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Audio Surgery at the O2 Academy, Bournemouth 01.10.11
Full set:
www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150303522286710.34225...
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With this setup I was able to determine the schutter lag of a Canon Powershot S110 - equiped with the CHDK firmware update - but with its Flash disabled. The USB port of the camera is used as remote shutter release input (needs CHDK firmware).
First I used a piezo sensor to detect the "sound" of the shutter and dit the analyse with the soundcard of my PC and the freeware Audacity program. This worked O.K. but the sensor placement and signal to noise ratio was a little critical ...
With this setup I used an old ( vintage ) Telephone Pickup Coil. Even a small 150 mH inductor ( Conrad 434579-89 ) gives nice usable pulses. So the magnetic field of the shuttercoil is picked up by this sensor and its signal is amplified with a Mini Amplifier / Speaker ( RadioShack art. 2771008 ).
The required amplification is setup with its volume control knob. The audio output drives an IR diode via an 100 Ohm resistor to simulate the flash light impulse. The IR diode is shunted with a red LED in reverse direction, so the output can also be monitored visual. The IR led is beamed to the Phototransistor of my ArnoChrono setup.
To determine this kind of "shutter lag" also the freeware Audacity PC program can be used to analyse the audio signal produced by the voicecoil ...
Current Shutter Lag times are now between 120 and 130 msec. The real shutter lag is still a little bit longer because this methods just measures the beginning of the shutter and aperture settings magnetic field changes. The whole cycle has a duration of about 200 msec. Also I guess the shutter must be first closed to exit the live view mode before the real shutter cycle can start.
The camera respons time to the USB Remote input is now between 20 and 80 msec. I measured this time by turning the Assist Led ON with a suitable CHDK uBasic script command just before shooting. So the Assist Led beam stops the ArnoChrono by illuminating its Phototransistor.
I will test if this Assist Led can also be used instead of the on-camera Flash as master. If this respons time is stable enough, a simple delay before the slave Flash fires will do the job ...
Remark :
"set_led 9 1" does not work on my Canon S110 !
I discovered that "set_led 8 1" must be used to do the job.
See also www.flickr.com/photos/arnoldus1942/24473968980/in/datepos...
for related setup ...
Audio-technica headphones ATH-W1000X on the left (for home use) and ATH-ESW9A with the cherry wood finish on the right (for portable use).
Comments/Criticism welcome!
Made with Adobe Photoshop CS3 + 3D Studio Max 2008
1920x1200 Version:
www.mediafire.com/imageview.php?quickkey=fxtymzc0yxm&...
© Furquan M.
Resources Used:
www.turbosquid.com/3d-models/philips-headset-3d-model/211093
I needed some new speakers for my desktop computer system at home. I've been tolerating JBL creature 2.1 system for a couple of years now and I'd finally had enough. The JBLs suffered from a depressing lack of critical midrange detail. This, coupled with the fact that the kids now hog the main system in the front room, means that I can't get access to my iTunes library readily.
A few years ago I was doing some research into speakers and I came across the Quad 11l actives. They were very well reviewed in a couple of Australian and New Zealand hi-fi publications. From what I could gather at the time they were not widely available in the UK. When I did eventually track them down their price tag was £600 for a pair. Prohibitively expensive for a desktop audio system. These things are marketed as pro-level near field monitors. They have their own build in amps. Two per speaker. 60W for the bass driver and 40W for the treble driver.
Anyway a couple of weeks ago I decided to have a casual squint at eBay and see if I could pick up a second hand pair at a vastly reduced price. There were none available. One seller was selling individual speakers new for £250. apiece. Still too expensive. Crestfallen, I gave up. A couple of days later I had another look. Another seller was offering a pair of Quad actives for £229. Stunned, I had a closer look. Apart from a different badge, Quad Industrial, these looked identical to the Quad 11l actives. Plus, they were brand new, in unopened boxes.
After a few hours of research I discovered that IAG, Quad's parent company, has an Industrial division that market audio equipment for hotels, conference centres, lecture theatres, and the like. Hence the different branding. The speaker also goes by another name, the Quad QPM1. Other than that it is identical in every way to the Quad 11l active monitor.
This was a game changer. Prior to this I was considering the Audioengine 2 model as my desktop speaker replacement. I phoned the supplier to check that there was no mistake in their pricing in the advert. They confirmed that they were on sale for £229 for the pair. I placed my order immediately.
I was very excited to hear these speakers given the reviews I'd read. I'm also a big fan of the Quad sound. My front room consists of the Quad 12l2s as main speakers in my 5.1 kit, Quad Centre, Quad l-ite satellites for rear and Quad l-ite subwoofer. Now I could have the Quad sound as part of my desktop system at a fraction of the price.
Quad speakers are known for being extremely neutral. In other words they take nothing away from or add anything to the original recording or source. Although my Quads were all very well reviewed at the time of their release, around 2004-2007, there are other great speakers out there. For me I liked the cachet associated with being a Quad owner. I clearly liked the sound and most importantly I got all the kit at bargain prices. Most of it was ex-dem so I saved at least 20% on the normal retail price. Another important factor was matching the speakers across the whole 5.1 kit. All of them should work well together. The 5.1 kit is driven by an Arcam AVR 300 that again was ex-dem. The front speakers are bi-amped and bi-wired. This affords them 120 watts per channel and per driver.
Being a hi-fi enthusiast makes you a bit picky about what you’ll listen to. So how do the Quad actives sound? Well put it this way... I've not stopped playing them since the minute they arrived in the house. I've thrown everything at them. From Led Zepp to Beethoven. Alison Krauss through to Prokofiev. Unbelievable! If anything the Quad actives may sound better than the 12l2s in my front room due to the fact that their bi-amp design is perfectly matched to the drivers in a way that any other amp would struggle to better. There is plenty of power and the signal path is not compromised by additional cabling and junction points. So the sound could be characterised as being clean, clear with tight bass control and a surprising amount of depth considering the cabinet size. However being nearfield monitors they are very revealing! If the recording is poor it sounds poor through these. You are very conscious of it. Also after a few days I became very aware of the deficiencies of the iMac's sound card. There was a constant low hum and other nasties such as buzzing and clicks. Hissing too. Another issue was that I wanted to run an old radio tuner through these. All I could lay my hands on at short notice was a phono switchbox. This worked but it was difficult to control the volume of the tuner other than messing around at the back of the monitors. Not really ideal.
I realised I need to look for some kind of preamp. Nothing suitable for desktop audio seemed immediately available. Initially I started looking at pro audio solutions. Mixers and the like. Not only were these really expensive but they also took up a lot of desk space. The other thing that seemed clear was that some kind of external signal processing solution would improve on the sound the iMac was capable of producing. Looked like a DAC was required. This took me into a whole new ballpark. It came down to two companies in the end. Cambridge Audio’s Dacmagic or NuForce’s uDac or Icon products. Fundamentally it came down to my need to switch sources easily and the ability to control volume at the turn of a dial or via an installed remote app on an iPhone. The Dacmagic looked very tempting but there was no preamp function or headphone amplifier. This left me with the NuForce products.
NuForce’s website information is confusing. Being new to the world of DACs and desktop audio I knew little about using USB as a means of feeding an external digital to analogue converter with a digital signal. I was familiar with toslink optical links from the Arcam processor but USB was new to me. So I started reading about jitter and the degrading effect is has on sound quality and the technology used by NuForce to take correct these issues. I also read some astonishing reviews on their uDac, Icon 2 and Icon HDP products. Turns out NuForce are an American company that specialises in really high end digital amplifiers and DACs. We’re talking thousands of pounds. Their ‘desktop’ range is much more affordable however. The uDac was offered to me for £55 for example. In the end I got a fantastic deal on the Icon HDP. I had to make a couple of phone calls at this point. I can’t say how much I saved but I got a better bargain on this than I got on the Quads! The Icon HDP is a combined class A headphone, preamp and top quality DAC rolled into one. Perfect for my needs.
Now we have the combined effect of the iMac and its ability to feed a purely digital signal from iTunes or Spotify Premium to the NuForce Icon HDP via USB and then onto the Quad QPMs. The effect the Icon HDP had on the system was staggering. This truly is a phenomenal product. Undoubtedly the most accomplished, best sounding and most useful piece of hi-fi equipment I’ve ever bought. The whole soundstage opened right up. Subtle nuances present in the recordings were revealed in extraordinary detail. A truly three dimensional space is presented to the listener. Given I’m used to the full Quad/Arcam experience in the front room it’s amazing how lifelike and articulate my bargain desktop audio solution really is. The Quads in themselves are remarkable for the price but the Icon HDP is literally a revelation.
As you’ll see from the photos I’ve experimented with this system in all sorts of combinations. At one point I even hooked up the Quad sub to hear the difference it made. I concluded it’s really not required the system is already capable of producing almost terrifying levels of deep controlled bass without it. Midrange too is superb. Treble crisp and smear free. I’ve been particularly enjoying the albums below. I’ve pretty much moved into the backroom! All in all, a pretty good October week…
Trentemøller – The Very Last Resort
Mercan Dede – 800
Sergei Rachmaninoff – Rachmaninov
Alison Krauss – Lonely Runs Both Ways
John Hiatt – Hiatt Comes Alive At Budokan?
Booka Shade – Memento
Avishai Cohen – Aurora
By the way the Quads are still available on eBay, last few remaining. Other speakers shown for comparison.
Coming soon from Tiptop Audio, the CB808 and CP909. As the names imply, the CB808 is a recreation of the infamous cowbell sound from the vintage Roland TR-808 drum machine. The CP909 is the first of the Roland TR-909 module clones, the clap. Both modules are 4 HP in size and priced economically. More importantly, they will sound and behave like their distant relatives while offering gate and accent inputs. We expect stock in about 2 weeks.
LINK for more info: www.tiptopaudio.com/ .
I took this shot just because it's an interesting idea: part of the park in Mexico city is designated for audio relaxation.
Featured in select Volkswagen models, the Fender Premium Audio System produces Fender's classic sound highlighted by uncompromised clarity at low or high volumes, powerful bass response and detailed midrange tones that combine to recreate the raw emotion of a live performance.
Here is a photo of the Tiptop Audio Z-DSP with Numberz programmer plugged into it. Note the custom program "Dual Sine LFO", turning the Z-DSP into more than just an effects processing module. With Numberz, Z-DSP owners can download new programs from the user community and write them directly to a card to use with their module. More details via our website: www.analoguehaven.com/tiptopaudio/numberz/ .
LINK to programs online:
www.tiptopaudio.com/numberz.php?goto=programs .
LINK to Z-DSP Display Editor: www.itijik.com/zdspde.html .
Photo by Gur Milstein. Program courtesy of Kevin Vanwulpen.
Got an audio mixer for some long standing projects I've been procrastinating. It will be an interesting experience...
My new iAudio U3 is so tiny and light you'd think it might float away.. but it can carry 1 Gb of stuff.
This is the Noble Audio BTS bluetooth receiver for headphones. The spec seem pretty good, and I assume it sounds decent. I didn't get a chance to try it out, but am waiting to receive a copy.
You can find out more about it at Noble Audio Wireless.
Strobist:
Profoto strips, object right (oblique), and object left, distant, and at a 33º angle from camera.
Camera: Rollei X-ACT 2
Lens: Rodenstock APO-Rodagon 80/4