Ben Duncan
 

Just curious - as there seem to be some pretty highly knowledgable people on
this NG, dooes anybody know anything of Ben Duncan? Produced some rather
good plans and kits in the 70's and 80's - I'm still using his AMP-02 which
was marketed by Audio Synthesis; I built it probably about 1990, maybe
earlier.

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium concerts
and so on. Still around? Well regarded?

GMacK

Ben Duncan
 

Geoff Mackenzie wrote:

Just curious - as there seem to be some pretty highly knowledgable people on
this NG, dooes anybody know anything of Ben Duncan? Produced some rather
good plans and kits in the 70's and 80's - I'm still using his AMP-02 which
was marketed by Audio Synthesis; I built it probably about 1990, maybe
earlier.

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium concerts
and so on. Still around? Well regarded?

All I can say now is that I remember the name. Maybe something will surface if I
sleep on it.

Graham

Ben Duncan
 

"Geoff Mackenzie" wrote in message
...
Just curious - as there seem to be some pretty highly knowledgable people
on this NG, dooes anybody know anything of Ben Duncan? Produced some
rather good plans and kits in the 70's and 80's - I'm still using his
AMP-02 which was marketed by Audio Synthesis; I built it probably about
1990, maybe earlier.


Didn't he do a series of articles in HFN about the "Amp-01" sometime around
1990?

David.

Ben Duncan
 

Geoff Mackenzie said:

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium concerts
and so on. Still around? Well regarded?
See
http://www.bdr-uk.dial.pipex.com/
or
http://www.benduncanresearch.org/lts.htm

--
Ken

Ben Duncan
 

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Geoff Mackenzie" wrote in message
...
Just curious - as there seem to be some pretty highly knowledgable people
on this NG, dooes anybody know anything of Ben Duncan? Produced some
rather good plans and kits in the 70's and 80's - I'm still using his
AMP-02 which was marketed by Audio Synthesis; I built it probably about
1990, maybe earlier.


Didn't he do a series of articles in HFN about the "Amp-01" sometime
around 1990?

David.



Yes, that's him. It was a highly regarded piece of kit, even if a bit
"garden shed" in appearance; the Amp-02 went a fair bit up market. It was
a mainframe design, so you could choose which modules you wanted - DAC, RIAA
etc.

GMacK

Ben Duncan
 

"UnsteadyKen" wrote in message
m...
Geoff Mackenzie said:

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium
concerts
and so on. Still around? Well regarded?
See
http://www.bdr-uk.dial.pipex.com/
or
http://www.benduncanresearch.org/lts.htm

--
Ken

Thanks, Ken. I had tried a Google - it came up with a wonderful selection
of Ben Duncans, none of them the one I wanted! Nice to know he's still
around - from what I recall of his driving techniques I'm surprised....

There's always been a fair number of back street mechanics who reckon they
know better than the major manufacturers, but Ben was unusual in actually
producing things which worked.

GMacK

Ben Duncan
 

"Geoff Mackenzie" wrote in message
...

"David Looser" wrote in message
...

Didn't he do a series of articles in HFN about the "Amp-01" sometime
around 1990?


Yes, that's him. It was a highly regarded piece of kit, even if a bit
"garden shed" in appearance; the Amp-02 went a fair bit up market. It
was a mainframe design, so you could choose which modules you wanted -
DAC, RIAA etc.


The Amp-01 was also modular, based on Eurocards in a 3U cardframe. What it
looked like would depend on the constructor, but using normal off-the-shelf
cardframe components I would have described the appearance as "industrial"
rather than "garden shed".

At the time I was designing a series of audio modules for the subjective
test facility I was working in, and I unashamedly stole ideas from those
articles.

David.

Ben Duncan
 

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Geoff Mackenzie" wrote in message
...

"David Looser" wrote in message
...

Didn't he do a series of articles in HFN about the "Amp-01" sometime
around 1990?


Yes, that's him. It was a highly regarded piece of kit, even if a bit
"garden shed" in appearance; the Amp-02 went a fair bit up market. It
was a mainframe design, so you could choose which modules you wanted -
DAC, RIAA etc.


The Amp-01 was also modular, based on Eurocards in a 3U cardframe. What it
looked like would depend on the constructor, but using normal
off-the-shelf cardframe components I would have described the appearance
as "industrial" rather than "garden shed".

At the time I was designing a series of audio modules for the subjective
test facility I was working in, and I unashamedly stole ideas from those
articles.

David.

Fair comment on the appearance - your description is more accurate than
mine.

With another look at his website, the mentions of holistic and ancient water
meadows at first glance caused me to wonder if he is out there talking to
the fairies, but I prefer to think of him as a wonderful eccentric who
unlike most was able to state his reasons for his designs and put them into
practice. And they always did exactly what he said they would, and worked
in real-world conditions.

Good bloke - could do with a few more like him.

GMacK

Ben Duncan
 

"UnsteadyKen"
Geoff Mackenzie said:

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium
concerts
and so on. Still around? Well regarded?
See
http://www.bdr-uk.dial.pipex.com/
or
http://www.benduncanresearch.org/lts.htm



** Hmmm - the dear fellow portrays all the * unmistakable * hallmarks
of being an * ab-solute * expert on the many causes & peculiar nature of
pseudo-random stress fractures in DIY porcelain.

Read a few of his unique audio diatribes in Electronics World - IIRC.

Almost semi-riveting ........



..... Phil

Ben Duncan
 

Geoff Mackenzie wrote:

I heard he had given up the domestic scene and moved into stadium
concerts and so on. Still around? Well regarded?

He did a stint as a journalist/reviewer in the pro audio sector in the 1980s and also designed a range of pro power amps made by a company called Rauch. These are still well regarded, but the company went bust. I met him briefly a couple of times and he was very pleasant.

Stephen