The Apt/Holman Apticon Event June 6–7, 2026

The Apt/Holman Apticon

June 6–7, 2026 Sign up at https://www.apticon.org/

The inaugural event featuring the technology of Apt Corporation, Cambridge, MA 1977 – 1982.

This includes the Apt/Holman Preamplifier and the Apt 1 Power Amplifier.

Among those interested will be restoration technicians, analogue audio design engineers, and people involved in the history and development of analogue audio circuits. A certain amount of knowledge is pre-supposed like the fundamentals of transistor circuit design. (See 1 , 2 below)

Apt’s improvements will be covered in this seminar, such as techniques Apt used for lowering distortion, noise, and RFI susceptibility.

The most famous part of this design is the Holman Phono Preamp introduced first at Advent Corporation and improved upon in the Apt/Holman Preamp, that takes its name principally from the phono stage. Both the Apt preamp and power amp include many design features that were advanced for their time representing Tom’s experience with a wide range of products he’d owned, such that both the preamp and power amp were designed to overcome their limitations.

There will be talks on the preamp, power amp, and ancillary products, panels of technicians on restoring and even improving on the original design, sources for components, and a clinic for products brought to the seminar. While these segments are planned they are not guaranteed.

The venue is in Burbank, CA, center of the post-production world in film sound and with many audio companies, and a short distance within southern California for others. Burbank airport is close, and the host hotel is offering a discount.

Join us for this unique opportunity to discuss some of vintage audio’s most respected products with their principal designer. These insights into sound audio practice are alive and well 45 years after their introduction, and with some TLC the Apts can meet or surpass the original extensive specifications.

Attendees with receive urls for the talks, complete service manuals, etc., after the event.

Sign up soon as this event is expected to sell out.

1 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/amp_2.html

2 https://www.electronics-tutorials.ws/amplifier/common-collector-amplifier.html

*There is also a link on the Steve Hoffman Audio forum regarding this event at https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/apticon-featuring-abt-corporation-77-82-technology-summit.1244262/

Listening: Discovering the Grateful Dead (Live)

Even though I was a Bob Weir fan, I've never been able to get into the Grateful Dead. But, I have a new way to check them out (thank you to Rhino Records) by listening to some live Dead. I received an email announcement from Rhino this morning along with A Beginner's Guide To Grateful Dead Live so, let's give it a shot! https://www.dead.net/beginners-guide?eml=2026March27/7059569/6134371&etsubid=338815507

Listening: New Order

Now playing, New Order’s 2021 ‘Be A Rebel’ single with 13 BAR versions.

I’m thinking my favorite version is #4’s bernard’s renegade instrumental mix.

But wait, #5 starts out with a bang with Bernard joining in on vocals but alas I sense some musical compression going on. Will need further listening…

Which remix is your choice for ‘best’ to you and your ears?

Every Music Fan Needs A Music Buddy

Every physical media music fan needs a similarly minded friend to share with. Sharing makes our hobby more meaninful and enjoyable. The subject of this post's 'friend' happens to live in the digital domain, in one's pocket, purse or backpack and organizes your vinyl and CD collection for you. A music buddy of sorts. Enter the Music Buddy app. I discovered Music Buddy in the Apple App Store Edit: I previously wrote there was no Music Buddy Android App in the Google Play Store. I was wrong...there is. Sorry, Android fans). This free App promised to organize my CD/LP library with the additional benefit of taking my visual library with me each time I visit the record store or shop online. Even box sets are welcome here. No more "do I have this title on CD?" stress.

Once you've downloaded the App simply scan the barcode using your iPhone or iPad's camera. If an album has no barcode you have other options such as searching for it online, by UPC//EAN-13 number or manually entering the data. Choose whether or not to scan a single item or multiples. The 'Scan Multiple Barcodes' is especially useful if you have a fairly large physical music collection and are just beginning your Music Buddy relationship.

As your collection grows you can view it easily. Albums are immediately added to your collection after the enter process has finalized, within seconds of saving. Simply touch the circled check mark to save your scan entry. 

If your music buddy is unable to locate the album online choose the manual entry feature. This process takes more time but it ensures a higher level of library accuracy. The ability to take a photo with your device of the unfound title is a nice touch.

Under the My Albums screen you can view your entire CD/LP collection. This screen gives you information data such as the number of titles (as you can read I have 412 so far...), favorites, tags, even those gems that you've loaned out! Music filters include by Series, Artist, Genre, Performers and Release Year. Let's say you want to know all of the albums in your collection that guitarist Lee Ritenour played on. 

I just discovered that you can even scan cassettes and identify them as such!

Once you've downloaded the App you can add up to fifty titles for free. There is no cost for the App itself. Try it. If you like the App's functionality and your library of compact discs and records exceeds fifty you can, for a one-time $9.99 purchase, add more with no limit (at the time of this blog post).

The next time you are music shopping and you see that album that you just must have, check with your Music Buddy first to be sure you don't already own it. 

*I make no commission nor do I receive any reimbursement or advertising for this article.

Thank you for reading Hear More Music,

Doug

p.s. If I'd had Music Buddy I wouldn't now own two copies each of Kacey Musgrave's 'Starcrossed' or Amy Grant's 'Unguarded'! LOL.

AXPONA Expo 2026

The high-end audio AXPONA Expo will be held April 10-12, 2026 at the Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg (a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. It's a fantastic show and the largest of it's type in North America. Check out information and purchase your tickets at https://axpona.com/

Cowboy Junkies “Whites Off Earth Now” Remaster

Cowboy Junkies’ 1986 debut album 'Whites Off Earth Now!!' is now available on limited edition red vinyl, 180g audiophile black vinyl & CD. 

Captured live to tape using a single ambisonic microphone, this collection of blues & rock covers along with our first original song, 'Take Me', introduced our signature sound to the world...(well, maybe not to the world, but to at least the couple of thousand people that originally bought the record.)


Cut at half-speed by John Webber at Air Studios this edition brings out every nuance of the original recordings. Featuring standout tracks like “Shining Moon” and “Baby Please Don’t Go,” Whites Off Earth Now!! is where our journey began. Enjoy!!