#1691783 - 04/20/06 06:15 PM
How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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littledog
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Registered: 10/30/01
Posts: 2
Loc: Malden,MA,UNITED STATES
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It is not immediately apparent (to someone as slow as I am) how to contribute to the EQ "Love Letters from Fight Fans" section. The magazine gives no apparent clue, nor does the website, although admittedly I'm probably missing something ridiculously obvious.
In any event, in Jeff Anderson's column about Patch Bays (May 2006, although that page and that page only says May 2005 on the bottom!!!) he uses the example of patching an outboard compressor into a typical studio signal path. The only problem is that in his example he patches the compressor into the chain BEFORE the preamp. Now, there may well be a compressor or two out there that is perfectly happy with mic-level signal, but the vast majority require line level, which means you need to patch it in after the mic pre. I'm sure that Jeff knows this as well as anyone, and it was just a brain-glitch, but for those who might be less experienced, it should be pointed out that that suggested signal chain order in Jeff's article will most likely not work at all.
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#1691787 - 04/24/06 03:53 PM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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Jeff Anderson
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Registered: 04/24/06
Posts: 11
Loc: Lafayette IN
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To Littledog: Your absolutely right! I had channel strip (with EQ and compressor) on my mind when I was writing that article! We’ve got a large console in our studio, however we tend to use a lot of external channel strips when tracking. Good catch!
To Microslav: Thanks for taking the time to write. After reading your post, I surfed some common Internet forums to see what sorts of questions people were asking about patchbays. Three out of the four questions that beginners were asking were answered in my article. From a writer’s standpoint, there is a set amount of space, and I have to write for the masses.
Jeff
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#1691788 - 04/24/06 05:24 PM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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miroslav
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Registered: 05/23/00
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Originally posted by Jeff Anderson:
To Microslav: Thanks for taking the time to write. After reading your post, I surfed some common Internet forums to see what sorts of questions people were asking about patchbays. Three out of the four questions that beginners were asking were answered in my article. From a writer’s standpoint, there is a set amount of space, and I have to write for the masses.
While I'm sure that's not your call...that’s something I take issue with...the lack of space given to some articles.
I know you can do three more follow-up "short articles"...each one delving a bit deeper into PB application...but it would make better sense to me, for the editors to just let you write it all in one shot...
…that way, the folks reading…would get the WHOLE picture and not just the entry-level overview.
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
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#1691789 - 04/24/06 11:20 PM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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Matt Harper
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Registered: 03/06/06
Posts: 45
Loc: San Mateo, CA
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Originally posted by littledog:
It is not immediately apparent (to someone as slow as I am) how to contribute to the EQ "Love Letters from Fight Fans" section. The magazine gives no apparent clue, nor does the website, although admittedly I'm probably missing something ridiculously obvious.
The avenue for reaching us regarding "Love Letters..." is, admittedly, probably less than apparent. In the front of the magazine the office address, being 2800 Campus Drive San Mateo, CA 94403, is listed--which is the route to take if you are a snail-mail romantic. You can always senda letter to the attention of "editor" or, more specifically, Eugene Robinson or myself. As far as taking the electronic route, our contact info is on the bottom bar under "contact us" which, to an eye even minimally less than keen, can be easily overlooked. Trust me when I say this wasn't designed to discourage you from contacting us.
Nevertheless, we do print our letters, as we will print this one (assuming you have no objections) along with Jeff's comments and a heart-felt apology for our typographical errors.
Please feel free to contact us at any time with any questions, comments, concerns, threats of grievous bodily injury, or propositions to loan us ridiculous amounts of cash, hahaha.
Best,
Matt Harper
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#1691790 - 04/25/06 12:08 AM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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Matt Harper
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Registered: 03/06/06
Posts: 45
Loc: San Mateo, CA
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Originally posted by miroslav: Not to come off too critical (as that's always a touchy thing when we talk about EQ magazine around here)... 
Originally posted by miroslav:
...but there are other typos in that article (like referring to a DAW as a DAE)...
Originally posted by miroslav:
...and also the article was probably better off left unpublished, because it only barley scratches the surface of patchbay purpose and use (like many EQ article do these days).
As far as the article not being in depth enough for your tastes: I believe the context of which the article was written is something to take into consideration. "Organizing your studio with a patchbay" almost implies that the most suited reader for the piece is somebody that is just now acquiring enough gear and getting serious enough with their home rig to begin stringing everything together via a patchbay--in layman's terms it's probably geared towards the burgeoning studiohound, and thus should be more of a "broad" piece and a bit less specialized.
Originally posted by miroslav:
I happen to use patchbays extensively and have been doing so for many years (1/4" and TT)...and I found the article rather vague and generally useless in the way of providing any hard information.
Originally posted by miroslav: Basically, the article says something like, "pathcbays are handy...go buy some and figure 'em out"...
...DUH! 
Originally posted by miroslav: I just doubt that very many people would want to run out and buy some patchbays after reading that article... 
Originally posted by miroslav:
This is just one more reason why you see so many "newbies"...asking what appear to be the dumbest questions about gear and connectivity...
Originally posted by miroslav:
...but in reality, the information that use to be provided in great detail in most trade mags, has now been reduced to filler between the ads.
Yeah...there are still some deep/lengthy articles...but there are also a LOT of short/useless articles that don't even give your taste buds a decent workout.
Originally posted by miroslav:
Those articles are better left in the word processor, instead of making it to the printed page.
Originally posted by miroslav: But hey...THAT is the NEW direction of EQ (and some other mags)...according to Eugene, the editor. 
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#1691791 - 04/25/06 12:18 AM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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Matt Harper
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Registered: 03/06/06
Posts: 45
Loc: San Mateo, CA
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Originally posted by miroslav: Oh...and Eugene...in the May 06 letters section...in "The EQ Fireside Chats"...
What Pete Prown said about the body typeface being hard to read because it's not a true "black" color, and that it's more of a dark gray...
...he is 100% spot on...!!!
And YOUR response to him…how some of you are 43 and you can read it just fine...
...is pretty lame!
So…do we have to wait until the EQ editorial staff approaches 50 before you adjust the typeface/fonts…???
The topic of the EQ font/typeface selection has been discussed here a few times...and many people think the same way Pete Prown does.
I just don't understand EQ's reluctance to go to a darker, true "black" ink color...and maybe consider using some fonts that not only look “chic”...but that are also easy on the eyes, as it is supposed to be a magazine for reading and not just for looking at the pretty pictures as we flip through!
Does it cost you guys more money to use a true black ink...???...or to use read-friendly fonts...??? 
...wait, I think Lincoln said something about getting away with lying all the time, not putting out magazines, hahaha. Nonetheless: please quit reading with your toes, hahaha.
Seriously though, this has been noted and I assure we'll discuss this.
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#1691792 - 04/25/06 12:34 AM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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Matt Harper
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Registered: 03/06/06
Posts: 45
Loc: San Mateo, CA
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Originally posted by miroslav:
I hear you...and I bet given the space, you would have provided a much more detailed article on PB application.
Originally posted by miroslav:
While I'm sure that's not your call...that’s something I take issue with...the lack of space given to some articles.
Originally posted by miroslav:
I know you can do three more follow-up "short articles"...each one delving a bit deeper into PB application...but it would make better sense to me, for the editors to just let you write it all in one shot...
…that way, the folks reading…would get the WHOLE picture and not just the entry-level overview.
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#1691793 - 04/25/06 09:56 AM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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miroslav
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Registered: 05/23/00
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Originally posted by Matt Harper:
I believe the context of which the article was written is something to take into consideration. "Organizing your studio with a patchbay" almost implies that the most suited reader for the piece is somebody that is just now acquiring enough gear and getting serious enough with their home rig to begin stringing everything together via a patchbay--in layman's terms it's probably geared towards the burgeoning studiohound, and thus should be more of a "broad" piece and a bit less specialized. But, as pointed out above, the article was intended for an audience besides those, like yourself, who have been utilizing patchbays for "many years". Really, as you've been "organizing your studio with a patchbay" for way longer than the kids, what information would you have hoped to gain from a piece written under that pretense?
For me...reading an in-depth article on patch bay application would not have offered much in the way of new information...though it would have been a good read as a "refresher"...because sometimes we get into certain "habits", and we forget the other possibilities.
However, I was thinking more about the "newbies"...the guys just getting into a decent rig, and possibly looking for ways to improve their connectivity options.
It is for those folks that a deeper, more detailed article would have made the difference.
A true "Organizing Your Studio With Patch Bays" article...maybe even with some illustrations (though I know Eugene says illustrators cost money… ).
Then...those newbies would really have benefited from reading the article...and maybe even gone out and bought some patch bays to put into play.
As it is...for someone that has never dealt with a patch bay...that article was just a small taste...and most interested parties would have been left looking for *more info* before proceeding with the implementation of patch bays in their "newbie" rigs.
....IMO. 
_________________________
miroslav - miroslavmusic.com"Just because it happened to you, it doesn't mean it's important."
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#1691794 - 05/03/06 11:39 PM
Re: How to contribute to "Love Letters"? (And a comment...)
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blas
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Registered: 03/06/01
Posts: 517
Loc: St. Louis, MO. USA
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Guys, Miroslav is very correct on many issues. I find the 'hip' font to be less than such. If a magazine has to try to be cool, it's sliding backwards. Thicken both the depth of the articles and the mag itself, and you will make many of us happy.
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