I spoke to Scott Sehlin today. He's offered to bring the Samson beast amp again. Sooooooooo, it appears that we have plenty of amps headed to Iowa. I really like the idea of having multiple tube amps in attendance as well. I think it would be fun to have a tube amp rotation on Friday night or even Saturday after the official show.
THANK YOU to everyone who has offered to bring front end components. I think we should proceed as follows for the front end:
Bill @4thtry - Speaker stands
John @jhollander - Emotiva XDA-2 Pre
Ron - @Ron_E - Denon DVD-1920
Scott - @ScottS - Samson amplifier
I will have the house track on CD and we will do it old school and spin discs this year, so please have your demo music burned to CD ahead of time. Same format as prior years - 5 minutes for the house track and 5 minutes for the presenter's tunes. We should have plenty of time for Q&A, but let's try to limit each presenter's time slot to no longer than 20 minutes on Saturday.
I welcome any comments/suggestions, etc. Many thanks guys!!
Ya'll are the best. I believe I will pack my Emo amp as a backup, but just to make sure we have our nut covered we will need to remember to have the following:
Speaker cables - we usually use 12awg with nanners on one end.
Power cords for amps, preamps, transports.
Interconnects - will need at least two pair, plus I will bring my laptop and a USB DAC (if anyone wants to stream or has their demo on thumb drive). I will provide a 3.5mm to RCA for that.
A couple of power strips and extension cords. Personally, I only buy and use 12awg cords but truth be told at the shorter runs typical in these rooms any old cord will suffice.
I will bring a tool bag with screwdrivers, wire strippers, multimeter, etc. We seem to have at least one incident per year that warrants this.
I will bring some masks for those who want to wear them, and I am certainly not going to discourage that.
A larger cooler with beverages would be helpful, as well - water, pop, beers. It is my understanding the little bar in the hotel is not currently open (too bad, that was actually one of my favorite hotel bar experiences. I have done a lot of traveling the last five years, and that little booze nook is still associated with my happiest memories of hotel bars).
I will not be eating at that seafood restaurant. That was a terrible experience not worth another chance. When Mrs. JR and I left Ankeny in 2019, we took the highway out of town dead West and discovered plenty of places to eat just a mile or three from the hotel. My Sorento has three row seating; the back row is really difficult for grown ass men to get into, but for the brave or limber among us I am sure we can haul you out to dinner.
When the missus and I took our vacation in 2019, we stopped at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake (Buddy Holly's last gig) but skipped the crash site. We plan on hitting the crash site this year on Friday morning, so plan on me being a little verklempt Friday afternoon. Nothing a few pilsners can't fix, though.
So I have a huge pile of stuff for the swap meet. It is not going back with me. Ani staked a claim on the 15" pro woofers.
Anyways, guys - looking forward to this. Been too long.
I'll be bringing the stuff I had for sale in August for those of you that made purchases. JR, any chance you can haul 2 amps home for hifiside if he doesn't make it to Ankeny?
@Ron_E said:
I'll be bringing the stuff I had for sale in August for those of you that made purchases. JR, any chance you can haul 2 amps home for hifiside if he doesn't make it to Ankeny?
Ron
I’ll be there its looking like. Wife went hunting this weekend instead. I’m only bringing one pair of cheap speakers this year, no time to finish anything else.
@PWRRYD said:
Don't forget JR that you will be hauling home all those drivers I got in Indiana for you and Nick....
Am I the lucky Nick you speak of ?
Yes you Nick from SD. That quad of Vifa PJ's and those Vifa tweeters. JR has some Rat Shack drivers as well. All good in the hood...
Awww , well shit man , thank you ! Im not familiar with the PJ series. Not sure yet and waiting on the boss to come up with this months work schedule , I would like to go and hoping Im not stuck on weekend shift.
Sorry, four Vifa P17WJ-0-08 and a pair of Vifa D27TG-05-06.
@PWRRYD said:
Scott Sehlin has that really nice Sampson amp we've used before. You coming this year Scott?
I have my ClassDaudio amp I built, 125 wpc @ 8 ohms and 250 wpc @ 4 ohms. Not sure if everyone would consider it "HiFi" enough... I do. It's clean and powerful
My reservation is made. The Samson amp is ready for another road trip as well.
Keep an open mind, but don't let your brain fall out.
I just found out I'm being sent out of state next Mon-Thurs to shoot a bunch of commercials. Won't get home until late Thursday night. Great....now I'm not going to have my latest project ready in time. I was counting on those weeknights to work on the crossovers. I'll bring it along, but may need some help on Friday night to get these things sounding decent.
Here's where I'm at with these. It's my first time working with raw veneer. I found out I chose a particularly hard to work with burled species - after I ordered it. Needless to say I need to fill a few little edge cracks...then flush trim the baffles...then finishing, then paint the baffles....
This was my first time using Heat Lock. It worked out even better than I had hoped. I read madrone was hard to work with and prone to slitting, so I used Super Soft veneer softener. The veneer arrived pretty darn flat but any moisture, even the softener, caused it to ripple. I'm quite surprised I got this stuff to flatten out.
Dang it JR - I was hoping you could at least sand these baffles for me!
@PWRRYD said:
Don't forget JR that you will be hauling home all those drivers I got in Indiana for you and Nick....
Am I the lucky Nick you speak of ?
Yes you Nick from SD. That quad of Vifa PJ's and those Vifa tweeters. JR has some Rat Shack drivers as well. All good in the hood...
Those Vifa/SS PJ's are almost NLA's and I've been considering getting four of them before they hit the dusty trail. If you're interested in a sale/swap/trade/barter/etc I'd be delighted to discuss it with you. - just let me know Nick!
Hello fellow DIY folks. Can y’all chime in if you are attending/presenting next weekend? I’d like to get a confirmation of expected turnout. Thank you kindly.
I plan to arrive by about 2 to 3pm or so on Friday with just one pair of speakers (small stand mount 2-ways). I'll also be bringing one small tube amplifier, a pair of speaker stands, and a stack of tent cards.
I should arrive about the same time as Bill. I plan to bring two pairs to demo. I can also bring my big tube amp to play with Nick's (ugly_woofer) three ways w/wo Z comp.
I should be there Friday afternoon - bringing one pair, the Dynaco tube amp, and maybe even the little TCP/DX20 with my attempt at a series crossover to play with on Friday.
Please remember, we will be spinning CDs this year so please have your presenter tunes prepared on a CD. If you show up with a thumb drive, yes, we will be able to burn your tracks to CD. However, I’d rather not spend Friday night burning a bunch of demos. It’s been way too long and I plan to be chatting it up and having fun with DIY friends.
Comments
I spoke to Scott Sehlin today. He's offered to bring the Samson beast amp again. Sooooooooo, it appears that we have plenty of amps headed to Iowa. I really like the idea of having multiple tube amps in attendance as well. I think it would be fun to have a tube amp rotation on Friday night or even Saturday after the official show.
THANK YOU to everyone who has offered to bring front end components. I think we should proceed as follows for the front end:
Bill @4thtry - Speaker stands
John @jhollander - Emotiva XDA-2 Pre
Ron - @Ron_E - Denon DVD-1920
Scott - @ScottS - Samson amplifier
I will have the house track on CD and we will do it old school and spin discs this year, so please have your demo music burned to CD ahead of time. Same format as prior years - 5 minutes for the house track and 5 minutes for the presenter's tunes. We should have plenty of time for Q&A, but let's try to limit each presenter's time slot to no longer than 20 minutes on Saturday.
I welcome any comments/suggestions, etc. Many thanks guys!!
Ya'll are the best. I believe I will pack my Emo amp as a backup, but just to make sure we have our nut covered we will need to remember to have the following:
Speaker cables - we usually use 12awg with nanners on one end.
Power cords for amps, preamps, transports.
Interconnects - will need at least two pair, plus I will bring my laptop and a USB DAC (if anyone wants to stream or has their demo on thumb drive). I will provide a 3.5mm to RCA for that.
A couple of power strips and extension cords. Personally, I only buy and use 12awg cords but truth be told at the shorter runs typical in these rooms any old cord will suffice.
I will bring a tool bag with screwdrivers, wire strippers, multimeter, etc. We seem to have at least one incident per year that warrants this.
I will bring some masks for those who want to wear them, and I am certainly not going to discourage that.
A larger cooler with beverages would be helpful, as well - water, pop, beers. It is my understanding the little bar in the hotel is not currently open (too bad, that was actually one of my favorite hotel bar experiences. I have done a lot of traveling the last five years, and that little booze nook is still associated with my happiest memories of hotel bars).
I will not be eating at that seafood restaurant. That was a terrible experience not worth another chance. When Mrs. JR and I left Ankeny in 2019, we took the highway out of town dead West and discovered plenty of places to eat just a mile or three from the hotel. My Sorento has three row seating; the back row is really difficult for grown ass men to get into, but for the brave or limber among us I am sure we can haul you out to dinner.
When the missus and I took our vacation in 2019, we stopped at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake (Buddy Holly's last gig) but skipped the crash site. We plan on hitting the crash site this year on Friday morning, so plan on me being a little verklempt Friday afternoon. Nothing a few pilsners can't fix, though.
So I have a huge pile of stuff for the swap meet. It is not going back with me. Ani staked a claim on the 15" pro woofers.
Anyways, guys - looking forward to this. Been too long.
Double-checked with the hotel:
Lounge/bar is still closed and they do not anticipate it reopening this year.
Breakfast buffet is still happening, so we will be able to score some free food on Saturday and Sunday morning.
The Cazador is our favorite Mexican restaurant in the world and is just off the next exit north. https://cazadorankeny.com/
Ron
I'll be bringing the stuff I had for sale in August for those of you that made purchases. JR, any chance you can haul 2 amps home for hifiside if he doesn't make it to Ankeny?
Ron
Love me some good Mexican food! Count me in for that.
Don't forget JR that you will be hauling home all those drivers I got in Indiana for you and Nick....
I’ll be there its looking like. Wife went hunting this weekend instead. I’m only bringing one pair of cheap speakers this year, no time to finish anything else.
https://www.jfcomponents.com/
Yes you Nick from SD. That quad of Vifa PJ's and those Vifa tweeters. JR has some Rat Shack drivers as well. All good in the hood...
I’m in for this as well. Sounds great.
Sorry, four Vifa P17WJ-0-08 and a pair of Vifa D27TG-05-06.
My reservation is made. The Samson amp is ready for another road trip as well.
Sehlin Sound Solutions
I just found out I'm being sent out of state next Mon-Thurs to shoot a bunch of commercials. Won't get home until late Thursday night. Great....now I'm not going to have my latest project ready in time. I was counting on those weeknights to work on the crossovers. I'll bring it along, but may need some help on Friday night to get these things sounding decent.
Here's where I'm at with these. It's my first time working with raw veneer. I found out I chose a particularly hard to work with burled species - after I ordered it. Needless to say I need to fill a few little edge cracks...then flush trim the baffles...then finishing, then paint the baffles....
Nice veneer, what did you use for adhesive ?
Tom, we are not going to spackle and stain your speakers
This was my first time using Heat Lock. It worked out even better than I had hoped. I read madrone was hard to work with and prone to slitting, so I used Super Soft veneer softener. The veneer arrived pretty darn flat but any moisture, even the softener, caused it to ripple. I'm quite surprised I got this stuff to flatten out.
Dang it JR - I was hoping you could at least sand these baffles for me!
Curious what the rectangular tweeter is...
And everytime I've thought of using burled veneer I've chickened out
You know the tweeter! I've had these waiting patiently on the shelf since Oct of 2018....
Those Vifa/SS PJ's are almost NLA's and I've been considering getting four of them before they hit the dusty trail. If you're interested in a sale/swap/trade/barter/etc I'd be delighted to discuss it with you. - just let me know Nick!
Hello fellow DIY folks. Can y’all chime in if you are attending/presenting next weekend? I’d like to get a confirmation of expected turnout. Thank you kindly.
I plan to arrive by about 2 to 3pm or so on Friday with just one pair of speakers (small stand mount 2-ways). I'll also be bringing one small tube amplifier, a pair of speaker stands, and a stack of tent cards.
I'll be there Friday with the Mnemosyne build.
I should arrive about the same time as Bill. I plan to bring two pairs to demo. I can also bring my big tube amp to play with Nick's (ugly_woofer) three ways w/wo Z comp.
I'll be attending, but not presenting
I should be there Friday afternoon - bringing one pair, the Dynaco tube amp, and maybe even the little TCP/DX20 with my attempt at a series crossover to play with on Friday.
I'll be there with 2 or 3 pairs and the emo pre/ DAC about 2-3 PM Friday.
Please remember, we will be spinning CDs this year so please have your presenter tunes prepared on a CD. If you show up with a thumb drive, yes, we will be able to burn your tracks to CD. However, I’d rather not spend Friday night burning a bunch of demos. It’s been way too long and I plan to be chatting it up and having fun with DIY friends.