Larry's Tech Talk
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-out”
27/06/11 22:47
You may have heard the sad news last week that Clarence Clemons passed away. Also known as the “Big Man”, he was of course known for playing tenor saxophone with Bruce Springsteen and “The E Street Band”. He was a soulful musician that jammed with many people and bands. But you may not have known that he attended Maryland State College (now University of MD Eastern Shore) and was awarded a music and athletic scholarship. In addition to being a musician, Clarence was a gifted athlete scouted by the Dallas Cowboys and Cleveland Browns. A knee injury prevented him from making the NFL, but didn’t stop his passion for music.
After hearing the news about Clarence, I tried to remember the first time I heard Springsteen’s band, and it all came back to me. It was back in the early to mid seventies. There was a bunch of guys at a small college in North Carolina I attended from New Jersey that blasted their stereos all day and all night. We didn’t have air conditioning so everybody’s windows on campus were usually open. I thought the music was OK, but these guys were convinced that this new guy, Bruce Springsteen was the next big-time artist. Well, Elvis will always be King, but this Springsteen dude quickly became the “Boss”. And his new sax player was a big part of the band’s success. Bruce even wrote lyrics in the hit song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out” about Clarence Clemons.
“when the change was made uptown
and the Big Man joined the band
from the coastline to the city
all the pretties raise their hands”
And how was this music played back then? On vinyl record albums, of course. 8 track tapes were on their way out. Cassette tapes were just coming in, but everybody had a vinyl record collection. Nice try kid, T- Rex had vacated the premises years before! Anyway, vinyl records were very inconvenient. Vinyl albums developed snap crackle and pops, weighed a ton, took up space, and created un-friendly confrontations if that needle was accidentally touched or pushed. But they sounded great! Vinyl records utilized analog technology (hey, digital wasn’t invented yet!), produced a very warm deep sound that believe or not, isn’t reproduced digitally to this day. And there was one more thing, the album cover. For starters, kids today play and buy songs. But if you put a vinyl album on the turntable back then, you probably listened to the entire side of the album. I learned to love many tunes that I would have missed if I had only purchased a single song as a lot of us now do from ITunes..
Then there was the album cover. My friends and I used to love to read every little piece of info on the album cover. Most people to this day think Eric Clapton played all those guitar licks on the album “Layla and other Assorted Love Songs ”. Sorry, Eric played mostly rhythmn guitar, but if you read the album cover you knew that Duane Allman played lead guitar . And who sat in on keyboards? Who was the producer of “Eat a Peach” (Tom Dowd)? Who was Jimi Hendrix’s drummer? If you had a “low tech” album cover you would have known that Jimi’s drummer was Buddy Miles also known for his song “Them Changes”. And you would have known the name of the sax player in the “E Street Band”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the latest entertainment electronic technology. But sometimes “low tech” can be a good thing too. I will miss my album covers, and we’ll all miss Clarence Clemons.
Rest in peace “Big Man”.
After hearing the news about Clarence, I tried to remember the first time I heard Springsteen’s band, and it all came back to me. It was back in the early to mid seventies. There was a bunch of guys at a small college in North Carolina I attended from New Jersey that blasted their stereos all day and all night. We didn’t have air conditioning so everybody’s windows on campus were usually open. I thought the music was OK, but these guys were convinced that this new guy, Bruce Springsteen was the next big-time artist. Well, Elvis will always be King, but this Springsteen dude quickly became the “Boss”. And his new sax player was a big part of the band’s success. Bruce even wrote lyrics in the hit song “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out” about Clarence Clemons.
“when the change was made uptown
and the Big Man joined the band
from the coastline to the city
all the pretties raise their hands”
And how was this music played back then? On vinyl record albums, of course. 8 track tapes were on their way out. Cassette tapes were just coming in, but everybody had a vinyl record collection. Nice try kid, T- Rex had vacated the premises years before! Anyway, vinyl records were very inconvenient. Vinyl albums developed snap crackle and pops, weighed a ton, took up space, and created un-friendly confrontations if that needle was accidentally touched or pushed. But they sounded great! Vinyl records utilized analog technology (hey, digital wasn’t invented yet!), produced a very warm deep sound that believe or not, isn’t reproduced digitally to this day. And there was one more thing, the album cover. For starters, kids today play and buy songs. But if you put a vinyl album on the turntable back then, you probably listened to the entire side of the album. I learned to love many tunes that I would have missed if I had only purchased a single song as a lot of us now do from ITunes..
Then there was the album cover. My friends and I used to love to read every little piece of info on the album cover. Most people to this day think Eric Clapton played all those guitar licks on the album “Layla and other Assorted Love Songs ”. Sorry, Eric played mostly rhythmn guitar, but if you read the album cover you knew that Duane Allman played lead guitar . And who sat in on keyboards? Who was the producer of “Eat a Peach” (Tom Dowd)? Who was Jimi Hendrix’s drummer? If you had a “low tech” album cover you would have known that Jimi’s drummer was Buddy Miles also known for his song “Them Changes”. And you would have known the name of the sax player in the “E Street Band”.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the latest entertainment electronic technology. But sometimes “low tech” can be a good thing too. I will miss my album covers, and we’ll all miss Clarence Clemons.
Rest in peace “Big Man”.
A Boom Box in Every Room?
20/06/11 20:16
If you’re renovating or building a new home anytime soon you should consider wiring for a “whole house” audio system. So, what is a whole house audio system, and why don’t I just put a boom box in every room?
New construction has changed a little in the last few years and audio and video are a part of that change. Most people think to have telephone and cable TV wires installed during the construction phase, but how about internet and speakers throughout the house? Sure you can probably connect to the internet via your wireless router, but there’s nothing better than a wired connection. And forget about wireless speakers, I will explain why in a future article. Don’t forget about high definition video and surround sound. A few years ago we had “cable ready” TVs. But if you want hi-definition, that single co-ax cable connected to your TV isn’t going work.
There are many choices of entertainment content these days. First you have your good ole CD collection and FM radio. Then we have satellite radio, digital music from your cable or satellite TV provider, or maybe your IPod or similar portable music player. What did I miss? Maybe internet radio? Some people even have large hard drives that store all of their movies, music, photos that are known as media servers. OK, so let’s make a name for all this media that brings us entertainment. How about “sources”? A source could be a CD player, or maybe Sirius XM radio or whatever you connect to your system. So a “source” is really an input signal that originates from a device, computer or player or even the internet.
Whole house audio systems range from small systems that accept 1 or 2 sources and output to a few rooms with speakers. Larger systems can accept up to 8 sources and output to an almost unlimited number of rooms with speakers. Alright electronics guy, but what if I am on one side of the house and want to change the volume or XM station I have playing? Great question! What is being asked is how do we locally control a central system that might reside in a closet or basement somewhere else in the house? The more sophisticated systems utilize keypads installed in each room. The keypad is wired back to a central controller allowing local control for volume, song selection and source selection. And if you want to really show off, your IPhone or IPad can be also be used as a wireless keypad. The really hi-end systems will allow control of lighting, thermostat, and even display who is standing at your front door. But let’s focus on entertainment for now.
Sounds pretty nice, but when I am sitting by the pool, I don’t want to hear what my teenager is playing in her room. That is a huge point, and most whole house systems allow each room to be independent from each other. So you might listen to FM by the pool, your daughter can listen to her IPod in her bedroom and someone else might listen to NASCAR in another room via XM radio. Companies like Sonos, Nuvo, Russound, Niles and Crestron are a few of the manufacturers competing in the whole house system arena.
So you can listen to any CD you want, wherever you want , without carrying it from room to room. Yeah but LD, I don’t plan to be doing any new construction now and I really don’t want to tear up my walls and ceilings running new wires. No worries, there are systems that can be installed in existing homes with minimal drywall damage. There are even a few systems that utilize your home’s existing electric wires to distribute internet and entertainment. I like to refer to these systems as “retro-fit” systems.
OK, so what does one of these systems cost? Well, the more basic whole house systems might be less expensive than you think. If you want to go to the high middle range with 8 rooms and 8 sources, you’re in the $10k to $15k range. But remember, since this is a system in your house you could almost look at it as an investment versus an expense. A house with an audio system will be more desirable than one without. If you have a new construction project coming up, consider at least getting the wiring in place. The system can be added later.
Or you could carry your CD collection around and play them in one your boom boxes!
New construction has changed a little in the last few years and audio and video are a part of that change. Most people think to have telephone and cable TV wires installed during the construction phase, but how about internet and speakers throughout the house? Sure you can probably connect to the internet via your wireless router, but there’s nothing better than a wired connection. And forget about wireless speakers, I will explain why in a future article. Don’t forget about high definition video and surround sound. A few years ago we had “cable ready” TVs. But if you want hi-definition, that single co-ax cable connected to your TV isn’t going work.
There are many choices of entertainment content these days. First you have your good ole CD collection and FM radio. Then we have satellite radio, digital music from your cable or satellite TV provider, or maybe your IPod or similar portable music player. What did I miss? Maybe internet radio? Some people even have large hard drives that store all of their movies, music, photos that are known as media servers. OK, so let’s make a name for all this media that brings us entertainment. How about “sources”? A source could be a CD player, or maybe Sirius XM radio or whatever you connect to your system. So a “source” is really an input signal that originates from a device, computer or player or even the internet.
Whole house audio systems range from small systems that accept 1 or 2 sources and output to a few rooms with speakers. Larger systems can accept up to 8 sources and output to an almost unlimited number of rooms with speakers. Alright electronics guy, but what if I am on one side of the house and want to change the volume or XM station I have playing? Great question! What is being asked is how do we locally control a central system that might reside in a closet or basement somewhere else in the house? The more sophisticated systems utilize keypads installed in each room. The keypad is wired back to a central controller allowing local control for volume, song selection and source selection. And if you want to really show off, your IPhone or IPad can be also be used as a wireless keypad. The really hi-end systems will allow control of lighting, thermostat, and even display who is standing at your front door. But let’s focus on entertainment for now.
Sounds pretty nice, but when I am sitting by the pool, I don’t want to hear what my teenager is playing in her room. That is a huge point, and most whole house systems allow each room to be independent from each other. So you might listen to FM by the pool, your daughter can listen to her IPod in her bedroom and someone else might listen to NASCAR in another room via XM radio. Companies like Sonos, Nuvo, Russound, Niles and Crestron are a few of the manufacturers competing in the whole house system arena.
So you can listen to any CD you want, wherever you want , without carrying it from room to room. Yeah but LD, I don’t plan to be doing any new construction now and I really don’t want to tear up my walls and ceilings running new wires. No worries, there are systems that can be installed in existing homes with minimal drywall damage. There are even a few systems that utilize your home’s existing electric wires to distribute internet and entertainment. I like to refer to these systems as “retro-fit” systems.
OK, so what does one of these systems cost? Well, the more basic whole house systems might be less expensive than you think. If you want to go to the high middle range with 8 rooms and 8 sources, you’re in the $10k to $15k range. But remember, since this is a system in your house you could almost look at it as an investment versus an expense. A house with an audio system will be more desirable than one without. If you have a new construction project coming up, consider at least getting the wiring in place. The system can be added later.
Or you could carry your CD collection around and play them in one your boom boxes!
Grand Central Station
13/06/11 22:48
Let’s talk audio and video system components! Maybe the best place to start is the heart of any system, the audio / video receiver. I refer to this “black box” as Grand Central Station. Today’s a/v receivers are so sophisticated I sometimes wonder how manufacturers can sell them for profit. Companies like Denon, Yamaha, Onkyo and Sherwood are a few of the mid to upper end manufacturers competing for our family’s time and entertainment dollar..
OK LD, so what exactly is an A/V Receiver? Well, if we break down the guts of our system’s Grand Central Station this is what we will find inside the box. If money were no object, you might have several “separate” components that a receiver has inside of one box. First there is the “pre-amp” or the traffic cop as I like to call it. The pre-amp section accepts inputs from source components like a CD, Blu-Ray, IPod, XBox or Cable TV receiver (or Satellite TV). Today’s “source“ components might output via a digital or analog connection. So our a/v receiver needs to be both digital, analog, audio and video capable.
A few years ago, receivers were analog audio capable only, and probably only 2 channel stereo. But today’s receivers process both audio, video and can have as many as 7 or 9 separate power amplifiers built into their one enclosure (the black box!). That means we now have a pre-amp and several power amplifiers in our a/v receiver. What else dude? OK, we’re having fun now! Let’s add a surround sound processor to our list, so we can listen to our favorite music or movie in a 5, 7, or even 9.2 nice surround sound mode, i.e. orchestra, dolby hi-def, cinema, stadium, unplugged or whatever.
Is that it, a pre-amp, several power amps, and a surround processor? This is a busy unit here! No, today’s a/v receivers also add an FM tuner, and a network connection. WHAT, a network connection? YES, an Ethernet connection that connects to your home network to play internet services like Pandora or Sirius XM (to name a few), through your family’s system with no other add-on devices. Pop a flash drive into the USB connection on the front of the receiver and you can watch the family’s vacation taken from your video cam or digital camera on the big TV in the Family Room.
That’s a lot of stuff Yo, sounds expensive. Well you can purchase a receiver with all of the above capabilities in the $500 range. There are less expensive units, but $500 is a real good place to start. Think of it as the “sweet spot” If you want more power and features plan on $1000 and up. So what does $1000 get you? Since today’s a/v receivers accept video as well as audio, the higher end units actually will upscale a standard video signal to hi-definition and the built-in surround sound processor will be upgraded. With more power even audio at lower volume levels sounds fabulous. Like a half ton truck will get the job done, but a one ton truck won’t struggle.
If you’re OK with listening to your TV via your TVs speakers, you probably don’t need an a/v receiver. But if you want to add control, surround sound and upgraded video, think about adding Grand Central Station to your family’s entertainment system. And if you have an IPhone or Droid, most receiver manufacturers offer free remote control apps for download. Yes. Remote control from your cell phone to that new a/v receiver!
Now boarding on Track Number Nine!
OK LD, so what exactly is an A/V Receiver? Well, if we break down the guts of our system’s Grand Central Station this is what we will find inside the box. If money were no object, you might have several “separate” components that a receiver has inside of one box. First there is the “pre-amp” or the traffic cop as I like to call it. The pre-amp section accepts inputs from source components like a CD, Blu-Ray, IPod, XBox or Cable TV receiver (or Satellite TV). Today’s “source“ components might output via a digital or analog connection. So our a/v receiver needs to be both digital, analog, audio and video capable.
A few years ago, receivers were analog audio capable only, and probably only 2 channel stereo. But today’s receivers process both audio, video and can have as many as 7 or 9 separate power amplifiers built into their one enclosure (the black box!). That means we now have a pre-amp and several power amplifiers in our a/v receiver. What else dude? OK, we’re having fun now! Let’s add a surround sound processor to our list, so we can listen to our favorite music or movie in a 5, 7, or even 9.2 nice surround sound mode, i.e. orchestra, dolby hi-def, cinema, stadium, unplugged or whatever.
Is that it, a pre-amp, several power amps, and a surround processor? This is a busy unit here! No, today’s a/v receivers also add an FM tuner, and a network connection. WHAT, a network connection? YES, an Ethernet connection that connects to your home network to play internet services like Pandora or Sirius XM (to name a few), through your family’s system with no other add-on devices. Pop a flash drive into the USB connection on the front of the receiver and you can watch the family’s vacation taken from your video cam or digital camera on the big TV in the Family Room.
That’s a lot of stuff Yo, sounds expensive. Well you can purchase a receiver with all of the above capabilities in the $500 range. There are less expensive units, but $500 is a real good place to start. Think of it as the “sweet spot” If you want more power and features plan on $1000 and up. So what does $1000 get you? Since today’s a/v receivers accept video as well as audio, the higher end units actually will upscale a standard video signal to hi-definition and the built-in surround sound processor will be upgraded. With more power even audio at lower volume levels sounds fabulous. Like a half ton truck will get the job done, but a one ton truck won’t struggle.
If you’re OK with listening to your TV via your TVs speakers, you probably don’t need an a/v receiver. But if you want to add control, surround sound and upgraded video, think about adding Grand Central Station to your family’s entertainment system. And if you have an IPhone or Droid, most receiver manufacturers offer free remote control apps for download. Yes. Remote control from your cell phone to that new a/v receiver!
Now boarding on Track Number Nine!
Coming to Your Senses
06/06/11 20:20
Entertainment content these days is offered to us in many ways. The internet changed the music, video, and even book business forever. Companies like Blockbuster and Tower Records that didn’t adapt soon enough are now history. Entertainment distribution is now just a click away. I remember one of my first lessons in business, “make it easy for the customer to buy”. Well if you want to watch a movie, purchase the right to listen to music, or even read a book, just log on, point and click.
The entertainment business is so successful that services like Pandora can afford to offer music for free. Sure, there is a “pay for premium” service, but advertising revenue is the real lifeblood of many online services. That’s good news for consumers, because free is nice! If we use Pandora as an example, while you listen to the music if you look closely there will also be a window that asks if you want to purchase the song. That’s what I call making it easy for the customer to buy! Just point and click. Don’t know what to get someone for their birthday? How about an ITunes card? It’s really pretty cool when I hear a song that I want and all I have to do is log into my account and the song downloads to my laptop.
By entertainment I am talking about intellectual content that reaches out to 3 of our 5 senses. Three? Are you kidding me dude? Yeah, there’s sight (video), sound (hearing), and feeling. OK, maybe the sense of touch (feeling) is a stretch, but with upscale home theater systems you will actually feel the music and movie effects.
OK, so what do we have here? There’s ppv movies, downloadable movies, online music, downloadable music (for purchase), online radio (listen to many radio broadcasts from anywhere in the world), downloadable art, and even downloadable books. As much as I love the latest home theater electronics, sometimes a good book is just awesome. Devices like the Kindle and even IPad make reading a book nice. You don’t have to carry that paperback, and they even included graphics that look like a page turning.
Is there anything else dude? Well yes there is! Remember good ole FM radio? Actually AM radio is still alive, but I don’t anyone that still listens to AM (hey, that’s just me). Otherwise known as “terrestrial radio”, FM is doing just fine. Since most of us drive to work, FM still has a large marketplace. If you can handle or support the FCC regulations that govern communications, FM is still a great free broadcast service. And then we have Satellite Radio. Sirius XM is also competing for our attention and entertainment dollar. The FCC has no control over this service’s content, so “adult” content is aired on certain channels. There are many music channels (by category), talk shows (i.e. Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, and even Oprah), comedy shows, Sports, BBC, Playboy Radio, and more. Satellite radio is very cool, but how much stuff can we digest? Ever hear the expression, “drinking from a firehose!” And let’s not forget Cable TV, Satellite TV, and the 4 major networks that bradcast in Hi-Definition.
Sometimes I picture a scene from the1920s where a rural midwest family is sitting around a tube AM radio listening to a weekly broadcast. The father probably turned the set on 15 minutes early to let it warm up and everybody looked forward to the show. And then I think of my college days when 7 guys would be in my friend’s dorm room huddled around a 15 inch black and white TV watching “The Fonz”, Richie and Potsie on “Happy Days’.
We’ve come a long way Charlie Brown! Whether you prefer books, radio, TV, internet streaming, or whatever I missed, entertainment is COMING TO YOUR SENSES!
The entertainment business is so successful that services like Pandora can afford to offer music for free. Sure, there is a “pay for premium” service, but advertising revenue is the real lifeblood of many online services. That’s good news for consumers, because free is nice! If we use Pandora as an example, while you listen to the music if you look closely there will also be a window that asks if you want to purchase the song. That’s what I call making it easy for the customer to buy! Just point and click. Don’t know what to get someone for their birthday? How about an ITunes card? It’s really pretty cool when I hear a song that I want and all I have to do is log into my account and the song downloads to my laptop.
By entertainment I am talking about intellectual content that reaches out to 3 of our 5 senses. Three? Are you kidding me dude? Yeah, there’s sight (video), sound (hearing), and feeling. OK, maybe the sense of touch (feeling) is a stretch, but with upscale home theater systems you will actually feel the music and movie effects.
OK, so what do we have here? There’s ppv movies, downloadable movies, online music, downloadable music (for purchase), online radio (listen to many radio broadcasts from anywhere in the world), downloadable art, and even downloadable books. As much as I love the latest home theater electronics, sometimes a good book is just awesome. Devices like the Kindle and even IPad make reading a book nice. You don’t have to carry that paperback, and they even included graphics that look like a page turning.
Is there anything else dude? Well yes there is! Remember good ole FM radio? Actually AM radio is still alive, but I don’t anyone that still listens to AM (hey, that’s just me). Otherwise known as “terrestrial radio”, FM is doing just fine. Since most of us drive to work, FM still has a large marketplace. If you can handle or support the FCC regulations that govern communications, FM is still a great free broadcast service. And then we have Satellite Radio. Sirius XM is also competing for our attention and entertainment dollar. The FCC has no control over this service’s content, so “adult” content is aired on certain channels. There are many music channels (by category), talk shows (i.e. Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, and even Oprah), comedy shows, Sports, BBC, Playboy Radio, and more. Satellite radio is very cool, but how much stuff can we digest? Ever hear the expression, “drinking from a firehose!” And let’s not forget Cable TV, Satellite TV, and the 4 major networks that bradcast in Hi-Definition.
Sometimes I picture a scene from the1920s where a rural midwest family is sitting around a tube AM radio listening to a weekly broadcast. The father probably turned the set on 15 minutes early to let it warm up and everybody looked forward to the show. And then I think of my college days when 7 guys would be in my friend’s dorm room huddled around a 15 inch black and white TV watching “The Fonz”, Richie and Potsie on “Happy Days’.
We’ve come a long way Charlie Brown! Whether you prefer books, radio, TV, internet streaming, or whatever I missed, entertainment is COMING TO YOUR SENSES!