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Copyright ©1999-2023 by Hayne Davis, DaviSound
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NEWS UPDATE ... from Hayne Davis ... April 26, 2023 ...May 27, 2023 ...
eMail- DaviSound at DaviSound dot com ... Text- 803 - 944 - 7972
PAGE INDEX:
January 28, 2023 - '' DaviSegue '' into 2023 l February 25, 2023 - '' DaviScattered '' l
March 31, 2023 - '' DaviShoes-DaviSpeakers ''
April 26, 2023 - '' DaviSurge! '' l
May 27, 2023 - '' DaviShedding/DaviSlimming! '' l
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May 27, 2023
'' DaviShedding / DaviSlimming ! '' ...
Before you assume that ''DaviShedding'' and ''DaviSlimming'' are essentially one and the same ... let me clarify.
Last month I hinted that I would have a rather special announcement (hopefully with a photo or two) of the resolution of a longtime plan in the making. What I was referring to was the decision to move forward with a NEW WORK LOCATION for yours truly!
For years I have herein mentioned my ''fantasy'' of creating a ''mobile'' workshop on a trailer ...I had even been collating materials for such a build including the acquisition of an old camper trailer frame. Well, as my wife and I prepare to divest ourselves of our longtime town residence and ''consolidate'' to our new residence, our small lake cottage, she came up with a much more practical idea than my ''fantasy'' (as she typically does). She suggested that we acquire an out-building (thus the ''DaviShed'') and outfit a section of it for my office/workroom and use the other area for storage of our items we wish to keep from the upcoming transition. So, about six weeks ago we ordered a custom 12' x 28' prefabricated building to be delivered (soon we hope) to our current location. While we were told that this custom order would take ''about two weeks'', some of you will appreciate that I am experiencing ''some of my own medicine'' with delays and a steady stream of ''running behind'' statements from the supplier. As of last week, we were still getting ''in about two more weeks'' delivery estimates but, HOPEFULLY, it will be delivered by the time I post next month's News Update and I can then post a ''peek'' photo.
Now I am TRULY looking forward to finalizing my ''new'', permanent work place plans after all these years since the closing of the original DaviSound facility. This new space will be designed for my needs from the ground up and will make future endeavors SO MUCH more efficient than the constant rearranging of the small home work room I have tried to utilize for these past many years (along with the cubbyhole corner now being used in our lake cottage den). So, while it will require some extra time to get the interior finished (adding to that already ''DaviScattered'' work schedule we've been talking about all year), it will be a much easier and MUCH FASTER completion than trying to squeeze in a build of a ''mobile'' workshop on a trailer! SO... be looking for news on that progress through the coming months along with all the other ongoing projects here.
As for ''DaviSlimming'' ...
Regular readers will recall that I mentioned previously that I would, necessarily, be eliminating a few of our standard items from our product listings. Well, I have finally made the decision on which items to keep and which items that will have to be eliminated. So this ''DaviSlimming'' down of the product line is now in effect and updated on the website. You can check them out here at DaviSound Tool Boxes and at DaviSound Prices-Terms-Policies . Naturally, I regret having to elimate ANY of my creations from the lineup, particularly the TB-4 (neccesitated primarily by the difficulty in obtaining the precision, quality parts required for the existing format which are nearly impossible to come by nowadays) but various considerations just make it necessary. When it comes to the point where I cannot offer the quality that I expect, and that you expect, from DaviSound for ANY reason, then I will just no longer offer that product or service. That simple.That is the case with the items which have been eliminated and the resulting ''DaviSlimmed'' lineup.
So that's the two BIG news items from this direction this month!
I suppose the elimination of certain Tool Boxes in the future may possibly make those that some of you already own out there appreciate in value somewhat due to their increasing rarity. I do thank all of you who helped me create these pieces since ALL DaviSound Tool Boxes originated by a custom request from a client in the beginning. I hate to see ANY of them go but I have only eliminated those that are extra difficult, aggravating and time consuming to build these days due to many factors. Some of these factors include complicated, tedious, time-consuming assembly and testing techniques as well as the difficulty of obtaining quality, dependable parts as already mentioned, among other considerations.
Thanks for ''hanging in and tuning in'' with/to DaviSound these past months (and years)! I look forward to ''seeing you'' here again next month!
Until then ...all my best,
Hayne
April 26, 2023
'' DaviSurge! '' ...
Another month has FLOWN by but I am pleased to announce that it has been one of the most PRODUCTIVE I have seen around here in a LONG, long time... certainly since my heart surgery 18 months ago. ''DaviSurge'' is a pretty accurate description since I have been working almost just as steadily as in the ''OLD DAYS''. In fact, most work days have been lasting about as long as the ''old days'' ...10 to 12 hours! It is very nice to have reached that level of endurance once again!
The running theme for this year has been diversification, or multi-tasking, or, as we call it, ''DaviScattering''. So, there have been many different directions that I have gone in this month with all of this ''resurge'' of effort and, while I still don't have any photos of the progress with ongoing projects to share this month, hopefully I can ''DaviSqueeze'' in the time to make that happen by next month. I certainly plan to have a very special photo of a VERY special new development here that has been finalized after many years in limbo so be sure to ''tune in'' for that revelation next month as well!
One of these MANY ongoing efforts here has been exploring one of my older projects from back in the day when we still offered the old metal faceplate Tool Boxes. Weston Ray sent me two of his TB-4 units which were originally created nearly twenty years ago. These units were originally constructed for Brad Sarno, Chief Engineer, Angelfish Mastering,St. Louis, MO and you can read his comments about them in our DaviStories area. I believe that Weston was likely the third or fourth owner of these pieces and, somewhere along the way, prior owners had made various modification attempts, or ''tamperings'' with the ''innards'' (something we ALWAYS emphatically discourage!). So, I am now attempting to test, troubleshoot and restore them to their original condition.
One of the old TB4 pair from Weston Ray
(Sans Knobs)
It is always something of a strange feeling to encounter one of my older pieces after many years. It's almost like seeing it for the first time. Or, maybe it's like the return of a ''prodigal child'' who has been gone for all too long. I only get this opportunity maybe once a year or so since many, in fact MOST, of the hundreds of Tool Boxes that I handcrafted over the years are still with the original owner! Occasionally a new owner will obtain one on the ''used'' marketplace and take advantage of our refurbish/recertification offer described on our PRICES/TERMS/POLICIES page. When I do get one of these old beauties back for a going over I typically recall all of the many hours of ''painstaking'' effort that went into the creation of that piece as well as all the units with the DaviSound name on them. Once in awhile I get one back here that has been mistreated in some way (like one of the beautiful exotic wood TB-3 units that had been scribbled on the front panel with a permanent ink marker- that one made me cringe! Hard to imagine the ''mentallity'' of whoever desecrated that piece ). But, most of the time I am amazed at just how well they have endured the ''passing around'' over many years of multiple owners.
In other ''news'' ... ...
incoming eMail continues to be VERY untypically scarce here these days... for the past couple of months in fact. I have not received even a single inquiry, so far, about the
books I am offering from my personal collection at our DaviSound UNIQUE Special Items website area.
I realize that these books are all rather esoteric in nature and that there are likely not that many DIY minded, aspiring electronics engineer types out there among you these days. But I am in hope that sooner or later the right interested party will come along and notice the listings so that I can send them to a ''good home''. Even in this day and age of digital dominance, there is still something very special about owning a good reference book and my collection kind of ecompasses the evolution of audio electronics over nearly half a decade!
I will be adding more of these books as soon as I can make time to photograph and post them and, of course, there will be many interesting electronic components being listed there in the months ahead as well so ''DaviSpread'' the word around, please!
Ironically, the only eMail I have gotten about the website this month was about my News Updates... but NOT from an audio inquiror but rather from an old high school aquaintance who had searched for me on the Internet. I guess she had gotten curious maybe because we have our 57th anniversary class reunion upcoming this Saturday night, the 29th. She had, apparently, been amused/entertained by some of my prior posts as she commented on quite a few of them while mentioning that she used to be a regular listener back in my old radio days. She suggested that I start posting these weekly instead of monthly! While I appreciated the compliment, I replied that I had a hard enough time keeping up with a MONTHLY schedule for these updates, let alone trying to do them weekly!
I do enjoy getting email correspondence, and the occasional text, so, while I do appreciate all of you keeping up with me by way of these monthly posts, I still encourage all of you to stay in touch with me with a personal communication from time to time so that I can keep up with you as well !
Thank you for reading yet another DaviSound News Update and I look forward to having some ''bigger news'' to share with you next month and the months ahead!
So until then ... ... THANKS AGAIN FOR ''TUNING IN'' !
Hayne
PS- If you missed last month's reminiscings about the very first CLEO record release ... please scroll directly below!
March 31, 2023
'' DaviShoes-DaviSpeakers! '' ...
Everyone remembers the age-old fable about the shoemaker whose family had no shoes. Well, that analogy has always fit pretty well in my situation as far as my family possessing any of my own handmade audio equipment. I have always promised ...''one of these days'' to each of them and to myself as well over the years.
I had promised my daughter, Lee, that I would build her a custom pair of powered speakers for her den TV setup ''one of these days soon'' for several years now. Well, this year, I managed to squeeze in enough time to make it happen. I fabricated a set of matching cabinet speakers with ten inch extended range woofers and horn tweeters. Each unit is powered by it's own DaviSound TB-8 Monitor Amplifier used in a bridge configuration with preset ''DaviSirkit'' EQ included. It was a couple of weeks late of course (in typical DaviSound tradition), but, at least this time, delivered close enough to her February 21st birthday to count as a birthday gift!
The custom cabinet speakers built for my daughter.
Shown here before the cabinets were stained
and finished to match her cherry furniture.
This year's DaviSound theme has been ''DaviScattered'' multi-tasking and I took it yet another step further this past month by ''DaviSqueezing in'' this long overdue birthday gift for my daughter. They do sound terrific if I do say so myself albeit having to incorporate a custom optical digital input to my TB-8s. I HAD to include a DAC since her 51'' Samsung TV only provides digital audio outputs as ridiculous as that seemed to me
( as most of you know I am not a fan of DAC or ADC except in archival storage [final record/playback] application )!
And so, the ''DaviScattering'' continues on into ''DaviSpring'' 2023. Obviously, when something is ''squeezed in'', other things must become ''squeezed back'' somewhat. But, in accordance with my vow to keep making progress on EVERY project in the works during EVERY work week this year, more ''DaviStrides'' have been made in ALL directions here this month and several of the pieces are even closer than ever to being ready to pack up and ship out.
If you read this section of last month's News Update, February 25, 2023 - '' DaviScattered- DAVISPECIALS '' you will recall that I mentioned that, as a part of all this ongoing multi-tasking, I would also be working on ''DaviSpringCleaning'' throughout the coming months and that I would be offering some of my technical book library as the first contribution to this continuing endeavor. Well, needless to say, I didn't get this bit of ''DaviScattering'' completed by the anticipated ''Ides Of March'' as I am still working on updating the DaviSound UNIQUE Special Items website area. This will be an ongoing process but the initial lots of book sets are being prepared now and should show up there soon (or already listed depending on when you read this post). If you have any interest in, or questions about, any of the upcoming listings please feel free to email or text me!
As I mentioned last month, I do expect this to be one of my busiest years ever and so far, through the first quarter, this has proven to be the case. But it feels good to be able to be back working ''DaviSteadily'' again especially seeing some progress being made in ALL areas simultaneoulsy!
As you will recall, I spent a lot of my recuperative time, last year, reminiscing and reflecting on my personal history in the media business as well as the overall history of MCP/DaviSound. One of my most popular write-ups in that vein turned out to be this effort presented last February, 2022 74th Birthday Reflections linked again here in case you missed it and are curious.
Well, on Saturday night, March 25th, I had an opportunity to experience another ''time travel'' trip into the past of sorts. My wife, a 1979 Newberry High School graduate, was on the preparations committee for a 70s Decade Reunion for all NHS graduates of the 1970s. So, although I graduated a ''few'' years earlier in 1966, I also attended the reunion with my wife. While I wasn't closely aquainted with most of the 350, or so, past Newberrians who showed up for the event, I did enjoy seeing those I did know who I hadn't seen for decades.
One of the most pleasant surprises of the event was being reunited with every member of the local musical group, ''Overland Express". Each one of them had come back for the reunion and I had not seen most of them since circa 1970 when they were one of the first groups to be recorded by my new company at the time, Mother Cleo Productions. Their recording of their original songs ''Every Hour'' and ''Love Is A Funny Thing'' were my first record release on the CLEO label (''Move To The Country'' was the first Mother Cleo label release in 1971... CLEO and CUB records were utilized for custom releases whereas Mother Cleo was reserved for my own in-house productions).
Photos of the labels for that early record...
found elsewhere on-line at a collectors' site.
We enjoyed reminiscing about that early recording session which took place one night after hours at a local skating rink. All I had at the time was a small building (which later became my control room after the rest of the studio complex was built around it). If I recall correctly, the local group was being ''managed'' by the owner of the skating rink which turned out to be an ideal setting to record the music backing tracks. The only recorders I had at that time were two Ampex 601 portable mono units that only ran at 7 1/2 ips! We recorded the music tracks at the skating rink on one of them and then later overdubbed the vocals at the small studio onto the other Ampex. These were certainly primitive techniques for sure by today's standards but the quality of the recordings turned out remarkably well and the resulting record received quite a lot of airplay.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Hayne Davis, Bart Cotchcroft, Don Layton, Billy King, Bruce Wallace
Although it was great seeing and talking with all of the members, it was especially great to see Bruce Wallace, the keyboard player of that group. That's because Bruce later became one of my earliest studio musicians before he relocated to Las Vegas in the early to mid 70s which, until the reunion, was the very last time I had seen him or even spoken with him. He recalled a lot of events that I had totally forgotten including one humorous story about a custom session for a guy who had just gotten out of prison and who had, apparently, made Bruce a bit nervous during the session!
Bruce was one of several ''DaviSpawns'' who got some of their earliest professional music experience at our studio only to later become world famous career musicians. Bruce has been based in Las Vegas all these years, although touring the world as well, while backing up some of the biggest names in the music business. It was truly great to get to see him and talk with him again after all this time!
So, that about wraps it up for this edition, boys and girls. Be sure to ''tune in'' here again next month for more updates and, if you are so inclined, please keep an eye on that DaviSound UNIQUE Special Items website area.
Until next month,
Hayne
February 25, 2023
'' DaviScattered '' ...
Last month I presented the old ''multi-tasking'' theme projecting it for a busy 2023 ahead. Well the month of February certainly took that to extreme in many ways ... so much so that I AMPLIFIED it this month to rename it ''DAVISCATTERED''! That is more appropriate since that is basically the way I feel lately ... ''DaviScattered'' in all directions!
I have worked some, here and there, on every ongoing project we have in the works and the new activities mentioned last month plus a few extra ones besides ... so I guess it is ''multiple multi-tasking'' that has been going on here lately. In the old days, as far as DaviSound commissions were concerned, it was simply work on one project, two at the most, at any given time until completion. But, in order to try and maximize available time and energy more efficiently, I am now ''DaviSpreading'' it around so that at least SOME progress is being made each week on everything in the works.
The retro mixer project ''Mixer O'Tube'' saw some activity with the testing and tweaking of the dual power supplies for it ... the other mixer being readied for assembly (modules have been ready for many, many months), that I have dubbed the ''Wooden Wonder'', which will ultimately also ship abroad, also took its place on one of the main workroom assembly tables (as mentioned previously, this will be the LAST such large mixer project that I plan to undertake) . The projects for two longtime client/friends shown here last year also saw quite a bit of productivity and the ''way past due'' new Tool Box, the fifty year commemorative ''TB-50'', is once again nearing it's ''final'' proofing for the ''nthteenth'' time! I have also been testing/refurbishing two TB-4 Tool Boxes ... originals from LONG ago...sent in for a good going over by current owner, Weston Ray (Westonhouse Recording).
One area that has NOT been active for the first time in many months has been the ongoing stream of MasterPiece Modules which were being worked into the rotation almost incessantly last year. It seems the demand for those has paused for a time since the European clients who have been keeping me busy with steady orders now have all they require at the moment for their own custom projects.
DAVISPECIALS...
As I alluded to last month, I do expect this year to be one of my busiest ever and one which will continue to require taking ''DaviSegmentation'' to an all new level and then some! And, this next month I will be adding some EXTRA requirements to the already time-limited ''DaviSchedule'' by FINALLY doing some very necessary ''DaviSpring'' cleaning. Along with the other activities, I will, in the months ahead, be liquidating some of my inventory clutter of old gear, parts and components. As it is collated and ready to present for any of you who may be interested, I will mention it HERE first and then refer you to our Unique Special Items web page. There it will be listed for the benefit of DaviSound regulars, who may like to have first option, before it is listed elsewhere on auction sites.
It will begin next month with the offering of some of my library collection. As you might expect, I have quite an extensive collection of audio and electronics related books and manuals that our planned, future down-sizing will simply not allow me to keep. Many of these are classic reference books and I feel sure that some of you will find them most interesting. I will most likely offer these in lots of three or four instead of one or two at a time to minimize shipping/packaging expenses. Again, I plan to begin this with next month's News Update so, if interested, please keep an eye out around ''the ides of March''.
Some of the old hoard to be offered down the road (months ahead) will include old ''boat anchors'' like antiquated vacuum tube PA systems, amplifiers, tape recorder motors and parts, unique special electronics, etc. Admittedly, while some of it may fall in the category of ''classic'' old collectors' pieces, much of it may simply appear to be ''junk'' to some of you. But, I will be offering it all because you well know the old adage
about ''one man's trash being another man's treasure''. Over my 50 year, plus, career, I have naturally aquired quite a few old items that I was saving to utilize in some way ''one of these days''. Well, suffice it to say that now is the time to declare that ''one of these days'' is not likely to happen for much of it as far as I am concerned. So, maybe now, I can just pass it along to some of you like-minded ''one-of-these-days'' individuals!
So, that pretty well wraps up the latest news for February, 2023 from DaviSound! Please join me here again next month as we move into
''DaviSpring'' with all the continuing ''DaviScattering'' very much in progress!
Hayne
PS- I remind you that you can ALWAYS reach me by email or text and, if you do not get a reply, that means I did NOT get your message for some reason so please try again. I usually reply within 24 hours but sometimes it may take just a bit longer.When you do send a message, please include your full name and address!
January 28, 2023
'' DaviSegue '' into 2023 ...
Well, here we go ''DaviSlipping'' into yet another new year and, as always, it seems like we just did it last month instead of last year. They DO fly by and it gets faster as each one passes.
This will be, basically, my annual introduction for any newcomers so all you ''old-timers'' please bear with me. The way this works... I try to do a news update for all our ''clients in waiting'', and those firm inquirors in the queue, at least once each month. Each month is posted on top of the prior one so the monthly updates wind up in reverse order with the first at the bottom of the page. I also now include a page index at the top so that it is easy to find a particular update for reference as the year unfolds and the monthly posts start to add up. Otherwise, you can always just scroll down the page.
Also, at the beginning of each year, I add the prior year's update page to our NEWS ARCHIVES area. So, if for any reason you want to refer to a post from last year, you can simply click the link for the News Archives area at the bottom of this News Updates page.
You regulars will recall that my main resolution for this coming year was to avoid discussing all the health issues of myself and my wife that dominated our lives last year for the most part. So, again, unless something drastic occurs that absoutely requires it, that remains my intent!
So, this year you won't have to ''tune in'' looking for some interesting pro audio news and, instead, listen to all the ongoing complications related to my heart surgery recovery that monopolized much of last year's news. I'll just state out front that I seem to be much better with each passing month and, while my typical work day is necessarily much shorter than the ''old days'', I am making progress little by little in all directions.
My next resolution for '23 is to try harder to stick to a more regular ''DaviSchedule'' for all the projects in progress here. I mentioned in one of last year's posts that ''multi-tasking'' (''DaviSegmenting'') has always been an inherent trait and that I have ALWAYS worked in several directions at the same time....sometimes that means quite literally at EXACTLY the same time (like back in the '70s when I was doing a morning radio show while simultaneously having schematic design sheets I was working on spread all across the desk) but more often just working on various projects throughout the day or week.
So, the intention is to plan ahead and, as much as possible, have a specific lineup of activities for the given day and week so as to maximize efficiency for the time (and energy) I have available. And, there are QUITE a LOT of varied projects and activities planned for this year's work schedule! To just forecast a FEW of them ... the first priority is, of course, to get the few remaining hold-over pro audio projects completed and out to all of you who have aniticipated them for SO long. I also plan to finish the long awaited ''DaviSecrets'' - Tech Reports Rewrite . Along with this, I am currently archiving as many of my old anolog recordings to digital as possible and collating material for the forthcoming Mother Cleo Productions website that I hope to have active sometime this year. That in itself is QUITE a time consuming task as you can imagine. The other "big project'' that I have in the works is to finish the mobile workshop that has been planned for many years with materials for it having been accumulated for some time.
As ambitious as the above may seem, I assure you there are many other smaller projects in the works and also some time demands that will have to be addressed for several awaiting domestic projects and chores on the homefront that must be dealt with.
To make all of this actually materialize, obviously some prior plans/goals have to be addressed and downsized or eliminated. I already announced several years ago that I would no longer take on any large custom project such as mixing consoles and the like. I also stopped accepting any elaborate customizations to the standard TOOL BOXES . Now, as of this coming year, I regret to announce that I will also be adjusting the Tool Box lineup downward. That is, instead of the traditional; "clean dozen", TB-1 through TB-12, I will be cutting these offerings to about half. I haven't decided exactly which to eliminate as of yet but it will obviously be those that are most difficult and time consuming to assemble and those most difficult to source parts for. For one example, the ''forever awaited'' TB-9 that has never materialized, will be scratched from the lineup altogether....no more ''coming soon'' or ''coming one of these days''!
Another item that I am considering no longer offering, most regrettably due to the complexity and meticulous assembly required, is the classic, all wooden, DS1950 microphone! I know this will be a ''shock'' and disappointment to some but I feel it may be necessary (again, at this juncture, I haven't firmly decided on which specific items to eliminate .... those decisions will unfold as the year rolls on).
Not all of this will be ''discontinuations'' by any means....some emphasis will now be placed on some of the other areas I have offered all along but which have remained in the background. For example, in conjunction with the new forthcoming ''DaviSecrets'', I will be offering one-on-one custom design services and personal project assistance for do-it-yourselfers who would like individual custom designs and step-by-step instruction on creating them for themselves. I will also be offering more ''one-off'' unique projects from time to time and likely auction them to the highest bidder...just a shift in focus you might say. All of this will also take a bit of time to finalize and, of course, the website will need substantial reworking to accomodate the changes. Finally, there is a further development/expansion of a DaviSound YouTube channel in the works as well. So, there is, indeed, a lot on the tables for the coming year in more ways than one!
I guess I have dropped enough ''bombshells'' for one edition so I will just wind this one up by thanking all of you for your PAST support and patronage and for hanging in with me during ALL the difficult times. While the DaviSound ''landscape'' may look just a bit different for the future, I assure you that I still look forward to working for many of you and will continue to offer as many DaviSound audio components, and services, as possible for years to come!
So, Happy New Year 2023 and let's get started!
My Best Efforts,
Hayne
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