Linn Sondek LP12 Service, Repairs & Upgrades @ Rococo Systems

Posted by rococosystems in Linn, Linn DS, Linn Lounge, Turntables
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The longest lived Hi-Fi product of all time is the Linn Sondek. The Linn Sondek LP12 is an investment which you will want to cherish and pass down to the next generation for them to enjoy. We have brought back to life more than 50 Linn LP12’s in the last year, although streaming is great fun and simplistic there is still nothing better than playing your Vinyl and sharing the memories you have with friends and fami…ly. Rococo offers many services to LP12 owners such as:- Full Service On/Off site Setting Up On/Off site We can supply new packaging and give advice on how to pack All repairs No deck is too old Give advice on upgrades Purchase of any LP12 accessories required If you are having any issues or would like to talk about upgrading your turntable please call us on 0207 454 1234 or 01277 890 888 Or email [email protected]

3 Dec

6 Ways to Love your Linn

Posted by rococosystems in Linn DS
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The launch of the Linn Akurate Aukubarik system has got everyone thinking about the best ways to use a Linn system. Linn all have our favourite control apps and music services – the great thing about a Linn system is you can keep using these and still make everything sound better. Get more from your Linn – release the potential of your digital music and listen to movies, games, TV and radio in high quality for the first time. See what our systems can do Play music wirelessly Play music wirelessly on your Linn system by sending sound from iTunes, Windows Media Player etc. using our Songcast app – anything you normally listen to on your computer can be played back in higher quality through your Linn. Stream online music and movie services such as Spotify, Netflix and BBC iPlayer – get more from the latest songs, shows, films and hear them sound amazing through your Linn. Or use AirPlay to send sound from an iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch – Linn systems play nicely with AirPlay so you can instantly enjoy your mobile music played back on a real hi-fi. Connect your living room Connect it all together with a Linn system and get better sound from your HD TV, Blu-Ray player and Xbox, PlayStation and Wii. Hear what you’ve been missing from your favourite TV shows, film soundtracks and multiplayer games. Network music system If you have broadband at home, you already have a network. Add a Linn system to your home network and get wireless control over your entire music collection. Escape the computer and control all your music from anywhere using a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Computers are great for storing music but you need to hear a real music system to feel the difference. Enjoy classic albums and internet radio from around the world through a music system that combines the convenience you love with brilliant sound quality. Add a Linn system to another room and bring great music to the places you enjoy spending time. Create your own multiroom system and give each room its own playlist or sync them together for parties. All Linn systems work seamlessly together so you can mix and match from our range , choose exactly what you want for each room and share your music library and controllers around the home. Turn the quality up A Linn system will open the door to a world of high resolution music , with more and more new releases and classic albums available to download in 24-bit quality. Recent 24-bit Studio Master releases on linnrecords.com have included some all-time greats – Bob Marley’s Legend , John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme , Steely Dan’s Gaucho and Solti’s recording of Mahler: Symphony No.8 , as well as some fantastic new releases from the Linn Records label too – Claire Martin’s Too Much In Love To Care , the Scottish Chamber Orchestra’s Berlioz: Symphony Fantastique and Richard Tunnicliffe’s J.S. Bach Cello Suites . Listen to the original studio recording – the best version of an album that will ever exist – on a music system designed for Studio Master. Try a system Find out more about Linn’s range of network music players and discover how digital streaming works . Everything sounds better with Linn Contact us on 01277 890 888 or 0207 4541234 email: sales@rococosystems,com visit www.rococosystems.com

24 Nov

Enjoy a Christmas gift, with love from Linn

Posted by rococosystems in Music
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As a special Christmas gift, Linn are giving away a different, free 24-bit Studio Master track every day in December, until Christmas Eve. Explore and expand your musical tastes with a host of award-winning recordings from a variety of genres and musicians, including well-known favourites. Each day they will also post an exciting new video letting you discover the story behind every song. But we know no-one likes waiting, so in the spirit of Christmas, here’s a taste of what’s to come – enjoy Dougie MacLean’s classic, ‘Caledonia’, performed with the award-winning Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Don’t forget to check each day to download a new track*. By Christmas you’ll have an incredible playlist, with love from Linn.

11 Nov

8 Tips For Getting Kids Into Classical Music

Posted by rococosystems in Music, Tips
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[youtube_sc url=”http://youtu.be/CLSUHj8HTiA” ratio=”4:3″] When they are babies, buy your children musical toys that play classical music. These can range from cuddly toys that also speak, to night time soothers which will help them feel safe and relaxed at bedtime. Choose computer games that incorporate classical music, or neo-classical. For example, try Lemmings, a puzzle platform game that can develop their problem solving skills, and incidentally, has a classical rich soundtrack, including pieces by Tchaikovsky. Baby Ewoks (Photo credit: Sam Howzit) In a similar vein, there are thousands of movies with classical scores, from Star Wars to Fantasia, with a section called The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a classic Mickey Mouse movie where Mickey tries to do the housework using magic. Introduce them to lighter, more fun pieces of music, like Chopsticks, or Flight of the Bumblebee. Incorporate classical as a soundtrack to their games. Alternatively, if they like swords and sorcery, play some dark, thunderous battle music for them to play to. Have it on in the background, on a Sunday say, or during dinner. xylophone (Photo credit: Cheryl Harvey) Get them involved – buy them toy instruments like keyboards or plastic ‘violins’ that can be played with or set to play a repeating classical music fragment. Xylophones are a good one to get children started on simple melodies. Take them to a family friendly concert when they’re old enough, and to parent and toddler groups when they aren’t, so they can learn to sing and make noise at an early age. All this will help with Getting Kids Into Classical Music.

9 Oct

CLASSIC BRIT AWARD WINNERS

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The 2012 Classic BRIT Award winners were announced on 2nd October and Linn is proud to be able to bring you several recordings by the award-winning artists in Studio Master quality. Firstly a big congratulations to Benjamin Grosvenor, who is having a great fortnight having won a Gramophone Award at the end of September. His debut album on the Decca label, ‘Chopin, Liszt, Ravel’ saw him crowned winner of the Critics’ Award. This is a highly prized award as it is voted for by the industry. Linn’s ‘Mozart Symphonies 38 – 41’ by Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra won this award in 2009. John Williams enjoyed the rare privilege of winning two awards in one night! He won the Composer Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award, both well deserved. John Williams’ Concerto for Violin and Orchestra performed by violinist Emmanuelle Boisvert with sterling support from Leonard Slatkin conducting the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is out now on Naxos. The charismatic conductor Vasily Petrenko was named Best Male Artist for the second time, having first won the award in 2010. He is already a multiple award winner having won the 2011 Gramophone Awards Orchestral Recording of the Year with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic as well as the German Echo Klassik Awards 2012 for Newcomer of the Year and the Gramophone Award for Young Artist of the Year 2007. His recording of Shostakovich’s Symphonies Nos. 2 & 15 is a compelling performance demonstrating both his characteristic depth and flair. Best Female Artist went to Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti whose latest album, ‘The Silver Violin’, celebrates the world of 20th century film music. Highlights include the iconic theme from Schindler’s List and Shostakovich’s Romance from the Gadfly. This is Nicola’s second BRIT Award having been named Young British Classic Performer in 2008. MasterCard’s Breakthrough Artist Of The Year was Milos Karadaglic who has wowed the critics with his debut on Decca, ‘Latino’. Milos’ inspiration moves from the Mediterranean to the sultry sounds and passion of Latin America and his talent is immediately apparent.

19 Sep

Alfie Boe – Franz LehÍr: Love was a Dream CD

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Alfie studied at the Royal College of Music, the National Opera Studio and was a member or the Vilar Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, London. He has performed Rodolfo at Glyndebourne, English National Opera and in Baz Luhrmann’s production of La Boheme on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award. Other operatic roles include Alfredo, Tamino, Don Ottavio, Ferrando, Lysander, The Italian Tenor, the title role in Albert Herring, Caliph in Kismet and Camille du Rosillon inThe Merry Widow at opera houses including ENO, WNO, Glyndebourne, Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg and La Monnaie, Brussels. It is therefore fitting that he is returning to his operetta heritage by exploring his love of LehÍr for his fourth solo recording. In September 2006 Alfie released his eponymous first album for Classic FM which inspired such comments as, “Alfie Boe is a stunning discovery who could be the best tenor of his generation” (Observer). Then followed two albums with EMI Classics, Onward and La Passione – a collection of Neapolitan songs and arias for which he was nominated for Best Album and Best Male at the 2008 Classical BRIT Awards. Alfie studied at the Royal College of Music, the National Opera Studio and was a member or the Vilar Young Artists Programme at the Royal Opera House, London. He has performed Rodolfo at Glyndebourne, English National Opera and in Baz Luhrmann’s production of La Boheme on Broadway, for which he won a Tony Award. Other operatic roles include Alfredo, Tamino, Don Ottavio, Ferrando, Lysander, The Italian Tenor, the title role in Albert Herring, Caliph in Kismet and Camille du Rosillon inThe Merry Widow at opera houses including ENO, WNO, Glyndebourne, Opera National du Rhin, Strasbourg and La Monnaie, Brussels.

14 Sep

The Evolution of Music to Benefit the Evolution of Humans

Posted by rococosystems in Guest Posts, Music
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Biomusicology Biomusicology is a new field that studies music from a biological point of view. Biomusicologists believe that music has been around long before humans. Music has been in existence as long as the animals have roamed the world. From birds to whales, many different species of animals use music to communicate with each other. Humans and Music It is believed that humans are hardwired to make music. People in prehistoric times were likely to make whistles or drums out of bones. Later people constructed instrument to play for fun or to be used for ceremonies. Around 2,500 years ago, Pythagoras used math to come up with the musical scale. Then each note was given a letter in order to read and write music. Evolution of Music Music began to transform as the years went on. As music developed, it became more complex. Cultures began to adopt music and develop it to express their traditions. Overtime, the expansion of music caused the expansion of designs of instruments. Religion also had an influence on the development of music. It was being played in churches and monasteries. Later music began to reflect cultural changes throughout the decades. Music changed from the classical era where Beethoven and Bach were popular and expanded to rock and roll where Elvis came into the scene. Emotional Value of Music People enjoy listening to music because of the emotional benefits it offers. Some listen to oldies because it brings back memories. Others enjoy classical because it relaxes them. A few like rock because it pumps them up. Whatever the reason, each person has a reason why they listen to their favorite type of music. Music throughout a Lifetime People are exposed to music at all ages. When they are babies, parents will sing songs or lullabies. Mothers have even started playing music to their children while they are still in the womb. Kids in preschool or kindergarten listen to songs that help them understand math, geography, and even history. People who undergo stress or traumatic events will even go through musical therapy to help recover from health problems like stroke. Music No matter the reason, music is listened to on a daily bases. The rhythms and instruments helps people relax, deal with stress, focus, and feel. Live music and recorded music has benefits for everyone and it will continue to evolve with the people to listen to it. WineStyles The Vintage is the place for live music Houston. Our building is an intimate acoustically controlled venue with over one hundred seats. To ensure quality sound for every concert, we have our own sound system and an amazing sound engineer.

12 Sep

A Sweet and Melancholy Sound – Listening to Fado Music in Portugal

Posted by rococosystems in Guest Posts, Music
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If you are planning a getaway to the Algarve region of Portugal for your next holiday, why not plan in an evening of listening to the hauntingly beautiful sounds of traditional Fado music? When you are on holiday abroad, you see the sights, taste the food and feel the sunshine on your skin. By going to a Fado performance you can take it one step further and engage your sense of hearing as well. Fado music has a long and fascinating tradition in Portugal and it is incredibly moving and powerful to listen to. Dining at a local restaurant while listening to the traditional sounds of these old fashioned ballads will truly give you an experience of the heart and soul of Portuguese culture. The Story of Fado First of all, what is Fado music and how did it originate? Here is a bit of information about the history of Fado and its significance in Portuguese culture: Origins of Fado This Portuguese musical genre can be traced all the way back to the 1820s and perhaps even earlier. Its history is mostly passed on orally, which is why it is difficult to know exact dates. Some believe that the genre traces its origins back to songs between friends during the Middle Ages, Moorish Ballads or African-Brazilian rhythms. In the mid-19th century, the performers of Fado music were poor working class sailors who danced as they sang, accompanied by a Portuguese guitar and a classical guitar. What the Music Means The songs of Fado tell the tales of life of the poor and also about the people’s relationship with the sea. They are passed down through several generations by parents singing the songs to their children and so this tradition has carried on through the centuries. Most Fado songs often have a distinct tone of melancholy and the feeling of a sense of loss. The Portuguese word for it is “Saudade” which translates as longing. Even if you cannot understand the lyrics, the powerful emotion in the music will reach into your heart and touch you deeply. This type of music is so unique and so important to Portuguese culture, that it has actually been named a UNESCO World Heritage treasure. Listening to Fado in the Algarve Although this type of music originated in Lisbon, Fado has spread throughout Portugal and can be experienced in the Algarve region. You will have many opportunities to listen to live Fado music while staying in the Algarve on your holiday. At the Porches Velho restaurant in the quiet village of Porches you will find yourself within a 210 year old wine cellar, which is the perfect setting in which to feel like you have been transported back in time while listening to the music. At the Real Marina Hotel you will be able to attend Fado performances every Sunday. Another great place to listen to Fado is The Atrium restaurant in Albufeira, which has balcony dining that overlooks the streets of this picturesque city. Also, the town of Portimao hosts the Festival of Fado which gathers together some of the best musicians in the country to perform. Besides these options, you could always just ask the local people in the community if they know of any upcoming Fado performances. If you have a chance to spend an evening listening to Fado during your holiday in the Algarve, be sure to take the opportunity. Listening to this beautiful style of music being performed live is incredibly moving and will be one of the most memorable experiences of your visit to Portugal. During your holiday at Monte da Quinta Suites, be sure to take the opportunity to enjoy some traditional Fado music.

19 Jun

History of Record Players

Posted by rococosystems in Turntables
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The record player was an invention of the renowned Thomas Edison, in 1877. It could both record and reproduce sound, whereas previous devices, such as the phonautograph and the paleophone, had only been able to record. Alexander Graham Bell improved the design in the 1880s and in 1900 Emile Berliner developed the playable record, utilising disks rather than cylinders. Midway through the 19th century the record player became commercially available, enabled by Berliner’s invention of the Matrix Record, which could have multiple pressings made of the same recording. After WW2 the crank system was replaced by a rotating belt or motor drive. Although replaced by CD players and tape machines to an extent, many still love the turntable for it’s stylish, nostalgic quality. Classical musicians and modern bands like Radiohead release vinyl pressings and contemporary electronic music has an involved relationship with the medium. You can purchase new, glossy Linn turntables from online retailers.

27 Sep

A Year of Celebration

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It is nearly a year since Linn Records was named Gramophone’s Label of the Year, a tremendous achievement for a small independent label from Glasgow. During the last 12 months Linn has been busy bringing you a wealth of new music, including premiere recordings, exciting debuts and Linn’s first opera! And ending this year on a high, they are proud to announce that three of their recent recordings are Finalists in the 2011 Gramophone Awards: Retrospect Ensemble’s ‘JS Bach: Easter & Ascension Oratorios’ – ‘The Retrospect Ensemble’s orchestral playing and choral singing is of the highest quality…’ – Gramophone Phantasm’s ‘William Byrd: Complete Consort Music’ – Disc of the Month: ‘Ensemble and intonation are flawless…’ – ★★★★★ BBC Music Magazine The Avison Ensemble’s ‘Handel: Concerti Grossi Opus 6’ – Orchestral Choice: ‘I shall certainly return frequently to this splendid set.’ – ★★★★1/2 BBC Music Magazine Other highlights from the past year include percussionist Kuniko Kato’s album of new Steve Reich arrangements, The Prince Consort’s collaboration with Stephen Hough on ‘Other Love Songs’ and William Carter’s beautiful solo guitar album of works by Fernando Sor. Future highlights include Handel’s first performing edition of Esther with the Dunedin Consort and the first in a series of Mozart operas with The Classical Opera Company. October sees Robin Ticciati, the new Principal Conductor of the SCO, lead the orchestra in a recording of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique and the recently signed Boston Baroque will be recording Haydn’s Creation. It looks like it’s shaping up to be another great year!

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Tag: Classical Music