On 1-Apr-09, at 1-Apr-09 3:03 PM, Andrew Stiller wrote:
On Mar 31, 2009, at 8:46 AM, Christopher Smith wrote:
The plastic coils I got for the CoilMac are sturdy and quiet. I
have never broken one yet. Combs, on the other hand, ARE noisy and
fragile.
The plastic combs I have been using all along are not at all
fragile. I have never known one to break on me--and I have
specimens going back as far as 1966!
Noise is primarily caused by using a binding strip that is too
narrow--a common mistake. Put on a comb that is a little wider than
you think you need, and almost all the noise goes away.
Yes, I agree. Same thing applies for spirals. The next size larger
than recommended is best for quiet page turns.
I still maintain, however, that the greater edge area of the
rectangular holes for combs makes for noisier page turns than the
thinner, smoother spirals.
What eventually wears out in a comb-bound volume is not the comb,
but the paper; and even so my 1966-67 issues of _Source_ show only
minor wear to the covers.
I have a phone book that I print out every year or two on my
computer, cut into quarters and bind. It goes in and out of my coat
pocket, or the side pouch of my bag, or gets thrown into my trombone
gig bag. Granted, this is a torture test, but the comb bindings I
have used have all broken in a few months and the paper holes are
worn or worn out, whereas the plastic coil binding I used last is
still going strong after two years. Not much music gets subject to
THAT kind of wear (unless you are teaching high school or amateur
choirs) but it made the point for me. Plus, if you are in the habit
of stacking your music flat, the coils can fit in between each other
but the combs don't.
I have a comb-bound edition of your Handbook of Instrumentation that
sees heavy use (!) and it is standing up very well, all considered.
Maybe the quality of the paper and the combs you used is better than
the ones I get around here.
Christopher
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