Hi-Res Download News (HDTracks, ProStudioMasters, Pono, etc.) & Software/Mastering Part 12**

Evil, &/OR STOOPID?

 

If only this happened with every mastering job. Can't get much better than a Studer A800. I assume it's a Mark 1? Although an Ampex ATR124 would be better.

 

The Technics SL-1500C seems extremely well-regarded, at least in the press. Ditto the Cambridge Audio Alva TT. And there's the Technics SL-1000R, which is crazy expensive and highly sought after.

Honestly, if I were buying a fairly inexpensive turntable and wanted something that would last, I'm not sure I'd fiddle with a belt drive unit. In my experience, direct drive TTs were generally more reliable, even if they weren't quite as quiet. But once you get beyond budget turntables, I'm not sure how much that really matters.

 

The Japanese used "red vinyl" which is not about color. It is a high quality anti-static vinyl the Americans were too cheap to use on large pressings. And when the Japanese stopped Pressing records they took the secrets with them. I have a Kingston, Jamaica pressed record from 1961. (Bryon Lee - Jamaica Ska) it is very heavy. As in 140 grams heavy. They made them better back in the day. Back in 1961 Jamaica was still a British colony.

 

This is based on listening to gear 15 years ago, but for a fairly inexpensive quality TT I'd probably look at Rega or Thorens.

 

Project has some very good models at excellent prices. I saw one where the motor was completely decoupled from the table. Fantastic design.

 

I picked up a few. Haven't played them yet because I'm on my pc. They are DR14!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't remember the last time I saw a number that good.

 

Not correct . Technics SL-1200 was adopted by DJs but it was not designed for them.

Today, many forum members are gaga about the SL-1200GR. Even more expensive are the SL-1200G, and GAE. These are not marketed to DJs.

I have a a SL-1210MK2. I would not trade it for a Rega that can't maintain accurate speed.

Long live Technics!

Back to high res now

 

Neither really. They're just greedy. And their greed is peerless, & they've continually shot themselves in the foot with it over the years. This is why what was once (and should still be) a thriving industry is reduced to a fraction of what it was 50 years ago.

 

Sad. (Snif! Snif!)

 

First off I have no problem with a well designed modern direct drive table like the 1200 GR. My beef (worry) is with members who buy old used cheap poorly designed direct drive turntables from 35 - 45 years ago. They ARE NOT good.

".... The first direct-drive turntable was invented by Shuichi Obata, an engineer at Matsushita (now Panasonic), based in Osaka, Japan. It eliminated belts, and instead employed a motor to directly drive a platter on which a vinyl record rests. In 1969, Matsushita released it as the SP-10, the first direct-drive turntable on the market, and the first in their influential Technics series of turntables. In 1971, Matsushita released the Technics SL-1100. Due to its strong motor, durability, and fidelity, it was adopted by early hip hop artists....."
- Wickipedia



Wickipedia.
"....On the other hand, direct-drive turntables may suffer from vibration due to the motor, which is less of an issue for belt-drive turntables. However, in recent years, shock-absorbing (less dense) material, placed between the motor and platter, has been used to cut back on vibrations. The torque on direct-drive turntables is usually much higher than on belt drive models. This means the platter speed is less susceptible to outside forces (stylus, hand). Higher torque also means the platter will accelerate to its proper speed faster so less distortion is heard when the record begins to play.

Some direct-drive turntables further reduce the separation of motor and platter by using the platter itself as the rotor in the turntable's synchronous motor. This means that there is no motor, per se, in the turntable - the platter is entirely driven by the magnetic field induced by the turntable's stator...." - Wickipedia


Yes, direct drive turtables have come along way. My problem is with old used models from the 1980's that aren't even a decent direct drive model. Your statements about Rega turntables is a straw man. When did I or anyone else say the only choice in belt driven tables was a Rega? Lynn, Project and many others.


Just some reading for you. I found this Illuminating...


".....Fast Times at Rega Research
Job one is to spin the platter at the correct speed so I’m always amazed by how many turntable reviews don’t bother to check and report speed accuracy on non-speed adjustable ‘tables.

Every Rega turntable I’ve reviewed has run slightly fast. Mr. Freeman told me that Rega specs their ‘tables to run within a quarter of a percent (0.0025) of exact speed, preferring any error to be on the fast side of exact, which makes sense. Our brains better tolerate slightly fast than slightly slow.

First I used the Clearaudio 300Hz strobe disc and light and clearly the RP8 was running fast at both 33 1/3 and 45rpm. But how fast? I used the Feickert Platterspeed iPhone app in conjunction with their 7” Adjust + test record’s 3150Hz tone and then double checked using the 3150Hz tone on Analogue Productions’ “The Ultimate Analogue Test LP”.

The iPhone app confirmed two things: firstly that the ‘table’s speed consistency was excellent. Low pass filtered (to remove record eccentricity contributions) it was a perfectly symmetrical ± 0.02%.

The graph looked as good as the numbers, but the mean frequency was 3175Hz for the 3150Hz test signal and while recording the tone, the meter never crossed into the program’s correct speed (±.2%) green zone. 3175 Hz is eight tenths of a percent fast (0.008). At .0025 the 3150Hz tone would have been approximately 3158Hz.

So yes, this RP8 sample ran faster than factory spec, at least proving I wasn’t sent a “gone over” reviewer sample. I asked Freeman if there was a way to adjust the speed. He said I could loosen the screws holding the motor to the plinth and adjust the O-ring tension.

Lessening the tension did lower the speed somewhat but the speed consistency went completely to hell so my suggestion would be to not mess with this if you buy an RP8 and it runs faster than spec. My suggestion would be to return it or perhaps to first request a new set of O-rings to see if that solves the problem.

A turntable, particularly one costing $3000, should run at the correct speed ± a reasonable deviation of, as Phil Freeman suggests, ±0025!

Two other observations: the plinth is lively as one might expect from a lightweight, rigid frame. Tap on it while a record plays and the impulse is transmitted seemingly unimpeded through to the speakers but tap on the shelf holding the ‘table (in this case a Harmonic Resolution Systems base) and there’s nearly full attenuation. Do place the RP8 on a well-engineered shelf!

A stethoscope on the plinth with the motor running revealed a significant high frequency motor hum. Put the stethoscope on the “stress beam”’s Magnesium top plate and again, nearly complete motor noise attenuation.

One last observation before the sonic assessment: leave the dust attracting, static electricity producing and discharging, clingy felt mat in the box! If you don’t, be sure to always mute your preamp before attempting to remove records from the platter, or your system will be rocked by seismic static electricity sonic discharges that can cause serious damage—I experienced this in the usually low static summertime. Dry winter can only be worse.

If you use insist on using the mat and leave the platter spinning during your listening session as Rega suggests, you risk losing your cantilever to the clingy mat as it can (and will) partially cling to the record and as you lift it from the rotating platter, spin its way towards the stylus. You’ve been warned......" - Quote Analog Planet


A good belt drive turntable will always pull out more detail than a direct drive. Simple physics.
Your 1200 GR is a great table. I hope you have good MC cart in there. My beef is with people who think somehow any DD table is great. As if perfect speed somehow equals great sound.

 

I had no clue as to how good vinyl could be until I bought an entry level Well Tempered with a Blue Point in 1990.

 

You a making my mouth water....Stop!

Direct drive (although inferior to belt drive) tables are good as long as they are new well designed models. The 1200 GR is one. Even the old 1200 Mrk 1 or Mrk2 are good. My problem is with those cheap-aass Pioneer 1980 plastic models. There are some Pioneer DJ direct drive tables ($350 ) I have seen at the music store. Obviously they are knock offs of the 1200. These at least would be o.k.

Do you remember the Oracle Delphi?

 

ProStudioMasters is having a sale on ZZ Top albums. The Complete Studio Albums 192/24 is available for $125.99 (30% off). I’ve owned this collection for a while and it sounds great!

ZZ Top, The Complete Studio Albums (1970 - 1990) in High-Resolution Audio

Two issues of which to be aware: Eliminator has the single version of “Legs” and three tracks on Recycler are missing the first second/first beat.

 

Agree, the sound is pretty good. Another then Japanese vinyl, probably the best sounding ZZ that's ever been released.

 

Get a good record that has been well cut from a master. Wet vaccum /sonic clean it. And then play it back on a BELT DRIVEN audiophile turntable with a MC cart and fine line stylus played through an audiophile phonopreamp and no high definition file can even touch it.

 

Remember the "HOME TAPING IS ILEAGAL" campaign? I purchased more vinyl than most back in 1986 so I felt offended. Then when I got my 14 bit PCM processor in 1989 I showed them what "home taping" is all about.

 

Before brickwalling, I felt that hi-res digital was the best of both worlds: 90% of the SQ of perfect vinyl, with none of the artifacts or headaches: No wear, no inner groove distortion, no cartridge alignment, no $500 record cleaners, no warps, no ticks & pops, no worrying about vinyyl quality & pressing quality, etc.

With the loudness wars & the trend to limit to 44/24, we're mostly out of luck as far as music that has not already been well remastered.

Yes, my Well Tempered did sound a bit better than my Oppo, but what a headache to use & maintain.

 

Now I am depressed. Thanks. Fat (325 Lbs, although I don't look a pound over 250 lbs.) Ex-audio engineer sits on a concrete slab at the corner of Dufferin and Lawrence Avenue West and sighs heavily. He takes a deep drink of his 23 oz can of Arizona Green Tea. "If only remasters could he like this can of ice tea - satisfying," he thought to himself.


I don't think brick walking is the word you are looking for. All brick wall means is that if you set your threshold at 0 dbfs it will never go over. Brick wall limiters were used often in many classic Rock records. I think the phase you are looking for is SMASHED. But we all get your meaning.

I put compression on my own songs all the time. Just so that I can play them on my phone at a good volume. But you wouldn't know it was there. You hear all this dynamic range. Most people aren't aware of just HOW MUCH compression is used on today's music. These digital compressors are designed to make it loud and smashed. And yet most modern engineers think sound great.

As you know when a engineer mixes a 5.1 mix on Blu-ray he can put the suggested compression amount for home viewing. This can be turned off or on for Blu-ray . So why have this option for 5.1 / stereo high definition/ files on Blu-ray? Or a CD With the uncompressed files in PCM and then the compressed MP3 / MP4 files of the album can go at the end.

 

Anyone get Pat Metheny Off Ramp in DSD or 24/96? Love this and would like a step up if it is that.

 

I got some of his other albums in each Hi-Rez. For me, it's an improvement and more clarity than the CD versions.

 

Which three on Recycler?

 

Lovething - missing first drum beat

My Head's In Mississippi - missing first drum beat/cymbal crash

Give It Up - intro drum beat slightly clipped and plays faster than CD

 

Thanks. And that release was only 24/44.1 too, unfortunately. I wonder did those same problems (missing bits) occur on the CD release as well?

 

These issues do not exist on the original CD. That was my baseline for comparison. ProStudioMasters was very interested in these issues, communicated well and refunded the cost of that album in the collection. I’ve stuck with my CD rip since the mastering is the same.