDs) of selected notch-degraded Notch location would therefore Hz. Perhaps CBS hoped that this passages. All the selections are listed in have been one of the very first things would make it impossible to find obvi- an appendix to the NBS report, but determined in an engineering-feasibil- ously degradable music. So my initial only the first 32 reached the NBS in

42 H 6 H 1 1 0 E 1. 1 T LA COMMEDIA rn

time for consideration for the listening tually generated notching. Still, 7 out Fortunately, the killer chord was on tests. Furthermore, because the actual of the 24 selections used in the listening that list. That chord is the last one in Copy Code encoder removed the notch tests, and 13 out of 56 discs used in the Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky: a sus- whenever it thought that it would be false-positive/negative tests came from tained fortissimo B-flat-major chord audible, not all of the 32 selections ac- my first list of 32. scored for full orchestra (including glockenspiel, xylophone, and piccolo) and chorus, and filled with B-flats from top to bottom. In the specific recording I suggested (London 410 164-2) the chord is held for a good 15 seconds. The fundamental of the piccolo note fell right into the Copy Code encoder's notch and was severely attenuated, but not continuously, by the encoder. Therefore, the long piccolo note in the original was transformed by the encoding into several disconnected notes (see the nearby color spectrogram). On the whole, this Prokofiev chord proved to be the selection of "real music" (as opposed to specially devised synthesizer chords) whose degradation was most easily detected in the NBS listening tests. For example, the NBS report states that for the serial listening tests, "the probability of obtaining an average score of 70.1 percent [the result for the Prokofiev] or more from a set of 348 responses generated by a 50- 50 chance mechanism is much less than one in a million." In the parallel listening tests, the data for the Proko- fiev chord showed "statistically significant evidence that the encoded channel is audibly distinguishable from the un- encoded version." The NBS showed that Copy Code encoding is audible, in direct contradiction to claims by its supporters and developers. I find two ironies surrounding this particular chord. The first is that in a test by an agency of the U.S. Govern- ment, the selection that proved crucial is from a Stalin-era masterpiece. In fact, Sergei Eisenstein's film Alexander Nevsky, the soundtrack of which formed the basis of Prokofiev's canta- ta, celebrates the victory of the East over an aggressor West (Teutonic hordes, to be more specific). The second irony is that my searches through the works of Prokofiev and Shostako- vich were prompted by a suggestion from a professional flute and piccolo player. He plays in a major symphony orchestra and is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, an The NBS's color spectrograms ofthe "killer chord": At top is the original, at bottom as filtered organization that supported Copy by a Copy Code encoder. Frequency in each spectrogram runs from bottom to top. Color signi- Code. Such groups should ask their fies level, as indicated by the color code at tire upper right. Time runs horizontally from left to right. In both spectrograms, small arrows point to the frequency region removed by the Copy constituents if they should be squan- Code encoder. In the encoded version, note the removal of the bright stripe at the Copy Code dering energy and money in pursuit of frequency. This is a piccolo note, the interruption of which proved to be extremely audible. such worthless objectives. D. R.

A U G U S T I 9 8 8 43 t was a shock to discover recently that a 1 decibel above a reference level of 1 colleague whose technical acumen I par- femtowatt (one quadrillionth or 10 - ticularly respect doesn't bother much watt). The vertical scale is calibrated in the with "quieting" graphs when he wants a more familiar audio-level decibels, from 0 picture of the overall performance of a dB down to - 70 dB. The 0-dB reference tuner or receiver. While tuner quieting level in this case represents the tuner's au- 1curves are indeed rather daunting to the dio output with full limiting of a 100-per- audio enthusiast familiar only with fre- cent-modulated antenna signal. Full limit- quency-response plots, I find them indis- ing has usually occurred by the time the pensable for assessing car stereos. And antenna signal has reached 65 dBf. while they are less informative for home The dashed curve at the upper left gear (the area that most interests my col- shows how output is attenuated for input league, which may account for his atti- signals too weak to attain full limiting. The tude), they still give a sense of a tuner's be- bottom curves show the tuner's noise level havior under fringe-area reception for three reception conditions: mono, nor- conditions for which words are, at best, an mal stereo, and stereo received with the awkward substitute. Let me show you automatic-blend feature engaged. As mea- what I mean. sured, the mono curve represents tuner be- First, the crucial definition: "Quiet- havior during mono broadcasts, but ing" is the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio for usually a tuner behaves the same when an FM tuner when measured at a specified manually switched into mono operation antenna-input level. In general, as the ra- (if that is possible). dio-signal strength from the antenna in- Eagle-eyed graph readers will notice in creases, the S/N ratio also increases until Figure 1 a change from earlier HIGH the point of "full limiting," or "ultimate FIDELITY practice. We've traditionally quieting," is reached. The tuner's S/N ra- graphed noise relative to output at all an- tio then remains relatively constant with tenna-signal strengths, showing the audio increasing antenna-signal strength until, output with a 100-percent-modulated an- in some tuners, overload of the input elec- tenna signal as 0 dB, no matter what the tronics increases the noise level. actual audio output voltage. In car stereo Figure 1 shows the quieting curves for products, however, the absolute output the tuner section of a fairly typical compo- level is important because of the rapid on- nent-grade home receiver. This tuner, the-road shifts in signal strength. So we however, has a special automatic-blend will now graph home FM gear as we do car feature. The horizontal scale is calibrated stereo. in dBf of antenna-input power, 1 dBf being In Figure 1, S/N ratio can be read di-

A HOME TUNER dB

0 — ... )3utp t at Full L,imiting , (Mono and S ereo) 10 / i Mono 0 utpu o '0 1 B - 29 \ Cc i I z a \ a I- \ 0 ‘ c ee"S11 S/1§1 tereo"

-lend Stereo S/N S/N g Stereo -lend 30 S 6 1 % m S co ..-65-dBf Test Level ‘r) 1 : i 40 Mono i Noise 1 \ 50 — Mono \ +-Sensi ivity— A \ Stereo Noise, Auto -Blend Feature On -.-Auto-B end Sterk) Sensity Stereo ‘ . N iie 60 ... 5tereo ensitivity -.. \ \ ..\ ...... dBf 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 BO 90 100

Fig. I. FM quieting curves supply an enormous amount of information about a tuner's performance under various reception conditions.

LLUSTRATIONS BY ALICE TOPF

44 H I G H FI D E L I T Y rectly from the value of the lower noise you can read stereo S/N ratio (69 dB, in traces, as long as the upper audio-output this case) directly off the stereo noise curve is at 0 dB (as it is for most of the curve. Mono S/N ratio is here greater than graph). For any input-signal strength for 70 dB, and the mono noise curve is off the which output falls below the 0-dB line of bottom of the graph. Home listening envi- the graph, S/N ratio is the difference be- ronments seldom offer better than 70 dB tween the upper output curve and the cor- of dynamic range, but HIGH FIDELITY re- responding noise curve. You can see this ports such high S/N figures in the mea- graphically at the point shown in the fig- surement data nonetheless. ure where there is a 50-dB difference be- In any event, these ratings tell you only tween the mono output curve (at about what the S/N is at 65 dBf; only the curves — 1'4 dB) and the mono noise curve (at will tell you whether this rating holds up about —51 V2 dB). For lower antenna-infor extremely high inputs (where overload put levels—that is, farther to the left in the adds noise in some tuner front ends) or at graph—the difference is less than 50 dB; inputs only a few dBf below the rating for higher inputs, S/N ratio is higher. This point (where it becomes increasingly hard tuner's sensitivity spec can be derived to maintain the stereo S/N ratio because from the graph: Sensitivity is the input lev- of increased noise introduced by the stereo el (measured along the dBf scale) for subcarrier—or, more precisely, because which the tuner's S/N ratio is precisely 50 the subcarrier level is falling with respect dB, in either mono or stereo. (We don't to noise). bother with the older, less useful "mini- The car stereo tuner's most striking dif- mum useful sensitivity" spec.) In this case, ference from the home tuner is in the treat- mono sensitivity is about 17 3/4 dBf, and ment of automatic blend (see Figure 2). normal stereo sensitivity is 39 dBf. Draconian measures are needed to make As the antenna-input level falls below FM inputs below 65 dBf listenable in a the 50-dB-quieting point, noise rises rapid- moving car. Instead of a modest inter- ly and typically produces the steeply rising channel blend and a marginal improve- curve shown here. In some units, the noise ment in stereo S/N, most tuner designers curve will make a more pronounced dip blend channels until there is no separation near the sensitivity-rating point. Such an left at all. Just how they do this makes all anomaly, while not intrinsically bad, sug- the difference between models and deter- gests that the manufacturer has mines their audio "roadability." "tweaked" the tuner to make it measure To document this, HIGH FIDELITY well, and that at other nearby input levels, adds a 1-kHz channel-separation curve to its reception may be marginally noisier the car stereo graph (more precisely, it than that of a tuner with the same sensitiv- represents the output in the "unwanted ity rating but a relatively neat, smooth channel"—that is, the channel not mea- curve—like this unit. sured for output and noise). Separation is Stereo S/N ratios can be read directly read in dB on the same scale used for audio from the noise curves because the audio output level, and in Figure 2 you can see 160 output is at the 0-dB line for all inputs how separation begins diminishing very above the stereo threshold (29 dBf); if the rapidly below 65 dBf. The designer here noise curve is at —60 dB, for instance, the evidently wants a good 65-dBf separation S/N ratio is 60 dB for that antenna-input rating, but then wants to reduce separa- level (here, 49.5 dBf). This tuner's auto- tion as quickly as possible to the range matic-blend feature only takes effect when where one might begin to hear loss of ster- the noise inherent to stereo reception be- eo image (at a separation of around 20 dB). gins to rise—in this case, near 60 dBf. Then, to keep image "size" from fluctuat- From the curves, you can see that by trading too radically, the rate of blend is de- ing away some channel separation, this creased somewhat. tuner improves S/N ratio for a given input But notice what happens to the stereo (or sensitivity, depending on your view- noise curve at this point: It has been rising point) by some 3 dB, which isn't stagger- as antenna-input level fell (between 45 and ing but is typical of a feature of this sort. 65 dBf ), much as it did in the home tuner; The colored vertical line represents the but here the blend is complete enough to full-limiting test level of 65 dBf, an accept- cancel much of the noise. As a result, be- ed representation of the signal strength to tween 45 and 37 dBf the stereo noise curve be expected in the suburbs when you're drops rapidly again until—where the out- tuned to a typically powerful metropolitan put curves for the wanted and unwanted station. This is the antenna-signal level at channels converge and blend is com- which most of the remaining FM tuner plete—the curve lies almost on top of the measurements are made. For instance, mono noise curve, just as the stereo image

A U G U S 1 1 9 E1 8 47 has collapsed to mono. lumpy mashed potatoes. The design In most sets, the stereo indicator will shown here postpones the attenuation _ t ') stay lit even after the separation has been (needed to protect you from very loud completely blended away. At this point, noise bursts when the station fades alto- \-1\ c)) however, stereo is a figment of the read- gether) until just below the mono-sensitiv- out's imagination. As shown in Figure 2, a ity rating point—that is, at the maximum stereo sensitivity rating can be measured acceptable noise content—so only stations where the stereo S/N ratio is 50 dB, but that are received poorly can suffer from because reception can't really be called sonic lumps. stereo with separation of less than 10 dB, Successful car stereo FM, to a much we don't print the number in our data. greater degree than in home tuners, is a Actually, the 6-dB drop in stereo out- question of a canny balance of multiple put at the point where wanted and un- conflicting trade-offs. If channels are wanted channels are equal is an artifact of blended too gradually with falling radio- the measurement technique. With full signal level, for instance, the price is exces- blend, some of the measured channel's au- sive noise in stereo reception on the open dio signal is diverted to the opposite (un- road. If the blending is not gradual measured and unmodulated) channel; enough, the rapid inflation and collapse of since only the channel that's being mea- the image can be downright alarming— sured at the moment is modulated, there is and distracting—to the driver. Output at- no compensating feed in the opposite di- tenuation at very low signal strengths can rection. With both channels modulated by likewise be too rapid or too cautious. And music, however, blending channels these trade-offs can all be assessed directly doesn't, in itself, disturb the total output from a careful reading of the quieting and, therefore, doesn't change the sound curves. level in the car. If you do all your listening around But the droop to below —6 dB, in the town, you'll probably be most interested in neighborhood of 20 dBf, is true output at- the relatively uneventful happenings on tenuation; and such mono output attenua- the right-hand half of the graphs for both tion is audible because blend can't be ap- car and home gear. But if you have a taste plied to reduce it, of course. In some for certain weak stations (perhaps that of a models, output is attenuated much more local college or of a commercial broadcast- drastically at low signal strengths than in er in another city) or if you live in or travel Figure 2. On the road, where signal through the boonies, the whole of a tuner's strength fluctuates rapidly, this creates an quieting graph can have some fascinating aural effect that always reminds me of stories to tell. 7

A CAR TUNER dB

0 Mono ... - Wanted Channel Output Output at Full Limiting .... (Mono and Stereo) -10 "Stereo' Char Char Output

20 Separ —

Unwanted Channel - -A •--65-dBf Test Level 30 1

40 Rat S/N "Stereo" 3 _ - _ ___

Stereo -.- • Noise 60 "Stereo" \ Sensitivity \

Mono Noise -..--.. _ dBf 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Fig. 2. The relative complexity of the quieting graphs for car tuners reflects the signal processing neces sary to maintain listenable reception on the road. Edited by Ted Libbey and Ken Richardson

Deaths in the Family Digital but Residential

he deaths this spring of Irving Kolodin and Robert he Residents have always surrounded themselves Donaldson Darrell marked the end of an era in pho- with trappings that are somehow apropos, like call- Tnographic history. Born in the first decade of the Ting their company The Cryptic Corporation. What century—Darrell in 1903, Kolodin in I908—the two could be more cryptic than a group with no individual were pioneers in the field of record criticism, and were names, a group that always appears in masks, a seeming among the first in this country to write extensively about quartet that might be dozens. When they performed live phonograph records as serious musical documents and to a few years ago, it was evident that two of them were compile worthwhile guides to the classical catalog. Both women—but who could be sure that these Residents were were associated with HIGH FIDELITY, Darrell for many the same ones that first made unearthly music in 1974. years, Kolodin for a brief period at the end of his career. Although none of the group's three most recent Com- They died two days apart. pact Disc arrivals is a masterpiece like 1979's Eskimo, all Just as recordings, however imperfectly, made serious are little lights into the strangeness that is the Residents' music accessible to a broad public for the first time, these music. Duck Stab (East Side Digital RESIDE 3) com- critics, by writing about what people anywhere could bines three EPs: Duck Stab and Buster and Glen, both hear (as opposed to what concertgoers in Boston, Chica- recorded in 1977 and released together the following year go, New York, Philadelphia, and a few other big cities on LP, and Goosebump, from 1980. The first two EPs could hear), helped open the door to an appreciation of represent the most typical of the pre-Eskimo Residents, that music and of the artists who performed it to millions when they were conceptual artists in search of a concept. who might otherwise have remained unenlightened. They These 14 tracks are short bursts of musical anarchy, with lifted recordings from the realm of amusement to the unlikely harmonic intervals forced to work in context. realm of art. The Residents take pleasure in turning the familiar into R. D. Darrell began reviewing records in the 1920s something alien, shoving pastiche up its own butt in "The (I remember my astonishment when for HIGH FIDELITY Booker Tease" and "Elvis and His Boss." On the four he critiqued the reissue of a Mengelberg recording made tracks of Goosebump (actually the B-side of a record of in 1929 by quoting from his review of the original re- Eskimo "disco mixes" called Diskomo), the group plays lease). His magnum opus, published in 1936, was The nursery rhymes on toy instruments—but instead of exud- Gramophone Shop Encyclopedia of Recorded Music. It ing the kooky charm of the all-toy band Pianosaurus, the was the first comprehensive survey of what one could Residents prefer to put Mother Goose in bondage. hear on records, and a groundbreaking critical work. Fingerprince (ESD RESIDE 4) is in fact the full- Kolodin joined the fray in 1941, with A Guide to Re- length 1976 recording Tourniquet of Roses, whose 18 sec- corded Music. He reviewed records actively and acutely tions had to be divided into the Fingerprince LP and the as music editor of Saturday Review, a position he held Babyfingers EP for its original vinyl appearance. This is from 1947. A prolific author, he compiled several other the Residents at their guerilla weirdest, offering opera record guides during the 1940s and 1950s, and continued ("Walter Westinghouse"), ballet ("Six Things to a to produce important books until shortly before his Cycle"), pun ("Boo Who?"), and parody ("Melon Collie death. He was a master of the short review that told a Lassie"). But even this is not what it seems. Sample lyrics reader everything he needed to know. of the opera: "Love me tender/Love me sweet/Love me For those of us at HIGH FIDELITY, the loss of these like I love my feet." Of the ballet: "Chew chew gum chew two colleagues—who were also friends and teachers—has gum gum chew chew." Of "Godsong": "All that God been keenly felt. But while their typewriters have been si- wanted to be/Was just a normal deity." lenced, their writing remains for future generations of Those last lines are partially the premise of the music lovers to encounter and to profit from. My own group's new recording, God in Three Persons (Rykodisc initial musical experiences came from recordings, and a RCD 20044), an hour-long morality play about pain and good deal of what I found myself reading about them and pleasure being the opposite sides of the same coin. The about the music they contained was written by Irving and climactic "Kiss of Flesh" is by far the Residents at their Rob. I'm sure that others who come to music through most lyrically graphic and lurid. It comes, though, on an records will find themselves indebted, as I am, to both of album that is certainly the Residents at their least musi- them. As for those of us who write about recordings, we cally challenging, a kind of oratorio performed over may look at things differently, and judge by different Kraftwerk-like synth licks. Maybe this marks a new cre- standards, but we will always be their followers. ative phase. Maybe it's an aberration. Most likely, the Ted Libbey Residents are just being cryptic. Hank Bordowitz

A u G U S I 9 8 8 41 MICHAEL G

SO H I G H F I D E L I T Y WALTERLEGGE The Doyen of Record Producers

hen Walter Legge walked into cle, the Victor Talking Machine Company the small Queen's Hall C Studio had been bought out by the Radio Corpo- W that Thursday in November ration of America. Reeling under the com- 1931, his career—indeed, his whole life, as bined weight of fierce competition from Walter Legge and we would see it today—hung in the bal- the new entertainment medium—radio— some of his artists ance. His employer, the Gramophone and the expense of retooling for electrical and inspirations (in- Company, Ltd., had already fired him recording, introduced in 1925, Victor had cluding, from lower once. This was no time for him to be doing been an easy target. With the crash, left. Thomas Bee- something that might cost him his job RCA's new Victor Division was forced to cham. Ernest New- abandon virtually all classical recording man. Hugo Wolf again, now that the Depression had finally Elena Gerhardt. laid its icy fingers across Europe. activity on its Red Seal label. For a while, Coenraad V. Bos, The Wall Street crash just two years this helped the Gramophone Company, and Elisabeth earlier had devastated the American re- which, as European supplier of masters to SchwarzkopJ) cording industry. Shortly before the deba- Victor, could step in and fill the vac-

BY ROBERT LONG

A U G U S T I 9 8 8 SI in expressing my views in the policies and composer, a set of which he was particu- activities of the Recording Department." larly proud. Meanwhile, Gaisberg began No doubt Legge had ruminated on recording Artur Schnabel for the Beetho- what and whom he would record were he ven Piano Sonata Society, which was to in charge. The Recording Department, cover all of that repertory by 1939, the which had been hearing more than it year Gaisberg retired. In between came wanted of this sort of thing from Macken- the Mozart/Da Ponte operas, recorded by zie and his colleagues, could hardly be ex- Gaisberg at Glyndebourne between 1934 pected to hide its feelings when similar and 1936 with Fritz Busch conducting, criticism emanated from someone on the and Sir Thomas Beecham's Berlin Zau- company's own payroll. So that was that. berflote, recorded by Legge in 1937-38. Or so the Recording Department thought. Many of the most impressive Society Within the year, Legge was back as the Sets appeared on English Columbia, of sole employee of the newly created Liter- which Legge eventually became the re- ary Department. His initial job was to pre- cording director. Among these were Mah- pare program notes and write the sales ler's Das Lied von der Erde (with Bruno material accompanying each month's re- Walter conducting the Vienna Philhar- lease list. He was soon made editor of monic, joined by soloists Kerstin Thor- HMV's dealer magazine, The Voice. borg and Charles Kullman, and two By the summer of 1931, Legge was in a projects conducted by Beecham: one de- position to propose the Wolf project, but voted to the music of Delius, the other he was not at all sure the company would Legge thought of containing several of Sibelius's sympho- accept it. The times were hard, and the nies and tone poems. Without the Society project was outré. And if recordings of su- himself as the Set concept, many of these works would perb and lasting quality were to continue world's first not have been recorded until much later. to be made in those times, a means had to The idea was right for its time and was be found to insure the company against record producer, copied by French HMV, Parlophone (a risk. Legge reasoned that if the public sub- "lesser" EMI label), and British Decca (a scribed in sufficient numbers to cover the and worked day competitor), among others. costs before the records were issued, the and night at it. By 1932, Legge's success with the risk was eliminated. It would take 500 sub- Hugo Wolf Society had launched him into scriptions to make the project solvent, but two other careers: impresario of the Lon- nobody at HMV had any idea whether don Lieder Club and music critic for the that many could be found for an album of Manchester Guardian. He also worked as six records containing 19 songs by Wolf. Beecham's factotum for the 1938-39 Co- In the end, HMV decided to let Legge try. vent Garden seasons. World War II was Subscriptions poured in rapidly recording was completed the same month, spent organizing entertainment for the enough to permit scheduling the recording after a final session in the Beethovensaal in troops and planning for the creation of a sessions to begin on November 5,1931. As Berlin. The album, bearing the label British "superorchestra." The war was Legge prepared for that first session, he "Hugo Wolf Society, Volume I," was is- barely over when Legge set off in search of must have felt reasonably confident of suc- sued the following April and continued to talent to sign for EMI. Technically, the cess. In fact, once work began inside the sell, guaranteeing substantial profit. It in- Axis countries were still "the enemy," and studio, the artists may have felt more ap- cluded full texts in both German and Eng- British subjects were forbidden to frater- prehension than he did. Having hired the lish and analytical notes by Newman, who nize. Legge arranged to be listed as the best available artists, another producer had become a close friend and mentor to agent of a Swiss concern in which EMI would have simply let them loose in the Legge in the ten years since Legge had be- owned stock in order to bypass the regula- studio and worried about how the micro- gun reading his columns and books. tions and slip into Austria. On that trip, he phone and the wax were capturing what This set the pattern for the "Society contacted Wilhelm Furtwangler, Herbert they did. That was the way Fred Gaisberg Sets" that were to follow in rapid succes- von Karajan, Josef K rips, Wolfgang had always worked (see "Fred Gaisberg: sion, spurred by the success of the Wolf Schneiderhan, Hans Hotter, Ludwig We- An American Original," April). But not songs. Though originally conceived as ber, Walter Ludwig, Max Lorenz, Maria Legge. By his own account, he plunged limited editions, they soon were made Cebotari, Ljuba Welitsch, Irmgard See- into details of the artists' interpretations open-ended; masters for some were even fried, and Elisabeth Schwarzkopf. and "interfered with their preconceived sold to Victor for American issue. Initial- Before her formal debut, Schwarzkopf ideas quite a lot." It was, in fact, to be a ca- ly, Legge confined himself to the five addi- had actually sung in the chorus for Bee- reer-long modus operandi and the crux of tional volumes of the Hugo Wolf Society, cham's Berlin Zauberfliite, although his argument that he was the world's first using a wide variety of outstanding singers Legge couldn't recall her. Now he found record producer, as opposed to those "re- (including the veteran tenor John McCor- in her the most perfect singer for his pur- corders" (like Gaisberg) who made "sonic mack, a subscriber to Volume I and one of poses of any he was to encounter. To a fine photographs" of performances. the very few Golden Age singers who re- natural voice and the excellent training The Wolf album turned out to be a corded Wolf ). In 1935, Legge recorded she had received from Maria Ivogiin and smashing success. The subscription mini- the Yryii Kilpinen Song Society albums her husband, the pianist Michael Rauchei- mum was achieved in December, and the with Gerhard Hiisch accompanied by the sen, Schwarzkopf added exceptional musi-

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cal intelligence and—the touchstone—an cording of Tristan und Iso1de with Kirsten ability to work relentlessly in pursuit of Flagstad and the Philharmonia. Furt- perfection. In this, she was fully a match wangler, whom Legge had engaged to con- for Legge, as she proved at her initial audi- duct, was aware that this was Legge's or- tion in January 1946. Eventually, the two chestra and that Legge produced all of were married. Karajan's recordings. He was also aware The superorchestra came into being of the degree of artistic involvement that immediately after the war's end. Beecham Legge imposed on all his projects. Work- led the Philharmonia's first concert on Oc- ing through EMI's top brass, Furtwangler tober 25, 1945, in Kingsway Hall, and im- attempted to have Legge removed as pro- mediately tried to lay claim to the ensem- ducer, though, according to Schwarzkopf, ble, which he wanted to make into his new his participation (and Schwarzkopf 's as a Royal Philharmonic. Legge countered stand-in for Flagstad in the high notes, should they prove troublesome) had been Flagstad's condition for singing Iso1de so late in her career. Legge had made many enemies by the time he quit EMI in 1963, at the age of fif- ty-seven. Perhaps in the tangled world of musical politics it's inevitable that anyone of his eminence should do so, but his fierce drive to make every performance the best it could be contributed heavily to the op- position. Lesser men feared and resented his energy and success. Competing producers (and sopranos) saw a conflict of interest in the way he juggled his schedule with Schwarzkopf 's to be present at most of her performances and all of her recordings. Company executives balked at the high studio and talent costs of doing things Legge's way (the Act I Te Deum sequence \ in the Tosca he recorded with Maria Cal- \ las and Victor de Sabata, for instance, is said to have required 30 or 40 repeti- tions). Whatever failed to satisfy Legge's standards was subject to stinging abuse; Legge's musical alter with tthhee proposal that the new orchestra in retaliation, perhaps, he was dismissed go under two names, to serve both his pur- by many as a reactionary martinet. ego, Herbert von poses and Sir Thomas's. Beecham walked Or worse. Some of his antagonists in- Karajan, was named out in a huff—the only major rift the two side and outside EMI went so far as to ac- ever had—but Legge got his orchestra. cuse him of Nazi sympathies, pointing to the Philharmonia's It served him well as both concert im- the coterie around him that had spent the presario and record producer. It also war years on the opposite side: Karajan, first resident served the purposes of Legge's "musical Flagstad, Walter Gieseking, and many conductor. His alter ego," Karajan, who was appointed more, including Legge's wife. That it was a the Philharmonia's first resident conduc- coterie is obvious—Legge threatened at successes in London tor. Karajan's heart was still in Berlin, but least once to resign and take all "his" art- the gates to the Berlin Philharmonic were ists with him. But brandishing the word paved his way guarded by Furtwangler, who held a life- "Nazi" over a man who had attacked Hit- time appointment as music director. Furt- ler's racism in print as early as 1933 (the to Berlin. wangler's resentment of Karajan was year Toscanini canceled his Bayreuth ap- long-standing; there were, in addition, pearances) and gave moral and material profound musical differences between the support to so many Jewish artists reflects two. And it didn't help that Karajan had more on the accusers than on the accused. cleared the Allies' denazification process In fact, like most of the artists he first. But in 1955, a year after Furtwang- worked with, Legge was basically apoliti- ler's death, Karajan, his eligibility assured cal. His thoughts were clearly focused on by his brilliant Philharmonia recordings, what he believed to be his mission in mu- succeeded to the Berlin post. sic, and his thousands of recordings—with The animosity between Furtwangler scores of the greatest performers of this and Karajan almost wrecked one of century—speak eloquently of the zeal Legge's greatest triumphs, his 1952 re- with which he fulfilled it.

56 H I G H FI D E L I T Y T H E ( D S P R E A D MINI-RE VIE W'J HE LATEST CO MPACT DISCS

By David Hurwitz, Paul Moor, Christopher Rothko, Terry Teachout, and James Wierzbicki

TCHAIKOVSKT ORCHESTRAL Kreisler, does contain digital remakes of tenor Alexander Young, the Beecham h. II tg WORKS: STADIUM, STOKOWSKI Liebesleid, Liebesfreud, Schon Rosmarin, Choral Society, and the Royal Philhar- These performances of Tchaikovsky's and Caprice viennois, but most of it is de- monic Orchestra. Beecham knew how to Francesca da Rimini and Hamlet, record- voted to a dozen pieces previously unrec- make everything he played sound like ed in 1958 by Leopold Stokowski and the orded by Perlman. Kreisler's arrange- great music, and if any piece needs that Stadium Symphony of New York (com- ments of Rachmaninoff's Daisies and kind of commitment, this one does. Liszt's posed of members of the New York Phil- Gluck's Dance of the Blessed Spirits are the instrumental writing sounds remarkably harmonic), are without question the finest best of a most attractive lot. Perlman's supple in Beecham's hands, with the these works have ever received. Tchai- playing is sweet and straightforward, and "Gretchen" movement for once complete- kovsky's version of hell has never sounded pianist Samuel Sanders tosses off Kreis- ly uncloying. Beecham also manages to as wildly frenzied as it does here, nor has ler's meticulously crafted accompani- make more of the inevitably anticlimactic Francesca's desolate clarinet theme ever ments with great delicacy. A sequel is in entrance of the final chorus than do all sounded so seductive. But the real revela- the works. Playing time: 51:07. (Angel competitors. EMI's sound has transferred tion is Hamlet, a masterpiece to stand be- EMI CDC 47467.) T T well, and though the Royal Philharmonic side the Romeo and Juliet fantasy overture plays a bit roughly, no one interested in (its only lack is a "big tune" that would en- HAYDN PIANO TRIOS: this ungainly masterpiece should hesitate sure its popularity). Stokowski's per- F'BEAUX ARTS TRIO to seek out this disc. (In case you were formance has never been bettered—and By now, the Beaux Arts Trio is as closely wondering what the worst 19th-century most likely never will be. The remastered identified with Haydn as Artur Schnabel orchestral work is—it's Liszt's Dante sound has a relatively high level of hiss, was with Beethoven, and it's long past Symphony, of course. Not even Beecham but it is otherwise fine. The small English time that a selection from the ensemble's could mount a salvage operation on that.) label dell'Arte deserves every Tchaikov- complete set of the Haydn trios appeared Playing time: 70:00. (Angel EMI CDC skian's gratitude for rescuing these perfor- on CD. Included here are Hob. XV: 28, 49260.) D.H. mances from the oblivion of the old Ever- 29, 30, and 31. Those primarily interested est catalog. Playing time: 42:37. (dell'Arte in musicological niceties will be pleased to GIBBONS SACRED WORKS: CDDA 9006. Distributed by Allegro Im- know that the H. C. Robbins Landon criti- KING'S COLLEGE CHOIR, LEDGER ports.) D. H. cal edition was used for these 1971 record- Talk about tradition: Orlando Gibbons ings. (The Landon numbers of the trios on (1583-1625) became a chorister at King's MAHLER "DES BRADEN this disc are 44, 45, 42, and 41.) Those pri- College, Cambridge, at the age of thirteen WUNDERNORN": SZELL marily interested in interpretive niceties (under the direction of his brother Ed- One of the many highlights of Dietrich Fi- will already know that Menahem Pressler, ward, incidentally) and sang there for two scher-Dieskau's triumphant return to Isidore Cohen, and Bernard Greenhouse, years; with maturity, he became one of En- Carnegie Hall earlier this year was a recit- in their years together as the Beaux Arts gland's greatest composers. Here you have al devoted to Mahler's Des Knaben Wun- Trio, played Haydn with sparkling wit today's superlative King's College Choir, derhorn settings. Now Fischer-Dieskau's and unfailing poise. More, please, and under its celebrated director Philip Led- 1968 Wunderhorn, with Elisabeth quickly, too. Playing time: 65:34. (Philips ger, performing masterworks by its illus- Schwarzkopf, George Szell, and the Lon- 420 790-2. ) TT trious alumnus. The London Early Music don Symphony, has been transferred to Group and organist John Butt provide ac- CD. Those who prefer their Mahler plain LISZT "A FAUST SYMPHONY": companiment, and Butt fills out the disc instead of fancy will run from this disc in ROYAL, BEECHAM with several of Gibbons's organ works. horror. More tolerant listeners will rejoice In the wrong hands, Liszt's A Faust Sym- Musicologists may want to know that in the fact that these endlessly imaginative phony can sound like the second-worst the opening bars of both the "Magnificat" performances are finally available on CD. piece of orchestral music to emerge from and the "Nunc dimittis" from the Second Texts, translations, and notes by Mosco the 19th century. Like most of the com- Service differ markedly from the edition Cartier are included. Walter Legge's un- poser's orchestral works, it is overlong, published by E. H. Fellowes in 1936. The gimmicked stereo sound, as always, bene- not terribly coherent, and plagued by bass "Magnificat" incorporates two extra verse fits hugely from digital remastering. Play- trombone—style orchestration (the louder parts preserved in manuscripts discovered ing time: 49:55. (Angel EMI CDC the music gets, the more like a giant trom- relatively recently; in the "Nunc dimittis," 47277.) TT bone the ensemble sounds). Nevertheless, restoration of the original organ score the piece—however imperfectly real- forces the omission of the initial phrase in KREISLER VIOLIN WORKS: ized—is full of fascinating ideas and the- the second treble part, which seems to be- PERUAAN matic transformations that can, when per- long to a different version. Instead of putting together a Kreisler CD suasively performed, make for a satisfying Suffice it to say that these accounts rep- drawn from Itzhak Perlman's three-LP listening experience. resent the very last word in performance of analog series of the composer's works and There have been two such accounts on this music, with acoustics and recording to arrangements, Angel EMI sent Perlman record: Leonard Bernstein's, with the Bos- match. Playing time: 52:48. (ASV CD back into the studio to cut a new collec- ton Symphony, and this one, which fea- DCA 514. Distributed by Harmonia tion. The disc, entitled My Favourite tures the inimitable Sir Thomas Beecham, Mundi, U.S.A.) P.M.

A U G U S T I 9 8 8 57 -

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.•••• • .•.• VIVALDI "THE FOUR SEASONS": tuations. Leonhardt employs agogic ac- ber sung in an impenetrable Scots dialect, E PETRI, GUILDHALL cents as well, but he relies more on printed texts would have helped; other- Without a doubt, Danish recorder player changes in registration to alter mood—an wise, though, this virtuoso male sextet Michala Petri is the most compelling prac- effect that Gilbert largely fails to exploit. sings with such clarity of diction that you titioner of the instrument since Frans Ultimately, I find that Gilbert's gentler can understand almost every word. Play- Briiggen came on the international scene approach works better in Book I, while ing time: 41:16. (Angel EMI CDC 47506.) some 30 years ago. Technically, her play- Leonhardt brings a greater sense of au- P.M. ing is as solid as Briiggen's. Whether or thority to Book II, but I do not think not she will follow in the Dutch master's either choice will disappoint. Neither re- F ig BEETHOVEN, SCHUBERT: highly informed stylistic footsteps, howev- cording is ideal. Gilbert plays a beautiful, \ Wig UUBUANA SYMPHONY, NANUT er, remains to be heard. In rather marked mellow-toned harpsichord in a lively The Philharmonic Society of Ljubljana, contrast to her previous recordings for acoustic, but the image of the instrument capitol of the province of Slovenia in Philips, her debut release on RCA Red has been bloated to stretch-limo size. northern Yugoslavia, elected Beethoven Seal—featuring her transcription for re- Leonhardt's recording is close and a shade to an honorary membership in 1819; when corder of the violin concertos that make too bright. One further caveat: Neither re- the Society opened its music school, one of up Vivaldi's The Four Seasons—is hardly cording indexes the fugues, which is a real the applicants for a teaching job was Schu- an exercise in musicological integrity. I'm annoyance. Record labels should make bert. But that information comes from not sure how a fish out of water sounds, more use of this very convenient CD fea- The New Grove Dictionary of Music and but that's the image called to mind by ture. Playing time for Gilbert: 4:15:59 (Ar- Musicians, not the liner notes for the Lju- most of the solo material: It's bubbly but chiv 413 439-2). Playing time for Leon- bljana Symphony Orchestra's new CD of somehow dry, sorely lacking the intensity hardt: 4:12:05 (Angel EMI/Deutsche Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 and Schu- that normally spices up the work when a Harmonia Mundi CDCB 49196, 49128). bert's Unfinished Symphony. Indeed, the good violinist digs into the part. As was CR. packaging is about as skimpy as you can the case with James Galway's flute version get, and neither the playing of the orches- (also on RCA), the performance seems de- BACH "WELL-TEMPERED tra nor the interpretations of conductor signed to impress listeners only with its ,11111t CLAVIER": IANDOWSKA Anton Nanut are much to get excited razzle-dazzle. Perhaps thinking that seri- Wanda Landowska's recording of the first about. In terms of both performance and ous music lovers might need an antidote, book of Bach's The Well-Tempered Cla- sound, the recording is merely okay. Play- Petri, harpsichordist George Malcolm, vier, made between 1949 and 1951, is full ing time: 56:49. (Stradivari Classics SCD and the Guildhall String Ensemble round of obvious flaws, starting with the over- 6004.) J. W. out the disc with an equally dazzling— blown sound of the steel-framed Pleyel and properly idiomatic—reading of the harpsichord, but this account remains sui MONTEVERDI WORKS FOR Concerto in C (R.V. 443) that Vivaldi generis for its rhythmic poise and passion- L A SOPRANOS: KIRKBY, TUBB scored for strings and flautino. Playing ate projection. Landowska's liner notes This fine new collection of Monteverdi time: 47:57. (RCA 6656-2.) ./. W. are as extravagantly romantic as her wild- works for one and two sopranos is, at mid- er interpretations ("Does not this Prelude price, something of a steal. Emma Kirkby BACH "WELL-TEMPERED sound like a full string orchestra of somber and Evelyn Tubb, accompanied by Antho- \ WI CLAVIER": GILBERT, LEONHARDT color, advancing impetuously until its tu- ny Rooley's Consort of Musicke, perform Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier inhab- multuous billowing stops brusquely on the equal numbers of sacred and secular its an entirely different sound world when dominant?"). Since The Well-Tempered works, providing a cross section of Monte- played on the harpsichord than it does Clavier fits with ease onto four Compact verdi's vocal writing. The disc's contents when played on piano. On harpsichord, Discs, RCA's decision to reissue only the range in style from charming, small-scale the counterpoint becomes absolutely first book is hard to fathom. Presumably, pastoral odes to Penelope's imposing la- clear, and the reverberation of the plucked the second will follow in short order. Sonic ment from 11 ritorno d'Ulisse in patria (im- strings lends an extra richness to the har- purists should note that a touch of rechan- pressively sung by Tubb). There are well- mony. After a long dearth of harpsichord neling has been applied to the mono origi- known works, such as the Cantate Domino recordings of this work, there are two re- nals. It doesn't matter—whatever the for- of 1615, as well as several rarities. cent reissues to choose from on CD: Ken- mat, whatever the flaws, Landowska's The performances are, on the whole, of neth Gilbert's 1984 set, which incorpo- Well-Tempered Clavier is essential. Play- the highest caliber. Despite a few moments rates Books I and II in a four-disc box, and ing time: 132:41. (RCA 6217-2.) T T of technical insecurity, this is a virtuoso Gustav Leonhardt's 1976 account, which display by the two sopranos, who sing is divided by book into two separate boxes KING'S SINGERS: with considerable feeling and beauty. The of two discs each. [A third reissue, of Wan- in FOLK SONGS ten duets are particularly effective: da Landowska's performance of Book I, is This selection of folk songs from the Brit- Kirkby's bright, ethereal tone contrasts the subject of the next review —Ed.] ish Isles displays a more or less impartial well with Tubb's darker, richer sound as Both sets have their virtues: Gilbert's attitude toward England, Scotland, Ire- the two voices weave among one another, readings are notable for their poise and the land, and Wales. The arrangements, by moving through poignant dissonances to sense of tranquility he brings to the music. various hands, are of varying quality, at sweeter close harmony. The instrumental Leonhardt, in contrast, is far more intense times involving piccolo, clarinet, harp, fid- accompaniment is not quite so accom- and at times rather cold, particularly in dle, cello, or string quartet. Eleven of the plished, particularly in the strings, but the Book I; he occasionally errs on the fast 16 arrangements appear in a book entitled playing is sensitive and the technique nev- side in his choice of tempos and seems The King's Singers' Folk Songs (Faber & er offends. The booklet is skimpy and does rather unyielding in his approach. When Faber); they get a bit artsy-craftsy at not include Italian texts or sources for the Gilbert misjudges tempo, it tends to be on times, with harmonies no authentic folk works. As for recording values, the sound the slow side. Although his playing occa- group would even dream of, but the King's is good but a touch bright, and the balance sionally sounds deliberate as a result, his Singers sing them, as they sing everything, gives undue prominence to some of the in- choices also leave him more room for ex- with taste, musicality, intelligence, and struments. Playing time: 58:02. (MCA pressive points and subtle rhythmic fluc- flair. In the Welsh songs and in one num- Classics MCAD 25189.) CR.

60 H I G H FI D E L I T Y DfUT

Vadja Salerno-.S'onm.nhery and .10,h tot ReII: One plays by the rules, and the other breaks them.

MENDELSSOHN: Concerto for Violin and personality. She has devised a striking DISCS Orchestra in E minor. Op. 64. stage figure based on nonconformist attire fP0t1 SAINT-SAENS: Havanaise, Op. 83; and bodily contortions. Most of all, she Introduction and Rondo capriccioso. has developed a reputation as an uninhib- Op. 28. ited interpreter, one who throws aside tra- MASSENET: Meditation from "Thais." dition in favor of performances that are, in TWO .S'alerno-Son nen berg; New York the words of critic Tim Page, more like Chamber Symphony, Schwarz. Patti "personal exorcisms." Laursen, prod. Angel EMI CDC 49276 There is no doubting both the appeal (1)). and the marketability of such a persona, VIOLIHISTS MENDELSSOHN: Concerto for Violin and yet along with fame can come dangerously Orchestra in E minor, Op. 64. heightened expectations. Will Salerno- BRUCH: Concerto for Violin and Sonnenberg's purely musical achieve- Orchestra in G minor, Op. 26. ments be sufficient to propel her career , Bell: Academy of. Si. Martin -in-the- forward? Based on the present releases, Fields, Marriner. Chris Hazel!. prod. the answer to that question remains uncer- London 421 145-2 (D). o 1=3 tain. For when she is stripped of her dis- JOSHUA BELL: Works for Violin and tinctive stage presence, the 27-year-old vi- Piano. olinist is revealed to be at once less Bell, Sanders. Paul Myers, prod. Lon- startling and less coherent than one might don 41 7891-2 (D).oea have imagined. Wieniawskk Variations on an Original Salerno-Sonnenberg's willful disregard Theme; Scherzo-Tarantella. Sibelius: Ro- for tradition is refreshing, yet it is far more mance, Op. 78, No. 2; Mazurka, Op. 81, arresting in slow, lyrical passages than in No. I. Brahms (arr. Joachim): Hungarian fast, virtuosic ones. During the second Dance No. I. Paganini (arr. Kinsky, Roth- subject of the Mendelssohn Concerto's schild): Cantabile. Bloch: Nigun. Novdeek: first movement, and throughout the entire Moto perpetuo. Schumann (arr. Auer): slow movement, she stretches phrases Bird as Prophet. Falla (arr. Kreisler): practically to the breaking point: The nu- Spanish Dance, from "La vida breve." merous rubatos, hesitations, and full Grasse: Waves at Play. Sarasate: Carmen pauses threaten to disrupt the musical Fantasy. flow. Such malleable tempos may be man- Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg has been both nered, yet somehow Salerno-Sonnenberg

blessed and cursed by the efforts of the makes them seem sincere, as if they are the SUTTON DAVID classical music industry's public relations outward manifestation of a tortured inner machine. She has been promoted on The vision. Still, it is hard to justify her throb- Tonight Show and 60 Minutes as a musical bing, overwide vibrato in the slow move- superstar and a tough-talking, flamboyant ment. And, if her inner vision is so tor-

A u G U S 1 9 8 8 61 lured, why does it not extend to rapid ly poetic, even understated, performance pleasantly resonant recording of a very lis- passagework? Indeed, the virtuoso sec- of Bloch's Nigun provides a pleasant re- tenable harpischord, one with none of the tions seem surprisingly perfunctory: Not spite from the pyrotechnics.) upper octave brittleness that sometimes only does Salerno-Sonnenberg ignore When it comes to comparing Bell with characterizes these instruments. Playing many of the score's dynamics and accen- Salerno-Sonnenberg, I do not wish to be time: 95:12. Christopher Rothko tuations, but she often becomes needlessly misunderstood: I have no quarrel with ar- rough, allowing both intonation and bow tistic individualism. I would rather hear BERNSTEIN: A Quiet Place. control to suffer. One could applaud such such irreverent performers as Ivo Pogore- „n Various artists: vocal ensemble, Austri- risk-taking, and even accept a certain lich, Nigel Kennedy, and the Hagen Quar- an Radio Symphony Orchestra, Bern- amount of sloppiness, were it justified by tet than any number of tradition-bound stein. Hanno Rinke, prod. Deutsche Gram- insight. But for Salerno-Sonnenberg, in- conservatory graduates. But Salerno-Son- mophon 419 761-2 (D. 2).0 (3). sight seems to be synonymous with lyri- nenberg has not yet proved herself able to In Jean Cocteau's surrealist movie Blood cism. mold her inner vision into a genuine artis- ofa Poet, when the hero is informed by the At first, one pities 20-year-old Joshua tic statement, one that forms an entire snow-covered lady with whom he is play- Bell for having chosen to record the same work into a unified whole. Bell possesses ing cards, "If you do not have the ace of Mendelssohn Concerto. Yet one quickly that ability, yet he is far closer to conven- hearts, you are lost," he simply reaches realizes that he can more than hold his tion. Whether he can achieve Salerno-Son- beneath the table and steals the card from own against his older and more experi- nenberg's individuality, and she his coher- the dead boyhood self lying at his feet. Can enced rival. In place of her wiry, athletic, ence, will be fascinating to discover. an artist do this? Can he plunder his own surprisingly thin tone is his lush, richer Playing times: 60:08 (Angel EMI CDC past to redeem his present? Many a com- one; in place of her headlong individual- 49276); 54:54 (London 421 145-2); 64:12 poser has borrowed from himself: Beetho- ism is his interpretive sobriety. (London 417 891-2). K. Robert Schwarz ven, Offenbach, and Handel come imme- But if Bell is more conventional than diately to mind. Leonard Bernstein has Salerno-Sonnenberg, he is not one whit BACH: Partitas (6). tried it here in this curious hybrid of an op- less musical. Considering his age, he pos- Leonhardt. Gerd Berg. prod. Angel era, a 1980s sequel to his 1952 opera Trou- sesses an astonishing maturity as an inter- EMI CDCB 47996 (D, 2). ble in Tahiti. He has borrowed from the preter. In slow, lyrical passages, his tempo The Partitas are perhaps the least well earlier score—for which he wrote the manipulations and dynamic gradations known of Bach's major keyboard works, words as well as the music—on the delineate phrasing without calling atten- and unjustifiably so, for they are among grandest possible scale, placing it uncut tion to themselves. And in fast, virtuosic his most profound yet most tuneful com- within the new work as the second act, an passages, Bell combines flawless tech- positions. Harpsichordist Gustav Leon- opera within an opera. nique with considerable insight. The long, hardt now brings us a fine and strongly Projecting the suburban Sam of Trou- flowing lines of Mendelssohn's slow move- characterized new performance of these ble in Tahiti into the 1980s, along with his ment are not held up at every turn by ruba- works, providing a pleasant contrast to his now grown-up son Junior, his daughter tos; the dazzling finale proceeds without rather faceless account of the English Dede, and her lover Francois, sounds like roughness of either bow or intonation. Suites of two years ago. a reasonable enough idea for a libretto. And the Bruch Concerto, which is paired Uncharacteristically, Leonhardt's The earlier opera—illustrating the shal- with the Mendelssohn, demonstrates that tempos tend to the slow side; in addition, low, empty existence of a "typical" Ameri- Bell also possesses a real concept of musi- when opportunities to apply expressive can family through the events of a day in cal style. From the chaste Romanticism of touches or highlight rhythmic details pre- their "little white house"—becomes a Mendelssohn, he turns to the impassioned sent themselves, he rarely passes them up. flashback in the new work. The trouble is Romanticism of Bruch, pouring himself Some may find Leonhardt's point mak- that the Bernstein of the mid-1980s is no into the music's sensuous portamentos ing excessive, and his style somewhat longer the Bernstein of the early 1950s. and rhapsodic rubatos and attacking its in- mannered, but for me the points are al- The music he has written for the first and cisive articulations with confidence. One ways well taken—and Leonhardt never third acts of A Quiet Place, with its out- can pay him no greater compliment than lets his attention to detail interrupt the right quotations from Mendelssohn and to say that he makes this overplayed con- continuity of the line. Nor does he lack Mahler, owes more to German Romanti- certo—of far less intrinsic worth than the power and virtuosity when called for. The cism (of which Bernstein has proved late Mendelssohn—listenable once again. opening preludes are appropriately in life to be so brilliant an exponent) than it Encore pieces are hardly the place to weighty, the faster dances always jauntily does to Gershwin and Stravinsky and judge artistic depth, so suffice it to say that sprung. Considering that these are strong Copland, who inspired the music of his here Salerno-Sonnenberg and Bell are interpretations, it is a pity that Leonhardt youth. As a result, the two styles never equally successful. Her mercurial, unin- takes so few of the repeats. mesh. Nor do the texts. hibited approach is well suited to the fluid Collectors shopping for a set of the Par- The lighthearted, tongue-in-cheek sat- tempos, emotional spontaneity, and sensu- titas should give the recordings by Ken- ire of the earlier piece, climaxed by the ex- ous Spanish inflections of Saint-Saens's neth Gilbert and Trevor Pinnock a listen. cruciating parody of a 1950s Hollywood Havanaise and Introduction and Rondo Both sets have many virtues—Pinnock is escapist jungle movie (Island Magic), has capriccioso. And Bell's sense of stylistic typically impetuous, Gilbert more consid- little in common with the somber interior propriety allows him to dive into a whole ered—but to my mind Leonhardt's is now monologues and surging orchestral pas- slew of Romantic bonbons, reveling in the finest of the offerings on Compact sages of the scene with which A Quiet their unabashed virtuosity. (A surprising- Disc. This impression is helped by Angel's Place begins—the funeral parlor, follow-

112 H I G H F I D E L I T Y ing the death of Sam's wife Dinah—or in so many other Bernstein scores) more Haydn and Mozart. It is true that Orpheus with the sentimentality of the family mem- superimposed than evolved in any musi- has gravitated toward the Romantic sere- bers' trying to recapture the past and then cally inevitable way, you won't be wasting nade repertory rather than Romantic "reaching out" to one another, with which your time lending your ears to this re- symphonies, as the present combination of the opera rather stickily ends. One can markable recording. Playing time: Grieg's Holberg Suite (1884) and Tchai- guess at how this came about: The opera is 2:29. Paul Kresh kovsky's Serenade for Strings (1880) dedicated to Bernstein's deceased wife Fe- points up. Nonetheless, Orpheus contig- licia Montealegre and to librettist Steven GRIEG: From Holberg's Time, Op. 40.; ues to show an uncanny ability to achieve Wadsworth's deceased sister Nina Shar- Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34. the flexibility of tempo and variety in dy- man Zinsser—a "lost wife and lost sister," TCHAIKOVSKY: Serenade, in C, for String namics and tone color usually associated as Wadsworth puts it in his notes. Orchestra, Op. 48. only with conducted ensembles. Thoughts of death were on the minds of OrpheuA Chamber Orchestra. Steven In its present incarnation as a small both collaborators when they set to work, Paul, prod. Deutsche Grammophon string orchestra, Orpheus brings to Grieg and much else in the piece is clearly auto- 423 060-2 (D). and Tchaikovsky a youthful, exuberant biographical as well. Late Romantic music is not what comes to spirit, and a graceful, never excessively Bernstein nonetheless retained his sure mind when one thinks of ideal repertory melodramatic manner. The music-making theatrical instinct when it came to com- for a conductorless chamber orchestra. is democratic, with all having a vote in cre- posing A Quiet Place. There are moments The elastic tempos, dynamic shadings, ating the interpretation, and none getting here—shattering, searing moments—that and coloristic effects required in such rep- trampled in the process. Perhaps this spirit are more profoundly moving than most of ertory are traditionally possible only with of equality accounts for the lucidity of tex- what passes for operatic writing today. the intervention of a conductor—or in the ture here: Inner voices and hidden coun- The orchestration and choral writing are intimacy of real chamber groups. Logic terpoint emerge with startling clarity. Yet never less than brilliant, and the transi- dictates that conductorless ensembles the Orpheus players achieve far more than tions between the present and the past are should stick to Baroque and Classical mu- the intimacy, cohesion, and crispness ex- skillfully contrived. Moreover, the generic sic, conceived before the rise of the dicta- pected in chamber music. For Orpheus family of the past remains generic in the torial leader. also has the emotional fervor and dramat- present—its angst continues to resonate in Yet the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, ic flair needed to bring off convincingly all of us. proudly without conductor since its birth, even the most sentimental moments in This version of A Quiet Place was re- insists on disproving such traditional no- these works. It almost makes one won- corded live in 1986 at the Vienna State Op- tions. A quick glance at its recorded cata- der—dare they try a Romantic symphony era, with the composer conducting and the log reveals Elgar, Dvorak, Bartok, and next? Playing time: 56:19. librettist directing (it incorporates major Vaughan Williams alongside the expected K. Robert Schwarz revisions that were made following the premiere by the Houston Opera, which was greeted so coldly in 1983). Much of the vocal writing is conspicuously gratify- ing, and the work of the principals—Ches- The CD-BOX" ter Ludgin (the older Sam), Beverly Mor- gan (daughter Dede), John Brandstetter (the angry, grown-up Junior), Peter Ka- zaras (Francois, the French Canadian who was once Junior's lover but has trans- Elegant, Efficient ferred his affections to Dede), Jean Kraft (Dinah's best friend Susie), Theodore CD Storage Uppman (Dinah's brother Bill), Wendy White (Dinah, in the flashback scenes), Compact Discs Do and Edward Crafts (the young Sam)—is uniformly fine. The members of the Aus- Almost Everything Better trian Radio Symphony Orchestra play Than LPs... their hearts out for Bernstein. Indeed, the whole production is so seamlessly execut- But They Don't Fit In ed, superbly recorded, and sumptuously Record Cabinets! presented (with a libretto in four lan- guages—and it's fascinating to note how the language of everyday idiomatic Amer- Hills Products introduces the CD-BOX compact disc storage system. A stand alone ican speech looks in Italian, French, and German) that one is inclined to forgive unit, it fits the space intended for records in most audio-video furniture and wall sys- even the most fundamental of its weak- tems perfectly! Finished in your choice of light or dark oak, walnut, or black, its two nesses. Trouble in Tahiti by itself is much smooth-sliding drawers hold up to sixty CDs (single, double, or triple), with dividers the better opera, and it has never been so stunningly set down, even under Bern- that keep discs upright and organized. 30 day, money-back, satisfaction guarantee. stein, as it is here. Even if you decide that To order or for information call Hills Products: 1-800-247-2018. the pretentiousness of the new material is shown up by the unaffected verve, simplic- The CD-B OX from $64.95. Dimensions: 6 1/4" w, 12 3/4" h, 14 3/4"d. ity, and sparkle of the old; that the two dis- tinct musical approaches fail to fuse into a Designed and manufactured in the USA by Hills Products Inc. single whole; and that the glib sentimen- PO Box 1015, Hillsboro, NH 03244, 603-464-3999 tality of the "hopeful" ending sounds (as L!!!1.i_]

63 DON HUNSTEIN Bergamo°. William Winant and Foster Chorus andAmerican Chamber Chorus GameIan'. of the Uni- theserves accompanyingReed, H prods. leaflet New directly: Albion NA 105 (A). m thesutras. Perfectthemeans most 'The Wisdom used Heart Scriptures andIn Sutra' profound reviewingversity (1st is of certain Buddhist the centu- essence of esoterica, California Varied ofHARRISON: Triot; La one at Koro Suite best Berkeley*. Sutro': for Violin Brett*, and The text was translated into Esperanto by orchestra madeand ofchopsticks, "'Dance' aluminum tubes [the pizzicato and fifthwisdomBuddhism. ('Hagiary movement] violin, It Sophia' is refers and for piano" in to Greek) the . . heart of divine oxygen tanks suspended in wooden gieCharles Recital Ives'sNew Hall Yorker,frames." [now Thirdslabs Not Weill Symphony"[William] exactly, withpans." Recital at canpiano, Carne- resonators to In Colvig Hall paraphrase violin,movement — constructed andBruce "is modified Chinese for Kennedy." a drums, rice gamelan bowls and baker's played with Ed.] he conducted the world premiere of 464 The Juilliard Quartet, with new member Joel Smirnoff (second from left) B.C. "The Esperanto title of In the case of I first encountered Lou Harrison when bergt, Winona; American Gamelan°, Gottlieb*, Sauerbeck*, Abelt°, Stein- in 1947 —the performance that won F Y T I L E D FI H G I H 'the Heart Sutra' which is among onwards) belonging to Mahayana IGH La Koro Sutro F for the old lady in Dubuque. IDELITY Varied Trio, readers by quoting and in the suite, La Koro Sutro its second The posed 31 years earlier. As a composer, own unique niche in American music. One could not askdertaking fortoward moreplain yet proficient Europe by his New but Albion, havingHarrison the per- directed Orient. a has small single-mindedly his but attention carved not his Ives the Pulitzer Prize for a work com- seau Lyre 417 610-2 (D).time: formances 72:38. the ormoney sort better andhigh-quality of a recording. burning music he desire label staunchly PlayingFranciscoMost belonging to promote of believes Bay his to Area, Foster 71 in. which years may he help has ex- spent in the San are astrument few performers movement who has have yet shown to fully us con- Reed, a young man with a bit of inherited sentscounted threesoloists popular amongstrumentsthat them. on concertos the itvince, with present is that style it possible disc show is and are in precision,Hob. to the notHob. VIld:3`. playHob. to brass XVIII:lt;HAYDN: Vile:1'; be these but Tru department. mpet Horn valveless the Concerto Organ Concerto Concerto in in There E in D, flat, in- C, themost Trumpet profound. Concerto Friedmann onlist the Immer short-lived, is plays quite short,If there and is I am one afraid area in that which the the early-in- Haydn at his most charming, but not at his The disc marks the most ambitious un- This offering from Oiseau-Lyre pre- emy of Ancient Music, Hogwood. L'Oi- 1 mmer*. Hogwoodt. Brown 0; Paul Moor Acad- early-19th-century keyed trumpet. A soft- spiritedimpression performance,chromatictrumpet, is fulltoned added notes it predecessor of to verve is of by capable the Immer's and to scale, of the puffy playing modern but valved lacks all the the but onceswagger. againwork the —atone pity, soloists andmodern since rather instrument's let Hogwood hesistant us conducts down. bite In approach a and clarity. to the This account,be I faulted,instrument. foundsuccumbs myselfConcertoplaying for holding toothe Brown's in all often Organ D, my lacksfine soloist technique the Concerto to notes in animation, the in the Timothy can are C, difficulties other Hogwood's really Brown there while two but in concertos the of his Horn on the disc, itbreath, through.they not In are addition, quite not sure always Brown, that pretty; like he would Im- listening make to his ern instruments, at least for the present. themer, music, does so not that really the solo project line himself sounds into This recording marks the beginningisthe repertory of end, workrather acceptable of in the which characterless orchestra. I performances. would opt alongside for But mod- this the dashing cally forward, once again building up celebrating:duction,CRI's Donald involvement and Martino's I wouldLERDAHL: imagine and inMARTINO: Fred Compact StringPlaying its String Disc release Quartet pro- time: Quartet. No. 1. it beginscompression slowly and and then expansion lurches of succinct sporadi-constructive works. Its principles 30-minuteand continuechamber of span serialism music to ispany's reward essays dividedprompted the yet offices. of listener's a into in the partyCurt sort But at Witting, that the the at- music, 34-year-old prods. too, CRI com- is CD 551 worth (D). lethematic is arhythmic summarymuch materials. frommovement. manipulation ofinto harmonictissimo all This thethe The action that tension movements and for as has thethe from gesture results marked come constant longfour before; run than not sections, governed so aly concern tention with more eachmake each for by of emotionally a a subsequent technique. them positiveLerdahl's feeling loyal as impression to hearing. quartets well the as are immediately intellectual- lofty compositions, Dynamic tension is on the rise throughout The orchestral contribution is equally The sound is first-rate, and these are, in Martino's is the longer of the two Juilliard String Quartet. Fred Lerdahl, Donald Martino, Rachel Siegel, and and is not relieved until midway andante 53:06. Christopher Rothko variations of the third allegro molto ansioso and pres- fina- steam until the pressure reaches maxi- matic content of Hofmannsthal's rich mum level, at which point it dissipates in libretto. Zerbinetta, of course, gets the an echo of the third movement's pivotal FORMAT KEY flashiest music in the score, especially that lyric episode. o LP al Videocassette gargantuan, sopranicidal aria Strauss tai- Lerdahl's quartet lasts 23 minutes and C) Cassette V, Videodisc lored to the phenomenal measure of Maria consists of a single series of variations of 'I Compact Disc Ivogan. Kathleen Battle, that captivating ever-increasing length and complexity. artist, has virtually no trouble with it, ex- The open fifth chord heard at the work's RECORDING INFORMATION cept for one point. She does not have a beginning returns often as a kind of conso- (A) Analog original (D) Digital original bona fide trill—and the indication "tr" nant beacon in a sea of pointillistic disso- punctuates that aria seventeen times, most nance; in some of the more substantial Large symbol at left margin indicates reviewed sadistically of all when Strauss expects his format. Small symbols following catalog num- variations the "static" quality of the har- ber of reviewed format indicate other avail- victim to sustain a high D for two and a mony is offset by crescendos and decre- able formats (if any). Catalog numbers of for- half bars, then change it to a trill for two scendos in obstinate repeated figurations. mats other than the reviewed format are more. Instead of trilling, Battle substitutes Although the language of Lerdahl's quar- printed only if their basic numbers differ sub- a sort of rapid battuto on the single note in- stantially from that of the reviewed format. tet is very different from that of Martino's, Arabic numeral in parentheses indicates dicated—a curious, incongruous flaw in the works have similar shapes. The most number of items in multi-item set. such a polished technique. She also comes notable relaxations of tension come pro- a bit of a cropper on those inhumane trip- portionately at just about the same place, lets three bars before 123, even though Le- and Lerdahl's piece, too—after a long pro- bang-on, making that entire section sheer vine does not exceed Strauss's indicated gression from expressions of "simplicity delight. In fact, Levine brings off one of tempo. (I feel like a cur even mentioning and repose to their opposites"—eventual- the most enjoyable realizations of this rich these minor blemishes in such an enchant- ly settles down, albeit not so calmly, in an score ever to come my way. ing account, by an artist I admire so Much; epilogue that is light-textured and quiet. Although the work's three opulent fe- I wouldn't at all, if Edita Gruberova Both works were commissioned by the male leads have given Ariadne a reputa- hadn't tossed off this aria with such devas- Juilliard Quartet, and both were recorded tion as a soprano's opera, the big surprise tating aplomb on Orfeo C 101 841 A.) in performance at the Coolidge Auditori- comes from the young American helden- As if those succulent roles for Ariadne, um in the Library of Congress.The playing tenor Gary Lakes, who sings Bacchus The Composer, and Zerbinetta didn't pro- is as masterly as you'd expect it to be, the (and, in the prologue, The Tenor, whom vide enough opportunity for ravishing fe- recorded sound is excellent, and the audi- Hofmannsthal has exchange waspish, all- male singing, Strauss also tossed in the ence noise is minimal. Playing time: too-typical barbs with die Primadonna, three nymphs Dryad, Naiad, and Echo. In 53:13. James Wierzbicki who of course subsequently turns up as live performance, their opening trio about Ariadne). Lakes reminded me of the the waves and the leaves can drive you cra- STRAUSS, R.: Ariadne auf Naxos. young Jon Vickers even before I read in zy with its sixteenth-notes in close harmo- I omowa-Sintow, Baltsa. Battle, Lakes, the libretto booklet that my London col- ny; all three nymphs have to have bull's- 3 Prey; Vienna Philharmonic, Levine. leagues had already remarked that in eye pitch or else it gets excruciating. I have Gunther Breest and Steven Paul, prods. 1985, not long after his European debut in never heard a performance to match this Deutsche Grammophon 419225-2 (D, 2). o Paris as Siegmund. In 1981 he won the one, and their later trio (on "Tone, tone, (2). c)(2). Lauritz Melchior Competition for helden- siisse Stimme") provides another delecta- This recording won the Grammy for the tenors (after twelve years of no first prize), ble passage. Hermann Prey brings his fa- best operatic recording of the year. In my and he shows encouraging signs of becom- miliar artistry to the part of the young own opinion it has abundant merit, and ing a Siegfried and Tristan in the great tra- composer's case-hardened teacher. deserves appropriate praise, but best of the dition. His performance alone would The orchestra plays as we expect the entire year . . .? I automatically suspect make this recording worth owning. Vienna Philharmonic to, and the record- such superlatives. Not that I mean to slight the ladies, or ing crew has brought this entire undertak- Many people, not entirely without jus- the other gentlemen. Anna Tomowa-Sin- ing very much to life. Maybe it did deserve tification, find the term "German humor" tow and Agnes Baltsa sing their roles su- that Grammy, after all. Playing time: an oxymoron. Both Hugo von Hofmanns- perbly, and even project much of the dra- 2:04:54. Paul Moor. thal and Richard Strauss unquestionably did have senses of humor, and they inject- ed plenty of it into this lovely opera, but much of it lies in nuance—in, for example, the choice of a single unexpected word, or a startling musical juxtaposition. That ThE SpEAkER EXChANgE makes the particular personalities of the performers all the more important. In any performance of Ariadne, anxiety always grips me as rehearsal number 79 ap- We Repair Speakers proaches, where Brighella leads his three fellow clowns into that jolly section begin- We Repair E.V. • We Repair JBL • We Repair Infinity • We Repair ning "Es gilt, ob Tanzen, ob Singen tauge." AR • We Repair Advent • We Repair KLH • We Repair C V Strauss wanted it both behiibig (portly, We Repair OH M • We Repair ALTEC • And Many More! stolid) and comodo (comfortable, easy), which poses a seemingly contradictory problem; far too many conductors, Ger- manic ones in particular, make it not only a 1-800-782-1288 portly but chwnright lumbering. James 804 W. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33612 - Levine, to my taste, hits the proper tempo

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68 ALL PHOTO GRAPHS BY LESLIE BERMAN emcee constabularystage.chants, The moves house into and lights formation,swing assortedCLARKSDALE, at go MISS., kids, the down APRIL 21: as Municipal all the seated Auditorium. at City Raseoe: gentle art in the quiet of the festival'srunning Lagniappewiththe a downpodium, dark necktrots tent its Mississippi of Billyblond-red fretboard past aporkpie cream-coloredblack Gibbons's amplifierswhen River beardspress hats are threethough squiggle hand introduced. and naming make short electric clutching and only shades, anybanquet them men drum effort the inborers, before kit Two tourists undertaker's guitar their tables sport to tofathers the surge white long, a familiar facing noon ofhigh forward sporting society the and wispy, the national the crepe-festooned "Big matrons ten-buck Frog and in mer- catfish a Little fry is in full Pond" buttons circulate among black la- and Beale Street bars to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Feslival does: ZZ! ZZ! ZZ Top!! The trio in an archive and a classroom, from W. C. Handy Park and Arkansas on a plantation and a riverboat, and across the in Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, Late after- Loo'King for the real thing BY LESLE BERMAN Hammond: 0 contortions at the Heritage Festival's opening-night event Onstage,The the upscalearound, localgie(headquartered Public part and band the of Library), littlebody. of the black crowd above handshakes men musician wave finishes Clarksdale's and all its Carne- byshack, the Stovallterpret which plantation doubled theplause sceneryGirl's as from a wheretearing juke as BeenEarnest the he we Doin')," joint, drovehush flash remaining into "Guitar" puppiesmarch its by then earning Muddy diners. Roy, offstage single and Jr., Cokes, vigorousraisingwords on without is then the about ap- in effort Rooster drifts playing. a kicking frenzy, for Blues out. the Is off that Delta a SI it? Blues million Museum fund- Waters'sLittleMemphis roofless, Rock photographer artistlabel, tumble-down Pat Randall "I Rainer cypress Wanna Lyon, Know and (What who in- My Little Before the light goes, I drive north with The Muddy- Wood Guitar! 1 8 9 19 T S U G U A A few

1611 tractor. Ugly prefabs that house black ing theatrically as he sings of himself in the B.B. King said ... is that the blues means plantation hands dot the roadside for what third person. At home in New York this when a man has lost his woman. Which seems like miles before we turn into the spring, I listened to the sweet, yearning was all he had." So I went down to the drive of the old Stovall main house where strains of guitarist Bobby Radcliffe, a Delta, to see if I would hear blues so pri- Lyon lived one summer. A chained watch- white musician who's emerging as our best mal it would prove him right. dog yelps, and a white peacock flies up to local bluesman. Then a rare appearance by perch on the crumbling splendor of the traditional bluesmen from Mississippi OXFORD, MISS., APRIL 20: This is the town single-story antebellum mansion. The made me itch for the unadorned Delta of Faulkner, home of "bow-heads" (debu- caretaker shows us ceiling-high library sound. In Robert Palmer's excellent histo- tantes) as well as Ole Miss (the University shelves and period fireplace appoint- ry, Deep Blues, I'd read a strong sociopo- of Mississippi) and its Center for the Study ments, then regrets he can't attend the eve- litical definition of the form, quoted by Joe of Southern Culture. William Ferris, the ning's blues show: Tickets are too costly. Dockery, on whose plantation the music is Center's director, secured his reputation Driving back to town, we pass the new said to have been born: "The best thing by gathering Kenneth Goldstein's folklore mansion where the Stovall heir enter- tained ZZ Top with shade and cool drinks throughout the sleepy, dusty, Delta day. When we get to the Cotton Exchange, the tiny club is knee to knee with young, white customers gripping longneck beers and plastic whiskey cups, listening to the Muddy Waters Blues Band. "Pinetop" Perkins holds forth on the keyboard, singing Muddy's songs over Mojo Buford's wailing harp and Louis Myers's brooding guitar. At one table down front, guitarist Jack Johnson and harmonica player/ pianist Frank Frost nod intently. Their carefully dressed-up companions, including most of the black faces in this room, re- strict their displays of enthusiasm to brisk, brief applause and private, uninterpret- able glances. The white kids shout, stamp, and whistle, eyes bright over their Lacoste shirts. I wander down the street to meet Rooster Blues' Jim O'Neal and peek at the hard-to-find records in his Stackhouse Miss. Arts and Gifts storefront. Why this audience, I ask him? "Most of the girls have made formal debuts at parties featuring black blues bands. Their boyfriends have hired those bands for their frat parties. Even Muddy Waters played them in the '60s. It's traditional." Outside the club, Warner Bros. publicity staffers trade war stories and play music-business trivial pursuit with rock journalists over go-cups of bourbon and water. Finally, we ride north on Highway 61 toward Memphis. I'm feeling very blue.

There's a buzz going on in blues circles, sparked by new acts, new audiences, and a soupcon of commercial outlay. In bars, rock gigs that used to end with formulaic blues jams have given way to whole eve- nings of talented up-and-comers versed in a variety of blues stylists. But who's really got the blues? Not matinee idol Robert Cray, with his strict techno-picking curi- ously devoid of the rasping slides and mis- steps of blues pain; not self-congratulatory Stevie Ray Vaughan, wincing and hunch- Hemphill: Her blues is too raw for the Memphis tourist traps

70 HI G H FI D E L I T Y books, B.B. King's personal record collec- until it completely eradicates my distress vocalist Sam Myers, holds court. It's date tion, and several dozen cases of materials from the night before last. Most of the night, so the audience is primarily com- from Living Blues magazine to form the group members are white, playing to an posed of young, white couples. Later, I Blues Archive. The Center's music-relat- appreciative, mixed crowd; under Col- stroll by Handy Park, where a gray-haired ed projects—a comprehensive blues bibli- lins's influence, they all pump and flutter guitarist sings the blues into a tinny mike, ography; the Living Blues and Gospel mag- wildly. The exuberant female guitarist is a bracketed by competing harmonica play- azines and the revamped Jimmie Rodgers real bonus. Over in the Lagniappe tent, ers and a drunk, dancing in an imitation of Memorial Newsletter; innovative courses seventy-year-old Moses Rascoe, a recent a ballet twirl. The guitarist's share of date- such as Robert Palmer's "The Roots of acoustic blues find, plays for a smaller au- night couples is black. Rock"—have raised its profile and gener- dience. His large hands make deliberate ME MPHIS, TENN., MAY 1: Hemphill ated several million dollars. But it has at- patterns on the fretboard—sounds worked and Evans meet me at the A & M Lounge, tracted few scholars. Last year, rumor out during years of playing what he'd a busy juke joint, to hear the Hollywood says, it was shy the requisite number of learned from records and instruction All-Stars, one of High Water's acts. We students for the Southern Culture major, books. In the quiet, under the tent, Ras- pay at a speakeasy window, sit at card ta- so it drafted one of its work-study staff to coe's deference is charming. Later that bles, and drink quarts of Budweiser from flesh out the roster. Ferris is charismatic night, he plays Storyville, a barnlike blue-tinted glasses while the band rumbles conjuring funds and publicity. But the French Quarter tourist bar better suited to gently through its set. The cheesy Farfisa Center has yet to initiate or complete one the brassy electric bands that open for and sound comes from an actual Farfisa. I'm sizable venture with Ferris at the helm. follow him. Rascoe's gentle art isn't en- entranced. Couples dance, the room is OXFORD, MISS., APRIL 21: Robert Palm- tirely lost on the sparse crowd, but they ex- hung with smoke, a card game progresses. er's classroom at Ole Miss is half-full of pected loud, electric blues. In this artifi- PINE BLUFF, ARK., MAY 2: Driving glazed sophomores. From a podium, he cially silenced room, he is agitated. down from Memphis, we pass through details the continuum of blues into rock, ON THE ROAD TO EUNICE, LA., APRIL several blues-associated crossroads and punctuating a stream of records with pun- 26: Tagging along with Festival Tours' mile after mile of red farmland. At sun- gent observations and anecdotes drawn behind-the-scenes look/listen into Cajun down, we reach the Pine Bluff Nursing from 25 years of playing, teaching, and music, I find myself hearing the best blues Home and guitarist Ellis "CeDell" Davis. writing about music. More than 100 kids of the trip—on tapes made by BBC disc Until Robert Palmer helped bring him to signed up for "The Roots of Rock," be- jockey Andy Kershaw, another tour mem- New York, where he was recorded by the cause it sounded like an easy ace. "They ber, from his favorite recordings. For World Music Institute, Davis was known were pretty freaked out when Robert three days, we catch snatches of blues in mostly on a party circuit several hundred started with African instrumental music," the Cajun, Cajun-country, zydeco, and miles around the Mississippi. Though dis- Palmer's assistant assured me. "And he swamp-pop soundtrack to our ramble. abled, partly by a juke joint raid in which got up to Little Richard only last week." ME MPHIS, TENN., APRIL 30: In the city he was trampled by escaping patrons, Da- NE W ORLEANS, LA., APRIL 22: Tickets famous for co-opting black music, blues vis is a vigorous player, stroking chords priced at $25 are the tip-off to the event scholar Dr. David Evans is holding forth and flattened notes with a table knife. We status of a concert/ride on the Riverboat pessimistically on the state of traditional talk about bluesmen he has known and President. It's the first night of the New blues. "There are many places that present worked with. "Come to think of it," he Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, fea- blues here in town," he says, referring to muses, "they're all dead. Except me." turing white acoustic blues guitarist John the reoccupied tourist traps of Beale OXFORD, MISS., MAY 3: The Blues Ar- Hammond, blues legend B.B. King, and Street. "But they don't hire local musi- chive's part-time researcher is an intense Texas blues-rocker Stevie Ray Vaughan. cians, and they've virtually eliminated the Swiss harmonica player, Walter Liniger. Hammond strains and tenses in a sharp street players who used to congregate in Overworked but devoted, Liniger finds all suit, contorting his face as he draws and W. C. Handy Park—by drowning them of life analyzed and commented on by the blows harmonica counterpoints to clean- out with highly amplified music from the blues. We exhaust ourselves discussing sliding blues licks, closing his eyes as he clubs." Evans teaches at Memphis State class, race, Southern culture, the blues. sings. King plays a masterful, polished set: University, advises student fieldwork and He's right. It's all in there. tastes of guitar lines, careful mugs for the research, and runs a small blues label, The new editor of Living Blues maga- print photographers, delayed vocals imi- High Water. One of the best performers he zine, South African journalist and blues tating emotions carefully held in check. has championed is Jessie Mae Hemphill, enthusiast Peter Lee, is hopeful about the When Vaughan strides onstage, Showtime descended from a Senatobia, Mississippi, recapitalization of the independent blues finally turns on its cameras. The set begins blues family. Evans has released several scene. "After all, our subscription base has to swing when guitarist Albert Collins and singles for Hemphill; an album is forth- expanded by nearly 20 percent in only two vocalist/keyboardist Katie Webster join coming. Hemphill complains that she issues." I ask if he hears much blues in Ox- him. Even King reappears for the jam, his doesn't work much on Beale Street any- ford. "The gigs are in Clarksdale," he says, solos traded with Collins sounding more more. Evans says her blues is too raw and gesturing west toward the Delta Blues animated than those he paced through noncommercial for the strip. That night Museum. We laugh together about Billy earlier. Though Vaughan's act is the eve- on Beale Street, I slip from a near-empty Gibbons's grand gesture: Why build a gui- ning's least inspirational, it is his set that bar featuring a cobbled-together-by - tar out of a plank from Muddy's old draws the audience to its feet. management black combo into the lively, shack? "And did ZZ play?" Lee asks. "Of NE W ORLEANS, LA., APRIL 24: On a big loud Rum Boogie, where the white Texas course not," I say. I think (but don't say): stage at the Jazz and Heritage Festival, Al- blues band of Anson Funderburgh and the They're rich, white Texans with plenty of bert Collins's hot band builds in intensity Rockets, with black harmonica player and women. They don't have the blues. fl

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JAMES WILLIAMS: Magical Trio 1. cent released 17 years ago. That alone says inviting Blakey and Brown to join him in Kiyoshi Koyama and James Williams, something about the drummer's feeling one of the best hard-bop swings you'll ever ® prods. Emarcy 832 859-1. M O for the keyboardist. Furthermore, Wil- want to hear. In fact, you've never heard DONALD BYRD: Harlem Blues. liams picked Ray Brown as the bassist for Blakey drive harder and Brown sound bet- Orrin Keeptiews and Donald Byrd, this trio so that Brown and Blakey, both ter than they do on Magical Trio 1. "Love ® prods. Landmark LLP 1516. cio Pittsburgh natives, would at last have a Letters," one of three standards included James Williams is a wonderfully articulate chance to record together. The result, here, is an all-out performance that moves pianist who has worked with Art Blakey Magical Trio I, is a masterful project. from straight to bossa time. Thad Jones's (as a Jazz Messenger on ten recordings), The album opens with "Hammerin'," "Mean What You Say" sounds relaxed at Dizzy Gillespie, Jack Walrath, and Art one of two Williams originals; playing un- first, but before it's over, Blakey's snare Farmer. He also has led several of his own accompanied at the outset, the pianist and cymbal and Brown's walking bass dates, and on his current album, he leads a demonstrates his prowess and depth. Wil- provide the perfect foil for Williams's trio that is newsworthy because of its liams is simultaneously concerned with fluid, innovative, high-powered piano. drummer: Blakey, who previously had tradition and with what he calls "moving And the trio composition "J's Jam Song" u2 participated in only three trio recordings, the music forward," and here he gives us a has Brown seducing, then haunting before each with Thelonious Monk, the most re- taste of ragtime, gospel, and blues before (Continued on page 77)

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76 H I G H E ID E I I T Y (Continued from page 73) The Great Ellington Units, a CD-only Bluebird deserves high honors for ad- the piece becomes intoxicated with thun- release, brings together 22 cuts recorded in mitting that it goofed and bringing out a derous three-way improvisation. 1940 and 1941 by small groups drawn redone Blanton-Webster. What's more, Harlem Blues is a similarly important from the Ellington band and led by cornet- this year's coming Bluebird reissues are record: This is trumpeter Donald Byrd's ist Rex Stewart, clarinetist Barney Bigard, definitely something to shout about. In ad- first acoustic album in who knows how and alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges. The dition to a set called Early Ellington, look many years. No stranger himself to Hodges tracks include such jazz classics as for Compact Discs devoted to Sidney Blakey, Brown, hard bop, and apparently "Passion Flower," "Squaty Roo," and the Bechet, Bix Beiderbecke, Earl Hines, and Williams (whose lovely "Alter Ego" is original combo version of "Things Ain't Jelly Roll Morton, plus a complete set of played here), Byrd enlists veteran bassist What They Used to Be." Hodges's jump Artie Shaw's Gramercy Five recordings Rufus Reid and a coterie of younger play- choruses on "Squaty Roo," with bassist and individual discs devoted to the Metro- ers: alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett Jimmy Blanton and drummer Sonny nome and Esquire All-Star Bands. The (now with Miles Davis), much-in-demand Greer in hot pursuit, are worth ten times folks at Bluebird have earned a Nobel drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, and the price of admission all by themselves. Prize for jazz reissues. Why isn't CBS do- pianist Mulgrew Miller, who replaced The 78-rpm originals summoned for ing this good a job? Terry Teachout Williams in Blakey's band. both of these collections have been repro- The leader wrote two of the six compo- cessed by Sonic Solutions, a San Francisco FRANK MOR GAN AN D THE sitions here: "Fly, Little Byrd" features a company whose No Noise system is adver- McCOY TYNER TRIO: Major Changes. fiery solo by Miller, fanned by the inter- tised as being able to "remove virtually all Richard Bock. prod. Contemporary C play between Byrd and Smith, and "Sir imperfections and aural distractions (sur- 14039. imca Master Kool Guy" energetically pushes face noise, pops and clicks, scratches, Since alto saxophonist Frank Morgan re- the trumpeter, inciting him to flex his rumble, etc.) commonly associated with turned to the scene in 1985, he has been muscles as Smith drives the point home. vintage material, without altering the one of Contemporary Records' most pro- Garrett sounds proficient on his "Voyage basic recorded sound." [See this month's lific and consistent artists, averaging more a Deux," where he shares lines with Byrd "Bits & Pieces" for the technical details.] than an album per year in addition to a (on flugelhorn), and he plays with the fer- The results, judging by the clean-sounding plethora of guest shots. I've been as enthu- vor and skill of a Sonny Stitt on the title transfers heard on both sets, are excep- siastic about his work as anyone: He pos- track, W. C. Handy's classic, here given a tionally satisfactory. sesses a true sense of urgency, having lost slow, warm treatment. Perhaps the sur- Angry owners of The Blanton-Webster so much time because of his much-publi- prise performance comes during a mod- Band, by the way, should note that a new cized, now finished incarceration. But we ernization of "Blue Monk": Miller and CD version, painstakingly remastered by may be approaching saturation point. Smith allow their immense talents to run Ed Michel and given the No Noise treat- Like liner-note writer Francis Davis, I over and, with Byrd, re-create the feeling ment, is being slipped into record stores have trouble thinking of "Theme from the trumpeter once offered on his impec- without fanfare. The original CD set was Love Story" as a plausible vehicle, no mat- cable, luscious composition "Tanya," now an unbelievable disaster, a mishmash of ter how great the performance. Pianist a quarter-century old. Harlem Blues is a bad sound, wrong takes, and a couple of McCoy Tyner's chordal embellishments joyous recording. Jon W. Poses tracks (including, believe it or not, "Take are sincere; so are Morgan's passages. But the 'A' Train") from which the first couple the nearly 11-minute rendition, with an ar- DUKE ELLIN GT ON: of seconds were chopped off. All of these rangement reminiscent of Stan Getz, flirts Black, Brown, and Beige. errors have now been corrected, making with redundancy. On the other hand, in Ed Michel, prod. RCA/Bluebird 6641- Blanton-Webster an indispensable part of "How Deep Is the Ocean," after an inten- '. 2 (3). e (4). (7)(3). any jazz collection. The newly remastered tionally slow opening, swings hard for DUKE ELLINGTON (with Stewart/Bigard/ CD has a gold sticker on the packaging. most of its eight minutes. Similarly, "Emi- Hodges): The Great Ellington Units. ly" and "All the Things You Are" contain Orrin Keepnews, prod. RCA/Bluebird oodles of subtlety along with scores of un- uP 6751-2. FORMAT KEY common notes, raising the level of what The first of these Compact Discs, a sequel might be misperceived as cocktail music. to The Blanton-Webster Band, is a three- o LP/EP 0E1 Videocassette Indeed, Major Changes does have CD collection of Duke Ellington's mid- I=1 Cassette e Videodisc many bright moments. As a group, Mor- 1940s Victor recordings that kicks off with a Compact Disc gan, Tyner, bassist Avery Sharpe, and four excerpts from his hour-long concert drummer Louis Hayes are formidable and Large symbol at left margin indicates reviewed suite, "Black, Brown, and Beige," record- format. Small symbols following catalog num- engaging. Ultimately, the backbone of this ed in 1944. The album carries the band ber of reviewed format indicate other avail- record is Tyner's three compositions. through 1946, when it left Victor for Musi- able formats (if any). Catalog numbers of for- "Changes," the opener and tone-setter, is craft. Ellington's work from this period is mots other than the reviewed format ore a fresh-sounding, well-directed uptempo printed only if their basic numbers differ sub- less well known and more uneven than the stantially from that of the reviewed format. piece sparked by Sharpe and Hayes. legendary recordings offered on Blanton- "In Short Order": Note that these mini- "Search for Peace" begins with strong per- Webster, but the best of the 54 tracks on reviews provide only the reviewed format and cussive playing from everyone, becoming its catalog number. Black, Brown, and Beige, such as "Sud- even more forceful as the track progresses; Arabic numeral in parentheses indicates denly It Jumped" and "Rockabye River," number of items in multi-item set. this is patented, potent Tyner, with Hayes, are as good as anything he ever did. Sharpe, and Morgan up to the. task and

A U G U S T 19 8 8 77 competition/materialism, the plight of the LOWEST PRICES AVAILABLE! then some. Meanwhile, "Frank's Back" epitomizes the bluesy streak that runs Indians—it lacks cohesion. Mostly, it OVER 10,000 ITEMS IN STOCK! throughout the session. If there is a major lacks memorable songs. There's no bulle- tin comparable to "Chinese Cafe," no ob- IMMEDIATE SNIPMBr shortcoming to this record, it's that the assembled talent and maturity warrant more servation as touching as "Lucky Girl," no ensemble work. Jon W Poses love song as exuberant as "Underneath the VIDEO RECORDERS TELEPHONES Streetlight." Mitchell's singing has little CAMCORDERS COPIERS & FAX spark when applied to such lackluster ma- TELEVISION CELLULAR AUDIO PRODUCTS POP terial. Only on "A Bird That Whistles," Reil MAGNACK Clua-'nar- GRAHAM PARKER: the closing arrangement of the traditional The Mona Lisa's Sister. song "Corrina, Corrina," do her vocals be- unidert SH ARP Cation Graham Parker and Brinsley Schwarz, come delightfully jazzy; together with Wayne Shorter's saxophone, they make 0 E merson. JVC Panasonic prods. RCA 8316-2. oci "I don't mean to bother you/But I'm in this track the album's best offering. ITT bre': @ BELI: Phones distress," sings Graham Parker on his new Jane Siberry is attracting more and album's closer, Sam Cooke's "Cupid," more attention these days, but no one can GENERAL * ELECTRIC S O N Y' and this ironic plea (he does mean to accuse her of going commercial: On Side 2 of her third LP, The Walking, she goes Also Available bother you) could stand as a statement of further out than ever before. Like her ear- MICROWAVES RADAR CB SCANNERS the disc's Grand Theme. Musically, The lier albums, the new record is weird and COMPUTERS PRINTERS SECURITY SYSTEMS Mona Lisa's Sister is Parker's punchiest, most pleasure-giving recording in almost a wonderful, filled with quirky melodies, GUARANTEED LOWEST PRICES! decade; lyrically, it's among his bleakest. unusual time signatures, and lengthy nar- MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE' This makes for a potent combination: ratives that bounce from main ideas into subtexts. No doubt e.e. cummings would MONTHLY ' SPECIALS" MAILERS' Unlike some of his recent efforts, this one has lean, acoustic-guitar-driven arrange- approve of Siberry's wordplay, but don't ALL MERCHANDISE WARRANTED' ments and a well-tended beat that keeps expect to understand it: Approach these S10 MEMBERSHIP FEE—REFUNDABLE! things moving, never allowing the pro- songs as you would an impressionistic ME 9AM 7PM SAT 9AM 3PM COT ceedings to bog down into a sulk. Still, one painting, and you'll discover one of rock's suspects it's his pungent lyrics that will most distinctive voices. Kate Walter .. Ho me 3111C continue to prevent Parker from breaking L:'J Buying Club, inc. through to the wider audience he so richly TIMBUK 3: Eden Alley. deserves—something he addresses here, O Dennis Herring, prod. I.R.S. IRS 1-800-228-0997 itoixii,s 312-459-5612 though not for the first time, on "Suc- 42124. c)to P 0 BOX 624 WHEELING IL 60090 cess," bemoaning his fate over a gently Although it lacks their debut's element of swaying rhythm. surprise, Timbuk 3's second album is just There are moments of respite from this as inventive. The ability of husband-and- I MAIL TO: danceable cynicism: the aforementioned wife duo Pat and Barbara K. MacDonald HIGH FIDELITY "Cupid," the open-hearted love song "I'm to mix deep folk ("hillbilly" wouldn't be SUBSCRIBER SERVICE Just Your Man." But stark as most of the too off the mark) and funky dance ele- P 0 Box 10051 Des Moines. IA 50340-0051 songs are, wallowing in gloom is hardly ments is still compelling, as are those Change of Address: Please advise as early as the point. Parker states his intention—to homely Americana harmonies rising over possible. Attach label with your old address and face down reality and transcend the mire the thump and bump of post-everything write in new address below. of "everyday evil"—on the set's opener, beatbox rhythms. New Subscriber: Fill in your name and address "Don't Let It Break You Down." Even his Though the Tims continue to be criti- below. Use separate sheet for gift orders. direst visions, the hell-on-earth of "OK cal observers, they're too rueful—too Hieronymus" and "Get Started. Start a experienced—to be really nasty, drawing Fire," are carried by a beat and a bass line their portraits more with an emphasis on that defy depression. Parker's spiky detail than judgment. And what sharp PLACE LABEL HERE worldview may not result in sustained licks they do get in are mitigated by their chart action, but his fans know something deadpan delivery, making songs like that other people don't: The ugly truth is "Dance Fever" and "Welcome to the Hu- rarely so enjoyable. Richard C Walls man Race" more cutting on the lyric sheet than in performance. It's this essentially JONI MITCHELL: sympathetic quality that gives the new album's fragmented story line its charm: Renewal: Attach label. Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm. One year $13.95 Two years $26.00 ,.., Joni Mitchell and Larry Klein, prods. Born in "Eden Alley" where "children (Foreign subscribers please add $7.00 per year Geffen GHS 24172. c)c) make love in the shadows/While the el- for postage) JANE SI BERRY: The Walking. ders pray for kingdom come," put off reli- O Jane Siberry and John Switzer, prods. gion by "Rev. Jack & His Roamin' Cadil- NAME Reprise 25678-1. (Do lac Church," our hero settles, despite wariness about "Too Much Sex, Not STREET Chalk Mark in a Rain Storm is Joni Mitchell's weakest record of the Eighties. Enough Affection," for "A Sinful Life" CITY STATE ZIP Although the emphasis on digital technol- ("with you"): "Let love be our religion/ Please bill me Payment enclosed ogy is similar to the approach of the land- Until this life is through/The next best For other subscription questions or problems, mark Wild Things Run Fast and its follow- thing to heaven/Is a sinful life with you." please write a note and send entire form to the up, Dog Eat Dog, the new release still falls It's a tale that can't fail to warm the above address, OR CALL TOLL-FREE: short. And though Chalk Mark in a Rain cockles of any world-weary secular hu- Storm contains relevant themes—war, manist's heart. Richard C Walls 1-(800) 666-3977 78 HI G H FI D E L I T y I N S H O R T O R D E R

P O P A N D JA l l MI NI- R E VI E W S

MISSION OF BURMA: Mission of Burma. live with a minimum of electronic drums, cianship; this one highlights it. Give ) Rykodisc RCD 40072. so Other Roads doesn't degenerate into an Scenes a 95: It's got a great beat, and you I his now defunct Boston-based postpunk overproduced soup. Rather, the sound is can dance to it. DanielJ. Rosenbaum quartet's most lasting legacy may be that vibrant and crisp, featuring funky guitar they've broken the CD time barrier: Their chops, Dann Huff 's ferocious leads, and DARYL HALL/JOHN OATES: Ooh Yeah! chronological compendium of 24 tracks an abundance of surprisingly tasteful pro- 0 Arista AL 8539. (culled from two singles, one EP, one stu- grammed keyboards. Every song is collab- Daryl Hall and John Oates make viral dio LP, and one live LP, plus two previ- orative or borrowed, and though some of music: Ooh Yeah! attacks the brain and ously unreleased cuts) clocks in at a record the lyrics are pretty thin, Scaggs's smol- breeds there, causing you to hum inces- 80:05. That's a lot of time to spend with dering voice delivers the ballads, rockers, santly. The disease manifests itself in cere- the group's single-minded fervor. Though and jazz cuts superbly. Richard Price bral inflammation of two decades worth of they were worthy explorers within their the r&b cliché that Hall and Oates use so narrow range—their songs are smart, BRUCE HORNSBY AND THE RANGE: well. They multitrack all varieties of famil- edgy complaints with tense, unshapely Scenes from the Southside. iar phrases into the same space, fusing a melodies—after a while you wish they'd 4 RCA 6686-2. System-atic synth line with Chic rhythms extend their melodic reach and break out Scenes from the Southside will sever what- and Billy Oceanic lead guitar in "Rock- of their petulant rut. In small doses, ever ties Bruce Hornsby and the Range ability." Strains of this stuff are likely to be though, it's bracing. Richard C Walls had to New Age. The wimpiest thing here carried via radio for the rest of the year, is Hornsby's version of his own "Jacob's with the hooky "Missed Opportunity," BOZ SCAGGS: Other Roads. Ladder"—covered with great success by the quietly storming "Rocket to God," tm Columbia FCT 40463. Huey Lewis—and though it doesn't match and the harmony-rife "Talking All Night" Boz Scaggs's first release in eight years is a his mentor's version, it's not wimpish at bound to follow the current hit, "Every- collection of ten steamy, sophisticated pop all. Most of the new album's nine songs thing Your Heart Desires," putting music songs with huge potential for airplay. The take the time to stretch out a bit and show- fans into the critical ward. If you contract album took 2Y, years to make, but most of case the band's considerable chops. The this recording, give in, because there's no the rhythm arrangements were recorded group's first album pretty much hid musi- antibiotic. Hank Bordowitz A D V E R T I S I N G IN D E X

Man ath et t 'set s kslll send you additional product literature free of charge. Write them care of Dept. 8/88, unless otherwise noted, at the address below. If no address appears, literature is available only through dealers. Bold-face numbers by company names are page numbers for ads in this issue.

Audio Quest (14) 'Rotative Photo (76) Home Owyhee Club (76) Jilt Music World (66,67) TIIIC (Cover II, 1.) P.O. Box 3060 120 W. 31 Street PO Box 624 23 Park k 12 Harbor Park Drive San Clemente, CA 92672 New York, NY 10001-3805 Wheeling. IL 60090 New York, NY 10038-2302 Port Washington, NY 11050 714 498-2770 212 947-5290 1-800-228-0997 212 732-8600 516 625-0100 ATTN: Dept. HF 8 88 ATTN. Dept HE 8 88 in IL 312-459-5612 ATTN. Dept HE 8 88 ATTN. Dept. HF 8 88 ATTN. Dept HE 8 88

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(26,27) (Cover Ill) 154 California Street 2265 E. 220th Street Newton, MA 02158 Long Beach. CA 90810 Wisconsin Discount Stereo 1-800- 252 4434 Feces liectreeks (7) HIT (611) 213 835-6177 (72) ATTN: Dept HF 8 88 4523 13th Avenue P.O. Box 29 ATTN: Dept. HE 8 88 . W. Badger Road Brooklyn, NY 11219 Rocky Hill, NJ 08553 Madison, WI 53713 Carver Corporatioa (3,9) 1-800 223-3411 609 683-7744 Polk Audio (53,59,60) 1-800-356-95 14 or ATTN Dept HF 8 88 P.O. Box 1237 ATTN. HE 8 88 5601 Metro L 608 271-6889 Lynnwood, WA 98046 Baltimore, MD 2 1215 ATTN. Dept. HE 8 88

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Electronic Wholesalers Illiweis Audio (52) Th. Speaker Ixdommas (5 5) Hills aoudads hm. (63) 12 E. Delaware Place (65) Tamebe (4,40) au Homburg ur6prkb P.O. Box 1015 Chicogo, IL 60611 804 West Fletcher Avenue 660 Orongethorpe Ave Woyne, N.J. 07470 Hillsboro, NH 03244 1-800-621-8042 Tampa. FL 33612 Buena Park, CA 90620 201 696-6531 1-800 247-2018 In IL 312 664-0020 1-800, 782-1288 714 552-9105

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J U L Y 19 8 8 79 polk The Speaker Specialists 6

Where to buy Polk Speakers

AUTIIORIZEO DEALER LIST CANADA - MS Columbus ' , . 6 • Hat tisburg ..• • Jackson 6 AK Fairbanks Pascagoula AL Birmingham • Dothan MT Bozeman • Great FaHs • • Hunts.'lie InIssouta • Mobile • Montgomery • Tuscatoosa NC Asheville 6' Boone . Chapel Hill d AR Little Rod, • Searcy • D eane • • • Greene- bees • K inston A/ F iagsisft :Mesa • w. • Moorehene City ' • • • Tuscan Nava lien, • Raleigh 1. t.a CA Bakerst,eld . • Carnp1•11 Rock, Mount Canoga Part ••• • . • Chico • • Cartons Del Mar Wilson Y • Winston Salem

NO Bismarck , • Landon Fresno • • • Lancaster . nu ••• • - Mountain View NE Iteamey 'w • Lincoln GOP, • Napa • • Orange • York P 6 • Penner°. • Redondo • • • Sacramento NH Concord ' . • - Exeter The ED V-9500 is Sony's first ED Beta offering in the U.S.

San .Fracin .sLon &DSieugbourbs • • • • New London - • • • • San Gabnel Sa1em Son Jose • San Luis Obispo NJ East Brunswick ' • • Frank (Continued from page 14) without significantly compromising the ' • Santa Barbara - • 'in takes . • .• • Mapie • Santa Cruz • Santa Shade Y-• • • MonIclur • enables voice-overs to be made on the stereo image. Now Bose offers the SE-5 Mane • - • Santa Monica • • Raritan ' • Ridgewood • . • Sherman Oaks • . • Shrevnbury ••• • , • Stockton • • Thousand , • Toms Riser • - • • Wall AFM track at the touch of a button. ($699), a similar three-piece system with Oaks - • USW, Y • • •• • • West Caldwell Ventura • Viclonelle The PCM recording aspect could be all two satellite speakers designed to produce • walnut Creek . Nla Alarnogorao •. Alba • Clovis •••• but lost among the multitude of video at- a precise stereo soundstage over a wide CO Boulder • • Colorado roel"tio;;; fa • Springs • Denver& Sub Silas Vegas Reno r tractions, which include a five-speed shut- area of the listening room (Stereo Every- urbs CT Avon • Denbury NH Albany • • ..• • Batavia -- where is the Bose designation). As with . • Sairfield . Green • • • BLOW° • . • Consing ter (top speed: '/® second), interval (time- • .• Elmira • Fredonia k m Haven • Newington - • Glens Falis ' lapse) recording, a built-in character the AM-5, the bass module can be hidden • New London - • Ithaca • Jamestown •••• • Norwell, • Waterbury Manhasset • -•-- • klas generator, an optional editing controller, a from view. sena • Newburgh • DE Wilmington • New Fort City ' time counter, and a minimum illumina- The new 10.2 Series II floorstanding DC FL Der°. Beach • . • • Ft Myery Rochester • Scarsdale tion rating of 4 lux. loudspeaker ($1,299 per pair) also em- Jr-er w-sty • Ft Lauderdale • Syracuse • 6' • Vestal kkoor • Ft Pierce • - Fl • Woodbury • Willie SOUP , • • - Gains OR Akron • Canton On the big-tube front, Sony now has Ogle •• 6 • JeCksonville • Cleveland 6 Suburbs C•ncinnan Columbus • two 32-inch TV monitor/receivers based •LekellInd • . , • Merrill Island • Dayton . • Findlay - Lima • Toted. on the company's XBR picture technol- - Naples Orlando Pensacola OK L anion • Oklahoma City ogy. The KV-32SXRIO ($2,700) features Sunrise Pelemburg • Stillwater • Tulsa ' ' •. • MTS stereo tuning, S-Video inputs (for • W an eeeee • Tampa OR Beaverton .- • Bend Ads. • • W Pa. Beach Grants Pass • • MeetoZd ED Beta or S-VHS decks), and an optional GAAthens • Atlanta A Suburbs H, . • Augusta • Macon PA Allentown . '.••• - • BlakeEl stand with a built-in "superwoofer" to en- He ,' • - Bryn Mew , 6... • Valiosta tn- -Camp Mill 6.. • hance bass reproduction. The set's cabinet HI Honolulu IA Davenport ..• One Moines true comes in a marble-black or simulated- • Kingston - • Lancaster Iowa City ••••.• Mason CitY 6 Waterloo • MontgoinerPtlle • Y •• • stone color. Sony Corp., Sony Dr., Park ID Boise • • Sandpoint Natrona Heights - • Mille delphia & Suburbs . '•••• • Ridge, N.J. 07656. IL Allen • Aurora Pittabunzli • Ouakerlown Bloomingdale ' . • Reading • • Carbondale Selinsgrove - • Stale Col Champaign • Decatur • lege • •. • Willian wort DeKaib • Holtman Estates Highland Part PUERTO RICO Rio Piedras Stick Joy • Joliet . • Kan RI N Pnr•Idence • Lansing SC Anderson • • Naperville • Charleston ' 6 • Greenville Video games are normally not part of our Normal • • Peon. • RocHord • Shaumberg beat, but if you need a joystick for Nin- • Sannglield • • • g',a'en:. • Rapid City • oious Falls • , tendo, Sega, Atari, or Commodore game 19"" "' . :nson Hills--Vila TN Chattanooga . Cookeville • Waukegan systems, check this out. Camerica Corpo- IN Blunt. • • Frans • Johnson City ..• • . stile Fl Wayne Knorolle . 6 • McMIAMAlle• ration has introduced the Freedom Stick

- Marion - Michigan • . 6. • Mernah•s •.- u 66-.• FOP City ' • Muncie • • Nashville ($70), the world's first infrared (wireless) . • • South Bend • Tern TX Abilene • Arlington Haute • - • Austin • • College joystick controller. The company says the KS Junction City • Over Station . • Corpus Chrtsb land Part ' • • Wichita • • Dalias new stick has a range of 20 feet (no more • • Ft Went • In,. KY Bowling Green t • Les Houston • • Hurst .- -1 lea melon ' • LeuilvIlle ' • Lando • • Loe we, eyestrain) and works as much as 90 de- • 6 • • , • Owensboro Paducah • • Pikeville •••,. .• • San Angela - • San grees off-axis of its receiver. Switches for LA Alesandna Antonio . • San Marcos Lafayette • Metairie A one or two players and manual or auto- Bose 10.2 Series 11 loudspeaker New Orleans • Options,. • Temple • % mimic • • Waco matic firing are provided. Camerica Corp., MA Boston 6 - • UT Logan store only Fitchburg • , Y • N Dartmouth Salt Lake City - 230 Fifth Ave., Suite 1100, New York, N.Y. ploys the Acoustimass bass principle, for VZorcester Al Bristol Y Char ME W pm Camden lottesville • • • • Fells Church Y.• • Frank. . 10001. the first time in a pair of conventional en- MD Annapolis - • • Bellmore • Leesburg • R•ch .- • • Frederick . • • mend .• - • Roanoke • closures. It, too, is a Stereo Everywhere Rockville MI Ann Arbor • • Binning model, with an 8-inch midrange driver ham - - • Deartern • Rullend Y • •-• Acoustimass Duo • • Fenninglon Hulls' Flint WA Belhagnam . • • Chelan and two tweeters arrayed to deliver the ef- • • • Greed Radon , . • • Iron Mountain • Kalamazoo Nichlang • • • • Spokane • - In June 1987 we reviewed the Bose AM-5 fect. The 10.2s stand 40 inches tall, occupy Royal Oak 4. WI Appleton • • Eau Claire , • • inverse City • Y three-piece speaker system, which com- just one square foot of floor space each, MN Duluth . 6 ' • Mankato 6 - • Lacrosse • - Malmo. 6 • , • Minneapolis A Suburb. bines a pair of tiny satellite speakers with a and are finished in a genuine wood veneer. • • . • NOchester • • • SI Milwaukee % • • Wausau Paul • • single "Acoustimass" bass module that Bose Corp., The Mountain, Framingham, 110 Cape Girardeau - • Col.+ WV Boobourstolle Bootle, ChaHeston, ma • Rolla Huntington • • • Piedmont •• ' • • SI Louis • • Wheeling , can be placed nearly anywhere in a room Mass. 01701. WY Cheyenne Sondan - •

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