Reply With QuoteThat is truly wonderful stuff! Thank you for posting.
I hereby designate you Alan "Brains" Shaw, the intrepid engineer.
What got me hooked on audio .....
Our youngest son obviously hasn't much to occupy him at university as he's just sent me this wonderful link.
It is a fact that Supercar which was followed by Fireball XL5, then Stingray and Thunderbirds (1964) were the primary technology influence in my life. In particular - and I'll try and find a picture - the tape recorders in Thunderbird 5 absolutely fascinated me at the age of seven. So much so, that I drew them on card board and stuck them on the inside of my bedroom wardrobe. All these made-for-TV mini-movies were produced by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson in a small factory unit (like Harbeth's) just outside London. To make it palatable to the USA market (critical for sales) all the character voices were American.
Lovingly made for very little money, Stingray and Thunderbirds have stood the test of time because of the strength of the dialogue. You can listen to them (they used to be available on 45 record) without seeing the pictures and the dialogue is perfect and complete. And Barry Gray's atmospheric music - fantastic!
Here are some links:
Supercar (1961-2)
Fireball XL5 (the real start for me - I wish I'd kept my XL5 rocket toy)
Stingray (Interesting note: Stingray was the first TV series filmed in colour in the UK and was initially broadcast in B&W before the colour TV service started. The technical quality of the filming was of such a high standard that Stingray was - and may still be - used around the world as a colour test transmission.
Thunderbirds intro
Our favourite TV
How Thunderbirds (and Stingray) was made
oh and here, the interplay between secret agent Lady Penelope and her pretentious butler, Parker, an ex-criminal himself. Sylvia Anderson voiced lady Penelope and what a beautiful tone and annunciation she had which made a comedic contrast with Parker's rough-diamond tones.
Happy days!
Alan
Alan A. Shaw
Designer, owner
Harbeth Audio UK
That is truly wonderful stuff! Thank you for posting.
I hereby designate you Alan "Brains" Shaw, the intrepid engineer.
We must be about the same age Alan!
What got me interested? One of the school music masters had his own Ferrrograph reel to reel tape recorder.
A science master had a Quad II / Garrard 301 setup. At home he had Quad ELS57s (which I never saw or heard), but when he brought the system to school for use in the hall he had a pair of folded horn speakers that really chucked it out.
He left teaching to run his own Club and Disco!
The knobs, switches and the lettering. Trying to figure out what switch did what. The smelly hot Leak gear my father had (with a cool orange illumination at the bottom), an old Garrard 301 (which was disassembled and now fashioned as a bird perch, Strobe indicators are cool as well). The tuner with the cat eyes which were intriguing enough to be stared at forever, but like Labrabum, reel to reels did it for me. My father had a Harting tape recorder which was used to record BBC broadcasts to the east, (not sure if on LW or MW). Some of these recordings (mystery and irony themes) have been transferred to cassette and they are crystal clear. Speakers were never a turn on. They are just too boring. Think the first one I came across was a goodmans, only known when it was ripped out of its cabinet years later.
I would just like a few words in my defence. I am said "youngest son" in my final year of studies (with literally weeks to go) and have spent many more hours in the library than my own very cosy double bed since October. Therefore, the occasional foray into the wonderful world of YouTube, I believe, is fully deserved. And of course the odd listen to my MK 1 Monitor 20's!
Back to the books...(not YouTube)
"Cosy double bed"? Umm. Look son - fatherly advice here - you really need to get stuck in to those studies of yours. I am expecting - correction we - are expecting great things to justify the near ruinous financial contribution I've made these past twenty one years ..... someone has to look after me in my old age and guess what? That someone is you! Back to the grindstone then.
Alan A. Shaw
Designer, owner
Harbeth Audio UK
Well,
'Oldies but Goldies" are always looked after throughout their lives. Some of them have that "blessed & cursed" (a widely used phrase in my country) duty to work and advise 'till their very old age, everybody loves and admires such a gift...
You are still very very young to think about retirement, I suggest you'd better forget it, if you don't, thousands of HUG members around the world will come and carry a huge protesting march in Lindfield's main street...
To sweeten both your memory and future, I remind you the case of Sir Thomas Octave Murdoch Sopwith, who was the Brit's most brilliant aviation pioneer (Hawker Siddeley Aviation, etc.) and a true legend (Hawker Hurricane & the Battle of Britain). He lived 101 years!!! He kept being occupied with aviation issues to his last day!
So, while Dave is just a "click" before starting, you are just a few yards ahead of him, thus you have such a looooooooong way to go... Naturally with our warmest wishes...
Now, carry on, and -as we're living the so called space age- may the force be with you!
Regards,
Thanos
Test message please ignore
Harbeth PR,
Harbeth UK
How could we possibly ignore Harbeth!Originally Posted by harbethpr
Alan captured on Google map!
Ho ho!
We just found Alan captured twice by the Google street view mapping software ..... you have 180 degree control over your viewpoint. Try it!
Sitting on a park bench and eating his lunch reading a book (keep going forwards with the up arrow until you find him)... here
Walking across the cricket pitch back towards his silver estate car (zoom in to middle of picture to see him on the grass) ... here
Pictures taken summer 2009 we think.
Harbeth PR,
Harbeth UK
Thanks - wonderful to have such clear and detailed views of the home of Harbeth. Really brings it to life.
Any chance of speaking to the Google people and seeing if they'll map right to your door, and maybe even inside the factory? It would be a new concept and I expect they'd charge for it, but given that they make their living from ad revenue, who knows, they might be open to it.
Would be fascinating not only to see the environs but even get a tour of Harbeth's operations via Google Maps.
Relentless pursuit of audio reproduction
The reason for my audio passion was a relentless desire to reproduce 'live' music and to bring it to my living room. I recognise that not even the best audio equipment and speakers can exactly recreate the Music Hall or Jazz Club but with Harbeth speakers, the connection is close as one can egt to the live event. Contradictory as it may sound, the reason that got me hooked on audio is also the reason that got me 'off' audio. For my years in the wilderness, I kept chasing the latest audio fancy and in the process lost the essence of my audio journey, that is, the enjoyment of music per se.
Hear, hear! I agree. The really good equipment, I find, is equipment that doesn't draw attention to itself, but to the music. Harbeths fall into that category, for me.
In my case, I was introduced to audio and music at the same time as a (very) young child via my dad's Wharfdale speakers (this was in the 1960s, well pre-Harbeth), Schaub-Lorenz receiver (a German product, I think) and Dual turntable. At age 3, my two favourite pieces of music were Roll Over Beethoven (Beatles version) and Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, both of which I loved equally and would respond to with equal enthusiasm.
Segovia once said "the only thing that exists between my fingers and the strings is my sentiment..." You are connected the same way with music. The players play for themselves, they interprete and mostly present their skills, so don't get it wrong, there is no personal connection with today's vast or unknown audiences. At home, the machines -being a medium- will help you to bridge up your energy field and sentimental balances with the composition and the composer's intention. The passion for audio has nothing to do with this intimate, and -for the common man- complicated (as to understanding the mechanism) relation, as it presents a kind of neurosis (IMHO). If you were a survivor in a unknown island somewhere in the Pacific, having saved also a small transistor radio with some batteries, and could be tuned to some distant station listening to some music, this little machine would be for you more precious than the most expensive super system in your town apartment, isn't it true?
I first listened to Holst's "planets" at the age of 14 through a small transistor in my bedroom. I got ecstatic, feeling alone in the universe, travelling like a lonely starship... Today I listen it again through a Meridian, a McIntosh and my SHL5s! Where is the difference? I must preserve myself, my soul intact so to "travel" into the endless universe -through music or "per se" as you mention- and then better relocate my humble existence between humans. But, anyway, we all deserve a good (even expensive) system when getting older... Life's so short, so tenderly accept this mortal luxury!
Nevertheless, you're a university professor, so you are the most important person to explain these values to youngsters!
Warm Regards,
Thanos
Thanos: Thanks for your sharing. Indeed, Carpe Diem! A good system need not be expensive, as I have unfortunately found out the hard way! If I had my time all over again, I would settle with a simple system (which will include Harbeth speakers, probably the P3ESR), forget about all the audiophile terminologies and simply enjoy the music! I am quite attracted with Alan's philosophy to keep things honest but simple!
As for sharing my philosophy with the young, it is a real challenge as I believe we live in an age and environment where people are 'encouraged' to throw away rather than conserve, preserve and enjoy! I recently took my perfectly useable 7 year old Nokia phone for servicing and a replacement case and was quite disturbed with the attidtude of the service consultant who looked at me disparingly, wondering what I was doing with an antiquated phone!! I am afraid that this is the attitude of most other service centres I know, including audio equipment! That is one of the reasons why I am attracted to Harbeth's philosophy!
You know, this is exactly the reason why I believe in Harbeth (aside from how lovely they sound, of course). Personally I find this culture of disposable consumerism disdainful and harmful to our environment and value system. Look at how things were made, say 30 or 40 years ago. They were built to last. Sometimes I get the nagging feeling that manufacturers are deliberately designing a use by date so that their products require replacing every other year.
Major TV manufacturers were already touting "HD Ready" LCD tvs even before a HD signal was ever sent into broadcast in this country. They weren't even true HD, and the next thing you know, you've got to "upgrade" to a 1080p true HD screen.
Harbeth's philosophies do not pander to fads, and rightly so.
Last edited by timleety; 19-03-2010 at 02:32 AM. Reason: typo
But there were HD DVD players.Major TV manufacturers were already touting "HD Ready" LCD tvs even before a HD signal was ever sent into broadcast in this country.
If only someone could invent a device to 'upscale' the acting, plots & character development to match the picture quality...
Don't get it wrong, we're not tech-talking... There is a very hot, sad and tough reality into the core of our thoughts here:
Humans gave up the fine cotton washable towels they used with economy, and adopted paper one-use tissues...
This philosophy (better: practice) will prove disastrous in our future... You know what? This destroys our C.C.C.C. (= Care, Creativity, Continuity, Charisma!). Doesn't it?
And all this situation, for what? For profit making... Is this a real value for the civilised man?
Greetinngs,
Thanos
It's called capitalism, Thanos.
Which is what we're taking issue with, Stephen. Albeit in its overt form.
Posting Permissions