A year ago, in November 2013, audioXpress received a facelift. We expanded the content, added several new columns and feature articles, increased our focus on audio research and development (R&D), product design, professional audio equipment, and acoustic science while maintaining our roots in DIY audio and audio electronics. audioXpress is committed to serving the students, the enthusiasts, and the industry professionals and increasingly appealing to the global audio engineering community.
In this very space, I wrote: “We believe audioXpress will blossom into a fascinating publication that follows the latest audio innovation trends, independent of the application field, and share a common audience of engineers, consultants, and enthusiasts in the electronics and audio fields, most of who are involved in R&D.”
One year ago, I also evoked how Edward T. Dell, Jr. (1923–2013) devoted his life to people with a passion for audio electronics and founded Audio Amateur (rebranded as Audio Electronics in 1996), Glass Audio, Speaker Builder, and in 2000, audioXpress, which he edited until 2011. I think it would be appropriate to recall a few of Ed Dell’s words and I found just the right ones in his January 2001 editorial (audioXpress’s first issue), titled “The Facts of Life for Magazine Publishing.”
“This first issue of a new magazine seems a good occasion to review for readers just what is required for a healthy periodical. This one, with its pedigree already established, combining as it does 31 years of predecessor publications, is nonetheless totally dependent on three major ingredients—as well as a fourth one.” Ed then explains why a magazine needs Readers— “Readers are, collectively, a kind of community,” —Authors — “In truth, authors are only an advanced form of reader,” — and Advertisers — “I believe no avocational magazine can be healthy or successful without advertising.” The fourth “ingredient,” Ed learned, is Passion. “My passion for good sound carried me along despite long hours of endless work, very slow growth, and even resorting to co-opting members of my young family. The task of producing a magazine is easier today as far as mechanics are concerned, but I think passion is still fundamental. I still look forward to coming to work each morning. Magazines stir the imagination, they surprise, they stimulate, they amuse. I am happy to report, somewhat immodestly, that I still enjoy that prospect myself.”
As I reflect on the past year, I think we have done well in incorporating all four ingredients. Basically, we just need more of everything we have already committed ourselves to do.
And we would like to reaffirm our commitment to evolve and learn how to better serve our readers’ interests.
We hear you. We know we didn’t make some of our high-end audio die-hards particularly excited with all the changes. But we couldn’t ignore a new generation of readers who are interested in designing great audio products that include residential systems, headphones, home studio recording equipment, and tube guitar amplifiers. In doing so, we have gained a larger and more energetic community.
We continue to seek authors who want to contribute articles about audio equipment test and measurement, repair and restoration, and innovative new designs. If you feel up to the task, send an email to editor@audioxpress.com. And, of course, we want to offer the best and most effective platform for our advertisers.
As Ed Dell stated, we share the passion and “look forward to coming to work each morning.”
João Martins
Editor-in-Chief
