The vinyl illusion ?

[struth]

the new warm tone record press

https://www.wired.com/2017/02/warm-t...drawn-records/

[RothwellAudio]

The continued growth of vinyl may well by now mean that new lathes and presses are being built, but I fail to see how anything but driving the coils of the cutter head from a power amplifier would make any sense. I can see that it is certainly possible that said power amps could be driven by a "digital pre-amp" and DAC from the digital master recording, and that the RIAA EQ could be applied digitally in this "digital pre-amp", but the signal from the DAC would still be analogue to the power amps, which then drive the cutting head.

If "everything I thought I knew about disc cutting" has been supplanted by some new digital technique I've never heard of in the last few years then I will stand corrected...

I think that's the point Macca was making - the signal may have been an analogue recording initially, and it may be an analogue signal that drives the lathe, but there's an A/D conversion required to get the signal into the lathe's "digital pre-amp" and then a D/A conversion required to drive the lathe's power amps.

Here's an episode of How It's Made showing a cutting lathe and the digital bit involved
https://youtu.be/wqJ0ouQScM8?t=223
Of course, there must be all-analogue lathes in use too.

[Arkless Electronics]

I think that's the point Macca was making - the signal may have been an analogue recording initially, and it may be an analogue signal that drives the lathe, but there's an A/D conversion required to get the signal into the lathe's "digital pre-amp" and then a D/A conversion required to drive the lathe's power amps.

Here's an episode of How It's Made showing a cutting lathe and the digital bit involved
https://youtu.be/wqJ0ouQScM8?t=223
Of course, there must be all-analogue lathes in use too.

So if we want all analogue recordings today we need to get our R2R's down to the local folk club/choral society/buskers night with some good quality microphones and get used to "Pete and Steve cover some Dylan tracks" rather than big name artists... (I have done this BTW and have some good recordings from it).

I would have thought it likely that many of the audiophile record companies will still be using all analogue.. even mainly valved, but this is a small proportion of the music available and not always to ones tastes...

[walpurgis]

So if we want all analogue recordings today we need to get our R2R's down to the local folk club/choral society/buskers night with some good quality microphones and get used to "Pete and Steve cover some Dylan tracks" rather than big name artists... (I have done this BTW and have some good recordings from it).

What were you carrying. A Uher or Nagra?

[Macca]

I think that's the point Macca was making - the signal may have been an analogue recording initially, and it may be an analogue signal that drives the lathe, but there's an A/D conversion required to get the signal into the lathe's "digital pre-amp" and then a D/A conversion required to drive the lathe's power amps.

Here's an episode of How It's Made showing a cutting lathe and the digital bit involved
https://youtu.be/wqJ0ouQScM8?t=223
Of course, there must be all-analogue lathes in use too.

Yes, that was my point.

I do recall reading not so long ago about a completely new method of cutting records that is a lot less messy than a lathe and far more accurate. Can't recall the details but it was similar to 3D printing. Digital conversion was still required, though.

[Haselsh1]

I have an apparently all analogue vinyl LP by a band named Ondatropica which is one of Will Holland or Quantic's offshoots. Can't comment on it as it is still sealed

[Macca]

I have a 1967 pressing of Aretha Live in Paris. Older than me, that would have been cut on an analogue lathe so as pure as the driven snow. Also my pressing of Led Zep II is from '71, as free from digital sin as the Virgin Mary. Must have a few others as well.

Is there anything about the sound of these records that makes them stand out from their soiled and sullied digital-lathed brethren? The heretical answer is a no.

I shall now return to my catechism. Amen.

[walpurgis]

I have an Edison wax phonograph cylinder of Caruso, cut in 1907, but unfortunately it is a digitally remastered version. Says so on the tin!

[Arkless Electronics]

What were you carrying. A Uher or Nagra?

Lugging a ReVox PR99 MkIII (15 ips half track) and all other kit from the boot of then girlfriends car... Rode and AKG condenser mics and Yamaha mixing desk

[Arkless Electronics]

I have an Edison wax phonograph cylinder of Caruso, cut in 1907, but unfortunately it is a digitally remastered version. Says so on the tin!

Ah but craftsmen had to carve each 0 and 1 with a chisel in them days...