This one is for my friend Aaron—and for anyone like him—who has got the complete sound practices cd from Joe Roberts (the mag’s editor). And who is now looking at a pile of articles, eager to read up on the ins and outs of ultra-fi and thinking: where to start?
Sound practices is the only publication on high-performance audio that I can unconditionally recommend. Other publications may contain some articles that are of interest; most do not. Too much stuff that has nothing to do with music reproduction (i.e. any infatuation with high-end audio, really); is not about building it yourself and making it your own; never goes beyond low impact changes (e.g. tube/cap/resistor rolling); or takes the mid-fi approach that leans heavily on the component manufacturers’ datasheets and cookbooks from the 60s, 80s or today.
Though long defunct, sound practices still inspires. Although I’d swear that I know the whole contents by heart, I read them again every year and learn something new.
So I thought I’d offer my personal reading guide, at an easy pace: one article ‘per week’ (sound practices was never thaaat right on schedule and neither can I promise to be, hence the quotes). The schedule also makes printing a copy—for comfortable reading—less of daunting task, just a couple of pages per week should not scare anyone. File the articles and you have your own ‘annual SP re-read’ library lined up.
I plan to go through the 16-and-a-bit issues on a topic-by-topic basis. Article selection will be more by intuition than by didactical calculation: as I said, it is my personal guide. Every time I will offer a quick overview of the article and a teaser quote. Then I will offer my own take on the article and what I took away from it. The topic I will kick of the series with is the easiest one: power amps.
Hi Peter. What a great idea and motivational tool. My own club. Lets hope we can add some others. I'll get the printer warmed up.
ReplyDeleteSo, after reading the article a few times it seems quite doable. However the biggest issue I see (as with most DIY projects) is to find/make a suitable housing. Stable, groundable, affordable and of course metal so that we get the shielding. I am sure there are metalworkers here in Berlin but I am guessing they aren't cheap.
ReplyDeletekvl: planning, making and putting it in an enclosure can be an enormous brake on DIY creativity. If you really want to get building right now you build it on a breadboard (literally a plank of wood) and keep it away from kid + cat. for power amps shielding is not sooo important, it is more about layout.
ReplyDeleteLike I said in my take building this amp should not terminate your hobby. It is only a starting point.