THE BACK IN BLACK FILES: Joseph Esmilla

[sumnerbrowne]

In the course of preparing the trilogy of vinyl-related articles published in the Inquirer, I accumulated two types of interview notes. Interview answers which were emailed and those which I jotted down. I'm posting the former after getting the green light of the concerned interviewees as I feel their full-length answers would interest a number of WS folks.

Here is the first one - raw and unedited - featuring Joseph Esmilla, Tuesday Club member, classical violinist and JE Labs founder and owner.

[sumnerbrowne]

1. You are well known as an international violin virtuoso. How did you get into vinyl?

I was born and raised during the era when the LP was the standard storage medium for recorded music.

(Note: I’d feel more comfortable being considered an accomplished Filipino classical musician rather than an international violin virtuoso.)


2. The Inquirer refers to you as an analog guru long before the current vinyl resurgence; please share how you acquired such a status.

I consider myself a hobbyist who built his own stereo system, applying the same principles and disciplines I have learned in refining my craft as a musician.

(Note: Again, I am uncomfortable with the “analog guru” appellation and would prefer if the article avoids reference to it.)

3. As a musician and as a listener, what do you get from vinyls that CDs and MP3s cannot give you?

When CDs first came out in the early 80s, they were at least twice the price of the average LP. Being a music student in NYC at that time, I kept buying LPs rather than CDs, also because a lot of great classical music recordings were never transferred to CDs. Since I already had a growing collection of LPs, I didn’t see the need to convert to the new format.

I would rather not get into the analog versus digital debate, because for practical and commercial reasons, the newer technology always wins. I believe, then as I do now, that the two formats can peacefully co-exist. To this date, I buy music for musical reasons, regardless of format.

Fortunately, I haven’t encountered a situation wherein I had to settle for an mp3 version of a recording.


4. As a long-time analog music consumer, what do you make of the so-called vinyl resurgence? Is it really taking place now? Or is it more of a fad? Can you cite indicators of the resurgence?

Although the digital format has practically replaced analog as a storage medium, LPs have always had an enthusiastic following, given the worldwide demand for reissues and second-hand LPs.


5. What role did Wired State and the Nov Hi Fi Show play in the ongoing vinyl resurgence? Or is this phenomenon totally distinct and separate from the audiophile community? What were the factors that led to this development?

Wired State is the only forum I know in our country that caters to the interest of LP lovers. This is where local dealers and enthusiasts hang out. And every November, we all gather for a weekend of listening and LP hunting at the Hi-Fi show.

6. Why do you think local recording companies are not jumping into the vinyl bandwagon despite the initiative of Polyeast?

(I don’t feel qualified to answer this question since I don’t know Polyeast.)

7. What is your favorite music genre?

Classical music for me is work and passion. I relax to 1950s jazz and big band, and music from the 80s.


8. What are your top 3 fave vinyl albums in the following categories:
a. Foreign
b. OPM

I believe that having favorites inhibits one’s ability to explore the vast amount of recorded music available.


9. Do you think this so called vinyl resurgence will lead to the eventual growth of this niche market or do you think it will fizzle out? Why?

The first microgroove LP was released in June 1948. The first CD player and audio CDs went into the market in October 1982. It’s November 2013 and we are talking about LPs, which are still available on the top floor of Fully Booked at Bonifacio High Street, along with CDs and DVDs. That in itself is an indicator of its remarkable staying power.


10. Ultimately, how will you answer this objection from someone who prefers file sharing, downloading and the like: why should I go vinyl? It's expensive and it's not as portable as my tablet or my iPod. It requires a lot of effort to play. Worse, after you play each side, you need to wipe the vinyl surface, clean the stylus, put it back in the jacket and move on to the next album. It's such a waste of time.

Collecting and listening to LPs is not for everyone, especially not for people who want instant gratification. It’s technology from a bygone era for those (masochists perhaps?) who choose to go through the ritual of vacuum cleaning both sides of an LP, turning on vacuum tube electronics, waiting for the filaments to glow, and queuing the tone arm on the first track, before sitting back on an Eames lounge chair and lighting a pipe.

11. Describe your fave analog set-up in terms of the following: turntable, amps and receivers and speakers.

In my attic, I have two Hi-Fi systems. For stereo LPs I use two turntables. One is a Garrard 301 with an Ortofon RMG309 tone arm, and an SPU-GME cartridge. The other is a Thorens TD124 with an SME3012 tone arm fitted with a Denon DL103 cartridge. The preamp is my interpretation of an RCA circuit using 1930s to 40s triode tubes while the amplifier is my version of a 1930s classic circuit with vacuum tubes from the same era. The speaker system is a two-way high efficiency design using late 1950s Altec drivers.

For mono LPs and Shellac 78s, I use a Rek-O-Kut B12H turntable fitted with three different mono era tone arms. One is a viscous damped Velvet Touch nine-inch with a Denon 102 mono cartridge or General Electric (GE) RPX variable reluctance cartridge. Another is a ten-inch viscous damped Argonne AR600 mono tone arm with a GE VRII cartridge. The third tone arm is a Pickering 190B, exclusively for 78 rpm playback. It is fitted with a GE RPX cartridge with a 78-rpm stylus. The preamp was inspired by a late 1940s RCA design with variable equalization. The power amplifier is a single channel triode design from the 1930s, which drives a 1950s twelve-inch RCA coaxial speaker mounted on an open baffle.

[Superman]

Congrats Von and JE!

[sumnerbrowne]

Thanks, Jen.

Thanks again to Tony boy who referred me to JE.

Salamat uli ke JE.

[quarterback]

Congrats to the writer and my neighbor JE!

[tenderobject]

Congrats guys!

[Mamimili]

Such a modest man, Joseph Esmilla, but i would say he leaves everyone he meets with "something to remember", be it audio equipment advice, car restoration insights or superb music performances. How about - "multiple role model"?

[northlight]

Very interesting answers. I remember that his father and him used to hold performances together. Are those his LP records at the back? If so, I am glad to find someone who is not particularly OC at how they take care of their records.

[sumnerbrowne]

Thanks, Quarterback and Tenderobject.

[sumnerbrowne]

Very interesting answers. I remember that his father and him used to hold performances together. Are those his LP records at the back? If so, I am glad to find someone who is not particularly OC at how they take care of their records.

David Celdran did a feature on his records and gears last month at ANC. The same background was featured but in greater detail.