Feedback needed - audio tours poll

[91BRG]

I've been working with Dr. Simeone at the Simeone Foundation for awhile now to develop an audio tour of the facility. I'm almost done with the final edits, after his next review and feedback.

What I'm looking for is the feedback from folks on how YOU would want a tour to be delivered. We have a lot of options with the expanded use of smart phones and portable mp3 players. I would appreciate your thoughts as car people - the kind that would actually go see a collection of cool cars and want more info than fits on a little plaque.

Thanks!

As a bonus question, how much would you really pay to get the audio? It's possible that it would be for sale rather than a free download, but no more than $4.99. The current version lasts about 4.5 hours so there is a lot more information than you would normally get going to the museum. Unfortunately, it's not the whole story on every car because that would add about 30 more hours...

[jdf]

If it were a pay-for audioguide (and, honestly, $5 isn't insane for that, when you figure what most of those sorts of things cost at the museum and you don't get to take it with you when it's on their device-- especially if it's 4.5 hours), I'd prefer to get it from somewhere established like iTunes than handing my credit card number to yet another random website.

I don't know how many people would want to plug their mp3erator into a device on-site, but that's got to be the absolute worst option from the care-and-feeding end. First, you've got to have things set up so you can talk to any mp3 player out there. Apple devices don't like syncing to multiple machines, so you're pretty much up a creek if they bring in one of those iPods or iPhones, fortunately nobody's actually got one of those. And then you better have the mother of all antivirus software on that puppy, because you for damn sure don't want to be spreading the virus that customer C brought in to customers D through Z.

If the audio guide is easily broken down to information on various exhibits, perhaps it might be best to set it up as a podcast? Each episode of the podcast could be on a different exhibit, and then further information on a given part of an exhibit could be other podcasts?

[prostwest]

I would have a few $8 wholesale players pre-loaded at the gift shop, with cheap earphones plus splitters for couples. You could take a license as security, or charge a deposit and refund on return, or just sell it for $25 with a Simeone decal on it. Bonus: if you just sell it, you could offer to take it back in trade with a $20 credit toward merchandise. This would boost giftshop sales at practically zero cost, and avoid having to do a separate CC transaction just to refund the deposit. Customers keep the waxy earbuds as a souvenir. If this takes off, I get a royalty.

For those who want it on their own hardware but didn't get it before coming in, maybe a QR link and an URL at the counter that the staff can point to without having to be transaction middlemen.

[Tiger]

Skip the audio "tour" and just put gigantic speakers in the museum, play sound-effects records of racing cars all day long at deafening levels. I have a few old LP's to lend...

[91BRG]

JD - The idea of having a loading system on site is not mine The maintenance and virus issue would be far too much to deal with. Segments for each car range from a minute or so to about 15 minutes. The setup right now has every one as a unique file (including a unique file for each diorama segment). They will be up on the website eventually for play/download.

Steve - Forgot about QR codes, thanks. That makes another option on site. My assumption was that most folks with a smart phone could download it from a URL at the time of arrival if they knew about it. I had already suggested that he offer pre-loaded players for rent/borrow and also for sale, with a premium one being offered as a membership perk if you join as a patron or some level. I've done the radio thing for events and know that you have to have a crate of throwaway ear buds for every player The players need a display though because there are 83 entries in the tour and you can't hope to scroll easily without a display of some sort...

Larry - Stage 2 of the tour development will be inclusion of startup, idle and driving sounds for each car in the tour. I've recorded several of the cars already in various ways looking for the best options. I've been looking for some of those great sounds of races LPs for my own listening. If you have those records available to borrow, I'd love to copy them - I've got a really good vinyl to digital setup for that.

Eventually the idea is to have each car basically have its own webpage with audio, video and assorted stills, as well as the full history. Dr. Simeone is concerned that if he puts too much up on the website that people will then skip the museum. I keep trying to explain it's like baiting the hook - all that info is just going to compel people to come and see the real thing.

[prostwest]

The players need a display though because there are 83 entries in the tour and you can't hope to scroll easily without a display of some sort...

That's gonna cost you.

[91BRG]

The decent Coby MP610 units are fine at $30-50 each. That allows play of the tour as is and with the likely update of images that will follow someday. I'm sure with an extra few minutes of looking I can find them in bulk and even get them logo'd. I'd prefer to use something like the 1st generation iPod Nano, if I could find a deal for them in bulk with Apple... after the recall is over.

[Tiger]

been looking for some of those great sounds of races LPs for my own listening. If you have those records available to borrow, I'd love to copy them - I've got a really good vinyl to digital setup for that.

Glad to loan or even donate. Actually, I think I have two; one is Elkhart Lake in the early 1960's (289 Cobra on cover). The other is mostly drag racing but also includes some Bonneville tracks including a Ferrari (classic "ripping canvas"!).

Maybe in return you'd digitalize all 120 or so of my old rock n roll vinyl albums. j/k

Considering I've been missing meetings, we'll have to find a place to hand off the albums.

[91BRG]

been looking for some of those great sounds of races LPs for my own listening. If you have those records available to borrow, I'd love to copy them - I've got a really good vinyl to digital setup for that.

Glad to loan or even donate. Actually, I think I have two; one is Elkhart Lake in the early 1960's (289 Cobra on cover). The other is mostly drag racing but also includes some Bonneville tracks including a Ferrari (classic "ripping canvas"!).

Maybe in return you'd digitalize all 120 or so of my old rock n roll vinyl albums. j/k

Considering I've been missing meetings, we'll have to find a place to hand off the albums.

Happy to take them but digitizing the 6,000+ LPs we already have is the first step I'd be happy to do those two racing albums immediately though. Considering I have yet to make it to a meeting, yeah, we probably need an alternative

[91BRG]

Today they were selected as Museum of the Year in the UK, by a huge panel of judges. Awesome news for them which will drive (punny, eh?) more traffic to the museum!

http://simeonemuseum.org/events/simeone ... f-the-year

[prostwest]

Beat out The Peterson- wow! My first guess was that they must have won it in the past but this was the inaugural.

[91BRG]

Beat out The Peterson- wow! My first guess was that they must have won it in the past but this was the inaugural.

And the National Motor Museum. Yeah I think they're pretty happy!

[Tiger]

Beat out The Peterson.

The Peterson doen't -- AFAIK -- start up the cars and run them; I'd have loved to have heard the Pegaso I saw there.

[prostwest]

Beat out The Peterson.

The Peterson doen't -- AFAIK -- start up the cars and run them; I'd have loved to have heard the Pegaso I saw there.

True, but Simeone is much more collection, and less of a fully fleshed out museum. Peterson has curated exhibits on varied themes in a polished setting, much more in the way of interpretive media, and rotating special collections. That would make them the obvious choice (not synonymous with the best choice). For my money I'd like it both ways, and John is doing his part to help Simeone move to the next level so it'll be fun to see them grow.

[91BRG]

And I suspect the operating budget for the Peterson is ever-so-slightly higher

No two ways about it, that was some serious company to be in with and a shocking win. I think the interactivity of the driving days makes a huge difference. As does the philosophy that none of the cars are trailer queens. With the exception of the Alfa Tipo 33/3 which they are concerned may have stress cracks in the magnesium components, everything is/does/will be run at some point. Part of the shock I keep getting listening to Dr. Simeone is realizing how many of these cars are 1 of 1. He was talking about the '37 Bugatti 'Tank' which set a ton of land speed records. The car that broke those in 1965 was the '64 Cobra Daytona in the collection. So many of the cars are the winners of big races, only surviving versions or similarly important that its pretty amazing one guy without Ralph Lauren's money built this collection.

And I'd say Steve has it right, it is a collection, inside a museum. Because of that it's more singularly focused than something like the LeMay collection which is just massive, and more important. It's also one of the reasons I think it's so important that we get all of Dr. Simeone's stories recorded. Even the stuff I can't play for anyone

Crazy idea: I'm trying to convince him to take the 1909 American Underslung on a cross country drive to promote the museum... 1 Lap of America the 'real' way

[prostwest]

With the exception of the Alfa Tipo 33/3 which they are concerned may have stress cracks in the magnesium components,

Why doesn't he just get new ones from Rockauto?

The VW Rhino transaxle case was the foundation for the majority of lower Formula chassis' Hewland guts for years and years. When I was at Jim Russell, we were running the FF2000 motor in a chassis the owner had designed. He set the powertrain a bit too low in the space frame, such that the bellhousing lip was the lowest point at the center of the car; when students would hop a kerb it usually meant a fresh crack. Every week James would drive his BMW down to the shop on the inside of Namerow and throw one or two stripped cases into the trunk for a long pilgrimmage. If we were lucky, the only welder in all of Quebec that would touch magnesium hadn't been too backed up. This would mean he would return with the prior weeks' units freshly repaired so we could scramble to assemble them and have enough cars for the upcoming class.

[91BRG]

The next driving day is THIS SATURDAY and it's a doozie!

"The votes are in and the winners of the third "Peoples Choice" Demo Day balloting are: 1970 Porsche 917, 1964 Cobra Daytona Coupe, 1966 Ford GT40, Corvette Grand Sport and the 1958 Ferrari 250 TR.

Since this has been the largest Demo Day event of the year in the past, we are going to have all five cars on display this Saturday, November 26th. We will actually demonstrate the Cobra and the Corvette in the back lot and Dr. Simeone will talk on the rivialty between the two marques in the 1960s. After the demo, all five will be opened up so you can see the interiors and engines."

Too bad they won't run the 917, but they've told me there simply isn't enough room to get it out of first gear on the lot

[ChristianL]

The next driving day is THIS SATURDAY and it's a doozie: 1970 Porsche 917, 1964 Cobra Daytona Coupe, 1966 Ford GT40, Corvette Grand Sport and the 1958 Ferrari 250 TR.

If I didn't have something already going on, I'd SOOOOO go up there for that! Would love to hear the Cobra and GT40. The Testa Rossa wasn't nearly as loud as I figured it would have been, but it's an interesting car to see up close.

Years ago at Carlisle, I happened to be standing next to the road as Zora Arkus Duntov cruised past me in the other Corvette Grand Sport roadster (the Sunoco one). I have photos of that somewhere - I figured, "when are you ever going to see these two together again?" so I clicked off a bunch. If Simeone's car sounds anything like that one (I think they're both running 355 Chevys), it's one fierce sounding machine. Not quite as loud as the uncorked '69 ZL-1 Corvette I heard, but it's still spine-tingling.

[ChristianL]

Additionally, I'd also like to echo the sentiments of others about the Simeone collection. One of the coolest things that I enjoyed about it is, as John pointed out, the historical significance of the cars. And not just in their own spot in history, but their significance to each other, too.