When I was a kid, I remember vividly reading every line of the DAK catalogue. If you’re over 35 and any kind of gadget freak, the arrival of the glossy DAK catalog with the page-long write-ups was something to cherish. (Youngsters: think of Crutchfield with panache and some cheek.)
DAK (named for founder Drew A. Kaplan) offered an amazing variety of stuff, from radar detectors to bread machines to computers to printers. (I bought one from him called the “Gorilla Banana” if you can believe that.) I also bought a modem from him called the “Smart Duck.” He called his members “DAKonians,” and at one point he was mailing out millions of cool catalogs.
He was a pioneer in finding high-tech stuff in the wilds of Asia somewhere and bringing them home to America. (I think he sold most stuff because he was such a fine writer in his descriptions.)
His company went belly-up in 1994 (right before the Internet boom that would have saved him, I think), and I thought I had lost DAK forever.
But DAK 2000 is back (www.dak.com) with the same cheeky text and some pretty cool stuff.
One of them is going to solve one of my longest-lasting tech nightmares — namely, how do I get the 1,500 LPs I have in my house onto CD and into MP3 format without driving myself crazy?
Like the DAK of the past, Drew has come up with a very slick, all-in-one solution. If you already have (or can borrow) a turntable, it has a $69 package that does it all, including software that removes hits and pops. (He even throws in the cable, which ought to be a lesson for anyone who has bought a printer lately.)
Anyway, installation of the mixer was a snap (no cards to install, and you don’t have to open your PC), and within about 30 minutes I was leafing through my record collection with incredible fondness, remembering girls who dumped me, dancing I never should have attended, some long nights speed-skating and my late-night DJ shifts on WGHS-FM. (Because of the depth of my collection and my love of music, I had perhaps the most eclectic radio show in the history of the medium, but I digress.)
For $199 he’ll throw in the whole enchilada, including a turntable.
The mixer is tiny (about 9 inches by 5 inches) and is simple to use as well. You can just make straight copies or use some balancing and fading controls if you’re a bit of an audiophile nerd.
The software is easy to use and was able to remove lots of pops and hiccups from my source material, but it’s best if you clean your LPs first.
In short, this is a great gift for anyone with a stack of LPs in the house. And it’s great to see DAK back.
WEEKLY WEB WONDER: Grab the kids and head to the North Pole at www.northpole.com.
James Derk is co-owner of CyberDads, a computer repair company, and a computer columnist for Scripps Howard News Service. His e-mail address is [email protected].