Pictures from the event.
AES Re-amp Build
The AES Secretary Joey Janski and AES President Neil Crowley arrived around 7:00pm in the CRAS Live sound room in order to help prep the event. There they prepared soldering irons and placed protective eye-ware at each station for the student attendees. The President introduced Mr. Jeff Harris, the evening's resident re-amp guru, with a few short words and the AES Re-Amp Build kicked off just 5 minutes after the scheduled 8:00pm start time.
Mr. Harris gave a brief history of his audio background and the various achievements he had accumulated over the years. He spoke adamantly of the hard work and dedication it takes to succeed in the world of audio and expressed a whole hearted emphasis on just how rewarding your work as an engineer could truly be.
Mr. Harris went on to describe what a re-amp was and why it's such a handy device to have around the studio. Everyone was briefed in detail on the basic circuitry of the amp and the history of the name itself. The students learned that with a re-amp you can convert a line level balanced signal into a smaller unbalanced signal. This is done to achieve a clean, natural and unaltered sound far different from that of a classic amplified instrument. In a time where unique innovation and rebellion against the norm tends to come out on top, a re-amp may be that golden ticket to your next studio session.
With no further questions the build kits were distributed, safety goggles hit faces and construction commenced. Wires were stripped, the smell of solder filled the air and the room went silent. There's something about hands on projects, whether in class or AES hosted events, that really brings out a student's unfaltering concentration. Mr. Harris never stopped moving. Bounding from student to student he made sure everyone was on the same page and not a single poor soldering soul was left behind. Every response to the student's uncertainty was delivered with poise and without hesitation. These future CRAS graduates were in capable hands.
As the evening came to a close what started as bits and pieces began to look less like a pile of junk and more like a bonafide piece equipment fit to satisfy any professional engineer. With multiple kits left over Mr. Harris assured the students that anyone interested in learning to build the re-amp and couldn't attend the event were more than welcome to seek him out for the opportunity.
The participants, delighted with their new toys, unanimously thanked Mr. Harris for the time he took out of his busy schedule to host such a rewarding event. The build was such a success a couple of students approached the AES President and requested information on the next AES hosted build and when it would be taking place. The President could confidently assure the students more builds were on the way if the same enthusiasm was expressed at the weekly scheduled AES meetings. With their input the CRAS AES Chapter would continue to proudly reflect the interest of the student body it serves.
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