Re: [ARSCLIST] Laser Turntable and Damaged Vinyl

[David Lennick <dlennick@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Better take all those "transom" jobs that come in, and triple your price!

dl

phillip holmes wrote:

> It'll take a very long time saving change.  Think "saving paychecks".
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Mike Richter" <mrichter@xxxxxxx>
> To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Sunday, March 12, 2006 10:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Laser Turntable and Damaged Vinyl
>
> > Charles Lawson wrote:
> >
> >> A little while back, someone on this list asked whether playing a damaged
> >> vinyl disc on a laser turntable might yield improved results over
> >> straight
> >> stylus playback.  I chimed in that, yes, the LT can often make a damaged
> >> disc sound substantially better by virtue of reading a less damaged part
> >> of the groove wall.  A couple of you challenged me (privately) to provide
> >> an actual audio demonstration to prove my assertion, so I took some time
> >> to assemble a short MP3 today that shows fairly dramatically how the
> >> laser
> >> pickup can improve matters with a damaged disc.  The demo file comprises
> >> three brief parts: stylus playback (using a well-known, well-regarded
> >> stylus/cartridge/turntable combination--with a very low-time stylus that
> >> is properly set up), laser playback of the same material and then a
> >> full-restoration of the original material (using a variety of software
> >> tools) based on the laser pickup.  The MP3 is less than 1 MB in size and
> >> I'll be happy to email it to anyone who'd like it.
> >
> > The demonstration is most effective and I thank you for it. Amateur that I
> > am, I will venture some comments.
> >
> > The sound with the conventional stylus is worse than I have ever
> > encountered except when the wrong stylus was used. I believe I've
> > mentioned before that some 1950s issues on Odeon and other European EMI
> > labels require an elliptical 78-rpm stylus. With a conical stylus made for
> > LPs (0.7 mil, IIRC) and a filthy, scratched disc, the sound is similar to
> > that sample.
> >
> > The raw sound with the laser pickup is a revelation, as promised. The
> > sound has no evidence of the grundge in the groove and it appears that an
> > optimum stylus geometry has been found as well. The demo proves the case.
> >
> > As for the processed audio from the laser pickup, it shows that someone
> > <G> knows how to clean up a decent capture. From intolerable to enjoyable
> > in three easy demonstrations.
> >
> > I urge everyone concerned with preserving LPs to listen - and to start
> > collecting spare change for such a system.
> >
> > I will happily host the file on a WWW page (no ads, no cookies) if
> > desired.
> >
> > Thank you, Charles.
> >
> > Mike
> > --
> > mrichter@xxxxxxx
> > http://www.mrichter.com/
> >
> >