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#1
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Cost of gear in UK.
Quite a lot of US products appear to be heavily overpriced here in the
UK. For the last 4 years or more I've been put off buying any of these US products mainly on principle. Though *some* companies do seem to be selling at a comparable US/UK price. Which seems to disprove some peoples assertions that the duty etc. makes a very high UK price inevitable. If I have HAD to have something, I've ordered from the states direct, which leaves one with no aftersales service etc. So now my studio is full of predominantly UK and European stuff. Which is no terrible thing, but I'd like to have a fair (and wider) choice. Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around 40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items. Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? Pete. |
#2
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pete wrote:
Quite a lot of US products appear to be heavily overpriced here in the UK. For the last 4 years or more I've been put off buying any of these US products mainly on principle. Though *some* companies do seem to be selling at a comparable US/UK price. Which seems to disprove some peoples assertions that the duty etc. makes a very high UK price inevitable. Products made in the US seem to sell for about as many pounds as they do dollars. However, products made in Asia seem to do about the same thing. From this I gather it's more of a distribution issue than anything else. With the dollar rapidly collapsing, this may not remain the case for much longer, of course. If I have HAD to have something, I've ordered from the states direct, which leaves one with no aftersales service etc. So now my studio is full of predominantly UK and European stuff. Which is no terrible thing, but I'd like to have a fair (and wider) choice. Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or Europe.... Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around 40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items. Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? I suspect a lot of it has to do with the size of the market. A distribution company that sells a hundred of something in the UK vs. a distribution company that sells a thousand of them in the US. As I said earlier, it's not just US-made gear that is like this. It's cheaper to buy Japanese gear in the US than in the UK too. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#3
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pete wrote:
Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around 40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items. Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? Partly the importer, partly the VAT. Consider taing a cheap flight to NY, buying the stuff and carry or ship it back yourself. Do the math--sometimes this can save a bundle, especially if you get a few friends in on the deal. |
#5
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play-on playonATcomcast.net wrote:
On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or Europe.... Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear... I dunno where you are, but here I can still get Mouton-Cadet for $5.99 a bottle. (Well, Chakaal can, up in Laurel, MD.) The collapse in the dollar is bad, but in this case it's at least partially offset by the huge glut in wine on the international market from crop surplusses and overplanting in California and a drop in wine consumption in Europe. And it won't stay this way, so stock up. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#6
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Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around 40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items. Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? Graham |
#7
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Pooh Bear wrote:
Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. (I believe the US Constitution only grants the federal government the authority to tax trade between the states, not inside an individual state.) So, sales tax in the US is at the state, county, and local government level. And even possibly by a transit authority (which may be formed by a group of counties or cities) or by other groups, such as perhaps a unified school district shared by 2 or 3 cities. The laws therefore vary by what city, county, and state you're in, but a typical example has the state taking most of the money. Here in Austin, Texas, the state takes 6.25%, and sets a maximum rate of 8.25%. The remaining 2% is split up evenly: 1% goes to The City of Austin and 1% goes to Capital Metro, which is a transit agency (which is supposed to start building some sort of rail line any decade now, but I digress). In other states, the rates vary from exactly zero tax (in four states) up to about 8% or a maximum of definitely less than 10%, with 7% being a typical number. Texas has a relatively high sales tax rate at 8.25% in most cities, but that is because it does not levy a state income tax. Meanwhile, Oregon has no sales tax but has an income tax and high property taxes (or so I hear). As for what is taxed, in Texas most sales are taxed, with the exception of food and medicine. (However, prepared foods, i.e. foods that are ready to eat at the time of purchase, are taxed.) Texas also has a fun quirk introduced by George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas: every year starting on the first Friday in August and ending on the following Sunday, there is no sales tax on most clothing items (things like jewelry, sports equipment, and decorative accessories are not exempt). This has been widely regarded as a cheap stunt to gain public approval on GWB's part (notice he did the exact same sort of thing with federal income tax right after he took office as president), but it is also widely regarded as a cool thing that everybody loves and nobody wants to see go away. Ostensibly, the point is that parents can go buy their kids new clothes for the coming school year, but you can also go out and buy yourself $500 worth of clothes all at once and save $40 in taxes. That weekend, the shopping malls (and any other place where you can buy clothes) are a mob scene rivaled only by the Christmas shopping season. - Logan |
#9
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"Logan Shaw" wrote in message ... Texas also has a fun quirk introduced by George W. Bush when he was Governor of Texas: every year starting on the first Friday in August and ending on the following Sunday, there is no sales tax on most clothing items (things like jewelry, sports equipment, and decorative accessories are not exempt). This has been widely regarded as a cheap stunt to gain public approval on GWB's part (notice he did the exact same sort of thing with federal income tax right after he took office as president), but it is also widely regarded as a cool thing that everybody loves and nobody wants to see go away. Ostensibly, the point is that parents can go buy their kids new clothes for the coming school year, but you can also go out and buy yourself $500 worth of clothes all at once and save $40 in taxes. That weekend, the shopping malls (and any other place where you can buy clothes) are a mob scene rivaled only by the Christmas shopping season. Yeah, but there's a cap on the dollar amount per item (I think it's $100) that qualifies for this, so it does indeed help the lower income folks more than the rich people. So you can't go buy a Hugo Boss suit at the Galleria in Dallas that weekend & get a tax abatement, for example. It's a really good tax break that helps retailers and lower-income individuals alike. Also interesting is what you mention about the TX state income tax - or lack thereof - there's been talk lately about imposing one, despite the higher sales tax, lottery revenues, etc... I live in El Paso, about 3 miles from the New Mexico state border - where the property taxes are about a third of what they are here - and I can tell you that the moment Texas imposes a state income tax, this city of well over half a million people will become a giant parking lot with regard to anyone earning over $60k (and owning a home) is concerned. That's about the break-even point right now... $60k, and owning a home valued at anywhere from 20% below to 20% above the average for the market (depending on what part of town you live in and which school disctricts are levying taxes on you, etc). If Texas imposes even a 2% income tax, I would not be surprised if 50,000 people leave this area to migrate a few miles to New Mexico. Neil Henderson |
#10
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"play-on" wrote in message ... Yep, well there are a ton of good wines out there nowdays, from places like Australia, Chile, S. Africa. etc, they all can make great wines. I've recently discovered Yellow Tail, from Australia, which makes a not-too-half-ass-bad Merlot (although their Shiraz leaves quite a lot to be desired), anyone else try this one yet? Neil Henderson |
#11
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On Tue, 30 Nov 2004 18:50:39 -0800, Kurt Albershardt
wrote: pete wrote: Now the exchange rate is 1.91 and has been fairly high for quite a while, Comparing the less-tax prices, somewhere in the chain, around 40 - 60 percent is being added to the price of these items. Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? Partly the importer, partly the VAT. Consider taing a cheap flight to NY, buying the stuff and carry or ship it back yourself. Do the math--sometimes this can save a bundle, especially if you get a few friends in on the deal. Or, buy on ebay, from a reputable seller of course. Used gear can be declared at a much lower value as well, saving you a lot of duty fees. Al |
#12
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Logan Shaw wrote in news:7udrd.96618
: As for what is taxed, in Texas most sales are taxed, with the exception of food and medicine. (However, prepared foods, i.e. foods that are ready to eat at the time of purchase, are taxed.) Prior to the introduction of GST a couple of decades ago, New Zealand had a whole slew of sales taxes based on what some politicians deemed to be luxury items or necessities ie cameras = 40%, cabbages = 0% The electronic and audio industries were hit fairly hard (semiconductors were 20%, speakers 30%) but test equipment (oscilloscopes etc) being deemed essential industrial equipment, were zero rated - with the sole exception of signal generators, which were rated at 20%. This sounds odd until you get the official explanation. Generators, according to those in power, were a part of a car. Car parts are 20%. QED. Mic stands were the height of luxury at 30% but lighting stands were zero. The difference (both with identical cast base) being the length of the tubing (mics short, lights long) Led to some rather odd anomolies. M |
#13
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Mike Diack wrote:
but test equipment (oscilloscopes etc) being deemed essential industrial equipment, were zero rated - with the sole exception of signal generators, which were rated at 20%. This sounds odd until you get the official explanation. Generators, according to those in power, were a part of a car. Car parts are 20%. QED. That's pretty crazy! Reminds me of how (according to the history books I used in college), at the time of the American revolution, one of the representatives to the Continental Congress[1] had a problem: he wanted to support the war[2], but the people in the area he represented were largely pacifists (Quakers or some other group like that), so there was no way they would allow him to vote in favor of allocating funds to support acts of war. But everyone knew the necessity of the government buying gunpowder, so eventually they re-worded things so that this particular representative only had to vote to approve the purchase of wheat and "other grains" (gunpowder being a "grain"), which made everything OK with the pacifist folks back home *and* made it possible to go ahead and go to war. (Which might well have been what the folks back home really wanted anyway, even if they couldn't officially come out and say it.) I guess this is what you would call "American ingenuity". :-) - Logan [1] which, for you non-Americans, was a form of unofficial, impromptu government formed to organize the colonies so they could rebel [2] i.e. rebellion |
#14
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pete wrote:
Just as an egsample: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. So, who is making this 'bonus'? Pete. I've bought a few direct imports - often before they became officially available in the UK. One example was the FMR RNC. This cost me 170 pounds direct from FMR including carriage, VAT and import duty. When they found a UK distributor the official price was 199 pounds although I've seen them a little cheaper. So I saved a little on the UK price but not that much. If I had bought more than one then I would have saved on the carriage, probably knocking 10-15 pounds off the price of each one. If you are looking for a bargain it is also worth looking at some of the German places like Thomann or Music Store in Cologne. One guy I know buys all his music gear from Thomann now. Cheers. James. |
#16
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#17
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Logan Shaw wrote:
Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) |
#18
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Logan Shaw wrote:
Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) |
#19
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play-on wrote:
On 30 Nov 2004 22:34:49 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: play-on playonATcomcast.net wrote: On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or Europe.... Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear... I dunno where you are, but here I can still get Mouton-Cadet for $5.99 a bottle. I was talking about the more expensive stuff, which now is becoming *really* pricey. Like a bottle of Mersault white burgundy, used to be $20 a bottle or so, now you see it for well over $40 or $50. At one time I could afford a bottle once & awhile for special occasions but not any more. We gotta get together one of these conventions for a real dinner with real wine. Anybody going to NAB? r.a.m.p.s is meeting at a great tapas place with a lot of good wine by the glass. I'll happily break a couple of gems out of the cellar if I know there are people there who will truly appreciate them. |
#20
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play-on wrote:
On 30 Nov 2004 22:34:49 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: play-on playonATcomcast.net wrote: On 30 Nov 2004 20:58:10 -0500, (Scott Dorsey) wrote: Hey, I envy you this, because I look at all of this neat European gear and I realize I can no longer afford to buy anything from the UK or Europe.... Not being able to afford the wine bugs me more than the gear... I dunno where you are, but here I can still get Mouton-Cadet for $5.99 a bottle. I was talking about the more expensive stuff, which now is becoming *really* pricey. Like a bottle of Mersault white burgundy, used to be $20 a bottle or so, now you see it for well over $40 or $50. At one time I could afford a bottle once & awhile for special occasions but not any more. We gotta get together one of these conventions for a real dinner with real wine. Anybody going to NAB? r.a.m.p.s is meeting at a great tapas place with a lot of good wine by the glass. I'll happily break a couple of gems out of the cellar if I know there are people there who will truly appreciate them. |
#21
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Mike Rivers wrote:
In article m OSPAM writes: I've recently discovered Yellow Tail, from Australia, which makes a not-too-half-ass-bad Merlot (although their Shiraz leaves quite a lot to be desired), anyone else try this one yet? Ah, finally! Back to an appropriate topic for r.a.p. It seems that Aussie wines are the next California wines. They're everywhere. Most of my favorite inexpensive reds these days come from Spain. |
#22
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Mike Rivers wrote:
In article m OSPAM writes: I've recently discovered Yellow Tail, from Australia, which makes a not-too-half-ass-bad Merlot (although their Shiraz leaves quite a lot to be desired), anyone else try this one yet? Ah, finally! Back to an appropriate topic for r.a.p. It seems that Aussie wines are the next California wines. They're everywhere. Most of my favorite inexpensive reds these days come from Spain. |
#23
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Kurt Albershardt wrote in message ...
Logan Shaw wrote: Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) I mentioned these were "less tax" prices. IE, the UK price quoted above for the Dragonfly has no VAT. |
#24
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Kurt Albershardt wrote in message ...
Logan Shaw wrote: Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) I mentioned these were "less tax" prices. IE, the UK price quoted above for the Dragonfly has no VAT. |
#25
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pete wrote:
Kurt Albershardt wrote in message ... Logan Shaw wrote: Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) I mentioned these were "less tax" prices. IE, the UK price quoted above for the Dragonfly has no VAT. Sorry, I must have missed that. Chalk is up to importer greed and a bit of shipping in that case. |
#26
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pete wrote:
Kurt Albershardt wrote in message ... Logan Shaw wrote: Pooh Bear wrote: Kurt Albershardt wrote: pete wrote: A Blue Dragonfly Mic in USD, $799, in UKP, 808 (which is UKP 524) So around 50 percent dearer. Partly the importer, partly the VAT. The VAT is 17.5%. Certainly not the only issue. How much ( and where ) does sales tax apply in the US ? It's not a federal tax. But more to the point, most UK prices are quoted with VAT and US prices are always quoted without sales tax. Add to that the fact that most individuals purchasing items from another state do not pay sales tax (though they really do owe it.) I mentioned these were "less tax" prices. IE, the UK price quoted above for the Dragonfly has no VAT. Sorry, I must have missed that. Chalk is up to importer greed and a bit of shipping in that case. |
#27
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#28
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#29
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In article znr1101954851k@trad, Mike Rivers wrote:
In article writes: Anybody going to NAB? r.a.m.p.s is meeting at a great tapas place with a lot of good wine by the glass. I'll happily break a couple of gems out of the cellar if I know there are people there who will truly appreciate them. I've only been to NAB once, and that was when someone else paid my way. Remind me why I should go again (other than the wine and the fellowship). What's r.a.m.p.s? They have ramps in West Virginia, but they smell pretty awful - like all the worst things about garlic to which they're closely related, with none of the good things. Actually ramps aren't bad in a fritatta. They have a sort of oniony and sort of garlicy taste to them. Try and use the white stuff near the base. r.a.m.p.s is rec.arts.movies.production.sound, and it is where all of the audio for film production guys hang out. I went to NAB a couple of times because it was the week before NAMM, but this year it's two weeks before NAMM. I don't remember a tapas place in Las Vegas, but I've had some decent barbecue. The last time I went to NAB, people would ask you how many engineers your radio station has. Now they ask how many stations you engineer for. I feel bad about having missed Kurt's Scotch-tasting at the AES too, but there were too many things going on at once this past show. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#30
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In article znr1101954851k@trad, Mike Rivers wrote:
In article writes: Anybody going to NAB? r.a.m.p.s is meeting at a great tapas place with a lot of good wine by the glass. I'll happily break a couple of gems out of the cellar if I know there are people there who will truly appreciate them. I've only been to NAB once, and that was when someone else paid my way. Remind me why I should go again (other than the wine and the fellowship). What's r.a.m.p.s? They have ramps in West Virginia, but they smell pretty awful - like all the worst things about garlic to which they're closely related, with none of the good things. Actually ramps aren't bad in a fritatta. They have a sort of oniony and sort of garlicy taste to them. Try and use the white stuff near the base. r.a.m.p.s is rec.arts.movies.production.sound, and it is where all of the audio for film production guys hang out. I went to NAB a couple of times because it was the week before NAMM, but this year it's two weeks before NAMM. I don't remember a tapas place in Las Vegas, but I've had some decent barbecue. The last time I went to NAB, people would ask you how many engineers your radio station has. Now they ask how many stations you engineer for. I feel bad about having missed Kurt's Scotch-tasting at the AES too, but there were too many things going on at once this past show. --scott -- "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis." |
#31
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In article znr1101954851k@trad, Mike Rivers (that's me) wrote: I went to NAB a couple of times because it was the week before NAMM, but this year it's two weeks before NAMM. I don't remember a tapas place in Las Vegas, but I've had some decent barbecue. No I didn't. I went to NAB once. I went to CES a couple of times when it was the week before NAMM. All those trade show acronyms look the same after 10 AM. The last time I went to NAB, people would ask you how many engineers your radio station has. Now they ask how many stations you engineer for. Neat! Actually, now that I think of it, I was at NAB one other time, when it was in DC and a friend of mine who was working for Ampex (in the video group) at the time came out for it. He got me an exhibit pass and I remeber spending a lot of time at the Nagra booth. I feel bad about having missed Kurt's Scotch-tasting at the AES too, but there were too many things going on at once this past show. You social butterfly, you! -- I'm really Mike Rivers ) However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over, lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo |
#32
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In article znr1101954851k@trad, Mike Rivers (that's me) wrote: I went to NAB a couple of times because it was the week before NAMM, but this year it's two weeks before NAMM. I don't remember a tapas place in Las Vegas, but I've had some decent barbecue. No I didn't. I went to NAB once. I went to CES a couple of times when it was the week before NAMM. All those trade show acronyms look the same after 10 AM. The last time I went to NAB, people would ask you how many engineers your radio station has. Now they ask how many stations you engineer for. Neat! Actually, now that I think of it, I was at NAB one other time, when it was in DC and a friend of mine who was working for Ampex (in the video group) at the time came out for it. He got me an exhibit pass and I remeber spending a lot of time at the Nagra booth. I feel bad about having missed Kurt's Scotch-tasting at the AES too, but there were too many things going on at once this past show. You social butterfly, you! -- I'm really Mike Rivers ) However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over, lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring and reach me he double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo |
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