How Many Regular Members Are No Longer Here?

[Beck]

I know this is like walking into a graveyard and asking, “How many people here are dead?” I mean, no one will answer if they’re not here because they can’t see this question, so this is a very unscientific poll (margin of error +/- 98.6%) This forum is relatively dead compared to years past, so I’m just curious what if any reasons above apply.

 

[j.harv]

None of the above.
Not sure if I would be considered a regular.I have only been a member for just under 2yrs now.
But I will always to continue to check in weekly as this forum is a valuable learning tool.

 

[briank]

I haven't been here that long and I record professionally rather than at home, but I love analog, check in here daily and participate whenever I have something of value to contribute. I also frequent a few other forums.

 

[Dr ZEE]

I refuse to participate in this stupid poll (Participation required)

huh huh , Tim,
GOOD ONE!

Merry Christmas and happy 2012 to all!
be well

*************
P.S.

speaking of "Other (Please explain)":
Life is bigger than 10.5 and shorter than 2500.



/z

 

[miroslav]

I've only been on HR going on 3 years now...so I don't know how busy it was 10 years ago in the Analog forum...but judging from how it was on other BBS sites that had "Analog" forums...it's the same thing going on everywhere now.
You can go to entire BBS sites dedicated to nothing but Tape/Analog gear...and it's not that busy like it use to be.

First off, there are way to many audio forums, and they've lost their initial "gee whiz" factor. Any/every audio forum you go to, you see the SAME topics, over and over, and over, and over...so people have just sort of gotten numb to it all.
AFA "tape" specifically...the user list is dropping off, and at the home rec level, you will not see too many newbs diving into it like they were when "digital" was still a "bad" word, and the transition to digital was slow.
Also....it costs a LOT, LOT more to run a more serious analog rig, with or without tape decks, though certainly, with a multi-track deck + mix down deck, tape makes it even more costly, 'cuz even a used, decent tape setup is going to cost more than some software app.

Anyway...there are enough folks (I'm one) who will probably be running a substantial analog studio for a long time to come, even though I use a pretty involved digital rig too. I just upgraded my DAW software, am buying some new hard drives and upgrading my PC processors...etc.

I think the niche group that wants to be all analog or all lo-fi analog at the home-rec level...is going to get smaller and smaller, though there's nothing wrong with hanging in there if that's what rings your bell.

While I only have a 1/2" Fostex G16 as my multi-track, I still keep an eye out for a decent 2" 24-channel deck, but it would have the be a really great deal, on a well cared for deck, and close by for pickup. I'm just saying, I don't have the "fanatic" desire for tape like I use to...though I certainly will continue to track to tape on my G16, and bump up to a 2" if the right opportunity came up.

Not sure if any of that answered the thread question...but in a nutshell, I just think it has to do with attrition...newbs are opting for digital, and there are less and less tape/analog users. Plus, once you have your rig dialed in, you don't get as involved with forum audio chatter, unless there's some really interesting topic that pops up...and there's fewer and fewer of those, since most things have been covered to death, especially with tape, since there is nothing new with tape and hasn't been in many years.

 

[mdainsd]

Im real new here. I wish there was more forum activity, but wish in one hand, &%$# in the other and see which fills up faster. That being said im still learning tons from threads that are years old. Its only a hobby to me. I like challenging myself. But where is an all analog studio nthome, or otherwise going to go in this day and age? I have friends that want to record at my place, and as soon as I tell them that the studio time is free, but the tape will cost you 600 bucks for 18 minutes, they abandon analog real quick. So i find myself remixing original 24 track masters, but i cant even share them, cause i dont own the rights to them.

 

[SteveM]

I still stop here just about every day. I just don't have as many questions. If there is something I can help with I try to help. This forum is probably not that bad compared to the rest of the forums on the site. But then again, I never frequent them so... I could be completely wrong.

What's you're reason Tim?

 

[fstrat76]

I've been a member here for quite awhile, mostly a lurker, but I just started getting "back" into analog a couple years ago. But life is busy and I have not had time to devote a lot to recording and such.

However, I usually visit here daily. Might be cool to try to revive more interest by setting up a musician collaboration project. I also do the digital/analog thing, digital mostly so I can program drums and synths for my songs. Would be cool to collaborate online with a drummer or vocalist who also does analog.

 

[grimtraveller]

Different people are........different

I think Miroslav covered many of the reasons for slowed down activity pretty thoroughly. But if you look through the past archives of HR.com, I think you may find that the analog forum is pretty much the same as the other forums here. I've been active here for two years and I tend to look in on many of the forums and over the last six months, I've noticed that few of them are as active as when I first began. There are more threads but they tend to be short ones because after a while one gets bored of answering the same question over and over. Every now and then you get a juicy one that sparks off lots of frantic debate. But they're few and far between. Lots of people look in, join up and rarely return. In the analog section, it's rare that a topic comes up these days that causes me to think 'here's something I can get my teeth into'.
Here in the analog forum, I suspect that many former die hards and afficianados are succumbing to the digital pull, simply because it's cheaper, smaller, more convenient and so readilly available, therefore easier to maintain. There was a time when it seemed that there would always be working analog stuff still about. Now I'm no longer so positive.
And, dare I say it, the initial novelty and wham has gone out of forums for many of those that encompass the first wave of 'internetties'. Like many things it has found it's level and is a disposable commodity for many. You can only get so much out of it and you can only give so much to it.

 

[Blue Jinn]

I've been spending a lot of time at G********....

Well time is always at a premium, I check in everyday, but don't always post. There is already a lot of information that can be had using the old "search" function. Sometimes I post just for FYI's.

 

[mixsit]

All I have is my first half track 32 deck and I haven't used that in years.

 

[jjones1700]

I couple of the projects I was working on involving my analog gear fell through in most part due to the lack of commitment by the other people involved. Since then I've been getting back to my 1st love: photography. Even then, I still shoot on film. My son is getting older and at the age to start him in sports and do more with him, so that takes a good portion of my time away from my hobby. At some point I'll set up all of the stuff again and get rolling with it.

I check in here pretty much daily to see what is happening. I've noticed some people seem to be MIA that used to be staples in this forum (I'm looking at you Dave, and Cory). Part of me wants to assemble a massive document or database encompassing the knowledge contained within this forum in order to archive it for the next generation. I'm sure this board won't be around forever and would hate to see the very informative posts disappear...

 

[lonewhitefly]

I too have noticed it's been kind of slow here for awhile. I still read almost daily and post when I have something to add. I've found this forum to be more respectful and pleasant overall than most other forums. There really is nowhere else online like it.

I'm probably one of the rare few who has an all-analog home recording setup ... I suspect there are more out there, but maybe they're too analog to post on forums!

 

[sr71rules]

I check the 'Analog Only' section of HR nearly everyday and remain quite active in the analog side of audio..I just don't have many questions left

I read through lots of the threads and I chime in when possible but that's not all too often. Some of it is being jaded by the same questions over and over but for the most part a lot of the questions are to specific for me to answer. I know loads about the gear I have but if someone is asking about a piece I don't own or haven't used I prefer to not offer advice that could be wrong or damaging to the unit.

I've taken away quite a lot from here that I would otherwise never have known and I don't see any reason to stop visiting any time soon. Perhaps in time I'll have more to ask but I'm at a good place at the moment, thanks in no small part to the membership here.

My only current issue is that I keep buying Tascam M-1b mixers. They are amazing units that make doing headphone mixes so easy! I'm up to four and I hope to be able to stop when I get to six. When I can get them purchased and delivered for under $50, they are a no-brainer

:: Insert appropriate seasonal greeting here ::

Robert

 

[evm1024]

Just out of time in general. I drop by every month or few. I'm downsizing and only plan on keeping my ATR-100s and a few others. No need for a desk at all. I'll do what I need inthe patch panel or an API rack.

--Ethan

 

[BRDTS]

My only current issue is that I keep buying Tascam M-1b mixers.

Haha..... I still have 3 or 4 of the earlier Model 1's that are still alive and kicking. Think I bought all of those in 1976 or so. Some stuff never dies.

 

[cjacek]

er, it's between they never found WMD's in Iraq and being too damn old and tired to post... ....................

BTW, thanks for a most amusing poll Tim... ....................

(...and Mike, it's good to see you around these parts again. )..

 

[Beck]

My only current issue is that I keep buying Tascam M-1b mixers. They are amazing units that make doing headphone mixes so easy! I'm up to four and I hope to be able to stop when I get to six. When I can get them purchased and delivered for under $50, they are a no-brainer

The later Tascam M-1B model is my favorite line mixer of all time. I have two of them and could probably use another. Clean, quiet, and versatile. Great all-around submixer and I’ve got one moded with direct outs to use between my 8-track and DAW for direct transfers. It’s easy to mod to use as a front end that way. I converted the foldback RCA jacks for the direct outs. I thought about adding 8 more RCA jacks instead of hacking the foldback jacks, but I can simply use RCA Y-splitters on the inputs if I really need foldback functionality with that unit, which I haven’t needed yet.

The second unit I have is for expanding the effects returns on my mixing console, and I’d like to rack a third under my TSR-8 to tinker with rough mixes through headphones without having to alter anything on the main console. For that application I’d need the foldbacks so the outputs would continue on to the main mixer.

They could have fit everything in one rack space like many 8-channel line mixers do, but the roominess is one of the things I like about it even if it does take up two rack spaces. It’s such a joy to mod being so roomy on the inside as well you almost want to find things to do with it.

They have older NJM2041 (low-noise 4558) op-amps, which could be improved, so that’s a likely mod for the future. I might try 4580’s or my trusty old go-to NE5532’s. That and metal film resistors in the signal path. On the other hand, with a frequency response of 30 - 20k +/- 1dB, S/N ratio of 82dB and THD of 0.03dB I might just leave well enough alone. Decisions, decisions!

 

[tsqair]

I moved on to an akai dps 24 and then to protools,with a macbook pro , i still have a 388 and a fostex r 80? There under blankets, i love analog,all the great memories and all that, digital is just much easier, i dont think i would have switched to digital if they still manufactured analog machines ,because i'm not one for change ..... the whole learning curve thing is a pain ! I guess that's progress........... happy new year beck,your a good dude!

 

[ofajen]

(Raises hand to show his absence)

Fall was even busier than usual at work.

In my limited time for music, I've been playing a lot with fun synth apps on a loaner iPad, plus a bit of singing and playing electric guitar and bass. Still gets tracked to tape. So that's good... more music, less typing.

The tape machines are doing great, so there's not a whole lot to say. I like this place... very healthy relative to most online forums. I usually stop by Analog Only once or twice a month, but I don't frequent the rest of the site at all. Probably be more like weekly visits the next few months.

I'm still on the Ampex list after lo these many years, but just getting the digest, rather than individual posts, and a fair amount I skip.

I've spent a little bit of time lately on the electronic music forum in the infamous GS, mainly to get leads on cool apps, but have less and less interest in spending possible music time on discussing general recording stuff on any site.

Cheers,

Otto