Gearhead: Appreciating The Optigan 50 Years Later
These days, if you’ve got the right apps, you can recreate the sound of just about any instrument on earth. In the early 1970s, when … Read More “Gearhead: Appreciating The Optigan 50 Years Later”
Products & Gear
Get hip to the latest equipment for players and listeners alike in our Gearhead and Audio Files columns.
Gearhead: The Conn-O-Sax
It was the peak of the Roaring Twenties, and a great time to sell saxophones. More than a million of the instruments were already in … Read More “Gearhead: The Conn-O-Sax”
Audio Files: The Return of Tone Controls
Back in the 1960s, tone controls were considered a must-have feature for audio gear. But in 1974, their reputation sank when famed audio entrepreneur Mark … Read More “Audio Files: The Return of Tone Controls”
Audio Files: Is Vintage Gear Any Good?
Old hardware of any sort often carries a certain cachet. But vintage audio gear, produced from the 1950s through the 1980s, has become an obsession … Read More “Audio Files: Is Vintage Gear Any Good?”
Gearhead: NAMM 2021 Goes Virtual
As veteran JazzTimes followers know, every year around now we present a report on the annual National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, … Read More “Gearhead: NAMM 2021 Goes Virtual”
Audio Files: Making Your Room Sound Better
Every jazz fan knows that intimate clubs like the Village Vanguard sound different from large venues like Carnegie Hall. Clearly, the space we listen in … Read More “Audio Files: Making Your Room Sound Better”
Gearhead: The Roland TR-808 at 40
The Roland corporation of Japan only manufactured its TR-808 Rhythm Composer drum machine for three years, from 1980 to 1983, but that short time was … Read More “Gearhead: The Roland TR-808 at 40”
Audio Files: For the Lack of a Jack
I got a shock when I visited a T-Mobile store last May after losing my smartphone. I asked for the latest Samsung Galaxy S-series model—but … Read More “Audio Files: For the Lack of a Jack”
Gearhead: Baldwin’s Fun Machine, and Others
The world has seen quite a few peculiar electronic keyboard instruments over the years, especially from the era before digital technology. Some, like the Mellotron, … Read More “Gearhead: Baldwin’s Fun Machine, and Others”
Audio Files: Audio Products of the Year 2020
The year 2020 was a terrible one for jazz fans, with listeners forced to settle for YouTube and Facebook streams instead of the live performances … Read More “Audio Files: Audio Products of the Year 2020”
