Copper


Happy St. Pat's!

Issue 54Opening Salvo

Welcome to Copper #54! Beannachtai Na Feile Padraig Oraibh! ---which is allegedly, "St. Patrick's Day Blessing Upon You!" in Gaelic. My middle name's Moore, and I am of Irish heritage, but I can't...

Read more

Spotify Files for IPO; Tower Records Founder Dies

Issue 54INDUSTRY NEWS

Back in Copper #36, we looked at the financial state of Spotify. The short story was that the number of users had grown tremendously over the preceding year, and that trend has continued:...

Unusual Madrigals

Issue 54SOMETHING OLD / SOMETHING NEW

“Madrigal” is one of those words that showed up in European music under vague circumstances, then stuck around long enough to change its meaning a few times. Most of us...

That Whose Name May Not Be Spoken

Issue 54QUIBBLES AND BITS

In every corner of life there are guilty secrets, ancient truths that are never discussed, arcane knowledge that must be kept hidden, heresies that must never be spoken.  And every...

Be Steadwell

Issue 54AND INDIE FOR ALL

Every time she opens her mouth to sing, Washington, DC-based singer/songwriter Be Steadwell exudes calm and strength. As devoted to political activism as she is to music, she has a growing...

Sandwiches of You

Issue 54MUSIC AUDIO AND OTHER ILLNESSES

A couple issues back, discussing the NAMM convention, I mentioned Kevin Godley and Lol Creme in the context of their invention: The Gizmo. I thought I might write a bit about them...

Dickens

Issue 54MUSIC'AL NOTES

“You’re going to see that wee, fat conceited bastard?” said the owner. “Why?” On one of my many trips to London to visit a hi-fi show and some of my...

We Don't Need No Education...We Don't Need No T...

Issue 54TWISTED SYSTEMS

Well, you will soon see that I disagree with that opening title but before I get into the next audio controversy let me wrap up the 3-part audio gear history...

Cables: XLR Interconnect Design

Issue 54FEATURED

In the previous article in this series, we discussed the design of an RCA interconnect, and how it’s important to have a good coaxial cable design in place before designing...

Violin + Orchestra, Part 1

Issue 54Too Much Tchaikovsky

Our story begins with Beethoven. (What else is new?) His Violin Concerto (1806) especially, because it’s the poster child for Modern Concertos in so many ways. First, he wrote it...

Rock This Town: Rockabilly, Part 2

Issue 54MUSIC TO MY EARS

During the 1960’s rockabilly was mainly heard on the nostalgia tours.  Wanda Jackson, the ‘First Lady of Rockabilly’ had a hit in 1960 with ‘Let’s Have a Party’ a remake...

Speakers Are Exhausting

Issue 54VINTAGE WHINE

“For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” For engineers, Newton’s Third Law of Motion is both blessing and curse. In audio, the law is primarily of concern...

This... Is Not That

Issue 54THE AUDIO CYNIC

There’s a term that both guides and haunts any human involved in marketing or selling not just audio, but…well, anything, really: differentiation. How is what I do/make/sell different from what everyone...

Audio Fidelity: Bobby Palomino of The Teemates,...

Issue 54THE COPPER INTERVIEW

[After the advent of the British invasion, pioneering audiophile label Audio Fidelity  took a crack at the teen market with a NY rock band, The Teemates. Part 1 of John Seetoo’s interview with singer...