A Look Inside the Hi-Fi Equipment behind Paradise Garage

While looking up a few things on the internet I ran into this article about the sound system in the Paradise Garage. I’m not sure how many people here are old to have been in the club. It was one of the best sounding system at the time. I remember not leaving until 10am in morning and my ears not ringing. One of the guys working for me had Friday night membership so we got a chance to go a number of time. Given the size of the dance floor, which was huge, it’s amazing so little power was used. Actually at the time High power amps weren’t out yet. One of the links on the button, links to a typewritten AES white paper on the system. I don’t think I’ve seen anything typewritten in so long. Most don’t know how difficult we had it typing papers on a typewriter. As I look back now I see exactly why I did some of the things I did. During the 1980’s because of where I was working, I was luckily, I got into many of the larger clubs. My Top 3 were the Garage, the Palladium and the Limelight. The Limelight I was only in once, a special event part of the New Music Seminar. It was the club with a planetarium dome over the whole dance floor. Studio 54 is up there too, even in the 80’s most still wanted to in. The lightshow was nice and they had that moving bridge. But I alway felt like I missed the real party during its prime.
The next AES convention is in NYC October at the same time as NAB show. They don’t really have DJ level stuff just the more higher end stuff, But definitely a
chance to hear some really great sounding equipment is the demo rooms. I am should be there for one day as my schedule permits.

Yes, I was there. Oh boy where do I start. I always try to be positive but the show has become so small that AES & NAB were in the same area were just AES used to fill. I got more out of NAB getting info on remote cameras & online backup space than the AES side. No large demo rooms, zip, none. Only RCF & Meyer had a booth. Meyer had a small demo room for their studio speaker. All the demo rooms and major manufacturers which made it worth going are all gone now. I’m guess they are at NAMM or of LDI. I haven’t been NAMM in about 5 years and LDI since they were last in Orlando so that is a guess. I thinking AES might pull the plug on NY even with the combined NAB & AES. NAB had more floor space than AES. Next conference for me is Harvest in Boston in December, then CES in January. Bryan is trying to figure out which direction he might go when he graduates so CES is a good field trip for him. Also it’s the perks for working with my company.

When I said drop the show I meant just for New York. I’ve been there just about every year for over 20 years so I’ve seen the floor shrink to less than a quarter of its size and all the larger demo rooms are gone. Most of the shrinkage happen before way COVID. Now maybe they’re talking about the education section but I was there one hour before closing the some vendors were already packed and leaving. I am not sure if I will take the trip in next year but I will check Exhibiter list beforehand. Both my wife & daughter work in the NYC so we might meet up later in day. Such a shame.

I never made it into NJ. At that time I was only going into Manhattan. Paradise garage, Studio 54, Xeon, The Loft, The Tunnel, The Fun House, Area, The Saint, The palladium, Copacaban and The Roxy. Each had its own appeal. The Garage was the sound and the music selection, The Saint had the planetarium dome, The Palladium had a crazy sound system but also had the video system made up of banks of moveable TVs, Studio 54 & Xenon was where the radio station had all its parties and where I saw all the artists before they got well known. Yes, the 1980s was really fun. For while I kept a third old car just to drive into the city. Between working with WBLS, going to the New Music Seminar and some connections I never had to pay unless it was a strictly personal night out.

Never ever been to a club where there were any issues. The only exception was at the Palladium where 2 gay guys got into a slap fight, everything lasted maybe 20 seconds. A big security guy swooped in slammed them together and drag them out. Actually kind of funny like something more out of a Laurel and Hardy movie.