This is about the things that I’ve learnt and am happy to share, discuss and to learn even more from others.
This is about the things that “float my boat”. Things that get me excited, cool things, beautiful things, things that please me… and things that make me sad.
Enjoy… and feel free to let me know if you do!
Owen
DarkLantern forums – please visit our new Audio/Music/Film/etc discussion forums.
Note – any content and images on this site are the copyright of Owen Young and this DarkLantern website, but can be re-used under the Creative Cmmons (CC) licence BY-NC-SA. In other words, you must (i) attribute any copied material to this website (ii) you must not use any copied material for commercial purposes (iii) If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must share alike, ie. distribute your contributions under this same CC licence.
D a r k L a n t e r n 
Great blog Owen, love the photos!
Thanks for the encouragement, James!
Check in again – I’ll aim for something new every week – Cheers, Owen.
I just discovered your excellent blog, Owen – I’ll be checking in regularly to follow along. Our audio interests are similar: single-ended triodes, full-range drivers, DIY, oh my! Keep up the good work!
Hi Nate – thanks for looking in. Always pleased to hear from other enthusiasts with similar (or different) interests. Feel free to comment on anything,any time! Cheers, Owen
Hi are you building these also for clients? Im interested.
Hi Justin – do you mean the Tractrix horns? I do not mass produce them, but we have made a few for other enthusiasts. Unfortunately however, I am not able to organise overseas shipping at the moment. Cheers.
Hi Owen:
I am very interested in the Terminator arm. Have you made any modifications or changes in your set up? Also, what is the source for the alignment gauge for the arm? Other than that, your blog is fun to visit.
Steve
Hi Steve – I have made only a few minor mods – mostly upgrades implemented after discussion with the designer (Vic Patacchiola) – eg. arm pivot weights, arm wire dressing, counterweight fixing, updated arm wand – most of which can be found on the TransFi webpages. The paper gauge was something that I drew, printed – I can email you a PDF if needed. Let me know if I can expand in more detail about anything in particular Thanks for looking – Owen
Owen – I would like to make a pair of your horns. Would it be possible to email me a pattern of your MDF that you made for your white Tractix horn mold? And the mouth recurve that you cut the sanding block to .( and how they align or fit together, where they meet or fit together like I mean) I’don’t know if it could be done via email, scale wise,( I live in very rural (far from big city) Texas, USA, so do not have access to a large enlarging copier) but it could be done full scale on plain paper scotch taped together and folded up and postal mailed.Thank you very much, email beachguy1957@yahoo.com
Hi Marc – happy to help, if I can.
It would be easiest if I give you the tractrix curve in a list of horiz offsets along the horn axis in increments. You can then plot them full size on large paper or directly onto your curve template – that’s what I did.
I’d have to give you metric millimetre dimensions however!
I could send you letter size 1:1 scale PDFs which could be printed & joined, but scale could be less than accurate.
Alternatively, you could use an online tractrix calculator yourself.
Re. the mouth ‘roll’ this is personal preference & not critical once the Tractrix curve reaches 90deg to horn axis.
Rgds, Owen
Here we try to kindly inquire about the permission to post your wonderful photo “on-the-ferry.jpg”
We found it on the web and hope you agree it’s a great image that deserves the context of our project website!
On http://www.my-wtc.com you can find a lot of wonderful images. Most of them are accompanied by some personal notes of the authors.
As of now we have a wonderful collection of more than 500 images from 48 countries show people in front, on top or inside the World Trade Center.
Best greetings from Berlin, Germany
Robert Ziegler and Stefka Ammon
Hi Robert & Stefka – thank you for your interest – I am very happy for you to post my image/s on your webpage, together with any text – I like your webpage concept.
– Kindly reference my name & DarkLantern blog page.
– Please insert the note, “This image is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.”
Best Wishes. Owen
hi owen – sorry to pop up here – was just about to post ecofan o.t.l. pictures at audioenz but seem to be blocked – perhaps you can help, kind regards, adam (ecofan)
Hi Adam, nice to hear from you! Sorry about slow reply, I am travelling at the mo. IIRC I just use the Choose File button below the txt box. Is this what you mean? Otherwise, there are instructions on the FAQ. Or, contact Michael at info@audioenz.co.nz Owen
Hi Owen, thanks for the site and your A-enz blog. I’m compiling a history of high-fidelity and I’m hoping you can tell me what David Whittaker’s background was: engineer, machinist, toolmaker or otherwise. Thank you. Brendan
Hi Brendan – apologies for delay in replying (work, minor illness…) – as far as I know, Dave was not formally trained in engineering work. However he did machine parts on his own lathe (incl. the TT platters). Specialist work was outsourced (eg. heat treatment, plating, tungsten-carbide parts, etc). Dave told me that he sought advice also from the University of Auckland, for the TT.
Tell me a little more about your hifi history project. – Cheers, Owen
Hi Owen, thanks for your reply. I am compiling a product-based history of high-fidelity audio, from 1920 to the present. At completion, this will be an Internet-based Wiki with database, translated into major languages, and donated to the AES to be freely available online. After five years I am past the halfway point to finish the first phase of product selection, categorization, and chronology. I have been greatly helped by many during this project, especially Siegfried Linkwitz, Bruno Putzeys, Pierre Lurne, Daniel Weiss, and David Fletcher, (co-founder Sumiko, SOTA, and Pacific Microsonics). I am fortunate to live in New York where the public library reference collection includes every English-language journal I could wish for and an excellent selection of European journals with the notable exception of France’s Revue du Son. There are no Japanese journals, however as I could not read them anyway, I’ve used numerous websites, usually Japanese, with Google Translate. I am nearing the end of my initial research and trying to tie up loose ends. I am making this inclusive, not USA-centric, thus my inquiry. Thanks again. Brendan
Hi Brendan – Most interesting, happy to help further in any way, if I can. Thanks for visiting. Owen
Hi Owen
I have been reading some posts of yours on forums and am a tad confused on the subjet of outer foil end in coupling caps. The caps are Duelund Alaxandra and it has only just crossed my mind that I have them installed incorrectly.
In coupling between stages in my EL34 amp I have the signal passing through them in the direction of the print on the caps, and this may be the wrong way round? I don’t have an occiliscope to test.
Do you know whitch end on these caps is the outer foil end?
Cheers
Ian
Oops!
Please disregard my post here, I just found that I had asked you this in a discussion once (in 2015), but ended up getting a responce from Frederik at Duelund at that time of the discussion.
My memory is not what it once was 😉
Hi Ian – good to hear from you!
If in doubt, use your ears – it’s the best way.
The difference is not small.
Enjoy! – Owen
Hay mate, I think they are OK, juts a little capacitor paranoia from myself 🙂
BTW, Owen………….On caps, have you tried the new JAM caps from Duelund yet?
Hi Ian – sorry, I’m not an experienced Dueland user, a bit $$$ usually, for me. However I should try the latest offerings.
I tend to work on the premise that the circuit is more important than the parts – still searching 😉
Or at least, trying to keep things in perspective, cost-wise.
Cheers.
I agree, Owen, the curcuit is very important, better parts are more so like iceing on the cake.
Be a while before I try anything, budget is a big factor. and this can be an expensive hobby
Hi Ian – indeed it can be an expensive hobby!
But with DIY, you can achieve high end sound to suit your ear, with affordable cost, without superfluous features, cosmetics….
Are you starting some projects?
Cheers, Owen
No projects ATM.
Agreed on DIY
Hello Owen, i saw you posted many years ago about humidity causing vinyl to have mould/fungus. I think i have this issue. Is this permantely damaged or can be repaired with deep cleaning? Thanks.
Hi Josep – I have only a little experience with fungus growth on records. However I have found that ultrasonic cleaning seems to be able to clean deeper into the grooves, more throughly than traditional cleaning methods.
I use a pure detergent without (fragrances, colour, bleach, etc) additives (Triton X-100) & everything is sonically cleaner, with good tonal balance & sounding more dynamic & detailed.
Of course, damaged vinyl (scratches, etc) cannot be repaired, but I have not found fungus or such micro-organisms can damage the vinyl material.
I you have not seen already, you can find a little more about my ultrasonic cleaning on these pages:
https://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/2017/05/12/ultrasonic-record-cleaning-pt-2/
https://darklanternforowen.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/ultrasonic-record-cleaning/
Regards – Owen