High-Fidelity-1980-1

Home , FFWD, Mefistofele, Video Cassette Recording

S1.50 NOVEMBER 1980 HIGH FIDELIT HIGH-TECH RECORDS Are they worth them ey? Double - blindtests reveal the truth I

cg 111. AUDIO AT HOME N oon? How good? ^ .c 40' ooi'9 --- -1 o.ISTENING REPORTS Vssexy cassette deck y's "robot" turntable

F...rs top -value receiver

01 0839E IF ALL $200TURNTABLES HAVE THE SAME SPECS, HOWCOME THE PL -400 SOUNDS BETTER?

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0,0 ;a! 11.111,, " "'".11"1"' The best for both worlds The culmination of 30 years of Audio Engineer- A fresh new breakthrough in cartridge de- ing leadership-the new Stereohedron velopment designed specifically as an answer for the low impedance moving coil cartridge- XSV/5000 XLZ/7500S One of the most dramatic developments of cartridge performance was the introduction of the The advantages of the XLZ/7500S are that it offers - ,. Pickering XSV /3000. It offered the con- characteristics exceeding even the best of moving 'lila coil cartridges. Features such as an openness of sound and extremely fast risetime, less than 10µ, to provide a new crispness in sound reproduction. At the same tine, the XLZ/7500S provides these features without any of the disadvantages of ringing, undesirable spurious harmonics which are often characterizations of moving coil pickups. The above advantages provide a new sound experience while utilizing the proven advantages of the Stereohedron stylus, a samarium sumer a first 'generation of cartridges, combining 1.\\_ both high tracking ability and superb frequency response. It utilized a new concept in stylus design -Stereohedron, coupled with an exotic samarium IMME ICKERING cobalt moving magnet. SOME - XLZ/7500S Now Pickering offers a top -of -the -line Stereohedron cartridge, the XSV /5000, combining features of cobalt both the XSV/3000 assembly, and the XSV/4000. t2?ir a patented Pickering It allows a frequency iy Dustamatic brush, with replaceable stylus, along response out to with low dynamic tip mass with very high com- 50,000 Hz. The Exclusive Stereohedron Tip pliance for superb tracking. The new XSV samarium cobalt magnet accounts So, for those who prefer the sound characteristics for an extremely high output with the smallest attributed to moving coil cartridges, but insist on the effective tip mass. The Stereohedron tip design is reliability, stability and convenience of moving the result of long research in extended frequency magnet design, Pickering presents its XLZ /7500S. response for tracing of high frequency modulations. The patented Dustamatic® brush and stylus 9 PICKERING Two new sources work hand in hand with the rest of the cartridge _I of perfection! "for those who can Ihearj the difference" assembly to reproduce with superb fidelity all frequencies contained in today's recordings. For further information on the XSV/5000 and the XLZ/7500S write to Pickering Inc., Sunnyside Pickering is proud to offer the XSV/5000 as the best Blvd., Plainview, N.Y. 11803. effort yet in over 30 years of cartridge development. from Pickering

Circle 38 on Reader -Service Card NOVEMBER 1980 VOLUME 30 NUMBER 11 HIGH FIDELITY = ' Audio/Video 98 Pop Records New Bonus SectioE Paul Simon - 7 High Fidelity News The Cars VIDEO Surveying the audio marketplace Ashford & Simpson begins after page 32 14 Equipment Reports 106 Spinoffs: B&O 8000 cassette deck Audiophile discs Leonard Marcus R. D. Darrell Sony PS -X75 turntable by Crispin Cioe Editor Harris Goldsmith David Hamilton Mitsubishi DA -R20 receiver Shirley Fleming Dale Harris NAD 7020 receiver 107 Jazz Records Editor, Musical America Paul Henry Lang Pickering XSV-4000 cartridge Tom Artin Irving Lowens John Klemmer James R. Oestreich Robert C. Marsh Classical Music Editor Fred Miller 36 CrossTalk Phil Woods Andrew Porter Susan Elliott Susan Thiemann Sommer 39 Editor, Backbeat Contributing Editors Digital vs. Analog vs. Direct -Cut Discs Et Cetera Robert Long Edward Greenfield Does one sound better? Audio -Video Editor European Editor by Leonard Marcus and 55Letters Peter Dobbin Robert S. Clark R. Derrick Henry Associate Editorial Director 81Reader -Service Cards Audio -Video Editor 47 Digital Audio: Kathleen Davis Sarina Bromberg Production Supervisor A Revolution Reconsidered 114 Advertising index Art Director Are analog's days really William Tynan numbered? Rebecca Abbott Director of Special Projects Associate Editor Susan M. Allyn Lynda Carlotta Circulation Director Music/Musicians Brenda Everett Subscription Sales Isabel Parker Assistant Editors Dominic Mustello 52 The Trouble with Orchestras, Circulation Director Part II Diane Albano Newsstand Sales Editorial Assistant by Leonard Bernstein William P. Johnson Edward J. Foster Circulation Service Manager 57 Is This Any Way to Consulting Audio Editor Conduct Puccini? Suzanne Hochman Leonard Levine Direct Mail Manager Levine and Karajan take Publisher firm command by Kenneth Furie HIGH FIDELITY is published monthly at The Publishing House, Great Barrington. Mass. 01230 by ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., a subsidiary of 61 Classical Records American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. Copy- Rifkin's genteel Joplin right ' 1980 by ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc. The design and contents are fully protected by copy- Idiomatic Grieg and Janacek right and must not be reproduced in any manner. Nonesuch goes (half) digital Second-class postage paid at New York. New York, and at additional mailing offices. Authorized 62 Critics' Choice as second-class mail by the Post Office Depart- ment, Ottawa. and for payment of postage in cash. Yearly subscription in U.S.A. and Possessions 88 The Tape Deck S13.95; elsewhere S 18.95. Single copies $1.50. Subscribers: Send subscriptions, inquiries, and ad- by R. D. Darrell dress changes to High Fidelity,I Sound Ave., Mar- ion, Ohio 43302. Change of Address: Give old and new addresses, including ZIP Code. Enclose address label from last issue and allow five weeks Backbeat for change to become effective Postmaster: Send Form 3579 to High Fidelity, I Sound Ave.. Marlon, Ohio 43302. Postal Identi- 91 The Muscle Shoals fication Number 243820. Rhythm Section Still breaking records 4) by Crispin Cioe Saar. Ma Circulation 98 Van Morrison's Triumphant Rebirth Ey Sam Sutherland 4 HIGH FIDELITY Our secret ART CREDITS Page

to tracking these 14 Photo by Bob Brody. 39 Photo by Peter Dobbin. 40 Photo by Peter Dobbin. fantastic grooves 46 Photo by John Macek 47 Photo courtesy North American Philips Corporation. makes every 48-49 Diagram by Michael Coleman. 57 Drawing by Warren Linn. 102 Photo of John Prine by Jim Shea. record you own Photo of Son Seals by Michael Weinstein. 103 108 Photo of John Klemmer by Randee sound better! St. Nicholas.

SOLUTION TO HIFI-CROSTIC NO. 57

lmogen Hoist: Benjamin Britten

Britten's generosity is possibly the chief danger to his work as a composer. So many young musicians write to him, not just once, but many times, sending their compositions or asking his advice. But perhaps, after all, he can New AT155LC be trusted to organize his own Ffe. Vector -Aligned' Stereo Cartri ADVERTISING

Main Office: The Publishing House, Great Bar- rington, Mass. 01230 Telephone: 413-528-1300. Robert Maddocks, Advertising Promotion Manager; Ruth Martin, Advertising Production Director; Rita Ganci, Advertising Assistant. New York: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., 825 7th Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10019. Telephone: 212- 265-8360. Seymour Resnick, Advertising Director; George Dickey, Record Advertising Manager; Ruth Elliott, Eastern Advertising Manager; Janet Cermak, Administrative Assist- ant; Yetta Peltzman, Classified Advertising Department. Midwest: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., 190 N. State St., Room 632, Chicago, III. 60601. Telephone: 3 I 2- 782-1173. William P. Gordon, Midwest Advertising Man- ager; Osbert Bruno, Advertising Representative. There are perhaps a dozen DIN 45 549 or AT6607 equivalent test Los Angeles: ABC Leisure Magazines, Inc., 2020 reasons why the new AT155LCrecord at 1.6 grams. And the less - Avenue of the Stars, Suite 245, Century City, Calif. 90067. Telephone: 2 I 3-557-648 I; 213-557-6482. Andrew Span- does so well tracking even the most demanding 80 micron band at just 1.2 berger, National Advertising Manager; Janet Endrijonas, explosive new digital records. An grams. Western Advertising Manager. advanced new Line Contact stylus, Of course tracking is not the only Tokyo: Japan Advertising Communications, Inc., our exclusive Vector -Aligned'" virtue of the new AT155LC. Response New Ginza Bldg., 7-3-13 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104, Ja- pan. Telephone: 103) 571 -8748, Shigeru Kobayashi, Presi- magnetic system, and new high - is uniform from 5 to 35,000 Hz, dent. efficiency coil and core designs to separation is great, and efficiency is mention just a few. uncommonly high*. All But it's our sound, claims we back up with not the construction that specific tests any lab HIGH FIDELITY and NIGH FIDELITY/MUSICAL AMERICA are published monthly by ABC Leisure Maga- is important. And our can duplicate. zines, Inc., a subsidiary of American Broadcasting Com- capability to track even But the most panies, Inc. Robert G. Burton, President; Herbert Keppler, the tough records which important test is a visit Senior Vice President, Photographic Publishing Division; benefits you every time to your Audio-Technica Leonard Levine, Executive Vice President, High Fidelity Group; Ronald Stuart, Vice President, Finance. Member Au- you listen. Because dealer. Ask to hear dit Bureau of Circulation. Indexed in Reader's Guide to Peri- even slight mis-tracking the new AT155LC with odical Literature. Current and back copies of High Fidelity can quickly destroy any record, your favorite records and with the and High Fidelity/Musical America are available on micro- shortening both disc and stylus life new digital blockbusters. We promise film from University Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Mich. 48106. Microfiche copies of these magazines 11973 forward) are dramatically. a remarkable sonic experience. And available through Bell 8. Howell Micro Photo Division, Old Of course it's easy to claim audible proof that the new AT155LC Mansfield Road, Wooster, 0 44691 "good tracking"... everybody says it. can unlock the full potential of every Editorial correspondence should be ad- Proving it is something else. Well, we other hifi component you own. dressed to The Editor, High Fidelity, Great Barrington, 'Performance specifications available on request Mass 01230. Editorial contributions will be welcomed, and guarantee that every new AT155LC payment for articles accepted will be arranged prior to will pass an objective test which publication. Unsolicited manuscripts should be accom- easily exceeds the limits of most audio-technica panied by return postage. commercial pressings. Specifically, AUDIO-TECHNICA U.S., INC., the AT155LC will cleanly track the 1221 Commerce Dr., Stow, OH 44224 90 micron band of a standard Dept. 110H.

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Making an accurate and faithful recording en most cassette For manual control of the recording leve, there's also a decks requires a lot of practice, a lot of pane -rice and a lot of fine -adjust switch which raises or lowers levels in precise jumping up and down. After all, with conventicnal decks, 2 dB steps. While the RS-M51's two-color peak -hold FL me- you have to adjust the recording levels as the music varies. ters show you the signal acing recorded. But not with Technics RS -M51. With the RS -11/151's record/playback and sendust/fer- The first thing the RS -M51 does is select' tie proper rite erase heads, you'll no: only hear superb dynamic range, bias and EO levels for normal, CrO, or the newmetal tapes, you'll also get a wide frecuency response: 20Hz to 18 kHz automatically. That makes life easy. with metal. And with an electronically controlled DC motor So does our Autorec sensor. Just push a button and and dynamically balanced flywheel, wow and flutter is just wait seven seconds while the RS -M51 seekst-e proper re- a spec (0.045%), nct a nose. , cording level. 16 red LED's tell you the deck s ii the "search' Technics RS -M51. Don't be surprised if its intelligence

mode. When the green LED lights you're ready to go. goes right to your head.

c. Technics . The science of sound SONY

eavy Introducing another Sony only. The MDR series open-air unit that produces more than three times the energy of con- headphones. The smallest, lightest stereo headphones avail- ventional circuits. And a new high -compliance diaphragm able today. Or tomorrow. accurately reproduces the 20 to 20,000Hz bandwidth and With our lightest at 40 grams, you will barely know you're improves low -range response. That means you can listen to the wearing them. Yet the sound is MDR -3 MDR -5a dynamite. heaviest of music for hours. Lightly. Through a remarkable new audio And know that you're hearing breakthrough, our engineers have 17 every nuance of the original succeeded in reducing big -head- recording from deep bass to the phone technology down to the size highest treble. of your listening channels. Listen to our new MDR series The MDR series headphones' headphones. STEREO HEADPHONES y spaciousness delivers absolute They're light. rity through an ultra -small driver And heavy. MDR NOVEMBER 1980 7 igh Mort ews

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Scott's new look

H. H. Scott's latest is the Model 335R, an AM/FM receiver rated at 30 watts (143/4 dBW) per channel. The unit features a switchable infrasonic filter, 12- LED power output indicators, a 5 -LED signal -strength meter, switchable FM muting, and connections for two sets of speakers. The Model 335R costs $279.95. Another Boston on a new model from Scott is the 675DM, a metal -capable cassette deck with full -logic transport controls and remote -control capability. Cost of the 675DM, with budget fluorescent peak level meters, is $349.95. Circle 145 on Reader -Service Card Least expensive of Boston Acous- tics' speakers line is the A-100, a two- way acoustic suspension system with an 8 -inch woofer and a1 -inch soft -dome tweeter. Like the rest of the line, the A- 100 has an unusually tall, slim cabinet and is reported to be highly tolerant of a variety of room placements. The A- 100, in vinyl -clad particleboard enclosure, costs S130.

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Do-it-yourself power

Beauty and brains from BOO Heath's latest amplifier kit, the AA -1800, is rated at 250 watts (24 The Beogram 8000 is the third generation of Bang & Olufsen's linear- dBW) per channel into 8 ohms with less tracking turntable. The platter of the new unit is driven by a tangential system in than 0.025% THD. The manual gives which an aluminum ring underneath is set in motion by eddy currents from two sets step-by-step instructions, including sol- of fixed coils. With no poles on the ring itself, cogging is said to be eliminated. dering techniques for the first-time kit Turntable speed, displayed on a four -digit readout, can be varied ± 3%. A builder. Unlike some power amps that microprocessor allows for complete automation of all functions, including arm return depend on forced -air fan cooling, the

to finish an interrupted play cycle. The Beogram 8000, which comes with an MMC- I new Heath design employs a wire -frame 20CL moving -coil pickup, costs 5995. See our test report on the companion Beocord chassis that reportedly makes maximum 8000 cassette deck in this issue. use of convection cooling. Price of the Circle 137 on Reader -Service Card AA -1800 is $600. Circle 143 on Reader -Service Card 4 Circle 43 on Reader -Service Card (More) 8 HIGH FIDELITY High Fidelity News

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Tune in with Nikko

The Gamma 20 is Nikko's newest frequency -synthesized AM/FM tuner. This model features a digital clock display, six station presets, a built-in record - calibration tone, and adjustable muting threshold. Design highlights include a pilot - canceling integrated circuit for better high -frequency response and an IF stage with linear phase ceramic filters for improved group -delay characteristics. Price of the Gamma 20 is 5379. Circle 146 onReader -Service Card Koss goes mini

Koss's entry in the mini - speaker market is the M-80, a 12 -inch - high system with two 41/2 -inch woofers

and a 1 -inch dome tweeter. The new

I model has a maximum continuous power -handling capability of 30 watts 1143/4 dBW) and a rated nominal impedance of 6 ohms (4.5 ohms minimum). ) Cost of the M-80, enclosed in a hand - 1 d 1 1) 1 ) rubbed walnut veneer cabinet, is 5130. Circle 139onReader -ServiceCard Hitachi's turbo -charged receivers

Hitachi now terms its proprietary Class G amplifier circuitry Turbo Power and includes it in three new receivers. Class G operation stretches the Co. amplifier's dynamic headroom for a short-term doubling of output power, lessening 'VII." the chances of clipping and distortion on demanding musical peaks. Top of the line is the SR -8010, rated at 50 watts (1 7 dBW) per channel and costing $450. The SR -5010 and SR -6010 are priced respectively at 5260 and $300. Circle 138 on Reader -Service Card We had no Inhaling...

6.1 In our September feature, "Guess Who's Coming to Entertain You," we reported at length on the audio offerings Stylus hygiene from Inkel Corp., a new name in the U.S. market. Latest news, however, indicates with SC -2 Hafler pursues that Inkel-branded products will never pro market show up on dealers' shelves. Instead, the Discwasher, turning its attention California -based distributor of South Ko- to stylus cleaning, has come up with Aimed at the professional as well rean products has acquired the rights to I SC -2 a fluid said to be chemically tar- as the audiophile market, the PRO -300 the Sherwood brand and will come to geted against the abrasive glaze that power amp from the David Hafler Com- market under that name. Considering can build up on unattended styli. The pany is a 300 -watt (24N-dBW) mono the pace with which these changes solution is claimed to be nondamaging power amp. Employing power MOS have been announced, there may be still to stylus adhesives, cantilever materials, FETs as output devices in a fully comple- more in store for Sherwood qua Inkel. and the rubber polymers that hold the mentary arrangement, the amp is said to Stand by. cantilever in place. SC -2 is offered as achieve the virtues of Class A operation part of a system, along with the original without its inefficiency. The PRO -300 is SC -1 brush, for 58.50; fluid refills sell for priced at 5450. 51.25. Circle 151 onReader -ServiceCard Circle 142 on Reader -ServiceCard (Morel AKAI MINI -COMPONENTS. ,gFOR PEOPLE WITH MORE TASTE " THAN SPACE.

defeat switches and more. Signal-to-noise is 105dB and THD is a very tidy 0.005%. Next up, a DC power amp including fluorescent power meters, clipping indicator, subsonic filter and pulsed power supply. On to the quartz synthesized AM/FM tuner, with ;II five -LED signal strength in-

dicators, digital frequency I display, six preset capa- o bility, and both auto and manual tuning. And our metal -capable cassette deck rounds out the t package, with two DC motors, twin field supert GX Head, solenoid controls, fluorescent bar axm meter with 2 -step peak level indicator and an

Through the magic of LSI technology, pulsed electronic LED tape counter.Our optional infrared power supplies and a unique mini circuit board Plus timer recording, auto remote control unit design. AKAI has masterfully managed :o craft a stop, memory, and allows operation from collection of audio components that rivals many auto play/rewind/repeat. across the room.

--systems twice its size. The new UC-5 ser es. All in all, a pretty substantial package of com- For starters, you'll find gold-platec pin jacks ponents that measures a fashionably lean 107/s" and input terminals star card throughout to mini- wide. Incredible. mize distortion and maximizedurability. And for the music lover with more taste than And an optional infrared remote control unit money, AKAI offers the economically -minded that allows operation of every major fun:lion UC-2 series with integrated amp. Coupled within the system. with a pair of their AKAI's steadfast own specially -dedication to quality J 000 00 designed tw-3-way doesn't diminish with 13 0 0 speakers, both the the size of the package. N UC-5 and UC-2 91117'. u 0000000 Further proof. A I noon aptly prove you pre -amp with a phono WE. 0,..000U0 can get giant stereo cartridge selector for a °, 0 0 sound. either moving magnet 010T0 Without cramp- or aiming coil car- J 0 re ing your style. tridge, two tape mon- Write to AKAI, itors, tape dubbing, The UC-5 series.Bothpre -amp and amp, P.O. Box 6010, tone control digital tuner, metal cassetteand 2 -way bookshelf speakers. Compton, CA 90224.

AK A; F9 I YOU NEVER HEINAID IT SO GOOD 10 Our ADC Integra High Fidelity News

phono-cartridge's VPjo, 4 IP, overhang

1 adjustment .= -73. vs their nuts, Polk goes way ) bolts and down hassles. Polk Audio has added a subwoofer to its line of full -range loudspeakers. As your tonearm sweeps a The LF-14 utilizes two small polymer record, the angle the stylus drivers coupled to a 12 -inch foam -lami- makes with the record groove nate flat radiator. When used as a single constantly changes. The result? dual -channel bass module, with each Offset angle distortion. Its an channel of the stereo signal fed to its old problem. That's why ,t took own driver, many of the performance - a new kind of cartridge to solve degrading distortions common in sum- it... our ADC IntegrCi Unlike ming single -cabinet bass systems are conventional cartricges the said to be eliminated. A built-in cross- ADC Integra is a carbon =fibre over network can be bypassed for use in integrated headshell/cartridge biamped and triamped systems. The LF- with overhang dimension 11- 14 sells for 5260. adjustment. There are no more Circle 144 on Reader -Service Card ],, nuts, no more bolts and that ' means no more hcss es. To minimize offset angle aisbrtion all you do is release the adjustment locks. Adjust. Then re - 1

- lock. It's Incredibly simple. We've even included a tracking angle gauge. So it's also incred-

ibly accurate. Because we m.11.111Wpm know even an error as small as 20 can more than double cartridge distortion! Impressed? We thought so. But the most im- Style meets pressive feature of our new overhang dimension adjust- storage ment is that it is available in Shape West's cassette storage 'three different ADC Integra models. One for every kind of cases are fashioned to complement the budget. All for one kind of look of audio components. They accom- sound... devastatingIf you'd modate twenty-four separate tape hold- like to hear more call Audio ers, each of which dispenses a cassette Dynamics Corp. toll -free ;NO) with pressure on its spring -loaded 243-9544 or your ADC dealer. mechanism. Cost of the storage cases in solid oak and walnut is 549.95; with vinyl finish, $29.95. ADC Circle 141 on Reader -Service Card 7'k.oll3A ,. (Morel Circle 49 on Reader -Service Card Circle 2 on Reader -Service Card The continuingstory of TDK sound achievement. Parts Five and Six.

and wear down the spindle. Tape is assured safe passage with vir- The guide roller and spindle - tually no flutter or channel loss. pin are the turning point in a TDK In a TDK cassette, the parts cassette. It's there the tape takes are much like the instruments of on a sudden surge of tension. rr :Med plastic, it's created in one an orchestra. All equally impor- The winding angle changes sharp- p ace through an expensive tant. Music is an outcome of the ly to 75°, causing great stress. for mold technique. perfect interplay between them. . The slightest imperfection, even a Its flared edges provide perfect In the end, that's what's so distinc- microscopic speck, will cause seri- tape guidance while its six spokes tive about TDK. ous output fluctuations in sound. maintain rigidity and perfect cir- Music is the sum of its parts. TDK engineers began by cularity. The tape flows r. analyzing through the mechanism and Pr existing pastthe head gap in true ver- molding tical alignment. There's techniques. virtually no tracking varia- Fs They knew tion or loss of high frequen-

, I many manu- cies. Sixty checkpoints dur- facturers ing the manufacturing pro- --,...... 2t l I=__Isimm_gig . TDK guide roller and used a low cess guarantee it. spindle pin in cassette. cost, inferior For Part Six, the TDK split -die process. This turned out spindle pin, our engineers rollers with seams, which disturb chose stainless steel. tape travel. Spindle pins were no Machined to size and better. Merely convenient mold aligned to a perfect 90°, it's extensions with pullout tapers designed without a taper. which allowed rollers to slip up, Micro -polishing and a wear out and wrench the tape off silicone coating cut down the track. friction. The TDK spindle Part Five, the TDK guide roller, pin is far more resistant to is flared and absolutely seamless. heat and cold than plastic. Made from a low -friction precision It won't bend out of shape TDK. © 1980 TDK Electronics Corp., Garden City, N.Y. 11530 The Amazing Music Machine. 12

JBL's L112. High Fidelity News Introducing a new upper class. JBL

Introducing a new class of tweeter Combined with this newly de- performance: veloped tweeter is a 5" midrange The upper frequencies of music driver that provides transients reproduced with accuracy, incredibly close to a live perfor- power, depth and subtlety that mance. And a Symmetrical Field you've never heard from a book- Geometry 12" woofer which shelf speaker before. delivers low frequencies with extremely low distortion. To advance the state-of-the-art of tweeter behavior, JBL engineers Get to know the new upper utilized laser holography to study class. At your JBL dealer. m cone diaphragm movement. The resulting tweeter component for James B. Lansing Sound, Inc., Professional the L112 is at the leading edge 8500 Balboa Blvd., of technology Northridge, CA 91329. monitor from ADS JBL First with the pros. The L-2030 is the largest of ADS's new line of floor -standing professional monitor speakers. Its driver complement consists of two 14 -inch woofers in independent acoustic suspension chambers, four 2 -inch soft -dome midrange drivers, and a 1 -inch soft -dome tweeter with samarium -cobalt magnets. Three of the r midrange drivers can be switched in or out of the system by the user, thereby modifying spatial characteristics and power -handling capabilities. A single

01980 James B Lans.ng Same. u,[ switch disables a portion of the built-in crossover and allows for biamplification. Circle 19 on Reader -Service Card Sold in mirror -image pairs, the L-2030 costs S1,900. Circle 147 on Reader -Service Card ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. el',111111111ft It all comes together in-- - Status:Pro by Gusdorf. I:1)1 [MED Og.1 The luxury. The fantastic flexibility. Like the Model 1930 we show you here. Space-age Designed to accommo- effects date and coordinate every from Eventide kind of component and to T, achieve every kind of com- ' Designed for the working musi- ponent interface including cian, Eventide's HM -80 Harmonizer is a VCR and video disc. compact device intended to produce a Status:Pro. variety of special effects during live per-

Ifs the classic case of all formance. It can increase or decrease the right ideas in all the right '. pitch in a one -octave range, as well as places, at just the right time- provide delays of up to 270 milli- right now. seconds. A new effect, time reversal, is Write now yourself, to me, said to defy description and, according Mike Sheperis, and I'll send to Eventide, "must be heard to be be- you our color brochure and lieved." Other features are feedback dealer listing for 500. control, mixing of original signal with effects, and repeat of short musical pas- '-+- sages. The HM -80 Harmonizer is priced GLISCIORP CORPORATION at $775. 6900 Manchester, St. Louis, MO 63143 Circle 140 on Reader -Service Card Gusdorf Canada Ltd.

4830 Cote Vertu Ville, Ste. Laurent, Quebec TAPE 5 OUTPERFORMS ALL MAJOR BRANDS OR YOU GET YOURMONEY BACK

STUDIO MASTERING TAPE NOW cassette. And even with recording levels "in cnd a plucked acoustic guitar string will the red," you won't get any fuzziness in the AVAILABLE TO CONSUMERS sound exactly like a plucked acoustic guitar midrange. Check the specs. An astounding string. But don't buy TAPE 5 only for the sound; Signal -to -Noise Ratio of 64.4 dB, so quiet that It's a fact that tape decks have improved we've sold tapes by the thousands foruse as many users find no objectionable tape hiss demos because the mechanisms greatly in the past few years, while tapes even without Dolby. v.Maximum are (except forultra -expensive metal tape) Maximum Output rugged enough to withstand the stresses of have stayed about the same. But now, Level at 3% THD is 6.7 dB, (These firstspecs are duplicating at 30 inches per second. What- essential to making good tapes for your car ever you use audio cassettes for, Tape 5 can there's a no -compromise cassette as good stereo.) At 0 dB input, IM Distortion is 1%. as the deck you useitwith. A studio take it. With a sizeable reserve in headroom mastering tape that you can buy. Attainable Frequency Response is 30-18,000 and dynamic range, you'll be able to get the Sure, the "establishment" tape manu- Hz, ± 1.5 dB. And keep in mind that these most out of your tape recorder because figures were obtained using the widely- facturers make good products, but how accepted DIN testing standards. you'll be using your machine to its fullest abil- often have they let you down with a dropout ity. Even in tough spots like live concerts and during a live broadcast that you'll never be copying digital discs, the cassette to use is able to tape again? And how often has a Tape 5, the tape that can take it. - x taping been ruined by fuzzy, rasping distor- n_mob.t tion during loud music? And what about the ;LI- AFFORDABLE PRICES frustration of being unable to record at loud 1_121144* PLUS 5 -YEAR WARRANTY levels without driving the tape into distortion? What about jam-ups and tangles? And have NO MIDRANGE FUZZINESS So now there's no need to pay stiff prices for you ever really made a tape at home that EVEN WITH LEVELS 'IN THE RED' chrome and exotic formulations when TAPE 5 sounded good in your car? guarantees better performance than the Those are the questions that led us to begin other name brands. Plus a 5 -year warranty. If distributing TAPE 5 to the home taper. You your local retailer does not yet stock TAPE 5, can be sure that studios and broadcasters MUSICIANS, TAKE NOTE ask him to contact his local rep. In the mean- can't be bothered with inferior, or even aver- time, feel free to order directly from us. Phone age tape. And now home tapers too can use You'll find TAPE 5's extraordinary ability to CT use the coupon. TAPE 5 and not settle for second best. handle sudden loud peaks a real asset when recording live or when dubbing from reel-to- WHAT TAPE ADS reel to cassette. And without going into xpt. fancy language, let's just say that with TAPE DONT TELL YOU 5's accurate reproduction of harmonics, a cymbal crash will sound like a cymbal crash You probably know that the actual bias "'"'4,* settings of almost all tape decks are different because each manufacturer sets its deck READ WHAT TAPE 5 USERS SAY t differently.Therefore,bias adjustments I (except for some infinitely variable controls) "I was amazed. My Nakamichi likes Tape 5 better than any of TDK, Maxell,Scotch, or hardly ever match the bias of an ordinary Ampex's standard bias tapes. When a client requests some thing in cassetteform, I tape. Also, as your deck gets older, its internal go for Tape 5. It's the best quality for the least expenditure."-Bill Tullis, Progressive components Music Services, Atlanta, GA change with age, another TApE "In critical listening tests, I found Tape 5 to be at least as goodas TDK-SA Maxell UDXL- source of II and BASF Pro II. When I subjected the cassettes to intentional transport bias mismatch. abuse to 60 :Mt see ifI could make them jam up, your mechanisms operatedvery smoothly and This mismatch performed without a failure." causes tape to -Al Valusek, Ann Arbor, MI distort and lose "Tape 5 has a better sound than any other tape I've used (Memorex, Maxell,TDK, frequency Sony, and a few others). With Tape 5 I get al of the highs and all of thelows." - response. Jimmie Taylor, Elsberry, MO But TAPE 5's WIDE -LATITUDE, formulation minimizes the incompatibility problem by building in a gen- ti /. erous 2 dB leeway around "standard" bias.Charge by phone, 9-5 Eastern lime This is why we can guarantee that your deckDial 212/249 -T -A -P -E (249-8273) TAPE 5 WIDE -LATITUDE® and TAPE 5 will be a good team. SOUND RECORDING TAPE

master charge COMPARE TAPE 5'S ,a, ...... VISA 111 Third Avenue SPECS AND FEATURES AM a O New York, NY 10003- 1 Since TAPE 5 was originally a professional TO: TAPE 5,111 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10003 tape, it's made with features the pros insistI I on. Like pre -stretched polyester film base, ALL ORDERS TO 48 STATES SHIPPED multiple-calendered non-abrasive gammaI VIA INSURED UPS ADD 5%. MINIMUM ORDER 6 TAPES I MINIMUM CREDIT CARD ORDER 530 ferric oxide coating, precision -torqued 5 -I CANADIAN ADD 10%. I steel -screw case, and teflon-impregnated CHECK OR MONEY ORDER ENCLOSED 0 I OVERSEAS AIR MAIL ADD 25%. slip sheets to reduce internal friction. And CHARGE MY. VISA 0 Master 0 AmEx 0 I LENGTH 1-11 never any annoying dropouts or splices.I 12-49 50-99 100I.QTY. Carc# _ We've made some recent improvements: I C-46 2.35 219 2.05 189 - - Exp. Date _ __ thicker screws, heavier shell, flanged guideI I C-60 2.65 249 2.29 2.09 rollers, and heavier steel pins. The labels nowI Signature_ C-90 3.39 3.19 I have lots of writing space and the outer box 2.95 2 69 Nome now has an overlapping, dustproof lid. C-120 4.59 4.29 3.99 365 I I . Address _ I With a mirror -polished oxide surface andI UPS POSTAGE ADD 5% (Quick. Insured) City - - quality -control assembly, TAPE 5 cassettes NY state residents add sales tax Stare _ _ Zip can deliver the type of sound that you'veI I never before been able to get onto a SEND COUPON AND START SAVING NOW IN1.1I= MI MI.11 =1= imIN MI -N. INN MI MImmmm ami .1 Circle 48 on Ruder -Service Card ------14 HIGH FIDELITY

ew'Equipment Reports li

Preparation supervised by Robert Long, Peter Dobbin, and Edward J. Foster. Laboratory data (unless otherwise noted) supplied by CBS Technology Center or Diversified Science Laboratories.

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B&O Beocord 8000 cassette deck, in metal case with rosewood Technology trim. Dimensions: requires 201/2 by 11 inches table space, plus 1/2 -inch clearance at back for heat sinking; 5 inches high closed, 91/2 inches with and Chic cover open. Price: $995. Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor. Manufacturer: Bang & Olufsen a/s, Denmark; U.S. distributor: Bang & from Denmark Olufsen of America, Inc., 515 Busse Rd., Elk Grove Village, Ill. 60007. B&O has its own very individual way with component design, and the Beocord 8000, perhaps, epitomizes that way. That it is exceptionally handsome goes without saying. That it hides some of its technological light behind that handsome exterior also should be a foregone conclusion because B&O traditionally has believed that it should spare the user as much nutsy-boltsy involvement as possible. Here, thanks to elaborate microprocessor functions, the involvement remains intense, though it focuses on the playing land recording) of music and not on the tape technology as such. Thus its chic may well be a turnoff to amateur engineers. Part of the design intent became apparent only as our testing neared its conclusion, in fact. B&O has announced its "ultimate" 8000 system: an AM/FM receiver, the automated straight -line -tracking Beogram 8000 turntable, and this deck, all remotely controllable from an easy chair. Understood in that context, some of the Beocord's "quirks" can be seen as rational elements of that system. For example, there is no source-feedthrough during recording; in order to monitor the source signal, you must revert to the monitor switch on your receiver or preamp. We had never before encountered a quality deck that behaved this way and were Report Policy: Equipment reports are based on labora- somewhat taken aback. In the system, source monitoring automatically takes place tory measurements and controlled listening tests. Unless (via the receiver) during recording from any source; since the deck has a single otherwise noted, test data and measurements are ob- combination record/play head, the tape (and therefore the deck) can be heard from tained by CBS Technology Center, a division of Columbia Broadcasting System, Inc., and Diversified Science Labora- only during subsequent playback. tories. The choice of equipment to be tested rests with the Mostly, however, the system -related elements have positive application editors of HIGH FIDELITY. Samples normally are supplied on for the user who chooses the Beocord alone. Take the timer/locator microprocessor, loan from the manufacturer. Manufacturers are not permit- for example. Its clock can be used to start or stop recording or playback, in the ted to read reports in advance of publication, and no report, or portion thereof, may be reproduced for any pur- "usual" fashion (though a built-in clock is not all that usual); almost unique is the pose or in any form without written permission of the real-time tape counting and playback access. If you keep track of the readout publisher. All reports should be construed as applying to settings during recording, you need only punch up the starting time on the tape of the specific samples tested; HIGH FIDELITY, CBS Technology Center, and Diversified Science Laboratories assume no re- whatever selection you want to hear in playback. The deck will shuttle about to sponsibility for product performance or quality. determine tape winding density (essentially, tape thickness) so that it can keep track

Circle 1 on Reader -Service Card HIGHPERFORMANCE HIGHH BIAS.

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AMPEX GM II HIGH BIASTAPE. head contact is precise, we use our exclusive Ferrosheenn'' calendering process to give the tape When you're recording music that's rich in high an ultrasmooth, glossy surface. frequencies, you need a high performance tape. GM II's True -Track' cassette mechanism is Ampex GM II high bias cassettes. They retain and an audio achievement in and of itself. Every aspect, release every note and nuance. Especially those from the fore and aft guide system to the computer found in highly amplified electronic music. - torqued cassette housing screws, says high GM II's high performance begins with the performance. Then every Ampex cassette must magnetic particle. The ones we use are smaller, pass our stringent quality control standards. permit higher volumetric loading and greater uni- GM II high bias, high performance tape. Use it formity of dispersion on the tape surface. This next time you're reccrding a passage that's rich produces a more consistent energy, increased in high frequencies. You'll hear what a difference output sensitivity, and a substantial reduction in the it can make when your high bias tape delivers high third harmonic distortion level. Our unique oxide performance. formulation and new processing techniques extend For complete information and specifications the high end while they lower the on all Ampex premium tapes, noise floor (-62.8dB @ 333Hz). write us for a copy of our Full And to make certain that tape-to- AMPEX Line Brochure. 7:1-erapeathe Slats Ampex Corporation, Magnetic Tape Division, 401 Broadway, Redwood City, CA 94063 415/367-3888 Our first low negative feedback components were designed for the audiophile.

1.4101,11141.1M1011hixtlh ROOM ,1,10.4.01.14.,Amptuukip loos*

nal. -=7= tEs Es" r,, laLi.V-,u." 111111rifi r The hk715 High I Technology quartz locked digital tuner. 6.71/1.1r

it,otk 1.nMott hi. I 1604101411/AP.I.s1rn...10.0140VI At% nskr .J..1 !'1rCi4H, rt r'n n' n 19 The hk725 High n 19 1 nnrintn e Technology Fri preamplifier. 41.111.111.11.1.111.111111111111.111.11 Pagnia.Vikortlun / /IIV '41'4" ; The hk770 High Technology 65 r watt per channel I I r r power amplifier.

The hk710 High Technology phase locked analog tuner. NE gr; The new hk750 High Technology 45 watt per channel integrated amplifier.

Last January, we introduced distortion characteristics. Unfor- levels just 1/10 the detectable our 700 series High Technology tunately, most manufacturers try levels of THD. Separates. The first moderately to reduce THD to lower and By keeping negative feedback priced separates designed with lower levels by adding more and to 30 dB or less in all Harman low negative feedback. more negative feedback- Kardon electronics, we've elimi- Negative feedback? typically 60-80 dB. This excess nated the harsh, metallic, grating It's a form of electronic com- negative feedback results in a effects of TIM produced by pensation used in virtually every new form of distortion called conventional equipment with preamplifier, amplifier and Transient Intermodulation Distor- high negative feedback. You'll receiver. Used judiciously, nega- tion (TIM), which does far more hear startlingly clean, clear, tive feedback can improve fre- to degrade music than THD. In open sound. quency response and THD fact, according to a listening sur- vey, TIM in music is detectable at Now everyone can afford to be an audiophile.

1`Lx

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r rr The new hk350i V n High Technology 11 r 20 watt per channel receiver. --Ammommusummimmall111111

INVe EN n. am.*.41 IS 1MENUS___11Wore - -

... r- ri- 13: i11 1 1 1 1 1 -1 The new hk460i 01 vo't ew High Technology 30 watt per channel receiver.

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570. .6Mimt 416 eles.

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The new hk570i High Technology 45 watt per 11 channel receiver.

INNIMIer; I F;Z="Zr- .118111

e :ea e' --- 'V.?- ow -- 4." [IMO ceeee'ee The new hk680 High Technology 60 watt per channel receiver.

Now low negative watts per channel! Forallthe technological In addition to low negative advances you get with our low feedback comes in an feedback, all feature our Ultra- negative feedback components, integrated amp and wideband designs for clearer, you might expect to give up four receivers. more precise stereo imaging. And convenience features. Or pay a Not everyone could afford ourour new receivers as well as our premium price. original system of separates. Or new integrated amp are all built But you don't. needed the flexibility it offered. with an extremely high instanta- So now you can have the best So we've expanded our High neous current capability. Which sound money can buy. No matter Technology Series to include a means they can deliver more than how much you have to spend. new 45 watt per channel inte- twice their power ratings when transients demand it. harmanIkardon grated amplifier and four new 240 Crossways ParkWest ,Woodbury,NY 11797 receivers ranging from 20 to 60 '20-20,000 Hz into 8ohms*.0.09% (or less) TH D. Toll free: 1-800-528-6050, ext. 870 IF YOU'RE NOT USING THE SCOTCH® RECORD CARE SYSTEM, YOU'RE USING THE SECOND BEST. INTRODUCING SCOTCH RECORD CARE SYSTEM. IT CLEANS, ANTI-STATS AND REDUCES FRICTION -ALL IN ONE STEP.

Finally there's a way to give If your present cleaning And with your sensitive stylus your records the kind of care solution beads up on the that can mean less wear and and protection that hasn't record surface, it may not improved record life. been possible until now...a he getting the job done. Better stereo way to insure a long life of Scotch Sound Life spreads 01014.' performance. true sound. onto the disc surface evenly- (Left) Soro.foam heads are To get all the true, pure The System. safely penetrating grooves to sound you expect from your removemicro -dustand attracted to static charge left on The Scotch Record Care record after cleaning with stereo, you need records that fingerprints. Sound Life System combines new Sound Discu usher D.3.® are truly clean, and protected leaves the record with LifeTM fluid with a unique Same record (right) after' one from static and friction. Only a brilliant look, as brilliantas treatment with new Sound Life dispensingapplicator -Ai)use, the Scotch Record Care the sound is clean and true. - fluid. simply depress the supply System gives you all three in container and Sound Life As it cleans, Friction reduction's a plus. one application. Ask to see a fluid is fed automatically to it wipes out static. The same application of demonstration at your record the pad. That's all there is to Even though your record SoundLife that super -cleans or stereo store right now it. It's quick, easy and simple. surface is clean, it's generally and removes static can All of the tech data we've No guesswork about how the electrostatic charge reduce stylus drag up to 15%. used to hack up these much fluid you need or how that gets it dirty again. An statements is available free. to apply it correctly. Just place anti -staticgun is Write to Magnetic A/V the applicator on your just a temporary Products Division, 3M turntable spindle, revolve it treatment. Company, 3M Center, St. Paul, and the record is cleaned. One application MN 55101. Ask for report C-242. Super -wetting action of Sound Life re- deep -cleans grooves. duces the residual Sound charge to near zero. `INiir4,014404, And it prevents static from returning tort, rcs VV'V'I'V V no matter how often the record is played.

&sort isher 1)3° solution (left) beads up on the grooves. Sound SCOTCH Life (right) with super -wetting RECORD CARE SYSTEM. action deep -cleans grooves. THE TRUTH COMES OUT.

3M Circle 52 on Reader -Service Card NOVEMBER 1980 19

TIME SET SIGNAL -LEVEL TIMER STOP DISPLAY TIMER START PROGRAMMER/ RECORDING (ARM/DISARM ELAPSED -TIME/ CLOCK READOUT HEADPHONE LEVEL ADJUST. STANDBY EJECT ---- RECORDING DOLBY ION/OFF) Imo an- I TAPE SELECT. am um PROGRAMMING (METAL/AUTO) a KEYBOARD RECORDING 00. MEMORY 1 T - `-' -(PROGRAM, CLEAR) LEVEL ADJUST. FAST WIND PLAY 0(1: STOP REWIND RETURN Beocord 8000 cassette deck of equivalent elapsed time in its fast -wind modes. Then itmeasures the tape off from PLAYBACK RESPONSE ITDK test tape; -20 dB DIN) the beginning until it arrives at a point a few seconds ahead of that for whichyou DB - have programmed it and starts to play. Thus, if you have a prerecordedtape on 0 .86 --- which selection timings are listed, you have enough information for direct -5 random 4-1 800011; access to the beginning of any item, with a tolerance as close as that of most HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K conventional "turns counters" but without the need to go through thetape and list L ch +'/.,-4 dB, 40 Hz to2.5 kHz counter numbers for each section. -Rch +11/2, -1/2 dB, 40 Hz to 12.5 kHz The MEMORY works like a conventional memory stop except thatyou RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE 2 TAPE 1-20 dB) can punch in the indexing at any time (rather than first having to stop the tape at DB 0 the indexing spot) and that it works in fast wind as well as rewind. There also isa 5 useful REPEAT feature that, during recording, keeps track of the spotat which the last 8000121 recording began and will return to it on command should you makea mistake and HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K L ch +3h, -3 dB, 3Hz to 17 kHz want to do over the latest addition. If you are recording a series of tunes,you will -R ch +1h,-3 dB, 30 Hz to 17 kHz find that every time you press STOP (there is no PAUSE), a few seconds of silence is with Dolby noise reduction recorded before the tape actually stops. In playback, it stops immediately,so if you - L ch +4./2, -3 dB, 31 Hz to 16.5 kHz --- -Rch +2, -3 dB, 30 Hz to 16 kHz want tight editing between one passage and the next, you can play back the earlier one and stop at its end, just before the arbitrarily added silence, and begin recording RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE 4 TAPE 1-20 dB) of the second passage at that point. This may seem an elaborate subterfuge DB to 0 those used to the conventional PAUSE, but it is consistent with the kind ofrecording -5 most owners can be expected to do. That is, elegant spacing of short numbers is .VIII likely to be more welcome to more recordists than elegant tightening of long HZ 20 . 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K ones. - L ch +Yo, -3 dB, 32 Hz to 17 kHz The recording interlock, too, is unusual; the ARM/DISARM button R ch +1Y5, -3 dB, 31 Hz to 17 kHz (somewhat confusingly labeled as "recording open" by B&O) makesrecording possible when you press it once, prevents (disarms) recording when RECORD/PLAY RESPONSE, TYPE I TAPE (-20 dB) you press it DE - again. When you stop recording, the button automatically reverts to theDISARM 0 mode to prevent inadvertent erasure, though that would be difficult inany event -5 L 8000141 because of the way the RECORDING button operates. Once the recording is armed,a HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K20K single press on this button will display the input signal on the meters-very much L ch +4, -3 dB, 31 Hz to 16 kHz like putting a conventional deck into the RECORDING/PAUSE mode; a secondpress -R ch +21/2, -3 dB, 31 Hz to 16 kHz causes the transport to engage and the recording to begin. If you activate any other S/N RATIO Ire DIN 0 dB; A -weighted) transport mode in between, you must begin the progression afresh. Type 2 Type 4 Type I Even the connection options are out of the ordinary. The jacks are DIN playback without noise reduction designs, and an adapter cable for our standard pin jacks is supplied for the back 613/4c1B 601/2 dB 58 dB Dolby playback panel, where line input/output ("amplifier") connections are switchable between 69Y. dB 68 dB torsos DIN levels and impedances and those standard in North America. A secondjack, at record/play without noise reduction the bottom of the front edge, is for aux and mike inputs; next to it is 59 dB 58 dB 54 dB a MIKE/AUX/LINE Dolby record/play switch that chooses between these two and the signal from the back -panel input. 66 dB 651/2 dB 62 dB Obviously, there is no input mixing, but a level control for the headphoneoutput is provided near the front -panel input jack. On the bottom are screwdriver controls for METER READING FOR DIN 0 DB +2 dB the line -output level in the two channels, supplementing the two -position (DIN/ METER READING FOR 3% DISTORTION (at 333 Hz) line) switch; the output range shown in the data was measured withthe switch set Type 2 tape +2 dB for line operation. Type 4 tape +4 dB Type I tape +6 dB There are just two tape bias/EO options: METAL and AUTO, which delivers DIN -standard ferric bias and 120 -microsecond playback equalization toany cassette without the extra keyway built into the back edge of of "chrome" shells. If the sensor in the deck discovers the keyway, it automatically switches to DIN chrome bias and 70 microseconds. As the manual warns, some tapesmay emphasize high frequencies with these bias settings, and even the brands recommended by B&O-BASF Professional II for "chrome" Type 2 and Studio I for ferric Type I -show some tendency to peak toward the top in Diversified Science Laboratories' data. The 20 HIGH FIDELITY

DISTORTION (third harmonic; at -10 dB DIN) metal -particle tape-Scotch Metafine, also used by DSL at B&O's suggestion- Lrr proved exemplary in its flatness with the METAL position.

1.0 The metering aids materially in getting good recordings, though it is limited both in total range (-20 to +6 dB) and in differentiation (2 dB per step) in 0.5 the critical range, around the 0 -dB mark. The good news is equalization, which N".zil boosts high frequencies reciprocally to typical tape overload curves so that a "0" "47:14. 0.2 reading implies roughly the same degree of overload danger at any input frequency 8000151 and with any tape type. As far as we could determine, the boost applies in both HZ 20 50 100 200 500 I K 2K 5K 10K 20K recording and playback; unlike some tailored metering schemes, therefore, Type 2 tape 51.72%, 50 Hz to 5 kHz recording -level readings are reproduceable in playback, for minimum confusion in -Type 4 tape 0.6796, 50 Hz to 5 kHz --Type I tape 0.3096, 50 Hz to 5 kHz assessing results. If a single feature of the deck can be taken to characterize the whole, in ERASURE 1333 Hz; re DIN 0 dB) the case of the Beocord it is the omission of a feature-the on/off switch. The Type 2 tape 77 dB Type 4 tape 72 dB power comes on automatically when you touch any of the controls; in essence, its logic anticipates your need. Similarly, if you press STANDBY, the deck decides what can CHANNEL SEPARATION (at 333 Hz) 51 dB be shut down, and one small red light remains on the control panel to reassure you that memory and timer functions are still in operation. This is where the technology SPEED ACCURACY 0.5% fast at 105, 120, and 127 VAC is concentrated: in saving you the nuisance of determining what is needed and activating it. This also can prevent mistakes, but at a price in user freedom and WOW 8 FLUTTER (ANSI/IEEE weighted peak) performance (as exemplified by the limited tape -matching options and the omission average maximum playback ± 0.07% ± 0.09% of a multiplex -filter defeat switch, for examples). So while performance is less than record/play ± 0.0 7% ± 0.09% ultimate in audiophile terms, the design does make quasi -audiophile performance uniquely accessible to nonaudiophiles who want the sound and the style but not SENSITIVITY (re DIN 0 dB; 333 Hz) line input 22 mV the hassles. mike input 0.058 mV Circle 135 on Reader -Service Card

MIKE INPUT OVERLOAD (clipping) 10.6 mV

MAX OUTPUT (from DIN 0 dB( 0.38-2.3 V

ARM HEIGHT RECORD -SIZE SENSORS ADJUST.

ARM REST HEIGHT - , ADJUST. AC POWER

VTF/ANTISKATING ADJUST. MOTOR (ON/OFF) START ARM DRIVE (IN, OUT) STOP CUEING (UP/DOWN) REPEAT SPEED LOCK INDICATOR SPEED SELECT (33/45)

Sony PS -X75 two -speed (33 and 45 rpm) turntable with . Sony's electronic servo tonearm and hinged dust cover. Dimensions: 183/4 by 151/2 inches (top plate), 61/2 inches high with dust cover closed; additional 11 Cybernetic inches at top and 31/2 inches at back required with cover open. Price: $500. Warranty: "limited," two years parts and labor. Manufacturer: Sony Corp., Biotracer Japan; U.S. distributor: Sony Industries, 9 W. 57th St., New York, N.Y. 10019. Though there is much to distinguish the PS -X75 turntable in terms of overall performance and automation, a discussion of it must start with its extraordinary tonearm-which, as one observer remarked, resembles the gun turret on an old Sherman tank. Sony calls it a Biotracer tonearm, alluding to the electromechanical control systems employed by living organisms and mimicked here by the type of servo system Norbert Weiner termed cybernetic. A key consideration in the design is its solution to the chronic problem of low -frequency resonance in tonearm/pickup combinations. The natural resonance

Circle 4 on Reader -Service Card The 'Tape Guide Professional.I. Professional -II. Professional -III. The one tape The world's quietest The only car tape that stands up when tape puts nothing that eliminates you crank it up. betweenyou the car. and your music. BASF 'BASF BASF 90 90 90 professionaiI professional II professional 1 normal (norm) position chrome/high (Cr02) position br.rictirorne (FeCr) position Premium ferric oxide tapes have more head- High bias tapes consistently provide wider Ferrichrome tapes room which allows higher maximum recording frequency response and less tape noise (his combine the benefits of levels (MRL). Among 41e or background noise) chromium dioxide and all premium ferric ; than any other tape type. ferric oxide tapes for oxides PRO I has thei Arta c=1Among premium high superior performance best MRL for loud bias tapes PRO II is in in car stereos. The top recordings. Uniform '111111" \Nt The pure cIltomIL m Wand. a class by itself, It is the layer is pure chromium pall.. In the PRO II. unlike maghemite parti- _ la AIM= ink% Nana amid* part.les are second generation chro- dioxide for unsur- 1,10.11am a. cles provide in- ; - AoTA 0SIlasio3 and layen and"''..-"'''''"F'd anlvevally Med to mium dioxide tape with for "extra 111MIN passed highs and low bAgiar playbkcar creased headroomI ermenc7 00, platethis tat. WM.. Owen cqstems f_ Fundamentals tImmonim PC1.1111ance superb frequency response background noise. The for very accurate Greater beaclloom allows mote 61Mot- tion.troorecozding. and outstanding sensitivity in the critical bottom layer is ferric o side for superior lows and loud recordings (10kHz-20kHz) high frequency range. It also and great middle frequencies And it also with virtually nc distortion. In the fundamen- has the lowest background noise of any other 0- *Oakat gives you higher recording levels, tal music range (20Hz-5kHz) PRO I can be competitive tape available today 7-1lama. so you get clearer, louder play- *trio Caul* sw,em p RASP recorded louder and PRO II will capture - Sent., 000 back without cranking up driven harder than the many subtle 9 r7.2,Laslase your volume control to -hmad, Ak even high bias tapes Mph.. Ionic harmonics of the Mo. ,md M1.11cn compensate. PRO III is the PRO I is the interna- InaSellas most demanding -.. 70- 00 ideal tape for car stereo tionally accepted ref- recordings and -" wou sacs . ar/mi CVO, ...mar La,systems and performs Itimeretwak.erence tape, whose play them back just as well in the home /MB bias point is specifi- with the reality and-v 1,°10'"= on the Type III/ferri- SO IS KS JI OL ... cally matched to presence of a live -" chrome position. -4a _...\--- BMW 1.10, the Type I/normal/ performance. PRO 10 7, nom detgrwd to be compattble With ferric position on katuaa. the normal bias setting ofnomcassette II it the tape for the rogxvv=motr.q..rtti a a a decn than otherlornataiwn. today's high quality Type afty high Min taps PRO 0 prow.. a rtgharmacaw. II/chrome/ o... ay. (TARO than high lams cassette decks. .100. and .ectivelq boons the highs high bias position that comes closest to Metal bowman. Mad and cm nO. tape performance for half the price.

, "The guarantee of a lifetime." Patented "Jam -Proof" Security Mechanism f SSA)." All BASF tape cassettes come with a lifetime guaran- All BASF tape casettes come wth our exclusive tee that covers everything. Shoulc any BASF cassette SM-Security Mechanism. Two precIsion arms GUARANTEEever fall-for any reason-simply return it to BASF for 111 actually -guide" the tape in a smooth exact and OF A LIFETIMEa free replacement. -consistent track. so that winding is always even no - -- - matter how °lien the cassette is played. SM puts an end to tape lamming.

Crosby Drive,BASF Bedford, Massachusetts 01730 THE REALIZATION OF GREAT EXPECTATIONS. THE SANSUI "Z" SERIES.

Music lovers expect uncommon products to12 user -selected stations may be "stored" in from Sansui. And Sansui delivers The Sansui the 5900Z's memory circuits for instant recall. The "Z" Series of synthesized digital receivers are de- last station received will be remembered when signed and built with a loving logic that can be the tuner is turned on again; and memories are seen, touched and heard. Take the Sansui 5900Z, kept "live" even during a power outage. a reasonably priced receiver with every important DC -SERVO AMP FOR DEPENDABLE POWER feature you could possibly want for the heart of The leader in DC technology, Sansui uses a your high fidelity system. servo -controlled amplifier circuit in all "Z" receivers SYNTHESIZED DIGITAL TUNING to eliminate unwanted ultra -low frequencies - You can't mistune a Sansui synthesized like record warps - while maintaining the advan- digial receiver. Not even a little Press the up/ tages of direct -coupled circuitry in their amplif er down tuning buttons. The digital circuitry ensures sections. The 5900Z celivers 75 watts/channel, min. that every station received is automatically lock- RME, both channels into 8 ohms, from 20-20,000Hz, ed in fcr lowest possible cistcrticn, with its fre- with no more than 0.03% THD. quency indicated both or a digital readout and And there's more. Like LED's fcr every im- by ar LED indicator along an analog type dial. portant function. Two Muting Modes. Two tape TOUCH VOLUME CONTROL & deck connection w th dubbing. And much mae. LED PEAK POWER LEVEL INDICATOR Visit your Sansui cealer and make sure you The Sansui 5900Z see all the wonderfu VOLUME r AUTO TUNING DOWN JP - UP stereo receivers in the use: a pair of touch- DOWN bu-tons to adjust the Sansui "Z" Series. And listening level. Relative expect great things. You volume control setting is won't be disappointed inci Dated on a fluorescent display. Actual peck power amplifier

output is shown by 14- Irm 104 roe 92 94 96 se .111 lIB Sansui' seg -nent LED indicators. goo )200 12 PRESET STATIONS SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP. To make FM and -Yndhurst. New Jersey 07071 Gardena, Ca. 90247 AM tuning still easier, up 1-J L.;-.7 6,01 SANSUI ELECTRIC CO., LTD., Tory°, Japan P.( NT S-011.: t -t- LOt SANSUI AUDIO EUROPE S.A., Antwerp, Belgium n Canada: Electronic Distributors §

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Sony PS-X7S turntable is determined by the effective mass of the combination and by the compliance of the

SPEED ACCURACY lat 33 and 45 rpm) stylus suspension. Rule of thumb says that these factors, neither of which can be no measurable error at 105, 120, or 127 VAC assessed directly by the user, should be played off against each other until the frequency of the resonance is below 20 Hz (so it won't resonate to program WOW & FLUTTER (ANSI/IEEE weighted peak) content) and above 6 Hz or so (where warp "information" is most extreme) to ±0.035% average; ±0.060% max. instantaneous minimize boominess, mistracking, frequency -modulating stylus "scrubbing," and preamp-overload distortion-to name only the most obvious of ill effects. And even TOTAL AUDIBLE RUMBLE (ARIL) -6316 dB if this ideal can be achieved for one pickup, how is a multicartridge audiophile

TONEARM RESONANCE & DAMPING system to maintain that ideal when the cartridge is changed? In the Biotracer arm, vertical 9 Hz;I -dB rise Sony tackles the problem with two linear motors (for vertical and horizontal motion) lateral no measurable resonance along with velocity sensors that react to the instantaneous displacement of the arm

ARM FRICTION negligible in each plane. A velocity feedback loop via a microprocessor orders either or both of the motors to generate the exact force necessary to damp out vertical and VTF-GAUGE ACCURACY horizontal resonances. reads approx. 10-15% below measured values This microprocessor "drive" system also provides several operating

ANTISKATING BIAS FACTOR 0.1 conveniences. Once the arm/pickup has been brought to balance, VTF is applied electronically via a front -panel dial, whereupon antiskating bias adjusts MIN. STYLUS FORCE FOR AUTO TRIP 100 mg automatically. Each of these values varies dynamically during play in response to

TOTAL LEAD CAPACITANCE 7.5 pF actual conditions. Cueing and arm return also are electronic; the electronics allow all controls to be along the front edge of the top plate, in easy reach even with the dust cover closed. The direct -drive motor is a brushless and slotless design that, Sony claims, eliminates the cogging effects of some others of this type. A magnetic pickup head monitors its motion, "reading" a magnetic coating at the edge of the platter. The resulting pulses are compared to a quartz oscillator, and the motor speed adjusts accordingly. The arm-whose height can be adjusted, by the way, permitting some control over vertical tracking angle-is "informed" of record size for automatic play by an optical sensing system, which employs prisms embedded in the rubber mat, a columnar light source at the side of the platter, and photo detector beneath the platter. A nice touch, too, is the overhang adjustment gauge on the underside of the mat, into which parallel guidelines and stylus -intersect point are molded. This is much more convenient than the usual, separate plastic gauges, which can easily be misplaced. When CBS Technology Center mounted the highly compliant Shure V- 15 Type III cartridge in the massive Biotracer arm-a combination that normally would produce a horrendous resonance-the damping was virtually complete in both planes, and what little resonance remained was just about ideal in frequency. The other data also document very civil behavior: exact and unvarying speed at all test voltages, negligible arm friction, low rumble. In use, we could not have been more delighted with the PS -X75 and its robotlike arm. We mounted a host of different pickups, ranging from models with ultralow mass and high compliance to stiff and massive moving -coil cartridges, and found the arm capable of extracting excellent performance from each. Infrasonics did not engender resonance -excited woofer behavior, and tracking proved exceptional, even on severely warped records. The electronic cueing controls are a breeze to operate, and we quickly learned to set down the stylus wherever we wanted. A brief touch on the FORWARD or BACK cue controls causes the arm to move very slowly; the longer you maintain pressure, the faster it moves. The annoying thump of stylus meeting record is muted electronically, as is all output when the pickup is not in the playing position. The REPEAT on the front panel starts a continuous repeat- play function, which can be halted via a tap on START or another touch on REPEAT. Since there is no mechanical linkage between arm and platter, back cueing can be accomplished using the MOTOR ON/OFF to start platter rotation. Obviously, we are quite taken with the PS -X75. Last year, when we first heard of the Biotracer arm in the S1,800 PS -B80 turntable, we did not guess that Sony would be able to bring the technology down to such an affordable price. In performance and appeal, however, this 5500 version is nothing less than first class. The PS -X75 is an audiophile's dream, both because it plays records so well and because it does so with virtually any cartridge. Now, at last, the inquisitive phonophile need not be limited in his choice by the arm on his turntable. Circle 131 onReader -ServiceCard (More) Circle 41 on Reader -Service Card 24 HIGH FIDELITY

CHANNEL CENTER RECORDING SELECT. (21. 1/14.2/TUNER/PHONO/AUX) Mitsubishi's HIGH FILTER (ON/OFF) SOURCE SELECT. (TAPE 2/TAPE I/TUNER/PHONO/AUXI LOW FILTER ION/OFF) PHONO PREAMP MODE (MM/MC) MODE (STEREO/MONO) First Receiver SIGNAL STRENGTH ?AR! DIGITAL TUNING Mitsubishi DA -R20 FM tuner section TUNING DIAL , SPEAKERS MONO FREQUENCY RESPONSE (A ON/OFF, +44, -3 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz B ON/OFF) VOLUME 20 AC POWER STEREO RESPONSE & CHANNEL SEPARATION TUNING Frequency response (either IF mode) lj HEADPHONES 74 it - L ch +1/2, -3 dB, 24 Hz to 15 kHz orrr 111 R ch +1/2, -3 dB, 22 Hz to 15 kHz BASS . -. Channel separation TONE CONTROLS IN/OUT TUNER BAND (FM/AM) wide IF mode >40 dB, 60 Hz to 7.2 kHz TREBLE LFM MODE (AUTO, WITH 1 narrow IF mode >43dB,50Hzto4kHz LOUDNESS COMPENSATION ADJUST. MUTING/MONO, NO MUTING) BALANCE FM IF BANDWIDTH (WIDE/NARROW) HIGH BLEND (ON/OFF) FM SENSITIVITY 8 QUIETING DB

10 Mitsubishi Model DA -R20 AM/FM receiver, In wood case with vinyl finish. Dimensions: 181/2 by 61/2 inches (front panel), 14 inches deep 1 -20 IMENNEN plus clearance for connections and handles. AC convenience outlets: two %

% -30 MENEM switched (300 watts max. total), ore unswitched (300 watts max.). Price: $560. Warranty: "limited," three years parts and labor. Manufacturer: -40 i m % Mitsubishi Electric, Japan; U.S. distributor: Mitsubishi Electric Sales 50 NM= America, Inc., 3010 E. Victoria St., Compton, Calif. 90221. \\ Until this year, Mitsubishi was represented in this country chiefly by its 60 high -end separates and loudspeaker systems. You could create a Mitsubishi receiver DA-Rio Ill by "docking" its DA -C20 preamp/tuner (test report, March 1979) with one of its DBF 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 stereo quieting (noise), wide IF mode power amps. But the company now has three all -in -one receivers, with the DA -R20 -mono quieting (noise), wide IF mode enjoying flagship status. Its rack handles and rotary tuning dial (plus digital Stereo sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) frequency readout) make it distinctly recognizable as a Mitsubishi. 39 dBf at 98 MHz, with 0.38% THD+N Despite the digital readout, the R20's tuner employs a variable (38 dBf at 90 MHz; 411/2 dBf at 106 MHz) Mono sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) capacitor. In essence, the static -drive numerical display is a fine-tune adjunct to the 151/2 dBf at 98 MHz rotary dial, which is calibrated only in1 -MHz intervals for FM (and at 100 -kHz Muting threshold 24 dBf intervals for AM); conversely, the rotary dial offers the orientation that some users Stereo threshold see text Stereo S/N ratio fat 65 dBf) 70 dB miss in numerical -only tuning. In addition there are full meters, not just LED displays, Mono S/N ratio (at 65 dBf) 78 dB for signal strength and channel centering. The tuning knob locks into the automatic

CAPTURE RATIO (either mode) 11/2 dB frequency control circuit; when you touch the knob, the AFC loses its hold on the station, permitting retuning. IF bandwidth can be switched to NARROW for increased ALTERNATE -CHANNEL SELECTIVITY selectivity in crowded suburban reception areas, and a HIGH BLEND switch cleans hiss wide IF mode 561/4 dB narrow IF mode 601/2 dB from weak stereo broadcasts without losing all stereo separation. Our only gripe with the extremely flexible controls is the MUTE/MODE button, which prevents mute - HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD+N) free stereo reception. It's a common enough scheme on less complex tuners and wide IF mode stereo mono at 100 Hz 0.14% 0.12% receivers, but here it is redundant with a separate preamp-based MODE button. And atI kHz 0.066% 0.050% though the stereo pilot lamp comes on at 18 dBf, you cannot hear stereo until signal at 6 kHz 0.16% 0.078% strength has passed the 24-dBf muting threshold. narrow IF mode at 100 Hz 0.52% 0.11% The data from Diversified Science Labs show FM performance primarily atI kHz 0.38% 0.18% (as usual) in terms of the wide IF mode without the BLEND, listing the alternative at 6 kHz 0.34% 0.52% measurements only where they differ significantly. The narrow mode does improve STEREO PILOT INTERMODULATION quieting at low signal strengths, for example, but only by 1 or 2 dB beyond the wide IF mode 0.044% already excellent wideband performance. Likewise, stereo quieting generally narrow If mode 0.23% improves by 1 dB or so with the BLEND on, though the subjective improvement at

IM DISTORTION (mono) low signal strengths is unusually good. Alternate -channel selectivity, which is good wide IF mode 0.035% in the WIDE mode, improves surprisingly little in NARROW. Adjacent -channel narrow IF mode 0.072% selectivity, incidentally, is exceptionally good for both modes, at 8 and 111/4 dB,

AM SUPPRESSION wide narrow respectively. All the documented performance parameters are in the separate -tuner 561/2 dB 46 dB league. The signal -strength meter's tested calibration points range from 281/2 dBf, just above the muting threshold, to 66 dBf in "full strength" territory. Thus the PILOT (19 kHz) SUPPRESSION 7834 dB meter can serve as a genuinely useful aid in antenna orientation.

SUBCARRIER (38 kHz) SUPPRESSION >100 dB Preamp-based controls and switching are handled quite nicely, indeed. The separate program and tape selectors obviate the problem of distortion or other Mitsubishi DA -R20 amplifier section loading effects caused by an unpowered deck hooked directly into the signal path. RATED POWER 17% dBW (60 watts)/channel This switching also allows tape dubbing to proceed while you are listening to another source. Speaker switching actually takes place at the output stage's OUTPUT AT CLIPPING (both channels driven) protection relays to avoid long runs of internal wiring that raise output impedance. 8 -ohm load 191/4 dBW (84 watts)/channel 4 -ohm load 191/4 dBW 184 watts)/channel (The high damping factor measured by DSL seems to confirm the effectiveness of the 16 -ohm load 171/4 dBW (53 watts)/channel approach.) And flexible shafts avoid unnecessary wiring in the selector and tape NOVEMBER 1980 25

DYNAMIC HEADROOM 18 ohms) Th dB switching, which takes place dose to the rear panel.

HARMONIC DISTORTION THE, 20 Hz to 20 kHz) The continuously adjustable LOUDNESS control-a feature whose at 1744 dBW 160 watts) 0.016% versatility we applaud every time we encounter it -attenuates the upper midrange at 0 dBW (1 watt) <0.01% faster than the frequency extremes as it is turned away from its "0" (off) calibration

FREQUENCY RESPONSE point, thus "boosting" both extremes relative to the remainder. The separateBASS +0, -14 dB, 12 Hz to 34.8 kHz; and TREBLE have shelving characteristics that match the marked boost andcut +0, -3 dB, <10 Hz to 117 kHz calibration more closely than usual. But a slight deep -bass droop is introduced RIAA EQUALIZATION whenever the tone controls are switched into the circuit, requiring that the bass fixed -coil pickup +14,-0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; control be set at ."+2" if flat bass is to be restored. RIAA equalization is ruler flat for -11%4 dB at 5 Hz moving -coil pickup +14, -0 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz; both moving -coil and fixed -coil inputs. Signal-to-noise figures for all inputsare -9% dB at 5 Hz uniformly excellent. The capacitance of the fixed -coil input is a bit higher than average for current models. Though many pickups will operate well-even ideally- INPUT CHARACTERISTICS Ire 0 dBW; A -weighting) into a load of 340 picofarads, you should double-check specs before buying. sensitivity S/N ratio fixed -coil phono 0 35 mV 77 dB The amplifier section is said to employ multiple negative feedback loops moving -coil phono 16.4 µV 80% dB in place of the conventional single -loop scheme. Mitsubishi claims this maintainsa aux 20.5 mV 85 dB high slew rate and good stability under most operating conditions. Protective PHONO OVERLOAD (clipping at I kHz) circuitry in the output stage operates in three ways: Any DC potential is detectedat fixed -coil pickup 145 mV the speaker terminals and a relay opens to isolate the speaker; apower dissipation moving -coil pickup 6.8 mV detector responds to unduly low load impedance (including short circuits) by PHONO IMPEDANCE similarly isolating the speakers; and a muting circuit keeps the output relaysopen for fixed -coil pickup 49k ohms; 340 pF about 6 seconds after power has been switched on to prevent turn-on transients moving -coil pickup 13 ohms from zapping speakers. On the test bench at DSL, the amp showed itself capable of

DAMPING FACTOR fat 50 Hz) 160 pumping out 191/4 dBW (84 watts) into 8 ohms at clipping on steady tones;tone bursts held up to 201/4 dBW (106 watts) for a hefty 21/2 -dB dynamic headroom. HIGH FILTER -3 dB at 8.1 kHz; 12 dB/octave Each section of the DA -R20 contributes a degree of operating flexibility

INFRASONIC FILTER -3 dB at 18 Hz; 12 dB/octave uncommon in all -in -one designs. As Mitsubishi's first foray into the audio mainstream, it is an auspicious beginning, indeed-and one that augurs well for the consumer in search of top-notch separates performance in a receiver. Circle 132 on Reader -Service Card

4 441 NAD's

.11 "Real World" TUNING -.7:Q. -1 - -...- - Receiver lit .. r -P, - ' '-'61-±"-VOLUME AC POWER ft, _ ...... ,_BALANCE HEADPHONE'-1 SELECTOR (AUX/PHONO/ SPEAKERS (oEF/A/B/A+B) FM MUTE/FM/AM) BASS I 1 MONITOR (SOURCE/TAPE) TREBLE MODE (STEREO/MONO) OUTPUT (0/-20 DB) 1 1-Y NAD Model 7020 FM tuner section LOUDNESS ION/OFF) NAD Model7020AM/FM receiver, in metal case. Dimensions: MONO FREQUENCY RESPONSE 8 161/2 by5inches (front), 91/4 inches deep plus clearance for controls and 0 connections. AC convenience outlets: one switched (100 watts max.),one -5 unswitched(150watts max.). Price: $330. Warranty: "limited," two years I I 7020 111 HZ 20 50 100 200 500 IK 21( 5K 10K20K parts and labor. Manufacturer: made in Taiwan for New Acoustic +14, - I dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz Dimension, International; U.S. distributor: NAD (U.S.A.), Inc.,675Canton 02062. STEREO RESPONSE 8 CHANNEL SEPARATION St., Norwood, Mass. DB Low -power receivers are sometimes viewed as the wallflowers of the 0Illm==MM=MMI=M1111 audio industry; many manufacturers offer them as low-cost leader models, but -5 none stakes its reputation on the virtues of a 13-dBW (20 -watt) output stage. None 10MM=MM=M 15MINIMMINEMINIMIIMM except NAD, that is. Formed in Europe as a response to the perceived need by -20IIIIMM=1==M== dealers for a line of low-priced, high -quality audio electronics, NAD quickly earned 25INIEm=M==M an enviable reputation for its Model 3020, a low -power, low-cost integrated -30M=MM== amplifier that drew plaudits from both the audiophile press and cost-conscious -35MMMM=MMIE' -40 consumer. With an American dealer network now in place, the company hopes to MMMEIM 7020 Ill win similar praise for the 7020 receiver, which incorporates essentially thesame amp HZ 20 50 100 200 500 IK 2K 5K 10K 20K and preamp electronics. L ch +1/2, -44 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz -R ch - I dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz Among the more striking features carried over from the 3020 is the soft Channel separation _35 dB, 20 Hz to 7 kHz; clipping option, NAD's solution to maintaining economy while avoiding the bane of >26 dB, 20 Hz to 15 kHz conventional low -power receivers-hard clipping of transient waveforms whenever 26 HIGH FIDELITY

FM SENSITIVITY & QUIETING the peak levels run too high. In high -power equipment, much of the manufacturing DB cost goes toward huge filter capacitors, custom-made power transformers, heavy- 10 duty output transistors, and heat sinks, all to guarantee that transients will emerge intact. NAD contends that most listening takes place at a level that demands only a 20 41 t few watts of continuous output and that consumers should not have to pay for I 30 T reserves that are seldom used. To that end, when the back -panel SOFT CLIPPING switch is turned on, the waveform is, in effect, compressed to forestall hard clipping. 40 1 1 Of course, this implies somewhat reduced maximum power output Tv -50 ,\\...... levels, but when clipping does occur (or even before it occurs), the waveform takes on a more rounded shape, without the harsh -sounding high -order harmonics that 60 N.,,. create the normal squared -off clipping and threaten ears and tweeters alike. At the 7010131 DBF0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 same time, NAD has taken care that the output transistors can handle the current drain imposed by relatively low impedances. Its solution here is to use higher -rated stereo quieting (noise) mono quieting (noise) output transistors than are normally found in 20 -watt receivers. Stereo sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) Data from Diversified Science Labs attest to the capabilities of the 38 dBf at 98 MHz, with 0.34% THD+N output stage. With SOFT CLIPPING off, the amp held up to continuous levels of 161/4 (371/2 dBf at 90 MHz; 381/2 dBf at 106 MHz) Mono sensitivity (for 50 -dB noise suppression) dBW (42 watts) into an 8 -ohm load, while the 4 -ohm continuous capability reached 1344 dBf at 98 MHz 11/2 dB higher. With the switch engaged, the waveform is deliberately distorted at Muting threshold ca 24 dBf (see text) high levels, of course, but clipping in the usual sense can no longer be observed on Stereo threshold 241/2 dBf the oscilloscope. Hence DSL measured at observable clipping (for under 0.1% of Stereo S/N ratio (at 65 dBf) 671/2 dB Mono S/N ratio (at 65 dBf) 751/2 dB distortion) with the switch off and at 1% third harmonic distortion as the "soft clipping equivalent." Using this figure-a different "equivalent" would, of course, CAPTURE RATIO 1 dB have netted different results-switching in SOFT CLIPPING pulled down maximum

ALTERNATE -CHANNEL SELECTIVITY 611/2 dB continuous output (at "clipping") by about 11/2 dB in each measurement, as the figures show, and reduced 8 -ohm dynamic headroom by about 1 dB. And at rated HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD+N) output SOFT CLIPPING increased THD to near 0.02% over most of the band while stereo mono at 100 Hz 0.70% 0.42% keeping the generated harmonics mainly the second and third. DSL also atI kHz 0.11% 0.38% documented an improvement of about 15 milliseconds in transient -overload at 6 kHz 0.20% 0.48% recovery time with the option switched in. The dynamic headroom figure cited in

STEREO PILOT INTERMODULATION 0.16% the accompanying data, 31/4 dB, refers to pulsed output with SOFT CLIPPING off. The fact that pulsed output at clipping matches clipping levels on continuous tones IM DISTORTION (mono) 0.23% indicates an extremely "stiff," well -regulated power supply. Another back -panel option is equally unusual. There are pre-out/main- AM SUPPRESSION 491/2 dB in jumpers, which would surprise nobody were there not two pairs of main -in jacks. PILOT 119 kHz) SUPPRESSION 6944 dB One pair, marked NORMAL includes both infrasonic and ultrasonic filtering to minimize interference problems with extramusical "signals"; the LAB input is SUBCARRIER (38 kHz) SUPPRESSION 93 dB extremely broadband, though the RIAA equalization (measured in this operation mode) displays its own infrasonic filtering to control warp signals. The preamp stage NAD Model 7020 amplifier section also holds up to close scrutiny with high marks. Tone controls are not

RATED POWER 13 dBW 120 watts)/channel overaggressive (10 dB is their maximum cut and boost) and shelve quite symmetrically and predictably about their "flat" settings. The loudness contouring OUTPUT AT CLIPPING affects both the lows and the ultrahighs. SOFT CLIPPING off; both channels driven 8 -ohm load 161/2 dBW (42.2 watts)/channel The tuner section maintains these high standards, with excellent 4 -ohm load 1744 dBW (59.6 watts)/channel alternate -channel selectivity, capture ratio, and ultimate quieting figures. Adjacent - 16 -ohm load 131/2 dBW (22.4 watts)/channel channel selectivity measures 41/2 dB-a very good figure, despite its skimpiness in SOFT CLIPPING on; both channels driven comparison to alternate -channel specs, and better than many an expensive tuner 8 -ohm load 1444 dBW 9 watts)/channel 4 -ohm load 161/2 dBW (44.7 watts)/channel can manage. There is no signal -strength meter, but the central lamp of the three - 16 -ohm load 121 dBW 11 7.8 watts)/channel LED channel -centering array begins to glow at a 38-dBf input, and its intensity increases with signal strength. It's not very useful in antenna orientation, but as a DYNAMIC HEADROOM 18 ohms)' 33/4 dB quick and easy tuning aid, it's just dandy. Sensitivity is on par with other comparably

HARMONIC DISTORTION (THD; 20 Hz to 20 kHz)* priced receivers, but AM suppression is a bit on the low side. In our own listening at 13 dBW 120 watts) s0.014% tests, we could not find fault with the tuner's ability, even with exceedingly weak at 0 dBW (I watt) <0.01% broadcasts. When their signal strength is down in the muting -threshold range

FREQUENCY RESPONSE around 24 dBf, the sound dims much like the central LED does; that is, muting is "normal" mode ± 44 dB, 17 Hz to 26.7 kHz; progressive within ± 11/4 dB of the center point shown in the data. +44, -3 dB, 14 Hz to 60 kHz Of course, numbers can tell only part of a receiver's story, and it is in "lab" mode +1/2, -1/4 dB, 18 Hz to 39 kHz; the listening room that the 7020 really shines. To our delight, the amp continues to +1/2, -3 dB, I1 Hz to 145 kHz function even into loads of preposterously low impedance and even when driven RIAA EQUALIZATION +14, -0 dB. 20 Hz to 20 kHz, into fairly fearsome clipping (though not indefinitely without tripping its thermal -281/2 dB at 5 Hz protection relay, of course). In the process, we had a good test of the SOFT CLIPPING,

INPUT CHARACTERISTICS Ire 0 dBW; A -weighting) which to our ears does take some of the grit out of the clipped sound. In more sensitivity S/N ratio realistic setups-with just one pair of speakers and at moderate listening levels-the phono 0.59 mV 751/2 dB amp rarely clipped, making comparisons difficult. aux 34 mV 8844 dB With its modest price tag and remarkable stability into difficult loads, PHONO OVERLOAD (I -kHz clipping) 300 mV the 7020 stands as an exceptional value in the budget -receiver market. Others have Circle 24 on Reader -Service Card \ -- THE KLIPSCH HE Sy: The biggest sound inasmall speaker is two-thirds Klipschom ft. at less than half the .rice.

In 1957PaulMips.designed a small loudspeaker that utilized the same tweeter and mid -range driver as the legendary KUPSCHORN. Nollinprer-xy He added a 12' woofer and maximized the cabinet volume for exceptional bass response. Until that time, Klipsch had built only corner speakers KLIPSCH HERESY one of and the new design was for "against the war placement. When he the most efficient small described this accomplishment to a sales representative, the man said it speakers in the world was "heresy" to put so much KLIPSCHORN in such a small Only one watt of power speaker that didn't even require a corner. will deliver 96 d3 of sound pressure four feet into your room and it can take 100 watts if your ears can. Response range is from 50 to 17,000 Hz Because of its plus or minus 5 dB. high efficiency, the f KUPSOI HERESY 4..-.:.; simply doesn't require expensive, high- - powered amplifiers : . to reproduce the This lowest priced full bandwidth of KUPSOI HERESY comes ;',' dynamic sound. This in unfinished birch ply- ' ;':,?47iCf.4V:'!":44/,.:' helps you afford a I ,!?,:ti-%:;7):.,.:!....if. wood for exceptional better cartridge, turn- durability, so if you want table or tape deck. great sound without 1_.I ../%"':. the furniture finish, 7':.*.'it., ?,? p `..:fi',.....",./ this is the one for you. ! '..../.14".....dr.,

.....,... :?...!..!,

For tonal detail, definition, imaging, transient response and durability, the KLIPSCH HERESY has The KLIPSCH HERESY cabinet is shown here in no equal in its size. beautiful, hand -finished walnut Built to the highest ft will put you quality construction standards in the industry, front row center, you can also choose oak teak, rosewood, zePra feeling the thunder wood, ebony and other exotic wood veneers. of the bass, the impact of the drums, and the exhilaration of each crescendo.

The KLIPSOI HERLSY is a sound -' investment because, unlike every other aspect of today's component hi -f systems, irt vviii not be obsolete ten years from now.

4 ALegend in Sound.

I =1 2711, 11:11 147e.IZ'1%7. - - - - Please send me free information on theSUMO. HERESY and the entire line of Klipsch louesaeakers. Send me the nacre of the nearest dealer trio. Name

Address

City State Zip

KUPSCHORN, BELLE KLIPSCH, KLIPSCH LASCAZA, h _IPSO. CORNWALL and pyI KUPSCH HERESY are registered trademarks of 'Minch & Associates Inc. Mail to: Klipsch and Associates, Inc. "A Legend in Sound" is a trademark of Klipsch &Associates. inc. Box 688 Hope, Arkansas USA 71801 SS Copyright 1980 Klipsch 6 Associates, Inc All rights reseryed Or Cal: 501-777-6751 Ilt."==,Ifj 11111111110.

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Fisher Direct Drive...the DD280 produces tapes of sunning most technically advanced accuracy. With metal tape, the 18 -pole permanent DD280 delivers an impressive fre- tape drive system. Drive coils provide ring magnet is quency response of 30Hz-20kHz. pulsating magnetic bonded to back of In the new Fisher DD280 cassette field to propel flywheel. Low in profile. And high on deck, Fisher has replaced the flywheel. Dynamically balanced flywheel features. The low -profile DD280 conventional belt -drive system weighs over '6 lb., has everything you'd expect in a. with a high -torque 18 -pole brush - helps maintain speed accuracy, low wow professional -quality cassette deck.- less, careless, direct drive DC flea"r 6'9 and flutter Calibrated input level controls. flywheel motor. The motor shaft is Dolby* Noise Reduction. Large- the tape transport capstan itself. ow scale dual -range VU meters. Peak The result is a silent, one-piece level LED indicators and mcre. direct drive system that glides at a stable 360 rpm. Wow and flutter It's what you'd expect from the are reduced to an incredibly low new Fisher. We invented hich 0.04%. Gone forever are belt wear f delity over 40 years ago. We've problems resulting in speed rever stopped moving ahead. change, be t breakage and replace- Sensing coil between The new DD280 is a perfect driving coifs and Capstan shaft is example. Part of the new Fisher. 'ment. For long term reliability flywheel magnet directly connected to, continuously and is part of the Where the only thing about us direct drive is the answer. monitors speed in flywheel. There are DC servo circuit. no belts, no pulleys. that's old is our dedication to Feather touch electronic solenoid quality and craftsmanship. See the controls. Don't look for "clunky" DD280 soon at your Fisher Dealer. levers on the DD280.Transport Metal tape compatibility. functions are actuated by sensitive The DD280 is also metal tape 'Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. solenoid electronic switching. compatible. The new metal particle IC logic circuitry assures instant, tapes offer a marked improve-

positive action.You can go directly ment in signal-to-noise ratio and Fisher Corporation. 1980

from rewind to fast forward to dynamic range over previous tape . play...without having to manually formulations.With its metal EQ and 2,0 stop between functions. LED indi- bias settings, plus high perfor- FISHER cators signal mode of operation. mance MX/Ferrite heads, the The first name in high fidelity.° NOVEMBER 1980 29

PHONO IMPEDANCE 48k ohms; 110 pF described its progenitor, the 3020 amp, as the sonic equal of 52,000 preamp/amp

DAMPING FACTOR (at 50 Hz) 130 combinations. Though this receiver incorporates the same output stage and preamp (with the addition of a very good tuner section), we feel that such comparisonsare 'These factors influenced by setting of SOFT CLIPPING ultimately fallacious. Simply stated, the 7020 is a very good receiver designed witha switch, which was off for measurements shown here; see canny eye to real -world operating conditions and tight budgets. And that's surely text. recommendation enough. Circle 133 on Reader -Service Card

Pickering Model XSV-4000 fixed -coil phono pickup, with Stereohedron Stereohedron diamond stylus. Price: $160 D-4541 accessory stylus for mono LPs, $28.80; D-4543 accessory stylus for 78 -rpm records, $28.80. Pickup Warranty: "limited," one year parts and labor, excluding normal stylus wear. Manufacturer: Pickering & Co., Inc., 101 Sunnyside Blvd., Updated Plainview, N.Y. 11803. If any benefits accrued to the audio industry from the CD -4 Ouadradisc era, they most certainly occurred in the design of pickup styli. Faced with the need to develop a stylus capable of following incredibly minute groove details without chipping them away, designers evolved the multiradial tip witha contact area large enough to reduce record and stylus wear, yet narrow enough to readeven the shortest of modulation wavelengths. Pickering dubbed its tip Quadrahedral (referring to its four elliptical surfaces) and later adapted thatgeometry to a stereo - only stylus and pickup, the XSV-3000 (test reports, February 1977). The highly Pickering XSV-4000 phono pickup regarded 3000 now yields pride of top billing to the XSV-4000, for which the

FREQUENCY RESPONSE 8 CHANNEL SEPARATION company claims even better performance. (test records: STR- I00 to 40 Hz; STR- I 70 above) As usual for Pickering, the cartridge incorporates a small brush that DB cleans the groove at the last possible instant before the stylus tracks it. The brush 0IMEIMIMIEMIIIM=10! 5IME=1111MME=.1111M11. exerts 1 gram of lifting force, which must be compensated for by adding 1gram to 101=MINIMMIMIIM== the downward tracking force, which Pickering recommends as 1 ±'/4gram. Another 15MM=MM=MMMI Pickering hallmark is the V -Guard stylus assembly that retracts the tip should -20 excessive downward or sideways pressure be exerted on the pickup. Self-locking 25IMM711==11MOMM/A1 -30 nuts ease the task of fitting the cartridge to the arm, and the supplied instructions v,000 are clear and to the point. HZ 20 50 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K In CBS Technology Center tests, the 4000 performed well. Minimum Frequency response tracking force required to pass the "torture test" was just 0.5 L ch gram (slightly higher +2, -41. dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz than the 3000's 0.4 gram). All other tests were performed at -R ch + I Vt, - I dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz a VTF of 1 gram, the Channel separation a 25 dB. 170 Hz to 10.5 kHz; mean of Pickering's recommended range. > 15 dB, 20 Hz to 20 kHz Pickup sensitivity is reasonably high (about 1/2 dB higher than that of the 3000). Frequency response is quite flat, with no significant aberrations SENSITIVITY (atI kHz) 1.25 mV/cm/sec below about 8 kHz, where a dip of about f dB is rendered even less significant by thegradual CHANNEL BALANCE (atI kHz) ±16 dB slope (just over 1 dB per octave) leading down to it. Above that point,response begins rising to a maximum of about 2 dB at 20 kHz. Harmonic and intermodulation VERTICAL TRACKING ANGLE 27* distortion are about average for cartridges in this price and qualityrange. At 27 LOW -FREQUENCY RESONANCE (in SME 30091 degrees the vertical tracking angle is closer than many to current cutting angles. vertical 8.8 Hz; 7 -dB rise Low -frequency resonance in our SME arm is 8.8 Hz, a touch lateral 8.8 Hz; 6 -dB rise on the low side; in a less massive arm, the frequency would doubtless rise. Better dampingat MAXIMUM TRACKING LEVEL Ire RIAA 0 VU; 1.0 gram) resonance, however, would be an even more welcome improvement. Maximum at 300 Hz >415 dB tracking level varied surprisingly little with frequency, being just above 15 dB at1 kHz +15 dB at 300 Hz and 15 dB at 1 kHz. WEIGHT 6.8 grams Separation is greater than 25 dB through the critical middle and lower- (5.7 grams without brush) treble frequencies, from 200 Hz to 10 kHz, and well above 15 dB at all frequencies

TIP DIMENSIONS from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. Since tones below 100 Hz defy localizationanyway, the tip radii 7.1 by 9.2 micrometers reduced separation in that region has no pernicious effect on stereo imaging. scanning radii 7.1 and 6.3 micrometers Square -wave response scope photos show very fast rise time but withsome SQUARE -WAVE overshoot. The ultrasonic oscillation derives from the cutter used to make thetest RESPONSE II kHz) record, rather than the pickup. And, finally, microscopic examination of the stereohedron tip shows excellent alignment and good polish. The sound of the XSV-4000 is difficult to characterize-acommon r' problem as cartridges become ever truer reproducers of the information in the groove. Its rising high end proved a ruthless revealer of weaknesses elsewhere in the system, even though the rise is moderate. An early tendency to a slight buzzingon some signals, for example, turned out to be a high -frequency resonance in the thin- walled metal headshell used in our initial listening tests; transfer to a less resonant shell reduced the problem. The sound is basically warm but has a slight rough edge in the upper frequencies. Bass piano notes are slightly softened, while bass guitar notes and drums ring out with solid definition. Circle134 on Reader -ServiceCard (More) 30 HIGH FIDELITY

7." - Manufacturers'-- NP -SF Comment

We invite rebuttal from those same price class will outperform it does example, allows the user to introduce who produce the equipment we re- not make sense. The Stat is reviewed on the erase function during playback, so view. The comments printed here its own merits-not as a comparison, re- that any unwanted material can be are culled from those responses. gardless of size and price. And are there smoothly and permanently eliminated any speakers, regardless of size, in that while it's being auditioned. KA Stat loudspeaker, Septem- price class that could outperform it? Dual's unique system for inserting ber 1980. We wish to make the follow- Ted R. Karson and removing cassettes (which we call ing corrections and clarifications. The Kinetic Audio International, Ltd. Direct Load and Lock) eliminates the 28-mM [1 -inch] dome tweeter, having Chicago, Ill. conventional window. When inserted, less mass in the dome area, will provide the cassetteis automatically loaded in more extraordinary performance beyond HF replies: We repeat, we cer- perfect alignment with the heads. Ac- the 20 -kHz range than the 11/2 -inch tainly do find that "many larger systems cess to the tape is always immediate, tweeter you incorrectly specify, which is in the same price class will outperform and replacement a matter of a second or unlikely to go any farther than 12 kHz. it," and we consider the Stat "worthy" two-very useful when recording off A 2 -amp fuse gives more than only if the auditioner's "listening room the air a program, such as an opera, that ample protection for the user to stay requires its volumetric stinginess." We may be too long for one cassette. Even within warranty. A fuse larger than 2 reserve the right to make comparisons the shortest of pauses in the music near amps (up to 5 amps) may be considered or not, as we believe appropriate, with the end of the tape will allow a new with careful handling of the equipment. the equipment we'review. one to be put in place with hardly a This need not jeopardize warranty, and note lost. Another advantage of DLL is improved performance will be reflected. Dual C-830 cassette deck, Au- the easy accessibility to heads for clean- That you should call the Stat a gust 1980. Fuller description of two ing. worthy speaker and, in the same breath, features is essential if they are to be un- Murray I. Rosenberg state that many larger systems in the derstood by your readers. FADE/EDIT, for United Audio Products, Inc.

AMERICA'S FOREMOST ROCK/JAZZ MAGAZINE SAYS POLK AUDIO SPEAKERS PUT THE OTHERS TO SHAME! "If you're shopping for stereo our advice is not to buy speakers until you've heard the Polks."Musician "We at Musician hove found the Polk Audio Monitor Speakers so vastly superior to the competition in their price range we hod to pass the information along...the design produces a remarkably well integrated and coherent sound that adapts itself ideally to all kinds of music...and produce the kind of open uncolored perfectly imaged sound we thought began at twice the price and required huge amounts of amplification...(The Polks) will benefit from state-of-the-art electronics but sound quite magnificent with a good mid -powered popular brand receiver...They make the popular speakers in their price range seem dim, colored, boxy, unmusical and just I AIL plain insufficient...If you're shopping for stereo our advice is not to buy speakers until you've heard the Polks" MUSICIAN Polk Audio loudspeakers starting at around $125 each, are available at the finest hi-fi stores. Use the Reader Service Card for complete information and the location of the Polk Audio dealer nearest you. Polk Audio, Inc. 1205 S. Carey St. Balm., Md. 21230 polkaudio Monitor Series Loudspeakers

INCREDIBLE SOUND -AFFORDABLE PRICE 1 Circle 40 on Reader -Service Ca d B ' 4 PO AIWA " rr,:"te- -rZ2139....=-ztt

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There is a sound so rich, full, all -encompassing as to defy minimum RMS at 8 ohms, boil channels driven from its own source. The sound of Aiwa's M-501 four -component 20-20:300 Hz w th no more than 0.1% THD)ard the SD-L5OU mini -system every unit a technological gem desigred to descrioed above provide total performance in a space no more than hirteen Because full derformcr ce means convenience and inches high and nine inches wide. versat lity too. Aiwa has even more systems. components SA-05OU Stereo Preamplifier and options, including some you cant get from anyone Full featured control unit, including MC cartridge, bass else: AP-D5OU. Jnique, front loading DD fully automatic and treble controls, 20dB muting, cross -dubbing ard all turntable; HR -5)H High -Comm** NR system wth 25cB input output facilities. improvement over Dolby *RC-R300U infrared wireless SA-P5OU DC Stereo Power Amplifier remote, full -function cort-ol. MT -50U programmable ultra - 50 watts per channel, minimum RMS at 8 ohms, bat-) slim quartz timer for unattended operation and SC-E50Y channels driven from 20-20,000 Hz with no more than 0.02% 3 -way bass reflex speaker system with bass cnd treble THD. 9 -point peak power indicators. tone controls. ST-R5OU Quartz Synthesized Tuner Aiwa has everything you reed, from basic -o luxury, with Precise, automatic or manual tuning with a 12-staticn the quality tha 's made Aiwa a leader in minx -components. programmable memory: six each for AM and FM. See your Aiwa dealer fcr the cleanest sound n small space. SD-L5OU Metal Compatible Stereo Cassette Deck Or write Bob Fisher. National Sales Manager, for more Completes the entire system. Professional -type IC logic information controls, 3 -color peak level bar graph indicators, Dotty* NR. 'Dolby is a registered trademark Equally exciting is Aiwa's M-502. a complete or Dolby Laboratories. Inc system in two components Hgh-Corn is a fraternal* of AEG AX-S50U AM FM Stereo Quartz Telefunken. Synthesized Auto Tuning

Receiver (20 watts per channel, 88.3 6 wow , Upgrade to...

.c4;)I lila AIWA safto mc.ren 450 711Cf7 owe. 000 AIWA AIWA AMERICA INC. 35 Oxford Drive, Moonachie, New Jersey 0'074. Circle 60 on Reader -Service Card Distributed it Canada by: Stein (Canada) L -d. Inside Full Color Sound.

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There's more to Full Color Sound we are not impressed. And neither than meets the ear. should you be. There is a story of experience and The true test of a tape is to balance technical achievement that no other these superb elements, some of which tape manufacturer can tell. Fact: Sony actually work against each other. For is the only company that produces both example, high sensitivity (so vital for high fidelity audio and video tape and MOL and S/N ratio) can produce print - the high quality equipment that plays through. Another example: increasing it. Fact: Sony pioneered magnetic tape the volume of magnetic particles on recording, and has been producing the tape improves sensitivity. However, tape and tape equipment for over 30 this would decrease tape durability and years. increase head wear. Because of this vast and unique Some of the factors that we con- experience, we believe Sony knows sider important to tape performance more about producing high quality re- are: MOL, frequency response, S/N cording tape than anyone else. Sony ratio, sensitivity, uniformity of output know-how goes beyond exclusive level,print -through,erasability, and magnetic particles and glues, or our such physical attributes as runability, exceptionally smooth SP transport sys- shedding, head wear, resistance to tem, or superb MOL and frequency temperature and humidity. response. This is where the genius of Sony What Sony does in its own unique comes in. To take all these elements way has to do with balance. The fine- and balance them so they work with, tuning of all the elements that go into instead of against each other. making a tape, so that each comple- Balance. It's why Sony audio tapes ments the other,and together-in are so superb. The fact is, the more balance-deliver the finest recording expensive your audio equipment, the that is humanly and technically possi- more you'llappreciateFullColor ble to achieve. Sound. Listen to Sony SHF (normal It is this balance that is the secret bias), EHF (high bias), FeCr or Metallic of Full Color Sound. It isn't really diffi- tape yourself. Listen to the balance. It's cult to make one particular element the secret of Full Color Sound. extraordinarily superb. So when some tapes boast about a particular feature, SONY

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° 7 Crisp. Clear. Tuned in. That's the way you want your TV programming; that's what you want when it comes to information about home video. And that's the rationale behind VIDEO TODAY. This special supplement (which, incidentally, is in addition to the coverage you reg- CONTEN-S/NOVENBER 1980 ularly find in this magazine) The Prize Two new incompatible tape was conceived as a no -frills formats join the home video race Page A2 Portable VCRs packet of useful and current Takinc the plu-ge The Camera Page A4 New Video Products information. In VIDEO TODAY10 exciting tape, VCR, and camera models Page A8 you'll find comprehensive . Home Video Today Importan- facts about VCRs, coverage, tightly edited. In video discs, and large-screenTV Page A10 forthcoming issues you'll get VideoRle the straight story (0=ep1) 8 video terms you should know Page A13

Al In Focus Sony's Video Movie The r 13141Z You're It!

sat- You're the prize. You're what all nicolor brought out systems late ing section in one sealed, hand- the fuss is about. If it weren't for last summer. holdable unit that measures you, there'd be no "video revolu- While Sony (which is already about 8 by 7 by 21/2 inches. tion." But regardless of which heavily committed to the Beta for- It was the downsizing that wide-eyed prophet you choose to mat) won't market its system for necessitated the move to 8mm believe, the fact is that home several years (1985), the demon- tape. (Recording time is about video systems, in one form or stration of an all -in -one color 20 minutes.) To overcome inter - another, are here to stay. video camera/recorder that uses format incompatibility, Sony will The current problem is trying 8mm (approximately 5/1 6 -inch) provide an editing device for to determine what that form will tape created a sensation. Tagged transferring material to1/2- or be. As we point out elsewhere in the Video Movie, not without a 3/4 -inch tape. And while the these pages, the lack of corn - certain irony, this prototype $1,000 price tag may seem high VIEWFINDER single -unit arrangement provides now, it may not in 1985. Inside the Video Movie a clear clue to the future of elec- Technicolor's VCR entry also CAMERA CIRCUIT BOARD tronic home movies. evoked considerable interest, MICROPHONE °1l'.0011/ How did Sony shrink all the perhaps because it's much closer necessary elements and stuff to being a reality. The Model 212 I1, them into a package weighing (made in Japan by Funai Electric 1 CHIP CCO only 4.4 pounds? For one thing, Trading Company, Inc.) is a 7 - it has replaced the traditional pound deck (including battery), vidicon tube as the imaging vehi- measuring 10 by 10 by 3 inches cle with a CCD (charge -coupled and using 1/4 -inch tape! The 30 - device), which is about the size of minute cartridge is essentially the a book of matches. For another, same size as an audio cassette its video cassette recording sec- and will sell for about $9.00 - tion has been scaled down so that about the same as a quality audio

HEAD it is no larger than a mini audio cassette but considerably less recorder. This enabled Sony to than any other video tape (though VIDEO CASSETTE stack the camera atop the record - the recording time is substantially (continued on page A16) VIDEO CIRCUIT BOARD Technicolor's 212 - patibility among tape and disc for- smallest and lightest mats is almost universally seen portable VCR yet. as impeding widespread accep- tance of home video: Who wants 4P0 to pay $1,000 for something that may be outmoded in six months? Here we were a year ago, sagely forecasting a fight to the death between Beta and VHS, when Toshiba brashly unveiled its LVR format. And we had barely grown accustomed to a three- way fray when Sony and Tech -

A2 VIDEO TODAY SUPER AVILYN:

dA The future of videotape r E is suddenlyvery clear.

Super Avilyn is the videotape that helped make squeezed onto less space. Inperfections gel

six -hour videodecks possible. TDK invented a magnified. But Super .Avilyn stays super. Its high - new; magnetic -echnology to create it. Effortlessly, density particles are polished micrcn-smoott to cut it overcomes the horrors haunting home video. down friction. Colors stay separate Brightness and Problems that are not the fault of tt-e dec-., but the crispness is superb. Pictures are rock steady fau t of the tape. You've seen them. Poor resolution. through hundreds of hours of play. Dullness. Bleeding colors. ctures with the jitters. This much is clear. Now that you know the Drco outs. inside story, you wont judge videotape by its picture. Inside your videodeck there's a harsh -eality. You II judge it by

- Video heads spin at 1800 rpm. At that speed, poor its future. quality tape sheds a shower of oxide part clas into TDK. tie works. An insidious process that may produce The Vision of the Future good pictures while damaging your deck.Durings x hours things get tougher. Tape barely moves at .42 irches per second More information is

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1 I - Stcto FFwd Focctr al orta =tt I. 'I 111 "M 1%0 1D1 -Dec conies 3orp Garde -I C. N.Y 1-530 PlumeInto Portable video-The On the face of it, video recording and the second provides lumi- with a lightweight color camera nance information. Again, cost and portable video cassette and weight are a factor, in most recorder (VCR) is the most im- Part I cases, and so we have the single - mediate and convenient form of tube camera - the most preva- creating sound images currently to receive the focused image. lent on today's home video scene. available. You tape whatever While a movie camera captures a This lightweight marvel, while you want, from TV shows to scene on film, the video camera not in the same league as more your very own production; the re- operates by using a tube, or elaborate broadcast cameras, corder does the processing and series of tubes, to form the image still delivers a decent image; re- stores the images in a handy and relay it to the receiving end, cent designs produce a remarka- cassette. But lurking just below your television set. bly good picture considering the the surface is a maze of high-tech limitations involved. The usual hardware and electronics that That sounds simple enough, choices in such a device are the may baffle you even before you but different types of camera 1 -inch or, more commonly, get started. The bewildering arraytubes and video camera designs 2/3 -inch vidicon and its variations. of cameras combined with re- are geared to different applica- Basically, it works this way: Filter corders in the 1/2 -inch Beta or tions. For broadcast TV, an stripes across the face of the tube VHS formats may be enough to elaborate three- or four -tube interpret color; the camera's cir- send you scurrying rapidly back camera is used, often of the cuitry converts this color and light to your Bolex. Plumbicon (lead oxide) variety. information into an electronic sig- But don't despair. Just as the Since each tube carries a sepa- nal, which is sent to the circuitry process of moviemaking has rate color- red, blue, green- in your television. The signal is become less of an enigma to the and there may be a fourth tube for there reconverted into the light public at large, so too will video luminance (brightness), precise and color information that ap- tape recording. To start you off, registration is critical. The cost of pears on your TV screen as the we'll look at how the various com- such video perfection comes high final image. ponents work and how they in- and rules out its use for the hob- teract. A basic knowledge of byist. The additional weight Recent variations on the video imaging and processing makes it impractical for por- single -tube theme -Akai's Tri- will help you choose equipment tability. Electrode system and Sony's suitable for your particular needs. Two -tube cameras have been Trinicon tube, among others- This month, let's concentrate employed for industrial and have refined and improved color

on the first link in the chain: the educational video as well as . rendition. While processing cir- video camera. As with any image - home video. One of these tubes cuitry is more complex and costs making device, it requires light, a carries the chrominance value are higher than the simpler means of focusing, and a medium (shade and intensity of color), (continued on page A6)

A4 VIDEO TODAY Cameraby Tony Galluzzo

Video Camera Lens Vidicon Tube

Light Inside the Vidicon Tube TV Monitor Deflection and /Focusing Coils Electron Beam

Target Plate Separate Screen Cathode Source

Capture an Image on the Tube? Here's the chain of events: Light reflected from your horizontal sweep, to "read" the light intensity as voltage subject is focused through the camera lens onto the tar- (the stronger the light, the hig ler the voltage). The elec- get plate of a typical vidicon tube. The inner side of the tron beam, as the name implies, deposits electrons on the faceplate is coated with a light-sensitive transparent positively charged areas of the target, and a signal is conductive layer. This faces a photo -conducting layer on generated and sent to your 1V set. The Cathode Ray the target plate, which increases in conductivity as subject Tube (CRT) in your TV essentially does the reverse of illumination increases. The electron beam, emitted from the camera tube, this time scanning the face of the picture the cathode source, is deflected by coils for vertical and tube to convert electronic information to light an image. 4,

NOVEMBER 1980 A5 THE CAMERA (continued)

the camera tube, the CCD is Does the maze of high-tech rugged and measures only a hardware baffle you? Don't despair. few square inches. It's a solid- state device, sensitive to light, It's easier than it seems. and offers low voltage operation and low power consumption. A typical spec sheet for Sony's CCD's are already used by scien- new HVC-2000 color camera tists and the military, most nota- 3 reads: "Horizontal resolution: bly in black and white cameras 300 lines." (Resolution in this manufactured by RCA and context means "sharpness." The Fairchild. ability of the system to" resolve" Not long ago, RCA even dis- fine detail is measured in so many played a color CCD camera that 4 lines per given area as imaged has since been used underwater 2 5 from a TV resolution chart.) One for National Geographic's TV 0 for JVC's 3350 camera, using a special Dive to the Edge of Crea- two -tube system, gets even tion. Another of the CCD's virtues, more specific with "Horizontal by the way, is that -combined Sophisticated resolution: more than 400 lines with an amplifying circuit - it will Electronic Viewfinder at center." As with any photo- produce an image at extremely On Sony's HVC-2000 Camera: graphic system, lens resolution is low light levels. The main (1) Waveform (2) Low Light/Battery Indicator generally better at the central drawback, at the moment, is (3) Overall White Level portion of the image than at the manufacturing a fine enough (4) Tape -Run Indicator edges. Your camera's ability to CCD circuit array to image full - (5) Iris Indicator. delineate fine detail, therefore, resolution color at a reasonable hinges not only on lens selection cost. When the day arrives for and color system selection, but mass consumption -and it's not designs, the end result may be on the best combination of both. far off -we'll have small, self- worth it for the discerning user, contained units that both receive especially the photo enthusiast As video technology and record the image without the who expects fine color and defini- progresses and redefines the need fora separate VCR. (See "In tion. limitations of color rendition, Focus," page A2, this issue.) While the quality of the lens set resolution, luminance, and por- Though the imaging system- before the tube certainly affects tability, the tube system will even- whether tube or CCD - is the the limits of resolution and con- tually be replaced by the CCD (or most critical element in a video trast, the camera tube itself charge -coupled device). Unlike camera, you should consider defines the degree of resolution possible with each system. (Your television set is another variable, and so is the video cassette recorder in between - but let's Lgrassi not muddy the issue further at this point.) Just as 16mm film will provide more and finer picture information than, say super 8, a 1 -inch vidicon should deliver superior definition to that of a2/3 -inch vidicon. But, again, improved designs of the smaller tube may tend to blur that distinction. When you start comparing cameras and reading manufacturers' specs, you will undoubt- Quasar VK-730 edly notice that only horizontal Correct color balance resolution is mentioned. That's is set on this camera via a three -position because the scanning pattern of 14switch. This switch the tube is on the horizontal, so operates a filter, which #

the horizontal plane will provide compensates for different r Balance switch closeup. better resolution-and a higher color temperatures. number- than the vertical does. MINOINME=INIMAG0_-,

A6 VIDEO TODAY some other important features. As with home movie cameras, video cameras usually have a filter switch to select the proper color temperature depending on 1111 panasani the type of light being used. The normal balance for daylight ranges between 5,600 and 6,500°K (degrees Kelvin), indoors about 3,200°K (the balance is rated for standard studio tungsten). Fluorescent lighting is a problem, just as it is with film. For one thing, the light wavelength com-

position varies among different Panasonic PK-500 S types and makes of fluorescent This camera allows you to adjust the "white balance," tubes. For another, fluores- which will result in correct color cents produce a discontinuous balance. If you change lighting spectrum that cannot be rated at conditions, you must readjust White balance switch a specific color balance. Special the control to maintain the closeup. correct color relationships. filter combinations can some- 24/ times be used to correct the problem. But the daylight setting on your camera usually provides a a good clear image. (Specifically comfortable for hand holding? more pleasing color rendition a footcandle is the light of one so- How's the weight? Some of the than the tungsten setting. called international candle newer color models go as low as Some cameras have a hue con- spread on a 1 -square -foot sur- 4 pounds, but that's before trol normally preset at the factory face at a distance of 1 foot. In adding a zoom lens and possibly to further augment the shade of practical terms, the footcandle an electronic viewfinder. And, color. All color cameras should optimum level may mean setting finally, do you really need an have a white -balance control, up a few hundred watts of quartz electronic viewfinder that pro- which electronically determines or photoflood lamps to achieve an vides a true video image as you the purest white possible whether acceptable image.) Recent shoot but jacks up the cost con- indoors or out. Once this is set, designs have improved the per- siderably? If not, does the colors should fall into line, but youformance possible at low light camera have through -lens view- must readjust the control each levels, but you should personally ing and focusing (as with super 8 time you change lighting condi- check out several different mod- cameras), and is it bright and tions. els before you purchase a partic- clear enough to be practical? In some cases, color cameras ular camera. Does the viewfinder offer you employ a separate camera con- helpful information such as a trol unit for finer color tuning than What else should you look for light -level indicator to check is possible with built-in controls. when scanning the video camera proper exposure? In addition to the outdoor/indoor scene? Let's make a quick list: The answers to these and other switching, you can set color bal- Is the built-in microphone suffi- questions should be firmly in your ance for morning/evening (when cient, or will you require a sepa- mind as you check out different lighting tends to be warmer). But rate mike closer to your sub- cameras. Once you know the you may not care to lug that extra jects? Are mike inputs on the rules of the game, you'll find cre- component around - even camera, the recorder, or both? ating your own video vignettes around your living room- Does the camera accept inter- more fun than simply recording without a go-cart. changeable lenses, or are you TV programs off the air. When selecting a color camera, limited to a built-in zoom? Is the Tune in in January for a closeup you should also pay particular shape of the camera and position on video cassette recorders and attention to thequantityoflight of the handle or grip sufficiently what makes them tick. needed. Specs often show that the minimum light requirements are about 9 footcandles (or 100 Recent camera tube designs lux) but that 70 or even 200 foot- produce a remarkably good picture, candles is required for "optimum" lighting conditions; i.e., for considering the limitations.

NOVEMBER 1980 A7 -Video Fronts Several advanced features are incorpo- What is termed a "third -generation" rated into a new, lightweight (11 -pound, series of video cassettes is being introduced 6 -ounce) portable VHS VCR from JVC. The by Fuji. The new "fine grain" Beridox° VHS HR -2200U has low power drain, solenoid and Beta tapes have an improved binder and controls, remote -control capability, and four were designed to withstand the extra wear im- separate motors for stable tape transport. posed by slow -speed modes such as freeze- Besides its standard (2 hr.) running speed, frame and frame -by -frame advance, as well the VCR can be operated in the freeze-frame, as to enhance the tape's chroma (color) single -frame advance, or variable -speed characteristics. Beta tapes range in price (1/6 to1/3onormal) modes. An Edit Start Con- from $11.95 (L-125) to $17.50 - trol is said to allow you to begin a second video (L-500), and VHS tapes from segment at the end $15.50 (T-30) to $25.50 (T-120).L-125 of a previously recorded one without au. intergap noise. A aut...1.170 "Shuttle Search" lets at231.1 L-250 you advance or re- - wind the tape at 10 L -50C times the normal speed while viewing the picture. LEDs indicate tape motion and low battery.

You can program up to 7 selections on any channel during a 14 -day period with the 8372 VHS VCR system from Magnavox. This lightweight portable deck (13 lbs.) comes with a companion tuner/timer and costs $1,495. Features include speed selections of 2 or 6 hours and freeze-frame, single -frame advance, or slow-motion advance. The deck has a separate remote -control device, a battery -strength meter, and a special circuit to protect the programmed memory during a power failure. The -- tuner section display shows the time and day of the week.

Viewing of the picture at 9 times normal speed in either fast -wind mode is permitted with Sylvania's new two -speed (2 hr./6 hr.) VHS home VCR. The VC -3100 ($1,395) features remote control of pause, channel change, and scan.

A choice of three speeds (2/4/6 hours) is - offered on Quasar's 5160 home VHS VCR ($1,400). It will record up to 8 different programs over a 14 -day period. Thirteen func- ' I tions, including high-speed search, slow L._ motion, freeze-frame, single -frame advance, channel change, stop, and play, can be operated by remote control. lOExcitiNew

A8 VIDEO TODAY Versatile operation is possible with Increased playing time means increased Panasonic's PK-750 color video camera demand on the video tape. TDK's new line of ($1,000). Weighing only 4 lbs. 8 oz., this unit Super Avilyn HG (high grade) 6 -hour VHS has a 11/2 -in. electronic viewfinder, which can video cassettes were designed with this in be located to either side of the camera body, mind. The company says that it has reduced and a 6:1 motorized auto -iris zoom lens, the size of the Avilyn particles by Features include a standby power switch for 40% for the new tape, thereby low power consumption, a three -position preserving video output switch for different lighting conditions, preset levels and S/N at LP speed. white balance, a built-in electret condenser High -frequency video output mike, and three-way (AC/battery/external characteristics are also 12V DC) power capability. A claimed to have been im- shoulder pad is also provided. proved. The T-60 cassette costs $23; the T-120, $31.50.

The top -of -the -line Betamax SL -5800 from Sony has Double -Azimuth heads, which are said to dramatically improve picture quality. 'This new home VCR, a Beta II/Beta III design, can also play Beta I tapes. The Remote Com- mander Control operates such functions as variable BetaScan, which allows advancingor rewinding at from 5 to 20 times the Beta III speed while viewing the picture. One can choose from either of the two standard speeds, freeze-frame, single -frame advance, or variable slow motion (stop to 1/3 normal). This deck can also be used with Sony's BetaStack, a programmable video cassette automatic changer that allows up to 20 hours of record and playback time. -0 A front -loading "basic" home VHS VCR is available from Sharp. The VC -7400 ($899.95) has 6 hours of record/play capability and such features as solenoid controls, tape- '111 111 remaining LEDs (in minutes), and 24 -hour .7-clock with automatic stop. A dew -warning indicator also is included.

One of the newest Beta format VCRs is Sanyo's VCR -5050 ($1,195). This unit is a Beta II/Beta III machine (with respective tape times of 3 hours, 2C minutes and eV70. 5 hours), and incorporates BetaScan, which - /r. i allows viewing of the picture at 15 times Beta II Z IA speed. Freeze-frame and single -frame advance are among the seven functions that - PO can be controlled with a remote device. You can preprogram for one show in any 24 -hour period. VideoProducts

NOVEMBER 1980 A9 ..... Hom(SpeciaReport, Home Video

Important facts about VCRs, video discs, and large -screen TVs by the Editors

Home video today is many things. It's a supplement to off -the -air TV, a substitute for home movies, a new way to show your existing slides and movies, and an information system or computer display. T&] In terms of hardware, it's cameras, programmable ViMOCeAil home decks, lightweight portables, video disc players, large and mini -size TV screens, and backyard 9 satellite dishes. And whether you're a camera buff or .60%Y audio freak, you'll find that, once you've experienced SONY. home video, it will be hard not to become addicted 250- to it. VIDEO CASSETTE Involvement with video can take many forms. It's a Vet0 INCOMNG &AO ...UW1141. lot like getting a second lens or adding a phono cartridge; sure, you can get by with the basic system, ) 11 but you always want to try new and different things. PVF r The basic video system for most people is a video cassette recorder (VCR). At the moment, you have a I choice of two, mutually incompatible tape formats- Beta and VHS-with a possible third one, LVR, expected by the end of next year. Technically, Beta and VHS are quite similar; the main differences lie in the cassette size and tape path. Cassette size mainly affects maximum recording time. The Beta system, which was available commercially first, uses the smaller cassette, and its tape runs at a slightly higher speed. As a result, VHS has 3 an edge in maximum recording time: Using the thin- nest tapes and slowest speeds available for each format, VHS can pack 9 hours of program onto a tape, while Beta can manage only 5. But changers Beta and VHS Cassettes that can hold four cassettes for recording or play- Fuji's VHS cassette and Sony's Beta cassette show the back are now available for Beta decks, increasing main difference between the formats - tape length. Maxi- the maximum capacity to 20 hours with just three mum recording time with VHS is 9 hours; with Beta, 5 hours. short (10 -second) breaks.

A10 VIDEO TODAY $300 fora play -only deck. Prerecorded tapes would be far cheaper too, because all 300 tracks could be recorded in a single pass for a total duplicating time of only 25 seconds for a 2 -hour tape, compared to the 2 hours required for head -drum systems. The disadvantages are two: shorter maximum playing time (2 hours, as opposed to 5 or 9) and the

. c; availability of far fewer commercially recorded programs, at least in the beginning. Toshiba originally planned to market a home LVR 14C)r'ir this year but has postponed it until 1981, choosing instead to go ahead with one for computer data Sony's BetaStack System storage and other industrial uses. (BASF's LVR Sony's solution to the shorter Beta format playing time system, which uses longer tape and fewer tracks is a four -cassette changer. Recording time is increased and which reverses at the tape's end, was placed on to 20 hours, with only three short breaks. hold last summer, apparently indefinitely.) Philips' Video 2000, now sold in Europe, may appear here before long. It's a head -drum system with Longer recording time means lower cost, too: At servo -track control for higher track density and bet- slower speeds, a given length of tape plays longer- ter tape economy. Like today's audio cassettes, it's and double -length cassettes are usually less expen- recorded on two sides; early versions require the sive than two single -length ones. On the other hand, user to flip the cassette over to play Side 2, but auto - a 5 -hour or 9 -hour recording tape with 10 to 18 half- reverse models uncoubtedly will be offered. Both hour programs on it can be an inconvenience due to LVR and Video 2000 have higher tape speeds than the long wait while you fast -forward to the program Beta or VHS, which would indicate the potential for near the tape's end. Extended tape length is most superior audio quality. useful in taping a multipart series or for programs you'll miss during a long absence from home. In both systems, the tape is pulled out of the cassette and wrapped around a rotating head drum for recording and playback. The moving head drum 11.00.1A provides a sufficiently high tape -to -head speed for MT

good video recording without requiring that the tape ..1J J J j itself move rapidly; thus video frequencies of several JJJJJJ megahertz can be recorded on tape that moves at a 00 speed slower than that of an audio cassette tape. Toshiba's LVR Toshiba's LVR has very little in common with Beta Longitudinal recording formats, such as Toshibauses in and VHS. Instead of getting the necessary tape -to- this prototype, may be sold in the U.S. sometime next head speed by moving heads rapidly against a year. Maximum recording tine is 2 hours. slowly moving tape, it takes the more straightforward path of moving the tape rapidly over stationary heads. Moving at 5.5 meters (18 feet) per second- No current video disc system can record. Yet the about 115 times as fast as an audio cassette- the disc format still looks promising. Picture and sound tape would soon come to its end, if it had one. In- quality (at least on the laser -scanned discs used by stead, it's an endless loop, 25 seconds in duration. Magnavox and Pioneer, the only ones now in pro- The LVR switches tracks at the end of each loop just duction) are generally superior to those of tape. This as audio's eight -track system does, except that it is especially important to owners of the new big- switches 299 times (instead of 4) for a total recordingscreen projection sets. time of just over 2 hours. Discs offer dual -channel sound. Separation between channels on the current Philips/MCA laser LVR has both advantages and disadvantages when disc is sufficient for bilingual applications as well compared to the Beta and VHS systems. It offers fast as stereo. The JVC/Matsushita VHD system will access to any part of the tape, since the head has start out with stereo (and presumably bilingual) only to move across the tape's width, rather than capabilities too. And while initially RCA's Selecta- through its entire length, to get from one end to the Vision disc will be strictly mono, RCA has indicated other. Still -framing could be a problem, but repeatingthat a two -channel version will follow. a single, 25 -second track indefinitely would not be. So far, only Pioneer has issued a spec sheet And its mechanism will be smaller, lighter, simpler, detailing the sound quality of a production unit: It and cheaper than those of the VHS or Beta decks. claims 40 Hz to 20 kHz response, 55 dBA S/N, and Toshiba's target price is $500 for an LVR recorder, (continued on next page)

NOVEMBER 1980 All HOME VIDEO TODAY (continued)

Pioneer's Laser Disc Video disc players, such as your own, as you can with tape. So for now, at least, Pioneer's, are playback -only VCRs would seem the best way for most of you to get units. But picture and sound your feet wet in video. quality generally are superior to those of tape. No matter what you choose as a source, you'll find that you don't have to watch video programming on the 19- or 23 -inch TV screen that you're accustomed to. Projection, or big -screen, TV is invading the viewing room. Until recently, these systems were all Ctil front -projection, which meant that you had to " hide" the projector, usually as a piece of furniture such as a coffee table. GE, the first major company to offer a home rear -screen projection system, this year has an "improved" version with a much brighter picture. Mo ma, ni , A& -1113- One advantage of rear projection is that both projector and screen are generally in a single unit, so that less than 0.3% THD -far better than video tape nothing can come between them. Screens are can offer. usually 4 to 5 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet high. Several Pioneer's VP -1000 illustrates some special conve- companies currently offer these large -screen niences of the laser -scanned system: There's a 3X systems. fast -motion mode; slow motion variable from normal - down to 1 frame per second; still -framing with virtually no noise or jitter; the ability to step forward or backward one frame at a time; and a fast -scan mode 1 that zips through the entire disc, forward or backward, in about 30 seconds, with the image visible on the screen. Another advantage of the disc format is lower replication costs; because the entire recorded surface is exposed at once, a disc can be stamped out like a high -precision cookie. In contrast, tape must run, inch by inch, through a duplicator; with current technology, a 2 -hour tape takes 2 hours to duplicate, making the process quite expensive.

The players are less expensive too. At about $700, the Magnavox and Pioneer laser -disc models cost about the same as the cheapest video cassette recorders, while offering elaborate scanning and slow-, still-, or fast -motion modes. SelectaVision and VHD are supposed to sell for about $500 (which Panasonic CT -4500 is doubtful, considering the inflation rate), or lower Today's large -screen projection TV systems, than any VCR to date. like Panasonic's, are overcoming their major With so much to offer, disc systems would seem to drawback - dim pictures. have an easy pathway into our homes, if they weren't all totally incompatible. It's possible that a system could be made that would play all three types of video But with the enlarged screens has come a prob- discs. But it wouldn't be easy or cheap. A single, om- lem, and that is one of clarity. It's analogous to blow- nibus player would probably cost about the same as ing up a film negative -at some point the grain three separate ones, with space being the only sav- becomes a problem. The picture on your TV screen ing. And don't expect any of the originators of these comprises 540 separate lines, or electron -beam systems to encourage such a multimode player. scans. If you view your TV from next to the screen, That makes video discs very much a gamble. you can easily see them. Home video recorders Should VHS and Beta tape be superseded next weekemploy a recording and playback system that es- by a truly sensational new tape system, VHS and sentially reduces the scans by half (to 260 lines for Beta owners wouldn't quite be out of luck. Blank black and white, 240 for color). Thus each scan tapes would still be made for some years, and people line becomes more visible on the screen. Now could record programs off the air or from cable TV. multiply your screen size by 12 (to increase it to But disc systems make sense only so long as pro- large -screen size), and you literally can seethe gram material is available for them: You can't make (continued on page A16)

Al2 VIDEO TODAY viaco rue Portable Generally, this denotes a lightweight VCR specifically designed for live, in -the -field recording. Including a rechargeable battery, these units weigh under 15 pounds and some even less than 10 pounds. They accept the standard VCR cassette and generally have both normal and extended recording capabilities. As the batteries last for only about an hour, you'll probably want one or two in reserve Companion plug-in programmable tuner/timer modules areavailable for most portable decks.

Speeds Fast or slow speeds are available on both formats of VCRs. Beta calls its speeds Beta II (or X2) and Beta Ill (or X3), which allow maximum recording times of 3 and ir:715 hours, respectively. VHS decks have

either two or three speeds. All have (.9r, the original SP (standard play), which t - provides up to 2 hours of recording on a T-120 tape; LP (long play) and EP (extended play) permit 4- and 6 -hour ,1 recordings on the same length. 7

ILL flab*3000114.1101.00

3-2 2s,

Slow motion -- p_' *r**4 This term generally describes several

t. AIM slower -than -normal speed functions

- .41 on a VCR, including stil -frame, frame - 1C by -frame advance, and slow motion. Still -frame allows you to continuously view a particular frame, much the Dew -warning indicator same as with a motion- picture projec- Rapid cooling of the air often produces tor. Single -frame -advance will show dew, or condensation. If, for example, you have been using your portable VCR outside you successive frames at a very slow on a hot day and walk into an air-condi- speed, and slow motion adds a little tioned house, condensation may form on more speed and fluidity to the picture. the VCR head drum. As a result, the tape may stick to the drum and break. A dew - Picture stability has been a problem at warning indicator shows when the mois- these slow speeds, but stabilization ture level is too high. At least one portable deck has an internal "heater" to prevent circuits have been added to some of this condition. the newest VCRs.

NOVEMBER 1980 (continued on next page) A13 vine° rue

FILM 116 MMI SOUNDTRACK FRAMES Burn """.""a"."."."`"".".."""'""."""osaissisalalso .,.....-.4ant.), In video, "burn" has a nega- Si1 tive connotation. Remember 110 ta 131 1 MI'Ili: : irl 13ra what happened when the as- tronauts were on the moon, ti JQ L7 ,.-_____-, and one of them pointed the SPROCKET HOLES portable camera toward the VIDEO TAPE 11/2-INCHI SOUNDTRACK sun? Zap. No picture. The sun

11 1111111 011111111111111111111111111 111111 11111111 III I III III 1111 III 11111111111111III 1111II111111 111 1 1 1 had severely "burned" the ir- sensitive TV tube. The same thing can happen in your back- ill.....-....->,.. - ...-0.**. yard (or even inside, if the lens is pointed toward too bright a VIDEO TRACKS '1'CONTROL TRACK light). To avoid burn, never Time -base stability point your camera toward the sun; always cap or close the The stability of motion -picture film is linked to lens (video lenses usually MI its sprocket holes: A revolving sprocket wheel have a "close" position in turns and advances the film at a constant which no light can pass Clit through); and refrain from speed. Video tape must rely on electronics, carrying the camera angled which take the form of a "control track" on the upward. Minor burns show up Clit tape. A separate head lays down this track of as tiny black spots. synchronization pulses during recording and w reads it during playback. Tapes recorded and aio or In. played back on the same deck usually are very aft ani stable. But because the head -to -tape relationship varies minutely among VCRs, instability gee can occur when a tape recorded on one machine is played back on a second one. "Tracking controls" restore the proper relationship.

ccevette

. 41111.1111111Mmuir Nwo - 4 a.

e Vett !rj iil;i- :, t " e - : a !'-- , Programmable il..._ -.117 --....,,_ Essentially this means that you're not stuck with recording what's on the TV at Indexing the moment-or for that matter, with hav- This is the ability to locate a particular spot on ing to watch what you're taping. VCRs a video tape or video disc. VCRs, for example, are composed of two sections, a tape have tape index counters similar to those found recording/playback deck and a tuner/ on audio tape decks. Most of these have a "memory" rewind that will stop the deck when timer. Home decks have both functions in the counter reaches zero. A slightly more ad- a single nit; portables have a separate vanced form of indexing is available on some new plug-in tuner/timer. In either case, the decks. It allows you to put cue signals on the tuner/timer is responsible for the pro- control track of the tape, and the VCR will stop at gramming. A wide variety of program- these cue signals in either fast -wind mode. This principle has been adapted to a few portables, ming capabilities is possible. The enabling you to obtain "glitch -free" edits while simplest (and least expensive) allows you recording live: The deck automatically reverses to watch one channel while taping from the tape a short distance, then advances the another. More sophisticated ones have tape, switching to the recording mode as the cue 12- or 14 -pushbutton tuning whereby you point is reached. Video disc machines, such as Philips' and Pioneer's laser -scanned systems and can assign channels to each button. Matsushita/JVC's VHD system, permit access Some will record up to eight programs in to a particular frame by keying in its number. any 14-cay period unattended.

A14 VIDEO TODAY An ABC Sports Instant Replay... RELIVE THE MIRACLE OF LAKE PLACID and over 25 other heart -racing human dramas on this spectacular 90 minute videocassette! "H ig h I ights of the 1980 Winter Olympics" Jim McKay called it "the impossible dream" And no Hollywood scriptwriter could have plotted more edge -of -your -chair suspense into a story.

When the U.S. hockey team came from behind to defeat Czechoslovakia...then the Soviet Unionthen Finland for the gold medal, all America erupted with joy. Relive those moments.

0 _

Breathtaking!

And relive Eric Heiden's breathtaking speed skating achievements. Five broken Olympic records. Five gold medals for the 'U.S. And view, as often as you want, the thrilling and beautiful competition between figure skaters Anett Poetzsch of East Germany and our own Linda Fratianne. Encore! Encore! The gold medal -winning performance o' Robin Cousins. Inspirational! Be inspired once more by Phil Mahre's heroic return from a tragic iniury to clinch a silver medal for the U.S. Edged out for the gold by the great Alpine skiier, 1 Ingemar Stenmark. 50 hours reduced

1 to 90 thrilling minutes! This is real life human drama .as well as living history. - Prepared by ABC Sports from their more than 50 hours of televised Winter Olympic coverage, these 90 minutes of concentrated Olympic Highlights have never been, .4aii and will never be broadcast in this thrilling form. rp. Remarkably priced at $49.95! "Highlights of the 1980 Winter Olympics" is an invaluable addition to your home -viewing library. And ABC is p making it available at a price everyone can afford... Please send me ABCSports' "Highlights of the 1980 Winter Olympics" just $49.95. Every family with a video recorderor To: ABC VIDEO ENTERPRISES, INC. with plans to someday purchase a video recorder... Post Office Box 1269 should act now to own this piece of thrilling history Radio City Station, New, N.Y 1CD19

BETA Paymentis enclosed (check or money order) VHS Videocassette 0Charge to my Visa, Master Charge, American Express, or Diners Club Card: The low purchase price of $49.95 includes postage and handling. A _ _ Expiration Date _ Allow four to six weeks New `Kok State residents include applicable sales tax. ABCVideoEnterprises for shipment. Important: To order multiple cope. enclose $49.95 for each videocassette, and indicate the number ordered in this box. A spectacular ght or premium.

Name Signature Address

City State Zip ABC VIDEO ENTERPRISES, INC., a subsidiary of American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. c Ipao ATP,Cdn 8fOadCafriPS CO,Jan , Vi

NOVEMBER 1980 A15 EDITORIAL (continued) on the pros and cons of compet- Coming in ing video disc and tape systems; valuable insights into how to December's make quality home video movies; accurate and thorough buying guides to video cassette recorders, cameras, and projection TV; CSPECIAL REPORTS ON VIDEO DISCS a monthly cut -out -and -save section ("VideoFile") of useful tips; and authoritative in -lab and in - HOW EACH FORMAT WORKS the -field test reports. IS ONE FORMAT TECHNICALLY SUPERIOR? VIDEO TODAY is prepared primarily by editors of HIGH FIDELITY and A FIRSTHAND APPRAISAL OF PIONEER'S LASER MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY maga- DISC AND MAGNAVOX'S MAGNAVISION zines, who include: Peter Dobbin, associate audio - video editor of HIGH FIDELITY THE PRIZE (continued) HOME VIDEO TODAY (continued) and writer for its former "Video problem. Still, the large images less, too). The deck, which con- Topics" column. nects to standard video cameras, possible with the projection TV should already be available in are impressive, and most people Tony Galluzzo, motion -picture many areas. (See "New Video seem willing to pick a viewing editor of MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY. Products" next month.) location far enough from the Robert Long, audio -video editor Meanwhile, RCA has ap- screen so that the picture is of HIGH FIDELITY and also a "Video parently abandoned its "all or clear, if not crisp. Topics" writer. nothing" approach for "part of William Tynan, special projects something" and is taking steps When a backyard satellite TV director for HIGH FIDELITY, editor of toward securing a strong position receiving antenna was offered STEREO and of its and HF's annual for its SelectaVision video disc a few years ago in a specialty publications, and former director system. At the moment, the store's Christmas catalog for of news and programming for MCA/Philips system (under $35,000, it was a conversation High Fidelity Cable Television. Pioneer and Magnavox brand piece. Similar antennas are Assisting with the in -lab tests will names) has the market to itself. becoming a reality for some peo- be Edward J. Foster of Diver- SelectaVision and the VHD's ple; in a few years, they may be sified Science Laboratories, an system developed by JVC/ commonplace. During the sum- audio testing facility for HIGH Matsushita are scheduled for in- mer, the consumer electronics FIDELITY and STEREO magazines. troduction next year. press was shown a 9 -foot anten- RCA has sacrificed "brand na dish costing $3,000 from And giving ever valuable guid- share" of the video disc market American Value, Inc., of Rolling ance will be Herbert Keppler, for format share by signing up Meadows, Illinois. Though you publisher of MODERN PHOTOGRA- both Sears, Roebuck & Company need another $2,000 in equip- PHY and internationally known and J. C. Penney Company to sell ment to hook it to your TV, it still is camera expert. its SelectaVision machines as the an indicator of how quickly the cost of these devices is falling. "store brand." The fact that these Editor William Tynan two chain stores are major factors Why would you want a dish? in the sale of color TVs is seen as Well, two Satcom satellites are Peter Dobbin a major marketing advantage for circling the earth, providing a Senior Editors Tony Galluzzo RCA as it launches its format 24 -hour communications link for Robert Long against established competitors. business and industry. A satellite Technical Editor Edward J.Foster antenna allows you to tap the Perhaps the corporation be- Copy Editor Rebecca Abbott lieves that the prize will go to the same sources for free (at least Lynda Carlotta format with the greatest quan- currently). Live sports and 24 Assistant Editors tity of machines on the market. channels of pay TV are among Debbie Garry There are those who are con- the things you can receive. Editorial Production Kathleen Davis vinced that dominance will de- As we said earlier, "home Graphics Tony Palagonia pend instead on the relative value video" today is many things, and Robert S. Clark (interest) of the software pro- an increasing number of people Editorial Consultants Herbert Keppler grams for this play -only medium. are finding it an exciting new area But then, that's a subject in itself. of interest. Assistant to the Editor Patricia Vogt

A16 VIDEO TODAY If7WASTs ?ck

I Al eSti ENIf ET. S UES Record Care, Part 1: Aqueous Cleaningvs. Organic Solvents

Electron microscopy (Figure 1) shows the principal In some record care products, organic solventsare cause of record wear: small particles of microdust, used rather than water. Organic solvents suchas deposited from the air by gravity, are ground along ozone -gobbling chlorofluorocarbons, petroleum the record groove by the stylus. Surface noisegoes distillates (hexane, heptane) and alcohol up. Sound quality goes down. concentrates are indeed speedy extractors and

,2*". delivery solvents. They evaporate fast. Some organic solvents can dissolve vinyl stabilizers, Organic solvents may leave a "slick" looking record by treating the disc with other compounds carried in the solvent mix. In doingso, record 4 contamination may also be dried back onto the disc in a nice even layer. Dust is often "held"to the record surface by "treatment"

Record etched by dust held to surface by 'slick" treatment St Figure 1

tirmem.ar

o Record cleaned with D4 System Figure 3 Electron micrograph (Figure 3) showsa record cleaned with the Discwasher D4 System. High technology record care leaves onlya clean surface.

et, 4,4 Drop of D4 Fluid on record 45)0 Figure 2 Figure 2 shows a drop of the aqueous Discwasher D4 Fluid, literally lifting dust and contamination out of record grooves. The extraordinarily complex D4 Fluid uses water pure enough for kidney A dialysis, along with eleven chemically engineered additives that still results in lower dry -weight residue than most tap water. This formula is amazingly high in cleaning activity, uniquely safe for vinyl and vinyl additives, and preferentially 8 "carries" contamination into thenew Discwasher 41011discwasher D4 pad. PRODUCTS TO CARE FOR YOUR MUSIC Discwasl-er, Inc., 1407 N. Providence Rd., Columbia, MO 65201

Circle 9 on Reader -Service Card ,4 -r- JVC has brought you a lot of ,

cassette deck technology... 4

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While a lot of companies were SA heads. Comprised of a sendust We also offer the professional calling their flashing lights and alloy in a laminated structure, these convenience of full -logic, solenoid elaborate memory systems "break- JVC heads were the first to take controls. Unlike stiff, mechanical throughs," JVC was exploring ways advantage of sendust's electromag- switches, solenoid controls are acti- to make cassette recordings sound netic and physical superiority, while vated by a light touch. And you can better. avoiding the high -frequency limita- switch directly from mode to mode As a result, we've not only come tions of conventional sendust. So (like "record" to "rewind") without up with important ways to improve they're perfect for recording and damaging the tape or the deck itself. cassette fidelity; we're also able to erasing metal tape, as wall as any The KD-A33 also provides accurate offer them in affordable decks. other kind of tape. VU meters with readings to +7 dB The KD-A33, for $299.95," is a per- Our Super ANRS contributes a lot and provisions for optional remote fect example. Naturally, it's metal - of fidelity, too. Years ahead of its control. compatible, as are all eight decks in time, Super ANRS combines noise The specs are no less impressive. JVC's line. But more important, it reduction and headroom extension. Frequency response is an honest delivers everything that metal prom- That means improved dynamic range 30-16,0000 Hz +3 dB. When you use ises: stunning clarity, especially with with both metal and non-metal tapes. Super ANRS, it will sound even wider high-energy musical transients. Very because of added high -frequency low distortion. Superb deep -bass Metal -compatible headroom. Wow and flutter are 0.04% extension. Accurate frequency WRMS. Signal-to-noise ratio is 70 dB balance. K D 403 with ANRS in. How do we achieve this kind of fidelity? It's mainly in our heads. cassette deck 'Manufacturer's suggested retail price

JVC 411141.. ,,,q1 IIII,, Te Aif Overe S. .1.i 1 METAL reticle Tier s amt. 10.1 . : - 7./ wievx 11.1V A I I .., 0o fI 11, 6111I

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-4 800-221-7502 RPS,t111 fiLIA {,e95,1, 1B - Coil 7. -"-Terminals Just dial this toll -free number Metal tape for the location of your nearest JVC dealer. (In New York State, ( --Ferrite 212-476-8300.) While you're there, core Jr4 you can also check out our KD-A7, metal -compatible deck with built-in Conventional hi-fi tape Gaps &In -Alloy chips spectro peak indicators, for $499.95. Hysteresis curves: metal vs. conventional tape 2 -Gap SA erase head Our KD-A8, with a built-in B.E.S.T. computer. Or any of five other JVC decKs that were built with only one goal in mind-to give you quality cassette performance for your dollar. Lisa KD-A8 1 "7.751" - r-1.

Emilenc:Mil 0-121 .7. , 9 et 01 1 - ;7 fumeEp2r, JVC KD-A7 KD-A77 US JVC CORP 58-75 Queens Midtown Expressway, Maspeth, N.Y. 11378 212-476-8300 Circle 22 on Reader -Service Card 36 HIGH FIDELITY

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I own an Akai GX-4000DB strongly as they do to the record vinyl) noise, and poor placement of speakers 0,open -reel deck. It works just from the unbuffed area. can alter perceived high -end response. fine, except that during playback it has a We've actually had very good results tendency to bring in some of the bass 42.Since storage space seems to be- playing Dolby -encoded cassettes on car from the program running in the other come more of a problem in my decks with no Dolby decoding. The direction. It's doubtful that this is caused apartment all the time, could you please "false" high -end response thus gener- by print -through since I use quality tape tell me just how far from a loudspeaker ated is then naturally rolled off by the (Maxell LN) and run it at 71/2 ips. What's recorded tapes should be stored to pre- car interior. We have even been sur- the problem, and what can I do to rem- vent their damage by speaker mag- prised by the quality of playback when edy it?-Jeff Davis, Cottage Grove, nets?-R. S. Tiesler, New York, N.Y. a metal -alloy cassette is played back Minn. through a car deck not equipped with AmIn an ideal loudspeaker, all of the the proper equalization for this most The condition you describe is magnetic flux would be concen- premium of tapes. The trick in getting sometimes called "fringing," and trated in the voice coil for maximum effi- good sound in a car is to forget some of nothing can be done about it. The ciency. Real -world magnets, however, the rules that govern home listening: longer wavelengths of low -frequency generate enough stray magnetic fields Considering the variables of audio on music have a tendency to "reach out" to damage taped music if it gets near wheels, creative experimentation should from the track they were recorded on enough. So while we've never experi- be the rule. Or you can always add an and thus are picked up in quarter -track enced even partial erasure attributable equalizer to your car system. playback as "leakage" from the adjacent to a speaker, we're unwilling to chance tracks, recorded in the opposite direc- it with treasured tapes. Since the inter- I'm sure you've been asked tion. (Cassettes, incidentally, suffer less nal volume of speaker systems, their about pre -echo before, but one from this phenomenon because the magnetic design, and the materials used more time for my benefit, please! It tracks for the two directions of tape in their construction are so variable, no seems to be almost impossible to buy a travel are not interleaved and a rela- single prescription can be offered. If you record these days that isn't so afflicted. tively wide guard band is left between have an appropriate oscillator, record a I've heard various theories as to its them.) Print -through, which manifests it- standard (say, Dolby -level) tone on both cause, including the claim that it is delib- self as leakage from one spot to another sides of a series of tapes and store them erately introduced in the record -cutting on the same track, has no relation to for a few days beside and above your process. If so, why? Is there any rem- overall tape quality nor, essentially, to speakers. If the playback level then is edy?-Richard McChesney, Colorado transport speed. measurably lower than it was before Springs, Colo. storage-and particularly if the tracks After applying Sound Guard [the nearest the speakers show the most When a record is cut, the pliable Q.record preservative/lubricant], I loss-you have reason to worry. A.lacquer of the master is sub- noticed a swishing noise with each rota- jected to extreme pressures. In a loud tion of the record. I thought that this I recently purchased a Blaupunkt musical passage, the cutting stylus can was probably the result of my own 2001 car stereo unit. Despite its deform the lacquer surrounding the inadequate buffing of the Sound Guard good overall performance, I am disap- groove, even as far away as the wall of in one part of the disc.I then attempted pointed in the cassette player's handling the groove preceding that actually to mitigate the problem by cleaning the of high frequencies. The high -end cut is being cut. If the master is plated and a treated record with the Discwasher D-3 quite noticeable when I switch on the record pressed that way, the deforma- system. After two cleanings, the noise Dolby decoder. A friend suggested that tion will allow you to "hear through" disappeared. But now I'm concerned my home deck was not good enough to into the next groove-pre-echo. that I have removed the Sound Guard make quality Dolby recordings, but since You cannot "remedy" it, but altogether, leaving my record unpro- then I have changed to a Nakamichi record companies can prevent it by two tected. Have 1?-Robert Wildman, New 1000. Is loss of highs typical of car set- basic methods: Spread the grooves far- York, N.Y. ups with the Dolby on? And is there a ther apart (reducing the maximum play- way to improve the response without ing time and/or running the inner According to information sup- creating a false sound by fooling with grooves closer to the label, where distor- A.plied by Sound Guard, Disc - the bias/E0 switches when making the tion is higher) or cut the disc at a lower washer will not readily remove the thin original recording?-Robert DeAgazio, level (and hence with a poorer signal- coating of the chemical lubricants. For Parma Heights, Ohio. to-noise ratio). Either approach may be an even application, Sound Guard rec- avoided deliberately for obvious reasons, ommends buffing the treated record im- AWe have encountered the prob- but to say that pre -echo is deliberately mediately after application of the fluid. It lem in car stereo playback and created is nonsense. does seem as though you missed a spot, believe it to be chiefly attributable to allowing a heavy deposit to remain, and the acoustics of the automobile. You We regret that, due to the volume that the Discwasher cleaning removed don't supply us with information on of reader mail we get, we cannot the extra Sound Guard (whose mole- speaker location, type of car, and so on, give individual answers to all

cules don't adhere to each other as but interior padding, high ambient 111 questions. Circle 25 on Reader -Service Card 4 - or `X .94re No 1

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If lately your favorite recordings sound like they're gradually unrecording, it could be the tape they're on. You see the oxide particles on some tapes just aren't boundon very well. And when the oxide particles come off, your music could come off sounding faded and weak. Maxell, however, has developed a unique bindingprocess that helps stop those oxide particles from taking a hike. We also polish our tape to a mirror finish to reduce friction, the major maxell cause of oxide shedding. So with Maxell, even if you playa tape over and over, the music won't disappear before your very ears. IT'S WORTH IT 60 0. Ny4 0... An.r../c AA*

ra 5, The secret of Onkyo.

Let Onkyo transport you to a world beyond with all types of tape . . .both metal and conventional. electronics . . . to a world of more perfect sound. The Onkyo TA -2050 also provides a rich and Where you'll hear music of such stunning purity and important array of other high performance features sensual richness, that you'll forget you're listening to . . .soft touch controls with IC logic . . . aDolby* noise an audio system. reduction system with switchable MPX filter . . . large,

That's the secret of Onkyo . . . and Onkyo's illuminated "peak -hold" meters for greater precision dramatic success. The unique ability to take you and convenience . . . amemory-stop/memory-play several steps beyond pure technology.. . to experi- system . . . atimer mode selector . . . and full remote ence more exciting sound. And you'll find it in all our control capability when used with the optional RC -5 components . . . including all four of our new stereo remote control unit. tape decks. Two valuable features of the TA -2050 are its in- The Onkyo TA -2050 is an outstanding example. stant muting and automatic fade in/fade out control

It goes further than other tape decks . . . to harness systems . . . which permit far more professional re- the full performance potential of new metal tapes. cording effects. Musical passages can be "cut -in" or

One reason is Onkyo's exclusive "Accu-Bias" control "cut-out" instantly . . . or"faded -in" or "faded -out" system, which guides you to far more precise tape smoothly. And cassettes can be recorded right to the bias adjustments. Brighter, cleaner high notes are end . ..then rewound a short bit to overlay a profes- the reward. sional "fade-out" effect. The Onkyo TA -2050 also utilizes a full logic di- Styling is superb. Brushed silver metal with ele- rect drive motor transport for extremely high reliabil- gant appointments . ..in a dramatically handsome ity with minimum wow new slim- line design. and flutter. A second I oa. And the TA -2050 is just motor handles fast oppoilM one of four important forward and rewind' new metal tape -compat- functions. A special ible stereo cassette tape

Hard-Permalloy alie- decks from Onkyo.

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'TM of Dolby Laboratories The Onkyo TA -2050 A remarkably advanced stereo cassette deck that harnesses the full potential of new metal tapes. NOVEMBER 1980 39 Digitalvs.Analogvs.Direct -Cut Discs Can you hear the difference? Does one come out on top? A distinguished panel judges. by Leonard Marcus and R. Derrick Henry

You are a record company executive. from Golden Crest a recording made not 1You have just managed to sign one for public distribution, but for industry of the world's most glamorous maestros demonstration. It was of a concert by the to conduct one of the most marketable Michigan State University Wind En- symphony orchestras in one of the most semble playing Karel Husa's Al Fresco, popular warhorses inhabiting the sym- the composer conducting. On one side phonic stable-say, Leonard Bernstein was the concert recorded via the com- leading the Chicago Symphony Orches- pany's Telefunken Series 12 (analog) tra in Beethoven's Fifth. Will it be a hit? tape recorder using Telefunken's Tel- These days, the answer would seem to com noise -reduction system. On the be yes-if you jack up the price and put "digi- other side was the same concert, picked up tal" on the record jacket. with the same microphones but recorded It is no secret that whatever aural on a Sony MC 100 digital tape recorder. advantages the new audiophile tech- Almost best of all for the purpose of niques may have, the buzzwords "digi- making a fair comparison of the two tal," "direct -to -disc," and "audiophile" sides, the label did not reveal which was itself are almost more important to a se- analog, which was digital. With a fillip of rious recording's commercial success humor, Golden Crest simply marked than either the music or the performers. one side "?" and the other "??". As we These discs become hot sellers despite pointed out last March (in "The Great the fact that they usually cost more. Ego Crunchers" by Daniel Shane field), Are they worth the money? Can for an A/B test to be valid it must be you even hear any difference? If so, Pianist Frager comparing keyboard "double blind"; that is, not only the per- which technology is preferable? And recordings: "This sounds very much son appraising the variables but the one what, if any, audible merit can be as- like a piano." conducting the test must be ignorant of cribed to these new techniques? Engi- which is A and which is B. (For those neers and other theorists have long ar- records that did identify the technology gued the pros and cons of digital and/or The Recordings employed on each disc or side, we direct -to -disc procedures vis-a-vis the "blinded" the tester by one of two traditional recordings-made from Obviously, what was needed was means: Either the label was obliterated analog tapes-we all know and love. But a pair or trio of recordings in which by a second one-coded by a nonpartici- carrthe listener tell? All these questions nothing varied except for the process pant-or a nonparticipant placed the bothered us, as they have so many being judged; in other words, a single discs on the turntables and, after setting record collectors, and we decided to find recording session picked up by one set of them spinning, left the room before the the answers. microphones, the control booth being tester began the experiments.) Certainly there have been some supplied with a standard professional Golden Crest also released two extraordinary -sounding "audiophile" analog recorder, a digital recorder, and a "comparison" sets of piano recitals by discs released during the past few years. cutting lathe to take the music directly Grant Johannesen, the first made in1977, But there have also been extraordinary - onto a master disc. The same lathe the second last year. In the earlier set, Jo- sounding discs that didn't proclaim would then be used to derive masters hannesen recorded Schumann's Six In- themselves as anything especially audio- from the tapes. Finally, the rest of the termezzos, Op. 4, via the Ampex ATR- philiac. So how much of any benefit dis- manufacturing process would be the 100 (analog) tape recorder using the cernible on certain "superdiscs" has same for all the pressed discs. same Telcom noise -reduction system been due to a particular technology and Pressed discs were essential. It is and simultaneously onto Neumann how much to the companies' care all very well to compare digital with computer lathes through Westrex 3D II - throughout the production? Granted that analog master tapes, or either with di- H cutting heads/amplifiers, the same "A Digital Recording!" makes for a rect -cut masters or mothers, but that is equipment with which the tape-recorded catchier record -jacket slogan than "We not what the record -buyer finds in the master would be cut. Side 2 of both discs Were Especially Careful with This store. Besides, the manufacturing proc- consisted of Debussy's Masques and Recording's Plating Process," what, we esses might mask, and thus make irrele- L'Isle joyeuse and Copland's Piano Vari- wondered, do the glamorous tech- vant, any original advantages. ations, but the noise -reduction system nologies actually contribute? About a year ago we received for the taped version, recorded on the 40 HIGH FIDELITY

Telefunken Series 12 machine, was other, was the most sophisticated inte- Dolby A. Golden Crest used Neumann grated amp Yamaha ever placed on the FET-47 and 84 microphones. The more vir market, the recently discontinued CA - recent Johannesen recital comprised 2010. This was fed by two Technics belt - Faure's Ballade, Op. 19a, Schumann's driven manual turntables, an SL -B1 and three Fantasiestiicke, Op. 111, Mozart's an SL -B2 (the only difference being the Variations on a Minuet by Jean Pierre Du - automatic return of the arm on the lat- port, K. 573, and Poulenc's Theme varie. ter), each supplied with Shure's top car- One disc was recorded by the Sony digi- tridge, the V-15 Type IV. Still, using a tal system, the other cut directly by the pink -noise test record and sound pres- Neumann lathe. The mikes this time a sure level meter, one turntable /cartridge were the newer Neumann FET-89s. Thus combination read about 1 dB louder than the record company was giving us four the other, and that had to be taken into procedures to compare: direct -to -disc, account. In order to offset this and any digitally recorded tapes, analogically re- other variations in the two record -play- corded tape with Telcom, and analo- ing systems, during our listening ses- gically recorded tape with Dolby A. sions we switched the cartridges, as well More recently, Vanguard issued a as the recordings, between the two comparative disc of Haydn's Symphony turntables. No. 100 in G (Military), with Johannes Each listener went through the Somary conducting the Mostly Mozart same series in the same order. To avoid - Festival Orchestra. On Side 1, the sym- psychological clues, the tester, who here phony is heard as picked up by Neu- H. C. Robbins Landon listening to was the Leonard Marcus component of mann KM -86 mikes and recorded Haydn disc: "Imagine that! Not Lan - this article's "we," sat behind the listener through an MCI JH-110B analog tape don's edition!" and, of course, did not himself know the recorder that Vanguard says has wow identity of the discs. To counteract the and flutter of .035%, a frequency re- Neumann stereo valve cutting amplifier variable of mental fatigue or "ear aging" sponse of 30-24,000 kHz, + 0.5, -2.0 dB, system, SX-74 stereo cutter head, and during each session, the recording and a dynamic range of 78 dB. For the lathe both made the direct -to -disc ver- played first (the Grant Johannesen Schu- flip side the recording system was the sion and cut the masters from the tapes. mann/Debussy/Copland recital, direct Sony PCM-1600 digital processor cou- To complete the particulars, Nimbus vs. tape -to -disc) was repeated at the end. pled to Sony's U-Matic video cassette used a Calrec Soundfield microphone Panelists could listen as long as they recorder BVU-200A, with wow and flut- and amplifier and UHJ stereo encoder. wished to each selection and could ter claimed to be "beneath measurable The leftover side of the five -disc request switching at will. limits" and rated frequency response of album was given over to the final move- The state-of-the-art system was "20-20,000 Hz, + 0.05, -1.0 dB," and a ment recorded in yet a fourth technique: that of audio designer and musician dynamic range "greater than 90 dB." Ex- 78 rpm, unspecified, but presumably Mitchell A. Cotter, manufacturer of cept for one splice just before the drum analog. At any rate, we did not use this some of the most sophisticated phono roll at the end of the introduction to the side in our comparison listening tests. equipment in the industry, at his estab- first movement, which by error was The Nimbus package is not available in lishment in Mount Vernon, New York. made in slightly different spots on the the U.S. and our copies arrived from We opted for a one -turntable arrange- two sides, Vanguard says the versions Wales after our listening sessions were ment. While this precluded instantane- are exactly the same. under way, so only a few of our listeners ous A/B comparisons and introduced a And finally, in November 1979, got a chance to make that comparison. possibly fickle aural memory of specific the Welsh record company Nimbus Like Golden Crest on its band recording, passages, it meant that the playback made a four-way comparable recording Nimbus did not identify which sides equipment remained exactly the same. of Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29, in B were which, and after the sessions, we Here a Bedini 25/25 Class A amplifier flat, Op. 106 (Hammerklavier), as per- had to call Wales to decode the symbols. drove a pair of Quad electrostatic loud- formed by British pianist Bernard Rob- speakers, while a Janis W-1 subwoofer erts. Three systems were used simulta- Listening Setups was powered by Janis' own Interphase 1 neously to capture Roberts' performance bass amplifier. The platter, motor, and on discs that, to attain better quality, We actually used two setups, one electronics (but none of the mounting were cut at 45 rpm. This meant that each of excellent quality that might be found mechanism) of a Technics SP -10 Mk. 2 Hammerklavier took three sides instead of in a serious audiophile's home, and the direct -drive turntable was joined to the the usual two. For the analog version, other of such state of the art that we had Cotter B-1 turntable base. A pickup of a Nimbus used an Ampex ATR-104 four - to visit a professional audio company to classic low -impedance moving -coil de- track half -inch tape recorder running at hear it. We set up the first system at our sign incorporating a line contact stylus 30 ips with Ampex 456 Grand Master headquarters in Great Barrington, Mas- on an experimentally developed cantile- tape and Dolby A noise reduction. The sachusetts. For speakers we used the top ver was mounted in a Fidelity Research digital equipment was the same as Van- of Acoustic Research's line, a pair of AR - FR -66S tonearm. guard's: the Sony PCM-1600 with a 9s. The amplifier, which permitted A/B This disc playback setup fed BVU-200A video cassette recorder. A switching from one turntable to the equipment entirely of Cotter's manufac- NOVEMBER 1980 41 ture: a Mk. 2 moving -coil pickup trans- Symphony Orchestra; The Results former, a PSC-2 phono signal condi- Malcolm Frager, concert pianist tioner (the RIAA equalization preamp and Telarc (digital) recording artist; I. Grant Johannesen Piano Recital- stage), a CU -2 control unit, and an NFB-2 Gunther Schuller, composer, con- Golden Crest noise filter/buffer to feed the Bedini and ductor, Grammy winner for his Scott PLAYED-Schumann: Six Intermezzos, Janis power amps. The entire system was Joplin recordings, artistic director of the Op. 4 grounded through a GS -2 ground strip Berkshire Music Center, former presi- Direct -to -disc vs. analog tape -to -disc and plugged into a PW-2 power supply. dent of the New England Conservatory, with Telcom Triaxial cables were used for all inter- and now president of the National Music connections. The Cotter pickup's lateral Council; and vertical tracking angles were metic- Richard Kaye, general manager of r 41. - /11,,,9 ulously aligned for each record played, Boston classical radio station WCRB and with one significant exception, about producer of the broadcast transcriptions ;1- which more later. A Platter Matter turn- ? for the New York Philharmonic and Bos- -2/ table pad and Orsonic record clamp ton Symphony Orchestra; grant completed the ensemble. If any differ- Robert Long, audio -video editor Jokanete8ert ences among the various technologies of HIGH FIDELITY and a classical music in recital

were discernible, they should have come buff; DIRECT -to -DISC vets.' TAPE to -DISC out all the more strongly in this extraor- Peter Dobbin, associate audio- dinary system. video editor of HIGH FIDELITY and a rock This comparison was made only The tests here were conducted by music buff; in Massachusetts; and Schuller, who R. Derrick Henry. Because of scheduling Edward J. Foster, audio engineer heard the Nimbus piano comparisons difficulties, it was not feasible to dupli- and president of Diversified Science instead, did not audition any of the Jo- cate the one -person -at -a -time listening Laboratories, the audio testing firm. hannesen piano performances. There tests of Massachusetts. Instead, three was consensus that the surfaces were sessions were held, each with two active IN NEWYORK bad and pre -echo annoying on both ver- participants. It should be noted that each sions. Landon and Long noted that they panelist, even the fussiest, expressed sat- Mitchell A. Cotter, president of were worse in the tape -to -disc version, isfaction that the setup was perfectly ad- the audio company of that name, equally but each consistently preferred it any- equate for its intended function of mak- at home with tensor calculus, quantum way. Long complained about the top end ing subtle sonic comparisons among the mechanics, electronic circuitry, and mu- in both. The direct -cut, whether favored various recordings. In neither New York sic (he has been an orchestral conductor (Silverstein, Foster, Frager, and Kaye) nor Massachusetts were they told what and is a pianist); a pioneer in digital tech- or not (Landon, Long, Dobbin), often audio techniques they were comparing, nology since the 1950s; elicited similar descriptions that implied and indeed, in one felicitous goof, the Peter Aczel, editor and publisher it sounded "less direct" (Landon's words) same version was compared to itself. of a "golden ear" journal, The Audio than the taped version. It was "more Critic; mellow, muted, flatter highs," to Dob- Listening Panel Randi Hailing, now Cotter's serv- bin, "slightly softer" with "less mechan- ice manager, formerly with Mark Levin- ical noise" to Silverstein, "more tightly Without doubt, the most impor- son Acoustic Recordings, and (identi- focused" to Long, and Foster com- tant components of all were the ears- fication for scientific reasons only) mented that it "sounds like a good piano and the perceptive brains between each female; with a little more 'hang -on,' a bit longer pair of them. We decided that the panel Teresa (Tracey) Sterne, record decay, better ambience." Frager con- had to represent different types of expe- producer and for fifteen years the in- sistently preferred all the piano recital rienced listeners: musicians, recordpro- novative director of Nonesuch Records; discs directly cut. Here he called the ducers, audio engineers, "golden ears," James R. Oestreich, classical mu- taped disc "too tinny. Don't like this one audio and music commentators and/or sic editor of HIGH FIDELITY; at all"; the direct, "in comparison, is editors-including women, who are re- Bruce I. Zayde, physicist, electri- what I like to hear." puted to have keener hearing, particu- cal engineer for Cotter, and a profes- The taped-with-Telcom version larly of highs, than men. We were fortu- sional organist and trombonist. Zayde was heard as "better etched" or "too nate in being able to assemble this actually "worked" the turntable in New hard," depending on whether the quality remarkable panel: York and was present (along with R. was liked or disliked. Landon found it Derrick Henry) at all three sessions "drier," Dobbin "more etched, more IN MASSACHUSETTS there. percussive" in louder passages, though Biggest disappointment: that "not so different" in softer ones. Foster, H. C. Robbins Landon, musi- through a confusion in scheduling, we who thought it "hard and cloudy," also cologist, former record reviewer for missed Aaron Copland, who had been complained that it went "over the top... HIGH FIDELITY, and beyond question the inclined to participate in Great Barring- pretty badly distorted" in some loud world's most prominent Haydn ton. Copland's ears may now be eighty passages, as did Kaye. (Additionally, authority; years old, but his reaction to different Kaye pointed out "a nice trick. Low fre- Joseph Silverstein, concertmaster technologies used in recording his music quencies on the left, highs on the right- and assistant conductor of the Boston would have been unforgettable. I've done it myself. It's the only way you 42 HIGH FIDELITY can get a piano to sound in stereo.") Fi- phonograph when he made a choice at in the digital by a "bass rumble at the nally, Silverstein detected in it "a tiny all. With the louder setup, the direct was modulated groove" (Landon) that Foster little bit of flutter on the resonance of "hard" and the taped "not quite so and Kaye guessed might be 120 -cycle long notes" that was less marked in the clean." To be sure, much of the time hum. Kaye also noticed it on the direct - direct. most panelists expressed no preference. cut disc, where "you have to listen to In fact, the only listener who maintained find it," while on the digital "it comes II. Grant Johannesen Piano Recital- one consistently-whether the music was and grabs you. It really is annoying. I'm Golden Crest high-pitched or low, loud or soft, heard shocked!" At both locations, preferences PLAYED-Debussy: Masques via this turntable or that-was Frager, were split, but, as Aczel put it, each disc Direct -to -disc vs. analog tape -to -disc who seems to have a direct -to -disc meter was "so poor you don't really care which with Dolby A built into his perception. is better." New York listeners heard similar During the Mozart, the direct gar- qualities. The direct -cut was "rounder, nered complaints of more distortion

. 1.J4 1 11 ((r7. better balanced" (Zayde), "clearer, more from Landon and Foster, "more horrible 1' transparent" (Aczel), although with a and noisy" from Dobbin, and "a lot "clangy upper register" (Oestreich), or more extraneous sound" from Silver- 9 "cleaner but with a clicky, unreal edge" graft! stein. It was again "less direct" to Jokamte5ert in the treble (Cotter). In comparison the Landon and "sometimes a bit washed in recital taped version was "more forward, more out" to Long, who still, or perhaps for

irritating .. . hard, funnier transients" that reason, preferred it in the Im- DIRECT -to -MSC Vino TAPE., DISC (Cotter), "pingy and generally unpleas- pressionistic Faure. Dobbin too-in a This side was even more roundly ant" (Oestreich), or "much brighter" left-handed compliment reminiscent of condemned for its surface noise and (Sterne). Here all listeners chose the di- Sterne's in New York-favored it pre- general sound. Landon described it as rect, sometimes for strange reasons. cisely because its noisiness, along with "lots of racket," which was felt to be Sterne did so because the taped version the music, was "more distant." Silver- worse on the taped -with -Dolby version. "highlights the recording's flaws, distor- stein additionally perceived "a waver. Again, he heard the direct as "less di- tions, peaking." Echoing Kaye, she pre- Do you hear the waver on that D?" The rect," as did Long, who said that it was ferred the direct because "it masks some digital, however, was "much cleaner-

"like putting a pillow over your head... of the problems evident in the [taped] that D natural just lies there." Frager, no high end." The taped version was version." characteristically, found the direct characterized in comparison as "sharper, (which, to be fair, he heard only on the more etched" (Dobbin, echoing him- III. Grant Johannesen Piano Recital- louder phonograph) in the Mozart self), "harder" (Foster), "cleaner" (Sil- Golden Crest "closer to the piano, and you have more verstein), "more live" (Kaye), and PLAYED IN MASSACHUSETTS-Faure: Bal- echo. This sounds very much like a pi- "richer in bass, but clangorous on the top lade, Op. 19a; Mozart: Variations, ano. More presence. But this time I like end" (Long). Preferences, however, fol- K.573 both. The [digital] is more pleasurable lowed a shotgun pattern. Frager and PLAYED IN NEW YORK-Schumann: Fanta- here than the one I didn't like [analog] in Kaye invariably opted for the direct, and siestiick, Op. 111, No. 1 the previous comparisons." In general, with special insights. The pianist com- Direct -to -disc vs. digital tape -to -disc the digital evoked such responses as mented that "the piano is brighter on top "brighter, richer, fuller, even if gim- than on the lower notes. It's more pro- micked, sometimes a bit larger than life" nounced in the one I don't like." The (Long) and "more presence, closer" broadcaster thought the extra "liveness" (Landon, just the opposite of Frager, but in the taped version was due to "a little an observation made independent of more distortion in louder sections. With time, music, or phonograph). distortion, there is more information on The New York panelists all lis- the record." That "distortion" he con- tened to the first SchumannFantasiesnick. sistently perceived as a "high -frequency Aczel, Zayde, and Sterne preferred the something-beyond my threshold of hear- digital version slightly, the others the di- ing, but something is there." rect. Both Aczel and Zayde characterized Long, Dobbin, and Silverstein the digital as "rounder," the former add- generally preferred the taped version, ing "more natural-maybe," qualifying Silverstein changing his opinion more In Massachusetts the panelists his judgment by stating that both record- readily as the music changed character. were given their choice of the Mozart or ings were "woolly and neither fully Foster's and Landon's preferences re- Faure to hear first. (They would then etched." Sterne thought the digital had a lated more to the record -playing equip- later be presented with the other.) What- more "up -front" quality with stronger ment than to the disc it was playing. The ever the significance, all the musicians bass response, as did Oestreich, who musicologist complained of the same chose Mozart. Again, most of the panel- deemed it far clearer but less natural and "curious sound" in auditions an hour ists were annoyed by excessive surface pleasing. Neither he nor Cotter could apart, but the softer phonograph was the noise and pre -echo, the latter generally sense much warmth in the digital, and constant, not the disc. Foster, on the worse on the direct -cut version this time. they complained of a harshness, particu- other hand, leaned toward the softer Massachusetts listeners were bothered larly at the top. Cotter described it as NOVEMBER 1980 43

"hard, gargly, fuzzy, irritating." What "That soft note in the marimba is much The total aural experience was so dis- Aczel heard as a bit more emphasis on cleaner, more audible. It's not so much a tasteful that some of the participants transients on the direct band, Cotter difference in loudness as in clarity." A stated that their preferences were mean- heard as "more incisive, more piano - high, soft flute solo was also "cleaner" in ingless. But within this context, like." Halting generally agreed with Cot- digital. As the dynamic level rose, "there Oestreich and Sterne slightly favored ter, but then added, "I would not have is very little difference" until, at a full, the digital side, the former commenting, thought we were listening to the same loud section, the digital was "a little "The sound here is slightly drier, not take." brighter, has a little more snap to it." At inappropriate for this music. ..not times, though, Silverstein's sense of clar- really a lot of difference, perhaps a bit IV. Michigan State University Wind En- ity changed with the turntable, as did more presence and clarity." Sterne wrote semble, Karel Husa, cond.- Landon's and Frager's. that the analog "sounds as though Golden Crest As Frager seemed to possess a there's a screen between player and lis- PLAYED-Husa: Al Fresco built-in direct -cut meter in previous pi- tener," slightly less intrusive in the digi- Digital vs. analog tape -to -disc with ano recordings, Schuller apparently had tal, which had "more presence." Cotter, Telcom one sensitive to analog in large -en- on the other hand, characterized it as semble albums. He alone invariably re- Domed.Idiom..... d "strangely dull and dead . .. unnatural." Not for Sok ported the analog as "cleaner. Not neces- ANALOG VERSUS DIGITAL Hailingfound the analog recording "less lb Onus,. sarily louder, but clearer-more purity of offensive," and Aczel and Zayde had MOM OM MIMI sound. The timbre is more accurate," the mixed reactions similar to Foster's in

.-112 same judgment as Silverstein's but via Massachusetts. During passages of low the opposite technology (and on a differ- to moderate levels, the digital recording ent turntable). The opening instrument seemed, in Aczel's words, "more trans- he thought might be a marimba or per- parent, more immediate, better delin- haps "a xylophone recorded five rooms eated....I didn't hear that air on the away." flute before." But when the volume in- Foster preferred the analog in loud creased and the high -frequency energy This album had to bear a special passages, the digital in soft ones, and intensified, they-and Cotter-perceived plague: All New York panelists and sev- Kaye the digital throughout. Long and a distinct downgrading of the sound. To eral in Massachusetts strongly disliked Dobbin heard most of the music "the Cotter, the instrumental timbres took on the music and/or performance. Still, it same" in both versions. From a statistical "an extra edge, buzziness, and hard- had one advantage over the piano discs, point of view, it appeared to one tester ness." For all three of these listeners the a wider range of timbres and dynamics that a similar pattern of perceptions and advantages heard on the digital side in (starting pppp, it gets very loud in spots) preferences would have been achieved if the presentation of "nonstressful infor- that might show one or the other tech- the judges had tossed dice instead of lis- mation" were obliterated by its aberrant nique to advantage. To be sure, Dobbin tening to the recordings. behavior in climactic passages. remarked, "I must compliment them on However, the Massachusetts their dynamic range on this one," after panel underwent an additional experi- V. Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, Jo- one dramatic crescendo heard in digital. ment that may be significant. Each lis- hannes Somary, cond.-Vanguard But switching back to analog, during a tener was asked to drop his arm when he PLAYED-Haydn: Symphony No. 100 in G passage of moderate level, he couldn't heard the soft opening. First the passage (Military), movementsI andII "tell any difference." In another typical was played so that he would know what Digital vs. analog tape -to -disc with left-handed compliment, Dobbin ex- to listen for. Then it was repeated in each Dolby A pressed a preference for the analog at version and timed to a transient that one point, but "if it were music I en- would be noticed anywhere from 13 to joyed, or in a less quiet room, I might 20 seconds later. The musicians did bet- have preferred" the digital, perceived as ter than the audio people here. But more louder. significantly, whenever there was a dis- Also in Massachusetts, comments crepancy, the digital recording was of "cleaner" or "louder" sometimes fol- heard a shade earlier than the analog- lowed a switch of turntables, sometimes with one exception: Schuller, who con- of disc, and sometimes the same disc on sistently dubbed the analog as "clearer," the same turntable was heard as also demonstrated that he heard the "cleaner" and "not so clean" or even analog entrance slightly before the digi- "louder" and "softer" depending on tal-and before anyone else did. After what came before, this Van- what the music was doing. Silverstein New York panelists disliked the guard disc afforded both musical and made an astute observation about the music so intensely that they had to be ca- sonic pleasure and was, as Oestreich put perceived dynamic levels, which later joled into sitting through the second ver- it, "like giving the ears a bath." would be echoed by Schuller and which sion long enough to obtain a valid com- We may have blown our chance at is an insight probably only a musician- parison. (Remember, they could not Copland judging Copland discs, but hav- and only one with great orchestral expe make continual instantaneous A/B coming H. C. Robbins Landon judge Haydn rience-would have. Hearing the digital parisons.) Nordid they have anything was almost as satisfying. It did bring at the very soft beginning, he noted, kind to say about the recordings per se. forth the experiments' most memorable 44 HIGH FIDELITY incident. During the second movement, but enlightening results: At the first two whose battery of percussion gives the sittings the analog version was much symphony its nickname, Landon sud- .44 more popular than its digital counter- denly burst out with, "Imagine that! Not - part, but at the final session this prefer- .3w .3 Landon's edition!" Then, "That's inter- -arerN ence was completely reversed. The first esting. All full of wrong notes. Amaz- auditioners were Sterne and Oestreich, ing!" A moment later he turned to his whose notes contained virtually identi- disc jockey and added to the recorded cal observations. The digital disc was music, "Ting, ting, ting, ting-the "more etched" (Sterne) and "a bit dry triangle, whichis not there!"As for the and edgy, without the mellowness and matter at hand, during the first move- warmth" (Oestreich) of the analog side. ment's slow introduction he thought for Both said they could live with either amoment heheard "more presence" in recording but faulted the digital side, the analog, then added, "a shade, almost particularly in the second movement no difference," as the turntables were when the percussion entered. "A trifle

switched back and forth. His conclusion: imposing and off-putting...the cymbal "no difference in sound that would be of clashes register as 'events' rather than concern to a musician." Kaye and Dob- music" (Oestreich), and "The percus- r 4-; bin also found the versions indistin- RY sion instruments seem much more guishable. t present-aggressively so. ..but out of Nor did most of the other Mas- proportion and almost seem to distort" sachusetts panelists hear much differ- Composer/conductor Schuller concen- (Sterne). ence insound that was consistent from trating on band sonics: "More purity of In the next session, the percussion one musical passage to another or even sound. The timbre is more accurate." section likewise provided Aczel and in the same passage at different times. Zayde with the clue that something was Differences reported at the beginning ter phase coherence between the two wrong with the digital version, and so ended up as "no differences," the most channels." did the brass. Percussion instruments common reaction in Massachusetts. Yet Schuller heard "a filminess to the stuck out unrealistically. The triangle in collating all the comments, character- sound, as through a light scrim. It de- entrance "sounds like a telephone" (Ac- istics emerged that were now becoming tracts from the timbral quality" in the zel) and"inhabits a different sound familiar. In the first movement, Long digital first movement. He was just say- world" (Zayde). A later unaccompanied heard "something a little bit odd on top, ing, upon auditioning the analog, "I pre- trumpet signal assumed an "oboelike" a stringier top end" in the digital, "more fer this," when the drum roll entered, coloration (Aczel), as if it were "paired

bass. . .more impact in tuttis, but the whereupon he added, "or I did until I with a double-reed" (Zayde). Both noted tone is colored." In the second move- heard this." He called the analog "a that as the music got louder in the tutti ment, the digital again had "more bass more real sound," but "when it's loud, passages of the digital recording, the

. ..this must be that first turntable." (It they're more equal. Maybe the percus- strings also developed a "glassy" or wasn't.)Silversteinagain found a "little sion is obscuring the sonic differences." "buzzy" coloration, and the sense of more pep to" the digital in both the first We made a fortuitous mistake space began to collapse. movement and percussion entrance of with Frager, ending up with the analog Oddly enough, the third team, the second, but "not much warmth" in recording on both turntables. During the Cotter and Hailing, had the same re- the first. Yet it sounded "warmer, with soft introduction, he couldn't hear any sponse to the disembodied percussion, more resonance to it" in a soft passage in difference; during more eventful music rough trumpet sound, and high-level the second movement, while the analog he found one turntable brighter, com- strain on the digital side, yet each was "cleaner." menting that "for some pieces I'd prefer thought it far more convincing, on the Foster consistently favored the this, for others I wouldn't." At the per- whole. Cotter heard the analog side as analog in both movements, commenting -Cussion entrance, he remarked, "This is "buzzy strings, fuzzy reeds, wiry, irritat- that the digital had "a longer decay, but the sound they probably made, but I ening sounds" and the digital side as "less more distortion. The strings are silkier, joy the other (turntable) more." After we electronic, far clearer, much better sense but bad-raw silk" in the first movement, had caught the mistake, Frager didn't of space and depth, strings that almost where the analog demonstrated "better like the first movement in digital on ei- sound like strings" in the soft passages.

string tone.. .goes down to lower levels, ther turntable; whenever we switched to At this point, "we" should step

more open;... not as much difference in the analog it was not only preferred, but in-Marcus in Massachusetts, Henry in wind sound." He deemed the digital to by comparison even "very beautiful" in New York-since we had been present at be louder in both movements, on each some spots that he formerly did not like all sessions, and try as we might, there turntable. In the second movement, the at all. In the second movement, he found was no way we could shut our ears. In analog was still "cleaner, better depth, the digital slightly more pleasing in the New York, Henry (and Zayde, who lower intermodulation distortion," the soft string passages but invariably pre- manned the equipment) preferred the digital "not as clean" and at the percus- ferred the analog when the percussion analog during the first two testings; now sion invasion, "with every thump on the battery exploded. they found themselves in complete drum, the triangle drops out." Yet it had In New York, the three double agreement with the contradictory obser- "better depth, better stereo imaging, bet- sessions produced radically disparate vations of Cotter and Hailing. In Mas- NOVEMBER 1980 45 sachusetts, Marcus was often (though would have been able to spot it immedi- pared with the direct, Schuller found the not always) conscious of the characteris- ately and thus might have been prej- chordal notes "not in balance. The clar- tics described by the panelists, even udiced by what he had heard otherssay ity of the chord is being obscured. In a when these were contradictory, or even of it. So Schuller, Long, and Dobbin it complex piece, say an atonal one, you'd self-contradictory within the same was. just get a jangle of notes. In softer pas- session. We conducted three tests with sages, this phenomenon is not so ob- In New York, the reason for the each: direct vs. digitally taped, directvs. vious." His conclusion: "The difference conflicting reactions was apparentlyver- analogically taped, and digitally vs. anal- is not consistent." tical tracking angle. The procedure was ogically taped. The psychoacoustic fac- Long voiced similar reactions. The to set VTA optimally for the Golden tor was more complex here, and we con- direct had "annoying highs. If I were or- Crest recordings and then, before the tinually reminded the panelists that chestrating this, I'd do it all with tin horn, Haydn, to reset it for the Vanguard disc, there was no way for them (or us) to cymbals, and kazoo." Though all three whose VTA was deemed to be higher. know which two technologieswere versions were "hard," both the analog On this final occasion, another serendi- being compared. Dobbin, listening to and the direct elicited the comment that pitous goof took place: Nobody thought the third comparison, astutely realized "the bass is rounder" when compared to reset the VTA. As a result, expert lis- that "maybe I'm trying to listen to what I with the digital, while the highs were teners changed their preferences, and heard before, and I shouldn't do that." "tizzier" and "buzzier" in either taped what Oestreich had describedas "the Shortly afterward he remarked, "Can't version when compared with the direct wonderfully mellow" sound of the say there is a difference. They all sound but "tizzier" in the digital than the analog was transformed into something as if recorded inside a refrigerator." But analog, which still had "disastrously Cotter called "wiry, buzzy, and very irri- while listening, he reacted strongly each edgy highs. Not much to choose from in tating-notable high frequency distress." time the piano in the analog -tape version the highs." This, too, regardless of Even more paradoxical, the wrong VTA hit a high pitch at the top of a loud scale: turntable. seemed to "improve" the sound of the "Goes right to the ear-makes my fillings digital, possibly by muting some of the vibrate." In soft passages he could dis- Conclusions defects previously heard. cern little or no difference, but in loud, high-pitched sections, while allwere VI. Bernard Roberts, pianist-Nimbus It should be pointed out, if it is not "strident," he usually found one more self-evident, that we did not compare and PLAYED-Beethoven: Hammerklavier disagreeable than the other. Comparing judge "analog" vs. "digital" vs. "direct Sonata, movement I, exposition - analog tape to digital or to direct, hepre- cut" discs per se. These are generic ab- Digital tape -to -disc vs. analog tape -to - ferred whatever was on the softer turn- stractions. What we heard were particu- disc vs. direct -to -disc table; comparing digital to direct, hepre- lar discs that, among their other charac- ferred whatever was on the louderone; teristics, were recorded with these but independent of turntable, the digital COMPARISONS techniques. We did, as well as we could, was characterized as more "up -front" remove the other variables, so there and the analog as more "spacious." The would be no extraneous matter to judge. BEETHOVEN direct was referred to as "glassy in the PIANO 4 S%*NN1L, N1311.41 Cl'p 111, At each installation, however, two I :AMMER-IQ...1ER' high, loud notes" in several compari- L.% tr.41,1p vv.", variables did intrude: the human and (Act, .4.1.4.4 I sgrAliy. urian sons, but with high, soft notes: "Boy, are BERNARD R1 11:1kI21,, temporal. Different people listening to they close!" (or tasting or smelling) similar things Schuller didn't like the sound of may have different reactions; the same any either, but for him the turntable was person listening to the same thing at dif- irrelevant. In some passages, hecon- ferent times may have different reac- At 45 rpm, these discs were the sistently preferred the direct but kept tions. Different people (read also: the only ones that could truly be called "au- changing his mind with others. Compar- same person at different times) will ac- diophile." Surfaces were clean as a ing the direct to the analog -taped, he tually listen for, and listen to, different whistle, and dynamic range could pre- echoed his Haydn comment, "Every characteristics. Musicians, apparently, sumably have been whatever the com- time I want to say this is better, a note heard things that other listeners may not pany wanted it to be. Again, though, comes along that changes my mind-like have perceived, as witness the results of there was notable pre -echo. The boxes that one" (the same note that vibrated the arm -drop test or the fact that the one arrived in Massachusetts after all non - Dobbins' fillings). His response to that person who consistently preferred the staff panelists there and in New York, passage later in digital: "There it goes direct -cut disc in the piano recordings except for Schuller, had sat in judgment. again!" He found that at low dynamic was pianist Malcolm Frager, and the one Long and Dobbin were called in again. levels, the digital, compared to the di- who invariably preferred the analog en- Marcus originally intended to make up rect, picked up "extraneous sounds" but semble versions was Gunther Schuller. in part for the smaller panel by joining it " 'enhances' the tone. (Put that in quotes, The audio engineers, on the other hand, himself, but upon hearing the opening of because I don't think it does enhance.) heard things the musicians were not the three versions in the first session he At higher levels it sounds worse. They trained to listen for. Cotter, Zayde, and conducted, he noticed a musical error in complement each other, perhaps, but Aczel consistently spotted what we might one of them (caused not by the pianist, this is not what music sounds like to call a "digital sound"-but, remember, since these were all the same perform- me." He blamed the "too close" mike on unusually sensitive equipment. ance, but by a signal starting late); he placement. In the analog -taped, ct..m- Also, we must differentiate be- 46 HIGH FIDELITY tween people's characterizations and digital technology attempted to capture their preferences. Two listeners may "stressful" information-say, loud, high sense a sound as "hard," yet one may notes. prefer it and the other not like it at all. These characteristics were de- What conclusions can we draw? scribed as "a lack of warmth," "disem- Several-some obvious, some less so. bodied" percussion, "edgy" or "irritat- 1 First, many factors other than the recording" highs. Even through the Massa- ing techniques themselves determined chusetts equipment, differences heard how any differences among them were often mirrored these descriptions. Loud, discerned-everything from the mike high notes were perceived as "more placement to the musical character, from etched," or condemned as "harsher," tti the listener's psychological disposition "more grating," or having a "stringier to the record -playing equipment. An top." At the most stressful moments, inexact tracking angle itself made two condemnation, though not unanimous, experienced listeners change their pref- was common. In easier passages, while erence from analog to digital, which some listeners at times heard "color- - raises one practical consideration: Do ation" or an "enhanced" sound, the digital version more often was described as you have a means of adjusting that angle appropriately from disc to disc? "cleaner," "more transparent," and hav- Several panelists questioned ing "better bass." At softest levels it was whether there was even any validity to -" often preferred, and the few times a those tests in which the record quality Record producer Sterne hearing digi- wider dynamic range was noted (always was generally poor. Cotter compared it tized orchestra: "Percussion instru- in the Husa), the listener was hearing the to judging two excellent wines when ments seem out of proportion." digital version. they had been mixed with chocolate To the question, can you hear the pudding, an even more apt metaphor patterns. It appeared odd how many difference in technologies, the answer than one may at first realize. For what we times a direct -cut disc was described as must be sometimes, and depending on were judging was not the wines, but less "direct" than either analog or digital your components. what is actually on the market: the taped discs. Also, in one comparison To the question, does one tech- chocolate pudding mixture. Will one with tape, both pre -echo and inter- nology sound better than another, the wine noticeably benefit the taste of the mittent distortion seemed worse. (If that answer must be no-it depends on the pudding more than the other? Will either puzzles you, note that pre -echo is not recording. even be noticed? Or, back from the synonymous with tape print -through: A To the question, is one technology metaphorical: Does the fact that a cutter can overmodulate a groove to the worse than another, a tentative answer recording is taped digitally or cut detriment of its neighbor. When running would seem to be yes at least when re- directly mean that it will be a good from tape, a preview head can spot an produced by the most unforgiving record? No. oncoming traumatic signal so that the equipment. The digital technology heard In the excellent, but possibly more space between those grooves can be wid- on the records at hand may have been forgiving, more homogenizing Mas- ened in time. A direct -cut disc forgoes inadequate to capture the most intense sachusetts setup, very often no differ- this option.) The direct discs were also musical climaxes. It almost seemed as ences were heard, and when they were sometimes heard as having "greater dis- though the system had run out of digits. they seldom remained constant through- tortion" and "more extraneous sound," If, as some engineers have suggested, the out a disc as the music changed. At and most often characterized as "duller" lost information is unrecoverable, let's times, even the subtle differences be- and having "less life" than the tape-re- hope that those record companies put- tween record players seemed to engage corded album. Yet when praised, the ting their efforts into digital productions some listeners' ears more than any dif- quality was described as "rounder," are at least accompanying them with ferences between two recording tech- "more musical," "more mellow," "better analog backups so that future gener- nologies, and whatever was heard often ambience," and "cleaner." One direct - ations don't look back with regret on the influenced preferences. Further, the cut disc was overwhelmingly preferred recordings of the 1980s. preferences frequently varied depending to its analog -taped counterpart, and an- The final question has already on the relationships among the disc, the other split preferences in a digital been answered, at least by implication. record player, and whatever was hap- comparison. For many reasons it may be necessary penirig in the music. Which brings up The digital versions followed a and right for the record industry to raise the rhetorical question: Are you able to more uniform pattern of distinctions- its prices. Carefully made, expertly pro- change your record -playing equipment when there were any. Particularly in the duced, splendid -sounding records could from musical passage to musical pas- more revealing New York installation, easily command a premium. But should sage? On the other hand, with as reveal- some peculiarities were quite pro- a consumer choose, and pay extra bucks ing equipment as the Cotter installation, nounced and especially noticeable to the for, a company's recording just because comments and preferences were more engineers. More often than not, how- it is direct -cut or digital? consistent. ever, the responses of the scientifically In some cases, at least, it would While preferences could range all trained listeners were negative; they of- seem more appropriate for them to over the place, characteristics did show ten spotted audible defects when the charge you less. HF 4 4, ' 411 d a 47 DIGITAL AUDIO: A REVOLUTIONRECONSIDERED by the editors of High Fidelity

Audiowriters really ought to know better. Faced with the promise of

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PCM encoding is the conversion of continuous analog signals Binary Coding (3 -bit words) into binary number groups: At specific intervals the analog input is sampled and coded as a discrete value indicating one of a set of fixed A

amplitude levels. Frequencies greater than half the sampling rate 0I 1 1 0 1 1 10 1 0 0 filter. Here must first be removed from the audio input via a low-pass F F G H hypothetical 3 -bit binary "words" indicate amplitude levels of the 1 1 10 1 0 0 analog waveform at sampling points A through H. 0 0 0 11

reproduction. After all, why invest in a Beta -format VCR in one housing. Dem- produce a digitally encoded audio pro- new $500 cassette deck with a maximum onstration machines, all; for the typical gram on a video disc player necessitates signal-to-noise ratio of some 60 dB, home recordist they are absurdities. Un- the use of a separate PCM decoder. So when it will be outperformed by next less you are making live recordings or far only Pioneer has demonstrated such year's digital version? (Yes, rumors are can get your hands on a digital master an add-on device, and only in prototype. circulating that a "standard" cassette tape for copying, you are limited by the No figures for the price of the decoder recorder running at 1% ips and capable frequency response and dynamic range are available, but some sources estimate of making digital recordings is on at least of your program source. Despite what- it at almost the price of the video disc one Japanese drawing board.) The ever sterling qualities these machines player itself. JVC acknowledges audio simple reality is that affordable, fully might have, the tapes they produce can reproduction in the naming of its capaci- digital audio equipment faces a long, be nothing more than very accurate tance system: Video High Density/ Au- hard road before it ever shows up on copies of the source material (tape, disc, dio High Density (VHD/AHD), now es- dealers' shelves, and even then the wary or radio), tarnish and all. poused by Matsushita, GE, EMI, and consumer must decide whether the ben- It is generally acknowledged that others. But, again, a separate PCM de- efits really outweigh the negatives. For, the future of consumer digital audio lies coder would be required to play digitally despite the hype surrounding this "per- with discs. Yet even here the picture is encoded audio programs, and nobody is fect" reproduction technique, there are uncertain. Growing out of the tech- saying when it will be available or how still tradeoffs and compromises involved nology invented for video discs, digital much it would cost. RCA, whose Selecta- that may very well prove objectionable audio discs seemed on the way several Vision video disc system was originally to serious music listeners. years ago. Unfortunately, the video disc planned with a mono -only soundtrack, As of this writing, there is only market is largely unknown, and only the has promised stereo reproduction but one way for the consumer to make his Philips -developed optical system is now has been mute on the possibilities of own digital recordings-with a PCM being sold (by Magnavox and Pioneer, digital audio. (pulse code modulation) adapter and and still on a test -market basis). To re - Philips never seems to tire of teas- ing the market with glimpses of the fu- video cassette recorder. Sony was the Sony PCM-10 digital adapter first to introduce such an adapter; the ture and the promise of its Compact Disc PCM-1 back in 1977, for $4,400. A newer system-a 41/2 -inch record capable of one version, the PCM-10, is even more ex- hour of fully digital audio per side repro- pensive-$5,500. duced through its own optical player But prototypes abound from such with built-in PCM adapter. It has led companies as Akai, Hitachi, Kenwood, some readers to balk at buying a new Mitsubishi, Sanyo, Technics, and To- turntable on the premise that the digital shiba. Each year we are presented with disc will be introduced at any moment. two or three more PCM adapters; To- The facts, however, point to a much shiba has even combined an adapter and longer timetable. There simply are no NOVEMBER 1980 49

Digital -to -Analog Conversion

Reconstructing from Samples 111 110 101 100 L 011 4 010 001 Low - Pass 000 L ABCDE FG H Filter Output

Stored on tape or disc, the digital data must be converted to analog waveforms for amplification and playback. In this process the binary codes are fed back through a logic network that translates each numerical "word" into its amplitude equivalent. Depending on the original sampling rate, however, the restored waveform will appear more squared off than the original. To correct this, a steep low-pass filter at the output rounds out the waveform by removing high -order harmonics.

standards yet covering digital audio on record capable of storing one hour of namic range on a digital master tape, re- disc. Philips (in conjunction with Sony) stereo or quadriphonic program material production at home is limited by the cut- has proposed that the Digital Audio Disc per side. In this scheme a piezoelectric ting process, the quality of the pressing, Standardization Conference in Japan ac- crystal responds to the shock waves gen- and the analog turntable on which it cept its system as the standard, but it erated as it rides across vertical modu- must be played. Considering all that, a would be naive to assume that the major lations in the disc surface, producing a figure of about 60 dB seems the most one Japanese electronics companies would voltage that is decoded as digital data. If could hope for. Do digitally mastered sit idly by and let this Netherlands- pressed with a conductive substance, the discs sound better than analogically based manufacturer win a battle they discs could even be made compatible mastered ones? The preceding article, have yet to start fighting themselves. with other mechanical/capacitance sys- "Digital vs. Analog vs. Direct -Cut The Japanese companies are in- tems. Will it ever come to market? No Discs," tackles that question. vesting heavily and just now tooling up hint of marketing plans has yet emerged Why have digitally mastered discs for a major marketing effort in video disc in the U.S. emerged on the marketplace at all? It's technology. Since television -related no secret that classical record sales have products promise a much larger market A Bridge of Sorts been soft this year and that record exec- than esoteric audio, it's only logical that utives, attempting to pump some fresh the next five to ten years should see a One harbinger of the audio revo- excitement into the field, have turned to major push into video, with audio trail- lution is a hybrid: digitally mastered the word "digital" as necessary promo- ing at its heels. There are spokesmen at analog discs. The original performance tional hype. At the same time, of course, Philips who take these considerations is recorded via a digital processor and these record companies are building li- seriously: One feels that the Compact tape transport, edited with digital equip- braries of digital master tapes that can be Disc cannot possibly be marketed before ment, and then converted back to analog reissued when (and if) fully digital the mid -Eighties; others continue to talk waveforms and cut as a standard LP. media are commercially available. glibly in terms of 1982. (In this business, What you take home from the record forecasters seldom talk of delays of store is therefore a traditional analog What Price Perfection? more than two years. It's just long record: The little wiggles in the grooves enough: Few outsiders can prove the are a model-an analog-of the sound Digital audio techniques offer new timetable unrealistic, and fewer still will pressure levels generated in the original opportunities to rub elbows with perfec- remember the forecast when the time performance. With almost all analog tion; no one seriously disputes that. The has elapsed.) discs, some compression of the wave- problem lies in fixing aprice /perform- One system that holds some tech- forms is applied in cutting the master- ance ratio that will satisfy both the au- nical promise but has received little pub- lest, for example, the cutter should burn diophiles who are the driving force be- licity is Teldec's piezoelectric system. up trying to reproduce 20 kHz or too hind the digital revolution and the The technology of its now -abandoned much disc space be lavished on loud relatively cost-conscious music lovers video disc is the basis for a 5.3 -inch bass notes. Despite about 90 dB of dy- whose support will be needed for com- 50 HIGH FIDELITY

This is the * The Trauma of Change year of the. iking

E Through most of the Fifties, stereo's ..1 gestation vexed audiophiles much as quadriphonics would in the Seventies 111,111 and, it appears, digital sound will in .F3,0 the Eighties. There were many false Arr. starts toward the stereo technology we know; some had a distinctly Rube Goldberg quality, while others were

m 1111.. imm quite straightforward. Among the lat- mode pm. up. &s. .e .ser she. 11... ..4. Tim am. 14.. rage mgmgas& ewe le. =mit "inn

ter, the Bell 3D integrated amplifier had replaced the "staggered" heads arlesme ea. egyamo sok... to -am... ommeg.i.b. opaxtoon 4.4 -,as fi. age .1 ealK44,44.44 4444 .144. 4113.4n, ropMemeTINVi141.1.** shown in the first illustration paired that had allowed an add-on head for Mar e44,44,.4.4.44. an.01,44.4 dm.41.1.4., dm Um. 111. =m two tubed amps on a single chassis to stereo's second track, but quarter -track become, as of our 1954 review, one of stereo was yet to come. The Madison - :7=1"rt". " a="171. arr; the few stereo (we still called it "binau-Fielding tuner (opposite page) was one 11110ngOf MINNEAPOLIS ral") components from a major non- of several with independently tunable moe Am. 4...... "11, specialist producer. Continuing to the FM and AM bands for early stereocasts right, Viking was in the stereo van- with one channel on each band. This fered the first multiplex adapter for guard (as it was to be with quad); by was in 1958; the following year, the FM -only stereocasts-using the Cros- the time of this ad in 1956, "in -line" company jumped the FCC gun and of - ley system, which the FCC turned

mercial success. With analog audio cessful hand -calculator industry, which nobodys knows for sure where the discs, both segments of the market can began with existing industrial/commer- points of diminishing return will be in play the same record on systems of cial microprocessor technology and, as this respect-at what level of excellence vastly different quality. The sound each both cause and effect of a downward digital systems will be pricing them- hears is, therefore, determined by his price spiral, built an ever -widening con- selves out of the market or, conversely, home setup-and with a high -quality sumer market on it. Ten dollars' worth at what level of affordability they will analog system, that reproduction can be of calculator, at today's prices, cost lose any potential sonic appeal. very good, indeed. Analog recording closer to ten times that amount only a The most important single factor techniques are also relatively cheap (at few years ago. Why can't digital audio in the cost/performance equation is the least compared to digital prices), and a do likewise? word length: the number of digits that few cents more for better quality vinyl There are a number of reasons. will be set aside to express any of the bi- and extra care in the processing of disc Let's begin with market base. Virtually nary numbers in which the audio infor- masters can make a vast improvement in every household in the country has to mation is stored. Each time you add one the sound of a standard LP. And digital's work with numbers (to balance the digit, you double the value that can be most touted benefit, extended dynamic checkbook or prepare the income tax if expressed (which means, among other range, can be duplicated right now with nothing else), while quality music repro- things, that you add 6 dB to the dynamic DBX-encoded discs and a $100 DBX duction is a high -priority consideration range) and you increase the bandwidth decoder. only in a minority of households. More required of the transmission medium In other words, in order for digital important, the calculator's competition- proportionately (which means that you playback to be successful in the home it the adding machine, abacus, and slide use up more tape or disc space for a has to be price competitive with present rule-had never attracted mass interest, given maximum packing density, or in- analog systems, the vast majority of leaving the field wide open for the calcu- formation capacity, in each). which cost from $600 to $800. Will it lator. The analog phonograph and tape The price of the chips necessary to ever be possible for digital technology to deck already are deeply entrenched in process the data will certainly decrease, compete with and sound at least as good the American home, however, and digi- but not necessarily to the point of being as analog recordings? Perhaps not. tal audio has no comparable void into negligible. The packing density of discs Great stock has been put in the which it can step unhindered. has been increased immensely (by com- ability of complex solid-state devices to And this brings us to the area parison to the LP) by the Philips, JVC, solve all the number -juggling problems, where competitive and technological and Teldec technologies so that more including those of retail prices. It cer- considerations overlap: The relationship music can be accommodated on smaller tainly is true that the vast information- among cost, market size, and perform- discs and ultimately at lower manufac- processing field has laid all the essential ance. The lower the price can be kept, turing cost per listening hour. Tape al- groundwork, theoretical and tech- the more people will be interested in ready is pushing its own packing -den- nological, for digital audio. This sug- buying. But audio quality costs money, sity limits, however, and can be expected gests a parallel with the immensely suc- in digital systems as in analog ones, and to cost more per listening hour than its NOVEMBER 1980 51

4:323:t,HERE IS HOW YOU CAN CONVERT TO STEREO... TARO/OW

The Quallty Ahh.hor Tor Tapsrlioc = If.$10.01.5.1 -1=331STEREO 1111.114.1. *1 1011MIMI% WIN 1111. =MU

NEWIL H. SCOTT STIRSOSAPTOR I CM.. your H. 1.Seat System for Stereo e.rnla and rum _ twoIt monaural Los you H., H. % STIAM 00-0; eonsleer. . WIC.< Ant. down in 1961 in favor of that spon- them-using the 45/45 -degree Blum- sored by Zenith and GE. Adapters re- lein matrix-had made their appear- mained important, however, in wean- ance. Until they did, the only disc sys- ing mono systems to the new medium. tem was that of Cook Laboratories, A "classic" of the late Fifties was the with a separate groove for each chan- Scott, whose switching could turn two - - t nel. Posh systems played them with a mmig 7,111.1. ....ft -1.w I vow /0 Jadlleiramma mono systems into a true stereo rig. 1 Livingston two -headed arm; the When Tandberg introduced the quar- budget -minded could adapt a mono ter -track format, it offered the essen- ing and playback electronics, as arm with the Cook "sidecar" shown tially mono Model 5 with an add-on shown in a late -1958 advertisement. here and a second (preferably, but not adapter for the second -channelrecord - By that time stereo discs as we knew necessarily, identical) cartridge.

analog rivals, either because more tape does not go up exponentially the way it solved to everybody's satisfaction, the must be used (higher tape speeds or does with bit rate. Sampling rates as low "perfect" medium will be perfect only as more tracks in simultaneous use) or be- as 40 kHz (that is, 40,000 times per sec- long as every bit (pun intended) of the cause only premium magnetic coatings ond) are possible, but only if the audio encoded information is recovered (like the metal alloys) can be used. bandwidth is kept below 20 kHz. Some exactly; when wear or damage become A number of digital systems em- tests indicate that listeners-expert and severe enough to compromise recovery, ploy 14 -bit quantization; that is, each otherwise-can't hear the difference audible quality disintegrates much more number by which they encode the audio when a very sharp 15 -kHz filter is in- rapidly than with analog media. As a waveforms runs to fourteen binary di- serted into an otherwise broadband mu- hedge against mistrackings, dropouts, or gits, for a differentiation scale of more sical signal. And with such a filter, a 40 - whatever problems a given digital trans- than 16,000 steps. Some experts consider kHz sampling rate will be adequate. mission may be prone to, some form of this rather extravagant for the consumer But is the filter itself adequate? error -correction code often (but not al- market, much of which seems perfectly Some engineers are convinced it is not. If ways) is built into the system. happy with AM radio, Dolby -less cas- the medium is indeed to be kept ahead This requires some form of re- settes, and discs pressed with noisy re- of present demand, a bandwidth of 20 dundancy (another demand on the me- claimed vinyl. They wonder how a 14- kHz would seem minimal, raising the dium's packing density) so that the digi- bit digital system can hope to compete sampling rate above 40 kHz even with tal -to -analog converter will be able to for a mass market that apparently very sharp filtering. But even worse than tell when an error has occurred and pos- doesn't care about improvements. the bandwidth restriction, some believe, sibly correct it. There are many ap- If anything, far more experts lean is the sharpness of the filter that is re- proaches to error correction, making it in the opposite direction, believing that quired. Sharp filters are given to ringing, yet another factor contributing to the the capabilities of digital audio must ex- due to the phase perturbations they im- mutual incompatibility of digital sys- ceed present demand, to allow room for pose far below their cutoff frequencies; tems. Some proposed consumer media growth. Most also seek broad compati- to prevent ringing in the audible band, (including most of the discs) include bility to avoid fragmenting whatever their knee frequencies should be raised some form of code. market there may be for this "ideal" sys- or their slope rates lowered or both. But, These days we frequently hear tem. Carried to its logical extreme, this in order to keep any audio at more than predictions that digital equipment will would suggest interchangeability of pro- half the sampling rate from reaching the come to the home market in about five fessional (possibly, 16 -bit) and home digital encoder and thus causing years, and it does seem likely that within equipment, which would almost cer- spurious products called "aliasing," the that period there will be offerings that tainly rule out general affordability. sampling rate then would have to be in- make today's prices look ridiculous. At Sampling rate, too, is a subject of creased drastically. least some of those products doubtless debate. The higher the sampling rate, the These are the major areas where will prove premature. It may be that all greater the demand on the storage den- disagreement remains, but there are still will-that the ideal system remains out sity of the medium, though the demand more. Even if these problems can be of reach.HF 52 HIGH FIDELITY "I Vill Not Stop to Vork Until It Vill Not Be More Beautiful!" by Leonard Bernstein

On June 18, Leonard Bernstein tem- transmogrifies himself into a com- and which seems to inhabit so many of porarily emerged from his year- poser-at least, to me. There is a drastic those same super -symphony -orchestras long self-imposed exile from the music change of persona; the public figure be- today. Of course, back in those Glorious world to address the American Sym- comes a very private person. There are Bad Old Days (or should I say those phony Orchestra League's annual con- very few if any public appearances (this Grisly Good Old Days?) life was not by vention in New York. His sermon-for being one of the few); there is a lot of any means all joyfulness in the orches- that is what it turned out to be-took as solitude and deep inner searching. First tral ranks. There were moans, groans, its text Gunther Schuller's 1979 Tangle - there is a transitional period in which and mutterings; there were laser beams wood welcoming speech and sub- one tries to clear the mind of everybody of resentment aimed at the podium, even sequent article in last June's HIGH FI- else's notes-Beethoven's, Mahler's, semiaudible wisecracks or ill -concealed DELITY, "The Trouble with Orchestras." Stravinsky's, Druckman's-all those infractions of discipline, all related to You may remember that the article denotes one has been studying and con- prolonged rehearsal time and author- scribed symphony orchestra players' ducting and hearing day in, day out; then itarianism. But none of this was the re- apathy, board members' ignorance, con- follows the period of agony and ecstasy, sult of apathy. On the contrary, it had a ductors' abdication of their artistic and searching for and finding one's own vehement force behind it; there was a community obligations, and adminis- notes. This is what I have been doing. I cause being fought for, a valid cause. It is trators' usurpation of musical decisions. hardly ever go out, socially or profes- true that in those days orchestral musi- If Schuller's statements, in Bern - sionally; I have attended very few con- cians were grossly overworked and un- stein's words, have "caused an certs; I have become a reclusive intro- derpaid and had few, if any, guarantees enormous amount of excitement . .. in vert. It is, in short, a very odd time for me of permanence or economic stability. the American orchestral world," so too to be making this speech. But such was the dedication and charis- did Bernstein's speech. Here it is, vir- Now, having made all my dis- ma of those glorious tyrants of the ba- tually untouched. claimers, I hope I can talk with you ton that music triumphed over all. Came freely. In the course of this period of re- the performance, and the ill feelings My dear friends: flection and reading and re -reading, I vanished magically, to be replaced by a I greet you most warmly, but with have come across that remarkable radiant glow of pride-pride in the curiously mixed feelings. On the one speech made by my esteemed friend and knowledge that perfection was the goal, hand, I am very pleased to see you all colleague Gunther Schuller at last year's the perfect serving of the composer, not and to touch base with so large and sig- opening exercises of the Berkshire Mu- the conductor, and that they, the players, nificant a segment of our American music Center. I am sure you are all more were with each new performance com- sical life.lamalso flattered to have been than familiar with that Tanglewood ad- ing closer than ever to that goal through asked to make this so-called keynote address and with Mr. Schuller's follow-up bone -hard work and the consecrated dress, whatever that may mean these piece inHIGHFIDELITY magazine; they guidance of their maestro. days when keynotes become increas- have both caused an enormous amount Even as I say these words, the ingly hard to come by. On the other of excitement and controversy in the memories rush back to me with a new hand, I cannot help asking the question: American orchestral world, which is vividness. I can see my beloved master, Why me?I amsomewhat puzzled that in practically synonymous with the occu- Koussevitzky, a high priest at his altar, this of all years-this special, precious pants of this room. I should say at once raging through an endless rehearsal, in- 1980, which I have reserved exclusively that I place myself firmly in his camp: defatigable. I can hear him now: "I vill for composing, in whichI amnot lifting a With very few exceptions, every point not stop to work until it vill not be more baton-that in this very year I should he has made is true, all too true, as I beautiful!" "Ve will play again hondred have been selected to address the prob- know from long personal experience. times until it vill not be in tune!" "Kinder, lems of the symphony orchestra. The early years of my musical ac- you mostsuffer, sailerfor die musical Ladies and gentlemen, you see be- tivity coincided roughly with the last art!" And suffer they did, but to what fore you a nonconductor-which I must years of the great tyrants of the podium: glorious ends! And I see Fritz Reiner, my emphatically point out does not mean a Koussevitzky, Reiner, Rodzinski, Tosca- other great teacher, with his impeccable body through which no electricity can inn), Stokowski, Szell-those great ear and fearsome eye, suddenly stopping pass. On the contrary. But it does mean names that forged, by supreme authority a rehearsal to nail the fourth desk of that my mind is not continually occupied and will, the great American orchestras. I violas and make them play a passage by with the issues that concern this body. A have also lived to witness the apathy and themselves-two trembling figures sud- strange thing happens when a,oncioc ioi joylessiiess of which Schuller speaks denly made to audition before their col -

e, 1980 by Leonard Bernstein NOVEMBER 1980 53

leagues. And not infrequently such a complexity through Haydn, Beethoven, up a sore point: Because I have spoken to scene culminated in that terrifying mo- Brahms, Bruckner, et al., so did the or- these matters frequently in the past, I nosyllable, "OUT!" And in those days, chestra for which it was written; each have just as frequently been misquoted "out" could mean out for good. But what new demand by a composer evoked a as saying that the symphony orchestra is performances there were, what Mozart, complementary advance from the or- dead. It infuriates me to read that misin- Bartok, what Rosenkavaliers came out of chestra, eventually evolving into the or- terpretation. In fact, orchestras have that sof ering. Everybody suffered, in- chestra of Mahler and Ravel-which is to never been more alive and kicking. cluding Reiner himself, who we are told say, the standard 100 -piece orchestra What I have said is that they have be- was on at least one occasion physically that graced the beginning of this century. come in part kind of museums-in part, attacked in the stage -door alley by some The truth is that our present-day mind you; remember I said there were of his players. symphony orchestra is not basically dif- two ways to account for the paradox. But What feverish days they were! ferent in concept or composition from yes, museums: glorious, living treasuries When in 1943, I became Artur Rod- that of 1910, say, in spite of the tripling of art. And what, may I ask, is wrong zinski's assistant at the New York Phil- or quintupling of wind instruments, or with a museum, especially one in which harmonic, I was appalled to find that his the addition or invention of the plethora we are dealing not with paintings and first official act in office was to proclaim of percussion instruments which some- statues, but with live bodies, great per- 25 arbitrary dismissals. Those were the times these days seem to be invading the forming artists, breathing and re-creat- days. whole stage. Theoretically, one could ing our priceless symphonic heritage, I need not prolong the tale with say that the symphony, as a form, with a director who is no mere curator, mention of other revered friends and reached its ultimate possibilities with but a veritable high priest in this sanc- mentors such as Toscanini, who was not Mahler (certainly, Mahler thought so!), tuary? Of course this symphonic gestalt is above hurling epithets like "Shoe- but in fact we know that major sym- a museum, and we should be proud and maker!" at a given musician, or George phonic works of real significance contin- grateful for it. Szell-but, as I say, not to prolong the ued to be written for another 35 years. But that is only Part 1 of the an- tale. Suffice it to say that all that is over, There are those who consider these lat- swer. Part 2 involves the very important ancient history. ter-day symphonies epigonic, and his- fact that, when the symphonic form dis- The artists who comprise our tory may one day prove them right; but appeared 35, or 70, years ago (take your present-day symphony orchestras are one cannot simply dismiss such sym- pick), it was not by any means the end of recognized as artists, respected and re- phonic masterpieces as have come from musical creativity for the orchestra; warded accordingly. They now have a Sibelius, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Hin- quite the contrary. The last 35 years have voice in the choosing of a new maestro, demith, Schoenberg, Copland, seen a creative ferment unprecedented in the conditions of a tour, even in the re- Stravinsky, Schuman, Bartok. And there in musical history; composers have placement of retiring colleagues. Then it seems to end, with an astonishing struck out in any number of directions, why the apathy, the joylessness of which abruptness. Curious, isn't it, that the last producing a wealth of new works-not Gunther Schuller speaks? The explana- really great symphony, in the traditional symphonies, maybe, but so what? tions have been given most eloquently sense of the term, was Stravinsky's Sym- Where is it written that what we have by Gunther himself, and there is no need phony in Three Movements, date 1945, come to call symphonies must monopo- for me to repeat them here. But there is exactly coincident with the end of World lize the repertoire of the symphonic or- something to be added, a kind of histor- War II? It is as though that apocalyptic chestra? We have extraordinary new ical or philosophical underpinning to bomb demolished not only Hiroshima works from Carter and Berio and this whole dilemma, which may help to but, as a side effect, the whole tonal sym- Crumb, Boulez, Stockhausen, Foss, clarify some of our problems-not ne- phonic concept as well. Rorem, Corigliano-Schuller himself. cessarily to solve them, but perhaps il- And so, for the last 35 years we And these works do make new demands luminate them. have had no real symphonic history. If on our standard orchestra of 70 strings Let's ask ourselves: Whence you think that's too strong a statement, and 30 winds and a handful of percus- cometh this remarkable phenomenon, only consider those who make it 70 sionists. There are new waysofgrouping this monstrestun'known as the Sym- years, back to Mahler, or even those who those 100 -odd instruments, new divi- phony Orchestra? Was it born full- are convinced that the symphony really sions and dispositions, multiple small blown, like Minerva from the head of began to decline with Schubert. All right; orchestras. There are new electronic in- Jupiter? Not at all; it grew and developed let's settle for 35 years; but in any case, struments and the introduction of prere- concomitantly with the growth and de- where does that leave the symphony or- corded tapes. There are new instrumen- velopment of a musical form called the chestra now? Obsolete? A doomed dino- tal techniques, like multiphonic wind symphony, a tonal and dualistic concep- saur? If the symphony orchestra grew sounds, or caressing the tam -tam, or tion which, along with its allied forms of hand -in -glove with the symphonic form blowing into the microphone. Some of concerto, symphonic poem, and the rest, itself, has it not declined correspond- these are minor variations or adorn- traversed a fantastic arc from Mozart to ingly? The answer is no to all of the ments of the standard Mahler orchestra, Mahler. This is a piece of deterministic above. In fact, it is precisely in these last but others are of major significance. history, if you will, visible to us on an 35 years that symphony orchestras have Most important of all, these com- imaginative graph as discernibly as feu- had their heyday, have burgeoned and posers are compelling orchestral musi- dalism or the Holy Roman Empire-nas- flourished as never before. How do we cians to hear in new ways, especially in cence, ascent, apogee, decline. And as account for this striking paradox? nontonal music, to listen much more at- the symphony grew in scope, size, and In two ways. First-and this brings tentively to one another (for example, in 54 HIGH FIDELITY

aleatory music), and to be adventurous further that you are all highly educated with its distinctive sound. But is that our in much the same way as Beethoven and sophisticated in your particular dis- true goal? Isn't it rather to have these compelled the Haydn orchestra to ven- ciplines-which may be the whole trouble. same fine orchestras each capable of ture into new territory or as Debussy did Socrates would say to you: Experts, learn producing the distinctive sound not of it- with the orchestra of Cesar Franck. In from one another; this is the moment to self, but of the composer being played? other words, the so-called "symphony begin your education, an interdisciplinary And this goal is more attainable in orchestra" has developed an added func- education. And you can begin right now, America than anywhere else; it can be tion, distinct from its identity as a mu- here in New York. Use this week as a one of the glories of our melting pot. But seum, and that is to provide the fertile springboard, and then go on learning it is finally attainable only with an soil in which new kinds of orchestral and understanding one another more American conductor, who has compre- music can be cultivated. And here is and more deeply. It can no longer be Us hensive and international roots, not where the problems begin to come clear: against Them; it must be only Us. There merely roots in the conServatoire or the This rich new area seems to demand dif- is no Them, not if music is to survive Hochschule. ferent schedules, different approaches, the crisis. And a note to personal managers: even, at times, different personnel from I, alas, am not Socrates, nor even You too are servants of music; serve it those serving at the altar of Brahms. And much of an expert on the national or- with all your powers, rather than seeking so the trouble begins. Can any one orchestral scene. But I have had long and to derive power from it. chestral organization encompass both varied experience both here and abroad, To union officials, only one little these functions and still maintain its and perhaps I can drop a few hints, to but loaded hint: Remember that a sym- Koussevitzkian goal of perfection, to say some of you Us and Thems. phonic concert is not a gig. Enough said. nothing of mere competence? To the conductors I would say: And what shall I say to trustees There are those who say no. Why Develop a keener understanding of your and board members? Again, learn; learn not two museums, they argue. After all, responsibilities to your art-in the most from all the others to whom I've already New York has its Metropolitan Museum universal sense-to your colleagues spoken. Educate yourselves to under- and its Museum of Modern Art, the Met within the orchestra, and to your specific stand them, especially us musicians. It's and the MOMA-different strokes for community. Do not neglect American not easy; we musicians are a peculiar different folks. Boston and Philadelphia music; it is the lifestream of your reper- folk. But we are not irrational, and we have their fine arts museums and also toire, the constant refresher and reju- are full of love. Get your heads together their institutes of contemporary art. venator of our musical life. Don't travel with ours and invent: Find new ways of Why should the musical museum be dif- so much, and if you do, take your or- giving concerts, of de -rigidifying the ferent? Why not have twofold orches- chestra with you. There is much you can common practice; invent new and imagi- tras, double maestros, double subscrip- learn from them. native divisions of labor. Keep chamber tion series? Bad ideas, all. Because an To the orchestral players I would music always in mind, however small or orchestral artist is a living being, a musi- plead: Cherish your love for music; don't large. Educate yourselves in ways to cian incorporating all the music that has ever let orchestral politics cause you to educate in turn those for whom you are preceded him and all the music inform- forget your joyful reason for having responsible, especially the musical pub- ing his daily life. He is not a painting on joined an orchestra in the first place; lic. Whatever happened to Young a wall, nor is an orchestra an exhibition. guard your standards of excellence, People's Concerts? And why have or- A musical artist is a consecrated part of which mean much more than fluency of chestral telecasts surrendered their edu- the world he inhabits; if he is fenced off, technique. Don't say to your maestro: cational components to mere glamorous he will stagnate. So will the orchestra. So "Just tell us if you want it louder or camera work? You must remedy that. Of will the public. So will art. softer." That way lies perdition, that course you must also find money, but Then where, you ask, is the time fearful hell where everything becomes you do that very well and need no hints and energy to come from that will permit louder and softer and little else. And a from me in that department. our artists to embrace the entire orches- word of warning: Don't get too involved My friends, all of you together: In- tral literature without its killing them in management unless you want to incur terdisciplinary education can do won- with overwork or driving them mad with its financial responsibilities as well. ders. Understanding and flexibility can stylistic somersaults? Ah, that is where Which I'm sure you don't. Besides, the do wonders. Yes, even money can do you come in, my friends: It is your imag- more active a part you play in manage- wonders. But the energy, the energy to put ination, your new inventive ideas, your ment, the more inevitably you are going all these wonders into action-where flexibility, cooperation, and good will to find yourselves in conflict with your does it come from? It will come from that can save the situation. very own unions. Learn from the man- where it has always come: from the love I realize that I am speaking to a agement, as well as from your maestro. of music, the sheer aesthetic delight in highly diverse and composite group rep- And to management I would say this most mysterious and rewarding of resenting all aspects of the American many things-more than this occasion all the arts; from the sporting sense, the symphonic world: conductors, man- will permit. But one strong hint: Remem- instinct for continuity, and the joyful agers, agents, composers, union offi- ber the American conductor. He is out and total dedication of ourselves to the cials, orchestral players, board mem- there, in quantity and quality, gifted, art we have sworn to serve. I ask you all bers-all, I am sure, devoted music - brilliant, catholic in taste, and spoiling now to swear that oath again with me: "I

lovers and, I assume, all gathered here at for action. America has developed . vill not stop to vork until it vill not be this great conference precisely to deter- world -class orchestras; we all know more beautiful!" mine how to save the situation. I assume that-some of the finest on earth, each Godspeed, and thank you. HP

7- '' NOVEMBER 1980 55 I 6110 ?,,,) CS7C9 ACI 52

Letters 54''g4c011-C-e=,_, tp .c."4wup (13 3 -.sa...... , 5. v__ Not "Metal -Ready" g to0, Nothing New Under the Sun? ct, When metal tape came on the --(/) F'"D DJ, "J> In your final comments in the report CLo. (t. 5 ar scene, it was billed as a major on the Modular Acoustics Model 3000 0.11 CO M 3 'US Fj. breakthrough, and signal-to- speaker[July],you speak of the "innovative al- 4 ea cr ... e. noise ratio improvements of bass design." While these folks may be up- ei)ct -co P" P- up to 10 dB were rumored. After reading and-coming, the speaker is anything but cc .0. 0 %. "Tape Tests: How the New Cassettes, In- ,icpc,r.scoa_ innovative. cYog 3 z0.. n cluding Metals, Measure Up" [July], I ask I refer you to a December 1961 Elec- -6 ..4 where the major breakthrough is-in the z-) fin...My tronics World article by George Augspurger, ' = price and the potential for selling new who I believe designed similar enclosures -, 5 equipment? for JBL ,n the 1960s. The enclosure shown ; 7,1 7.,-; VIrn nm '5- a2`)..9.11091 Comparing some of the top -grade with the article appears to be the spittin' ez)9,11 sw rt'c.05-sell Type 1 ferric tapes (RKO Broadcast I, Sony image of the one described in your report, p co 0 SHF, TDK OD) with most of the Type 4 with a similar pattern for impedance. With O Fz.-.ec) Fz-,' crp- metal tapes, the improvement seems to be the technology available today,I would more on the order of 3 dB. I make this judg- think that any speaker design could be im- el ment from three key measurements: max- proved upon, but Modular's doesn't appear 614 ro .csv-all imum high -frequency output, midrange to be significantly different from Augspur- co -33, ra) c 0 60 (0 0 S/N ratio (dynamic range), and THD. And ger's 1961 model. '.0 E 6 0 7 t. 0moo considering that the metal tapes were of the Don Nicol (t.Fr,%. c 7:0 c-'4'. E 4 o %.0 14, C-60 variety, would there be any improve- Huntington, W. Va. ment at all if they wereC -90s? (t t?) C j7,' - c..:L ow Unless the industry can come up The audio -video editor replies: If one is g ca, with a more substantial breakthrough than cr. to pooh-pooh any mold -breaking de- cr 0 ts--. O this, I intend to keep my nonmetal compat- -- 77! cl- z- En sign that resembles something from the o ible Teac and use the far less expensive '41 0 Ot, c,> - 0 past, there would be hardly a loudspeaker rrl rc",1 < tapes. ; 0 -t left to admire. The Modular Acoustics E. rim Scott Smith 09qr, 71. - -, Model 3000 does resemble George Aug- cT... 9.'co al un Titusville, Fla. C.) 9 3d 2,0 .6197 74 spurger's, though it's hardly a spittin' im- FC 0 - 5 5 - 5 7;7'-t, age of it, any more than either is the spittin' co -I coo j" 780 ,o,sc cr 0 The audio -video editor replies: The image of HIGH FIDELITY'S own dual -port 5, 'Z Ty. ", ccx) '(;' 0Ts 0 message here is that metal tape has bass coupler from the 1950s. On reconsid- 'a"""p Q.o- la),t3 been oversold. As readers of our test re- ti4 r:r. 0L. eration, however, we do agree that "innova- (e) Tr4 ° E ports section should be aware, we too keep tive" was perhaps too strong a word. The - looking, essentially in vain, for that touted innovation consists simply in adapting a 'x,50° o-s,,718. 3no 6. g crtr, "10 dB of improvement" in the newer bass-extending/flatteningidea -.6 thathas ,. 4. 0 decks with metal tape. Just what quan- - little currency at present. In the lead para- 0 aSI ('' 5. (1) titative improvement there is depends to a 0.. c graph we used the word "unusual," which "Pt O large extent on the properties you assume seems more preciselyjust under the c in the recorded signal and in the way it is circumstances. recorded. Mr. Smith's analysis has given him 3 dB of improvement; working from the same data, we can see a reasonable ar- More "How to Buy..." gument for 6 dB-the approximate average Your May article "How to Buy a differenceinhigh -frequency headroom Turntable" by Michael Riggs, withits relative to the "chrome" group, whose "Tonearm Geometry" sidebar, was the identical playback EQ keeps hiss in the most complete and informative that I have same frequency band at about the same come across. The manner of explanation level. and the diagrams were particularly valu- However the improvement is ana- able, especially to one of no technical bent lyzed, we stand by our previous statements and ten thumbs. More articles along this that it is small but significant to the serious line about stereo equipment would be most recordist. Whether that justifies the hefty welcome. advance in tape price isa matter each Frank Pedroja recordist must decide for himself. But we Wichita, Kan. can conceive no rationale by which it is jus- tified with decks that, because they are en- I AWe are happy to oblige: The Riggs ar- gineered with insufficient care to satisfy se- ticle cited is one of aselies.Already rious recordists, fail to realize the potential published is "How to Buy an Amplifier" of the metal tapes for which they are said to [March], and the next in line will deal with be "ready." tuners.-Ed. ifs

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41 41111114444440 NOVEMBER 1980 57 Record Reviews hI _ -J Is This Any Way to Conduct Puccini? Levine and Karajan keep a tight rein on Boheme and Tosca, but they don't sing. by Kenneth Furie

)

Dale Harris, who knows about these that almostcan'twork. First, and most ob- 0117 perspective has become is the likeli- LIthings, has patiently explained to me viously, because however remarkable the hood that many operaphiles will be dis- how the Cult of the Conductor took over at conductor may be, however encompassing cussing the relative merits of the two least the European opera festival circuit in his world view and artistic perceptions, it "KarajanToscas"asif some reasonable the Seventies: As the supply of singers suf- doesn't count for much unless he can sing. comparison were possible. ficiently glamorous to command those diz- Second, and in the long run perhaps more The reality is that in 1963 Karajan zying festival prices dwindled, it became importantly, because the very idea of a had three principal singers-Leontyne Price, necessary for all concerned to find their stage performance being "created" and Giuseppe di Stefano, and Giuseppe Tad- glamor elsewhere. More recently, he ex- controlled by a person who himself pro- dei -withadequate basic vocalquali- plains, the shortage of sufficiently glam- duces no visual or aural output is antitheti- fications for their roles; now he has none. orous conductors has given rise to the Cult caltotheraisond'etreofstage (The contrast applies almost equally to the of the Director. performance. supporting casts, but this difference is less Of course there are other reasons Both problems are nicely illustrated important to the overall success of the per- why conductors and directors have attained by a pair of new Puccini recordings, both of formances and doesn't involve actual vocal their current prominence, and some of which happen to be rather well conducted. incompetence so much as temperamental them are legitimate. Conductors and direc- But to the extent that they are "the Levine bewilderment.) torsareimportant. But we have to know Baheme"and "the second KarajanTosca" Oh, Katia Ricciarelli scores some what we're looking for from them; other- and not much else, they give me little rea- points along the way. The voice sounds wise we fall into such absurd traps as ima- son to want to hear them again. In fact,I more clearly focused than it has sounded in gining, for example, that conductorsmake found Karajan's newTosca-whichis even most of her recordings, and as long as Tosca operatic performances. This notion, I'm more fastidiously thought-out and exe- is keeping her poise, she can maintain an embarrassed to say, has been given wide- cuted than Levine'sBoheme-quitepainful appropriately steady line in a context of ef- spread respectability by critics. to get through a second time. fectively simple dignity; by and large, the Now we pay the price. Having Which shouldn't be all that surpris- Act I scene with Scarpia goes pretty well. exalted conductors to so lofty a position ing when you consider thatTosca,calling Of course what makes Tosca the title char- without really understanding what they for heavier voices, is harder to fake than Bo- acter of an opera is the range of emotional need to do, we're stuck with performances heme. One telling indicator of how screwy stresses that unpoise her, all of which is ex- 58 HIGH FIDELITY

pressed in writing that pushes the singer Ironically, Ruggero Raimondi, Kara- Carol Neblett is an uncommonly into vocal extremes, writing that is regu- jan's unorthodox choice for Scarpia, brings big -voiced Musetta, thereby giving the role larly too high, too low, and /or too loud for more "baritonal" substance to the fourth or some automatic stature, which it can cer- Ricciarelli. She is-or would be, if her voice fifth below the break-say, from B flat up to tainly use. What it can also use is the kind were working properly-a Mimi, not a E and F-than did the prominent baritones of interpretive seriousness Josephine Bar- Tosca. (Manuguerra, Wixell, Milnes) who have stow brought to her Met performances a Similarly, Jose Carreras should be a sung in the unaccountable recent spate of few seasons back. Why must Musetta be Rodolfo, not a Cavaradossi. However, con- Tosca recordings. By current standards, treated as a tramp? Barstow proceeded from sidering the modest showing he made as then, this isn't a horrible piece of singing. the assumption that the character can be ac- Rodolfo in Colin Davis' Boheme (Philips It's not an especially distinguished one ei-corded measures of intelligence and ele- 6769 031, September), the weakness of his ther. Raimondi's chronically slithery mode gance, and even though most of what she Cavaradossi-his second on records-might of vocal attack becomes, intentionally or tried to do clunked into a dramatic void on have been predicted. Even when he's not not, a prominent interpretive feature of his the Met stage, she gave Musetta a continu- straining for climaxes, there's just no lyric Scarpia, perhaps the prominent interpretive ing sense of life that suggested how impor- bloom or shape to his singing. Both arias feature in the absence of any others. In tant a role she might play in a serious Bohime. are forced and unattractive, and any tenor combination with Karajan's choices, this Barstow was half -interestingly part- who can't bring some caressing sheen to produces a peculiar dramatic result that nered by Vicente Sardinero as Marcello. "Qual occhio al mondo" in the Act I duet we'll have to talk about later. Since he too knows his way around a stage, shouldn't be singing the role. Karajan's 1963 cast may not have for the first time in my consciousness Bo- produced wholly satisfying results, but it heme's "second couple" had a dramatic was consistently in the picture, and the function; the perspective of the drama ex- PUCCINI: La Boheme. conductor himself provided caring support panded beyond the personal tragedy of CAST: with the lush assistance of the Vienna Phil- Mimi to larger questions of the physical Mimi Renata Scotto (s) harmonic. A performance of Tosca took and personal support systems necessary to Musetta Carol Neblett (s) place, something that doesn't happen in the sustainlife.Neblett,alas, sings the Rodolfo Alfredo Kraus (t) new set. (DG, incidentally, gives Fernando frumpiest of frumpy Musettas, and the size Parpignol Paul Crook (t) Corena equal billing with Ricciarelli, Car- of her voice only magnifies the frumpiness. Marcello Sherrill Milnes (b) reras, and Raimondi. On nostalgic grounds, What, then, of the conducting? Both Schaunard Matteo Manuguerra (b) he's entitled; sadly, there's not much voice Karajan and Levine have things well under Alcindoro Renato Capecchi (b) left. Well, we still have four good record- control, which is both good news and bad. Colline Paul Plishka (bs) ings of his Sacristan.) Karajan doesn't seem to me to have Benoit Italo Tajo (bs) The Angel Boheme isn't sensationally drastically changed his tempo range since Trinity Boys' Choir, Ambrosian Op- well sung either; lyric voices, after all, have his 1963 Tosca, in which he already tended era Chorus, National Philharmonic Or- to be developed too-underdeveloped ones to gradualness. The feeling of the perform- chestra, James Levine, cond. [John Mordler, just aren't as painful to the ear as under- ance, however, has changed a lot. Much of prod.] ANGEL SZBX 3900, $18.96 (two discs, developed dramatic voices. Renata Scotto the difference may be attributable to the automatic sequence). Tape: 4Z2X 3900, and Sherrill Milnes sound less pressured very different sounds produced by the $18.96 (two cassettes). than has been the case on some recent Vienna Philharmonic and the Berlin Phil- COMPARISONS: recordings, but they don't sing all that well harmonic: The playing in the new set has De los Angeles, Bjoerling, Merrill, and they don't have much to say about an almost inhumanly cold quality, which is Beecham Sera. SIB 6099 Mimi and Marcello. Paul Plishka isin accented by the sheeplike acquiescence of Tebaldi, Bergonzi, Bastianini, woolly form as Colline, and Matteo Manu- the singers. Serafin /Sta. Cecilia Lon. OSA 1208 guerra makes a drab Schaunard. Manu- Except Raimondi, who as noted PUCCINI: Tosca. guerra would probably have made a more makes a somewhat different impression. CAST: positive impression as Marcello, and it's aKarajan's severe monumentality coupled Floria Tosca Katia Ricciarelli (s) shame Allan Monk wasn't hustled to Lon- with Raimondi's slightly sleazy -sounding Shepherd Wolfgang Bunten (boys) don for Schaunard-Levine, after all, seems slithering yields a Scarpia of inhumanly Mario Cavaradossi Jose Carreras (t) to be the only major conductor who knows cold, unbridled Nordic sadism. When Spoletta Heinz Zednik (t) of his existence. Scarpia, thinking himself on the verge of Scarpia Ruggero Raimondi (bs) There are two interesting, thoughconquest, observes to Tosca, "How you Sacristan Fernando Corena (bs) not necessarily successful, pieces of castinghate me," this Scarpia appears to be having Cesare Angelotti Gottfried Hornik (bs) in the Boheme. Alfredo Kraus's prickly tenor a swell time, the implication being that the Sciarrone/Jailer Victor von Halem (bs) isn't a sensuous instrument, and his agemore she loathes him, the more pleasure Schoneberg Choir Boys, Deutsche does show in the difficulty he has sustain- there is in forcing her submission. Oper Berlin Chorus, Berlin Philharmonic ing even that penetrating sound on held Why do I find this so bothersome? Orchestra, Herbert von Karajan, cond. [Mi- notes higher up in the voice. From a techni-Maybe because it seems too inconsistent chel Glotz and Gunther Breest, prod.] cal standpoint, however, the degree of con-with the outwardly aristocratic and pious DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2707 121, $19.96 trol he exercises above the break is in most Scarpia we have seen so far. But this won't (two discs, manual sequence). Tape: 3370 regards superior to that of the current com- wash; one of the valuable functions of art is 033, $19.96 (two cassettes). petition. And his technique and intelli- to explore such gaps between public and COMPARISONS: gence enable him to articulate words andprivate selves, between "normal" behavior Callas, Di Stefano, Gobbi, sentences, a feat that other tenors no longer and behavior in extremis. Wouldn't it seem, DeSabata/LaScala Ang. BL 3508 even attempt. Some of his scenes, notablythough, that Tosca should recognize what Price, Di Stefano, Taddei, the Bohemian bantering of Acts I and IV,she's up against, somehow sense that the Karajan/ Vienna Phil. Lon. OSA 1284 contain glimmerings of dramatic life. more violently she opposes Scarpia the NOVEMBER1980 59

more pleasure she gives him, and react in This is going to be a problem as long when Kraus is singing, "the word" doesn't some way? Perhaps, but even so there must as the conductor thinks he can shape an op- dictate anything, doesn't communicate be more bothering me. eratic performance-determine where it's anything. Part of the problem is my bias going, why, and how. If you believe in such Idon't mean that conductors can't against two-dimensional portrayals. Since I possibilities, Levine's Boheme is admirably have strong views about operas; on the condon't believe in the existence of pure evil in conducted. It's well paced and played, with trary, why perform them if they don't? We the real world, I don't find it especially in- less of the manic quality I recall from his just have to understand that those views teresting or illuminating on the stage. I con- Met performances. And yet, for me, it re- can be communicated only through the sider it important to try to understand the mains stubbornly inexpressive. agency of an appropriate and congenial human origins of vile behavior, and so I During an intermission of the 1977 cast. To cite only the most pertinent exam- tend to resent artistic depictions that deal Met Boheme telecast, Levine talked to Tony ples, the Beecham and Serafin recordings with virtue and evil as simple, fixed com- Randall about conducting the opera: "In of Boheme and the De Sabata and Karajan's modities, rather than as shifting, am- Puccini you have to be tremendously flex- own earlier Tosca are all strongly and indi- biguous products of complex human cir- ible, because everything is dictated by the vidually conducted, and they are all well cumstances. Isn't it more useful to see what pace of the speech, and whereas Mozart is sung by casts compatible with the perform- there may be of us in Scarpia than to insu- famous for that statement, 'The word must ances' overall objectives. late ourselves by seeing him as a monstrous always be the obedient daughter of the mu- In reviewing Karajan'sPelleasetMill- aberration? sic,' by the time the nineteenth-century sande (Angel SZCX 3885, April), Conrad L. But even this doesn't explain why I style came around, it was quite the oppo- Osborne voiced the suspicion that the mae- have such trouble with the Raimondi/ site, and the word really dictates every- stro was aspiring to the Maeterlinckian Karajan Scarpia, which is, I suppose, a valid thing." Except for the part about Mozart, ideal of a theater without actors. This has conception. And maybe that's what's this strikes me as very sensible. Now if only been a dream of certain theater people for wrong: It remains a conception, not a per- Levine could heed his own advice. eons-mostlystrong-willedplaywrights son. And in a sense this is inevitable when It's not that he conducts inflexibly; and composers. Unfortunately, it doesn't the conception is external, unabsorbed bythere reallyis considerable bending of work very well. Without performers, what the actual performer. Only Scarpia can per- tempo in his Boheme. But it's all so damned kind of performance can you have? In his form Scarpia; the conductor can contribute premeditated, and the more completely Maeterlinckian aspirations, Karajan seems in various ways, but he can't take any direct you try to preplan behavior, the more cer- to me only a bit more extreme than his con- part in the one-to-one communication be- tain it becomes that the behavior won't be temporaries. Which makes him only a bit tween actor and audience. believable. 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in a 68 -pound base of resin concrete nearest Kenwood Audio Purist Group dealer bonded to mahogany in a cast aluminum for an audition of the remarkable L -07D frame to virtually turntable. If your ears can appreciate what 41.71"' eliminate resonance the L -07D can do for your records, the price ? Our engineers across the entire audible won't seem so extravagant. found that one of the spectrum. biggest obstacles to perfect sound was loss We even designed a - Significant specifications: Wow and of energy caused by vibrational movement separate power supply flutter: less than 0.02% (WRMS). where the stylus meets the record groove. Up and logic control for the Rumble: DIN Weighted Better than to now, these vibrations have resulted in mis- L -07D. An external The L-07D's external -94dB. Transient Load Fluctuation: Dynamic Phase tracking, output distortion and audible reso- Dynamic Phase Corn- Less than 0.00008% at 331/3 RPM, Compensator. 1,000 Hz, 20gcm load. nance inherent in ordinary turntables. pensator that automatically So we designed the L -07D with a closed, regulates rotational accuracy AUDIO PURIST GROUP KENWOOD Low -mass, high rigidity tonearm. Not all Kenwood dealers carry these products. For the Audio Purist Group Dealer nearest you, write Kenwood, PO. Box 6213, Carson, CA 90749. *Nationally advertised value. Actual prices are established by Kenwood dealers. Circle 23 on Reader -Service Card NOVEMBER 1980 61 Classical Reviews '#.574,

reviewed by Allan Kozinn D, S. 1069; Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, John Canarina Paul Henry Lang in D, S. 1050. Scott Cantrell Irving Lowens English Concert, Trevor Pinnock, R. D. Darrell Robert C. Marsh dir. [Andreas Holschneider, prod.] ARCHIV Kenneth Furie Karen Monson 2533 440, $9.98. Tape: 3310 440, $9.98 Harris Goldsmith Robert P. Morgan (cassette). David Hamilton Conrad L. Osborne Last November I was full of enthusi- Dale S. Harris Andrew Porter asm for the new Pinnock /English Concert Philip Hart Patrick J. Smith recordings of Bach's first three orchestral R. Derrick Henry Paul A. Snook suites, performances that still strike me as Nicholas Kenyon Susan Thiemann Sommer the finest anywhere. I'm delighted to welcome the completion of the set, which in every way lives up to my highest expecta- BACH: Keyboard Works. tions. As before, the playing is wonderfully Martha Argerich, piano. [Rudolf alive, both in tempo and in subtleties of ar- Werner, prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ticulation and expression, and apart from 2531 088, $9.98. Tape: 3301 088, $9.98 occasional lack of unanimity among the - - (cassette). violins, the sound of the original instru- Toccata in C minor, S. 911; Partita ments is thoroughly gratifying. The trum- for Harpsichord, No. 2, in C minor, S. 826; Martha Argerich pets are played with daunting precision, English Suite No. 2, in A minor, S. 807. Technical tour de force; musical flop and the darkly sensuous timbre of the BACH: Toccatas, Vol. 2. oboes is enchanting. The recorded sound, metronomic, and touch alternates between Glenn Gould, piano. [Andrew Kaz- moreover, is suitably detailed, yet spacious, a monotonous legato and a monotonous with a nice sense of depth. din, prod.] COLUMBIA M 35831, $8.98. Tape: staccato, with none of the combinations MT 35831, $8.98 (cassette). But the performance of the Fifth and groupings so essential to the perform- Toccatas: in C minor, S. 911; in E mi- Brandenburg Concerto inspires less enthusi- ance of baroque music. Then there are the nor, S. 914; in G minor, S. 915; in G, S. 916. asm. It's not by any means bad, just a bit patent perversities: the allemandes pushed tight-lippedrhythmically-thebasically The problem with playing baroque to breathless speeds, thematic restatements metronomical pulse is curiously at odds music on a modern grand piano is not so so forcefully emphasized that counter- with violinist Simon Standage's elegant much what happens to the music-al- points are completely obliterated, and all messa di voce swells. I find myself wanting though there are, of course, some real ques- trills started on the main note. Most per- greaterrhythmicflexibility,alaHar- tions here-as what happens to the piano. verse of all, in the partita and the English noncourt's more recent recordings, and es- An instrument capable of great power, Suite, is the manifest stupidity of splicing pecially in the slow movement, a more range, and nuance is made to tinkle along one movement directly to the next, without rhapsodic freedom could have made this like an effete music box. Some performers so much as a single beat's pause. Thistech- easily the best Fifth on record. Even in the are more successful than others, but in gen- nical tour de force is a musical flop. first -movement cadenza, Pinnock seems eral the piano sounds uncomfortable-and Glenn Gould has his perversities too, self-conscious about his use of rather gen- even absurd. of course, including the predictable (and erous rubato to define the larger sections, as By employing a wider dynamic predictably out -of -tune) vocal continuo. if he can hardly wait to set the metronome range than we're accustomed to hearing in He also has some decidedly wayward ideas going again. (I must also note in passing Bach these days, Martha Argerich attempts about articulation (as in the opening section that Pinnock's trills tend to be so fast as to to overcome one aspect of the problem, but of the C minor Toccata) and a fondness for become absolute blurs.) this is not enough. Her crescendos and playing slow sections (notably in S. 911 and The effect of the concerto is further decrescendos tend to appear in oddly dis- 916) at the most ponderous tempos imagi- compromised by adifferentrecording concerting places anyway, and her sotto nable. In contrast his wonderfully lively al- venue-much drier than that used for the voce effects are just too precious. (What's legros spring along with engaging energy. suite-and by a disagreeably flat recorded more, at any level above mezzo -forte her Here are those life-giving nuances of phras- perspective. The strings sound starved for instrument produces the brutal metallic ing and articulation that I so much miss life-giving resonance, and the tone of the clang all too typical of modern pianos.) with Argerich, and in his better moments harpsichord is decidedly tinny.S.C. Lacking, despite a tendency toward brisk Gould manages a really effective reconcilia- tempos, are real rhythmic buoyancy and tion of harpsichord music and piano. Were BOITO: Mefistofele: Prologue-See variety in articulation; tempos are far too it not for the pervasive moaning and those Verdi: Pezzi sacri. dreadful slow movements-the Adagio in S. 916 is so inert that generous ornamenta- DVOIAK: Symphony No. 7, in D B Budget tion proves necessary just to keep some minor, Op. 70. H Historical sound going-this might be a record worth Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Or- R Reissue owning.S.C. mandy, cond. [Jay David Saks, prod.] RCA A Audiophile RED SEAL ARL 1-3555, $8.98. Tape: ARK 1- (digital, direct -to -disc, etc.) BACH: Suite for Orchestra, No. 4, in 3555, $8.98 (cassette). 62 HIGH FIDELITY

London Philharmonic Orchestra, and clear, and the frequent shifting of gears Mstislav Rostropovich, cond. [Suvi Raj (e.g., the sophisticated relaxation of tension Grubb, prod.] ANGEL SZ 37717, $8.98. for the second theme and the undulant Critics' DVORAK:Symphony No. 8, in G, shaping of accompaniments and ostinatos Op. 88; Carnival Overture, Op. 92. throughout) is unobtrusive. There is a pul- hoice PhilharmoniaOrchestra, Andrew sating energy (with some especially effec- Davis, cond. [David Mottley, prod.] CBS tive soaring portamentos from the violins) The most noteworthy MASTERWORKS M 35865, $8.98. and a lot of realistic instrumental detail. releases reviewed recently DVORAK:Symphony No. 8, in G, The second movement, too, is author- Op. 88; Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8, in G itatively molded, the opening wind chords minor. played with unanimity and continuity of AVISON: Concerti Grossi after Scarlatti (12). Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, Her- phrase. Perhaps the last two movements are St. Martin's Academy, Marriner. PHILIPS 6769 bert von Karajan, cond. [Michel Glotz, a shade less successful; other conductors, 018 (3), July. prod.] ANGEL SZ 37686, $8.98. Tape: 4ZS such as Talich (on 78s) and Monteux (Lon- BACH, BRAHMS: Chorale Preludes (arr. 37686, $8.98 (cassette). don Treasury STS 15157), have managed a Busoni). Jacobs. NONESUCH H 71375, Aug. DVORAK:Symphony No. 8, in G, bit more lilt and spontaneity in the scherzo, BARTOK: Bluebeard's Castle. Varady, but it can be argued that Ormandy's sobri- Fischer-Dieskau, Sawallisch. DG 2531 172, Op. 88. ety is more intrinsically symphonic. Aside Aug. Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Jose BEETHOVEN: Symphonies (9). Vienna Phil- Serebrier, cond. [Eric Clapham, prod.] RCA from a slight edge on the strings, RCA of- harmonic, Bernstein. DG 2740 216 SKL (8), RED SEAL ARL 1-3550, $8.98 (recorded in fers well-balanced, honest reproduction. If July. concert). Ormandy has ever made a finer record, I BEETHOVEN: Triple Concerto, Op. 56. Mut- DVORAK:Symphony No. 9, in E haven't heard it. ter, Ma, Zeltser, Karajan. DG 2531 262, Sept. minor, Op. 95 (From the New World). Rostropovich and the London Phil- BERNSTEIN: Serenade; Fancy Free. Kremer, A Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, harmonic are outclassed in every way. If Israel Philharmonic, Bernstein. DG 2531 196, Kiril Kondrashin, cond. [Christopher Rae - Ormandy's first -movement tempo islei- June. burn, prod.] LONDON LDR 10011, $10.98 surely compared to Szell's (newly reissued, DUKE: Songs. Bogard, Duke. CAMBRIDGE CRS (digital recording). Odyssey Y 35931) or Colin Davis' (Philips 2776, Aug. DVORAK:Symphony No. 9, in E 9500 132), Rostropovich positively plods. ELGAR, WALTON: Cello Concertos. Kirsh- minor, Op. 95 (From the New World)*; He punches out the marcatos in a stentorian baum, Gibson. CHANDOS ABR 1007, Sept. Scherzo capriccioso, Op. 66*. manner, but the ensemble sound is spongy GRIEG: Olav Trygvason; Landkjenning. BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra*, and overblown. While the cellist -turned - London Symphony, Dreier. UNICORN RHS Royal Philharmonic Orchestra', Rudolf conductor shows a generalized sympathy 364, June. Kempe, cond. [Fritz Ganss* and Robert An - for this work with its brooding Slavic color, HANDEL: Ariodante. Mathis, Baker, Lep- dry',prod.] ARABESQUE 8019, $6.98. Tape: his overall conception is overdeliberate and pard. PHILIPS 6769 025 (4), Aug. 9019, $6.98 (cassette). ['From SERAPHIM S uncertain,lacking Ormandy's complete HANDEL: Concerti Grossi (6), Op. 3. North- surety and control. Nor does Angel's viv- ern Sinfonia, Malcolm. NONESUCH H 71376, 60098, 19691 idly acute, somewhat metallic reproduction Oct. HAYDN: Paris Symphonies (6). Orchestra of One might have expected the Phila- help -indeed, it calls attention to the Lon- Naples, Vaughan. ARABESQUE 8047-3 (3), Oct. delphia Orchestra, with its characteristic don Philharmonic'slaxexecution. The HAYDN: Symphonies Nos. 97, 98. New York heavy tread, to deal effectively with the same orchestra fares somewhat better un- Philharmonic, Bernstein. CBS M 35844, Oct. dark scoring ofDvorak'sSeventh Sym- der Giulini (Angel S 37270), and that per- JANACEK:Fate. Hajossyova, Pi'ibyl; Jilek. phony, and it certainly does not disappoint. formance, genial and flexible, is another SUPRAPHON 1112 2011/2 (2), Oct. From the ominous pedal -point opening top recommendation. Davis and Szell are a MAHLER: Symphony No. 9. London Philhar- (Dvorak'sbiographer Sourek calledit bit perfunctory despite superb playing. monic, Tennstedt. ANGEL SZB 3899 (2), Oct. "heavy as a black cloud hanging low on the AndrewDavisoffers a keenly MOZART: Symphonies (11). Academy of horizon"), the ensemble is masterly in ev- etched and straightforward Eighth. The Ancient Music, Schroder, Hogwood. OISEAU- ery way -unanimous of attack, homo- Philharmonia Orchestra responds with dis- LYRED 169D3 (3), May. geneous in tonal blend (both within and ciplined,incisive energy, and theairy, PALESTRINA: Song of Songs. Czech Phil- between sections), and, for all the appro- spacious recorded sound is especially kind harmonic Chorus, Veselka. SUPRAPHON 4 12 priate heft, admirably transparent in tex- to the score's felicitous instrumental detail. 2141/2 (2), Sept. ture. Patently, this is a great orchestra. The punctilious dialogue betweensoft RUGGLES: Complete Works. Thomas, Kirk- Under a great conductor. Ormandy trumpets and timpani, for example, regis- patrick. CBSM234591(2), Oct. is habitually taken for granted, and -admit- ters with fastidious clarity. While there is SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 7, in E. (arr. tedly -more than a few of his inter- no untidiness or cheap emotion, neither is Weingartner). Berlin Radio, Rogner. SPECTRUM pretations, especially of works he has per- there much subtlety.Dvorak'sexuberance SR 116, Aug. formed and recorded often, have tended sounds rather shallow and blatant when SCHUBERT: Works for Violin and Piano. toward the safe, the brusque, the general- not cushioned by warm string tone. This Luca, Kalichstein. NONESUCH H 71370, Sept. SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2, Op. 43. BBC ized, and even the lackluster. Not this one. interpretation, like that of the tautly paced Symphony, Beecham. ARABESQUE 8023, Sept. He and his orchestra, in their first rendition Carnival Overture, seems a little too restless ARTHUR FIEDLER: Forever Fiedler. RCA of this symphony that I recall, shape it with and extroverted in spite of the conductor's CRL 3-3599 (3), Sept. thorough mastery. Indeed, the lack of rou- basic grasp of the idiom. ANDRE'S SEGOVIA: The EMI Recordings tine may contribute to the vibrancy and Karajan's Vienna Philharmonic 1927-39. ANGEL ZB 3896 (2), July. commitment of the performance. Eighth will undoubtedly soon be returning KING'S ROW. Film score by Korngold. Though the first movement's tempo to the catalog in London's Treasury series. CHALFONT CDC 305, Aug. is rather deliberate, the pulse is always firm Rehearing that earlier account alongside his Pachelbel's "Calm in D Major" ) )

isyoursfor only $1! ) with your FREE -NO PURCHASE OBLIGATION -membership Dear Friend of Great Music, THE LARGEST RECORDING PROJECTS IN HISTORY To acquaint you with the Society's musical fare and recording HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY program, we'd like to send you an outstanding record that has THE MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY! captivated thousands of Americans FOR ONLY $1.00! The Society's recording feats are the sensation of the record Itis rare that a recording is made that is truly "out of this industry! These are some of our notable accomplishments: world" with the ethereal qualities of music, performance and The Society was the firstto issue all107 of HAYDN'S sonics ideally presented. But this recording is, indeed. OTW, Symphonies. They are on 49 records (MHS 201 through MHS ) embodying all these characteristics! 249). The Society is happy to offer a recording of such captivating The Society has issued on 25 records ALL that BACH power that Hamlin's story of the Pied Piper pales! All who hear composed for Organ. this recording simply MUST have it and go to great lengths toget The Society has issued many complete works: ALL the it When radio stations play this recording, their phones are tied Sonatas, Quartets, Symphonies of BEETHOVEN: ALL ) up for hours A New York City station had more than 400 calls MOZART'S PianoConcertosandQuartets:ALLof when they played this recording! A San Francisco station hada SCHUMANN'S solo Piano Works; ALL of DEBUSSY's and similar experience. RAVEL's solo Piano Works and much more! While this recording is enrapturing and delightful throughout. Most of the Society's records are of works recorded FOR THE the first work. CANON IN D MAJOR, is so mesmerizing that FIRST TIME! Manufactured to the highest quality standards of hearers are overcome. Your writer was so hypnotized that Ispent which the recording industry is capable, the Society's recordsare well over an hour repeating the first work before Ieven bothered perhaps the finest in the country. to go to the others when I first listened to the record! HOW THE SOCIETY OPERATES But the other works are transporting as well. The performance The Society's recordings are not sold in stores. They are offered of the orchestra could not possibly be excelled and thetrumpet directly through the MUSICAL HERITAGE REVIEW magazine at playing is so spectacular that it is. in a word, breathtaking! 3 week intervals (18 times a year). As a member. you'll enjoy Certainly you'll treasure this recording as your favorite. You'll substantial savings. 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CANON In D Major; PARTIA No. VI In B -flat Major; PARTIE In G Major Aspecialresponseformwillbeenclosedwitheach JOHANN FRIEDRICH FASCH (1688-17581 Review...and you may use itto order or reject any selections CONCERTO In D Major for Trumpet, 2 Oboes, Strings and Continuo simply by mailing it by the date specified. And if you want only SINFONIA in G Major; SINFONIA in A Major the scheduled selections. you need do nothing -theywillbe Maurice ANDRE, Trumpet shipped to you automatically. What's more. you'll have at least 10 Pierre PIERLOT and Jacques CHAMBON, Oboes full days in which to make your decision --if you ever have less JEAN-FRANCOIS PAILLARD CHAMBER ORCHESTRA time than that. just return the special selections at our expense. Jean -Francois PAILLARD, Conductor for full credit. ONE OFTHE TRULY GREATRECORDINGS OFTHIS DECADE! GET THE SOCIETY'S CATALOG FREE! "A REVELATION IN MUSIC!" With your introductory record. the Society will includeits To receive this splendid record. simply mail the request form catalog of about 3.000 recordings provided below along with $1.00. We're confident that you'll so Musical Heritage Society issues each year about 200 new treasure this trial disc that you'll be moved to acquire more of the recordings of the music of such great masters as Albinoni, the Society's fine recordings. Bachs. Beethoven. Berlioz. Buxtehude. Charpentier.Corelli. Couperin. Gluck. Handel. Haydn. Lully, Monteverdi. Mozart. All applications are subject to review before membership is granted. Pergolesi. Purcell. Scarlatti, Schubert. Telemann. Tare: Ii.Vivaldi. rMUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY '0070406 and many othersIts recordings coverallmusical periods: 14 Park Road, Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724 Medieval. Renaissance. Baroque. Rococo, Classical, Romantic. Ladies and Gentlemen of the Society: and Modern Over 200 of its recordings have been honored with Please send me Pachelbel's CANON IN 0 MAJOR along withmy FREE ( the coveted GRAND PRIX DU DISQUE and other international Master Catalog. You may enter my subscription to the Society's recording awards program and set up an account in my name. However, it is understood that;) MUSIC THAT CAPTIVATES! I may cancel at any time, and there is absolutely no purchase obligation on C Even though the Society's records are of serious music, it has my part. My payment for this order is enclosed. ( some that are "hits!" SEND "CANON IN D MAJOR" IN THIS TYPE OF RECORDING: ( Take MHS 1100 in our catalog, for instance. When it was played f 'Record k1060. $1.00 El Cassette #2060, $2.00 / over a pops radio station frequently for a short period of time, over NAME 80.000 records were sold as a result! Or consider the Society's MHS 1060. This record. when played ADDRESS by radio stations. results in an avalanche of calls that tie up their switchboard for hours afterwards! CITY STATE ZIP CODE From among the Society's 3.000 records there must bemany Send my FUTURE selections in:0Records C7 Cassettes that will captivate you. OFFER OPEN TO NEW MEMBERS ONLY "1, Offer Valid Within the Contiguous United States Only evert Circle 28 on Reader -Service Card 64 HIGH FIDELITY ANOTHER DIGITAL SPECTACULAR FROM ANGEL new Angel recording makes me realize how much more absolute and subtle his command has become in the intervening years. Although the Vienna version was admirably played, it sounds plebeian and lum- Mendelssahn bering beside the Olympian purity of line SymphonyNo .4in A and tautness of phrasing Karajan achieves "Italian' today. In almost every instance, tempos are slightly faster and more propulsive now (a Schumann notable exception being the coda of the Symphony Na 4 third movement, where the greater refine- Wires- ment of the Berlin winds adds point and in D minor acuity to a more deliberate interpretation).

. . True, much of Dvofak's sentiment and KLAUS earthy vitality is sacrificed in the quest for patrician purity, and concertante detail in TENNSTEBT the newerperformance ispallidly, though BERLIN beautifully, rendered. PHILHARMORIC Then there's the gimmicky sound: As the dynamics expand, one has the un- settling sensation that the hall is getting .4v larger as well and that the brass and timpani, with their cutting edge and pointed clarity, are removed from the rest of the (somewhat overresonant) ensemble. All of this is especially objectionable in the bonus 4 SlavonicDance, which bristles with distract- ing inner -voice detail and often suggests an impeccably tailored suit turned inside -out. Despite my great admiration for Karajan's performance, the sonic oddities leave my preference for the Giulini/Chicago Eighth Circle 59 on Reader -Service and unchallenged (DG 2531 046, March). I'm allfor giving aspiring musicians their day in court, but RCA's new Eighth-anindifferently reproducedair WHY PAY MORE ! check from Australia-amounts to a kan- garoo court. Serebrier has shown in other performances that he possesses talent and Pioneer Sony Technics temperament, but here he mauls the music Auto Reverse Digitally Synthesized Metal Capable with all sorts of overphrasings and unset-

41110 -.4rL re ea , tling tempo extremes. The Sydney Sym- pad Dirt phony sounds scrappy and raw of tone, with some notably subpar first -stand playing. (The flutist is agonizingly out of tune in the fourth -movement solo.) This recording RT-909 166 RS- M45 $2.07 is simply uncompetitive, and one wonders TEAC what prompted RCA to issue it. Pic Weer Akai Both of theNew Worldreleases have Dolby HX N -west Technology D gital Readout attractive features. Kondrashin's, despite a minor ritard in the first movement's flute 1---7,.;7 T- 13=3" - theme and such occasional eccentricities as ; I 1., I I II 0 the willful hauling about of the scherzo's HPM-900 subordinate section, is basically a no-nonsense account, reminiscent of Toscanini's $ 205ea. C -3X $397 AT-VO4 $174 in its firm tempos and crisp ostinatos, its Weekdays 9-5 curt attacks and releases. Kempe's version, TOLL FREE 800-356-9514 Saturc an 9-5 on the other hand, has an unassuming poetic ardor, with some affectionate rubatos Over 100 Brands like: and easygoing, yet always disciplined, playing. For all his Teutonic extravagances, Technics Maxel Sony Cerwir Acutex he was a most elegant and civilized mae- Pioneer E Teac Vega Craig stro, and this Ninth is sophisticated and ar- Marantz Altec Akai BL Scotch tistic. TheScherzo capriccioso,with Kempe's KenwoodScarp Dual Audio ' B.I.C. VilSONSIN CISCJUNTSTEREO own Royal Philharmonic, is even better-in Sansui PhillipsKoss Technica Stanton fact, altogether superb. Kondrashin takes Jensen S lure TDKClarion Pickering 2)17 whaler Ir dison, v1,1 537U Continued on page 68 Circle 58 on Reader-Servl:e Card WHY PAY FOR FRILLS IF WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS PERFORMANCE?

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AR93 iAR94 INTRODUCING THE NEW You get added low -end punch in a ing, liquid cooled tweeters for improved AR93 AND AR94 3 -way system. Both speakers are bigger power -handling,and the AR Acoustic than anything in their price range, for Blanket'" for smooth frequency response. ' HIGH TECH SPEAKERS more bass response. Both have vertically We set out to engineer more speaker The frills are gone. arrayed drivers for sharpest stereo imag-for the money than ever. And in aiming Instead of removable grills, chrome for that goal something exciting hap- plating and a lot of brushed aluminum, AR pened. We achieved a stun- has invested everything in what you'll hear. ningly handsome look. The result: a pair of 3 -way floor -stand- Sleek contemporary ing speaker systems at prices you'd speakers, sheathed in a 111 expect to pay for some 2 -way bookshelf matte black, acoustically num IN LISIINING systems. transparent fabric. A true blending of The AR93 has four drivers including a High 'Tech and Hi Fi. pair ofside -firingwoofers which elimi- Speakers that please the eye. nate interference from secondary reflec- But above all, speakers that put your tions, and are thus remarkably accurate money where you can hear it. all across the bass range. For literature see your AR dealer or The AR94 has three drivers. With a new write AR at this address.'Teledyne ARcross -oversystem, itsmid -range Acoustic Research, 10 American Drive, works with the woofer to act as dualfront - Norwood, MA 02062. firing woofers across the bass range. leTELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH by DanielPaget 66 Joplin maydoublyrejoice:first,becausehe of hisreverenttreatmenttheresurrected True Artofplayingragtime.Faithfulfans kin ishailedasaleadingevangelistofthe his latestJoplindisc,digitallyrecorded.Rif- series forNonesuch,Angelblessesuswith several yearssinceJoshuaRifkin'sepochal than adecadesinceitssecondcoming,and ragtime inhumblecircumstances,more Rifkin's GenteelJoplin From theSaloontoSalon: than ever.Butishisrealmessage heard? ther SchullerbringusJoplinmore echt fore, whileartistssuchasRifkinandGun- Sumatra, hisstarshinesbrighterthanbe- media spreadtheword.FromSedaliato King ofRagtime,asweallknowsincethe record outshinesitspredecessors. second, becausetheglorioussoundof The EasyWinnersandHeliotropeBouquet, has addedtwogoodworkstohisledger, the ManhattanSchool ofMusic. ist, DanielPagetteaches atJohnJayCollegeand The pastdozenyearshaveseen reissues of By Permission from "T Hallelujah! Therevival SOMETHING Roughly acenturyafterthebirthof Hallelujah, forScottJoplinwasthe Conductor, composer,andragtimespecial- Opportunities seeminglyabound. rsl filtYrorr_ rolls VAL A.REIS 1110 OLtvc.5T Cake, MARCH AND pv,,,..,HED ay on. ...5`COTT HAYDEN OING

was largelyspreadbywhitesandignored decried bywhites,itsrevivalinthe1960s was createdmainlybyblacksandoften while ragtimebeforetheturnofcentury points ofinterestemergemoreclearly. the furorofrediscoveryabates,certain sic criticshavefocusedonragtime.Butas grams, eventheattentionsofeminentmu- composers arereprinted;movies,TVpro- now available,andmanyragsbyother ject published.Joplin'scompleteoeuvreis been given,booksandarticlesonthesub- formers. Countlessragtimeconcertshave recordings byvariouscontemporaryper- many earlydiscsandpianorolls,aswell be amarketable "serious" BlackComposer still wobbly-legged. Joplinwasrevealedto black andAmericanstudiesprograms were was acclaimed,atatimewhen newborn with popularrootsbutclassicalaspirations embraced andagenuineblack composer of America's"peculiarinstitution," was relevance. Ragtime,aonce-spurned child even jollyresponsetothenewcallforsocial beseiged ivorytowerwithaconvenient, among collegeaudiencesandprovidedthe by blacks.Therevivalbeganprimarily Walk, MUSIC CO *T. LOUISMO. mike. For one,itisastrikingironythat, whites titillated. in theswing, cover showsblacks Early sheet-music of pre-WorldWarIAmericahadgreatap- ours (diespoorandpremature,natch).If counted inhisowntimemakesgood Chopin inafamiliarscenario:Geniusdis- print, andfilms,Joplinwascastasablack able withoutdroppingabeat.Inconcerts, to newaudiences,bothapparentlyattain- saw initadelightfulrepertoryandbridge particular seemedattractive. long forgotten,thelyricalsideofragtimein peal. ful simplicityofalternatelifestyles,music Furthermore, tothoseseekersofthepeace- cum forefatherfigure-infact,theonlyone. played andheard.Ragtimewasaparticu- has muchtodowiththewayragsare in ragtimelongpredatestherevival.)Butit with Rifkin'sowncredentials.(Hisinterest compositions takenalone,ofcourse,or a certainscholarlycachet. cians newtotheacademyfoundinragtime though inlessermeasure,somejazzmusi- you couldsurelyplayarag.Likewise, you could gests envisioned aragtimesymphony.Thissug- composed twooperasandissaidtohave of Europe.Joplin,itsprincipalpractitioner, ploying theharmonicandformaltraditions seems fullycomposedandnotated,em- style? Certainly.Ononeside,themusic charged. sembles mostcloselyisnaturallyhighly the questionofwhichparentchildre- of Afro-AmericanandEuropeanheritages; larly successfulproductofthecohabitation sparked itsoriginalinterest.Aratherdiffer- clear inthepublicmindandprobably life. Thelewdassociationsofragtimewere ronment inwhichJoplinspentmuchofhis flourished inthesportinghouse,anenvi- with blacks.Furthermore,itwasmusicthat strative rhythmiccharacterlongassociated On theotherside,itwasmusicofademon- or BrahmsoughttodoforJoplinaswell. weaving itslong,contrapuntallines (when example oftheclassicalapproach,carefully over sound-color.Rifkin'splayingisagood emphasize harmonyoverrhythm,form sult, performerswithahistoricalbentoften in thestudyofEuropeanpractices.Asare- ing tothemusicologicalbiasesdeveloped can popularmusictobeevaluatedaccord- ent performancestyleisthussuggested. rhythm, however, the propulsivebeat. ally attheexpenseofdancerhythm and and projectingtheoverallstructure-usu- trasts, dutifullyarticulatingall thenotes possible), markingitssubtledynamic con- that a Its Then too,someclassicalmusicians All thishaslittletodowithJoplin's Does theansweraffectperformance It hasbeenthemisfortuneofAmeri- It wasprecisely intheareaof original unsettlingassociations play a performer's approachtoChopin mazurka, itwasfigured, that Afro-Americans HIGH FIDELITY NOVEMBER 1980 67

made their outstanding contribution to the the most funereal. development of an American style during Too often Rifkin ignores the dance the nineteenth century. It was their rhyth- character of the rags, even in quicker tem- mic style that fascinated, scandalized, and pos. And when the dance is the notoriously ultimately overcame the dominant white lascivious tango (Solace), the absence of any McIntosh culture. In fact, the American Federation of suggestion of its earthy, slinky sexiness Musicians temporarily banned its members drains the music of its lifeblood. Alas, rag- from playing ragtime in1901. (That time, that paragon of disreputability, has Brahms also used syncopation was not been removed from the whorehouse to the "A Technological viewed as a mitigating factor.) Rhythm was hothouse. Such a fate is not new in the his- the subject of Joplin's only treatise onrag- tory of dance music; the sarabande, gal- time, syncopation his motto and thees- liard, and waltz all trod an earlier path from Masterpiece..." sence of what he called "that weird and in- indecency to respectability. toxicating effect intended by the These matters of rhythmic inter- composer." Itis the infectious vitality of pretation may be summed up by that elu- pulsating rhythm that period recordings, sive term of a later generation, "Swing." song lyrics, and descriptions trumpet to Each period in the course of Afro -Ameri- . 414111111111"11."11"1.1a1"17 ' anyone with an ear to hear. It is rhythm that can -influenced music (including most pop, -,--,:: .7:+"--= makes ragtime as different from a military "07-0 ' rock, and jazz) has developed a particular II.... 003 00 -0 march as gospel singing from Protestant style of playing rhythm that escapes literal . - chorales. notation yet is one of the most decisive of -0' V6 This is not to deny the cantabile ele- stylistic elements. Although the original ment in Joplin, or to downplay his interest ragtime period fell tantalizingly short of the or McIntosh C 32 in matters classical. But this was zippy, toe- age of widespread disc recording of piano tapping music most of the time-a qualitymusic, there is still enough recorded evi- rarely projected by Rifkin. (Even Tin Pan dence to suggest that, even in this early "More Than a Preamplifier" Alley must be part of the mix-witness genre, it don't mean a thing if it ain't got its the surprising yiddishkeit of the second own brand of you know what. Authenticity McIntosh has received peerless ac- strain of Magnetic Rag.) in ragtime is more likely to emerge from We come back to the fact that rag- careful attention to the "feel" rather than claim from prominentproduct time was music that thrived in the bawdy the look of the music. testing laboratoriesandoutstand- house, with Joplin one of its best "perfes- Listeners familiar with Rifkin's work ing international recognition! You ' sers." While it is certainly possible for up- will find no major surprises here. Within can learn why the'more than a right citizens to compose good rags, one his stylistic constraints, the playing is typi- preamplifier- C 32 has been naturally expects the music to reflect the cally skillful, and his treatment of Easy Win- selected for these ulique honors. purpose to which it was so congenial; that ners attractively jaunty. As for the digital is, to create a stimulating ambience for the recording, the sound is clean, warm, and Send us your name and address sporting life. Melancholy and the gentler natural, with excellent presence. The high and we'll send you the complete moods may occasionally be included, but quality of this disc alone merits attention, the dominant quality must be physical ex- especially if your old Nonesuch grooves are product reviews and data onall citement,if not downright raunchiness. showing wear. McIntosh products, copies of the Such veins are there to be tapped in Joplin, Rifkin deserves much credit for his international awards and a North but only the more refined qualities appear role in the ragtime revival. At the same American FM directory. You will on this disc. There is precious little raunch in time, those oft -maligned jazzmen and understand why Mchtosh product Rifkin's rags. He offers the salon, not the honky-tonkers who revved up the rags de- research and development always - saloon. serve a word of thanks as well, for they kept hasthe The jacketnotes(unattributed) the stuff alive. Recent years have seen im- appearanceandtech- make the heady claim of authenticity for portant efforts to restore Joplin's music to nological look to the future. these performances-not easily substan- its former beauty. We must, however, be- tiated. Consider, for example, the matter of ware of sanctifying it in the process. It's Keep up to date. tempo. Joplin often warned against playing time to let the devil back into ragtime. his rags too fast, fearing that the syncopa- Send now---

tions would lose their effect. Most often, he called for "slow march tempo," with an oc- JOPLIN: Piano Works. casional tempo di marcia. Several times he A JoshuaRifkin,piano.[George McIntosh Laboratory Inc. defined the slower tempo with metronome Sponhaltz, prod.] ANGEL DS 37331, $10.98 Box 96 East Side Station markings ranging from 72 to 100 beats per (digital recording). Tape: 4ZS 37331, $8.98 Binghamton, NY 13904 minute; these make sense,as standard (cassette). marches of the period were played in ex- Maple Leaf Rag; The Entertainer; Name cess of 120. Thus, Rifkin's choices for The The Easy Winners; Gladiolus Rag; Pine- Address Entertainer and Heliotrope Bouquet are hardly Apple Rag; Heliotrope Bouquet (by Joplin authentic, no matter how beguiling they and Louis Chauvin); Paragon Rag; Solace; City State Zip may be. Particularly the latter, played at a Magnetic Rag. lugubrious 42 beats per minute, bears no If you are in a hurry for your catalog please COMPARISON: send the coupon to McIntosh. For non -rush discernible relationship to any march but Rifkin None. H 71305, 73026 service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine. Circle 26 on Reader -Service Card N HIGH FIDELITY

Continued from page 64 the repeat in the symphony; Kempe does older Seraphim transfer. But for all its reti- Two Norwegian Melodies, Op. 63; At the not. cence of detail, even the symphony sounds Cradle, Op. 68, No. 5. London's sleek, warm digital sound, warm and pleasant.H.G. No written review could possibly aside from deep -toned timpani and com- convey the attractiveness of this release as plete lack of distortion, is solid rather than GRIEG: Worksfor String well as its engaging jacket photograph of spectacular. In the first two movements of Orchestra. fourteen of the nineteen' youngsters who the symphony, Arabesque's EMI -derived Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, make up the Norwegian Chamber Orches- sound from the late '50s almost suggestsTerje Tonnesen, dir. [Robert von Bahr, tra. Their youth and smiling charm prepare electronic stereo (there is greater separation prod.] Bis LP 147, $9.98 (distributed by one for the freshness and zest with which from the scherzo onward); the Scherzo capric- Qualiton Records, 39-28 Crescent St., Long they capture both the folkish vitality and cioso, dating back to the '60s, is crisper - Island City, N.Y. 11101). the melodic poignance quintessential to sounding and has a range and solidity in Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34; Hol- their compatriot's art.I have long argued this new mastering that I do not recall in the berg Suite, Op. 40; Two Melodies, Op. 53; that in strongly nationalistic music like this, complete conviction derives only from native interpreters-and here is new proof of that claim. All the music is more or less familiar Cleaningyourrecords from concert and recorded performances,

generally by much larger string sections of full symphonic orchestras led by non -Nor- isonly half the battle. wegian conductors. But I have never heard any of these lyric (and dance) miniatures The best record cleaner in the world can't preserve a sound soidiomatically"right," unpre- record. It can only clean it. A good record cleaner can tentious, piquant, or movingly heartfelt as remove dust, oily fingerprints and deep-seated dirt from the grooves. But, it can't protect the record they do here. In producer/engineer Von from wear and friction. Bahr's strong, quite close recording and a The diamond is the hardest natural rather dry acoustical ambience, this rela- substance known. At the tip of a stylus, it is tively small ensemble commands a lucidity the spearhead of over 15 tons per square and vibrant sonority that befit the music far inch of destructive pressure that (I" shears away microscopic chips better than the lush tonal breadth of larger, of vinyl while traveling more polished, but less enthusiastically in-

along the delicately thin volved performing groups. grooves. For anyone of Norwegian birth or The finest high fidelity system can't I..S background-indeed for anyone who wants restore the subtle S Sound to hear Grieg speaking in authentic native high frequency and Guard Sound accents-this "sleeper" release may well be midrange tones that Guard Record one of the most disarmingly rewarding of are unavoidably lost. Pneten.thnr Filn0/0 ° the year.R.D.D. Sound Guard© Cleaner Record Preservative is a scientifically designed, 1.0. HODKINSON: The Edge of the ultra -thin, dry formulation . Olde One-See Persichetti: Concerto for that practically eliminates record 77; English Horn and String Orchestra. wear. Your records treated with Sound Guard Record Preservative imam JANAtEK: The Diary of One Who will sound just as good after Total 100 plays. No hiss. No pops. ReSysteordmc Care Vanished. No clicks. EVII Libuge Marova, alto; Vilem Pfibyl, Give your records 100% tenor; Kuhn Female Choir; Josef Palenieek, protection with two simple steps. First, clean them with Sound piano. [Jaroslav Rybal, prod.]SUPRAPHON Guard Record Cleaner; then 1112 2414, $8.98. preserve them with Sound Guard Preservative. Buy them separately One of the twentieth century's great or get them both in the Sound song cycles,Janatek'smasterpiece actually Guard Total Record Care System. breaks the traditional boundaries of the And stop record wear in its tracks. form: When the gypsy girl begins to seduce the peasant -boy narrator, she materializes vocally and dialogue ensues, as an off-stage Removes deep-seated dust and dirt particles Virtually eliminates record wear female trio takes over the storytelling for a Protects sound fidelity Provides anti -static protection while. Using relatively simple motivic ma- Le_ terials,spare textures, and fluent har- w monies, Janacek generates an astoundingly erotic ambience, and the consummation of this earthy passion is carried out to a terse and expressive piano interlude. Sound Guard Corp. 348 S: W. 13th Ave., Pompano Beach, Fla. 33060 The Diary is unconventional in an- Facilities: Cincinnati, Ohio: Tokyo, Japan; Brussels, Belgium. other respect: Unlike the classic German Circle 45 onReader -ServiceCard cycles, it calls for a voice of operatic caliber,

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AtIforrreolliiitmiminii_ 0.= 70 HIGH FIDELITY a tenor who on the finalpage canrise to recording-unforgettable and, alas,long original Czech-and, praise be, a worthy full -voiced high Cs and who throughout unavailable. The Swiss tenorErnst one. Vilern Pfibyl, the Laca of Angel's com- can handle forceful declamation above the Hafliger, singing in Max Brod's German pleteloaf a,meets the vocal requirements staff. To my knowledge, downward trans- translation, was theDiary's mosteloquent almost completely (the qualification refers position has never been tried in theDiary; prophet in Western Europe, but his two to a slight excess of strain on the final page), almost certainly, it would make the already recordings have also been discontinued; and he makes the angular lines seem as nat- craggy piano part still more awkward, and the second, in stereo, with Rafael Kubelik ural and graceful as speech. The assisting it would significantly alter the tonal colors. at the piano, was particularly impressive. A singers are fine, and the pianist is the same I don't know much about the earlier singers more recent version by Robert Tear, in an Josef PalenRek who accompanied Blachut of these songs, but after World War II, unconvincingEnglish translation,seems (and also Josef Vaka, in a still earlier 78 - Beno Blachut, a singer of Patzak-like inten- also to have left the catalog, unlamented. rpm version of the cycle that I have never sity and musicality, was the preferred inter- At last, we have available again in heard). The scale of the performance is not preter, and during the 1950s he made a America a recording of the Diary in the as grand as Blachut's, and Pfibyl commands less range of color and dynamic contrast-a difference that Palenieek's playing reflects As manufacturers of the world's most re- (although some passages, such as the less BEYER spected performance, studio and broadcast clear coda to the penultimate song, may re- microphones, we have an inti- flect the passing of years as well). No mat- mate knowledge of how music ter; this is a strongly musical and deeply felt HEADPHONES the source. And be- performance, a fine way to make the ac- quaintance of a work of unique truth and cause we knowsounds how atmusic sounds when it's GET YOU being created, we know how itshould power. A booklet contains full texts and a sound when it reaches your ears. CLOSER reasonable English translation. But don't That's why Beyer headphones are the believe everything the annotator says about most faithful reproducers of music you can the absence of leading motives, which any TO THE buy. Whether it'sour most expensive listener will spot all over the place!D.H. model - the ET 1000 Electrostatic Supra - SOURCE aural stereo headphones - or our least ex- JOPLIN: Piano Works.For areview, pensive model - the DT 302, the lightest see page 66. full -fidelity stereophone you can buy - you'll find they have un- OFFENBACH: Suites for Two Cel- los (2), Op. 54. common fidelity. Etienne Peclard and Roland Pidoux, To find out why Beyer has cellos. HARMONIA MUNDI FRANCE HM 1043, ' such an awesome appeal to I $9.98. Tape:HM 40.1043, $9.98 (cassette). musicians, engineers, and (Distributed by Brilly Imports, 155 N. San audiophiles throughout Vicente Blvd., Beverly Hills, Calif. 90211.) the world, visit your Beyer The nineteenth century was rich in dealer. Listen to our full "entertainment" or "light" music that did line of high-performance justice to those terms without compromis- headphones. Then you'll ing artistic quality. Needing no arrangers or know why Beyer is better. orchestrators, well -trained composers did the work from beginning to end. The three jtij+I - oiSL'hr main exponents, Johann Strauss, Arthur Idittal.. a rvmre crrnauac Sullivan, and Jacques Offenbach, are as 6 -Fib,...-; various as they are attractive in their very personal talents, temperaments, and styles, ;:n.'" and each offers a remarkably faithful picture of the qualities and spirit of the culture from which he grew. Strauss (like his son) Beyer)))) exudes AustrianGemiitlichkeit,Sullivan well represents the comfortable English Victo- Dynamic rians, and Offenbach lampoons murder- BEYERDYNAMIC, INC. ously and piquantly the frivolous world of 5-05 Burns Avenue, Hicksville, the Second Empire and its aftermath. All

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tivate us. These cello duets come from his ways these pieces remind one of Weber; Thomas Stacy, English horn; New concertizing period and thus are relatively here too, a man of the theater composes York String Orchestra, Vincent Persichetti, early works. They are neither major cham- nonvocal music, and while the texture is in- cond.*; Eastman Musica Nova, Paul Phil- ber music nor mere trifles; the tunes are strumental and virtuosic, the tunes are lips, cond.*. [Richard Gilbert, prod.] GRENA- pleasant, the writing for the two cellos is eminently singable and melting. DILLA GS 1048, $7.95. fabulous, and the combination of sonorities Both cellists are top-drawer, and the This recording proves that Thomas and colors is delectable. (Those chords and sound isremarkablycleanand Stacy is a superb English -horn player. Be- passages in the lower register are simply clear.P.H.L. yond that, it shows that, while we may be gorgeous.) Here we hear a full string quar- able to use Gebrauchsmusik, we surely don't PERSICHETTI: Concerto for Eng- tet, there a bit of violin concerto as the first need it. cello soars to the heights. The harmonic lish Horn and String Orchestra, Op. 137.* Vincent Persichetti's Concerto for and sonic fullness sustained by a mere pair HODKINSON: The Edge of the Olde English Horn and String Orchestra (Op. of stringed instruments is amazing. In some One.* 137!) sounds as if it were written dutifully for the occasion, to show off one of the New York Philharmonic's principal members in a solo role-in this case, Stacy. The traditionally structured three movements are of the Friday matinee, music -to -let -your - DISCOVER... mind -wander -by variety, full of tunes and mildly dissonant harmonies and virtually devoid of imagination. The piece won first THE CASSIC prize in the KennedyCenter/ Friedheim Award competition in 1978, which makes one wonder how tired and sated the judges were when they made their choice. In contrast, Sydney Hodkinson's The Edge of the Olde One is marvelously inventive. Written in 1977 on a commission from the New York Philharmonic Society and given its first performance by-who else?- Stacy, with Pierre Boulez conducting, the one -movement work is a chamber concerto for electric English horn, with strings and

percussion. In his notes to the recording, the composer almost apologizes for having written something approaching a " 'sinfonia concertante,' thick and often turbid, rather than a true chamber concerto." He needn't have worried, for the work is emo- CHOOSE THE CLA` 1 /hecleaner.Disccontam- tionally and aurally involving, full of won- Audiophiles everywhere areinants can now be removed derfully mysterious sounds, and-in this recording, at least-ingeniously balanced investinginthe CLASSIC 1 safely and easily without leav- Record Care System. ing any harmful residues. between the often eerie sonorities of the amplified English horn and the ensemble. THE QUALITY PRODUCT Hodkinson took his title from a seg- The CLASSIC l's handsome ment of a prose poem by John Clare woodgrain handle not only (1793-1864), which describes an eighty - looksgood, it feelsgood. day walk with no food, no money, and ob- Superbly designed to com- viously, failing strength. The British poet's end was unfortunate, but his words moved bine beauty with function. And the composer to invent sounds that are by when used with the CLEANER no means all desolate or despairing. The ONE Record Care Fluid,its textures are wonderfully rich, and the cleaningefficiency is soloist accomplishes feats one wouldn't unsurpassed. Discoverforyourselfthe have imagined possible. Some of this re- THE MICRO STOR SYSTEM ultimate in record care. The flects Stacy's mastery; most of it is attribut- CLASSIC 1, with the exclusive able to the amplification and electrification The key to the CLASSIC 1 MICRO STOR SYSTEM, a Sound of the solo instrument (for echo, octaves, Record Care System is the ex-Saver product. reverberation, modulation, etc.), controlled clusive MICRO STOR SYSTEM via foot pedals. To my mind, this makes the

which utilizes capillary action TRANSCRIBER COMPANY INC. music all the more personal and accessible, to maintain a field of humidity Attleboro Massachusetts 02703 if not necessarily destined to become a over the velvet fiber surface of SOUND SAVER staple of the repertory. Paul Phillips and the Eastman Musica Nova perform with CANADIAN DISTRIBUTOR PRO ACOUSTICS INC KIRKLAND. QUEBEC H9H 3L4 Circle 55 onReader -ServiceCard

1,1--- NOVEMBER 1980 73

verve and precision.K.M. Pettersson died on June 21, shortly after SOCIETY MHS 4024, $6.95 ($4.45 tomem- this review was written.-Ed. bers) (add $1.25 for shipping; Musical PETTERSSON: Symphony No. 8. Her- Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, itage Society, 14 Park Rd., Tinton Falls, N.J. PUCCINI: La Boheme; Tosca. Fora 07724). SergiuComissiona,cond.[Hakan review, see page 57. Elmquist, prod.] DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Klavierstiicke: D. 459 (5); in A, D. 2531 176, $9.98. 604; D. 946 (3). Variation ona Waltz by SCHUBERT: Konzertstiick in D, D. Diabelli, D. 718. Allegretto in Cminor, D. The earliest compositions by Gustaf 345-See Schumann: Concerto for Violin 915. and Orchestra, in D minor. Allan Pettersson date from around1950 SCHUBERT: Sonata for Piano, in C, when the Swedish composer, somethingof D. 840 (Reliquie); Klavierstiicke (3), D.946. a late bloomer, was approaching his for- SCHUBERT: Piano Works. Gilbert Kalish, piano. [Marc J. Au- Edmund Battersby,piano. tieth birthday. Since then, he has beenre- [Fred- bort and Joanna Nickrenz, prod.]NONESUCH markably productive, especially inview of erick J. Bashour, prod.] MUSICAL HERITAGE H 71386, $5.98. the serious illness that has plaguedhim most of his life. Early in the 1960s, he developed severe rheumatoid arthritis, andthe disease has virtually imprisoned himin his r home for more than a decade. This hasnot 4-4P Yoe 41:4 prevented his writing a dozen symphonies, Philips three concertos for string orchestra,seven sonatas for two violins, andmany other Power Amp large-scale works. Perhaps the most immediatelyap- proachable of his symphonies is the Sev- enth (1967), once available ina fine London won't U .441 ." recording by Antal Dorati (to whomit was dedicated) and the Stockholm Philhar- letyou monic. The CBS recording of the lesssuc- cessful Sixth, by the NorrkopingSym- phony Orchestra under OkkoKamu, was never released in this country. blow it! The Eighth, far more diffuse thanits immediate predecessor, demandsconsider- able concentration but is well worthhear- ing. Completed in 1969 and introducedby riersn.1,4&rt Dorati and the Stockholm Philharmonicon origaTalinfr *1-11tik,ttitISV&\\ February 23, 1972, this gigantic frescoin Itans 4411111

two somber movements is characteristically a...11 Petterssonian in its dark -hued, oppressive ".'" tone, doubtless reflecting the pain and solitude of his personal life. Typically, hisap- proach is intense and hyper -Romantic;at times, this seems music that might have been written by a Scandinavian Mahler. The architecture of Pettersson's As advanced asour turntables! symphonies is unusual. Heseems to view each work as a unique organism witha life The Philips AH 380, with four individualsafety circuits, guards your all its own. The Eighth, essentiallytonal, entire system against unforeseenpower hazards. A current limiter uses a harmonic palette that is notexces- prevents excessive power loading.Thermal switching guards sively dissonant, but very startlingeffects against abnormal temperatureincreases. The d.c. protection arise from minuscule changes in dynamics, circuit isolates speakers from harmfuld.c. leakage. And a self- rhythm, and tempo. It begins witha "seed - checking LED monitors correct operationof all safety circuits. motif" that grows and blossoms muchthe The AH 380 also offers virtually way a plant does. Development, in the distortion -free power (100 Watts/ or- Channel minimum RMS into 8 ohms, thodox musical sense, is seldom from 20 Hz to 20 kHz with no utilized; more than 0.05% THD). That's sound performance! the work grows by accretion with reiterated And you'll find it in every Philips component. blocks of sound slowly altered. Auditicn our full line today at finer audio dealers. Sergiu Comissiona led the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in the Americanpre- For further information, write Philips,Dept. 803, P.O. Box 6960, miere of the symphony on October26, Knoxville, TN 37914. 1977. The orchestra sounds here very much like a first-class ensemble, with help from PHILIPSHIGH FIDELITY LABORATORIES, LTD. Deutsche Grammophon's usual excellent engineering. I.L. ®1980. Philips High Fidelity Laboratories, Ltc. Circle 34 onReader -ServiceCard

"P ;

ON/OFF VOLUME TUNING U BALANCE 6 FADER 0 TREBLE 0 BASS 44 RECEIVER R406 EJECT JENSEN AUTO -REVERSE r

AM 54 70 90 120 14 OA" IA 06 I I I I v.. I M 88 90 92 94 96 100

It's new. great reviews of our receiv- automatic local/distance Introducing the ers, you know theperform- circuit that brings your Jensen R406 AM/FM ance of any Jensen in your station in loud and clear in Stereo/Cassette Receiver. car will be outstanding. the city or the countryside. A superb 10 watt in -dash Features that function. The R406 offers con- receiver for your car's On the cassette side, trols with LED indicators stereo system. And yes, this new R406 features for loudness, FM muting, this new Jensen receiver auto reverse, for automatic AM/FM, mono/stereo. gives you the added con- play back of both sides of And there are separate venience of...5 station the tape. There are ultra - bass/treble and balance preset pushbutton tuning. hard Sendust tape heads and fader controls, too. Beyond convenience. too, that give you play back No gimmicks sold here. Clearly the ability to of metal tape-the latest The R406 AM/FM select a favorite station and highest fidelity tape. Stereo/Cassette Receiver is with the touch of your On the radio side, the the kind of purposefully finger is handy. But that's R406 gives you a special innovative car audio prod- hardly the only reason to Auto Hi Blend circuit that uct you can expect from choose this R406 car stereoautomatically adjusts high Jensen. It's a no -gimmick receiver. frequency stereo separa- component with a solid You select a Jensen tion when FM reception is performance difference first, because you im- poor. And there's an ...and the added con- plicitly trust our quality. venience of preset tuning. You have an instinctive If you're looking to im- feeling that this is one JENSEN prove the sound system in company building car SOUND LABORATORIES your car, this Jensen R406 stereo products with care ANESMARKCOMPANY will do it. See your Jensen car audio electronics dealer and purpose. And because ©1980, Jensen Sound Laboratories, you've heard about the An Esmark Company for a demonstration. NOVEMBER 1980 75

SCHUBERT: Impromptus, D. 899 the others hold back, and Iprefer their And here it is Buchbinder who has slight and 935; Moments musicaux, D. 780; greater angularity. (Battersby, in fairness, problems wrapping hisfingers around Klavierstiicke(3), D. 946. does have a bit of difficulty articulating the those treacherous left-hand figurations. Rudolf Buchbinder, piano. TELE- double thirds.) I like the barcarolle quality Battersby's C minor Allegretto un- FUNKEN 26.48132, $21.96 (two discs). Tape: Battersby brings to the opening of this folds more briskly than usual, its sentiment 24.48132, $21.96 (two cassettes). piece;Buchbinder's more rigorously intact but with nary an ounce of treacle; this 1 SCHUBERT: Sonatas for Piano: in F Teutonic approach seems rushed, and Kal- almost Beethovenian account is most re- sharp minor, D. 571; in F minor, D. 625. ish's lovely lyricism is just a shade under- freshing. The lone Diabelli Variation is mid- Tirimo, piano. [Martin Compton, characterized. In the third piece, with its way between Frankl's delicately introspec- prod.] SAGA 5469, $8.98 (distributed by fearsome syncopations, Kalish gives the tive reading (Vox SVBX 5487) and Centaur Records, Inc., P.O. Box 23764, fleetest account; the other two make it Bordoni's jauntier approach (Seraphim SIC Baton Rouge, La. 70893). sound more reckless-a kind of distant 6112), with just enough suggestion of a SCHUBERT: Piano Works. cousin of Beethoven's Rage over a Lost Penny bared fist to make me want to hearBat - Rosario Marciano, piano. MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY MHS 4065, $6.95 ($4.45 to members). it Sonata in E minor, D. 566; Menuetto in F, D. 995, No. 2; Kupelweiser Waltzes, D. 893a; Landler(6), D. 820; Fantasy in C mi- Philips- -- 777'11t1 ,. " nor, D. 993; Variation on a Waltz by Dia- :,110111101111r , belli, D. 718; German Dances: D. 769 (2); D. Preamplifier -:iii.-. .L. ... 973 (3). .,....._._,.... ,=, :-..:. ..,",-*- A fascinating stockpile, this, giving --4 the reviewer a forum to discuss textual mat- brings.. out-g. a il ters, the advisability of restoration, and the . --. t1,1 issue of modern vs. period instruments. ',.4, Actually, the textual problem en- the best in countered in the D. 946 Klavierstiicke extends into the realm of morality. In the first of these pieces, Kalish and Buchbinder any signal!- =, :4, jump on the bandwagon and give the .2 mr . longer version with the second trio section. But Schubert clearly crossed out that trio in his autograph, and the Breitkopf and Hartel Si!A..=, .:-f A, Mgc-'2V--,...,=sr- ... s 4. text, reprinted by Dover, complies with his :///6/./MIT-T- iii directive (as does Battersby). I suspect that, 17.-1E\MIL. with all the music one hears these days, a ON AMIN= performers, musicologists, and critics are r

all looking for gimmicks to dispel the pre- 0 vailing uniformity. It's a sad day when performers deny composers the option of re- vising their works-when this second trio, which obviously weakens the succinct emotional force, appears almost routinely, As advanced as our turntables! and when performances of Beethoven's Op. 130 String Quartet close, almost exclu- Listening conditions vary with rooms and speakers. That's sively, with the Grosse Fuge, Op. 133. why the Philips AH 280 is so valuable. It can actually help Battersby thus begins with a consid- you compensate for acoustic limitations arising from room and speaker arrangements, And for unbalanced signal in- erable advantage, and he plays these elu- put, the AH 280 can help compensate for inadequacies sive late pieces with character and insight. such as compressed bass and expanded treble. The plangent tone of his Bosendorfer, with Superior signal-to-noise ratios (up to 92 dB), stereo sepa- good clarity in the bass, is more appropriate ration figures (as high as 62 dB) and harmonic distortion than Buchbinder's spiky angularity (a Ger- rates (as low as 0.005%). That's sound performance! And man Steinway?). Kalish, playing a Baldwin you'll find it in every Philips component. Audition our full SD 10, obtains a translucent, pearly, crys- line today at finer audio dealers. talline tone, but the very smoothness and For further information write Philips. Dept.803,P.O. Box homogeneity of that instrument tends to di- 6960, Knoxville, TN 37914. lute some of the jabbing, intense harmonies. Questions of tone and text aside, HIGH FIDELITY LABORATORIES, LTD. all three versions are admirably rendered. PHILIPS Kalish tends toward a faster tempo in the C minor section of No. 2, probably to empha- © 1980. Philips High Fidelity Laboratories, Ltd. size Schubert's L'istesso tempo marking for the A flat minor second trio of that piece; Circle 35 on Reader Service Card 4Circle 20 on Reader -Service Card I fact: 11 calling thisa"brush"

is like calling this a"radio"

.1 ,e .1 al

cc 0. I -tiff IM

we call it a DynamicStabilizer ...critics call it a major innovation

True, the device on the front of a V15 Type IV cartridge force-even on severely warped records. The stabilizer bears a superficial resemblance to a cleaning brush. also acts as a shock absorber to cushion the stylus in case In reality, it is a complex, exquisitely engineered you accidentally drop the tone arm onto the record. subassembly which performs several complex functions Finally, the tiny carbon fibers are so fine that 10 of them that measurably enhance the quality of can fit inside a single groove to sweep free minute record reproduction! dust particles. Each one of its 10,000 conductive carbon fibers is positively grounded to discharge ever-present static This integrated approach to pure sound reproduction electricity from the surface of your records. This eliminates extends throughout the design of the V15 Type IV. static clicks and pops, as well as the tracking distortion It sets a new standard of high trackability at ultra -low tracking forces-even on records that are warped, dusty, produced by the varying electrostatic attraction between the record surface and the tone arm. and charged with static. What's more, the Dynamic Stabilizer incorporates If faithful reproduction of all your recordings is of Shure -developed viscous damping that results in a paramount importance to you, we invite you to audition uniquely efficient suspension system which maintains the V15 Type IV with the Dynamic Stabilizer. Or, write for precise cartridge -to -record distance and uniform tracking the complete story (ask for AL569).

SNUREV15 Type IV...the stabilized cartridge 511--1u1=t Shure Brothers Inc., 222 HartreyIi Ave., Evanston, IL 60204, In Canada: A. C. Simmonds & Sons Limited Manufacturers of high fidelity components, microphones, sound systems and related circuitry. Circle 42 on Reader -Service Card

401 NOVEMBER 1980 77

tersby in Beethoven's variationson the Schnabel's wonderful D. 899 and D. 935? same waltz. The early morceaux are ap- liebten," because he was dissatisfied. (He Tirimo is preparing a new edition of wrote the words "gilt nicht"-no good-over propriately more playful without becoming Schubert's piano sonatas, scheduled for that manuscript.) But his early sonata -form rhythmically unraveled. All considered, publication in 1981-an urtext, with theun- this is an unusually promising debut. movements he tended to write out only up finished movements completed by the edi- to the point of recapitulation. In a few for- Kalish gives the C major Sonata, D. tor. Saga's recording, containing no fewer 840, in torso form, a solution also favored tunate instances, such as the B major So- than three such movements, offers an inter- nata, D. 575, he finished the structure at by Brendel (Philips 6500 416), Kempff, and a esting preview. later date; to others, however, he simply Rudolf Serkin. His performance of the two The editor/pianist's excellent anno- never returned. Tirimo, therefore, makes a movements is as winning as theirs, having a tations are illuminating on the subject of strong case for his restorations, and he has strong yet flexible basic pulse, a welcome why Schubert left so many of his sonatas in scrupulously studied the composer's inwardness of sentiment, a wealth of in- com- skeleton form. He did discard a few works, pleted works in choosing his options (all of flected detail, and a yearning, singing tone. such as a sketch for the song"Napedes Ge- Kalish is a bit more contained, less Mah- which sound convincing, even to the point lerian, than Brendel in the Andante, but none of the piercing emotion is lost. Buchbinder's anthology is uneven. a His D. 935 Impromptus are basically very .41 10 vhi vi:miNava fine. No. 1, in F minor, has broadexpan- siveness; the A flat moves at a true Alle- Philips gretto pace without losing any of its breadth or nobility (an unsentimental, al- Digital Tuner most Schnabelian account). If there is some fussing in the B flat theme and variations, the rollicking No. 4, in F minor,comes off a step beyond with superb brio (more similar toone of Serkin's characteristic concert performances than to the slightly tame one Serkin in tuner 7 actually did record, CBS M 35178, July). The D. 899 set, on the other hand, .01.

fallsfar below Buchbinder's admirable technology! standards in D. 935 and D. 946. He ham- Orr mers away at No. 1 in a picky, aggressive fashion, and his scale passages in No. 2sug-

. , gest crocodiles' teeth. No. 3 drags along ata - " r 4,4 q == langorous Liebestraum tempo in flat contra- 1.-, 1.1\ L,04, mieN, diction to Schubert's unusual double alla CiLlg1:;-70 breve meter, andI am shocked to find MOAN WU. n ws Buchbinder (who seems a scholarly sort) ;OR O ,1.11111111111111 indulging in that tastelessly ersatz harmony in measure 6. No. 4, never a favorite of mine, soundsmore like mindless noodling than ever, rounding out a facile, uninsight- ful rendering of the set. As advancedas our turntables! Buchbinder's Moments musicauxare somewhat more agreeable, but he fusses Stereo Review states, "Short of beinginterfaced with an with the simple outlines a little too much. external computer, itis hard to imagine any FMor AM He also takes all the uninteresting textual tuning mode that this tuner cannot handle."'We couldn't have saidit better! Because the Philips AH 180utilizes options in Nos. 4 (F natural rather than F the ultimate in precision tuning- a microprocessor con- flat in the trio), 5 (the systematicrepeat of trolled PLL frequency synthesizer- to offer unlimited the coda-surely, as suggested by Demus operating flexibility. and Serkin, Schubert put a double bar and Instantaneous frequency selection! Key-intuning,auto- repeat sign before the entry into F major), matic search, manual search... even memory tuning with and 6 (the more conventional and far less twelve presets. The AH 180 isso flexible that even possible characterful harmony in bar 32). None of future FCC changes to channel spacingcan be easily accommodated with the push ofa button. That's sound per- these choices is wrong (like that fauxpas in formance. And you'll findit the G flat Impromptu), but collectively they in every Philips component. Audition our full line today at fineraudio dealers. suggest a complacent attitude toward the For additional information writePhilips, Dept. 803, P.O. music in general and questions of inter- Box 6960, Knoxville, TN 37914. pretation in particular. Telefunken'srepro- duction varies, with the piano tone notably PHILIPSHIGH FIDELITY LABORATORIES, LTD. rounder and more cushioned inD. 935and D. 780 and even unpleasant in D.899. (0.1980. Philips High Fidelity Laboratories. Ltd. When will Seraphim (or Arabesque) reissue *Stereo Review, April, 1980 Circle 36 on Reader -Service Card 78 HIGH FIDELITY of reproducing some of Schubert's bold Rosario Marciano's anthology will klavier, which twangs and thumps like one modulations). gladden the hearts of those diehard musi- of those washboards used in hillbilly mu- But Tirimo gives us far more than cologists who have been whining for per- sic! The obvious lesson is that there was as careful scholarship: His performances are formances of Schubert and Beethoven on much variation among period instruments alive with color, texture, and poetry. I won- "authentic instruments." But since she uses as one finds today among Baldwins, Stein- der whether he would play some of the two such instruments, with astonishingly ways, and Bosendorfers, or between two pi- later sonatas so rhapsodically or go for a disparate results, the disc will likewise pro- anos from the same manufacturer-nay, simpler kind of forward drive in such vide grist for more skeptical listeners like more. Marciano's playing is steady and de- movements as the first of the D major So- thisreviewer.The Sonata in E minor, D. pendable, and the recording is most accept- nata, D. 850. For these youthful works, his 566, is played on an 1828 Bosendorfer and able. But the Diabelli Variation sounds in- playing is all one could ask, and Saga'ssounds just fine-round andfull,with a substantial pared of sectional repeats.H.G. acute,resonant recording and flawless touch of plangency in the upper register. pressing are balm to the ear. What a difference from the 1825 Tafel- SCHUMANN: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, in D minor. SCHUBERT: Konzertstiick in D, D. 345. VaclavSnitil, violin; Prague Sym- phony Orchestra, Libor Hlavatek, cond.

[Jan Vrana, prod.]SUPRAPHON1110 2288, COLLECT $8.98. Pr Surprisingly, Supraphon's annota- THE tions assert that Schumann's violin concerto "has been featured quite often, but always in adapted versions, since the original was impossible to perform." Kulenkampff, ORIGINAL it is true, used a heavily edited text in his 1937 recording (Telefunken 26.48013), and MASTERS Menuhin's of a year later (recently reissued gtp by Neiman-Marcus in a limited edition) has some wrong notes in the second movement 0 RILINFla MF5'FR RECOMOINI.' (excessivefervor? simple misreadings?). But to the best of my knowledge, the versions of Rybar, Szeryng, Fontanarosa (Pe- ters PLE 003), and Lautenbacher (Turn- about TV 34631) all conform to the score as published by Schott. /11, 10.46,041110.1.T LSO Supraphon makes its pitch, of course, to justify Professor Vaclav Snitil's , rescoring of the solo part, done-as al- A ways-"with maximum respect for the original." Snitil, we are told, "studied the work, and the possibility of performing it,for more than one year[!]" and has not in- fringed "on the Schumann-Brahms typical perfect blend of the solo part with the orchestra (or what the contemporaries used to describe as concertos 'against violin')." Per-

9.16Pol1-MOSifF4C0,10 formers and editors reared in the less puri- STEELY DAN tanical nineteenth century were more adept EMBRANDT, the painter: Original Master Aja at this sort of thing. Kulenkampff's depar- tures from the text, for all their high-hand- Recordings.", the music. .GVAi ar1/49, contralto quality ORIGINALMRSTER RECORDINGS. Circle 27 on Reader -Service Card NOVEMBER 1980 79

is replaced by a sopranino brilliance that tonal quality. Yet for all this emotional aloof- tail and dynamic range. In sum, an impres- grates on the nerves. The "Schumann- ness, he never succumbs to the excessive sive achievement that offers a new per- Brahms typical perfect blend" is lost and, politeness that mars Previn's otherwise im- spective on this remarkable work. with it, the magic of this music. pressive performance; in fact, Haitink se- But I wonder how accurately Hai- The charming little Schubert Kon- cures a singularly apposite biting timbre tink's grim vision reflects the thirty -year- zertstuck is played admirably but without from his musicians. And holding his full old composer's intentions. Was Shostako- quite the lightness of Gidon Kremer's re- resources in reserve until they are really vich at the time really so embittered,so cent account (DG 2531 193). H.G. needed, he unleashes climaxes of fright- thoroughly pessimistic? After all, substan- ening power. London's heavily miked tial portions of the Fourth were written SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. sound is immediate and extremely clean, if before the 1936 manifestos. Ormandy's 4, in C minor, Op. 43. rather lacking in hall perspective; no other shockingly pungent performance conveys London Philharmonic Orchestra, recording sets forth nearly so completea a devil-may-care attitude more in keeping Bernard Haitink, cond. (Richard Beswick, picture of this symphony's astounding de- with the character of a brash, yetcou- prod.]LONDONCS 7160,$9.98. COMPARISONS: Ormandy/Philadelphia CBS MS 6459 Previn/Chicago Sym. Ang. S 37284 Philips

Absurdly prodigal in ideas, spilling Sound Series Eighty - over with a terrifyingly mordant impu- dence, the Fourth is the most radical and startling of all Shostakovich's purely or- great by chestral symphonies. Why was it suddenly withdrawn on the eve of its premiere in De- cember 1936, not to be performed until themselves, a full quarter -century later? In an interview some eighteen months before his death, unbelievable :I. Shostakovich declared that he had simply been dissatisfied with the piece and wished to rework it. But his posthumously pub- together! lishedTestimonytells a different story: He "was completely in the thrall of fear" after the infamous January 1936 Stalinist mani- - - festo "Muddle Instead of Music," which % 1 vehemently denouncedhis lb heretofore is wildly successful operaLady Macbeth of the Mtzensk District."The Bolshoi Theater staged my ballet [Bright Stream, Op. 391- . and there was another Pravda editorial, ti 1. ; . -e 1 'Balletic Falsity.' And what would have . . - . happened if the Fourth had been per-

formed then too? Who knows? Perhapsno

one would have said a word, and my song 4 would have been sung for good.... I was As

no longer the master of my life, my past was irp9r;.1 crossed out, my work, my abilities turned advanced fo out to be worthless to everyone. The future as our didn't look any less bleak. At that moment I desperately wanted to disappear-itwas the turntables! only possible way out." In the finalpages of hissymphony, Shostakovichreveals, Individually - and collectively -Philips'Sound Series Eighty "these thoughts... [are] all set out rather establishes new parameters in audio excellence. Each com- precisely." ponent offers the advanced features you'd expect. And more! Haitink underplays the acidic wit of For openers, there's the virtually indestructible power amp this music in order to more effectively lay (AH380); the "spec"-tacular preamp (AH 280); the digital bare its tragic desolation. He maps out the tuner with microprocessor -controlled synthesis tuning (AH 180); and, the 3 head, metal -capable cassette deck (N 5788). work along exceptionally broad lines ina performance that runs a full six minutes Audition these Sound Series Eighty components, and the longer than any of the recorded competi- rest of our full line, at finer audio dealers. tion, superbly clarifying its disturbing spir- For further information, write Philips, Dept. 803, P.O. Box 6960, Knoxville, TN 37914. itual development and complex (haphaz- ard, some might say) structure. Intentionally, I think, he projects a chilling PHILIPSHIGH FIDELITY LABORATORIES, LTD. sense of impersonality; the winds, for ex- © 1980. Philips High Fidelity Laboratories, Ltd. ample, effect a gray, almost monochromatic Circle 37 on Reader Service Card 80 HIGH FIDELITY'S rageous young artist. His is probably the terfly develops in this cocoon section, the Free Armchair best recording for those just getting to whirrings and patterings grow into buglike Shopping Service know this music, Haitink's for those who buzzes (an effect not overused here) and already know it well.R.D.H. glassy percussion. The calm of the cocoon On the card opposite, circle the number indi- is shattered as the butterfly emerges in a cated at the bottom of the ad or at the end of SUBOTNICK: A Sky of Cloudless somewhat more melodic version of the in- the editorial mention of the product you're Sulphur (electronic); After the Butterfly*. sistent opening section. interested in (Key numbers for advertised prod- A Mario Guarneri, trumpet*; In style, technique (described in the ucts also appear in the Advertising Index.) Twentieth -Century Players, Morton Su- composer's lengthy notes), and timbres, Type or print your name, address, and zip code botnick, cond.* [Morton Subotnick, prod.] this is far more sophisticated than the early on the card Postage is prepaid. NONESUCH N 78001, $8.98 (*digital record- works-Silver Apples of the Moon, Laminations, ing). Mail the card today. You'll soon receive free and The Wild Bull-that first brought Su- product literature and specifications from With A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur (1978) botnick to prominence. Where they relied manufacturers. and After the Butterfly (1979), Morton Su- onanincessant stream of delicate, high- botnick extends the series of lepidopterous pitched warblings mixed with what now "soundsculptures"he began five years ago seem rather simplistic frequency modu- . MAIL ORDER with Four Butterflies (CBS M 32741). As he lations and, particularly in The Wild Bull, BUYER'S SERVICE said then and reiterates now, he "uses the picturesque gimmicks and imitations of butterfly's life as a metaphor for the com- "real" sounds, Sulphur falls solidly into the positional process"-not so farfetched an middle pitch range; apparent randomness idea, really, but by now a tired one. Still, has given way to evident form; and the self- Three Great Buyer's whatever his winged fixations, his results consciously electronic beeps, squeaks, and are as varied as the patterns on butterflies' whines that have lately been co-opted by Guides From wings. the sci-fi film business and fed en masse to A Sky of Cloudless Sulphur (just guess R2D2s have yielded to a set of more at- HIGH FIDELITY what kind of insect a cloudless sulphur is) tractively tactile timbres that at times brings Order Now! is purely electronic, one of Subotnick's to mind an orchestra of tuned glasses. After the Butterfly, for electronic and 34 Fat, Pace.Pa....6 most captivating, concise, and logically POO lasts Ever 2 1980 amplified conventional instruments,isa structured works in the medium. The first NIGH F HIGH of its three sections is an exhilarating per- different bag of moths. Like Sulphur, it is in TestNew 1980 three sections, this time two comparatively tj FIDELITY'S petual motion of percussive sounds that Test brings to mind both tribal drumming and serene outer movements ("Cocoon" and Reports some of the recent hypnotic -school works "After the Butterfly") flanking a wild, ca- Guide $3.95 WA-,"41: that drumming has inspired. Supposed to cophonous scherzo ("Butterfly"). It is, in a IIMAW Circle sense, a trumpet concerto, and soloist ---.111111111 161 represent the primitive "dance" of the ca- II; No,3 MOH .912LE TY.3.10011crs 264 rePt terpillar, this section ends abruptly and is Mario Guarneri handles the demanding P.aS Buying ta se followed by a longer movement that begins trumpet part unflinchingly. Just how diffi- Stereo ComponentsGuide to with soft whirrings, some light percussive cult that part-or any of the other instru- 5 KErrro siirrnuu, 1980 sound more evocative of rain than of drum- mental lines-is is difficult to say, since k Buying -,fter ming, and stretches of silence. As the but- some of the sounds arise from avant-garde Guide to Stereo ...... :,. i _ _ Components --.. I-- $3.95 ,. Circle 3--7-17--4.,ri 162 SABA TEST QuAty.tin- tradition From W. Germany STEREO TEST______- rP.oronce Gordo to Stor. C Vow 8. 1980 .A8111111111111111111111M11111111\ t; IF Listen . . . Listen . . . Listen. Because Stereo r 2...., CComms's:::*.T.,....., Test 14111 ir st , that's really what it's all about: That at 11,1" i 1 ..lr Reports the end of our product chain, the con- $2.95 sumer-in other words, you, are satis- Testing Circle Ii11111111.2112.1111111111h. 164 NM a fied with what you hear. That's why eltiViA Vic' et there is one thing the SABA equipment concept will never have: A weak point. You will always obtain true value for To order, circle the number on the attached card

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eligible to phone in for weekly Video Club "Unadvertised Master Card :Master Charge Visa . American Express Diners Club Carte Blanche Specials" like 2 videocassette movies for $50, or a free Account = Ex p date blank videocassette for each movie you buy. In addition, you'll receive our quarterly newsletter about Club dis- Signature counts, a glossary of video terms and an equipment Name display sheet to help you shop for a VCR if you don't Address already own one. Because Video Club is a dealer for films by major Holly- City State Zip As a member, I'd like to receive a copy of your Equipment Dis- wood studios including 20th Century -Fox, Columbia play Sheet. Pictures and Disney Productions, as well as Nostalgia I do not wish to enroll in the Club now bull enclose SI for your A Twentieth Century Fox Company Merchant, our selection is unbeatable. So join the Club full -color 1980 Program Catalog today. Send the coupon at the right or call TOLL -FREE: Only one membership per family household. The Video Club of 1-800-521-0230 (in Michigan, Hawaii or Alaska, phone America reserves the right to reject any application. 1-313-476-8460) between 8 A.M. and 8 PM., EST, (-WEER GOOD THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 1980. ONLY Monday to Friday. Circle 84 on Reader -Service Card E2 HIGH FIDELITY

BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN BOLCOM, WILLIAM RECENT Motets (6), S.225/30 Three Ghost Rags, for Piano Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus, Jacobs t Copland:Four; Rzewski RECORD Stockholm Bach Cho. [G] None. 79006 (D) 2 -Tel. 2635470 (D); 442663 BOULEZ, PIERRE RELEASES BARBER, SAMUEL Sonata No. 2 for Piano Serenade for String Quartet, Op. 1 Pollini (see Coll., Piano) The following listings are excerpts Schwarz, LA Ch. Orch. t Carter: 5 -DG 2740229 from the "New Listings" section of the Elegy; Diamond; Fine BRAHMS, JOHANNES October Schwann Record and Tape None. 79002 (D) Sonatas (3) for Violin & Piano Guide. Some listings contain a cross-ref- BARTOK, BELA No. 3 in d, Op. 108 erence (*) to other works on the recording. Concerto No. 1 for Piano Y. & H. Menuhin t Franck:Son. Letters in brackets refer to language used Pollini (see Coll., Piano) Sera. S-60345 in vocal music (G, German; E, English, 5 -DG 2740229 etc.). Cassette editions are indicated by Concerto No. 2 for Piano BUSONI, FERRUCCIO the symbolQuadriphonic discs are indi- Pollini (see Coll., Piano) Sonatina No. 6 for Piano (Fantasy on cated by a Q following the record number; 5 -DG 2740229 Bizet's Carmen) (1920) digital discs are indicated by a D following BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN TrenknertSzymanowski; Toch; the record number. Concerti (5) for Piano & Orchestra Weber:lnv. Orion 80382 No. 1in C, Op. 15 CARTER, ELLIOTT ANTHEIL, GEORGE Michelangeli, Giulini, Vienna Sym. Elegy for String Quartet Symphony No. 5 (1947) DG 2531302; 3301302 Schwarz, LA Ch. Orch. t Barber: Duffallo, Louisville Orch. f Maxwell Symphonies (9) Ser.; Diamond; Fine Davies Lou. 770 No. 3 in Eb, Op. 55, "Eroica" None. 79002 (D) ARNOLD, MALCOLM Mehta, NY Phil. CHOPIN, FREDERIC Symphony for Brass Instruments, Op. 123 Col. IM -35883(D); HMT-35883 Concerto No. 1 In e for Piano, Op. 11 Jones Brass Ens. t Premru; Salze- No. 4 in BE), Op. 60 Shapiro, Jones, Berlin Sym. t Piano do Argo ZRG-906; 906 W. Richter, London Pro Musica CMS/Sum. 1075; 41075 BACH, CARL PHILIPP EMANUEL Sym. CMS/Sum. 1063; 41063 Concerto No. 2 in f for Piano, Op. 21 Concerto In A for Cello, W.172 No. 9 in d, Op. 125, "Choral" Fou Ts'ong, Maag, London Sym. Harrell, Zukerman,English Ch. Kanawa, Hamari, Burrows, Holl, Jo - Schumann:Con. Orch. t F. Couperin:Pieces en con.; chum, London Sym. & Cho. [G] West. MCA -1415; 1415 Vivaldi:Cello Con. Ang. SZ-37738 2-Ang. SZ-3880 (0) Piano Music Ashkenazy: Sonata No. 1in c, Op. 4; Mazurkas in By, G, a, Op. 68/2; Nocturne in e, Op. 72/1; Polonaise in 139, Op. 71/2; Funeral March in c, THE 400 SERIES Op. 72/2; Contredanse; Waltzes in Eb, At; Rondo in C, Op. 73 FROM STARE: Lon. 7135 Shaprio: Waltz in c#, Op. 64/2; Fan- FOR ALL THE SOUND taisie-Impromptu inct,Op. 66/4; Nocturne, Op. 27/2 t Con. 1 THERE IS TO HEAR CMS/Sum. 1075; 41075 Sonata No. 1 in c, Op. 4 Ashkenazy (see Piano)Lon. 7135 COPLAND, AARON Four Piano Blues 1 w1 Jacobs t Bolcom; Rzewski None. 79006 (D) DELTA 400 FUGUE 400 $799.95* COUPERIN, FRANcOIS $479.95* Pieces en concert for Cello & Strings EACH ' EACH . Harrell,Zukerman,English Ch. Orch. (5,arr Bazelaire) t C.P.E. Bach:Con. W.172; Vivaldi:Cello Con. Ang. SZ-37738 DEBUSSY, CLAUDE La Mer Giulini, LA Phil. t Ravel:Ma Mere; Manufacturer's suggested Rapsodie retail prig S DG 2531264; 3301264 DIAMOND, DAVID Rounds for String Orchestra (1944) CORPORATION Schwarz, LA Ch. Orch. t Barber: Pronounced C -R Ser.; Carter:Elegy; Fine None. 79002 (D) HAUT PARLEURS DE FRANCE/LOUDSPEAKERS FROM FRANCE FINE, IRVING CALL 516-585-2300 FOR THE DEALER NEAREST YOU Serious Song:A Lament for String Or - 80 13th AVENUE, RONKONKOMA, N.Y. 11779

Circle 81 on Reader -Service Card NOVEMBER 1980 E3 chestra St. Thomas Wake (1969) Schwarz, LA Ch. Orch. 1- Barber: DLffallo, Louisville Orch. t Antheil 111E1 Ser.; Carter:Elegy; Diamond Lou. 770 None. 79002 (D) MENDELSSOHN, FELIX FRANCK, CESAR Octet in En for Strings, Op. 20 ICIL Sonata in A for Violin & Piano Mehta, Israel Phil. Mantel (cello), Frieser t Sym. Var. Lon. LDR-10009(D) CMS/Sum. 1100; 41100 MOZART, WOLFGANG AMADEUS 0P1 F1 G Y. & H. Menuhin t Brahms:Vn Son. Arias 3 Sera. S-60345 Stich -Randall [G,I]: Don Giovanni- Here Comes Symphonic Variations for Piano & Or- or sai chi l'onore; Non mi dir; Figa- The STAX chestra ro-Porgi amor; Dove sono; Cosi Again Schwarzwald, Kreutzer, Royal Dan- fan tutte-Come scoglio; Per pieta, ish Sym. t Son. Zauberflote-Ach, ich fuhl's CMS/Sum. 1100; 41100 West. MCA -1416; 1416 GRIEG, EDVARD Bastien and Bastienne, K.50 Two Elegiac Melodies, Op. 34 Lindner, Dallapozza, Moll, Schoen- Marriner, St. Martin's Acad. t Niel- er, Bavarian State Orch. [G] sen; Sibelius:Rakastava; Valse; Wi- Ara. 8064; 9064 ren Argo ZRG-877; 877 NIELSEN, CARL HANDEL, GEORGE FRIDERIC Little Suite for Strings, Op. 1 Concerti (16) for Organ Marriner, St. Martin'sAcad. Jansen,Maatenkooy,Netherland t Preceptorship Orch. (Op. 4/4, 7/4) Grieg:Two; Sibelius:Rakastava; CMS/Sum. 1130; 41130 Valse; Wiren 1 Argo ZRG-877; 877 HAYDN, (FRANZ) JOSEPH PREMRU, RAYMOND Symphony No. 94 in G, "Surprise" Music from Harter Fell 7. Byrd, Dresden Sym. t Sym. 99 Jones Brass Ens. t Arnold; Salzedo A superb newcomer for the STAX CMS/Sum. 1106; 41106 Earspeaker Series: SR -A (Lambda). Argo ZRG-906; 906 Make sure that every STAX earspeaker Symphony No. 99 in En PROKOFIEV, SERGEI is produced by the family artistic Byrd, Dresden Sym. t Sym. 94 Sonatas (10) for Piano engineers who had reached to the electrostatic principle at length, and CMS/Sum. 1106; 41106 No. 7 in 131, Op. 83 HINDEMITH, PAUL so is promised, of ultimate perfection. Pollini (see Coll., Piano) Make sure that every STAX earspeaker Sonatas (3) for Organ 5 -DG 2740229 has been saluted as the best at its Ullmann Tel. 642575 (D) RACHMANINOFF, SERGEI sound quality of any other loudspeakers at any price. LISZT, FRANZ Preludes for Piano, Op. 23 and Op. 32 Now the special dedication to this Fantasia on Beethoven's "Ruins of Ath- Keene (& Prelude in cr., Op. 3/2) latest product SR -A is the use of larger ens" 2 -Prot. 110/1 sound unit fitted to the size of human Beroff,Masur,Leipzig Gewand- RAVEL, MAURICE ear. Make sure yourself of what this haus Orch. f Hung. Fant.; Maledic- Ma Mere l'Oye (4 -hand piano suite) enables. tion; Totentanz Ang. SZ-37761 Giulini, LA Phil. t Rapsodie; Debus- Make sure yourself of the ample and Hungarian Fantasia for Piano & Orchestra sy:La Mer powerful bass sound and the high Beroff,Masur,LeipzigGewand- transparency. DG 2531264; 3301264 Thus; here comes the new era to the haus Orch.tFant.;Malediction; Rapsodie espagnole world of sound. Exclusively within Totentanz Ang. SZ-37761 Giulini, LA Phil. t Ma Mere; Debus- *.erthe world of a headphone. Malediction for Piano & Strings sy:La Mer Beroff,Masur,Leipzig Gewand- DG 2531264; 3301264 haus Orch. t Fant.; Hung. Fant.; RESPIGHI, OTTORINO Totentanz Ang. SZ-37761 Lauda per la Nativita del Signore (1930); Totentanz for Piano & Orchestra 4d Delta silvane (1917) Beroff,Masur,LeipzigGewand- Gomez, Dickinson,Tear,Heltay, haus Orch. t Fant.; Hung. Fant.; Argo Ch. Orch., London Ch. Cho. Malediction Ang. SZ-37761 [I] t Trittico Argo ZRG-904 MADERNA, BRUNO Trittico botticelliano Do not miss also the new adaptor Aura, for Orchestra (1971); Biogramma; Heltay, Argo Ch. Orch. t Lauda SRD-X. And its vast action radius. Quadrivium Argo ZRG-904 Used not only with AC power source but battery. A neat answer for both Sinopoli, N. Ger. Radio Sym. RZEWSKI, FREDERIC indoor and outdoor use. DG 2531272 Four North American Ballads, for Piano Furthermore, its easy operation. MASSENET, JULES Jacobs t Bolcom; Copland:Four Just put the plug into the headphone - La Cigale (ballet) (1904) None. 79006 (D) jack of your amplifier or tape -deck. That's all you care. Bonynge, Nat'l Phil., London Voic- SALZEDO, LEONARD (LOPES) Make sure: Here comes the STAX es (& Valse Tres Lente)Lon. 7163 Capriccio for Brass Quintet, Op. 90 again. MAW, NICHOLAS (1935 - Jones Brass Ens. t Arnold; Premru For you and for your choice of X'mas gift selection. Life Studies, for 15 Solo Strings (1973-6) Argo ZRG-906; 906 Marriner, St. Martin's Acad. SCARLATTI, ALESSANDRO Argo ZRG-899 Mass in D, "St. Cecilia" (1720) STAX MAXWELL DAVIES, PETER Harwood, Eathorne, Cable, Evans, exclusively distributed by STAX KOGYO, INC. 940E Dominguez Street, Carson, CA. 90746 Telephone: (213) 538-5878

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Keyte,Guest,WrenOrch., St. 54 Marriner, St. Martin's Acad. f Ra- John's Coll. Cho. [L] Fou Ts'ong, Maag, London Sym. t kastava; Grieg:Two; Nielsen; Wiren Argo ZRG-903; 903 Chopin:Con. 2 Argo ZRG-877; 877 SCARLATTI, DOMENICO West. MCA -1415; 1415 STRAVINSKY, IGOR Sonatas (piano) SHOSTAKOVICH, DMITRI Petrouchka:3 Scenes Ciccolini (13): L.5, 14, 23, 33, 41, Symphony No. 13, Op. 113, "Babi Yar" Pollini (see CollPiano) 58, 103, 104, 263, 281, 288, 366, Petkov,Previn, London Sym. & 5 -DG 2740229 413 Sera. S-60341 Cho. [R] Ang. SZ-37661 SZYMANOWSKI, KAROL SCHUBERT, FRANZ SIBELIUS, JEAN Variations in b on a Polish Theme for Quintet in A (piano), Op. 114, "Trout", Rakastava, For Strings & Percussion, Op. Piano, Op. 10 D.667 14 Trenkner t Busoni; Toch; Weber: Inv. Hamburg Melcher On Marriner, St. Martin'sAcad. t Orion 80382 CMS/Sum. 1117; 41117 Valse; Grieg:Two; Nielsen; Wiren TAKEMITSU, TORU SCHUMANN, ROBERT Argo ZRG-877; 877 Quatrain Concerto in a for Piano & Orchestra, Op. Valse triste (from Kuolema, Op. 44) Tashi, Ozawa, Boston Sym. DG 2531210 TCHAIKOVSKY, PIOTR ILYICH

THE - Francesca da Rimini, Op. 32 EQUALIZATION Leonard, Hamburg Radio Sym. t LEADER... Ser. CMS/Sum. 1123; 41123 Serenade in C for Strings, Op. 48 WHY? Because WE CARE about HOW an equalizer does its job BEST! Leonard, Hamburg Radio Sym.t That's the reason for Our 10 -POINT "TOTAL -SYSTEM EQUALIZATION" Francesca

YOU NEED MORE THAN JUST AN EQUALIZER ...FOR 3 YOU NEED AUTOMATIC CONTINUOUS OUTPUT OVERLOAD WARN CMS/Sum. 1123; 41123 OPTIMUM EQUALIZATION BENEFITS, HERE ARE THE TEN ING SIGNAL SOUNDCRAF TSMEWS .tit 1i(I 111uttor,bac, 110 .utoot collage bouttec etue,..t Itin, o,roLnet thedangerGI elt,turtuin and u TOCH, ERNST ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS YOU NEED' I'mated 'Qs5 IlienteLtt resull,ng the yultage, Ida! can be generated 0 by ant Itne r 1 YOU NEED VISUAL ZERO GAIN LEVEL INDICATION SOUNDCRAF TS YOU NEED A POSITIVE METHOD OF READING dB SETTINGS.. Burlesken (3) for Piano, Op. 31 (1923) MEN LuPlItille1,011 /eio 5fl contiot,.h LIGHT EMITTING DIODE ttt, It VI. YOU NEED AT LEAST 30dB TOTAL CONTROL OF EACH OCTAVE . wrten etta, tew gam , accorripir,heaAi:Outing the MO O PL0,01S111 tal eot, I D Trenkner t Busoni; Szymanowski; yuu ot .upot output level matchtug . YOU NEED A UNIT THAT WILL ADD ZERO NOISE AND DISTORTION 2YOU NEED FULL SPECTRUM BOOST OR CUT CONTROLLABILITY SOUNDC RAF TSMEN S.gual to notse and dArtn pertotrnant, figure, ate tar ,., Weber:lnv. Orion 80382 0n 1 . Lao.e.lbSOUNDCRAFTSMEN products are used , vutut SOUNDCRAFTSMEN'S tern gemOK, a. a0,1,,1 IS 04 .114.,A.. . ofcompletely nose bee and 'stmt Nee 1 + ....tit you /0110 on 0100 1101K. 1010 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS, RALPH 7 YOU NEED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT YOUR ACTUAL "EQ" CURVES 0 ro On Wenlock Edge (song cycle) (1909) 8 YOU NEED THE ABILITY TOE.ALIZE TAPE RECORDINGS . Partridge, Music Group of London GTO [E] t Warlock Ara. 8018; 9018 VERDI, GIUSEPPE Stiffelio (1850) Sass, Carreras, Manuguerra, Gan- zarolli,Gardelli,Vienna Opera Orch. [I] 2 -Phi. 6769039 VIVALDI, ANTONIO Concerti for Cello & Orchestra a ^1,11.CY 10144214 tao,,L A Harrell,Zukerman,English Ch.

AP2215-R Orch. (R.413, 417) t C. P. E. Bach: '370"r.'414E:.;..!,^:.L.:, CAIRO. TIN7 CO. Con. W.172; F. Couperin:Pieces en con. Ang. SZ-37738

9 4, 10 YOU NEED A REAL TIME WARLOCK, PETER (PHILIP HESELTINE) 'REQUENCY SPECTRUM ANALYZER YOU NEED A MEMORY SYSTEM TEST RECORD, using rain own eats FOR "EQ SET -RESET REFER- The Curlew (song cycle) (1920-22) to, 1.M out Every Souncluattsmen equal ENCING' t SOUNDCRAFTSMEN 01 'sinclunes a Test Rec. recorded and provides you wall a qua.), of "COM Partridge, Music Group of London ignedd exelootely is, Sounacrattsrnen PUTONE CHARTS" It, tecoraffq the WIthout any epensole test <1.101,. x.cttiltingofeach octave controlfor equtprneof or feCtinrcal knowledge tutor' reference and resellingAuto [E] t Vaughan Williams:On you Can quickly tone the acottstit, matrc. Instant Memory Programming rt of yout morn to ±250 lust reallyer art, tilebycuttingallthe Ara. 8018; 9018 following the atinuunCer s step.. "Computone Chary.'holding against 1,0,1 ...tep dream,. re n,An, moving up snobs n po, t, WEBER, CARL MARIA VON -4" Invitation to the Dance, Op. 65

' Trenkner (piano) t Busoni; Szyma- y y nowski; Toch Orion 80382 I WEBERN, ANTON Variations for Piano Solo, Op. 27 7a WITH 9 ESSENTIAL EQ FEATURES: Pollini (see Coll., Piano) 5 -DG 2740229 1-Environmental EQ Test Record and Corn- putone charts 2-EQ Tape Recording WIREN, DAG 3-Tape Monitor 4-Two Master Output Level Serenade for Strings 5-E0 defeat 6- ±16dB-12dBroots si 7-S/N-105dB 8-Cabinet Included as Marriner, St.Martin'sAcad.t shown 9-THD less than 0.01% i2V. ' Also available in block front panel Grieg:Two; Nielsen;Sibelius:Ra- kastava; Valse FREE! 16 -page Full -Color Brochure Argo ZRG-877; 877 I Includes TEST REPORTS, complete specifications. Class -H amplifier ZELENKA, JAN DISMAS ENGINEERING REPORT, ED COMPARISON CHART, and the "WHY'S & HOW'S" of equalization-an easy -to -understand explanation of the relation- Overture, "Hipocondrie"; Overture con- ship of acoustics to your environment. Also contains many unique IDEAS on certanti; Sonata for 2 Oboes, Bassoon & "How the Soundcrattsmen Equalizer can measurably enhance your listening pleasures:' "How typical room problems can be eliminated by Equalization:' Cello and a 10 -POINT "DO-IT-YOURSELF" EO evaluation checklist so you can Harnoncourt, Concentus Musicus Yter FIND OUT FOR YOURSELF WHAT E0 CAN DO FOR YOU- Tel. 642415; 442415 SEND $6.00 FOR EQUALIZER -EVALUATION KIT1-12" LP TEST RECORD, 1 SET OF COMPUTONE CHARTS, 1 COMPARISON CONNECTOR. 1 INSTRUCTION FOLDER

Made in U S A by SOUNDCRAFTSMEN Santa Ana. CA 92705 CANADA ES GOULD LTD Montreal QUEBEC HOT 1E5 1980 ABC Schwann Publications

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performancetechnique,whileothers COMPARISON: performance, it would probably match bet- achieve their strangeness through elec- Giulini/Phil. Ch.& Orch. Ang. S36125 ter with the 1880 unaccompanied Paternos - tronic modification. This isa more am- BOITO:Mefistofele:Prologue.. ter; onrecords, since "Tre Pezzi sacri" would bitious and colorful piece than Sulphur but VERDI: Pezzi sacri: Te Deum. be found short measure, I suppose we shall somehow less pleasing. It was recorded in A John Cheek, bass*; Morehouse- continue to have it-but liner notes ought at April, using the 3M digital mastering sys- Spelman Chorus*, Young Singers of Cal- least to make mention of the composer's tem-the only digital system capable of lanwolde*, Atlanta Symphony Chorus and preference. (Neither of the new recordings multitrack editing and thus the only one Orchestra, Robert Shaw, cond. [Robert does so.) that could have served Subotnick's needs Woods, prod.] TELARC DG 10045, $17.98 The Laudi alla Vergine, also composed in this kind of work. The sound is clean and (digital recording). between Otello and Falstaff, and also for bright; but in truth, this piece with its unfa- Two points deserve to be made unaccompanied voices (though this time miliar timbres is not the best with which to about Verdi's Quattro Pezzi sacri. First: Al- for women only), raises another question. judge a recording system's capabilities. In though they were published together, Unlike the Ave Maria, it is a "real piece," in fact, the analog Sulphur sounds every bit as Verdi did not regard these four pieces as a a pure and personal style, unencumbered crisp as the digitalButterfly, thanks no cyclical work. In particular, he did not by the persistent chromaticism imposed by doubt to careful mastering and a delight- permit the Ave Maria,for acappella chorus, the "enigmatic scale"; it makes an effective fully unobtrusive pressing.A.K. to be performed with the other three at contrast, even a desirable interlude, be- their Paris premiere in April 1898 or at the tween the grander, orchestrally accom- VERDI: Pezzi sacri (4). firstItalianperformancethefollowing panied statements of the Stabat Mater and Jo Ann Pickens, soprano*; Chicago month. He regarded this piece as a "cha- Te Deum. Verdi asked that the Laudi be sung Symphony Chorus and Orchestra, Georg rade," less a musical work than an experi- by four soloists, and this was done at the Solti, cond. [James Mallinson and Ray Min- ment in harmonizing the "scala enigma- initial performances: The Paris quartet in- shull, prod.] LONDON OS 26610, $9.98. tica" to which Boito had directed his cluded Aino Ackte and Marie Delna, the Tape: 055 26610, $9.95 (cassette). attention ina Milan musical journal in Turin ensemble Fausta Labia and Guerrina Kvetoslava NerneEkova, soprano*; 1888. As an experiment, he thoughtit Fabbri, from which names collectors of Czech Philharmonic Chorus and Orches- rather successful ("Strange that with that early recordings will recognize that emi- tra, Gaetano Delogu, cond. [Libor Mathau- mixed-up scale the modulations work well, nent singers were involved, not mere voices ser, prod.] SUPRAPHON 1112 2443, $8.98. and also the distribution of the parts")-but from the chorus. Modern performances, Ave Maria; Stabat Mater; Laudi alla he also knew that in style and dimension it however, seem invariably to use a full fe- Vergine; Te Deum*. bore little relation to the other pieces. In male chorus-often to perfectly good effect,

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to be sure. The reasons are doubtless in part sistency, but for a different reason-to pre- into double chorus thins out its tone; the practical (the chorus has already been hired vent their extreme and volatile contrasts unaccompanied pieces are well sung here for the other pieces, while four soloists from becoming incoherent. Verdi's note at and recorded with greater presence and would be an extra expense), in part musi- the beginning of both Stabat Mater and Te clarity than in any of the other sets. cal-to minimize the disparity of scale be- Deum is insistent that, although inflections All this sent me back to the Giulini tween this quiet piece and the two heaven - of the basic tempo are desirable for expres- disc. Its flaws are as tangible as ever: Not storming masterpieces that frame it. But on sive purpose, the original speed must al- only are the tempos slower than Verdi's, records, where the acoustic focus can be ways be regained. but Giulini is prone to relax them still fur- matched to the different forces and where That original speed, for both these ther for cadences, though he does not lose those different forces do not have to all be pieces, is eighty quarter notes to the min- the line of the music. The sound is more in one place at one time, it is surprising that ute, which seems to be Verdi's principal resonant than is consonant with clarity of we have never had a proper recording of tempo for liturgical music: Many of the detail, and short of dynamic range by to- the Laudi, sung as Verdi meant it to be sung. main sections of the Requiem fall in this day's standards; and the contralto voice of Be that as it may-and perhaps it will range, while the unaccompanied Pezzi sacri Janet Baker, however fervent, does not be rectified the next time round-it is no are both marked eighty-four. It must be match Verdi's specifications for the small reason to abstain from a recording of the said that few performances move as but crucial soprano solo at the end of the Te Pezzi sacri, for the Te Deum(1895-96)is one quickly as Verdi envisaged-not even the Deum (though she is more correctly-that is, of Verdi's greatest achievements, the Stabat recording of the Te Deum conducted by Ar- distantly-placed than any of her opposite Mater (1896-97) only slightly less over- turo Toscanini, fifty-six years after he con- numbers in the complete sets). For all that, whelming. By some miracle of continuing ducted the first Italian performance. (Not the Philharmonia Chorus of the early 1960s vitality and creativity, he contrived to shape now listed domestically, this can still be was a remarkable instrument, of superb the emotional language of the Messa da Re- found on imported RCA, AT 131.) Georg tonal quality, lovely line, refined dynamics, quiem with the economy and quicksilver Solti is closer to the mark than the admired and impressive power, and the emotional continuity of Falstaff; into less than fifteen Giulini recording or the new Delogu one, range of the pieces is more vividly realized. minutes, each of these pieces compresses though that advantage is canceled out, to I can imagine a better performance, one worlds of awe, pity, terror, and hope. my ears, by dynamics that are consistently a that will unite these virtues with the clarity Each of the two unaccompanied degree or so too loud and by consequent and urgency that are clearly part of Verdi's pieces is marked at a single tempo because deficiencies of mood. The Czech recording conception. (Though he could not attend of the homogeneity of the musical material. is, in the two big pieces, rather flabbier, and the premiere, during the rehearsals the The larger pieces require a similar con- the division of the chorus in the Te Deum composer peppered Boito, who had gone to

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Circle 13 on Reader -Service Card HIGH FIDELITY Mimi, audio 86 Paris as his representative, with detailed in- Gazza ladra; II Barbiere di Siviglia; Guil- structions about therealizationof laume Tell. BERLIOZ: Damnation ofFaust: cherished effects.) Rakoczy March. Robert Shaw's recording of the Te PS 1006: LISZT: Les Preludes. DVO- Drumand the Prologue to Boito'sMefistofele RAK: Slavonic Dance, Op. 46, No. 8. SME- is another matter, in content, price, and TANA:MaVlast: The Moldau. recording technique. The coupling will re- PS 1007: HANDEL: Water Music: call to many the already -mentioned Tosca- Suite. Concerto Grosso, Op. 6, No. 12: Aria. nini recording, drawn from a 1954 NBC BACH: Suite for Orchestra, No. 3, in D, S. 1.--- money time concert for which the chorus was prepared 1068: Air. PACHELBEL: Canon in D. freight by this same Robert Shaw. Certain aspects How quickly we take technological SAVE of theTe Deumare well served by this disc. miracles for granted! It was precisely a year on name brands For once, the string harmonics after the last ago (November 1979) that I hailed in awed "Sanctus" are soft and naturally sweet. The AKAI CASSETTE DECKS delight the complete elimination of disc soprano soloist is placed at the proper dis- MODEL GXM-10 GX HEAD DECK $195.00 surface noise through DBX coding and de- 300.00 MODEL GX-4000DB REEL-TO-REEL 0 tance and has a bright, firm voice that can coding; only last May that I rejoiced over ADC SOUNDSHAPERS stand up to the trumpet that introduces her. the first three releases in M&K Realtime's MODEL SS -110 Mk II EQUALIZER $150.00 (A small army of people is credited for MODEL SS -2 Mk III (12 BAND) 217.00 series, which potently combines DBX si- MODEL SS -3 Mk II TOP OF LINE 329.00 work on this recording, but nowhere is this lencing with digital mastering. Yet already, WRITE OR CALL FOR OTHERS!! admirable lady identified.) And of course B.I.0 SPECIALS! in the next three discs in the series (an- the dynamic range of the digital sound sur- MODEL 8-44 LOUDSPEAKER DEAL $ 69.95 nounced with the others but only now

MODEL 60-2 TURNTABLE SPECIAL 99.95 passes all of the competition; this is cer- MODEL T-3 CASSETTE DECK 289.00 available),the same sonic marvels no tainly one of the most impressive and real- DUAL TURNTABLE SPECIAL longer disguise-or even adequately com- istic recordings I have ever heard. MODEL 506 BELT DRIVE UNIT $139.00 pensate for-artistic weaknesses. WRITE OR CALL FOR ALL OTHER MODELS,,!!! But Shaw is yet another conductor Again it's sheer bliss to lower one's JVC ELECTRONICS - TAPE DECKS - ETC. who does not take theTe Deumat Verdi's stylus into the grooves and hear absolutely MODEL KD-A8 SUPER CASSETTE DECK WRITE! speed. What is more, the episode following nothing, until out of the velvety silence mu- MODEL KD-A77 CASSETTE DECK OR MODEL RS -77 NEW DIGITAL RCVR. CALL ! those violin harmonics actually drags, and sic suddenly blossoms-with an electrify- KENWCOD DEALS- WRITE FOR OTHER MODELS so does the wonderful unison passage, ing jolt when it begins loudly, as with the la -1030 SPECIAL PRICE CASSETTE$219.00 "Dignare, Domine."It isn't only the tempos; sforzando snares of theGazza ladraOver- MARANTZ SPECIALS !!! the slightly but persistently infirm attacks ture. Again it's nearly stupefying to feel as MODEL 6 Mk II LOUDSPEAKER $ 65.00 in chorus and orchestra throughout tend to MODEL SD -3000 CASSETTE DECK 199.00 well as hear the palpably solid thud of even PIONEER DEALS soften the outlines of the music. a pianissimo bass drum and the wall -shak- CTF-750 CASSETTE DECK $WRITE The Boito scene is,if anything, an ing thunder of symphonic percussion in MODEL RPM -100 LOUDSPEAKER OR even braver noise, but the musical density MODEL RPM -60 CALL full blast. Again it's ineffably thrilling to re- MODEL PL -400 TURNTABLE NOW is much lower-nor does the bass soloist MODEL SX-780 RECEIVER 1111. alize how much more of the expanded dy- LOWER PRICES NOW ON ALL PIONEER furnish either the voice or the theatrical au- namic range of digital recording can be SANSUI ELECTRONICS thority that, from Chaliapin to Treigle, has captured on analog -processed discs when G-5700 DIGITAL RECEIVER $359.00 often managed to disguise the paucity of the DBX system lowers the noise threshold AU -719 INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER 350.00 TU-717 SUPER TUNER 229.00 invention in this section. I still play that to the level of the ambient noise of one's SONY SUPER DEALS Toscanini recording for pleasure as well as living room. But now the executant limita- STR-V 45 NEW DIGITAL RCVR. CALL! instruction, twenty-five years after it was SIR -V5 SUPER DEAL RECEIVER $280.00 tions of the underrehearsed or quite unre- PSX -45 TURNTABLE DEAL 131.00 made; I venture that it will still be worth hearsed Philharmonia Hungarica, along TEAC CASSETTE DECK DEALS hearing in twenty-five years more, when with the insensitivities of conductor MODEL 0(-350 METAL CASSETTE --- $150.00 the Telarc disc will have been consigned to MODEL 550RX- CASSETTE DECK 372.00 Rozsnyai, become more and more painfully MODEL C-2 PROFESSIONAL DECK 450.00 the shelf reserved for "Yesterday's Demo evident as the spectacular sonics come to be TECHNICS ELECTRONICS Discs." taken for granted. SL -B1 TURNTABLE $ 66.00 London and Telarc give texts and SL -D1 TURNTABLE 88.00 The woefully unimaginative pro- Hak-63 CASSETTE DECK 236.00 translations, Supraphon only theLatin gramming, confined here to symphonic SEE A BETTER PRICE?LET US KNOW NOW!!! texts.D.H. pops favorites, only too familiar, is never -send for free catalog- enlivened by striking insights. The Bach/ Name Handel/Pachelbel readings regress to the - Recitals Address- dark ages before the resurrection of au- City thentic baroque stylistic traditions; even State Zip and Miscellany the more modern showpieces are too often insensatelyhard -plugged andtonally illinoit audio ZOLTAN ROZSNYAI: Orchestral coarse. Most irritating of all, the best all- 12 East Delaware Place Works. around performance here, the Berlioz Chicago 60611 A Philharmonia Hungarica,Zoltan march, is simply repeated from one of the Phone Now Rozsnyai, cond. [Jonas Miller and Ken earlierreleases. Technologically, the (312) Kreisel, prod.] DBX PS 1005/7, $16 each M&K/DBX discs continue to be worth ev- 664-0020 'encoded versions of M&KREALTIMERT ery cent of their premium price; musically, TOLL FREE these last ones are straight out of super- 204/61 (digital recordings). (800) 621-8042 PS 1005: ROSSINI: Overtures: La market bargain bins.R.D.D.

Circle14on Reader -Service Card THE SOUND YOU'LL NEVER GET FROM A CASSETTE DECK IS NOW HERE ATA CASSETTE DECK PRICE.

TEAC Teac's new X-3 open reel deck serve dynamic range. IFAC costs no more than a good cassette Cassette decks can't deck. But its fidelity is far superior give you this kind of 4,0 to that of even the most expensive performance simply cassette deck. For a very simple because there are reason. inherent limitations in the cassette format. More is better. No matter how good Open reel tape running at 71/2 ips the hardware. Even is four times faster than standard with improved cassette tape. And twice as wide. software, the basic So the total tape volume of problems remain: 4 open reel is 0 saturation, over- FM. .1.11 ,load, distortion. . .1 - And disappointment. Ti_.tp a And fidelity isn't theOnlything $550 you getmore of with the X-3. ;Iv 4 "" F. You getmore time. You don't And you get it for the have -.o stop in the middle of a price of a good cassette deck. recording to flip the tape. So you Which means you can finally get an uninterrupted perform- have the sound you thought you ance. The way it was meant to couldn't afford. From Teac. be heard. Performance specifications 16 times A classic idea. Signal-to-noise ratio (overall) The X-3 is built the way all greater than 58 dB (3% THD cassette. That Teac machines are built-to last. level, weighted) means there are And to perform. You get the Wow & flutter 16 times more classic, 3 -motor, 3 -head design (NAB Weighted) 0.04% at 71/2 ips; magnetic particles to that established Teac's reputation 0.06% at 33/4 ips. imprint the sig- 25 years ago. Frequency Response nal. And that means TEAL (overall) 30-28,000 Hz at 71/2 ips you get as much sig- "0- >, 1 30-20,000 Hz at 33/4 ips nal as possible- Playing time (both sides) especially high fre- 4111 3 hours at 33/4 ips quencies-without with 1800 feet of one mil tape distortion. Plus 41, a much greater capacity to pre- N 1TEAC

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Circle 50 on Reader-Servke Card 88 HIGH FIDELITY The ToPeDeck by R. D. Darrell

Philips reels back ...... and Unicorns prance on of the Scimone/Philharmonia first record- For several years a prime ambition of Unlike most other labels in Barclay- ings (and if you haven't already bought the 1open -reel specialist mail-order house Crocker's fast-growing catalog, British Uni- imported Erato discs), you'll snap at the Barclay -Crocker (11 Broadway, New York, corns are not available in cassettes as well- chance to get them in two cassettes (MHC N.Y. 10004) has been to bring Philips hence the added appeal of the B -C reel edi- 6150/1). Pietro Spada's editing may be con- recordings back to that format, lacking tion(E0364, $8.95) of Unicorn'sfirst troversial, but the music is fascinating, es- since Ampex abandoned its processing and recording of music from Grieg's only opera pecially the magisterially intricate No. 4 distribution activities in 1975-76. So it's attempt: three Olav Trygvason fragments, and the amusingly pussyfooting treatment good to celebrate at last B -C's hard-won Op. 50, coupled with the better-known of "God Save the King" in the Great Na- success with the first new Philips reels in cantata, Landkjenning, Op. 31 (HF, June). Ev- tional Symphony No. 3. (The cassettes list at years-tapes that exemplify the very best in eryone who enjoyed the first truly complete $6.95 each, $4.95 to members, plus $1.25 current state-of-the-art audio technology Peer Gynt recording(Unicorn/B -C M 0361, shipping charge; Musical Heritage Society, ($10.95 each). August 1979 "Tape Deck") will relish these 14 Park Rd., Tinton Falls, N.J. 07724.) Not surprisingly, the debut pro- new revelations of Grieg's dramatic powers grams are mostly those already familiar in too seldom represented but potently dem- Vivent les differences! other formats. Yet one that seems to have onstrated here by the same Norwegian per- Second only to completely offbeat attracted little attention in its earlier disc formers (conductor Per Dreier, soloists, fare for titillating jaded musical appetites and cassette editions is a very fine 1978 Oslo Chorus) along with the London Phil- are programs arrestingly different in their recording of Dukas works by a quite in- harmonic Orchestra. approach to familiar music and well- spired David Zinman and Rotterdam Phil- Two long -acclaimed Mahlerian known composers. If you usually think of harmonic (Philips/B-C G 9500 533). Their masterpieces,theHorenstein /London Domenico Scarlatti's harpsichord sonatas kaleidoscopically glowing LaPeri(with Symphony versions of the First (1969) and as lightweight salonish entertainment, pre- prefatory fanfare), Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Third (1970) Symphonies, would be wel- pare to be startled by Igor Kipnis' big - Polyeucte Overture may not be as idiomat- come in any case in exemplary reel process- sound treatment of unexpectedly dramatic ically Gallic as some of the best native ver- ings (F 0301, $9.95, and N 0302, double - examples (the K. 204a /20413/205 triptych sions (especially Martinon's for Erato/Mu- play, $17.95). But these are doubly valuable and others) and then bewitched by the sical Heritage in 1972). But they are first- in that the only other tape editions, in su- quirky lyricism of K. 87, 322, and 323 on a rate performances, and surely none of these perb cassettes, are unlikely to remain avail- delicate -tonedclavichord(Angel 4ZS works ever has been recorded with more able for long, now that Advent Corporation 37310, $8.98-shamefully lacking notes and dramatic vividness or with lovelier pianis- has discontinued its processing activities. even clavichord -version identifications). simos, all ideally captured in B -C's Dolby In contrast, Scott Ross's big set of the reel processing. Centuries -spanning Heritages Essercizi (Sonatas, K. 1-30), is lightweight, The better-known programs feature The latest musicassettes in Musical played deftly enough but unimaginatively the generally preferred choices in the ex- Heritage's new series illustrate almost ex- and with scant subtlety or dramatic power. tensive discographies of Berlioz'Symphonic travagantly the chronological and stylistic What's vitally different here is that this is fantastique and Sibelius' First Symphony/ range of thatSociety'scatalog: from the first integral recording of the 1738-39 Finlandia, those with Colin Davis conduct- fourteenth -century Toulouse and Tournai publication and Ross plays a tonally ening, respectively, the Amsterdam Concert- Masses (in MHC 6133) to early -twentieth- trancing replica of a 1579 G. A. Baffo harp- gebouw (G 6500 774; 1974) and, the Boston century American ragtime (MHC 6022). sichord [mistakenly identified as a 1589 Symphony (G 9500 140; 1976). In its disc The church works, including also M. -A. original in July HF-Ed.] (Telefunken Tri- and tape editions, I found the 1978 Marri- Charpentier's Easter Eve Mass and DeLa- Tec two -cassette Prestige Box 24.35487, ner/Concertgebouw version of Holst's lande's Psallite Domino motet, are enthusias- $21.96,withthirty -two -pageillustrated Planets (G 9500 425, HF, February 1979) tically if a bit roughly sung by the Schola booklet). And Everest 3459 ($5.98) differs sonically superb but just a shade lacking in Cantorum of New York's Church of St. from too many carelessly processed prede- fervor and spontaneity. However, hearing it Mary the Virgin under its enterprising cessors in that it's first-rate technically as given even finer lucidity in the matchless young organist/director McNeil Robinson. well as artistically for guitarist John Wil- open -reel format, I'm no longer so certain The incomparable James P. Johnson's stride liams' delightful 1968 recordings of the that my treasured 1971 Haitink /London piano pieces plus a batch of Joplin rags Bach Suite, S. 1009, plus Iberian -spiced Philharmonic account (7300 058) is still my written in collaboration with others are pieces by Albeniz, Ponce, Duarte, and A. sole choice. given infectious verve by William Albright Scarlatti. The first opera in the series is Verdi's and William Bolcom, respectively. Finally, instead of the usually heard thrilling early La Battaglia di Legnano, as per- Perhaps even more interesting his- orchestral suite of Stravinsky's saucy Per- formed in 1978 byUmbertoGardelli and torically, while appealing to an undoubt- golesi "aberrangements," try the full Pulci- the Austrian Radio Symphony Orchestra edly wider listening public, are the four nella ballet score with its vocal solos in its first (R 6700 120, double -play, $21.95). This long -lost symphonies by Beethoven's re- recent recording, conducted by Claudio recording, the opera's first in stereo, is even spected rival Muzio Clementi. If your cu- Abbado (Deutsche Grammophon 3301 087, more exhilarating and gripping than in its riosity was as sharply whetted as mine by $9.98, with notes on the provenance of all admirable disc and cassette editions. Paul Henry Lang's review (HF, May 1979) the original source materials).MI We fit thesame. Butweperformso much better. When it comes to fitting any audio or color. And freedom from noise and distortion. video recorder, there's no apparent difference In audio, our premium FX-I, FX-II and between Fuji and any other brand of cassettes:low -noise FL set new standards for accurate we all fit the same. sound reproduction. And extended response. But there, the resemblance ends. Be- Our revolutionary new Fuji Metal Tape cause tapes are manufactured to very different goes even further. With ultra -wide response. quality standards with different materials and Dramatically -improved dynamic range and technologies, Fuji's performance is unique. sound quality comparable to studio open reel Take video. Our VHS and Beta cas- recordings. settes improve performance on any recorder. So, whatever you're recording-on Providing sharper pictures. More lifelike whatever brand of recorder-discover how good your machine really is. With Fuji-the tape that helps it perform so much better. QUO VIDEOCASSETTE NMU P -q One brand fits all. Better. vus, Magnetic Tape Division Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc. 350 Fifth Avenue, T-120 TIJOIR Newlock.New York 10001 (212) 736-3335

ogfar)OX 400 92 BACKBEAT '11.56%ft5al5i1ibe*t*ei*q*Ell5eit5ii55eKbglt*Ili*Q*t i'lk5eit5q11.56h5a11.5eif,en5i%.5t*tOt*qtibet*itaS'i*qi wonderfully var- springs directly from the rr, vC ied roots and talents of the players themselves. So many deep strains of American pop music have converged into and evolved from the Section that to trace the musical lives of its members is to gain new insight into the last decade and a half of pop radio and records. The Muscle Shoals Sound Studio sits on a bank above the Tennessee River in Sheffield. (The town uses the Muscle Shoals airport-thus the studio's name.) This is low-lying red -clay country, near the ; 1 Tennessee border in northern Alabama. ..., 1. j

The enormous single story building, which --.: - . 1:i,F i i they've been in for two years now, once served as the local U.S. Naval Reserve !- headquarters. When I met JimmyJohn- 6. . - son, he proudly told me that "the Naval - Reserve used to let our local high school, which is a few blocks from here, have the space for dances. We actually played our first gigs on the gymnasium floor, where the studios now sit." The two24 -trackstudios are built

with the control rooms back to back, sepa- . .Viar.....gfrk - - rated by three feet of sand -filled concrete The Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section-Beckett, Hawkins, Hood, blocks and air space. The recording Johnson-in front of their original studio rooms are large (Studio A is slightly bigger), and both have three spacious iso- lated alcoves with excellent sight lines. Studio A's Neve mixing console is fully automated; Studio B's will soon be converted. The rest of the building is used for office and workshop space, and there's even a guest house on the grounds. John- son, whohandles most of the administrative duties, is a warm, outgoing man who clearly has a gift for anecdotes. As we sat in his office listening to recent tapes and recalling his early days as a musician, it was clear to me that he still loves good music in the kind of immediate, physical way it must have first appealed to him as a boy. He remembered that his first instrument was "trumpet in school, butI picked up the guitar on my own. I was in a band called the Delrays for awhile, doing songs by the Five Satins, Bo Diddley, Jimmy Reed, and such, and playing school YS dances and frat parties." In 1961, local musician Rick Hall opened Fame Studio in the neighboring Studio B in the new Muscle Shoals Sound Studios town of Florence. "Rick had a nationwide hit in '62," says Johnson, "with Arthur Al- exander, a bellhop in town. [The song, YouBetter MoveOn, was later covered by the Rolling Stones and recently by Ry Cooder.] Well, my uncle, who is a musician and has always encouraged me, helped get me a job at Fame. I'd get out of school at 1:00 and then go work for six NOVEMBER 1980 93 ih58'w5810BABOORIABRHS8X58458*81tHubehBetNII01*08U5OINDBenbeiett*S*811,58108*811BetibeibeiBal hours at the studio. At first Iwas the jani- mummimmimf tor, secretary, and accountant, but soon I was engineering sessions. And when the house rhythm section left for Nashvillein '64, I was drafted to play guitar." That original section had evolved froma local band called Dan Penn and the Pallbear- ers-their name having been derived from the hearse they used to transport equipment. The following year local songwriter 1, Quin Ivey opened a studio with guitarist -7s ;S:Aeg4r,F....1r Marlin Greene. "Rick didn't haveany of us

N - of/. Z.V.-^A under contract at Fame," continues John- SoNAlio r son. "He just paid by the session, so we moved freely between studios. Ivey'svery first session in 1965 was Percy Sledge's .4.47.11` -. When a Man Loves a Woman, whichwe cut in mono on a little 2 -track machine, with me engineering. Percy was justan- other local guy who had beena bellhop The controlroomin StudioA and part-time singer. On that first record, we had to punch in almost every word because he had such a hard time with his pitch in the studio, a problem he later Qr 4 At their siteon Jackson overcame. Roger Hawkins played drums, "7-) aiong with the rest of the Fame section Highway, the players from those days: Spooner Oldhamon or- fi would crowd ontoa gan [now with Dylan's band], Junior Lowe on bass, and Marlin on guitar. I don't think .;-f. small back porch to I ever got a dime for that session, just hear finished tracks some free studio time. but I was very glad because, "If it sounded to be on the date. "Around that time I also started en- good out there, itwas a gineering sessions for Otis Redding, who keeper." came down here to produce Arthur Con- ley, one of the acts he was grooming from Bassist Hood his road show. Otis was an amazing talent, a very instinctive producer. He always got exactly what he wanted in the studio, usually by singing and explaining a song to the musicians bit by bit, until they got it it right. He had a special gift with horn parts too; he could get horn players to really phrase a part just like he would sing it. The session for Sweet Soul Music was one of my favorites.... "I guess if Otis hadn't died in the plane crash in '67, I would have ended up working with him because, even at that point, he and his manager Phil Walden were planning a record company, which

Walden of course later formed around the

4k. , Allman Brothers band and called Capri-

. . corn Records. As a matter of fact, Duane Allman was once a regular member of our

section at Fame." 41.1.11111:" .1q11k How did all this musical talent ever ;1111111111711.1'.. find Muscle Shoals in the first place?

Says bassist Hood, "I don't really know Drummer Hawkins Guitarist Johnson what it is about this area. W. C. Handy was BACKBEAT g3a105414.*01.110tRtallalt11WIIqui3g*gttg5g11.1WAlattttiMI.Wg11.94 originally from here, as well as numerous '67 the four of us were a unit."

successful players and producers like Hawkins, who has been playing ses- Buddy Killen. Eddie Hinton [whose lone sions sincehe waseighteen, must have Capricorn LP from '77. "Very Extremely known even then that he and Hood would Dangerous.-is a treasure], Norbert Put- make a great team. I heard them working nam. Percy Sledge, Sun Records' founder together withsinger JohnnyRivers in Stu- and Elvis Presley discoverer Sam Phillips. dio A on a nifty update of the Everly andso on.This is a dry county, so there Brothers chestnut Cathy's Clown. After are really no nightclubs to go hear live mu- listening to Rivers' version of the song sic in. Families tend to make and listen to once, the two of them dug into an appro- music at home. There's even a barber in priate rhythmic groove, tailoring their town, AlLester. who'sbeen a national parts to the singer's smooth phrasing and fiddle champion." unique accents. As Hood's resonant bass Hood went to high school with and Hawkins' snapping drums came rip- Johnson and "grew up, like a lot of south- ping through the big speakers, I realized ern white boys. loving rhythm and blues. Hawkins' backbeat is, to put it mildly, im- My high school band was called the Mys- pressive. While keeping machinelike time . tics, and we traveled all over the state and on thehigh -hat.he lets the second and Bob Seger with Beckett into Tennessee, doing songs by Otis Red- fourth beats on the snare drum hang back ding. Chuck Berry. and all." His first ever so slightly. The actual time never heroes on bass were seminal '60s Motown slackens, but given how hard and deci- bassist James Jamerson and Booker T. & sively he hits the snare, the overall effect is the M.G.s' Duck Dunn, who now plays to nail the pulse down on every backbeat with the Blues Brothers. "I used to sit and while driving the groove forward with bass listen to those old M.G.s records and envi- drum and cymbals. Meanwhile, Hood's sion Duck Dunn as this old black guy. Of thick,bell -liketone on bass hangs with course I was amazed to meet him later- Hawkins on every throbbing snare hit, we became good friends-and find out eloquently setting up the Muscle Shoals he's white and just a couple years older Section's bottom sound. than me. When Iasked Hood during a break "Even thoughI wentto a segre- how he would characterize their famous gated high school, it's not unusual that I rhythm -sectionpulse, he laughed and < "E.. i, loved r&b and idolized people like Otis said, "It's not that conscious on my part. L. tii"r:11110 Redding. In the South. the roots of r&b I've always felt Roger is a steadier player and country music are very close. For ex- than me.so Itry to play with him, to key off Rod Stewart with Beckett ample, Percy [Sledge] was a blackgospel - his time. As for his time feeling, my theory based singer, but he always used a good is that a person plays the way he speaks, deal ofcountry &western phrasing. When especially if he doesn't have to read music he used to play gigs in the South, his au- that much. I don't think Roger consciously dience was almost exclusively white." thinks about those kinds of things as he's "After the Mystics broke up."con - playing, but he doesplay withsome of the tines Hood, "I went to work in my father's same characteristics and cadences of his tire store. By that time I was married and speaking voice." had a kid.- But Roger Hawkins. who con- That evening I had a chance to lis- ..A tinued todo alot of sessionwork at Quin ten to Hawkins' measured drawl: "By the frO Ivey and Fame, encouraged him to stick time I was thirteen my dad was driving me

with studio work. "I'd always played for up to the Tennessee state line to play gigs. . V ,..3 r A fun-back in those days, if you just owned At seventeen or eighteen, when I was 0.41 a bass you'd get calls-but Roger, who working in clubs six nights a week, my sometimes sat in with the Mystics and was chops were probably the best they've ever N already known as a great drummer. en- been. But I didn'tknow whatto do with couraged me to get serious and play on them. At that point I thinkI would'vebeen demo sessions. On the early Fame ses- a great drummer for Blondie-it was like, sions, he would come over afterward and around the tom-toms and roll every four Hawkins with Cat Stevens say. 'LookHood, you'd better start prac- bars. ticing more if you want to work.' At the "The first drummers I liked were same time. I realized that I could make jazz players like Joe Morello and even more money playing sessions in one day Gene Krupa-not that I wanted to play like than working a whole week changing tires. them, but I admired their technique. Then So I scrambled for about a year and a half. I began to listen to r&b: Motown's Benny andby '66I was more confident, and by Benjamin, Al Jackson of Booker T. and

.." NOVEMBER 1980 95 *".11.n0.94itgll.W1*44.1:5gt:Wt11.g1tgobgItgl-gmt1.W1.19ggtgltSgu.WItgu,g)i.W.;

n. the M.G.s. I guess I learned the most listening to Jackson. He wasn't a real technical player, but when I heard him, I knew where he was coming from. You see, asa kid my aunt used to take me to Pentecos- tal Church services and tent meetings where they'd have a band playing with the congregation, and I'd often join in on tam- bourine. That's the kind of drum feeling Al had-I liked the way he would hang back on the two and four. "I wanted to play in the studio from an early age, so I'd listen to records and

play along. Pretty soon I knew all the parts. but I still didn't understand why session drummers did what they did on recordings or how they could walk into a "Pops" Staples, Jerry Wexler, and Beckett session, set up their drums, and come up with great parts. Then I began to play on song demos with Dan Penn and Spooner Oldham, and I gradually learned that the idea was to come up with creative parts that are right for a song and play them well, as opposed to just playing a lot. "Basically, you're only as good as the players you're with. That's why I liked the idea of this section so much-of getting to be good and staying together. Of course. once we were established we had ' to learn how to deal with record execu- tives, and set up and administer a publishing company, and so forth. These became necessities in order for us to continue on

asa unit. But while all of us have produced

and handled business affairs over the years, and will continue to do so, we're still Mary MacGregor, Mary Beth and Peter Yarrow, Beckett players, wanting to play and succeed with different artists. Our ability to do that. I think, has to do with the way we learned things coming up in local studios." By 1966, Hawkins, Hood, and I Johnson were working together regularly at Fame. Keyboardist Barry Beckett first came into contact with them a year later when Florida deejay "Papa Don" Schroe- der took Beckett, soul singers James and Bobby Purify, and several other musicians to Fame to cut I'm Your Puppet. "Jimmy Johnson was engineering," recalls Beck- ett. "Roger was on drums, David played trombone, and I was the organist. The record sold a million-I was knocked out to hear it on the radio. After two more vis- its to the studio I was asked to join the Section in '67." During my brief but intriguing stay, Mf-/ J, Beckett had been working overtime to fin- Beckett, Tony Orlandc, Wexler ish mixing a new Stephen Stills LP, before starting production on J. D. Souther's next album with Hillman and Furay. When we finally had a chance to talk late one BACKBEAT 15@1134*411.14.11.%;.111.Ngla'a11.419g1.15elle'ttgualt.g,I."*Ia'lgtt96

evening, he was obviously exhausted but (about $20,000 a year," estimates Hood). Among them was, of course, Paul nonetheless articulate. He's a very sensi- but they had neither equity in the studio Simon's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" tive, philosophical man who, though the nor royalties from the hits they played on. LP, which the Section also coproduced. last to join the Section. also provided a "We wanted a studio where we could work Initially. Simon had intended to cut only valuable missing link. Born the same day as players," says Hawkins. Then Fred one song at Muscle Shoals. "When he as Johnson in Birmingham, Alabama, he Bevis put his small Jackson Highway stu- came down in '72 to the Jackson Highway was encouraged by his mother to playas a dio-which was housed in a former casket studio," recalls Hawkins, "we knew what it child. and he grew up performing in Sun- warehouse across from the town ceme- meant, how important it could be for us. day school. By the time he was fifteen he tary-up for sale. After getting guarantees He had booked a couple of days to do the was doing nightclubs and fraternity par- of studio work from Wexler and a cash basic tracks on one song. The first day he ties. and later. after a couple of false starts loan from Atlantic to be paid off in studio showed us the tune, and we cut it in an in college, he moved to northern Florida time, Hawkins persuaded Johnson to put hour. I guess he was pretty surprised and and concentrated on professional club probably a little flustered, but we just said, work. 'Show us what else you've got,' and then "My first bands and influences were"It was a little scary at we cut all the basic tracks for the album in rockabilly-I admired players like Floyd a few days. That's just the way we learned Cramer." says Beckett. "Of course. I'd al- first, because nothing things were supposed to be done. - ways loved Ray Charles's playing. and really happened-until This ability to be creative on the started learning his licks early on. It wasn't spot, and in a variety of contexts, is any 'til later that I figured out how to adopt his we did R.B. Greaves's good sessionman's strongest calling card. musical feeling -1 had to grow into that. Take a Letter, Maria." "Igo in completely open," says Hawkins, The most important thing about Ray's "and let the music move wherever it takes style was the role his piano played in me. I don't let my personal taste get in the bands-how much it contributed to a a down payment on Bevis' place, and way of what I do on someone else's groove. I listened more closely to the Hood and Beckett were brought into the record, and I really enjoy seeing an artist's spaces he'd leave and the cracks he'd fill partnership a few months later. The idea turn into a good record. That appeals than to the actual notes he played.- Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section and to me just as much as a good night jam- Sound Studio were in business. ming at a club. For example, today we From 1967 to 1969, the Section played "We played more in that first year were working on a very specific little drum with most of the major soul singers of than any before or since," recalls Hood. intro to a ballad, and I had the figure all the day at Fame. Producer Jerry Wexler "doing demos, experimenting with worked out. But then when Johnny [Riv- had been having problems working in sounds. It was a little scary at first, because ers] went to the mike and started to sing, Memphis, since Stax Records felt that if nothing really happened-until we did all of a sudden that figure left my head Wexler used the Stax "sound" (which R. B. Greaves's Take a Letter, Maria. with and I just automatically went to something came primarily from Booker T. and the Ahmet Ertegun [president of Atlantic] else. thinking. 'This is what I'm supposed M.G.s, the label's house band) on Wilson producing.- The section showed that it to be doing: Pickett's hits, then Pickett should move had learned its Fame studio lessons well The longer I stayed at Muscle from Atlantic to Stax. So, once Wexler by providing Greaves-a strong black r&b Shoals, the morel saw how this natural heard When a Man Loves a Woman, he singer-with an assertive Top 40 rhythm and flowing approach to recording music took his business to the Muscle Shoals track. The song perfectly embodies the saturates every level of activity. While I was area to use the musicians there. That busi- delicate contrasts and slight ambiguities visiting Studio B, Johnson was wrapping ness included a long string of artists-Pick- that create a crossover hit on American up overdubs and mixing the new Amazing ett. King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, and the radio. Johnson's strumming acoustic -gui- Rhythm Aces album he'd produced. The Staple Singers among them-for whom tar intro establishes the driving tempo Aces, originally from the Knoxville, Ten- the Muscle Shoals players produced a without disclosing whether the tune will be nessee. area and most widely known for long string of hits, such as Aretha's Chain country or rock, as Greaves begins his sad their single Third -Rate Romance, embody of Fools, Respect, and The House that tale of a businessman who comes home the kind of r&b/c&w fusion that Hood Jack Built. to find his wife "in the arms of another had described earlier, and Johnson was Even the most casual listen to those man.- As the singer instructs his sympa- obviously delighted to be working with ageless '60s sides reveals the unmistak- thetic secretary to "take a letter, Maria, ad- them. I listened to Aces keyboardist able elements that helped to literally de- dress it to my wife, and say I won't be com- James Hooker overdub an electric piano fine the "soul era": Hawkins' subtle but ing home, for the rest of my life," the solo on Van Morrison's Wild Nights. earthshaking fatback drums on Aretha's combination of Hawkins' by now instantly Though he turned in an inspired and Since You've Been Gone, Johnson's recognizable whiperacking r&b snare funky take the first time, he wanted to do it party -time, funked-up Chuck Berry -style sound with the tune's deadpan. unsynco- again. Jimmy sighed and said, "It's always guitar chording on Pickett's Mustang pated pop/rock groove helped to further better at the top, when it's fresh," but he Sally, or Hood's famous chiming bass blur the lines between musical styles. The let the pianist punch in the last four bars. break and Beckett's bluesy, rolling elec- players' reputation for creating that kind This compromise worked splendidly, and tric -piano note clusters on the Staple of instantly accessible yet unique sound Johnson jumped up, dancing and sway- Singers' heavenly I'll Take You There. was firmly established with the huge suc- ing to the newly embellished rhythm track. By 1969, the four players were cess of Take a Letter, and from then on We then listened to another Aces making moderately comfortable livings the hits, as they say, just kept on coming. tune, a remake of the '60s Wilson Pickett NOVEMBER 1980 97 tIMI,ag)1XI9gt*%1115&15g)t1W)*g)*glaltguttaglIbg)05g)+.'*e't'altIMA15411;1MI.WtRAWI.

cut. You Left the Water Running. written the one, and not to even bother trying it with such acts as Sanford and Townsend. by Dan Penn and Rick Hall, the Section's again. They just walked into the control Bob Dylan. Dire Straits, and Mavis former boss at Fame. "One day Rick room and said. 'Was that it?'. I nodded Staples. Beckett's realistic reasoning be- showed up with a tape and said. 'I heard and that was it. The next day they got on hind moving from playing into producing you were looking for material,'says their plane and flew to the concert at Alta- is that great younger players are coming Jimmy. "We put the tape up. and it was a mont.- Keith Richards has said in an inter- up the studio ranks yearly, and production vintage demo, with Rick playing piano and view that he considers Brown Sugar to be is a natural progression for a man with a Otis Redding singing his heart out. Russell the only "perfect- single the group has family to raise and a business to sustain. [Smith. the Aces' lead singer] turned to ever done. But his beautiful. rolling piano style still me and said. 'I think I'd like to do that Speaking of the Stones. the Muscle graces records from time to time. Seger's song.' Shoals Rhythm Section also has deep recent hit Fire Lake is a great example, "But we've always had songs hap- roots in rock & roll. Johnson is that rarity with Barry's gently swelling chords and pen here in funny ways. For instance. we today. a truly great rhythm guitarist, and country -tinged licks providing the have a very fine songwriter on staff. much of his trademark playing on his wistful answers to the singer's rhetorical George Johnson. who came up with a Fender Stratocasters and Telecasters has questions. Perhaps prophetically, the tune called Old Time Rock & Roll. At first evolved from the old '50s Chuck Berry/ same tune features new Section member we said. 'That's nice, George, but we're Bo Diddley r&b guitar sound. Further- Randy McCormick on soulful organ, fur- not sure if we can do anything with it.' more, every time the Section has been nishing just the right churchy cushion for Then we thought, 'What about Seger?' asked to play straight -ahead rock in recent the track. We'd never pitched a song of ours to Bob years, the players' early bar -band days rise As sophisticated as the Muscle before, even though he has been record- to the surface quicker than you can say Shoals complex has become, it still retains "Maybelline. why can't you be true?" I direct and vital links to its past. At their mention to David Hood that their work on original site on Jackson Highway, the play- "Basically, you're only as Bob Seger's Katmandu. from his "Beau- ers would crowd onto a small back porch tiful Loser" LP, is about as authentically to hear finished tracks, because "if it good as the players rocking as any track released in 1975. sounded good out there, it was a keeper.- you're with. That's whyI "We all grew up playing that kind of mu- explains Johnson. Likewise, as he and I sic.- he says. "For me. playing Katmandu drove to dinner one night. we listened to liked the idea of the was just like being in the Mystics again. - tracks on his car stereo because "if you Section so much." Johnson's current production work can hear all the parts in the mix and feel with mainstream rock & roll bands-which the groove on little speakers at a low vol- includes the Florida -based group Black- ume, you know it's all there. - ing here since 1972, but we sent a copy of foot-goes back to his affinity for modern In spite of their impressive track this one up to him. He liked it a lot but southern rock and his affiliation with record-fifteen gold singles and twenty- wanted to try cutting it a different way. Af- Lynyrd Skynyrd, whose first real recording four gold albums, nine of which are also ter spending quite a bit of money over the was done in the Jackson Highway studio. platinum-Hood. Johnson, Beckett. and next few months trying things. he ended (Those tapes comprise much of last year's Hawkins have never sought the limelight. up transferring those original demo tracks "Skynyrd's First and... Last- anthology although they are planning to release an to a 24 -track and doing overdubs with his LP.) The late Ronnie Van Zandt, that album of their own next year that will, in band.- It worked, of course, and became band's lead singer, once said of the Stu- Roger's words. "highlight each player's Seger's biggest single of 1979. dio. "When we got there. we didn't know musical personality." But even without the As a producer, Jimmy has some- anything about recording. You could say limelight, musicians and producers have times found that staying out of a band's the people in Muscle Shoals taught us ev- been coming to Muscle Shoals for years way gets the best results. "The Rolling erything we know. - knowing that they'll find that priceless Stones recorded three songs from their Barry Beckett's first project as a combination of great chops and good mu- 'Sticky Fingers' LP here in '70.- he recalls. producer was in 1972 with Roger Haw- sical feeling.* "They flew in with their entourage in a kins, recording the soul duo Mel and Tim. Constellation jet in the middle of a world- They came up with a beautiful single Start- wide tour. Their producer, Jimmy Miller, ing All Over Again, which was a national never made it. so they just went ahead and hit on Stax. Barry then met Peter Yarrow, cut without him. Mick Taylor had just who had come to Muscle Shoals to record joined the band, and this was his first ses- using Mary MacGregor as a background sion with them-he was real nervous. They singer. "Peter brought her in for his al- did a song a night, ending with Brown bum.- he remembers. "We loved her Sugar. Well, the first four or five hours that voice and decided to record her.- For ma- last night were very rough -1 mean not terial, Barry put songwriter Phil Jarrell to- good-and I was sitting there engineering. gether with Yarrow, and their collabora- thinking. 'This ain't going nowhere.' They tive efforts yielded Torn Between Two were sort of writing the tune on the spot. Lovers. That, of course. became a huge and it wasn't happening. Then all of a sud- single in 1977, and soon after Jerry Wex- den. the groove fell together, and the next ler and Beckett formed a production team take was a real smoker. I knew that was that. in the last three years. has worked 98 BACKBEAT x00 000 0000000000 00000 0Records

the thread that runs from "Astral Weeks" through everyalbum since: spiritual rebirth and discovery. The next song, the set's center- Arr.iaw.4. piece, is a celebration both of that goal and of Morrison's past efforts to state it. Fr Summertime in England is a joyous, swinging paean to Christian mysticism, by turns reverent, playful, and even raucous. V,tl The time slips from upbeat syncopation to i",j1, gospel waltz and back again as Morrison 6 4,1 races through a stream of consciousness about-streams of consciousness. That its

_ lyrics shouldrun down a chain of poets

.7-.; and seekers that includes Coleridge, Wordsworth, Blake, Eliot, and James Joyce may seem insufferably pretentious on paper, yet on record the effect is won- drous: The clue to its rounded, spiritual tone may be the singer's other key refer- /1 ence, "Mahalia Jacksoncoming through the ether." For this is a new kind of gospel-wise, forgiving, and irresistibly gener- f ous. At over fifteen minutes, Summertime in England never once smacks of self-in- dulgence, leaving us nodding vigorously at its conclusion, "It ain't why, it just is." That songmay bethe obvious high Van Morrison's point, but the four remaining ones all commend themselves highly, sustaining Triumphant Rebirth the theme while flexing a broad array of stylistic references. Spirit boasts the sud- by Sam Sutherland den dynamic releases and hypnotic medium tempo of such earlier Morrison classics asCaravan, whilethe other extended Van Morrison: Common One in years and arguably his best. Such a piece, When Heart Is Open, sets his Van Morrison & Henry Lewy, judgment will doubtless take years to as- hushed vocal against floating strains of producers. Warner Bros. BSK 3462 sess, for the music here is so rich it clearly flute, sax, and trumpet. Throughout, Mor- demands (and invites) living with. rison's singing is simply revelatory, as Inthe late Sixties, as a rock & roll nation Unlike its immediate predecessors, strong, feeling, and technically adroit as a rallied behind the fuzz -toned fanfares which sought to placate radio program- ever. of keening, psychedelic anthems, a very mers with relatively concise song struc- If only for its uncompromising em- different kind of cosmic music bloomed tures, synthesizers, and high -relief guitars, brace of soul, jazz, and folk elements, under the care of an Irish rocker. On "As- "Common One" returns to the panoramic "Common One" would be an uncommon tral Weeks," Van Morrison replaced hard - canvases and fevered poetic imagination and impressive achievement. As it is, it's edged electric guitars and the thunder and of "Astral Weeks" and the longer epics it considerably more, and a formidable con- fury of a rock band with softly brushed inspired on Morrison'searly -'70scollec- tender for best of the year. chords and an ethereal backdrop of tions. The backing ensemble is the same strings, reeds, and muted horns. Both the lineup heard on "Into the Music" yet with Ashford & Simpson: album and its title song celebrated a time- a virtual sea of changes: Guitarists Herbie A Musical Affair less, if not primeval spirituality, and all Armstrong and Mick Cox have turned Nickolas Ashford& ValerieSimpson, who listened were stoned to their souls, to down the volume, leading to a shift in em- producers. Warner Bros. HS 3458 borrow a subsequent Morrison phrase. phasis from rhythmic rock and folk ele- by Nelson George Over a decade later, Morrison has ments to the atmospheric reed and brass weathered a string of uneven works and a voicings of Pee Wee Ellis and Mark Isham. "A Musical Affair" is yet another in mid -decade hiatus to begin rebuilding his The wisdom of that revision is im- thishusband -and -wifeteam's high quality art. That started with two satisfying if mediately apparent on Haunts of Ancient series of recordings. Producers/writers/ somewhat restrained albums ('78's Peace, a stunning meditation that sug- performers Nickolas Ashford and Valerie "Wavelength" and '79's "Into the Music"), gests one of Miles Davis' cooler '50s line- Simpson tell fine love stories, produce but even their bestmoments couldn'tpre- ups transported to Stonehenge. Its topic glistening neo-Motown music, and man- pare his listeners for the triumph of sets the main theme for the entire album, age to project optimism on even the most "Common One," certainly his finest work one familiar to Morrison fans and in fact downbeat material.

1. NOVEMBER 1980 99

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Alf

Ashford & Simpson The B -52's: Schneider, Wilson, Wilson, Strickland, Pierson

But, on the evidence of this album, Pierson and Cindy Wilson still screech just modernizing the Mash Potato and the they may be giving their best songs away. their way into outer space, and debonair Monkey. But then they start singing about Recent successful covers by such female Fred Schneider still attempts to maintain a poodle who wears designer jeans with singers as Diana Ross (The Boss), Chaka a straight face while rhyming the most in- appliqués, and, well.... Kahn (I'm Every Woman, Clouds), and ane lyrics this side of a kindergarten po- Gladys Knight (Landlord) also suggest etry contest. The Cars: Panorama that Simpson should be taking a more de- Nothing on "Wild Planet" quite Roy Thomas Baker, producer cisive vocal role, rather than simply re- matches the wacky, locomotive intensity Elektra 5E 514 verting to call and response with Ashford of 52 Girls or the classic crustacean sum- by Crispin Cioe on every song. Certainly the most affect- mer surf song Rock Lobster. But even ing moments on "A Musical Affair" are when the five Georgians lose their hold al- The Cars rode out the '70s as the her floating soprano on the opening of together-on Runnin 'Around (a declawed only commercially successful American Happy Endings and her sassy, gutsy deliv- Rock Lobster) and 53 Miles West of rock group to combine Anglicized musical ery onI Ain'tAsking for Your Love. Venus (repetitive to the point of ridicu- trendiness with the kind of heavy metal On that song, You Never Left Me lousness)-their pandemic rhythms beat a backbeat and guitar sound that's still the Alone, and Get Out Your Handkerchief, spirited path to the dance'loon people's choicehere inthe colonies. Ashford & Simpson's debt to Motown is TheB -52'samalgam of Secret Songwriter Ric Ocasek's subtly alienated, quite apparent.Fellow alumnusPaul Agent/ Peter Gunn -typetheme music, catchphrase lyrics have always been Riser provides impeccable horn and string '60s soul and r&b, and Eno-esque buzz - edgily engaging, projecting crystal-clear, arrangements, while Francisco Centeno's sawing (for that subliminal "out there" ef- near -cinematicjump cuts about the va- vibrant bass recalls the work of legendary fect) solidifies most successfully on the garies of modern love. "Panorama" Detroit sessionace JamesJamerson. single, Private Idaho, the surreal Give Me trades in this same imagery, but the big Though the other songs have their strong Back My Man, and Dirty Back Road. On news is that the Cars' third album features points-the sparkling arrangements of the first, the two girls build a wailing cre- an innovative, adventurous approach to Rushing To and We'll Meet Again and the scendo that plays like an old Buffalo what is by now a totally recognizable lyrics on Make It to the Sky and Love Springfield song at the wrong speed. Dirty sound. Don't Make It Right-for the most part, "A Back Road is the closest the 52's come to The title track's instrumental intro Musical Affair" is below standard for parlaying their campy lunacy into some- says it all: This time around the Cars in- this duo. thing more substantial. It's a spooky tend to expand their musical horizon. reverie about weird things lurking in the Drummer David Robinson has taken on a The B -52's: Wild Planet shadows on rural backroads (and in the major textural role, far beyond his usual Rhett Davies& theB -52's, producers recesses of the driver's imagination). The exemplary timekeeping. On the tune's fi- Warner Bros. BSK 3471 bass and drums pulse along like the en- nal vamp, his intricatehigh -hatcymbal by Steven X. Rea gine of a cautiously driven auto, while the work, synthesized ever so slightly, is insist- girls' hushed chanting lends a queer omi- ent and riveting. Greg Hawkes's keyboard On their second album the B -52's nousness to the proceedings. work now laces through the mix as a ma- haven't exactly expanded their modus While it's virtually impossible to jor emotionaltonesetter; on the operandi. Rock -steady bass and drums take them seriously, at times the B -52's shimmeringly erotic Touch and Go, his are still the backbone of their sound, Kate suggest that they're capable of more than oozing synthesizer arpeggios, sounding 100 BACKBEAT FREE 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 like an updated Farfisa organ, give Ben SPEAKER Orr's aging -adolescent, in -heat vocals their pathetic urgency. GUIDE Elliot Easton's fluid lead guitar solos are still the group's most mainstream element, with Ocasek's lyrics and We've prepared a pamphlet that answers questions about melodies providing the real conceptual buying loudspeakers. glue, crystallizing and defining the music. You can get it for free, just by As he writes in Don't Tell Me No. "It's my calling us toll free*. party you can come...it's my mercy it's What's in it for us? We'll also my plan, I want to go to futureland." There send you our full -line brochure are enough fresh and provocative sounds Grisman (center) Quintet ofrave -reviewed Ohm loud- on "Panorama" to make me believe that speakers. this just might be how futureland will Girl Home Again calls to mind the smoky A free guide. And a free sound. corners of some dark café. brochure. "Le Chat Bleu" is West Side Story. Just for calling this number. Mink DeVille: Le Chat Bleu Billie Holiday, A Rose in Spanish Harlem, 1-800-221-6984 Steve Douglas, producer Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond, and Spring- Capitol ST 11955 * (Except in New York, call steen rolled into one. It's an epic street ro- 212-783-1120). by Steven X. Rea mance, teeming with heartfelt passion, wherein Willy DeVille chases his muse all From a commercial vantage point, the way from New York's Avenue C to the "Le Chat Bleu" is a lame duck. Capitol bright lights of the Champs Elysees. has made virtually no attempt to "work" Ohm this record, since the label dropped Willy David Grisman Quintet '80 We make loudspeakers DeVille and his band from its roster. David Grisman, producer correctly. (They've since signed with Atlantic.) So, Warner Bros. BSK 3469 barring some kind of unprecedented Frank Wakefield: Circle 29 on Reader -Service Card spontaneous airplay, the band's third al- Blues Stay Away from Me details. bum is destined for oblivion. And that's Norman Dayron & Tom Stern, A DIFFERENT KIND too bad. producers. Takoma TAK 7082 FREEOF RECORD CLUB Recorded in Paris, where DeVille by Steven X. Rea lived and soaked up inspiration, "Le Chat TREMENDOUS SAVINGS on every record and tape in print - Bleu" is the group's best yet. The surging, The mandolin is one of those in- no "agree to purchase'. obligations of any kind tough blues and rock of Spanish Stroll. DISCOUNTS OF.43% TO 73% struments that can, in the wrong hands, off mfg suggested list special catalog Soul Twist. and She's So Tough (from sound tinny and shrill. Even in the right features hundreds of titles and artists their debut and followup, "Return to Ma- ALL LABELS AVAILABLE hands, it is known to have limited applica- including most imports through special custom genta"). have their equally aggressive, tions-mainly to the interrelated forms of ordering service-guarantees satisfaction. SCHWANN CATALOG raunchy counterparts here: the anthemic British traditional music and American lists thousands of titles Spector/ Springsteen-ish This Must Be bluegrass. classical pop jazz. country. etc the Night (producer/ sax man Steve DISCOUNT DIVIDEND CERTIFICATES Then along come two masters, and Dividend Gifts-certificates Douglas was the saxophonist during it is suddenly spewing forth quavery, reso- redeemable immediately for extra discounts. Spector's halcyon days). the chunky, nant gusts of jazz and Swing, in addition to NEWSLETTERS informational news and happenings in the churning Savoir Faire, and Lipstick bluegrass. "Dawg" is a term coined by Da- world of music special super sale listings Traces. vid Grisman's friends for his "weird tunes DISCOUNT ACCESSORY GUIDE Diamond needles, cloths tape cleaners, etc But the real high points are the bal- that were no longer bluegrass." Whether QUICK SERVICE lads. with Willy DeVille sounding like the one opts for Dawg innovations or the same day shipping on many orders. Puerto Rican answer to Neil Diamond. rarely later than the next several days. simple charms and pleasures of Frank 100% IRON -CLAD GUARANTEES Aided by string arranger Jean Claude Wakefield's bluegrass forays, bothmen on all products and services - your total Petit (who did Edith Piaf's charts), he satisfaction is unconditionally guaranteed. have recorded exemplary works. Discount Music Club is a noobligation membership club dramatically sets his half -spoken, half- Grisman started in Cambridge cof- that guarantees tremendous discounts on all stereo sung sentiments awash in the desperate feehouses in the mid -'60s. He worked with records and tapes and lets you buy what you want...when you want...or not at allif you choose. splendor of overblown orchestral flour- the Boston folk rock unit Earth Opera These are just a few of the moneysaving reasons to write ishes. On That World Outside. a plaintive for free details. You can't lose so why not fill out and and Jerry Garcia's bluegrass group Old & mail the coupon below for immediate information. saxophone solo and an airy glow of in the Way before moving on to his own strings create a poignant setting for De- Ai.. DISCOUNT MUSIC CLUB, INC. DEPT. 8-1180 bluegrass and jazz/bluegrass/what-have- 650 Main Street, New Rochelle, N.Y. 10801 Ville's plea for a love that will provide shel- you explorations. "Quintet '80" provides Name ter from reality. Castanets punctuate the continuing evidence of two major in- Address_ moody You Just Keep Holding On, while fluences: Wakefield and '30s jazz guitarist city the accordion in Just to Walk That Little Django Reinhardt, who can be heard in

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CASSETTE TAPES +AMU GranoMaL.' nc90 iro UDR J.J, 00 168 3P.Sf 1.0.7c 90, 299 MK 91 (90 245 Feiten & Larsen: a highly original and lushly melodic debut 0I0131 911290 299 1151031-170 215 SCOICH , Ruse C 90 3.37. 599 IT. 00(90 299 MEMOREX ,7,80 5.37E 90 319 TONNA 2 60 Hnep, 629 50N3FM,C 90 325 TONNA f 401,1411 189 ION, 53C 90 164 MAXELL UD ut. 8 1r.90 Grisman's lyrical swing, occasional drifts much luster to her splashy debut album MOLD( 60 1 19 too low 1,2009eMse MK C 90 168 calorwrItefor Duces into melancholy, and the lazy rhythms of and tour. But the two players' association REEL-TO-REEL TAPES SCOICH Master 118003, 599 VIDEOTAPES goes back to Woodstock in theearly '70s. 5C0103207,10000 519 ALL BEIA1 500 1295 tracks like Dawgma and Dawgmatism. A MAXELL UD 35-90 9 BOO , 549 Al BEMAI.750 1595 IDOL n000 ownI 522 ALL VHS1 120100980 31G/ 1495 moody reading of John Coltrane's where they met and formed the band Full VIDEOTAPES WE CARPI AMPEX BASF FUJI JVC MAXELL PANASONIC. MEMOREX Naima-Grisman's mandolin and Darol Moon. After one seminal funk/ rock al- 11)4( SCOTCH. SOON RCA bum, Full Moon disbanded, its members WE ALSO STOCIE VIDEO RECORDERS AND HOME VIDEO MOVIES Anger's violintaking the parts of Col- MINIMUM ORDER 12 TAPES -100% GUARANTEED trane's and Eric Dolphy's saxophones- scattering to becomestudioand jazz heav- CARTRIDGES easily evokes the smoky, sad atmosphere ies. But Larsen and Feiten stayed to- audio techfloca 4120 SS 13490 $11:11=011 of the original. The three remaining Quin- gether, playing on everything from TV AI 1555 89 95 415119819 8990 AT 14 SA 4995 V15 lyps III 6995 Al12SA 3995 6497HE 51 95 tet members are bassist Rob Wasserman commercials to Bonnie Bramlett and Etta 10 295 MOSHE 3490 349180 20 50 ,1.1,1..11 AMA E 1490 and Mike Marshal and Mark O'Connor, James gigs. In the late '70s, Larsen made 881 5 1995 M70 EL 1190 6818E6 S 5995 who play sundry mandolins and guitars. twopop/jazzinstrumental albums on 6816E8 4905 PIO Et 27 95 lo PICKERING 500E 1495 which Feiten figured heavily. Neither LP 95U 5000 10990 Wakefield's approach is more KW 4000 68 50 ENPIFE KW 3000 4590 along traditional bluegrass lines. Whereas received much attention, and this record, 20002 49 95 X415150 3490 20008 29 95 )7/15 625 23,90 2000E13 le 50 711,15 400 24 50 Grisman's compositionsare mostly his which adds vocals to the mix, should not 1009 5450 own, Wakefield takes on such venerable have to suffer the same fate. ACCESSORIES Irish and American traditionals as Bona- Larsen's sound on Hammond or- DISCWASHER HEADPHONES COMPLETE SYSTEM 1095 K OSS LFTO a AAA 46 50 DMMIT 3495 K OSSNVI IC 34 50 parte's Retreat, Lay That Pistol Down, gan is a passionate electronic updating of PSCORGANIZER 995 ROSSH. LC 48 50 1607 123 PERU 1095 ROSSHVX 02 95 ZIROSIAIANTI-SlAtIC GUN 14 95 5PANKEI5ERND-420 52 50 The Crawdad Song, and Little Rock Geta- this venerable instrument's heritage, and SC -I SPAIDSCLEANED 495 SENNINISERND-430 1250 PSCEOOT 15 95 AUEXOTECNNICAATH7 9495 way. On about half the tracks, he sings Feiten's bluesy guitar beautifully courses FUZZBUSTED II 1000 9Mec1ce 82 90 CASIO L 800428701 4500 FUZZBLIS12PEL1110Nectot 134 95 CODE -A -PHONE I00011ernoel 10495 with a warm, wizened hillbilly timbre. through the organ's more distant and BEAM BOX FM Bp -Henna 39 95 TEXAS INSTRUMENTS 1, 51 48 50 014/0791.14.'0071091.0 540 (10,,;100191'18' 13995 Through reels and jigs and-with guest plaintive settings. Over clean and pump- Anger-a speedy succession of fiddle and ing rhythmtracks from bassist Willie RECORDS ALL ROCK, JAZZ & CLASSICAL mandolin tradeoffs (the dexterity on Weeks and drummer Art Rodriguez, the which is astounding), Wakefield proves bittersweet tales of loss and gain ring sur- All 7 98 List $4.99 All b.98 List. $5.49 that he is indeed intent on fending off any prisingly true, often making brilliant use of All 9.98 List $5.99 semblance of the blues. pedal tone lines in the bass and shifting 50c oddinonol for consAtte CP 8 -hock modal harmonies. MINIMUM ORDER 5 records o, topes WESTOCK ALL MAJOR LABELS Larsen-Feiten Band Vocally, Feiten shows depth and HOW TO ORDER: For shipment within 48 hours. send money oderOr ironic sensibility,particularly onWho'll Be certified check, Two weeks delay on personal checks. Please add Tommy Lipuma, producer 53.50 per order for shipping .1 handling 155.50 for orders outside the Fool Tonight, and the duo gives the U.S.) N.Y.S. residents add tax. No C 0.0 s. All merchandise 100',. Warner Bros. BSK 3468 guaranteed. Wand new & factory fresh by Crispin Cioe Doobie Bros. a run for theirmoney with ORDER TOLL FREE (800) 221.8180 their jazzy harmonizing on She's Not in All OTHERMAIIEWSCats [1" 8500 Keyboardist Neil Larsen and gui- Love. Given the somewhat familiar mix- tarist Buzz Feiten led Rickie Lee Jones's ture of pop and funk/jazz styles they pur- brilliant backup band last year. adding vey, Larsen and Feiten pull off a highly (LIMWMUSORLDIC 23PARK ROW, DEPT. HF, NEW YORK, N.Y. 10036 CALL OR WRITE FOR FRI1160 PAGE CATALOGS Circle 21 on Reader -Service Card 102 BACKBEAT WANT 000000000000000000000 -A*T7, - IT? 'Our new 84 -page Fall 1980 HiFi & Home Entertain- >VA- tment Buying Guide is available FREE! It's full of 1", manufacturer's specifications & illustrations of the latest in sight & sound, for your home & car. Call one of our audio/video consult- r. ants today -toll free - ,to order yours. And be sure to ask for our many unad- rA vertised speciaW

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1-800-638-3920 . Prine: classic American songwriter For price quotes or our catalog of VISA' the latest in Audio & Video Equipment! original and lushly melodic debut, one 6730 Santa Barbara Ct. that will stay on my turntable for weeks to STEREO Baltimore, MD. 21227 come. DISCOUNTERS 1-800-638-3920 JohnPrine: Storm Windows Barry Beckett. producer Asylum 6E 286 by Sam Sutherland

Warehouse John Prine's decision to form his own band and flex his rock & roll roots , . seemed more problematic than practical Sound on last year's "Pink Cadillac." That record brought Sun Records founder Sam Phil- lips out of retirement to oversee the pro- Company ceedings, and, though his credentials as a rock godfather with deep Southern roots Ten years, the Nation's were appropriate (given Prine's heritage LEADING Distributor of as a transplanted backwoods boy), the Home and Car Stereo roughened edges of the record itself obscured both Prine's singing and Products! songwriting. CALL FOR TODAY'S With "Storm Windows" Prine tries another southerner. Muscle Shoals' own SPECIAL / Barry Beckett [see story on page 91], and

Special buys on the results are far more satisfying. The en- closeouts, one -of -a - semble from "Pink Cadillac" remains but kinds and more, all benefits from a more lucid aural finish, as at TODAY'S very WAREHOUSE SOUND1/4 does Prine's drily crisp singing style. The special Warehouse added rock firepower is also there, but so Sound's prices! too is the warm delicacy of the singer's ...... m...... _._._.i.4 best past work. CALL TOLL FREELlHere's $1. RUSH the catalog to me First Class Mail Prine's writing continues to show HSend me your catalog FREE WSC 301 HF the renewed piquancy that made 1977's "Bruised Orange" an underexposed clas- NAME 800-742-1820 sic. As on his earliest records, the material ADDRESS (Calif. Res.) offered here ranges from the bittersweet CITY WarehouseSound Company vignettes that have clinched his profes- P.O. Box 1007 STATE ZIP sional esteem to the more light-hearted, Fresno, California 93714 TELEPHONE alimim-mi..,,m..ins-as-ims-mi-a--ms-am-imias_awims_awan_mvuwan_me loopy hard -luck tales that convey his deft Circle 57 on Reader -Service Card fr effect of theirentranceis akinto On WatchingEvery MoveYouMake, tenth bar cago bluesthatis almostdrownedatthe Seals playsaclassic,heart intro to ing andinadequatelyrehearsed. Onthe colors, moreoftenitisdownright annoy- section occasionallyoffersrefreshing new rhythm guitarandhorns.While the horn boards, SnapperMitchumonbass,David working band-KingSolomononkey- Door, dignity andcompassionintact. can songwriterwhohassurvivedwithboth able, maturemusicfromaclassicAmeri- that's atestamentinitself.Thisiscomfort- Decal Won'tGetYouIntoHeaven broadsides suchashisearliest,Your carries onthesinger'straditionofgentle modern times, are severalsubduedballadsplumbingfa- which thesingertriestohushhislover's bedroom secretsandsetsitscentralchar- opener, usesitstitleasametaphorfor D. Andersonondrums-supplementedby his screamingguitar saga isconveyednotbythewords,but blues themes.But,on the lyricsareurbanupdatesoftimeless launching padsforhissolos.Generally guished melodically,butallaresuitable "Chicago throated vocalist. album, heemergesasamoving,full- from hiselectricguitar,here.onfourth always beovershadowedbythesounds stantly recognizable.Whilehissingingwill tone andpercussiveattackcombinedwith more. Fanswillfindfewsurprises,but dows). man facinghisownmortality Eyed Boy)to Happening to miliar Prinetopicsfromfailedlove indiscretion. It'sfunny.wise,andspirited acters inarollicking, sense ofhumor. fierce pickinggivehimastylethat'sin- send chillsdownthespine;hispiercing around. Hissearing simply one by ChuckCarman producers. AlligatorAL4720 Son Seals&BruceIglauer, Son Seals:ChicagoFire 0000000000000000000000 NOVEMBER 1980 "Chicago Fire"featuresSeals's for instance,therealurgencyof At theotherendofspectrum Seals wrotesixoftheninesongson Chicago bluesmanSonSealsis In betweenisawryeditorialon Leaving Home, by a Fire.- of thebestguitarplayers the soberingperspectiveofa sudden riseinthe horns. You) andlosthope Living intheFuture, None is Shop Talk, single -note uptempo context Landlord atMy for example, particularly distin- -wrenching Chi- the set's (Storm Win- solos can down - (Sleepy Any- (It's which Flag the in my facein say my that Simonhasattained inreality."Can't fifteen yearsinsearch ofthekindfame has beenworkingclubsandcolleges for the storyofanitineranttunesmith who first movie.Thesemi-autobiography tells from theNewYork make itselfclear.TheLPisthesoundtrack at thecoreof rity andcolorof wry resignation My LittleTown; underpinnings ofsmall-townAmericalike conga beat,seemstolackthecrispalac- the Evening, These Years. nothing thatgrappleswiththesociological chord as50 strikes thesameempathetic,emotive there is Years,- and,sureenough.onfirstlisten released "StillCrazyAfterAllThese four yearshavepassedsincePaulSimon mere mortaliscapableofstanding.Over rise-eventually tothepointwhereno bums, thehigherpeople'sexpectations artist andthelongerlapsebetweenal- by StevenX.Rea producers. WarnerBros.HS3472 tar, giveSonSealsalisten. Phil Rarnone&PaulSimon. Paul Simon:One-TrickPony but ifyou'vegotatasteforfieryblues may be has aclean,brightsound.Extremepurists guished Alligatorcatalog,"ChicagoFire" shifting intosecondgearat50mph. But thenthemettleandmagic name's well known.You don'tsee It's inevitable.Themorepopularan Like mostofthesmallbutdistin- Seals: searingsolos nothing on"One-TrickPony"that dissuaded bythehornproblem. Rolling Stone, Ways toLeaveYourLover: with its "One -Trick Even thehitsingle, of nothing thatringswiththe Kodachrome. 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AllmerchandiseisFactory Fresh and complete with Manufacturers Warranty. For immediate shipment send Certified Check. Money Order Cashier's Check, or Master Charge or VISA (Send Card Number and Spry () Bill me () Payment enclosed -I./ Ao on Date). Call us Toll -Free Mon -Fri 9AMr7PM, Sat 10AMr7PM (Eastern '` Noel for Credit Card orders. Personal Checks are subject to hold for bank clearance. Shipping and Handling charge $3.50 (Canada, Puerto Pico r I For gift subscriptions, also fill in the Hewer., Alaska S7.001 Allow 5 12 days for U.P.S. delivery. For all mane, following information: uther than to place orders please cell us at 212 61365500. No C 0 D Simon: a narrow perspective orders accepted NY reselents must include Sales Tax. Recipient's Name E... -Er VISA been on this road," he sings in Long. Long Day. Address Flui KClectionicd.=I CALL TOLL -FREE 800-223-2706 As such, the strengths and weak- City State Zip ;wIn N.Y.. Hawaii. Alaska. Puerto Rico Canada Call (212)686-5500 1263 nesses of "One -Trick Pony" are tied to the BroadwayNew York N.Y 10001 () ( ._._. . 1 yr. $9.98 ) 2 yrs. $19.96 -mh fact that it is a musical narrative and that

( )Bill me () Payment enclosed Circle 3 on Reader -Service Card many of the songs share an unusually narrow focus. The funky Ace in the Hole. the (We'll send a handsome card to the recipient announcing your gift.) plaintive Jonah. God Bless the Absentee. a- and the title track all revolve around Life on the Road. You've heard about the end- In the audio or record trade? mmeAnnienuett less motels, bars, and one-night stands be- If so, you qualify for a very special subscription rate. Enclose your fore, and it's only when Simon emerges &mord& Tape business card or letterhead with Sete with a new twist or a wise, amused per- this form and we'll send you the FREE! spective (Jonah and Oh, Marion) that he information for High Fidelity and 80 PAGE/tIot .t. our other publications. e r, transcends the cliched portrait and paints his own. RECORD 6, r 1 & TAPE Simon's knack for gliding smoothly CHANGE OF ADDRESS . if through unusual harmonic and melodic Moved? Just send us your old CATALOG turns is still very much intact. To wit: the magazine label (if available) and ... write in your new address. Or, fill tenacious shifts and free -associative im- out the information below: LIST THOUSANDS OF RECORDS & TAPES ages of Long. Long pay or the jazzy Oh, LOW LOW PRICES FAST SERVICE Marion, on which he scat -sings in sync Print name CLASSICAL, OPERA, POP, JAZZ. CAW with Jon Faddis' flugelhorn. Little sub- AND NOW VIDEO CASSETTES Old address Apt. # 11 - tleties pervade the arrangements (he 1 City State Zip International Record A Tape Club Dept HP 100 scored the strings and horns), like the lithe 315 WEST 36th St , NYC. NY 10018 clip -clopping percussion that reverberates Print new address Apt # l] PLEASE SEND ME YOUR SPECIAL 80 -PAGE RECORD A TAPE through Jonah and the classical elegance CATALOG! of the acoustic guitars on How the Heart City State Zip

Ili PLEASE ALSO SEND ME YOUR VIDEO CASSETTE CATALOG! Approaches What It Yearns. Please allow 4 weeks for us to cor- It is on that song that Simon's rect our mailing labels. L trademark taut, lucid language and sense J NAME of poetry is most in evidence: "In a phone booth, in some local bar and grill, rehears- ADDRESS Mail to: ing what I'll say, my coin returns." Unfortu-

SITE nately, in other instances his slightly blurred lyrics obscure the intent (and the High Fidelity

STATE ZIP direction) of the songs. One Sound Ave. As on Simon's past studio forays, Marion, Oh. 43302 OEMS Circle 17 on Reader -Service Card perfectionism abounds here. Tight, pol- On.11110711111 NOVEMBER 1980 105 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 "YOU'VE TRIED THE REST 1 ex.0 coupling of commercial folksong struc- NOW TRY THE BEST" P ture with pop and folk instrumentation. --7; . 1,4 ea'CALL TOLL That combination seemed refreshing FREE when compared to the hyperbolic rock ORDERS 0 ONLY (800) 221-8464 drama and slick pop narcissism of the 4 CALL FOR INFORMATION ; time. But his topical mix of historical vi- (212) 233-8862

gnette and courtly romance has varied lit- STEREO, AUDIO, TV, VIDEO tle since. Here he bears witness to the fall 4COMPLETE CATALOG SEND $2.50 of Byzantium (Constantinople), describes CAR STEREO SPECIAL 3 Sanyo 1490A .. 119.95 Sanyo 2400 229.95 the American dream as envisioned by Sanyo 149011 .....151.95 Blaupunkt CR 3000....469.95 0 Sanyo 1495 139 95 Sanyo 1498 229 95 turn -of -the -century immigrants (Mur- Sanyo 1496 .... 199 95 Panasonic COS 700 4 149.95 mansk Run/ Ellis Island), and contrasts a PORTABLE STEREO BONANZA Sanyo M 9994 249.95 FREE TAPE fable of romantic enchantment (Rocks in .JVC 838 269.95 WITH PURCHASE the Ocean) with a world-weary, tongue-in- BLANK CASSETTES MONTHLY SPECIAL cheek tribute to a tacky waitress (Mondo Sinistro). His stance on each recalls spe- TDK-SA90 2.855 MAXELL UDXL C-90 3.25 cific models from his own earlier songs. MEMOREX REEL TO REEL 4 New High Bias 60 2 39 Ampex Grand Master New High Bias 90 299 =1800 ft 5 45 e 1 . All of this means that consistency is kl 3 New MRX 3 C60 149 Maxell UD 35-901800 599 Aka New MRX 3 C90 200 MaKell COOL 35.9013 1800 ft. 6 99 the sole justification for the new set. Even MAXELL MAXELL U0 35-180 3600 ft Ampex 20-420C-90 ...249 110N1 19.95 Stewart: still the same given his excellent taste in arrangements Carol UDC -90 279 Scotch 212 1800 ft 4 99 Makell UM. 1 or 11 C-60 245 Scotch 207 1800 11 6.49 and the seamless playing of Shot in the Mooch UDXL 1 or 11 C-90 335 TDK S-1800 ft 4.32 Scotch Low Noise VIDEO TAPES ished performances are turnedin bysome Dark. for this listener consistency isn't C-9013 pk 4 99 lor 3 BETA FORMAT of the slickest, surest jazz/pop purveyors 4 SCOTCH Scotch L50012 Hour) 13 75 nearly enough. Master 1 or 11 C90 2 79 Sony L750 Hour) 15.95 e Master III C90 3 15 Sony 1500(2 Hour) 12.95 around, including guitarists Hugh Metal Tape 60 4.25 Sony 1.830 1695 Melee rape 90 5.25 VHS FORMAT McCracken and Eric Gale, bassist Tony The Vapors: New Clear Days TOO Scotch 7-120 (Rebatel 2.30 00 DC 60 119 TOK T-120 1495 EC 90 1.55 RCA VK-250 15 95 Levin, drummer Steve Gadd. and pianist VicCoppersmith -Heaven. producer SA C60 .2.15 Maxell T-120 14 95 Richard Tee, who provides a mellow back- United Artists LT 1049 i Metal MA60 5 49 drop that irradiates the midtempo tunes. by Andy Edelstein El VIDEO MART Sonically, Simon and producer/engineer _ Panasonic PV -1200 (VHS) 639.00 i Phil Ramone have outdone themselves- The Vapors are second -generation 1/1k7.N. PV -1600 (VHS 735.00 .... wwww PV-1650(VHS) 875.00 .. even the two live tracks (Ace in the Hole English new wave. Discovered byJam 11.111111111, PV -3200 Portable 6hr 739.00 4 "t,.4 PV -3200 Portable 6 hr839 00 and One -Trick Pony, recorded at the bassist Bruce Foxton, they toured Eng- t PK 700 Color Camera725.00 JVC 6700 U (VHS) . 824.950 Agora in Cleveland) resound with clarity land last year with that band, and even use Sony SL 5400 Beta 849.00

and depth. Given the nature of the project illSony SL 5600 Beta . 949.00 its producer on their debut LP, "New 4RCA VDT 625 (VHS) 899.00 and the self-imposed limitations of "Ohe- Clear Days." Similarly, the group shares Sanyo VTC-9100 A 579.95 Sanyo VC 1400 B & W Camera 199.95 0 Trick Pony," Simon has managed to re- the Jam's initial affection for the early 4Akai VPS 7300 Call for Low Price 3 turn from four years of silence to show Who sound -pop -based power chords ELECTRONIC GAMES ib that he's still got something to say. Mattel Intellivision churning beneath high, quavering har- Telephone Keyboard Computer 489.95 monies -which is, by now. tiresome. Still. Mattel Brain Baffler 49.95 Mattel Horse Race Analyzer 99.95 Al Stewart and Shot in the Dark: their first album does contain occasional rx Atari CX 2600 139.95 i Chess Challenger 7 89.00 24 Carrots snippets of brilliance. IALL ELECTRONIC GAMES IN STOCK CALL Al Stewart & Chris Desmond. Vic Coppersmith -Heaven is clearly PHONOGRAPH CARTRIDGES SHURE PICKERING producers. Arista AL 9520 in control here, polishing the Vapors' IV15 Type IV 88 95 XSV 5000 89 95 faV15 Type HI 68.95 XSV 4000 67.95 by Sam Sutherland rough edges, using lean, sparse hooks. M95 HE 33.95 XSV 3000 .45 95 M95 ED 29 95 X v-i 5-35018 95 ... and minimizing the role of lead guitarist M97 HE 50 95 xV-15-150 15 95 I riI I 111 NM II r IM91 ED 19 95 %V-15-100 14 Pri 1 Having refined his bookish soft Ed Bazalgette. In fact most of the band's 4 PHONE ANSWERING MACHINES rock on "Year of the Cat," his most suc- Sanyo 1391141 99 95 New! Pearicorder 802 114.90 di propulsion comes from its hyperactive Record A Call 80A 199 95 Peat corder S202 .. 7995 E cessful work, songwriter Al Stewart contin- and inventive bassist, Steve Smith. tTranscriber TRC,1200275 00Pearl corder 0-130 239.95 I ues to rework the same melodic and ver- Former attorney turned lead singer/ 1 -rteSONY TV'S

12 . . _367 50 bal twists to diminishing effect. It's not that rhythm guitarist David Fenton wrote all 15" 382.50 17" (Remote) 503.0042 "24 Carrots" fails to match the burnished nine tunes, using precise, dipped tones to 4 19" . 542 95 , . I 1 (Remote) 569 95 instrumental gleam and widescreen per- convey the sense of fatalism that the Va- i Ulagall 26" (Remote) 939.00 spective of his mid -'70s albums. Indeed. 4 pors strive (overbearingly at times) to pro- VIDEO MOVIES Shot in the Dark, the new band he unveils ject. From the album title pun on in. his 10 59.95Exorcist 54.95 Superman 59.95Blazing Saddles49.95t on these sessions and with which he gra- themes -alienated youth (Prisoners), gen- le M OVER100TITLES IN STOCK FOR YOUR CHOICE STEREO CASSETTE TAPE DECKS ciously shares credit. matches the sure- erational strain (News at Ten). trendy girl- JVC NEW KD-A11 119 95 footed studio groups he has worked with friends (Spring Collection) -have been ex- JVC KD-A66 329 95 ".4 JVC KD A8 489 95 in the past. The problem is in the songs. plored previously by many. including the SHARP RT 4488 Metal 269.95 iPrices Sublect to charm without notice Minimum Shipping 8 handling Stewart's musical high card, as Jam's Paul Weller. V charge $3 50 S played on the midcareer sleeper that But Fenton clicks on two occasions. PARK ROW brought him attention in 1974 ("Past, both of which involve Oriental themes. Electronics Corp. I Park Row ier New York. NY 10038 Present, and Future"), has been a canny Continued on page 107 212349.5553 For Information, isimptieninternememiotiettionenowtorrii Circle 31 on Reader -Service Card 106 BACKBEAT 000000000000000.0000000000SpinOffs0000000000000000000000000

Audiophile discs by Crispin Cioe

Robert Conti: Solo Guitar year onMCA-this doubleal- duction still isn't my cup of tea. Bob Seger & the Albert Marx. producer bum contains such Diamond thanks to the remastering Silver Bullet Band: Direct -to -disc standards as Song Sung Blue, process, Manchester's hon- Night Moves Trend TR 519 (Box 48081. Sweet Caroline. and Holly eyed voice never sounded bet- Bob Seger, Muscle Shoals Los Angeles. Holy. Diamond's passion ter or more intimate. Rhythm Section, Calif. 90048) sounds moreconvincing than Punch Andrews. & ever, particularly against the Shelly Manne Jack Richardson. producers Although Robert Conti full string section, which prob- Jazz Quartet: Half -speed mastered is ajazz guitarist who grew up ably benefits the most from Interpretations of Capitol / MFSL 1-034 playing with Pat Martino. most the remastering process. Bach and Mozart of the numbers here are low- Albert Marx. producer The big difference be- key mainstream ballads along Bob Florence Big Band: Digitally mastered tween this and the original the lines of My Funny Valen- Live at Concerts Trend TR 525 is that the lowered distortion tine. Yesterday, and the theme by the Sea and noise has increased the from A Manand aWoman. Albert Marx. producer On "Interpretations of separation between instru- Engineer Dave Ellsworth Digitally mastered Bach andMozart,- the advan- ments phenomenally. Guitar achieves anincredibly reso- Trend TR 523 tages of digital recording are solos and drums in particular nant sound. providing an ex- heard most clearly from the are punchier and rock much cellent showcase for this fluid Whew! Turn up the vol- sweet tones of Gary Foster's harder. A classic Seger effort. guitarist's lush and classically ume on this one and it's like flute. Less present, though cer- influenced approached to having an absolutely stellar big tainly more full-bodied than if melody. band in your living room. The the process had been analog, Bruce Springsteen: brass and woodwinds sound is Mike Wofford's lilting piano. Born to Run Bob Cooper: Tenor Sax better than being there, and The arrangements are imagi- John Landau, Bruce Jazz Impressions Pete Christlieb's tenor solo on native and tasteful, and form- Springsteen. & Mike Albert Marx& Dennis I'll Remember is simply idable drummer Manne swings Appel, producers Smith. producers gorgeous. through these classics without Half -speedmastered Direct -to -disc ever getting corny. Columbia Mastersound Trend TR 518 John Klemmer: 33795 Straight from the Heart Lincoln Mayorga & EngineerDave Ells- John Klemmer & Stephan Amanda McBroom: Half -speedmastering worth again does a fine job Goldman. producers Growing Up in has added dramatic clarity to here, making saxist Bob Direct -to -disc Hollywood Town Springsteen's voice and band, Cooper's delightfully lazy Nautilus NR 4 Lincoln Mayorga & especially onthe tunes with tones seem to just ooze out of Doug Sax, producers less reverb, like Thunder Road thespeakers. Cooper-a West From Klemmer's low- Direct -to -disc or Tenth Avenue Freeze Out. Coast tenor player very much down, florid bell tones to his Sheffield Lab 13 Yes. it's worth the higher price in the Lester Young via Stan highest wails, this is what a (P.O. Box 5332, Santa Bar- tag than the original, which Getz tradition-ishere backed saxophone really sounds like. bara. Calif. 93108) was released in 1975. by pianistCarl Schroeder. bas- Direct-to -discalso means no sist Bob Magnusson (an out- overdubs, so each take of this Amanda McBroom Steeleye Span: standing accompanist), and virtuoso's standards(Ara- wrote the title tune from The All Around My Hat drummer JimmieSmith. It's a besque. Touch) is like a freshly Rose: pianist/arranger Lin- Mike Batt. producer relaxed pearl of a set. cut flower. coln Mayorga played on the Half -speedmastered recording. "Growing Up in Chrysalis/ MFSL1-027 Neil Diamond: Melissa Manchester: Hollywood Town"reveals that Hot August Night Melissa McBroom also has a gorgeous English folk/rock band Tom Catalano.producer Vini Poncia. producer soprano voice,somewhat in Steeleye Span's strongest suit Half -speedmastered Half -speed mastered the pop style ofJudy Collins. was always chiming vocals, al- MCA/ Mobile Fidelity Arista/MFSL 1-028 Recorded withfirst -rankL.A. though it had its moments in- Sound Lab MFSL 2-024 studio musicians on the scor- strumentally aswell. Here. the (two discs) "Melissa" was originally ing stage at MGM, the music, purity of those voices wrapped released on Arista five years the production, and thedirect - around charming plainsong Recorded live at L.A.'s ago and contained her starter to -discengineering are about ditties is what makes the re - Greek Theater in 1972-and hit. Midnight Blue. Though as highbrow andclassy aseasy mastered original worth originally released that same Vini Poncia's wall -of -pop pro- listening ever gets. having. NOVEMBER 1980 107 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Take a Continued from page 105 builds with a bubbling, joyous momen- Turning Japanese (a Top 5 hit in Eng- tum. The program also includes S'posin', land) straddles the line between wit and in- Smiles, That Old Feeling, and Mandy, giant step sensitivity. Letter from Hiro, which con- Make up Your Mind. tains the album's cleverest line ("the age forward... of reason is out to lunch"), shifts dramati- Concord Super Band II cally from an otherwise ordinary rocker Carl E. Jefferson, producer into a graceful, two -minute, Kabuki -like Concord Jazz CJ 120 (two discs) Learn coda. Though that gentleness is never by John S. Wilson heard again, it is one of several surprises that show the Vapors may have more sub- The Concord Super Band is com- professional stance than their name implies. posed of some of the most prominent neo-Swing players. Representing the audio young Eastern school are tenor saxo- 11.SEEIIIE JAZZ phonist Scott Hamilton, bassist Phil recording Flanagan, and cornetist / flugelhornist Tom Artin and Condon's Hot Lunch Warren Vache. All of them have been part Tom Artin, producer of Benny Goodman's groups in the '70s, technology. Slide Records (132 Grandview as has midwestern guitarist Cal Collins. Ave., Monsey, N.Y. 10952) Rounding out the personnel are two musi- by John S. Wilson cians who were swinging long before

"neo" ever surfaced-pianist Dave =- One of the nicer oddities about jazz McKenna and drummer Jake Hanna-and in New York is the Friday midday jazz ses- producer Carl Jefferson, whose Concord sion. Les Lieber's Jazz at Noon series, Jazz Festival spawned his record label. which mixes very capable amateurs with a This two -disc, in -concert set was re- professional guest, has been running for corded in 1979 at the end of the band's fifteen years. Eddie Condon's Hot Lunch, second tour of Japan. The rhythm section together for more than five years now, has lays down a supportive, unhurried beat, developed its own distinctive repertoire, enabling the rest of the players to float some of which is on "Condon's Hot over such numbers as Crazy Rhythm, Lunch." Many of the players here are fa- Gone with the Wind, Just Friends. In a miliar to nighttime audiences at Condon's Mellow Tone, and The King. All are and at neighboring Jimmy Ryan's. Cor- played with the kind of relaxed confidence netist Pee Wee Erwin, clarinetist Jack that is the very essence of Swing. Oh Maheu, and drummer Ernie Hackett are Baby, a piece that can be rushed into a part of the former family. Bobby Pratt fluster, is crisp and contained, prodded by plays trombone at Ryan's and shifts to pi- Collins' dancing guitar and McKenna's ano and vocals when he goes to Condon's solid piano. at noon. Rounding out the personnel are There are solo pieces for Hamilton, Complete the trombonist/ Hot Lunch leader Tom Artin McKenna, Collins, and, most notably, Multi -track Recording Technology and bassist Dick Waldburger. Vache. Having consolidated all the stand- curriculum in one year, or earn the This album is a mixture of tradi- ard trumpet elements from Armstrong to B.S. Degree in Music Technology ' tional jazz standards, pop songs of the Clifford Brown, Vache is the most adven- via the Institute of Audio Research - '20s and '30s, Swing, and blues. The main- turous. exploratory member of thisneo- New York University joint program. stays are Erwin, projecting exquisitely on Swing society. He uses unexpected Rockin' Chair, and Artin, showing his phrases and moves in seemingly unlikely Winter '81 Quarter starts range and expressive tone on Star Dust. directions, but does so within the context Monday January 5th. Together they create the set's high point, of a mainstream style. Finally, vocalist Anli Artin's Out to Lunch Blues. Erwin plays Sugano makes an unscheduled appear- Write or call for brochure with a gorgeously dark -toned lyricism, and ance on Sunny Side of the Street. his partner shows off a big, bristling tone Institute that combines the laidback style of Jack Panama Francis Teagarden with the propulsive phrasing of and the Savoy Sultans, Vol. 1 of Audio Lou McGarity or Cutty Cutshall. Pratt has Black cnd Blue, producer Research an easy, ambling piano style and sings I Classic Jazz CJ 149 til64 University Place Double Dare You in what must be the by JohnS. Wilson Greenwich Village New York, N.Y. 10003 huskiest voice in town (although any- Established (212) 677-7580 body's vocal cords might be rusty at The Savoy Sultans were the house 1969 noon). Maheu's warm and woodsy clarinet band at the Home of Happy Feet-the Licensed by N Y State Dept. of Education

Circle 15 on Reader -Service Card 108 BACKBEAT Big, 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Savoy Ballroom in Harlem-from 1937 to 1946. For six of those nine years, Panama looviOgg Francis was in Lucky Millinder's band at CALL NOW the Savoy, which gave him plenty of op- portunity to observe the celebrated Sul- (301) 488-9600 tans. His drumming background also in- HERE ARE SOME IMPORTANTREASONS cludes the bands of Roy Eldridge and Cab YOU'LL ENJOY DEALING WITH Calloway and recordings with Billie Holi- day, DizzyGillespie, JoeTurner, and Di- International Hi Fi... * You pay the same price many dealers pay. nah Washington. * More than 120,000 customers coast to coast. You The Sultans were the ultimate save on our big -plume discounts. "jump" band, keeping the demanding * No risk No -deposit phone orders shipped the same dancers lindying and jitterbugging around day you call - COO or credit card. * Over 70 top name brands - equipment most mail "the track," as the dance floor was known. order and discount dealers can't supply. Early in 1979, Francis formed a group in * 2 to 3 day delivery on most orders. the Sultans' image to go to Europe and * Shipments fully insured -full manufacturer's warranty' play that band's arrangements, along with up to 5 years. those of such other Savoy ensembles as Klemmer: syrupy tunes * Exclusive"no -lemon" guarantee. Fully staffed customer service department Millinder, Chick Webb, Count Basie, and * Seven audio advisorstoassist the inexperienced Jimmie Lunceford. Though the tour was a buyer. success, almost a year passed before he charts, where it probably belongs. To his WRITE FOR: BROCHURE WITH PRICES AND LINES began getting engagements in the U.S. credit. Klemmer'scommercial vision TIPS ON BUYING BY MAIL , "Panama Francis and the Savoy hasn't become at all blurred by his recent INTERNATIONAL Sultans," cut in Paris in January 1979, is a creativity failure. ,01A HI -Fl good sampling of the Sultan's characteris- However, I find it almost impossible PoeDISTRIBUTORS tically tight, jumping performances. It is a to sort out the other tracks.I Can'tHelp It Moravia Center Industrial Park, H lively, vitalpresentation, showing off the blends into Adventures in Paradise; the Baltimore, MarylandaDePdt distinctive soloing of onetime Ellington al- sleep -provokingmiasma of Don't Take 21206 toist Norris Turney, the swinging piano of Your Love Away moves inexorably (and Circle 16 on Reader -ServiceCard Red Richards, and the pure singing tone appropriately) into Déjà Vu. Incredibly, (much like Doc Cheatham's) of Irvin any trace of their originators-Stevie Won- This speaker is a bargain Stokes, a relatively unheralded trumpeter. der onI Can'tHelp It. Minnie Riperton at $890 each. Though the band has improved since this and JoeSample on Adventures in Para- It's the Speakerlab 50, our new top -of - was recorded, the set does preserve the dise, and Isaac Hayes on Don't Take Your the -line wonder. Just one of a dozen old Sultans' spirit via the relaxed Gettin' in Love Away andDéjàVu-drifts off in the designs you'll find in our free48 -page color catalog. Many are available as the Groove, the riffing exchanges of Echo-plexed winds. Though one can't money -saving kits you can assemble in Stitches, and the tremendous drive of fault Klemmer for his choice of material, just a few hours. Would you spend $890 Frenzy. And thereare apair of tunes from one can for what he does to it. for aspeaker? You might after you've the Millinder and Webb books, Little John The newest and most disturbing read our catalog. Send for it today. Special and Clap Hands Here Come element here is the fact that Klemmer's Charlie. But the high point has nothing to improvisations are beginning to sound do with the Sultans or the Savoy. It is a shopworn. In the few moments when he tributeto JohnnyHodges, Checkered plays openly, unencumbered by electronic Hat, which Turney plays with deep affec- gimmickry, he sounds lacking in ideas tion and appreciation, giving his perform- and, worse, rhythmically confused. An ex- ance a radiant glow. tended sabbatical away from commercial demands might be the thing Klemmer John Klemmer: Magnificent Madness needs. He's too good to make records Stephan Goldman &John Klemmer, like this. producers. Electra 6E284 by Don Heckman Late Band Ragtime Compiled and annotated r - Taking potshots at John Klemmer by David A. Jasen is becoming as easy as shooting down Folkways RBF 39 name Richard Nixon or quoting punk rock lyrics. byJohnS. Wilson address But the truth is that Klemmer's recent out- ings aresad parodies of whatever it was For several years now,David Jasen city state zip that he once didwell. "MagnificentMad- has been turning out invaluable collec- ness" is his usual mix of Echo-plex space tions of ragtime and subsequent novelty improvisation and syrupy tunes, including piano styles of the'20s. "EarlyBand Rag- some silly originals here sung by Danny time," this LP's predecessor and his first freakeila. Dept. HF0111, BoxC30325,Wal. L Seattle, Washington 98103 , O'Keefe and Bili Thedford. I expect the move into ensemble recordings, covered title track will find its way onto the singles early -nineteenth-centurymilitary concert NOVEMBER 1980 109 000000000000000000000HENRY'S IDEO CAMERAS MAIL ORDER DEPT. IT'S US. band works. "Late BandRagtime-picks up wherethat album left off, tracing ragtime dance and jazz bands from the '20s gIsciunt OR into the '50s. The early pieces include a perform- HI VIDEOCAMERA ance by an unidentified pianist with the CHECK OUR PRICES FIRST! Broadway Dance Orchestra onRagging Ht -Fl. Altai AR BoseDual ESS HK Kenwood JBL DUST. . JVC Marantz Phase linear Pioneer SAE Sony the Scale (1923),Roy Bargy with!sham Technics Panasonic Tandberg ROM, 100.1,10.40.9.116W,104t1111. Scotch Video: Hitachi JVC Panasonic RCA Sanyo Sony Jones's Orchestra (1924), and Arthur Zenith TDK Fuji Scotch Ir..r , !, I Schutt playingDoll Dancewith Sam Camera: Nikon Konica Olympus Minolta Pent. Polaroid Rolle, Leica Miro', Hasseiblad Canon UR14611E whir Lanin's Orchestra (1927). All of these ar- Chinon Bronica BAH Elmo Fuji. Mamiya Eumig Yashica Beaulieu Besseler Durst Omega Paterson rangements are basically extensions of pi- Vivitar 74.77 ano solos. But then the collection opens some new doors. Ben Bernie's orchestra onCannon Ball Rag (1928)reveals a surprisingly aggressivejazz ensemble filled with driving soloists. Segar Ellis' Choirs of A Brass Orchestra playsShivery Stomp `.% (1937)-an arrangement of Ellis' piano Sony EX2M Goodbye to "snap. crackle and pop': solo-with a heavy attack that sounds Scotch" DustGuard mat suppresses static, helps keep record surface more like the black bands of the '20s than dust -free, in use. You get better per- the emerging Swing bands of themid - sales13995 formance, longer -lasting records. Your record collection needs DustGuard '30s. Ozzie Nelson'sMaple Leaf Rag for true, pure sound. At local record 'Call toll free 18001421-8537 (1938) is a showcase for the relaxed and Out of state except Alaska & Hawaii and hi -ti stores swinging group he led, complete with a Scotch ® Record Care. The truth comes out beautifully swinging trumpet solo by Bo I CAMERA Ashford and the flowing drive of Charlie litelErk HI -A -VIDEO 3M Buebeck's wandering baritone 516 W.8 St Downtown L.A..C.4.90014 Tel.,2131488-0341 Circle 53 on Reader -Service Card saxophone. Hours: Mom/. Fri 9.30-230 Tu.Wed,Thor.Sat 9.30.8 PM In the traditional jazz revival of the Circle 12 on Reader -Service Card '40s, ragtime pianists, headed by Wally Rose, came back into the picture.Unfortu- nately. the unexpected success in 1948 of VIDEO SALE

Pee Wee Hunt's deliberately corny12th Savings of up to 40% , Street Rag-stilla fun record after thirty- rl i on Video Equipt. two years-sent ensemble ragtime down some tiresomely repetitious alleys. But 4This Month's Special! Jasen has found some exceptions, such as 32 Page Pete Daily's band, which continued to JVC VIDMRiwsiHR-smou give ragtime its due. That makes his rea- HI-FI .±., soning behind the inclusion ofHey, Taxi- a slick novelty by Leroy Holmes and his Tug Boat Eight-all the more perplexing. DISCOUNT Perhaps it's simply for the voice of Ernie Kovacs shouting the title in various CATALOG '2. intonations. Lowest prices on audio components! Fast service, fully insured, ,----- in factory sealed cartons! GeorgeLewis and His Ragtime 6 -Hour Recording Capability' Band: In Concert 6 -Way Programmable Timer' 4 -Mode Variable Speed Playback'I StoryvilleSLP 4022 Limn° 6 -Function Remote Control Unit' by John S.Wilson REPRODUCT10111,inc. (201) 227-6720 Your best deal on George Lewis was a pivotal figure in CLIP & MAIL TODAY! MEI ME Ami the development of latter-dayNew Or- r video equipment is at: ISound Reproduction, Inc. .7 leans jazz. Having played in Bunk John- 7 Industrial Rd., Fairfield, N.J. 07006 I son's band, he was a link between that II Please rush your free Hi-Fi Discount Catalog I 7tt.iliotif 1940s New Orleans Revival leader and the current Preservation Hall Bands (in Name I YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR QUALITY & HUGE SAVINGSI, 67West 47th Street which all of the personnel on "In Concert' Address I New York, New York10036 played). The selections here are taken City I (212)260-4410 from a Lewis band concert in Springfield. toll -free out of state State Zip I (800)221-5858(800)223-5661 California, in May 1954. Represented are I J Master Charge and Visa accepted. Continued on page 112 Circle 46 on Reader -Service Card Circle 11 on Reader -Service Card 110 HIGH FIDELITY

HIGH A*."e' TOP -NAME AUDIO AT LOW LOW FIDELITY ec(es. PRICES!! Advent, Aiwa, AR, Bose, dbx, Denon, Dual, ESS, Hafler, Harman Kar- CLASSIFIED c,"&"e(:"` don, Infinity, JBL, Mitsubishi, NAD, MAIL TO: 825 7th Ave., 6th Floor, New czia°N. \ci,,463%,0 Nikko, Onkyo, Phase Linear, SAE, Sound - York, N.Y. 10019. Phone: 212-265-8360 / \CP 0Nse° craftsmen, Tandberg, Thorens, and many GENERAL: All copy subject to publisher , many more we don't dare mention by approval. First line caps. Users of P.O.BoxMUST 41'r e ° name -all at best possible pricing. All fac- supply permanent address and telephone number Iree,0 6.50.s."0-cs ee de:, before ad can run. tory -fresh with full warranty. Compare 6-* c1/4 4,* CLOSING DATE: 1st of second month cpeeryes es prices, selection and service and we're ,p6 6,42,6"oe .,"c5Ss preceding cover date. ON.0.>s'ogitc>ce the best in the business. Our representa- CLASSIFIED RATES: Regular type, per tives are available for phone quotes or word: I x -S2. 10; 3x -S2 05; 6x -S1.90, 12x -S1.85 4441' sce6y.<#. ee\ c2);'6 Words in caps- 104 extra each IMPERIAL type, \CP additional information Monday -Satur- per word: lx -52.80; 3x -S2.70; 6x- ZQ 061. day from 10AM to 7PM (EST) at 212- 52.60; 12x-52.50. Words in caps -158 254-3125. Or send 52.00 for our infor- extra each. Minimum 15 words. Boxnumbers mative brochure to DIRECT DISCOUNTS 52.50 additional per insertion to cover cost of han- RECORDS IN REVIEW 1980 EDITION. Available April I, the dling and postage. Display, per inch:1 x -S335; 3x - 25th annual edition of the record -buyer's "bible." Contains LTD., P.O. Box 841, Cooper Station, N.Y. S325; 6x -S320; 12x -S270. the complete text of all the classical and semi -classical 10276. We accept M/C, VISA over the PAYMENT WITH ORDER: Send check, record and tape reviews as they appeared in HIGH FIDEL- phone and DON'T charge sales tax to M.O., MASTERCHARGE or VISA No. and expira- ITY magazine in 1979 issues. Durable clothbound edition, out-of-state customers. tion date to: Classified Dept., HIGH FIDELITY, 825 yours for S15.95 plus S1.25 for postage and handling. Send 7th Ave., 6th Floor, New York, NY 10019. your order to: Wyeth Press,I Wyeth Street, Marion, Ohio ATTENTION: "FOREIGN" AUDIOPHILES 43302. AND DEALERS! Western World Audio FOR SALE Exporters can supply virtually ALL AUDIOPHILES WANTED!! Put your knowledge to use, .SINGER'S AM! brands of hi-fi components, speakers, earn an excellent spare time income. We need campus cartridges, etc. (including esoteric lines) Dealers to sell name brand stereo equipment at substantial TvE discounts in your area. No investment necessary. For infor- IP ---4 at very attractive prices. Quotes, terms mation and application please write ABCO, Dept CR, REMOVES VOCAL FROM MOST STEREO DISCS and availability furnished upon request. 1201 East Main Street, Meriden, Conn. 06450. The Thompson Vocal Eliminator can actually remove most or virtually all of a solo vocalist from a standard stereo record and Write to WESTERN WORLD AUDIO, 373 yet leave most of the background music untouched! Not an STEREO REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED!!! L OWES I POS- equalizer! We can prove it works over the phone. Write for a Fifth Avenue, suite 1556, New York, N.Y. SIBLE PRICESIII OVER 100 BRANDS!!! KRASCO Rep. HF, brochure and demo record below. COST: $249.00 10016. TELEX -423826 SAKI UR. 998 Orange Ave., West Haven, Conn. 06516. AUDIO, VIDEO, ELECTRONIC Products. SAVE 50% BUILD YOUR OWN SPEAKER SYSTEM Write YOU SHOULD SEE US McGee Radio Electronics. 1901 McGee Street, Kansas City, BEST Pricing! Prompt Delivery! SONY, Missouri 64108. For: DBX, TEAC, TASCAM, ONKYO, SOUND Delay and Ambience WORKSHOP, MAXELL, MOBILE FIDELITY CERTIFIED AUDIO CONSULTANT HOME STUDY HI -Fl Studio Echo/Reverb Course available. Send 55.00 for information. Includes RECORDS. Others. SOUND IDEAS, Dept. Tape Noise Reduction HF, P.O. Box 340, Cary, NC 27511. 1- AUDIO TECHNICAL YEAR BOOK with 29 sample lessons Parametric Equalization and application for membership in the Society of Audio Electronic Crossovers 800-334-2483 (NC 919-467-8462). Consultants. Write SAC, P.O. Box 552, Dept. HF, Beverly Comp/Limiters . . . . . Hills, CA 90213. Mic Preamp/Mixers HEAR DOLBY FM CORRECTLY. Assembled decoder ' 599.50. Also encode/decode KIT for recordists. HEN IN TE- HIGH FIDELITY'S TEST REPORTS 1980, 346 fact -filled Patch Bays LpvIerrrimrrriCIP1477VT99V4 GREX, Box 747, Havertown, PA 19083. pages of information on amplifiers, turntables, speakers, We manufacture a full line of high quality audio and recording tape decks, receivers and other components. 53.95 plus equipment. You will probably have to pay twice as much HIGH RESOLUTION SPEAKERS, designs, parts 8 system elsewhere to obtain comparable quality. Only Direct Sales make S1.00 for postage and handling. Order from: High Fidelity's our prices and quality possible. Send $1 for a 20 page brochure kits, catalog S I Transcendental Audio, Dept 5.6796 Ar- Test Reports 1980, 1 Sound Avenue, Marion, Ohio 43302 and 20 minute demonstration record. butus Street Arvada, CO 80004. 0031420-7356. Write to:LTSound, Dept. HF, P.O. Box 729, Decatur, GA 30031. (404) 284-5155 CARTRIDGES AT WHOLESALE -Other Stereo Bargains.

Free Price List. Audio Component Systems, 1329 Union Mill CUT HIGH SPEAKER Road, Olympia, WA 98503. Speaker Factory Mail Order has THE RECORDINGS OF BEETHOVEN as COSTS ten sound ways to save you SAVE 70%. Build your own audio/video money on speakers. Ours sound viewed by the critics of HIGH FIDELITY just as good, but save you up to magazine, this long out -of -print dis- cabinet. For illustrated instructions send 50% compared to other cography is available again in a 53 to MAK, 3207 Loyola, Dept. 10 IHF brands. Why? s"-- Because you clothbound reprint edition for 514.95 Austin, Tx. 78723.

ILI get them direct plus 51.25 for shipping. Send your order from the Fac- LOWEST PRICES ON STEREO -ESOTERIC . tory! Cut out the to: Wyeth Press, 1 Wyeth Street, Marion, COMPONENTS, cartridges, tonearms, coupon and Ohio 43302. we'll rush you tapes, car. Free catalog. Audio Unlimited, our new catalog ONLY 189 COPIES LEFT I High Fidelity's Silver Anniversary 1798 Technology Drive, San Jose, CA absolutely free! Treasury will soon be out of print Don't miss this opportu-

95110, 408/279-0122. 1-6M-Th. nity to get your copy of this 348 -page hardcover compila- -a Free Catalog tion of the best writing to appear in the magazine over the COLLEGE DEALERS -WRITE for details on college program.

past three decades. Send S9 95 to Wyeth Press,I Wyeth Fast shipments, low prices, specify college. Sound Repro- O I can hardly wait! I'm enclosing $1.00 for 1st class Street, Marion, Ohio 43302 duction, 7 Industrial Road, Fairfield, N.J. 07006. postage and special handling. HORNS -WOOFERS- MIDS- TWEETERS at tremendous O I'm anxious to find out more, but regular mail isO.K. HAFLER IN STOCK TRADES ACCEPTED. OEM savings Atlec, Electro-Voice, Philips, Peerless, Polydax Morel Electronics, 57 Park Place, New Name and many others. Dozens of hard to find items used in ma- York, N.Y. 10007 212-964-4570. Address jor manufacturers most expensive systems. Huge selection of crossover network components, automobile systems, City/State/Zip and musical instruments loudspeakers. Send S2.00 for LOUDSPEAKERS -Famous Brands. Free Mail to:Speaker Factory Mail Order, Inc.. Dept.HC11 CATALOG. REFUNDABLE WITH PURCHASE. SRC AUDIO Catalog. PREP's, 2635 Noble Rd., Cleve- 1101 N. Northlake Way, Seattle, WA 98103 Dept HF1, 3238 Towerwood Dr., Dallas. TX 75234. land OH 44121. NOVEMBER 1980 111

QUALITY TAPES AT WHOLESALE PRICES PROTECT YOUR ALBUMS. WHITE CARDBOARD RE-

HASA( 'L, ...... 12 7 7 ALL VHS 1120 (Except HG) 014.75 PLACEMENT JACKETS 35c. PLASTIC LINED INNER TOIL SA G 60 .. .. 2.08 ALL L /50 ... .. 14.75 IDA AO C 9u ...... 2.32 ALL L 500 SLEEVES 15c. POSTAGE S I,25. OPERA BOXES. 78 SLEEVES NOTICE: - . ...10.75 IDA D C 90 _ ...... 1.42 SONY FeCr C 90 3.15 AVAILABLE FREE CATALOG. CASCO 30 I -3, BOX 8212. MAXELL UDXL 1 x 1 C 90 .. 3.23 IDA L 1800 .. Record Listeners 4.95 MAXELL UDXL 1 or 2 C 60 237 MAXELL UD35 90 1800' 5.38 COLUMBUS, OHIO 43201. MAXELL UD C90 ...... 2.75 MAXELL UDX135 908 1800'. 6.58 Wanted BASF PRO? or 3 C 90 . . 2.75 10K HEAD DEMAGNETIZER HD 01 15.49 BASF PRO 1 C90 . 2.65 DISCWASHER COMPLETE SYSTEM 10.50 The best New Stereo Systems Deserve The Best New receive AMPEX GRANDMASTER 2 C 90 2.95 DISCWASHER /POSTAI GUN 14.50 (No experience required) You will SCOTCH MASTER 2 01 3 C 90 3.10 DISCWASHER D-3 16 or. Refill 10.50 Stereo Records (Tapes tool) You need the Monthly nationally released albums to rate. There Is no ORDER NOW! Cell, 610/66 NO COD. SHIPPING -3 50 (USA) 650 (Others) 212 434 1720 SCHWANN RECORD CATALOG available from record extra charge for the LP's'you receive -all you QUALITY TAPES, 2015 E. 110 St., Dept. MA, Boollyn, M. 11223. 12-6 PM. shops everywhere or, for a sample copy PP, Send 52.50 to: pay is a small membership fee which covers all costs of the LP's including postage and ABC-SCHWANN. Single Copy Sales, Dept 2160 Patterson handling. In return for your opinion you will St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45214. VIDEOCASSETTE G -PG -R -X MOVIES ONLy 07.95 after build a substantial album collection-"first come basis." For application write: subscription. Videocassettes exchanged for only S19.95. SLIPCASES for HIGH FIDELITY Magazine. Simulated blue National Video Exchange, Box 1012, Warren, Pa. 16365. leather, Holds 6 High Fidelity issues. $4.95 single case, S 14 EARS SYSTEMS Box 10245 Dept. HF for 3 cases, S24 for 6 cases. USA orders only. Allow 6 weeks 5521 Center St., Milwaukee, WI 53210 for delivery. HIGH FIDELITY Library Cases, Box 5120, Phila- "Guaranteed" C 1979 EARS SYSTEMS The Saxitone Hotline delphia, PA 19141. Free Promotional Albums, Concert Tickets, Stereo, Etc. In- 800-424-2490 "LIVE OPERA TAPES. Reels -Cassettes. Unbelievable treas- formation: Barry Publications. 477 82nd Street, Brooklyn. ITS HERE! Muttons. America's 1 mar ures since 1926. Over 5,000 selections. Free DELUX Cata- NY 11209. chandlser of recording tape, has just ptc. log MR. TAPE. Box 138, Murray Hill Station, NYC 10016." in new TOLL FREE Phone Order Lines to serve you better. Call now for America's COLLEGE STUDENTSI-Improve your graded- Termpaper lowest prices on top name recording SHOW ALBUMS -Rare, out -of -print Ips, 64 -page list S1.00. tape, video tape, recorders. tape decks catalog -306 pages -10,278 titles -Rush S1.00 IRe- Bakers Wife or Nefertiti -original cast LP 59.95. Broadway - and recording accesesorles. Order from fundable II -Research, Box 259 I 6R. Los Angeles. 90025. Hollywood Recordings, Georgetown, CT. 06829. a full inventory of TDK, Maxell. BASF, (2131477-8226. Scotch, Sony, Superscope, B -I -C, Sanyo, EV, Telex & others. 1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS, S 1.00 HOURI Professional Most orders shipped same day, FREE 32.pagecatalog. Master Charge & Visa honored. Call now and find out why NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC GUIDE TO THE SYMPHONY 200 page catalog, S 1.25. AM Treasures. Box I 92HF, Baby- &lantana is 1 by Edward Downes. This 1,100 -page book is a composer - lon, N.Y. 11702. by -composer, A to Z compendium of program notes from the Philharmonic. Send 525.00 plus SI.00 for shipping to VIENNESE LIGHT MUSIC SOCIETY -Strauss, tanner, etc. on STIXITONEMs High Fidelity's Music Listener's Book Service,I Wyeth Dolby Cassettes, KC Company, Box 793, Augusta, Maine 1776 Columbia load NW, Washington, DC 20009 Street, Marion, Ohio 43302. 04330. In Washington metropolitan area call 482-0800

GREAT GIFT FOR MUSIC LOVERS! The unique "MUSI- OPEN REEL TAPES. Top Quality. 100% money -back guar- CIAN'S CLASSICAL CALENDAR" forI 981. Send 52.95 each antee. Major labels. Classical, pop, rock, quad -direct disk 8 PLATTERMATTER DRAMATIC AUDIBLE IMPROVEMENT +550 mailing 8 handling to: FESTIVAL CALENDARS, DEPT. video. Bank cards accepted. Catalog/order information, S I. ON ANY SOUND SYSTEM. Available only through fine HiFi C. Box 222076. Carmel. California, 93922. (California resi- No other fees, obligations THE REEL SOCIETY, P.O. Box stores coast to coast. Write for nearest dealer, PLATTER - dents add 6% sales tax). 55099-H, Valencia, CA 91355 MATTER Inc., 290 Larkin Street, Buffalo, N.Y. 14210. Dealer inquiries welcome. LIVE OPERA ON REEL/CASSETTE. THOUSANDS OF PER- NEW EQUIPMENT FOR SALE FORMANCES, WORLDWIDE SINCE 1930'& The ONLY NEW FROM BRITAIN THE EEI PROTRACTOR. REDUCED service that provides the personal attention demanded by distortion due to tracking error quickly and easily. 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P.O. Box 2131, Radnor, PA 19089. chures. Goodwins, 7 The Broadway. Wood Green. London ORDER No. 179AE047 N22, Phone 888-0077. VISA/Master Charge. Visitors wel- FRE!PAGE VIENNESE OPERETTA RECORDS, INC. UNUSUAL 96 come. IN-reAr-1_ ROUTE 9N, PAR1s PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. 12901 ELECTRONIC Extensive range, superb vocal perform- Tel.: 15181 561-8700. 11laps la CABAL. TOP -RATED CARTRIDGES UP TO 70% ances, on currently available LP's. Free OFF! We offer Acutex, ADC, Dynavector, list. P.O. Box 50-B, Dover, Mass. 02030. ATTENTION CHICAGO AREA AUDIO- Grado, Nagatron, Ortofon, Shure, Sonus PHILES, we design and handbuild a full OPERA VIDEO -Magnificent perform- and many more at the lowest possible line of very high quality speaker systems. ances from Europe. Beta, VHS Formats. prices.. Just call 212-254-3125 for more Our direct marketing makes them af- Free catalog. HRE, Box 12, Kew Gardens, information, or write to DIRECT DIS- fordable. Thiele alignments, radiators, N.Y. 11 4 1 5. COUNTS LTD. P.O. Box 841, Cooper Sta- transmission lines, and the world's finest tion, N.Y. 10276. RECORDS FOR COLLECTORS FREE LISTING. RIVERDEAL European & American drivers. CHICAGO BOX 52544, HOUSTON, TX 77052 SPEAKERWORKS, Factory Showroom, CLASSICAL RECORDINGS FOR COLLECTORS. List, send 5125 N. Damen, Chicago IL 60625. Ph TAPES & RECORDS (312) 769-5640. S1.00. ARS MUSICA, 29 Knox Road, Brewster, N.Y. 10509. RARE OPERA, SYMPHONIC MUSIC ON OPEN REEL TAPE. SOUNDTRACKS -New and out -of -print film music record- Historic performances. EUROPEAN, DOMESTIC. Free Cata- ings. Free listings and info CINE MONDE RECORDS, 1488 logue. Underhill. Box "U," Bellport, NY 1 1713. Vallejo St., San Francisco, CA 94109 MISCELLANEOUS "SOUNDTRACKS, SHOW. NOSTALGIA 8 JAZZ -FREE RARE RECORD/TAPE COLLECTOR'S DIRECTORY. New DIAMOND NEEDLES and Stereo Cartridges at Discount Catalog 8 Offering List -A-1 Record Finders, P.O. Box enlarged treasury of over 250 addressed. Annotated. All prices for Shure, Pickering, Stanton, Empire. Grado. Audio 75071-H, L A CAL. 90075." categories. Send 54.95. DIRECTORY, Dept. H, 550, East Rus- Technica and ADC. Write for free catalog. LYLE CAR- tic Road. Santa Monica, Calif. 90402. TRIDGES, Dept. H, Box 69, Brooklyn, New York I 1218. For SCOTCH RECORDING TAPE, LOWEST PRICES. TAPE CEN- Fast Service, call TOLL FREE 800-221-0906. TER. Box 4305C. Washington, D.C. 20012. SEARCHING? WRITE DISCONTINUED RECORDS, 444 South Victory, Burbank. California 91502. PROFESSIONAL MUSIC COPYING AUTOGRAPHY Callig- RAREST CLASSICAL, SOUNDTRACKS, SHOWS, PERSON- raphy. Glenn Welker, 2822 Atlanta Drive. Silver Spring, ALITY LPs. Huge catalog SI.00. Grammy's Attic, Box 181, GOLDEN AGE RADIO -your best source for radio tapes. Maryland 2090613011 949-1639. Bluffton, SC 29910. Free catalog. Box 25215-J, Portland, Oregon 97225. 112 BACKBEAT 000000000000000000000 Free 5.00 T -Shirt OLD RADIO PROGRAMS. FREE SAMPLE CATALOGUE. TDB SA -C90 (New) 2.99 AMPEX GRANDMASTER I.C90 .....2.59 Stoneground, Dept. A, Box 335, Council Bluffs, IA 51501. TDB: AD C90 (New) ...... 2.39 AMPEX GRANDMASTER II C90 . 2.89 Continued from page 109 TDB: SAX C90 (New) ...... 4.99 SCOTCH 212 713.1800 4.49 IDA OD C90 (New). 3.49 IDA VHS. VAT -I20 14.95 CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS' EX- Kid Howard on trumpet, Jim Robinson on TDB SA C60 (New).. 2.19 TON 1-1800 .. 5.19 TON: MA C60 ...... 5.69 IDA L NI800 . 6.49 CHANGE -The link between unattached trombone, Alton Purnell on piano, Law- TDB D C90 (New)...... 1.69 AMPEX Grandmaster 1800 N. Reel_ 5.89 BASF PROVO, IIIC.90...... 219 SCOTCH: 207.78.1800 .. 5.29 music lovers. Write CMLE, Box 31, Pel- rence Marrero on banjo, Alcide "Slow SCOTCH Master II or IIIC90.....3.09 BASF, Ferro 7" 1800' (New) 7.39 Free T SAM with every order over 40.00. State size. All tapes can be assorted. Add ham, N.Y. 10803. 3.50 shipping; or write for free catalog of 250 items plus lowest prices on all Ma s. Drag" Pavageau on bass, and Joe Watkins ell products. 100% guaranteed. 412283-8621. M.Th 8.3:30. VW and MC. INTERNATIONAL RARE SYMPHONIC MUSIC ARCHIVES. TAPE WORLD 220 Spring St., Butler, PA 16001 on drums. The best source for unusual symphonic repertoire on tapes Despite a similarity in all these lat- or cassettes catalog $3.00 Michael Herman, 170-21 Dreiser, PROBLEM: THE HIGH COST OF PREMIUM CASSETTES. Bronx, N.Y. 10475. ter-day New Orleans groups -primarily "The Audiophile's Choice" has the solution with its guaranteed 20 to 20 cassette. Send 52.00 for a C-60. Box 888, because they all drew on a relatively small Kingsport, TN 37660. BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES pool of musicians -the Lewis band had

OPEN REEL TAPES from studio masters. Philips, Argo, Tele- CABLE FM BROADCASTING: Unique no investment/ ex- some identifiable characteristics. The es- funken, Vanguard, Unicorn. Catalogue S $1.00. Barclay - perience business. Home operation possible. Excellent in- sential one came from Lewis' thin, reedy, Crocker, Room 1470-H, 11 Broadway, NYC 10004. come "CAFM," Box 130-D-6, Paradise, CA 95969. plaintively singing clarinet style, demon- Beethoven/Mozart/Pachabel. Samplers. 3 LPs 55.98. 3 cas- MECHANICALLY INCLINED INDIVIDUALS: Assemble strated here on Burgundy Street Blues. settes 57.49. Free Catalog: Musical Concepts, Box 53HEN, electronic devices in your home. Investment, knowledge, or Cedarhurst, N Y 11516. experience not necessary. Start in spare time. Above aver- But the band also played with an en- age profits: $300-5600/wk possible. Sales handled by oth- semble power that usually was more elec- ANY Currently available classical record or cassette, ers. Write for free details. Electronic Development Lab, WORLD-WIDE! Including newest releases from Columbia, Drawer 1560HF, Pinellas Park, Fla. 33565. trifying than any of the Preservation Hall Masterworks, Mastersound 8. Odyssey. Send 51.00 for ex- groups, even those that used these same tensive list of imported records and cassettes -or 750 for BUMPER STICKER PRINTING DEVICE. Cheap, Simple, Port- detailed listing of ALL digital classical recordings. Classics able. Free details. Bumper, POB 22791 IFDI, Tampa, FL musicians. Robinson's broad, swaggering Only, Box 14186, Columbus, Ohio 43214. 33622. trombone seems more exuberant than

RECORDS, TAPES, IMPORTS, CUTOUTS. OLDIE 45'S, STEREO SALESMEN sell name brands to friends and co- when he became absorbed in the routines CATALOGS, 52.00; NERT, BOX 268-HF; LAWRENCE, workers. good commissions. free training. Call toll free of the Hall in the '60s, and Howard is a MASS 01842. 1-800-638-8806 or 1-301-488-9600, Mr. Murray or Mr. Krizman. consistently gutty trumpeter. The World Is NIBELUNGEN-SOUNDTRACK German epic; French and Waiting for the Sunrise and Panama show Italian imports. Write: Kummerfeldt, Ouallenbrunnen 15, MAKE MONEY IN COLLEGE... SELL the rhythm section to have a drive that the 6601 Sitterswald, W. -Germany. BRAND NAME AUDIO components no Hall's bands rarely achieved. THE EAST BAY CITY JAZZ BAND, Indirect disc. S 15.00 investment required. Unbelievable pric- Still, Lewis' group was subject to postpaid. Decibel Records, P.O. Box 63 I. Lexington. MA. ing ... Call Mr. Kay toll free 18001 24 1 - 02173. 6270. the same vagueness that afflicted many of these bands when they were trying to CAMPUS REPRESENTATIVES earn commissions, start a career selling Hi Fi equipment on campus. Large national firm. build momentum. On "In Concert" it fum- Call toll free I -800-638-8806, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. bles its way through Caledonia until it is finally rescued by Watkins' confident, sassy CLASSIFIED PUBLICATIONS vocal. THE BLIND AND OTHER PHYSICALLY HANDICAPPED can know the joy of reading memorable selections chosen from over 50 outstanding periodicals, completely free of charge. Ike Quebec: CAN Write CHOICE MAGAZINE LISTENING, Dept. HFC, Box 10, With a Song in My Heart Port Washington, NY 11050 or call 516-883-8280. Michael Cuscuna, producer DESIGN AND BUILD 35 TO 100 WATT DC AMPLIFIERS for Blue Note LT 1052 WORK under Sanaa For booklet send 512.50 to Audio Engi- by JohnS. Wilson neering Co., P.O. Box 210, Aida, NE 68810. FOR ELECTRONICS Ike Quebec was a tenor saxophon- ELECTRONIC BARGAINS. CLOSEOUTS, SURPLUS, Parts, ist in the tradition of Coleman Hawkins, equipment, stereo, industrial, educational. Amazing values) Ben Webster, and Chu Berry. His tone YOU Fascinating items unavailable in stores or catalogs any- ranged from feathery and gentle on up - where; Unusual FREE catalog. ETC0-017, Box 762, Plattsburgh, N.Y. 12901. tempo numbers to close and intimate on ballads to big and aggressive. Yet, al- PERSONAL though he was featured in Cab Calloway's CHARGE IT PENFRIENDS-USA, ENGLAND. Make band -alongside Webster, Berry, Illinois lasting friendships through correspond- Jacquet, and Sam the Man Taylor -the ON ence. Send age, interests. Free reply. Har- recording ban of the early '40s kept him mony, Box IHF, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11223. MASTER CHARGE from cutting any sides with Calloway. And OR VISA SINGLES! Meet new friends -nationwide introductions - by the time he led his own groups on a many who travel. Write Club More, Box 405, Wilmette, IL series of Blue Note sessions in the mid - 60091. Or call (3 121 262-9800 USE POST CARD '40s, bebop was coming up and the older SLEEP -LEARNING ORDER FORM IN tradition that he represented was on its SLEEP -LEARNING EQUIPMENT, tapes, books. Strange way out. When he finally returned to the THIS ISSUE OR CALL catalog free. Autosuggestion, Box 24-F, Olympia, Wash- studio for Blue Note in '61 and '62 at the CLASSIFIED AD DEPT., ington 98507. age of forty-four, his time had run out, for INVENTIONS WANTED (212) 265-8360 he died a year later. IDEAS, INVENTIONS, NEW PRODUCTS WANTED! WRITE All of this has served to keep Que- FOR KIT-HF, IMI, 701 SMITHFIELD, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 bec's talents a virtual secret. Now, seventeen years after his death, Blue Note is finally releasing for the first time material NOVEMBER 1980 113 CONSUMERS CO. TAPES - DISCOUNTS- STEREO 00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Minimum Order 10 Tapes. ®TO( Lc SAC -90 2.99 DC -45 1.07 SAC -60 2.22 DC.60 1.12 ADC -45 1.59 DC -90 1.62 ADC -60 1 66 DC -120 2.10 ADC -90 2.45 DC180 2.95 ADC 120 3.69 Metal C-60 5.95 VHS - VIDEO - a VT 120 4 hr 15.49 I r. VT -80 2 hr 12.95 VT 90 3 hr 13.95 I VT.30 1 hr 11.45 SONY FECR C-90 2.99 11FX C 90 2 39 FECR C 60 2.55IHFX C 60 1 69 44 EHFC-90 2-59 LNX C 90 1 62

EHF C60 1.69 LNX C-60 1 10 VIDEO BETA L 500 10.95 L 750 13.50 L 830 16.95 I. AMPEX Metal C-60 5.89 ELN C-45 .99 GrndMr 1,11,C-60 2.59 ELN C-60 1.39 1)6 GrndMr 1,I1,C-90 2.99 ELN C 90 1.99 "Reel 7/1800 7.59 ELN C-120 2.79 "Reel 10Vi1360017.99 "352" C-60 .89 Cassette Demag. 3.99 "352" C-90 1.29 VIDEO

BETAC-500 10.95 I VHS T-12014.65 NKOSS SOUND HEADPHONES GUARD PRO 4 AAA 45.00 Pres'y Kit 5.99 HVI LC 34.50 Clnr. Kit 5.99 HVX LC 46.50 Total Kit 9.95 ; cLOb. HVX 41.50 Stylus Care 6.95 1.-te It MAXELL UDXL I or IIC-903.30 We carry Sanyo Car Stereo Phone Orders Call Toll Free (800) 431-2932 Wheeler: originality, intellect, and spontaneity In N.Y.S. Call 1 /SA 19141 664-2909, IIFor 2 Oar de,,e, se,,, NA 0Cer, Cher ko, use Credit Card MC ,,,NI 4 Eo),), I from two of those '62 sessions, along with of Mai We Go Round, for example -espe- IPer, , s2 ark derr rind 12 ,Sfor Snpg 8neap pe, 10 'apes I I NYS ,Ps4ao,r5.N. 0 0 s two previously issued selections. The em- cially in the section where overdubbed Fr. Catalog' phasis on "With a Song in My Heart" is trumpet lines wind sinuously around each CONSUMERS CO. P.O. Box 550 Dept HF 1180 Mt. Vernon. N.Y. 10551, Quebec's ballad style -the slow, warm, other -is quite unlike any other contem- - '- Circle 7 on Reader -Service Card curling lines that seem to float and kick at porary jazz you're likely to hear. So is the the same time. His artistry is evident in the playful way in which the pointillistic frag- way he sustains these slow pieces, never ments and loose-jointed lines of Follow 11Crinin CAITROSrds letting them bog down, never over- Down suggest an improvising New Or- aTlaras iftlritS C19)141" dressing them, and never resorting to leans ensemble. Tars A9Te940/14E AiRellnalToP COMPACTS tonal exaggeration. How Long Has This Riverrun contains some bright par- DISCOUNT TAPE OECD WEAN, Man Been Going On. Imagination, and What Is AUDIO allel ensemble harmonizations and a soar- . ,,5,0N Pews Mead. West Chocalloitfills There to Say are gorgeous performances, ing improvisation by Wheeler. Lost Woltz given light, pastel settings by Earl Van- is unexpectedly romantic with a sardonic dyke's organ. The faster pieces -All of Me, trace. Wheeler is a highly controlled, but Your National But Not for Me. With a Song in My Heart- never cold, improviser, his phrasing re- Headquarters for are relatively superficial examples of his flecting a sense of direction that properly swinging power. That can be heard in bet- balances intellect with spontaneity. Solo Name Brand ter light on those mid -'40s Blue Note ses- One, an unaccompanied impromptu, is a sions, titled "Swing Hi -Swing Lo. - superb illustration of his capacity for mak- Electronics by Mail ing cohesive structures out of avant-garde * Full Manufacturer Guaran- Kenny Wheeler: Around 6 methodology. tee Applies to All Sales!! Manfred Eicher, producer For the most part, his companions * Orders Shipped in ECM 1-1156 are just as good. Saxophonist Evan Factory -Sealed Cartons - by Don Heckman Parker's solos on Mai We Go Round and Most Within 24 Hours Follow Down are ravishing demands for * Multi -Million $$$ Inventory Though trumpeter Kenny Wheeler attention; his playing quite literally rears r has been active on the English jazz scene up and shouts that he is an important im- TOP DISCOUNT AUDIO since the late '50s. he has been a virtual proviser -one who should be heard from I_'1150 N. Powis Rd., West Chicago, IL 60185 800-323-2518 nonentity to the American jazz audience. more frequently. Trombonist Eje Thelin, a In Illinois, Alaska 8 Hawaii -Call 312-293-1825 Part of the reason may be that he is that bit out of his stylistic waters, nonetheless MasterCharge and VISA Welcome Call or Write for the LOWEST PRICES Around! rarest of rara avises. a white English avant- manages to squeeze in his boppish lines MR MS gardist. But it is an undeserved neglect, adroitly, and Tom Van Der Geld plays vi- ' (First) (Initial) as)) . because Wheeler is a gifted composer/ braharp fills with uncharacteristic (for the improviser. instrument) vigor. But the real accom- (Number and Street) On "Around 6.- his third ECM al- paniment accolades go to the steaming, . (City) (State) (Zap Code) Phone Order Hours: M -W -F 8AM-4:30PM. bum as a leader, he creates a seldom- but never overwhelming, rhythm team of T-Th 8AM 8PM, Sat. 9AM-Noon HF-11 heard commodity in contemporary mu- drummer Edward Vesala and bassist J. F 1 WE CARRY THE TECHNICS PRO SERIES -Call for Quotes! sic -an original sound. The stately lyricism Jenny -Clark. L J Circle 54 on Reader -Service Card 114 BACKBEAT ADVERTISING INDEX

Key No. Page No. It would be nice if "Around 6" twenty -four -track world of platinum-or -

ABC Video Enterprises A-15 would help open up Wheeler's reputation bust production, musicians like Phil Acoustic Research 65 in the American market. It's hard to imag- Woods can still survive. It's even nicer to 60 AIWA America Ltd. 31 Akan America Ltd. 9 ine that anyone hearing even a little of his hear him in an uncluttered, live perform- 1 Ampex Corp. 15 59 Angel Records 64 music wouldn't want to hear more. ance accompaniedby arhythm section 2 Audio Dynamics Corp. 10 that is clearly up to his own high 3 Audio-Matic Electronics 104 Audio Technica U.S., Inc. 4 Bob Wilber and the American standards. All Stars: In the Mood for Swing Clean Cuts stresses that this album 4 BASF 21 Beyer Dynamics Inc. 70 Anders R. Ohman. producer was recorded "live" on "100% pure virgin Bose Corp. Cover III 5 BSR (USA) Ltd. 90 Phontastic 7526 (Bidewell Record vinyl." And it shows. "The Phil Woods Distribution. 24 Skipper's Drive, Quartet, Vol. 1" has all the joys-and a few 6 Celestion Industries Inc. 83 Classified Ads 110-112 Harwich, Mass. 02645) of the flaws-of a typical, Monday -night -in - 7 Consumers Co. 113 by JohnS. Wilson Austin, Texas session byworld -class jazz

8 Discount Music Club 100 players. Aside from sounding fat, alive, 9 Discwasher, Inc. 33 In 1978, when saxophonist Bob and accurate, the instruments are in the 10 Discwasher, Inc Cover IV Dual 56 Wilber was in Sweden performing with right position and proportion to each Kenny Davern in Soprano Summit, Wilber other. Fisher Corp. 28 11 47th Street Photo 109 met and recorded with Lars Erstrand, a vi- Woods seems to have exorcised 89 Fuji Tape braphonist in the Lionel Hampton tradi- some of the rock music demons that have Gusdorf 12 tion. Another Swedish session withEr - beset him in recent years and returned to the rich, bop -based improvisational style Harman-Kardon 16, 17 strand resulted in "Swingin' for the King" 12 Henry's Hi-Fi-Video-Camera 109 (also on Phontastic), a set of arrange- that made his early reputation. He starts 13 Hitachi 84, 85 ments by Wilber, most of which were the set with a fine, evocative blues by 14 Illinois Audio 86 based on the Benny Goodman combo Charlie Parker. Bloomdido, playing with a 15 Institute of Audio Research 107 16 International Hi Fi 108 repertoire. Eventually Wilber brought the strutting exuberance that would have 17 International Record & Tape Club 104 vibist to the U.S. to do some of the small - made Parker proud. (Woods was once

19 JBL 12 group material that Hampton recorded in married to Parker's widow, Chan.) On Ev- 20 Jensen Sound Laboratories 74 21 J 8 R Music World 101 the late '30s while still with Goodman. The erything I Love. a chord -loaded, some- 22 JVC America 34, 35 result is "In the Mood forSwing.-Wilber what obscure Cole Porter ballad, he

23 Kenwood 60 and Erstrand are surrounded by estab- pushes his bop phrases into areas that 24 Klipsch & Assoc. 27 lished American jazz musicians: Jimmy even Parker never managed to reach.

25 Maxell Corp. 37 Maxwell on trumpet. Norris Turney on Alas, he doesn't stop quite soon enough, 26 McIntosh Laboratory 67 alto saxophone, Al Klink and Frank Wess and two thirds of the way through, an oth- Micro -Acoustics 55 27 Mobile Fidelity Records 78 on tenors, pianist Hank Jones, guitarist erwise brilliant solo resorts to easily avail- 28 Musical Heritage Society 63 Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Michael Moore, able noodling. 29 Ohm Acoustics 100 and drummer Connie Kay. Like the Good- The performance of Benny Gol- Onkyo 38 30 Osawa & Co. IUSAI Inc. 59 man set, this LP preserves the Hampton son's funky,soul /jazzAlong Came Betty is spirit, but through Wilber's arrangements surprisingly laidback, and, though I'm not 31 Park Row Electronics 105 32 Perrault, Ltd., Andre 69 and the musicians' individual person- sure that's the proper interpretation, 33 Phase Linear 71 alities. Erstrand comes through brilliantly. there is no faulting Woods's upbeat im- 34 Philips 73 35 Philips 75 establishing an affinity to Hampton with- provisation, Steve Gilmore's crisp bass 36 Philips 77 37 Philips 79 out cloning him. work, Mike Melillo's high-energy piano, 38 Pickering & Co. 2 Wilber's saxophone voicings sug- and some last-minute explosions from 39 Pioneer High Fidelity Cover II, 1 40 Polk Audio 30 gest that he has been studying the writing drummer Bill Goodwin. Bud Powell's Hal-

41 Sansui Electronics Corp. 22 of BennyCarter. twoof whose pieces- lucinations (titled Budo when it was per- 42 Shure Brothers, Inc. 76 When Lights Are Low and I'm in the formed by the Miles Davis Nonet in 1949) 43 Sony Corp. 6 44 Sony Industries 32 Mood forSwing-are included. Maxwell's is a demanding line that springs one of 45 Sound Guard 68 46 Sound Reproduction 109 flaring trumpet, with some growling Woods's best solos. It's the kind of won- Speakerlab 108 Cootie Williams entrances, is abright - derfully intricate excursion in and around 47 Stereo Corp. of America 103 Stereo Discounters 102 toned contrast to the mellow saxophones. the chord changes that requires mechani- and the other soloists make their points cal. aural, and imaginative dexterity. 48 Tape 5 13 49 TDK Electronics 11 quickly and well. One side point: Woods could have TDK Electronics A-3 50 Teac Corp. 87 recorded five lines of his own and thereby 51 Technics by Panasonic 5 The Phil Woods Quartet, Vol. 1 collected the mechanical royalties for him- 52 3 M Co. 18 53 3 M Co. 109 Bill Goodwin, producer self. But he instead chose pieces that he 54 Top Discount Audio 113 SS Transcriber Co. 72 Adelphi/ CleanCuts CC 702 wanted to play-for his own creative rea- by Don Heckman sons. So listen to this record. Artists like 56 Ultra Hi -Fidelity 80 United Audio 56 Phil Woods and labels likeAdelphi /Clean I know it sounds terribly old-fash- Cuts are worthy of our attention and 57 Warehouse Sound 102 58 Wisconsin Discount Stereo 64 ioned, but it's nice to know that in a encouragement.

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