Saturday Oct. 26, 2013 Fall Frankenfest Workshop thread

Tubes 101:
Chinacave has volunteered and he and I will tag-team a Tubes 101 workshop if there is interest. If you're interested, please let me know, either by PM or response in this thread.

Section 1:
The cool people have tube gear.
Some people grew up after the heyday of tubes and the only tubes in their lives were in microwaves, pre-flatscreen TVs and CRT computer monitors.
People say there's no listener fatigue with tubes.
I'm interested in tubes but have very little or no theoretical knowledge.

What are the approaches to get into them?
-A tube unit landed on me - Family heirloom, neighbor or serendipitous acquisition. Now what?
-Tubes on the cheap: traps and snares and setting expectations.
-I can fund a tube unit: how to approach this quandry properly
-Tubes for technophobes.

Section 2:
How to I test and get a piece of tube gear going
-How to start:
--preparation
--rudimentary gear required
--what not to do
--tubes for the mechanically or electrically inclined
-Testing - variac, dim bulb tester
-The tubes light. Now what?
 
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For a turntable workshop to happen, we need someone or some people to perform the workshop.

I'd like to help with this but I'm (un)lucky enough to be the guy in the dunk tank at a fundraiser that morning. I won't get to Clinton until at least 1:00PM and I'll probably be chilled to the bone unless I can borrow a wetsuit for the event. If anyone has one I can borrow, that would be great. I'm 6'2" and 200 pounds.

I will bring my stylus microscope but do not guarantee that it (or I) can provide conclusive diagnosis of a stylus. However, you will get a good look at it. --Dan
 
You don't have to be an expert to set up a turntable, you just have to have done it and have a method to doing it.
Anybody?
 
You don't have to be an expert to set up a turntable, you just have to have done it and have a method to doing it.
Anybody?

This topic seems too popular for a workshop not to happen so if you're on the fence about volunteering to lead the workshop, I'm going to offer up a 6 pack of your favorite craft brew to help you decide. Just volunteer soon to make sure I have time to find it! :D
 
Anybody have thoughts on the timing of the workshops? I'd love to make them all, but, as of right now, I can't arrive until around noon. If need be, I can try to get out of my Sat. morning commitments.
 
dlieb,
You've asked a great question that I've overlooked.
Typically, the rhythm of the events is that lots of people come long distances to attend. Since they travel long distances, outside of a regular crew, some folks depart by 4:00.
So, typically arrivals and setups are complete by 12-1.

So, I imagine the workshops won't start before 1, and won't run after 3:30 or so.

I'll have a flipchart in the lobby stating workshop times and locations.
 
So, I'm assuming the SET/T-amp workshop is not happening, correct? I do not own such gear, so I can't run it, just an interested party that would love to hear it if others are bringing it along!!
 
Folks, we have a couple of informal volunteers for the turntable workshop.
I suggest that we keep it limited to uncomplicated Technics and/or Sony turntable setups and stay away from more complex subjects like custom SME tonearm setup or subjects even more complex than that.

Chinacave and I have been collaborating on a tubes 101 workshop that will feature slideware takeaways and some examples to look at.
I'll be doing a 10,000 foot view for the tube curious who may or may not be technically inclined, including budgeting, internet acquisitions and considerations for restorations.

Ian will do some restoration under-the-hood expectations setting, tools prerequisites lists and "here's what an amp and the schematic of that amp" looks like.
 
That'd be too bad if the SET/T-amp workshop didn't happen! I can bring Hoyt Bedford Type 1 speakers if we need them. Unfortunately, I don't have an amp to contribute.
 
I'll be bringing the SET single driver gear.
Sorry, I didn't consider that a workshop . . . I thought of it more as a demonstration and didn't think about it in the workshop way.
 
My mistake! Audiodon, I look forward to hearing your gear.

If somebody is interested, I can bring my speakers. Otherwise, I'm happy to leave them at home.
 
Should anyone be interested in the Tubes 101 talk, my pal John (an actual EE / musician / recording engineer and repair guru) is planning on coming to correct me if I mis-speak or say anything dangerous.

I am planning to bring a simple Fisher amp to illustrate the basics as I understand them.......
 
Workshop thoughts from The Bacon:

1) TT SETUP -
I have a set of AR counterweights for turntable setup if anyone wants to use them. I would like them back, however. And would like to learn how to use them properly.

2) DAC SHOOTOUT -
I just picked up a Pop-Pulse USB DAC. My first ever external DAC. So far I love the thing. I'm very curious to see how this stacks up to others and what I should be listening for via digitized media. So, if this is happening, I'll bring it.

3) TOOBZ -
I would like to learn about toobz since i know next to nothing about what's good and what's not. If this happens, sign me up. I'd really like to be able to differentiate between power vs. design (Class A, B, D, SET, etc...) ...If that makes any sense.

NICE!
 
Anybody able to bring a tube tester which they know is accurate? I got one from my dad and was curious to see if it was set to go or needed help.
I might be there around 12-3 or so.
 
Anybody able to bring a tube tester which they know is accurate? I got one from my dad and was curious to see if it was set to go or needed help.
I might be there around 12-3 or so.

Sorry Todd, just saw this & didn't pack my tv7
 
Sorry Todd, just saw this & didn't pack my tv7

No worries. With me everything is always last minute. If I can get the van, I might bring some goodies to listen too. Maybe my Nakamichi Pa 7 and CA 7, with some Tannoy Eyris. I have a sub too. If there is going to be a pre amp test, I will bring the CA-7 regardless.
Looking forward to some good tunes.

Mowgli, look for me. I have a picture disc for you If I can find it tonight.
 
To anyone who would like a pdf copy of Tubes 101 and/or So you've found a tube thingy; Now What, please send me a PM with your email address. I'll be posting this same message in all the threads on this get together.
Don
 
Idea floated to me for a future workshop:
Turntables: Dialing in the magic after setup . . . finesse to the finish.

I did show off my Audioquest Dragonfly DAC running on the Windows Media Player using Windows 7 in the late afternoon. Some preferred the Lexicon universal player, some the Audioquest. Ultimately my takeaway was that the Lexicon was superior on 16 bit material and the Audioquest and Lexicon were somewhat equivalent with a different presentation on 24 bit material (video DVD).
 
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