It was about 1972. My family and I moved into a new house in Essex County NJ. One day after some planning, my Dad and I went to Tech Hifi and we or he bought two stereos. One for our family room that consisted of an Elac Miracord turntable with AudioTechnica cartridge, Sansui Seven receiver, and a pair of Ohm B speakers. I don’t remember if he bought me my system or if I paid or chipped in for the system I got. I was a freshman in high school. But I somehow got a Philips GA-212 turntable with those cool elevator light buttons along with an AudioTechnica cartridge. Also got a Sansui 661 receiver and a pair of EPI 120 speakers. I think the very first album I ever bought was Derek and the Dominos Live in Concert. I would spend literally hours in Sam Goody scouring for albums to buy or put on my mental short list. Also did the same at EJ Korvettes. That was a great place to buy records. They always had great sales ads in the Newark Star Ledger. When my folks were not home I would crank my system LOUD. Loved it. As I got older in high school I worked during winter break steam cleaning cookie sheets for a bakery so that I could make enough money to go back to Tech Hifi and buy a Technics cassette deck. It was the one where the cassette sat in a 45 degree position behind a sliding clear door. Loved listening to WNEW-FM and their tremendous DJ crew. I remember them debuting the most amazing albums. One that immediately comes to mind was Brain Salad Surgery by Emerson Lake and Palmer. Unreal. Graduated college. Went to college. Got involved in the college radio station immediately. WMUH-FM in Allentown, PA. We were “Underground Radio for the Lehigh Valley”. I spent so many hours there. I had two four hour DJ shows. I Friday evening rock show and a Sunday afternoon jazz show. At different times I was Business Manager, Music Director and Assistant Station Manager. I could have been Station Manager, but I didn’t want to flunk out! Learned how to slip cue discs, handle PSA carts use the mic, develop a play list on short notice, manage time and avoid dead air. Discovered new bands from records sent to us from the record companies. One was Boston (duh!). Got to collect a bunch of “dupes” (duplicate records) from the station as a fringe benefit. Have always loved music. Learned how to play electric bass. Now I have an even better and elaborate system. Still enjoying the music.
Who remembers audio from the time when ...
... I recall hurrying home with the newest vinyl, placing it on the rek-o-kut belt turntable (arm and cartridge beyond recall) then turning on the HeathKit preamp (with all sorts of equalizing circuits) and amp, then watching the tubes warm up. The anticipation of hearing the new music through a decent system built up with the warming rube glow from orange to red and dimming into the infra red. Gently grasping the arm and rotating it to place the needle’s crystal perfectly into the first cut. The Heathkit 2way speaker was placed forward from center wall to mimic a mono transducer at center stage. Switching the turntable motor on while gradually increasing gain at the preamp required a soft touch. Then stereo, Reel to Reel. The Dolby cassette deck, tubeless amps and preamps. Digital ...
i continue to be amazed at the continuing tidal wave of efforts directed to achieve more accurate sound reproduction and more pleasing perception utilizing our incredible ability to hear sound in the spectrum of musical experience. The sounds of nature: A drip of water on the wet surface of a broadleaf in the rainforest. The startling gasping wheeze of the change in air flow through the mountain pass. The sizzle of receding waves through the pebbles on shore. And the sounds made by humans.
Old timer’s reminiscences of early audiophile recollections are welcome.
i continue to be amazed at the continuing tidal wave of efforts directed to achieve more accurate sound reproduction and more pleasing perception utilizing our incredible ability to hear sound in the spectrum of musical experience. The sounds of nature: A drip of water on the wet surface of a broadleaf in the rainforest. The startling gasping wheeze of the change in air flow through the mountain pass. The sizzle of receding waves through the pebbles on shore. And the sounds made by humans.
Old timer’s reminiscences of early audiophile recollections are welcome.