Audio Technica AT-HA20 Headphone Amplifier Review

Aloha!

I avoid doing reviews on stuff that I cannot find any research material for, but I am going to make an exception for a neat headphone amplifier that I picked up in a secondhand store in Japan. Today we are looking at an Audio Technica AT-HA20, which I believe was never sold in the States.

I did not have a chance to try out this unit in the store, and have to admit I was initially puzzled by its appearance. Why stick a clear top on this thing if there is so much empty space inside, with nothing much to see? Then I plugged it in and had a moment of clarity. It turns out that the factory put a bad-ass blue LED inside so it lights up the cavernous interior and entertains the user. ‘Nuff said.

This amplifier has a clean appearance, with a machined aluminum case and the aforementioned clear top. The user interfaces on the front are kept to a minimum, with a power switch, ¼-inch and 1/8-inch outputs, and a volume control. On the back are stereo RCA inputs and outputs. The whole thing is powered by a hefty AC adaptor, and there is no battery option for this baby. It is really easy to set-up -- just find a 1/8-inch to RCA adaptor and you are good to go.

Beside not having a battery compartment, the size of the AT-HA20 keeps this from being a portable unit. It measures in around 1 ¾ x 4 1/8 x 6 inches, and it weighs a little under a pound. This is a good size for the desk, as it does not take up too much real estate, and Audio Technica put rubber feet on the side too so you can stand it on end if you want to.

The amp requires 500mA of power at 12 V, so it is not a real power hog. It has a maximum rated power stereo output of 100mW per channel at 32Ω with a total harmonic distortion of 0.5%. During normal usage at a more reasonably 20mW output, the THD drops down to less than 0.08%. The rated frequency response is 10 to 100,000Hz.

One of the reasons I use a headphone amplifier is to increase the volume when using high-impedance headphones with my laptop or iPod. The AT-HA20 does an admirable job of this, and the 64-ohm Sennheiser HD280 Pro cans that I use at work have plenty of output when running them with this amplifier.

The other reason I prefer to use a headphone amp is to improve the overall tone that I hear, and this is a lot harder to quantify and describe. But, with the added headroom, a lot more detail becomes evident, and to some degree the circuits will alter the overall sound of the source music. I find that theAT-HA20 is amazingly neutral and does not add much color to the sound, with a mild boost in mids and perhaps a slight increase in sibilance.

So, this amplifier also spruces up the sound of headphones that are maybe not too great, like my cheap-o Sennheiser HD 201s. It enhances the weaker registers, and gives the phones a more balanced overall tone. Overall, this was one of my better secondhand store finds, and it has taken up permanent residence on my desk.

After doing a search online, I am pretty sure that the Audio Technica AT-HA20 has been discontinued, but there is still some old stock out there, and a guy in Hong Kong is selling them $116 on eBay (with free shipping). If you have been jonesing for a headphone amp, this might be a good place to start.

Mahalo!

2nd Quarter of 2013 Inventory Update

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The first quarter is over, and it looks like I need to have a garage sale to make some room out in the studio, so if you see anything here that strikes your fancy, let me know. Drop me a line if you see something that interests you, but don’t wait too long or you might miss out…

Basses: (it makes sense to start out here, as this is Rex and the Bass)

∙ Fender JV Serial 1957 Precision Bass re-issue, 1970 Precision Bass re-issue, Sting Precision Bass and MIJ Fender Marcus Miller Jazz Bass

∙ Sadowsky NYC Ultra Vintage P Bass

∙ Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray 4 with a 2-band EQ

∙ Spruce top and mahogany top Kala U-Basses

Electric Guitars:

∙ Yamaha SA-700 Super Axe

∙ MIJ Fender Telecaster Sonny, and two black CIJ Fender Stratocaster 1962 re-issues

∙ Gibson Les Paul Standard

Acoustic Guitars

∙ Martin D-28 and D-18GE

∙ Simon and Patrick Songsmith Dreadnaught

∙ Epiphone Masterbilt AJ-500RE and AJ-500ME

∙ Kala solid mahogany soprano and tenor ukuleles

Amplifiers:

∙ Genz Benz Shuttle 6.0 12-T with extension cabinet

∙ Ampeg SVT Classic with an Ampeg 810 Classic Cabinet

∙ Ampeg V4B

Check in again on July 1 to see what has made the cut. I am motivated to make some room, so you know it will be different!

Mahalo!

Bonnie Bishop Free Album Review

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This CD review was originally published in the November 8, 2012 edition of Blues Blast Magazine. Be sure to check out the rest of the magazine at thebluesblast.com

Bonnie Bishop – Free

Self released through Be Squared Records

7 tracks / 28:26

If you Google Bonnie Bishop you will find out that she is a country rock singer and songwriter out of Nashville, so you will be in for quite a surprise when you listen to her new CD, Free. This is not country music, but it certainly does rock in a soulful and bluesy way.

Bonnie earned her stripes in the Texas club scene and cut four albums before heading to Nashville to make a run at being a songwriter. She has developed into quite a good songwriter, and recently had one of her songs recorded by Bonnie Raitt (one of her inspirations, by the way). Her latest CD Free is really more of an EP, with seven tracks and a total play time of less than thirty minutes, but they are all original tunes and she had a hand in writing all of them. She is joined on this recording by Jimmy Wallace on keys, Steve Mackey on bass, Fred Eltringham on drums. The electric and acoustic guitars were played by Rob McNelley and Sam Hawksley. This tight group of musicians illustrates why so many artists choose to record in Nashville, where the talent pool is so very deep.

“Keep Using Me” is the first track, and we get a strong dose of Jimmy Wallace on honky-tonk piano and B3 and some tasteful bass work from Mackey on the bass, but the real star is Bishop’s voice. I have seen other writers compare her to Janis Joplin and Bonnie Raitt, and though I do not think she sounds like them I do think that she has the same energy and presence as these iconic singers. I do not know exactly how to categorize this song, but the backing vocals and the story of a woman done wrong tip it over into the realm of soul for me.

Next up is another song that is hard to fit into any one genre, “Shrinking Violet.” This one is equal parts funk and country rock. The distorted slide guitars on this one are brilliant, and Eltringham really keeps this one moving with his driving drums. There is continuity of the lyrics that carries over from the first song to this one, and you will find that Bonnie Bishop is not afraid to approach personal subjects and that she has quite a lyrical way of stringing words together.

The title track is a beautifully arranged ballad that slowly builds with piano, strings and a background choir. As “Free” starts out, we get to hear Bonnie’s voice with a lot of the background stripped way, and it is breathtakingly emotional. If a household-name artist had recorded this song, you would hear it every 10 minutes on pop radio, and tomorrow’s stars would be covering it on some reality television talent show. That is how good it is.

Halfway through Free the mood lightens up for “Bad Seed,” the only real country tune on the CD. This one uses the country music time-honored tradition of telling a story as a song, interspersed with a nifty chorus here and there. This is a super catchy tune, and with Bishop’s rip-roaring vocals it should also be very radio-friendly.

“World Like This” is a hopeful ballad that gets a dose of Hammond and choir to make this a fresh gospel tune. By slowing things down the listener a chance to hear the message of the lyrics, and to consider the context of love in today’s society. “The Best Songs Come from Broken Hearts” builds on this, starting slowly and gaining momentum with her voice sounds time-worn that adds an extra shot of honesty to this song. Free finishes up on an inspirational note with “Right Where You Are,” which is a lively tone with hammering drums and a rocking bass line. This song is soul, gospel and rock, and with the way it was recorded it almost comes off as a live track.

If she was looking for work as a songwriter, Free is the best resume that Bonnie Bishop could submit. The lyrics are personal and poignant, and the music is rich and catchy; it does not hurt that she has a great voice, a terrific band and good studio production. I am glad that she produced a shorter release with consistently good content rather than adding obligatory cover tunes or songs that were not ready for prime time. Free is a winner and you should give it a listen.

Mahalo!

World of Strings, 1962 to 2013

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This week I heard of the not unexpected demise of my favorite local music shop, Long Beach’s World of Strings. I have been patronizing this establishment since the 1970s, when my mom would take me there to get my cello worked on.

This has been one of my favorite local haunts ever since, and in recent years I had nothing but great experiences with the multitude of guitars that I took in there for repairs or set-up. Greg, Brian, Chris and Pharaoh always did me right, and I appreciate their luthier skills as well as their humor and friendship.

World of Strings opened up in 1962 on 7th Street in Long Beach, moved across the street in 1970 and was there until the day it closed. Of course they sold strings, but there was a lot more to their inventory. They carried guitars and amplifiers, but they also had a nice inventory of violins, violas, cellos and basses, as well as mandolins, ukuleles, dulcimers and more. They were a Marquis Martin guitar dealer and service center, and carried a lot of the major brands, which says something about a small store in a bad neighborhood.

The neighborhood and the dismal parking situation certainly did not help business, and combining the fiscal downturn a few years back with another insurmountable problem, I guess they could just no longer make a go of it. Now that World of Strings and Whittaker Music are gone, there really are not any good music stores left in Long Beach. The next best choice for classical instruments and service is going to be Morey’s Music in Lakewood, and if you are looking for guitars and accessories I guess you will have to head to the nearest Sam Ash or Guitar Center.

RIP, World of Strings, I will miss you guys.

Philip Kubicki -- July 12, 1943 to March 18, 2013

Hello

I was saddened to hear today that Philip Kubicki lost his battle with cancer.

Phil was a luminary in the world of guitarists and luthiers, having worked for Fender before starting his own shop in Santa Barbara in 1973. He is the man who built George Harrison’s legendary rosewood Telecaster. Factor bases are his brainchild, and his lasting contribution to the evolution of the electric bass.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Phil a few times over the years, he always answered all of my dumb questions, and on one occasion he even sent me some nice comments about my blog. He was truly a gentleman, and I am sorry that he will no longer be among us.

Rest in peace, Phil

Save The Date: First-ever Guitar Center Musician’s Expo at Long Beach Convention Center

Aloha!

On Saturday, April 6, 2013 there will be an event at the Long Beach Convention Center that should be of interest for Southern California musicians. The Guitar Center Musician’s Expo is an opportunity for us common folks to see a lot of the new gear that was introduced at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim.

Guitar Center is the big daddy of music retailers, and I admire that they are trying new thing despite the crushing debt they are staggering under. Through their relationships with their suppliers and vendors, they will be featuring equipment from over 60 manufacturers, including Martin, Fender, Casio, Roland, DW, Bose, Pioneer and more. There will be company representatives on hand to answer questions, and the equipment will be out for the unwashed masses to touch and use. Most musicians are not able to go to NAMM, and I know they would like to see and play stuff gear that is not even at dealers yet.

Besides the gear there will also be artist and DJ workshops with a pretty fine line-up that includes Chad Wackerman, Allan Holdsworth, Jimmy Haslip, Mix Master Mike, Derek Sherinian, Stephen Perkins, Tony Franklin (my hero!), Rob Wasserman, DJ Qbert, and more. There will also be free group clinics, including group Recording Made Easy classes, guitar lessons and ukulele lessons. This might be kind of cool for the kids.

Rumor has it that there will also be a few notable instruments from Guitar Center’s collection on hand, including Eric Clapton’s "Blackie" Fender Stratocaster guitar and Gibson ES-335 as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Lenny" Fender Stratocaster guitar. You probably will not get to touch these, though…

As I said earlier, the Guitar Center Musician’s Expo will be at the Long Beach Convention Center on Saturday, April 6, 2013. The show will be open from 10AM to 5PM, and admission is $5 if you buy your tickets from a local Guitar Center, or $10 at the door. Complete details should be available at guitarcenter.com

I hope to see you there!

Mahalo!

Peterson Istrobosoft iPhone Electronic Tuner App Review

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I travel a bit for work, and sometimes carry along a ukulele or my U Bass so I have something to kill time with in hotel rooms, and have until recently carried along some sort of clip-on electronic tuner. Well, I can leave those at home now because I have been using a kick-butt tuner app on my iPhone – the Peterson Istrobosoft app.

There are tons of guitar tuner apps out there and I have experimented with many of them, in general they do a pretty good job. But, I am a big fan of Peterson strobotuners; in fact the Peterson VSS-C Stomp Classic has replaced the trusty Boss TU-3 in my studio. So, when I heard there was an app version of the tuners I had to give it a shot. It is well-reviewed, and for only $9.99 it was a no-brainer.

Old-school mechanical strobotuners (which Peterson has been making since 1948) use a spinning wheel that shows different octaves and the strobe effect of the tuner will make one row of the wheel appear to stop for the octave that is being played, while the overtones for other octaves will move about depending on how far they are out of whack. The advantages of this are incredible accuracy (within 0.1 cent), along with an intangible coolness factor. This app simulates the effect with a nice bright display that is a little simpler to look at.

After downloading the app, if you are using an iPhone you should pretty much be ready to go. If you are using an iPod Touch you will need to plug in a microphone (also available from Peterson) so it can hear what you are doing. It can be hard for the microphone to pick up unplugged electric guitars, but there is also a $12.99 guitar cable adapter that you can purchase.

When the app is opened, it goes directly to the main screen. As soon as it hears sound the strobe will start moving, and the display will tell you what note(and octave) it hears and whether it is sharp or flat, and by how much (in cents). As the note gets closer to in tune the strobe display will slow down and then stop when the note is in tune. This tuner is supposed to be insanely accurate, to within 1/10 cent. I do not have any way to verify this, but when using it at the same time as my Peterson pedal, they react the same when hearing notes, so it does pretty well.

There are a few icons on the main screen that might make life easier for you. There is a noise filter that can be used when you are not plugging an instrument directly into your iPhone that will help isolate your sound and not pick up so much background noise. There is also an input boost that will boost all frequencies by 24 dB (in case your sound source is too quiet).

If you press the “I” icon you will find a menu that allows you to select tuner settings, calibration, and customization. In tuner settings, you can adjust your concert A from 440 to whatever you please. There is also a drop/capo feature that will transpose your notes by up to an octave (up or down). The calibration mode allows the tuner to be calibrated to an external source, and the customize screen allows you to change the colors of the various parts of the main display.

Like other iPhone apps, this will zoom to a full screen mode, so with a swipe of the finger you can make the main part of the display bigger so you can set the phone on the floor or music stand and still be able to see what is going on.

I have used the iStrobosoft app and have come away very impressed. With a touch screen, this is really easy to use and customize, and in this respect it is even better than my regular Peterson tuner pedal. I think they have a real winner here!

As I said earlier, the Peterson iStrobosoft app is only $9.99, and will work on most iPhones. It can also work on some iPod Touch models if you plug in the $11.99 accessory microphone. See the App Store for application details, and the Peterson website at www.petersontuners.com to order the optional microphone or guitar cable adaptor.

Mahalo!