Jerry Ghinelli and Total Media...

A couple of years ago when I first purchased my Tascam MS-16 sixteen track analog tape machine, I hit the internet in search for a source of one inch analog tape. Today, this is WAY harder than it was back then since Quantegy, the country’s last manufacturer of analog tape, went out of business two years ago. I can’t remember how I came across Total Media, but I am damn glad I did. If I hadn’t, I would have missed owner Gerry Ghinelli’s most excellent technology and media history lessons that accompanied his opt in e-mail marketing campaign. I have forwarded more than a few of these to many of you out there and hope you took the time to read them and enjoyed them as much as I did.

Gerry’s essays were always thought provoking and well researched. Gerry worked for Maxell during a period of unique prosperity and changing technology. His observations, perspectives, and experiences are not just ones from someone who worked on the inside, but from someone who genuinely loves and appreciates technology and audio production. I’m sure the initial motive for writing them was for the purpose of selling media to customers, but if you read any of the brilliantly written essays, you will quickly determine like I have that they were really written for the pure love of talking about and sharing experiences with like minded fanatics of all things audio. After reading them these last couple of years, I could definitely imagine Gerry hanging out at Smoke & Mirrors in the wee hours after the sessions over, when the playbacks get spun without interference of production tweaking and we all talk of our shared obsession as we drink the last couple of beers and eat the last of the Israeli pickles. We all know we’re complete freaks of nature in this respect, but there’s no escaping our addiction to it.

It’s with this and with heavy heart that I read in his latest post this morning that this will be his last e-mail in the campaign. Perhaps the money invested in this marketing approach didn’t produce the ROI that he was expecting for his business, but I’ll surely miss saving his e-mail to read when I could savor it at a later time.

If you get a chance, go over and check out the "Tips & Trivia" archives here. While you're there, check out his products and prices. This guy will ALWAYS go the extra mile for you. If you don’t learn something after reading just one of his posts, well, you’re simply dumb.