SLIPPED DISC

posted by James Reel

    Three new Marantz “Professional” CD players were installed in the control room last year, and one of them is now on the fritz. Somehow I feel handicapped having to work with only two players, even though I got along fine with two turntables back in the 1970s and early ’80s. And that was when recordings—specifically, LPs—were a lot more difficult to cue up, as we bounced and dragged the stylus across the delicate surface looking for just the right groove. There’s no reason I can’t get by with only two players, but I like to plan ahead. I have six hours worth of announcements in proper order on my computer screen shortly after my shift begins; I cue up two discs ahead, just in case something goes wrong with the next one up, or I get distracted by a phone call or a search for a fill piece. Take away one of the CD players, and I feel just a little less secure.
    And if you think I’m fussy about these things, let me introduce you to Bill Pitts.