Pics of the DeVoe Negra

I just want to thank my wife for two things. One she took her hard earned savings and helped with almost half of the cost of the guitar, and two for supporting me in commissioning Lester DeVoe to make a custom made guitar for my large hands. Thanks Kit. Click the blue words to hear the guitar.
DeVoe recorded for the first time.

It’s Hear

DeVoe Countdown its out for Delivery

The DeVoe made it to Newark NJ as of 6:19 am.

Rodney Strong

I was able to name this one Rodney Strong Single Vineyard in a blind wine taste tonight

DeVoe countdown

New Canon Gear

Just purchased a few items for my CA trip to take pics of CA Coast and Wine Country

30 Hrs to DeVoe

Just revived a confirmation from Lester DeVoe the guitar will ship tomarow and will be hear on Friday.

Neumann Mic Comming to PALM Recording Studio Soon

George on Drums at Palm Recording Studio

Neumann M 149 Tube Mic (Comming Soon)

Some pics of the Neumann M 149 Tube Mic
Hopefully this mic will be hear this weekend as well as the DeVoe go to http://www.victortarassov.com or http://www.plamrecordingstudio.com to hear what it sounds like after this weekend. Looking forward to putting the mic up the the Rode K2 Tube, sElectronics Gemini II Tube, CAD Triton 8000.

New Teavana Tea Pot

George & Sonoma

DeVoe Countdown

Colorado Case Company for the DeVoe Carlton Case

I think I am going to order one of these for the DeVoe this week. They look pretty clean and will protect the case as well as the guitar.
These premium case covers are designed to provide an R8 insulation and complete protection from the weather. These cases are made from 1000 denier Dupont Cordura and come with a lifetime warranty. The case features a large pleated pocket and a Cordura handle flap for a complete seal. Button holes for the Calton case D-rings are not cut into this cover, but instructions are provided so that you can match the cover with your case. Most case covers can also be fitted with optional pockets and backpack straps. This guitar case cover is made from our standard pattern. These covers are made in silver with black piping, though other color combinations can be ordered under “add-ons”.

DeVoe on iPhone

Maybe hear soon

DeVoe may be hear on Friday

I have know about Lester DeVoes guitars since 2000. I started to play guitar again in 2004 just for fun and at the same time was really listing allot to Ottmar Lieber, and Vicente Amigo. I love the way there guitars sound. I know I cant play like them but I did want to hear a guitar sound like that. I have heard Thomas Muchads guitar and Steve Kline. When I was studying with Dennis Koster he too was very familiar with Lester DeVoes guitars. The beauty hear too is back in 1986 when I stopped playing guitar a guy told me that what I really needed was a guitar that was built for me and my large hands then I would really tear up the guitar. Well Lester DeVoe took hand tracings of my hands and built the neck to my specks. I have been on his list for the last 3 1/2 years and it looks like I will finally have a guitar to play that will be comfortable and built for me. Im 6’8″ and my hands dont fit well into XL gloves just to give you an idea. Well just a few more days and then well I will be lost for a long time just playing the DeVoe as Ottmar Liebert told me a few years ago “Just Play”. So I will.

Made French Toast today for Breakfast

We had French Toast for breakfast. 8 Pieces of cinnamon bread, about 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup egg beaters, 1-3tsp almond extract, 3-4 tsp cinnamon, little bit butter on each peace, and 1 tst of maple syrup on each peace. Used pam on the skillet. a and about 5 tsp sugar. Hears what it looked like.

Neumann M 149 Coming to Palm Recording Studio

Just put an order in on one of these today for the studio. Hear we come
The universal high-end tube microphone with a unique sound and a comprehensive selection of settings, including 9 directional characteristics and a 7-level low-cut filter! The capsule is derived from that of the legendary U 47 and M 49.
The M 149 Tube* is a variable dual-diaphragm microphone. The K 49 capsule – well-known from the legendary U 47 and M 49 microphones – is followed by a tube functioning as an impedance converter. In contrast to earlier concepts – utilizing a transformer – the tube is complemented with a transformerless output circuit design. The M 149 Tube can thus feed long microphone cables without any coloration.

Two slide switches are located below the large, acoustically very open headgrille. The switch at the front allows selection one of nine directional patterns. The slide switch at the rear operates a seven-step high pass filter. It allows a very fine adjustment of the cut-off frequency.
Applications
There are nine polar patterns to choose from, making this microphone an ideal choice for a wide range of recording situations.

As its ancestors, the M 149 Tube is a superb vocalist microphone, not only because of the capsule, but also due to its modern circuitry, characterized by extremely low noise level.
Acoustic features
The M 149 Tube is addressed from the front, marked with the Neumann logo. Also on the front is the switch for the selection of the polar patterns.

The capsule is mounted elastically inside the headgrille to eliminate structure borne noise. The surface below the capsule is shaped like a cone to disperse any reflected sound from the acoustic upper half space. This avoids any interference with the primary sound arriving at the capsule directly.

A large headgrille surrounds the capsule. It is acoustically very open and therefore increases the sonic realism.
Polar patterns
The polar pattern switch selects one of nine directional patterns: omnidirectional, wide-angle-cardioid, cardioid, hypercardioid, figure-8, and one additional intermediate pattern between each major position.
Electrical features
The circuit of the M 149 Tube microphone has been developed to exceed traditional designs. We have selected a modern tube (triode) and combined its exceptional transmission characteristics with the advantages of our proven transformerless output circuit.

The aim was to provide a more controlled environment for the audio signal on its path from the capsule to the output section.

The final stage is an integrated amplifier, especially designed for such applications. It features very low distortion (THD < 0.002 % at ± 10 V), very low self-noise, and high output current capability.

As a result, the tube circuit is completely decoupled from the microphone output and its characteristic response curve will be unaffected by very high signal levels or varying load conditions.

The lower output impedance and higher output current capability allow cable lengths up to 300 m (1000 feet) without any degradation of the audio signal.

The tube amplifier changes the high impedance of the capsule and adds 10 dB of gain to the audio signal, providing optimum operating specifications. The wide dynamic range is impressive, as peak output can be ±10 V, at 20 mA.

The ideal operating point of the tube is maintained throughout its entire life expectancy. Plate current and filament voltage are constantly regulated. A sensor circuit monitors and compensates for any voltage drop across the microphone cable. The tube is heated up slowly through inverse current limiting to guarantee long life. Optimum operating conditions are reached within a very short time.
Filter
A seven-position slide switch is located on the back of the microphone. It selects a high-pass filter, advancing in half-octave steps between 20 Hz and 160 Hz (-3dB). This filter is useful to suppress rumble from air-conditioning and in windy situations.

In addition, the filter provides an effective tool to control the audio signal when the microphone is used at close distance and therefore proximity effect alters the program material.
Delivery Range
The specifically designed N 149 A power supply unit feeds the M 149 Tube through an 8-core cable. The output connector for the audio signal is a 3-pin XLR. The output signal is balanced.

The microphone comes as a set in an attractive aluminium case, together with the 8-core microphone connecting cable, the N 149 A power supply with plug-in mains unit, the EA 170 full elastic microphone suspension and a dust cover.
*The design of the microphone is a registered design of the Georg Neumann GmbH in certain countries.
The M 149 Tube is a large-diaphragm condenser microphone with switchable polar patterns. It is the first new ‘Tube’ microphone design from Neumann in over 30 years, and also the world’s first transformerless tube microphone. The head grill is instantly recognizable to vintage Neumann afficionados as that of the classic M 49/M 50. The capsule (K 49), also from the M 49, is a select version of the K 47 capsule from the famous U 47. The circuitry of the M 149 Tube includes a tube amplifier coupled with our FET 100 transformerless circuitry as used in our award-winning TLM 50 microphone.

We have been approached by scores of customers asking us to build again the classic U 47. Unfortunately, the VF 14 tube of the U 47 is no longer available. We have optimized the M 149 Tube to have a sound “character” very similar to the U 47. Also, by incorporating modern technology with the tube amplifier, we are able to produce a tube microphone with unprecedented specifications. The M 149 Tube has the lowest self-noise of any tube microphone on the market.

Vintage and modern technology combined!

The M 149 Tube has 9 polar patterns switchable on the microphone body. There is also a 7 position high-pass filter on the rear of the microphone body

Universal tube mic
Its warm and yet transparent sound gives volume and presence to a vocalist
A wide range of adjustments provide the most subtle differentiation of sound, especially in the range of proximity effect
Mic for broadcasting, dubbing, and voice-over
Spot mic for close miking of solo instruments, especially strings, wind instruments, and piano
These are just some of the most common applications. We recommend additional experimentation to gain maximum use from this microphone.

2007 Three Petite Sirah (Took a chance today and ordered six bottles)

Back in the 1980s, the glory days for Zinfandel, three winemakers made most of the noise; Paul Draper of Ridge Vineyards, Matt Cline of Cline Cellars and Joel Peterson of Ravenswood. There were really three things that distinguished the men and their wines. First they had a bloodhound’s knack for discovering small, old vine vineyards. Second, they understood the importance of filling their cellars with excellent examples of other varieties. Last, they were brilliant assemblers, blending splashes of Mourvedre, Carignan and Petite Sirah into their Zins to magnify aromatics, provide punch and color.

The old vine Mourvedre (or “mataro”) added aromatic complexity and breadth. The Carignan imparted color and punch. But, it was frequently the Petite Sirah that served as the secret brush stroke, coloring the mid-palate of the Zinfandels with gorgeous, succulent blackberry fruit.

Matt Cline is back on his feet, having just launched his new brand called “Three.” He’s brought with him all of his old bag of tricks, the ancient vine Zinfandel, Mourvedre and Carignan. But when he called us a couple of weeks ago, he told us that he had something new, “a Petite Sirah that will blow your socks off.” We tasted the wine last Tuesday and even the Francophiles in the room were singing praises. Here’s why.

Matt is the king of Contra Costa, the warm, sandy soil appellation that sits east of the San Francisco Bay. Cline was the first to lock up grape contracts for low yielding, ancient vine parcels that became the basis for his monumental Zinfandels at Cline Cellars. But a couple of years ago, Matt discovered a gently sloping, mature 10 acre parcel of Petite Sirah. But it was the precious Delhi sand that the vineyard was planted on that quickly convinced Cline to pull the trigger, not only contracting the grapes but agreeing to farm the land as well.

Even Cline is startled at the results. “This vineyard is only 20 years old, but Petite Sirah just needs mature vines, not always ancient vines. It’s the Delhi soil that calls attention to itself in the wine. It’s not only packed with sweet blackberry fruit, but it is the vibrancy on the palate that is distinct to Delhi.”

The wildly concentrated, yet wonderfully vibrant Petite Sirah is full of blackberry compote flavors and aromas, but it’s the finish that really charmed the tasting panel. Drink this beauty now for its primary fruit exuberance or age up to 5 years. At only $16.50/bottle for case purchases, this wine is a steal. Free shipping on 6 bottles or more. Weather permitting, wine will begin shipping the last week of September 2008.

Tasting Notes
2007 Three Petite Sirah
“Deep black/purple color. Powerfully concentrated blackberry aromas. Pure fruit. Rich, saturated blackberry and purple fruit flavors, at the same time remarkably bright and vibrant on the palate (the Delhi sand at play). Fine, firm, perfectly balanced finish with plenty of backbone to freshen up the intense concentration. Drink now for the primary fruit hedonism or age for up to 5 years.”
–WineAccess, August 2008

My Bud is back to work

Charline back to work Congrats.

I am so proud to be your pal, to see you fight and keep going. Your awesome and I cant wait to play in a few weeks. Celebrate who your are. V

Sabine AX 3000 tuner for the DeVoe Ordered today

I ordered one of these tuners on ebay today for the .
The Sabine AX3000 contact tuner features the innovative MagnaPad for mounting right on your instrument so it’s always at your fingertips and in clear view! The MagnaPad is a 21st century material with a phenomenal ability to stay put, yet it releases with a twist. It works just like a magnet. Pull the AX Tuner straight up and the tuner won’t budge. Give it a twist and the tuner comes right off.

When a music note is struck the chromatic AX3000 responds instantly, displaying the note and holding it longer for easy tuning. It grabs low notes all the way down to the bottom end of a 5-string bass, and high notes on mandolins. The new MagnaPad magnifies the note for the contact mic and the Sabine’s super-fast tuning circuit beams the note’s status to the three-color LED display. This unique IndiColor LED display combines the note indicator and sharp/flat indicator into one easy-to-read display. Each LED flashes yellow for flat, red for sharp, and green when you are in tune, and the flash rate indicates how far the note is from in-tune.

This contact chromatic tuner features Sabine’s superior tuning algorithm and works for all stringed instruments including electric and acoustic guitars, basses, banjos, violins, mandolins, dulcimers, etc. The AX3000 features a built-in, cordless contact mic, a 3-color LED display, auto-recalibration, and a hardshell DomeHome case. Includes a long-life lithium battery and a 2-year warranty.

Sonoma pooped out

Sonoma is popped out

DeVoe Countdown

Whats running on my iPhone

Sonoma running around in dog park

Sonoma running. Sonoma and I went to the Mercer County Park where they have a dog park for 35lbs and over and another park for under 35lbs Sonoma is 14-16lbs. She was the only one in the park for about 10 min and then another dog came and they ran around until her tongue was ready to fall off.

Villa Maria Restaurant & Pizzeria Hamiltion Township NJ

A great place for lunch had the Brooklyn style Pizza. Very nice thin crust with mouth watering marinara sauce and then just a bit of mozzarella cheese.

DeVoe Count Down

Palm Studio Sets up for more filming tomorrow

A few pics from the Studio.

Yoda Visits Palm Recording Studio Again

This time he wanted to do some mixing

AES 2008 Nov 3 Will be there in San Fran