Des-Lab
05-05-2009, 01:34 PM
This is the first in a series of upcoming postings in observance of the first anniversary of Tapeheads.Net. This first message will detail the origin and background behind the sites creation and some of the evolutionary steps taken along the way. Enjoy.
KLOS, Chicago, And A Concert
The earliest known recorded use of the name "Des-Lab" dates back to August 11, 1978. It was on that day that my father recorded a live broadcast of the group Chicago as broadcast over local LA radio station KLOS. At the time, one of his then-future brother-in-laws had asked him to tape this performance. He was not equipped with a reel to reel tape deck, but my father was. So he agreed to tape the broadcast. A tape (a Maxell UD 35-180) was supplied for him to use. On the box, the future relative wrote a few notes about the tapes contents. In the "studio" field, he entered the words "Des-Lab", which he had apparently coined as a nickname to my fathers sound system. The "Des" being the first three letters of our last name and the "Lab" was a connotation...as in "Sound Lab[oratory]".
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_DesLab_Origin.JPG
The tape had been in storage in the years that followed, but the nickname stuck. At the time, I was not quite 5 years old. So I was largely unaware of it. However, in the years that followed, I developed an intense interest in both music and tape and taping. In going through some of my fathers tapes, I had found the one with the concert. I noticed the name and too started referring to my fathers system as "Des-Lab". When I was around 8 years old, I made my first cassette tape with his assistance. By age 10, I was making them on my own. At this point, I was completely bitten by the music/audio/tape bug. At age 14, I made my very first reel to reel tape on his Teac A3300-SX. It was just two NOS Scotch #150's spliced together onto an extra empty reel he had laying around. On my 16th birthday, I received some brand new Maxell XLI reel to to reel tapes and was making some additional mixes. He had picked up on my interest and had helped set me up with my own system. It was mainly hand-me-down and "Bone Pile" picks from the stereo stores of the time. But it was a start. But by age 17, I had a full system in place. By the mid 1990's, I had taken over the building of my system on my own, eventually upgraded and replaced all of my starter components and expanded on them further. And by the early 2000's, I had built up most of the rather expansive system that I have today. I had always liked the name and decided to keep it alive by assigning to myself as a username as well as that of my system.
An undated photo-though probably from the mid to late 1980's showing the 'original' Des-Lab system; this was my fathers setup and where I learned my love for tape and taping. He was a definite bachelor. Note the tacky outdated carpeting and minimalist décor along with the cork wall.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_Des_Lab_OrigSystem.JPG
My father apparently got too old to keep up with this hobby. So in the late 1990's when he finally got around to completely remodelling his home, 'original' Des-Lab was permanently dismantled and the components placed into storage. Here is the current Des-Lab Second Generation setup which is today my pride and joy.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/Des_Lab_TLS_Bright.JPG
The Internet Age
In the late 1990's and early 2000's with the growth of the Internet came the birth of topic specific chat rooms and forum sites. In doing some curiosity searching for anything relating to tape, I happened across a number of sites talking about audio in general and bits and pieces of tape. I was an early participant in such places as the Yahoo! reel to reel board, and the [presumably now] defunct D'Antiques message board. Right around the same time, I had discovered the love-hate relationship of buying and selling things on Ebay. Later on, as there was a sort of revival in analog audio, I happened across a number of other sites such as AudioAsylum. I became quite active and fixated with many of these sites. But two things kept me hampered: One was that you had to jump around between various sites for each of the subsets of taping. If you wanted to talk reel to reel, you did it on one site. Cassettes at another. Blanks and collecting at still another. It was a fragmented operation and not very efficient.
The second point of dissatisfaction was that on almost all of the sites where tape and taping was discussed, it seldom received much respect or attention. Tape always played second fiddle to things like vinyl and Macintosh amps. So interest was there, but it was always quickly supressed.
I sensed that there was a large interest in tape, but with little organized places to provide an outlet for it. I had noticed that across many sites there was duplicate posting and many of the same members. Some people liked just reel to reel. Others only cassette. And many, such as myself, enjoyed both.
So I had an idea. Why not provide a place for all lovers of tape to come together in one place and discuss our passions? The entire community would be built around a love of analog tape. And there would be no suppression or belittling of the hobby; it would be a true one-stop place for tape lovers the world over to congregate.
And thus, the direct ancestor to TapeHeads was born: The Yahoo! TapeTalk group went live on August 16, 2006.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_TapeTalk.JPG
Now although I felt that I was on the right track with the thought process, in practice it would prove to have been a difficult goal to see to fruition with my initial execution. For starters, it was buried in the immense fields of the Yahoo! community, which encompassed thousands upon thousands of forums. So it was not its own standalone site that could be easily found simply by entering a URL unto your browser. Even using carefully chosen keywords for search, the group would be difficult to find. And there was little or no way to actually promote it. Plus, the Yahoo! message interface is extremely limited and the flow of the messages is linear and not easily divisable by topic. So even if someone were to find the group, they would have a hard time using it. PLus, being that anyone could start a Yahoo! group with a minimal amount of effort at no cost, trying to establish any degree of credibility, respect, and loyalty would be extremely difficult. I had to have something unique and permanent.
Because of all these limitations, the TapeTalk board never really took off in popularity. It attracted only a handful of members and activity was tepid at best.
Good Karma, Bad Karma
As the TapeTalk group slogged along in almost complete obscurity with activity being at an essential standstill, one other site entered my Virtual world: AudioKarma. It was (and still is) a very large and active site for audiophiles of all styles and budgets. So for the better part of a year, that's where I spent most of my time talking with other people and making new e-mail friends. But I found that AK was still not a place where tape and analog was held with much regard. I found this to be somewhat disheartening. Adding to that, I was increasingly at odds with the staff and site culture there. While it's a large group, AK was apparently not known for it's welcoming of a multiplicity of viewpoints and interests; there was an unwritten 'code of compliance' that one had to follow. And if you did, you were welcome. But if you didn't, then life there would prove to be difficult. Things finally came to a head and in February of last year, I was permanently banished from the site.
After spending a few weeks telling anyone who would listen, my side of the story, I took a little bit of time off from the online audio world and did some soul searching. I returned to my TapeTalk board and realize that while the idea was a good one, it just wasn't going to live to its full potential in its existing form.
By then, I had built up enough experience as a forum user. So I thought to myself 'why not start an all new, ground-up, stand alone website built on the concept of TapeTalk'?
And thus. The idea for TapeHeads was born. I already had a pretty good idea on what it was going to be based on: music, and audio, centered primarily around cassette and reel to reel. It is-or at least was-a popular belief among the online fans of tape and audio who were following that saga that TapeHeads was conceived, built, and launched solely and entirely in response to my being banned from AudioKarma. That rumor contains no more than a scintilla of truth to it. The reality is that my idea for TapeHeads went back to at least 2006-long before I had even KNOWN about that site. The banishment merely was the catalyst that had galvanized me into actually carrying the idea to fulfillment. Nothing more.
I did some homework to try and determine what I would have to do to make such an idea a reality: name of the site, registering the site, what kind of software platform to use, and where to host it.
Birth of a new site
After considering a number of names for the site, such as "Des-Lab.com", "TapeTalk.Org", and "TapeLovers.Net", I decided on "TapeHeads.Net". I figured that "Des-Lab" would be best kept as a personal moniker and would not imbue a sense of welcome. Plus, anyone just browsing the Internet would probably not get the meaning and let it pass them by. I also decided against the .com and .org suffixes, owing to the fact that I was not doing this for profit nor am I an incorporated organization. Ergo, it would be a network of people with similar tastes and interests. Hence why I settled with the .net suffix. In my experiences, the word 'tapehead' frequently appeared as both a noun and an adjective to describe people who love using the various tape mediums for their audio needs. So being that it was already a well known word, I finally settled on "TapeHeads.Net". That, I feel being the best name and domain suffix for what this site stands for. After shopping around, I secured the domain name, bought some hosting space (after learning that a dedicated personal server would cost me in the tens of thousands of dollars and required a level of support and expertise that was [and still is] far above my technical abilities, and turned it on. As part of my domain name 'package', I received some software that included a forum. So that's what I decided to go with. I configured it, laid out all of the initial subject categories, put a notice on TapeTalk, and on the morning of May 12, 2008, pressed the "ON" button that officially took TapeHeads.Net live to the world.
And here's what that site looked like at the front door on the first day.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalSite.JPG
Let's Try That Again
Even before the original TapeHeads site went live, I saw that it was going to have problems. For starters, the software I was using was extremely limited in functionality. Options to customize it were very few. Uploading of pictures was restricted to just me; other users couldn't do it unless their images passed through me first. The text bodies did not parse or space properly. So one 'long' word at the end of the page, and the entire message would continue off the screen to the right, requiring readers to scroll to the right and left, as opposed to the normal up-and-down that they are used to. The avatars were only 50 x50 in pixel dimension, and moderation was simply too difficult. These are but just a few of the problems. I did manage to attract a handful of users in the very first few days, but most of them did voice many concerns that echoed mine. Plus they found additional problems and awkward features that I hadn't yet.
So by the third day, I was back to square one. In my initial shopping phase, I did look at the popular VBulletin program that many forums use. I had dismissed it as too expensive at first. But once all of the problems with my existing software had surfaced, I took a second look at it. Only this time, I decided to purchase a VBulletin package. I had to enlist the help of someone to get it set up for me on my server, but once he did, I was able to run the rest.
And so less than two weeks later, on May 21, TapeHeads Mark II went live on the VBulletin platform that remains the backbone of the site to this day. Unfortunately, in that changeover, all initial memberships (approximately 30) and messages (approximately 200) were lost. It was a minor inconvenience for some, but almost all of the people did re-join and most of the 'lost' posts were later re-created. And the ancestor site, TapeTalk on Yahoo!, was shuttered permanently on May 31, with a redirect to TapeHeads-which remains in place today.
The new TapeHeads.Net forum as it appeared in the sites original color scheme.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_ForumOriginalColors.JPG
Finding An Identity
When TapeHeads was launched, it didn't have a logo. Instead, at the top of the forum I had merely installed a banner picture. The same one I had used for awhile as the photo identifier for TapeTalk. Except that I put the TapeHeads name across it. Alas, this was very short lived and only appeared for about two weeks.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalBanner.JPG
The original logo was something that I had designed largely from scratch. Since I'm not what you would call artistically inclined, it was rather minimalist. However, a few months later, TapeHeads member Graffias79 decided that he was going to have some fun and tinker with it. He produced a few examples of a modified version of it. I saw his artistic ability and took him to the task of producing a 'cleaned up' version of the logo. After a half dozen or so attempts, he created one that I liked. So I quickly incorporated it into the site. He was later compensated for his efforts with some blank cassette tapes.
At the start of 2009, and as I looked forward to the site future as it was growing, I came to realize that the existing color scheme and logo didn't look all that welcoming or fresh. It was NICE, but something was missing. So in mid February, I went back to the proverbial drawing board and starting laying down some possible new color schemes for the site and a new logo that would reflect that. Once I had the fundamentals frozen in my mind, I again approached the same site member and asked him if he would be willing to create another logo. Only he would have to do it based on my suggestions. And again, after about a dozen proposals, I picked the one that I would use to create a new and long lasting fresh look to the site. In March of this year, it was unveiled. Less than a week later, the entire rest of the site including the forum color scheme was completely changed over to the look that we have today. By the end of the month, all traces of the original color scheme were gone. I still think the blue/gold/gray/white looks far, FAR superior than the color scheme it replaced.
1. My original logo, which served from June to November 2008.
2. The revised version, in use until March 2009.
3. The current logo.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalLogo.JPG
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalLogoRevised.JPG
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_CurrentLogo.JPG
There's no place like home
One thing the site was lacking was a dedicated home page. Between launch of the site in May and October of 2008, there was no home page per se. The forum itself was the home page and the very first thing that visitors to the site would see.
During most of September, I was tinkering with a number of possible layouts and grappling with how to get a home page to display in the first place. At one point, I made a mistake on the server and very nearly wiped out the entire forum and everything it contained. Alas, I was able to catch it just in time. I did build one proposed front page but it never went live; doing so with the knowldge I had at the time was what nearly obliterated the forum.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_ProposedHomePage.JPG
One concept that had appealed to me from the get go was the idea of having a rotating "front page image". As often as not, it would be something that another member had submitted. If it was a really good picture, I would put it up front and center to show a snapshot of what the site was all about. and rotating it out would help keep things fresh. And having it be a members (i.e. someone other than mine) would allow that persons picture (along with whatever was in it) shine in the proverbial limelight for awhile. This idea was actually not mine; another non-audio related site does this and I liked the concept enough to incorporate it into my own site.
Initially, I wanted to do it as a daily "Image of the day". Alas just not enough interesting pictures were being posted to sustain a daily rotation. Plus, I discovered that to be just too time consuming than what I could handle. So I scaled it back to a simply weekly image. I continue rotating out a new image every week to this day.
After a lot of technical support questions and some old fashioned curiosity driven tinkering on my part, I had at last figured out a way to create a home page. The good news: It could be whatever I wanted. The bad news: I had to create it entirely from scratch, literally starting off as a plain white screen with nothing on it. So in October, I finally got a minimalist home page running. At last, the forum itself wasn't the first thing everyone saw.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_FirstFrontPage.JPG
That first home page was never meant to be anything permanent, it was merely a start. Over the next couple of months, I did revise it's appearance and add many features to it.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised1.JPG
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http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised2.JPG
And I finally settled on one layout that actually lasted a few months. Here is one of them.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised3.JPG
I actually liked the above version, what with the front and center picture plus the links to interesting discussions and the three smaller images/captions to the right. But that was an enormous amount of work each week. To find the subjects I wanted to use, download and resize the pictures, then re-upload them, add the links, and so on eventually go to be too much. To do just one UPDATED version of that page took almost two hours. So while that faux 'magazine' format was nice, I just couldn't stay on top of it.
So I revised the front page one last time prior to the change of color scheme. The very basic, crude concept of the future 'new page' was already in my head. So that's what I based the final 'old colors' layout on. I also dropped all other items that were being updated weekly, instead opting to keep the "image of the week" front and center.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevisedFinal.JPG
When I unveiled the new logo, I wasted very little time redesigning the home page to incorporate it. Although loosely based on the final version of the old colors in terms of layout, I wanted to make the new front page as nice as I could. I liked the visuals I had used in the past, using scaled down images of reels and tapes as icons. But I grew tired of those, instead opting to use some user submitted images as part of a visual snapshot describing what TapeHeads is about. I held a curtain call, but few pictures were offered. So I used a few of those, some of mine, and a handful I scoured out of the archives. I put it all together and presented what I think is actually a pretty decent looking first impression of the site, which as of today, remains unchanged from its original configuration.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevisedCurrent.JPG
Where We Are Today
As the one year mark for this site is exactly one week from now, I'd like to take a step back and take stock of where this site stands. It's important to understand that TapeHeads is a non profit, non commercial venue. In the simplest sense of the word, it *IS* little more than just a gathering place on the Internet for people from around the world to share a common hobby. But that doesn't mean that this place doesn't stand for anything, because it does. Make no mistake about it. The tape hobby is still considered by the world to be a fringe hobby enjoyed by only a small handful of eccentric people who for whatever reason, choose not to 'keep up with the times'. That may be true from an musical perspective. But the fact that it IS on the Internet nonetheless means that none of us are TOTALLY "living in the past". TapeHeads provides a place for "escapism" from the world of Ipods and MP3's while still being entrenched in something that resembles the real world of 2009. That can do wonders for both the mind and the soul. So there IS a tangible, measurable benefit to this little website.
On that note however, I have to say that TapeHeads has thusfar failed to draw what I believed to be its true potential in terms of membership and activity count. This could be for any number of reasons, but it's not due to a lack of effort on my part. I've done everything I could reasonably think of to both market this site and imbue a sense of welcome to anyone who chooses to visit. I think for the most part, I've done the latter. So I'm not sure what more I could do. The possibility does remain in my mind that ironically, the fact that *I* run it could in fact be its biggest impediment and obstacle to growth. I did not appear out of a vaccuum and create this place. Many of you have known me for years from the various other audio sites. Some of you seem to like me and share my ideas. Others are not so fond of me. I say this and I say it without rancor, guilt, or apology that I know I can be a bit abrasive sometimes. I know that over the years I've said and done things that just didn't sit well with others. So they figure "why should I support anything that that SOB Matt is behind"? (or something along those lines). Well what can I say? As in the real world, when dealing with a multitude of people and personalities-even if you share common interests-some of you just aren't going to see eye to eye and get along. Period. That's just life and I'm not going to make excuses for that. Any of you who might be inclined to look at me and see a "prick" has probably left some wreckage behind him somewhere, sometime himself. I don't believe anyone can truly sit there and look in the mirror and say with a clear conscience that they have never said or done anything to land themselves on someone elses shit list at one time or another. Oh well. I can only hope that anyone who is avoiding TapeHeads for those reasons can eventually overcome those prejudices and realize that I am trying to build something special and unique and why not give it a chance. It's not as though I appear in EVERY discussion here.
Now on the other hand, if I DID say or do something (or indeed NOT say it or do it) that upset you, at least give me a chance to apologize and make it right. Even if it means agreeing to disagree. At least do both of us the courtesy and respect of hearing the other out. Doesn't do much good to sit there and stew. I can't fix a problem I don't know about. If I did you wrong and you did approach me and I still ignored you, THEN go ahead and talk smack about me behind my back.
Another thing is that in this dismal economy, a lot of people are hurting financially right now. In economic hard times, the first thing usally cut from budgets is hobbies. Sometimes I lose sight of that and often forget how fortunate I am (at least for the time being anyway) to be holding a stable and good paying job, have some savings, and be in a position to buy a new home. I admit. I know that I sometimes need to work on the people skills a bit and especially a subject as sensitive as this.
So all of that could also be keeping some people away. Tape might be "cool" and "retro". But if you simply are in no position to enjoy it, then why bother coming to a place that caters to it? Makes sense.
TapeHeads has just about made it through its first year., Along the way, I had top quickly learn a lot as far as computer and software programming, moderating and being an administrator and site leader, and all of that. I've had to deal with recruiting new members, dealing with a bombardment of spammers, writing and often re-writing some of the site rules and policies, and the like. So TapeHeads has been through a lot in the last 12 months. But I really believe that no matter how you look at it, this place is still a class act in every sense of the word as far as what our passions are. As a "leader", I still maintain an "open door" policy for questions, complaints, compliments, and criticisms (as long as they are reasonable and respectful).
Not many [non commercial] sites that I know of actively seek the input of their members. This is after all a "free" site. And yet every one of you should know that all concerns voiced either to me directly or through one of our Moderators IS heard. Not all suggestions are implemented. But all are at least heard.
Looking Ahead
No major changes of any kind are planned for TapeHeads.Net for the forseeable future. This includes the ongoing function of the forums, the color scheme and logo, and the policies. Although in the last few days, traffic and activity has cratered, I want to hope that it's simply because it's Spring and not because of a collective disgust with me or with the site policies. (although if it was, I'd like to hope that at least one person will have the gumps to step forward and tell me).
TapeHeads is fully funded and configured to remain online and operational through May of 2010. At this time I would like to hope that support grows-or at least remains to keep it online indefinitely. That means lots of active participation, new members joining and announcing themselves, and maybe (if it's not too much to ask), a few people making a financial contribution in whatever amount they are comfortable with.
Analog Hi-Fi and taping IS fun. I think it DOES sound better. Who wouldn't be mesmerized at the sight of reels spinning? Or the cool feel of a cassette in hand? Very, very few other places out there pay enough mind to these things to keep them alive. It's up to us. Keep that tape spinning. Remember that TapeHeads.Net is *THE* one-stop place to share all of your taping needs. Anywhere else....anywhere at all on the Web...and you are all but certain to be mocked and ridiculed. Or at least be shoved into obscurity. Here, you can call home. Just remember that.
I think we have an awesome group of diehard Tapeheads here. TapeHeads.Net would've been nothing without the collective support from all of you. I sincerely thank each and every one of you. I just hope that we can keep it up for Year Two.
Thank you.
-Matt "Des-Lab"
Tuesday, May 05 2009
KLOS, Chicago, And A Concert
The earliest known recorded use of the name "Des-Lab" dates back to August 11, 1978. It was on that day that my father recorded a live broadcast of the group Chicago as broadcast over local LA radio station KLOS. At the time, one of his then-future brother-in-laws had asked him to tape this performance. He was not equipped with a reel to reel tape deck, but my father was. So he agreed to tape the broadcast. A tape (a Maxell UD 35-180) was supplied for him to use. On the box, the future relative wrote a few notes about the tapes contents. In the "studio" field, he entered the words "Des-Lab", which he had apparently coined as a nickname to my fathers sound system. The "Des" being the first three letters of our last name and the "Lab" was a connotation...as in "Sound Lab[oratory]".
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_DesLab_Origin.JPG
The tape had been in storage in the years that followed, but the nickname stuck. At the time, I was not quite 5 years old. So I was largely unaware of it. However, in the years that followed, I developed an intense interest in both music and tape and taping. In going through some of my fathers tapes, I had found the one with the concert. I noticed the name and too started referring to my fathers system as "Des-Lab". When I was around 8 years old, I made my first cassette tape with his assistance. By age 10, I was making them on my own. At this point, I was completely bitten by the music/audio/tape bug. At age 14, I made my very first reel to reel tape on his Teac A3300-SX. It was just two NOS Scotch #150's spliced together onto an extra empty reel he had laying around. On my 16th birthday, I received some brand new Maxell XLI reel to to reel tapes and was making some additional mixes. He had picked up on my interest and had helped set me up with my own system. It was mainly hand-me-down and "Bone Pile" picks from the stereo stores of the time. But it was a start. But by age 17, I had a full system in place. By the mid 1990's, I had taken over the building of my system on my own, eventually upgraded and replaced all of my starter components and expanded on them further. And by the early 2000's, I had built up most of the rather expansive system that I have today. I had always liked the name and decided to keep it alive by assigning to myself as a username as well as that of my system.
An undated photo-though probably from the mid to late 1980's showing the 'original' Des-Lab system; this was my fathers setup and where I learned my love for tape and taping. He was a definite bachelor. Note the tacky outdated carpeting and minimalist décor along with the cork wall.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_Des_Lab_OrigSystem.JPG
My father apparently got too old to keep up with this hobby. So in the late 1990's when he finally got around to completely remodelling his home, 'original' Des-Lab was permanently dismantled and the components placed into storage. Here is the current Des-Lab Second Generation setup which is today my pride and joy.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/Des_Lab_TLS_Bright.JPG
The Internet Age
In the late 1990's and early 2000's with the growth of the Internet came the birth of topic specific chat rooms and forum sites. In doing some curiosity searching for anything relating to tape, I happened across a number of sites talking about audio in general and bits and pieces of tape. I was an early participant in such places as the Yahoo! reel to reel board, and the [presumably now] defunct D'Antiques message board. Right around the same time, I had discovered the love-hate relationship of buying and selling things on Ebay. Later on, as there was a sort of revival in analog audio, I happened across a number of other sites such as AudioAsylum. I became quite active and fixated with many of these sites. But two things kept me hampered: One was that you had to jump around between various sites for each of the subsets of taping. If you wanted to talk reel to reel, you did it on one site. Cassettes at another. Blanks and collecting at still another. It was a fragmented operation and not very efficient.
The second point of dissatisfaction was that on almost all of the sites where tape and taping was discussed, it seldom received much respect or attention. Tape always played second fiddle to things like vinyl and Macintosh amps. So interest was there, but it was always quickly supressed.
I sensed that there was a large interest in tape, but with little organized places to provide an outlet for it. I had noticed that across many sites there was duplicate posting and many of the same members. Some people liked just reel to reel. Others only cassette. And many, such as myself, enjoyed both.
So I had an idea. Why not provide a place for all lovers of tape to come together in one place and discuss our passions? The entire community would be built around a love of analog tape. And there would be no suppression or belittling of the hobby; it would be a true one-stop place for tape lovers the world over to congregate.
And thus, the direct ancestor to TapeHeads was born: The Yahoo! TapeTalk group went live on August 16, 2006.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_TapeTalk.JPG
Now although I felt that I was on the right track with the thought process, in practice it would prove to have been a difficult goal to see to fruition with my initial execution. For starters, it was buried in the immense fields of the Yahoo! community, which encompassed thousands upon thousands of forums. So it was not its own standalone site that could be easily found simply by entering a URL unto your browser. Even using carefully chosen keywords for search, the group would be difficult to find. And there was little or no way to actually promote it. Plus, the Yahoo! message interface is extremely limited and the flow of the messages is linear and not easily divisable by topic. So even if someone were to find the group, they would have a hard time using it. PLus, being that anyone could start a Yahoo! group with a minimal amount of effort at no cost, trying to establish any degree of credibility, respect, and loyalty would be extremely difficult. I had to have something unique and permanent.
Because of all these limitations, the TapeTalk board never really took off in popularity. It attracted only a handful of members and activity was tepid at best.
Good Karma, Bad Karma
As the TapeTalk group slogged along in almost complete obscurity with activity being at an essential standstill, one other site entered my Virtual world: AudioKarma. It was (and still is) a very large and active site for audiophiles of all styles and budgets. So for the better part of a year, that's where I spent most of my time talking with other people and making new e-mail friends. But I found that AK was still not a place where tape and analog was held with much regard. I found this to be somewhat disheartening. Adding to that, I was increasingly at odds with the staff and site culture there. While it's a large group, AK was apparently not known for it's welcoming of a multiplicity of viewpoints and interests; there was an unwritten 'code of compliance' that one had to follow. And if you did, you were welcome. But if you didn't, then life there would prove to be difficult. Things finally came to a head and in February of last year, I was permanently banished from the site.
After spending a few weeks telling anyone who would listen, my side of the story, I took a little bit of time off from the online audio world and did some soul searching. I returned to my TapeTalk board and realize that while the idea was a good one, it just wasn't going to live to its full potential in its existing form.
By then, I had built up enough experience as a forum user. So I thought to myself 'why not start an all new, ground-up, stand alone website built on the concept of TapeTalk'?
And thus. The idea for TapeHeads was born. I already had a pretty good idea on what it was going to be based on: music, and audio, centered primarily around cassette and reel to reel. It is-or at least was-a popular belief among the online fans of tape and audio who were following that saga that TapeHeads was conceived, built, and launched solely and entirely in response to my being banned from AudioKarma. That rumor contains no more than a scintilla of truth to it. The reality is that my idea for TapeHeads went back to at least 2006-long before I had even KNOWN about that site. The banishment merely was the catalyst that had galvanized me into actually carrying the idea to fulfillment. Nothing more.
I did some homework to try and determine what I would have to do to make such an idea a reality: name of the site, registering the site, what kind of software platform to use, and where to host it.
Birth of a new site
After considering a number of names for the site, such as "Des-Lab.com", "TapeTalk.Org", and "TapeLovers.Net", I decided on "TapeHeads.Net". I figured that "Des-Lab" would be best kept as a personal moniker and would not imbue a sense of welcome. Plus, anyone just browsing the Internet would probably not get the meaning and let it pass them by. I also decided against the .com and .org suffixes, owing to the fact that I was not doing this for profit nor am I an incorporated organization. Ergo, it would be a network of people with similar tastes and interests. Hence why I settled with the .net suffix. In my experiences, the word 'tapehead' frequently appeared as both a noun and an adjective to describe people who love using the various tape mediums for their audio needs. So being that it was already a well known word, I finally settled on "TapeHeads.Net". That, I feel being the best name and domain suffix for what this site stands for. After shopping around, I secured the domain name, bought some hosting space (after learning that a dedicated personal server would cost me in the tens of thousands of dollars and required a level of support and expertise that was [and still is] far above my technical abilities, and turned it on. As part of my domain name 'package', I received some software that included a forum. So that's what I decided to go with. I configured it, laid out all of the initial subject categories, put a notice on TapeTalk, and on the morning of May 12, 2008, pressed the "ON" button that officially took TapeHeads.Net live to the world.
And here's what that site looked like at the front door on the first day.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalSite.JPG
Let's Try That Again
Even before the original TapeHeads site went live, I saw that it was going to have problems. For starters, the software I was using was extremely limited in functionality. Options to customize it were very few. Uploading of pictures was restricted to just me; other users couldn't do it unless their images passed through me first. The text bodies did not parse or space properly. So one 'long' word at the end of the page, and the entire message would continue off the screen to the right, requiring readers to scroll to the right and left, as opposed to the normal up-and-down that they are used to. The avatars were only 50 x50 in pixel dimension, and moderation was simply too difficult. These are but just a few of the problems. I did manage to attract a handful of users in the very first few days, but most of them did voice many concerns that echoed mine. Plus they found additional problems and awkward features that I hadn't yet.
So by the third day, I was back to square one. In my initial shopping phase, I did look at the popular VBulletin program that many forums use. I had dismissed it as too expensive at first. But once all of the problems with my existing software had surfaced, I took a second look at it. Only this time, I decided to purchase a VBulletin package. I had to enlist the help of someone to get it set up for me on my server, but once he did, I was able to run the rest.
And so less than two weeks later, on May 21, TapeHeads Mark II went live on the VBulletin platform that remains the backbone of the site to this day. Unfortunately, in that changeover, all initial memberships (approximately 30) and messages (approximately 200) were lost. It was a minor inconvenience for some, but almost all of the people did re-join and most of the 'lost' posts were later re-created. And the ancestor site, TapeTalk on Yahoo!, was shuttered permanently on May 31, with a redirect to TapeHeads-which remains in place today.
The new TapeHeads.Net forum as it appeared in the sites original color scheme.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_ForumOriginalColors.JPG
Finding An Identity
When TapeHeads was launched, it didn't have a logo. Instead, at the top of the forum I had merely installed a banner picture. The same one I had used for awhile as the photo identifier for TapeTalk. Except that I put the TapeHeads name across it. Alas, this was very short lived and only appeared for about two weeks.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalBanner.JPG
The original logo was something that I had designed largely from scratch. Since I'm not what you would call artistically inclined, it was rather minimalist. However, a few months later, TapeHeads member Graffias79 decided that he was going to have some fun and tinker with it. He produced a few examples of a modified version of it. I saw his artistic ability and took him to the task of producing a 'cleaned up' version of the logo. After a half dozen or so attempts, he created one that I liked. So I quickly incorporated it into the site. He was later compensated for his efforts with some blank cassette tapes.
At the start of 2009, and as I looked forward to the site future as it was growing, I came to realize that the existing color scheme and logo didn't look all that welcoming or fresh. It was NICE, but something was missing. So in mid February, I went back to the proverbial drawing board and starting laying down some possible new color schemes for the site and a new logo that would reflect that. Once I had the fundamentals frozen in my mind, I again approached the same site member and asked him if he would be willing to create another logo. Only he would have to do it based on my suggestions. And again, after about a dozen proposals, I picked the one that I would use to create a new and long lasting fresh look to the site. In March of this year, it was unveiled. Less than a week later, the entire rest of the site including the forum color scheme was completely changed over to the look that we have today. By the end of the month, all traces of the original color scheme were gone. I still think the blue/gold/gray/white looks far, FAR superior than the color scheme it replaced.
1. My original logo, which served from June to November 2008.
2. The revised version, in use until March 2009.
3. The current logo.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalLogo.JPG
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_OriginalLogoRevised.JPG
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_CurrentLogo.JPG
There's no place like home
One thing the site was lacking was a dedicated home page. Between launch of the site in May and October of 2008, there was no home page per se. The forum itself was the home page and the very first thing that visitors to the site would see.
During most of September, I was tinkering with a number of possible layouts and grappling with how to get a home page to display in the first place. At one point, I made a mistake on the server and very nearly wiped out the entire forum and everything it contained. Alas, I was able to catch it just in time. I did build one proposed front page but it never went live; doing so with the knowldge I had at the time was what nearly obliterated the forum.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_ProposedHomePage.JPG
One concept that had appealed to me from the get go was the idea of having a rotating "front page image". As often as not, it would be something that another member had submitted. If it was a really good picture, I would put it up front and center to show a snapshot of what the site was all about. and rotating it out would help keep things fresh. And having it be a members (i.e. someone other than mine) would allow that persons picture (along with whatever was in it) shine in the proverbial limelight for awhile. This idea was actually not mine; another non-audio related site does this and I liked the concept enough to incorporate it into my own site.
Initially, I wanted to do it as a daily "Image of the day". Alas just not enough interesting pictures were being posted to sustain a daily rotation. Plus, I discovered that to be just too time consuming than what I could handle. So I scaled it back to a simply weekly image. I continue rotating out a new image every week to this day.
After a lot of technical support questions and some old fashioned curiosity driven tinkering on my part, I had at last figured out a way to create a home page. The good news: It could be whatever I wanted. The bad news: I had to create it entirely from scratch, literally starting off as a plain white screen with nothing on it. So in October, I finally got a minimalist home page running. At last, the forum itself wasn't the first thing everyone saw.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_FirstFrontPage.JPG
That first home page was never meant to be anything permanent, it was merely a start. Over the next couple of months, I did revise it's appearance and add many features to it.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised1.JPG
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http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised2.JPG
And I finally settled on one layout that actually lasted a few months. Here is one of them.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevised3.JPG
I actually liked the above version, what with the front and center picture plus the links to interesting discussions and the three smaller images/captions to the right. But that was an enormous amount of work each week. To find the subjects I wanted to use, download and resize the pictures, then re-upload them, add the links, and so on eventually go to be too much. To do just one UPDATED version of that page took almost two hours. So while that faux 'magazine' format was nice, I just couldn't stay on top of it.
So I revised the front page one last time prior to the change of color scheme. The very basic, crude concept of the future 'new page' was already in my head. So that's what I based the final 'old colors' layout on. I also dropped all other items that were being updated weekly, instead opting to keep the "image of the week" front and center.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevisedFinal.JPG
When I unveiled the new logo, I wasted very little time redesigning the home page to incorporate it. Although loosely based on the final version of the old colors in terms of layout, I wanted to make the new front page as nice as I could. I liked the visuals I had used in the past, using scaled down images of reels and tapes as icons. But I grew tired of those, instead opting to use some user submitted images as part of a visual snapshot describing what TapeHeads is about. I held a curtain call, but few pictures were offered. So I used a few of those, some of mine, and a handful I scoured out of the archives. I put it all together and presented what I think is actually a pretty decent looking first impression of the site, which as of today, remains unchanged from its original configuration.
http://x-2000r.0catch.com/images/tapestuff/TapeHeads_History_HomeRevisedCurrent.JPG
Where We Are Today
As the one year mark for this site is exactly one week from now, I'd like to take a step back and take stock of where this site stands. It's important to understand that TapeHeads is a non profit, non commercial venue. In the simplest sense of the word, it *IS* little more than just a gathering place on the Internet for people from around the world to share a common hobby. But that doesn't mean that this place doesn't stand for anything, because it does. Make no mistake about it. The tape hobby is still considered by the world to be a fringe hobby enjoyed by only a small handful of eccentric people who for whatever reason, choose not to 'keep up with the times'. That may be true from an musical perspective. But the fact that it IS on the Internet nonetheless means that none of us are TOTALLY "living in the past". TapeHeads provides a place for "escapism" from the world of Ipods and MP3's while still being entrenched in something that resembles the real world of 2009. That can do wonders for both the mind and the soul. So there IS a tangible, measurable benefit to this little website.
On that note however, I have to say that TapeHeads has thusfar failed to draw what I believed to be its true potential in terms of membership and activity count. This could be for any number of reasons, but it's not due to a lack of effort on my part. I've done everything I could reasonably think of to both market this site and imbue a sense of welcome to anyone who chooses to visit. I think for the most part, I've done the latter. So I'm not sure what more I could do. The possibility does remain in my mind that ironically, the fact that *I* run it could in fact be its biggest impediment and obstacle to growth. I did not appear out of a vaccuum and create this place. Many of you have known me for years from the various other audio sites. Some of you seem to like me and share my ideas. Others are not so fond of me. I say this and I say it without rancor, guilt, or apology that I know I can be a bit abrasive sometimes. I know that over the years I've said and done things that just didn't sit well with others. So they figure "why should I support anything that that SOB Matt is behind"? (or something along those lines). Well what can I say? As in the real world, when dealing with a multitude of people and personalities-even if you share common interests-some of you just aren't going to see eye to eye and get along. Period. That's just life and I'm not going to make excuses for that. Any of you who might be inclined to look at me and see a "prick" has probably left some wreckage behind him somewhere, sometime himself. I don't believe anyone can truly sit there and look in the mirror and say with a clear conscience that they have never said or done anything to land themselves on someone elses shit list at one time or another. Oh well. I can only hope that anyone who is avoiding TapeHeads for those reasons can eventually overcome those prejudices and realize that I am trying to build something special and unique and why not give it a chance. It's not as though I appear in EVERY discussion here.
Now on the other hand, if I DID say or do something (or indeed NOT say it or do it) that upset you, at least give me a chance to apologize and make it right. Even if it means agreeing to disagree. At least do both of us the courtesy and respect of hearing the other out. Doesn't do much good to sit there and stew. I can't fix a problem I don't know about. If I did you wrong and you did approach me and I still ignored you, THEN go ahead and talk smack about me behind my back.
Another thing is that in this dismal economy, a lot of people are hurting financially right now. In economic hard times, the first thing usally cut from budgets is hobbies. Sometimes I lose sight of that and often forget how fortunate I am (at least for the time being anyway) to be holding a stable and good paying job, have some savings, and be in a position to buy a new home. I admit. I know that I sometimes need to work on the people skills a bit and especially a subject as sensitive as this.
So all of that could also be keeping some people away. Tape might be "cool" and "retro". But if you simply are in no position to enjoy it, then why bother coming to a place that caters to it? Makes sense.
TapeHeads has just about made it through its first year., Along the way, I had top quickly learn a lot as far as computer and software programming, moderating and being an administrator and site leader, and all of that. I've had to deal with recruiting new members, dealing with a bombardment of spammers, writing and often re-writing some of the site rules and policies, and the like. So TapeHeads has been through a lot in the last 12 months. But I really believe that no matter how you look at it, this place is still a class act in every sense of the word as far as what our passions are. As a "leader", I still maintain an "open door" policy for questions, complaints, compliments, and criticisms (as long as they are reasonable and respectful).
Not many [non commercial] sites that I know of actively seek the input of their members. This is after all a "free" site. And yet every one of you should know that all concerns voiced either to me directly or through one of our Moderators IS heard. Not all suggestions are implemented. But all are at least heard.
Looking Ahead
No major changes of any kind are planned for TapeHeads.Net for the forseeable future. This includes the ongoing function of the forums, the color scheme and logo, and the policies. Although in the last few days, traffic and activity has cratered, I want to hope that it's simply because it's Spring and not because of a collective disgust with me or with the site policies. (although if it was, I'd like to hope that at least one person will have the gumps to step forward and tell me).
TapeHeads is fully funded and configured to remain online and operational through May of 2010. At this time I would like to hope that support grows-or at least remains to keep it online indefinitely. That means lots of active participation, new members joining and announcing themselves, and maybe (if it's not too much to ask), a few people making a financial contribution in whatever amount they are comfortable with.
Analog Hi-Fi and taping IS fun. I think it DOES sound better. Who wouldn't be mesmerized at the sight of reels spinning? Or the cool feel of a cassette in hand? Very, very few other places out there pay enough mind to these things to keep them alive. It's up to us. Keep that tape spinning. Remember that TapeHeads.Net is *THE* one-stop place to share all of your taping needs. Anywhere else....anywhere at all on the Web...and you are all but certain to be mocked and ridiculed. Or at least be shoved into obscurity. Here, you can call home. Just remember that.
I think we have an awesome group of diehard Tapeheads here. TapeHeads.Net would've been nothing without the collective support from all of you. I sincerely thank each and every one of you. I just hope that we can keep it up for Year Two.
Thank you.
-Matt "Des-Lab"
Tuesday, May 05 2009