SH Spotlight If you have a turntable you need to play your mono records in true MONO. How to do it cheaply..

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, May 14, 2006.

  1. William A Childers

    William A Childers Active Member

    Location:
    Orange Park
    Yes, thanks!
     
  2. Ben Adams

    Ben Adams Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ, USA
    [​IMG]

    X-Cable? Like this?
     
    Gabe Walters likes this.
  3. Classicrock

    Classicrock Senior Member

    Location:
    South West, UK.
    The answer surely is a detachable head shell with pre aligned Mono cartridge in a spare. For me with SME 300 series and an AT33 mono that would be around £400.
     
  4. Marty T

    Marty T Stereo Fan

    Location:
    NM - North of ABQ
    Sounds fine but understand that once the channels are summed via software, any analog LP is now digital and defeats the purpose for those intent on the analog experience. That said, most new LP's are cut with digital processing involved.
     
  5. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    Two points:

    1) Summing doesn't cause the result to be digital, converting to digital causes the result to be digital.

    2) Not everyone playing a record is "intent on the analog experience". Often times, something on a record is not available digitally, or sounds superior to what is available digitally.
     
    tmtomh likes this.
  6. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    Read the poster's post again -- "Sounds fine but understand that once the channels are summed via software..." Using software is a digital application, therefore would be digital.

    Regarding the second, I think most here would prefer an analog chain, if possible. There's no doubt that the AAA Beatles In Mono LPs, all other things being equal, sound better than the Beatles In Mono CDs, though the latter are pretty good for digital.
     
    Marty T likes this.
  7. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    I read the poster's post. I stand by my post.

    I wouldn't. And the mastering is different for the Beatles CDs and LPs, so it isn't an apples to apples comparison.
     
  8. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    But why would there have been the uproar over the stereo LPs being reissued via a digital master if it didn't make a difference sonically when they decided to go AAA for the mono set?

    I think you're showing that your merely digging in your heels with your responses.
     
  9. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    The stereo LPs were created from the 2009 digital masters. That was certainly my problem with them - the processing applied to the 2009 masters - not that they were digitally sourced.
     
  10. teag

    teag Forum Resident

    Location:
    Colorado
    You are in the minority of audiophiles on this. Most want an all analog chain on Beatles remasters. And that's why the mono were subsequently done that way.
     
    AnalogJ likes this.
  11. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    I'm perfectly fine with that.
     
    marcb, tmtomh, subtr and 1 other person like this.
  12. Ben Adams

    Ben Adams Forum Resident

    Location:
    Phoenix, AZ, USA
    I dunno. I think if better mastering moves had been made with the stereos to more closely match original vinyl, they'd overall be much better regarded ... even from digital. As it is, I certainly don't hate them. I don't even mind the George Martin remixes of Help! and Rubber Soul on vinyl, as I'd gotten used to them after years with the CD versions.

    Enough of that, though ... let's get this thread back to mono. :D
     
  13. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Doesn't concern me.
     
    Ben Adams likes this.
  14. Marty T

    Marty T Stereo Fan

    Location:
    NM - North of ABQ
    To your first point, I never said or implied that summing an LP to mono causes the result to be digital. I said the use of software to convert to mono causes the result to be digital.

    To your second point, I agree, not everyone listening to vinyl is intent on the analog experience. This is why there was a qualifier that read ”for those intent..." The qualifier implies that not all those who listen to LP's are intent on the analog experience.
     
    AnalogJ likes this.
  15. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    To be clear, software has nothing to do with it. An analog source is converted to digital with hardware. Whether or not software is subsequently used to sum to mono, or do any other processing, the signal is already digital. That was my point.
     
  16. Marty T

    Marty T Stereo Fan

    Location:
    NM - North of ABQ
    Is that correct, the hardware converting analog to digital does not need any sort of instructions? I'm fine to stand corrected on that one.
     
  17. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    The hardware does the conversion. The software captures what the hardware sends.

    And of course, there are also dedicated digital recorders that don't even use computer software at all
     
  18. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    First of all, there has to be software to convert sound (which is analog) to digital.

    Secondly, in terms of hardware, what sort of hardware was being referred to? Not all hardware is digital. I'm lost a bit. So how could there be a recorder that didn't use software? Unless we're just talking about transferring digits to digits.
     
  19. lukpac

    lukpac Senior Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI
    The conversion is done in an ADC. Analog to digital converter. Input is analog, output is digital. That's hardware.

    What software does, say, a DAT recorder use?
     
  20. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    That converter has to use software to run it, otherwise it'd be a brick.

    The DAT has to use some sort of software to convert. I could be wrong.

    I'm going to have to do some digging on this one.
     
  21. Izozeles

    Izozeles Pushing my limits

    Do you need a Y cable if your gear has a mono switch?
     
  22. Marty T

    Marty T Stereo Fan

    Location:
    NM - North of ABQ
    I expect the dedicated digital recorders still have firmware at the least. If you are saying there is no software instruction to the hardware in the receiving stage, I didn't realize that. I'll restate my response to your point where you said, "Summing doesn't cause the result to be digital, converting to digital causes the result to be digital", and simply note that I never said summing caused the result to be digital.
     
  23. AnalogJ

    AnalogJ Hearing In Stereo Since 1959

    Location:
    Salem, MA
    No. The mono switch is doing the same as the cable. But, again, though it's not as good as a mono cartridge, the mono switch will help solidify the image.
     
    Izozeles likes this.
  24. AndoDoug

    AndoDoug Forum Resident

    This thread be over my head but if I have a mono button on my amp I'm all good? Thanks
     
  25. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Precisely!

    If you have a mono button, it will achieve everything the workarounds in this thread discuss.

    The workarounds (ie, the double-y cable, the mono switch box, using the tape monitor with the y-cables, etc) are only discussed for the benefit of those without a mono button on their amps.

    You are fortunate you have the mono button. Use it whenever listening to a mono record. It's not useful for mono CDs. Enjoy and celebrate the mono sound!
     
    AndoDoug likes this.

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