Other Titles

A Vacuum Tube Organ

Ahlborn und Steinbach S22 ​ This is a completely different story than the ones we normally talk about. Today, we are not investigating radio equipment, measurement instruments or computers, but a musical instrument and specifically an electronic organ; however, a masterpiece in its class. What excites me the most, is that it is completely tube based: no transistors, no solid-state diodes, no ICs… The organ we are talking about is a Type S22, produced by Ahlborn u. Steinbach K.G. in Heimerdingen b. Stuttgart. I presume it was produced between 1955 and 1960, because the company was established in 1970, and in 1960 changed its name simply in Ahlborn. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 70 pages, price: see retailer

Become Your Own Publisher

A technical guide to the personal publishing revolution

Today, a deep transformation is quietly taking place in the publishing world. Print-on-demand services, combined with mature and widely available desktop publishing tools, are driving what can rightly be called a personal publishing revolution. These technologies make it possible for a single person to become author, designer, and publisher of their own books—even when those books are technically complex, image-heavy, and graphically demanding. This book tells the story of how I followed this path, leading to the creation of Quacktech Editions, and distills the practical experience gained along the way. It is intended for anyone considering a similar journey, where writing a book also means taking responsibility for its entire path from idea to printed object. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 202 pages

Diventate editori di voi stessi

Una guida tecnica alla rivoluzione del personal publishing

Oggi, nel mondo dell’editoria, è in corso una trasformazione profonda e silenziosa. I servizi di stampa su richiesta (print-on-demand), uniti a strumenti di desktop publishing maturi e ampiamente disponibili, stanno dando origine a ciò che si può definire a buon diritto una rivoluzione del personal publishing. Queste tecnologie rendono possibile a una singola persona diventare autore, progettista ed editore dei propri libri — anche quando si tratta di opere tecnicamente complesse, ricche di immagini e graficamente impegnative. Questo libro racconta il percorso che ho seguito lungo questa strada, fino alla nascita di Quacktech Editions, e distilla l’esperienza pratica maturata lungo il cammino. È pensato per chiunque stia considerando un viaggio simile, in cui scrivere un libro significa anche assumersi la responsabilità dell’intero processo, dall’idea all’oggetto stampato. Free TOC
Paperback, 8,5”x 8,5”, color premium paper, 202 pages

Backstage

A Look from behind the Scenes (and why the ducks)

This booklet is a personal journey behind the scenes of my books. It describes the long and complex process that leads to their creation, as well as the goals they aim to pursue: to be art books of a nouvelle electronic art, and to tell—at least in part—the story of the intelligence, ingenuity, passion, and sometimes even frustration and sacrifice that lie behind it. A different kind of art, perhaps—not for everyone, but art nonetheless. In the following pages you will find notes on restoring old electronic equipment, photographing it, writing about it, editing images, shaping text, and finally turning everything into a printed object. An intersection of engineering, photography, graphics, and writing.
eBook (pdf), 8,5”x 8,5”, color, 38 pages, free
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