Smalls From Leftovers On The PT 29Nov23

Wow. A nice day again in November brought the crowds to the PT. I hit the water at 10:45am with the Rodfather Colorado S2 in hand. There were lots of cars and lots of fishermen out of the Nature Center today. I was relegated to the leftovers as every good spot upstream of the parking lot at NC was occupied by campers. I mean, nobody moved from their spots on the big weir, the farm, the opposite, the hook weir, or the carp hole. I caught plenty of fry on the perdigon and midges in the leftover spots but moved up to Valco at noon. It was a similar story there and so it was a day of leftovers and a couple of decent bows.

So while I've been dealing with crowds on the tailwater and the ski slopes, master fisherman MdB has been landing the migrating/spawning browns at Antero. Nice. Will I ever change my stance on stillwater fishing... hmmm.

November Music Appreciation ~ Y'All Need A Vacation 27Nov23

Oh wait, we just had a vacation... Kala & I just returned from Summit celebrations with TK (the kid) for Thanksgiving. We had a great time with him on a "low cooking efforts" day supported by Honey Baked. That did not mean we didn't enjoy a great apple pie from "mom" too. We caught practice for the last race of F1's season where many teams had to run rookies in vehicles for a least part of it ~ odd but true. And, we made a TGiving tottie recommended by cousin Kyle called the Apple Pie. Good to have Matt out in Summit again.

Anyway... while Matt & I played YouTube roulette on the NestMT for a part of the evening (he was diving on high school pop), I'll be digging deeper into my history to offer this late-in-the-month installment of the monthly music appreciation. There's no refined central theme except that it's all worthy, somewhat recent (bar one notable insight), and mostly sans percussion:

• Chris Thile convenes Vulfmon & The Punch Brothers @ Minetta Lane Theater NYC 15Nov23 ~ so much here; I've heard the entire set multiple times... very good.
• AJ Lee & Blue Summit covering "Who Walks In" from Ella & Louis featuring Sully Tuttle 03Nov23 ~ bridging to swing in serious style, Sully's voice is oddly low and this band and band leader are awesome, even in this out of range styling.
  
• AJ Lee & Blue Summit with Teo Quale & Larry Cook "Faithful"@ HopMonk Tavern, Novato, CA 30Aug23 ~ had to get ya sumpin with AJ Lee singing her songs
• Dan Hicks & The Hot Licks "Milk Shakin' Mama" On Flip Wilson 28Sep72 ~ part of the formative dive with MLC; I come by the acoustic swing/grass/alt_country righteously as these guys were a fav in the day.
• Broken Compass Bluegrass covering "Midnight Rider" from The Allman Bros @ Grass Valley 18Oct23 ~ Grass Valley & Allman Bros... so yeah
• Bonny Light Horsemen "California" on Colbert 27Jan23 ~ American folk supergroup - love Fruitbats, Anais, et al - so good, yeah it's an old but worthy reference.
  
• LSD covering Ace of Base "I Saw The Sign" Halloween, '23 ~ full costume on Halloween every year; awesome.

Failed Building, Powering & Measuring The DRC BOnken Center Channel 18Oct23-18Nov23

With the unmitigated success of the small full-range DRC Onkens in the NestMT as a center channel using the Dolby DP564's derived signaling and Willsenton amp, I am moved to take the next step and realize a full 5.1 system. I built a new center channel speaker and will redeploy the original DRC Onkens as L&R surrounds... it was always a possibility in the back of my mind. You may be thinking I am straying from "music first," but I'm not; the DP564 did so well in deriving a center channel I just "have" to see what it does for surround sound ~ and this is an experiment. So, I designed an all new Bigger Onken (that I call the DRC BOnken) which employs the same 6.5" full-range Fostex FE168e∑ as in the back loaded horns I use as mains. The Theil small parameters of the driver really required a much larger Onken box ~ and that makes sense, the 6.5" driver has 226% more radiating area than the 4" driver and Onken designs in general need 85%-90% of that area in port cross section. The front soundstage is now formed by all the same drivers, and yields a very consistent timbre. While I first did a dive deep into horn alternatives and the associated enclosure math &  simulations, all my ideas were just too big for a center, especially too tall. There are three primary aspects to this upgrade: the design & build of the DRC BOnken, the relocation & install of the DRC Onkens as surrounds, and the signaling & control to enable all these speakers to play great music in the Nest Music Theater. Of course I'll offer final impressions, observations, and measurements.

I started by iterating models & simulations for the new Onken with different drivers and cabinet & port dimensions, to get some relevant bass. I stuck to my guns and selected the bigger FE168e∑ for reasoning prior given. It is on the hairy fringe of applicability in an Onken-like cabinet and required very long ports (hence the 20" depth on the DRC BOnken) as a result.

I just hand-sketched the cabinet idea and then went to work on the detailed dimensions and cut sheets for the 15mm Baltic birch material I've preferred before. Mainly, the 11 layers make this stuff very stiff and inert, plus the birch is pretty in good grades. Often in the US our plywood has many fewer layers and is comparatively flimsy. I iterated the design some more before finalizing the precision cut sheet. CO Lumber's Matt again did the cutting on two 5' x 5' panels for a reasonable price. I was pleased that the Ukraine war sanctions had not limited availability of Russian plywood to me ~ plenty was purchased in advance I was told, and is still in US warehouses. But if you need some, buy now. Yeah, the BOnken is big with an OD of about 12" X 20" X 35" with a main cavity of 9 liters (~14 liters all up externally), but it all fits OK in the NestMT center channel spot. I don't know whether I will bevel the port areas on the new BOnken as I did on my originals or not; I don't "need" to so do for this construction so will measure audio results first and do some listening. Without the bevel there is a chance some of the sound waves from the ports will mix poorly with the directly radiated sound of the driver. I read a lot on whether offsetting the driver to one side or another would make a difference in performance ~ I concluded it would not so I centered the driver.

I received the cut lumber from Matt/Colorado Lumber and verified dimensions then transported the whole lot to Summit Co for the build.

Step one was to build the channel boards and stain them and the interior of the sides in the right spots before securing to the outside sides of the BOnken.

Next I secured the front and back to the completed side/channel pieces. To reinforce the structure, I added rib pieces down each corner of the interior of the BOnken. This also helped register the front and back pieces evenly with the sides... I did screw through the ribs to the sides, as well as glue them. The BOnken is taking form!

I had to roust all my longest clamps from COS to attach the top and bottom in place. I might need to get back into the cabinet for adjustments so I secured the top and bottom using black flathead wood screws. But first I added 3/4" felt damping material (secured with spray adhesive) to the main cavity as it is not easy to get in there after it's buttoned up. I installed the binding posts too before putting on the top and bottom. The clamps here are not to secure glue but to pull the pieces into alignment before securing the top & bottom with wood screws.

I wired up and then secured the driver in place with a thin gasket and installed the BOnken in its rightful spot atop the center channel shelf.

The DRC BOken is a pretty efficient speaker at -91dB/w, but it sill needs something to power it and I will not overpay. The requirement for a mono amp of ~20w is a bit odd. All the single ended EL34 amps were 2 channel. I dipped into my vendor bag and have chosen the brand new, and lauded, Schiit Gjallarhorn solid state amp to drive the BOnken. It is unexpected for me to not employ tubes for this application and we'll see how long it holds its position ~ good so far; it rocks. This odd new offer from the capable Schiit team is 2X10w into 8Ω or bridged mono for 1X30w into 8Ω. It also has the advantage of employing an XLR connector at the signal level ~ this will connect well to my Dolby DP564 for the center channel signal. It's also odd for Schiit to just offer female banana outs for the speakers - but that's fine with me.

The BOnken measures fine; it does have a predicted "shout" in 1K-2K range which many FE168e∑ speakers face... I will tame that later. Nonetheless, without further EQ, the BOnken sounds good as a center channel for the NestMT. I am not concerned with the low end runoff for this vocals-oriented channel.

However, as you may have noticed from the "installed" image above, it is not only big; it is too big. Maybe it is just my sense of what I want ascetically as well as sound-wise but the BOnken is enormous and not what I want. I knew the size and measured it out in place before building it but the reality is stark evidence. As much added value as there is in this new cabinet, I have decommissioned it and returned the NestMT to a 3.1 system for now. Back to the drawing board. Grrr...

On top of the "too big" aspect of the BOnken, the Schiit Gjallarhorn amp's left channel failed when attempting to have it drive the DRC Onkens just for grins. It is going back to Schiit while I figure out my next steps for the center channel. Too, the Fostex FE168e∑ will be sold on eBay.

Bows In Low Flows With The Colo 13Nov23

What awesome Nov weather we have ~ sunny in the low 60°s. How should I celebrate Kala's birthday? Hit the PT of course. :) Back on the Front Range during the shoulder season begs for outings to the Pueblo Tailwater. It is flowing ~220cfs and is a bit turbid from turnover in the rez. I had chores early so hit the water about 10am and met plenty of other fishermen with similar ideas. Grrr... undeterred. I've been dreaming of some big fish again and toted the mighty Rodfather Colorado S2 onto the river at Nature Center. Load the canon. I saw plenty of bug sign, mostly midges but also a late AM fall BWO hatch. Fish were eating emergers as it started and sipping spinners at the end. My Destiny's Child did well during the hatch. Nobody ate the weight today and when the mayfly wasn't chosen... the Awesome Midge took the rest. I caught plenty of fish this day but only fished the big weir, the farm and the opposite bank as everything else was taken. Some dudes camped at the hook weir hole for 3 hours. I ultimately left NC for Valco and caught some more. I caught quite a few cutbows but nothing near 20"... I saw them but didn't fool them this time. Best were 18"ers. Decent but still improving IMO; plus I need to find a lower load day.

AJ Lee & Blue Summit With Two Runner @ Lulu's Downstairs ~ Splendid Supergrass Show 10Nov23

We got back to Colo Spgs in time to assure attendance at a Friday night concert... I quickly picked up tickets to see AJ Lee and team at Lulu's in Manitou. And I solicited some friends to attend, one of whom, Dave, accepted! Hard to believe AJ Lee & Blue Summit played COS (and just $15), and I'm glad I could roust Dave too come out too.The concert was excellent.

NorCal-based Blue Summit includes 4 pieces beyond AJ Lee's lead vocals and mandolin: a fiddle, a bass, and two guitars. One of those guitars is manned by Sullivan (Sully) Tuttle, yep, Molly's little brother and a wicked guitarist in his own right. The other is manned by Scott Gates, a virtuoso and sharp picker too. So great to see them live here in COS, especially in such a small venue. AJ Lee's writing and super sweet and round voice was splendid. The concert was great with Lee belting great tunes from her significant catalog and singing some keen covers (Glendale Train, Harvest Moon, Workin' On A Building). Gorgeous voice. All this while accompanied by wildly skilled acoustic musicians (rounded out by Jan Bowen on bass/backing vocals and Chad Purat on fiddle). They are all steeped in bluegrass history and playing, but together they now reach other genres, like swing or alternative, with alacrity. No banjo so can it be bluegrass? I call it supergrass; it was a blast hearing them and hanging with Dave. Lee played one song solo and gathered Two Runner in for a good version of "Workin' On A Building" featuring lady harmonies. AJ played a 3 song encore and closed with a great version of Harvest Moon.

For grins I offer a brief snipit of Sully Tuttle's pickin' magic...

After their set, I asked Sully if I could get the setlist AJ'd written for the show and he obliged! Sound was good but not great as the house speakers are very wide for the venue's depth, but the small venue made access and viewpoints much nicer.

Small world, they weren't billed on the ticket but Two Runner (Paige & Emily w/ Sean) were the excellent opening act. I spoke to them after and got them to sign the set list I secured from Paige at the stage. I didn't want to buy the vinyl from the merch table at Lulu's because unlike on bandcamp.com, they didn't include a coupon for the digital files with the record, and the price was the same $30. I knew their set sounded familiar; I'd heard every song, in that order, in Moab the WE prior ~ the setlist was even so labeled! I got the band to sign the setlist; it'll be worth millions later. :)

Dinosaur Bones And Pagosa Springs 07Nov23-08Nov23

We checked out of My Place with one last look at the desert from the hot tub we used the night prior. Truth told, I left my sunglasses and hat out there and was retrieving them.

We then hit Gloria's for Huevos Rancheros ~ meh; nonsense green chili sauce. We flipped around and headed north of Moab to the Dinosaur Tracks hike. After crossing some sand sections on a "dirt" road, across which Kala's Lexus did well, we arrived at the trailhead after a couple of miles. The 1+ mile trail was pretty cool with signage and exposed evidence of dinosaur bones. We liked that aspect but never officially found the loop hike in the area and improvised our own shorter loop beginning with a selfie with Determination Towers in the canyon behind us. Then, lots of bones. Then some vert.

We headed up an arroyo with a decent trail, till it stopped. I went further up the sand (deposited over the ridgeline into the arroyo) and got the pan out toward the car. We headed back down wondering where the heck a 1+ mile loop might be.

Whatever. We got back to the car, changed shoes, and headed south on #191 out of Moab. The La Sals already had a smidge of snow.

We'd been on the road before, on the way to Canyonlands, but we trundled on to stuff we'd never seen through towns we'd never visited and arrived in Pagosa Springs for check in at the cool Nightingale, right on time at 4pm. We found a good Mex Cantina right near our motel room named Kip's. Cool vibe on trivia night with Wolf Ck trail map on the wall and good tacos and green chili ~ thankful to be in Colorado again for chili.

Headlining Pagosa was a visit to the world renown Springs Resort on Wed. We first ate a tasty breakfast nearby at The Rose. I'd booked a full day of soaking in the hot springs... yeah even the riff raff like us with "just" day passes were allowed access to over 20 pools fed by the hot spring. Lots of minerals, lots of soaking... we tried every pool over 100 degrees from 101° to 120° (The Burg). We brought our own towels and coverups and had a great day recovering from our 1 mile hike to see dino bones. :) The Springs Resort was very cool ~ right on the San Juan river, right in Pagosa Spgs.

Unfortunately the brewery in Pagosa, Riff Raff, was closed Tue & Wed while we'd be there ~ Fortunately though, that's the beer featured at the cantina at the Springs Resort cantina. I told her not to photo bomb me but that didn't work.

The Lobster Pot and the Burg were the hottest at the resort. We couldn't even soak in the Burg initially, right on the San Juan, but later in the day it was sublime. I took the "warrior challenge" and did the plunge into the river... not bad really at 56° (the river righteous was much colder as together we tried that earlier) but relative to 105° it was chilly. Getting out was an issue so Kala agreed to take the pic. Ultimately it all flows into the San Juan.

As respite from the soaking, we headed to view the Mother Spring. It is the deepest hot spring in the world and has long been a source for human recovery. The Mother Spring effluent is piped to all the pools and volume regulated to control the various pool temps. The Springs Resort property is already very nice but is undergoing a major expansion as well. Prices for everything are supposedly doubling next year ~ locals will pay $800/person for a year pass!

Ultimately the soaking was over for us and we cleaned up and headed to a tasty local haunt for Mexican food @ Chavalo's. Pagosa Spgs was a very cool spot... locals implied that only on a couple of days a year was it was too tough to reach Wolf Creek to ski ~ this despite the area receiving the greatest annual snowfall in CO of ~350 inches. Of course too there is great hiking and fishing on the San Juan, Rio Grande, and N&S Forks. Plus despite being discovered, property is still attainable... Hmmm. Sleeping was pretty easy and we woke up Thu early to head home. Breakfast in bed then over Wolf Ck Pass we hit the tail of the storm... NP, we were unloading the car in 4 hours. Gr8 vacation with my young lady; well, for another couple days anyway.