Copper


Digital in an Analog World

Issue 170Opening Salvo

We are greatly saddened to report the passing of Chris Sommovigo on August 15, 2022, from a cardiac event. He was most recently associated with Black Cat Cables, and had...

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World Music

Issue 170Audio Anthropology

Written by Frank Doris From the Museum of the Hard to Believe: a 1970s ADC Accutrac 4000, featuring computerized playback of any track, even in random order! The 4000 had...

Under My Skin: An Interview With Journalist Eli...

Issue 170Idle Chatter

As a direct representative of an era steeped in glitz and glamor, journalist Elise Krentzel’s journey through the entangled jungle of rock music is one of dreams, determination, and perseverance....

The Colors of Music: Synesthetic Artist Melissa...

Issue 170The Copper Interview

We’ll begin this article by having artist Melissa McCracken give us a short introduction to synesthesia and how it inspires her artwork. Melissa McCracken: Synesthesia is a neurological condition in...

The Times They Are a-Changin’!

Issue 170To Be Determined

I’ve been absent for a couple of issues, and I wanted to let everyone know that I haven’t completely faded away…at least, not yet! In previous issues of Copper, I’d...

Confessions of a CD Addict, Circa 1986

Issue 170Featured

File under “what comes around, goes around.” I wrote the following unpublished piece in 1986, found unexpectedly after going through old computer files. The deja vu of my music consumption...

Breaking News: HD Vinyl Enters Bankruptcy (and ...

Issue 170Revolutions Per Minute

Over the past 130 years or so, very little has changed in disk recording, mastering and record manufacturing. The shift from acoustic recording to electrical recording took place in the...

High-Quality Audio In Clubland

Issue 170Eureka Moments

When was the last time you went to a really trendy dance club? How about one that caters to an in-the-know young crowd? What about one of New York City’s...

T.H.E. Show 2022 Report, Part Two

Issue 170Show Report

The reasons for audio shows are basically to sell product. Am I being too cynical? Perhaps, but almost everyone involved needs to have a positive ROI (return on investment), a...

Back to My Reel-to-Reel Roots, Part 21: The Bes...

Issue 170Natural Born Kessler

With the myriad changes which have inevitably affected audio pursuits over the years – the return of vinyl, the decline in the numbers of print magazines and hi-fi shops –...

Duncan Sheik: From Barely Breathing to Broadway...

Issue 170Disciples of Sound

Some of the most interesting paths in music (and in life for that matter) come with winding turns and heading into peaks and valleys. Few know that better than Duncan...

Floating Over CES

Issue 170True-Life Rock Tales

It was explained to me that Penthouse magazine would not be using manufacturer’s product shots, because they did not want “Technomania’s” content to look like any other magazines. (The story of how they...

On The Road: Recording The Stars in a Golden Er...

Issue 170Book Review

When it comes to live albums, many music fans have a wide variety of personal favorites. A large cross-section of top choices would likely include recordings from David Bowie, Jackson...

Where the Streets Have No Name

Issue 170Parting Shot

You want me to go where? Taken at Fort Bragg, California.

My Retail Customers: Of Chalk and Cheese

Issue 170Featured

Working in retail perhaps may better be thought of as a portal to another world, another dimension of possibilities and unexpected outcomes. I thought it would be fun to share...

Octave Records Releases The Complete Bach Cello...

Issue 170Octave Pitch

PS Audio’s Octave Records label is honored to tell everyone that The Complete Bach Cello Suites by world-renowned cellist Zuill Bailey is now available as a four-LP vinyl box set...

Pilgrimage to Sturgis, Part 28

Issue 170New Vistas

Written by B. Jan Montana     It was after 10 when Chip shook me awake the next morning. “Take a shower, Montana, Candy will soon have breakfast ready.” I...

Around the World In 80 Lathes, Part 20

Issue 170Revolutions Per Minute

By the 1970s, disk recording had pretty much disappeared from all sectors, with the sole exception of cutting masters for the industrial manufacturing of vinyl records. Radio stations had moved...

Talk Talk Talking About the Psychedelic Furs

Issue 170Off the Charts

Part of post-punk’s essential nature was to acknowledge that musical genres were not generated spontaneously but developed through history. The Butler brothers – Richard on vocals and Tim on bass...

Lemons Rally: Rust Belt Ramble, Part Two

Issue 170Featured

Day Two: “Big Bucket, Big Bridges, Big Tree, Big Day” A big day indeed, as we would travel through parts of three states today. As it turned out, the bulk...

Orlande de Lassus: Magnificent Music for Voice

Issue 170Something Old / Something New

One of the most astonishing periods of European music history was the 16th century, when composers like Josquin Des Prez and Giovanni Palestrina rocketed polyphonic vocal writing to new levels...

Tape Versus Vinyl

Issue 170Deep Dive

In my previous articles, I have alluded to the fact that there are many factors that determine the sound quality of an LP. The quality of the original recording is...