High Definition Vinyl May Soon Be a Reality

[Neil McCauley]

Calum Slingerland writes: Though its market share of music sales is still relatively small, the resurgence of the vinyl record is very much a recognizable music retail trend that doesn't seem to be slowing. Now, an Austrian music distribution company is looking to push the format in a new direction by revolutionizing the current manufacturing method.

In conjunction with Austrian lab Research Joanneum, Rebeat Digital founder Günter Loibl has reportedly developed a method with which vinyl records can be manufactured with a longer playing time and a wider frequency range. In an article translated by Reddit Eisfeld, German technology news source FutureZone reported that a patent for the new method was filed last week.

According to the article, compressed audio data would be written to a record stamper through a .....

Continues @ http://exclaim.ca/music/article/high_definition_vinyl_may_soon_be_reality

[struth]

Dont really see the point in that.

[mikeyb]

Nor me, much like 4k TV, I'd rather see LPs that didn't wear out ;)

[Simon_LDT]

I'd rather they spent more time/effort/money on better quality control and mastering records properly. Too many bad presses out there nowadays and too much vinyl cut from CD sources and/or mp3's.

[dmckean]

Nor me, much like 4k TV, I'd rather see LPs that didn't wear out ;)

If they made records much harder to make them more durable, your stylus would last about a week.

[Oddball]

If they made records much harder to make them more durable, your stylus would last about a week.
That's very good :)

Reminds me
I used to be a contract bale wrapper a few years ago (putting black plastic cling onto silage /hay round bales for fellow farmers . We had a tour of the Bonar plastics factory in Leominster , and there were farmers and other contractors there too.
A young man asked why they couldn't make the plastic a lot tougher so the bales were not so susceptible to getting holes in them ??

I said , yes ,armour plated bale wrap ??:doh:

[struth]

Vinyl from 50's and 60's was a lot tougher than the stuff they seem to be using now.

[Macca]

It's a replacement for the old vinyl presses. Does the same thing but a lot more accurately and quicker. They are also claiming the ability to record higher frequencies due to the increased accuracy. No mention of improving dynamic range but what's not to like here?

[Audio Advent]

What does it mean by "Compressed audio data" in that context?

[Macca]

Here is the translation of the piece which is the basis for that article. No mention of compressed data. The word 'compressed' is not used at all. I wonder how that crept in?

The source is a credible austrian tech news website. Here's a lose translation with unnecessary parts left out (parts about vinyl being popular again).

The digital distributor Rebeat has developed in association with Joanneum Research a new method to improve length and frequency range of vinyl records. The patent application for High Definition (HD) vinyl was filed last week and should revolutionize the conventional production method. This should allow the playback in high end quality says Volker Schmidt of the Institute for surface technology and photonics at Joanneum Research. HD-Vinyl records can be played with every customary turntable and 100% compatible.

How does this work? Audio data is processed via a CAD-software and written with a laser on a stamper (extrustion machine?). Because of the digital processing, audio data and groove structures can be optimized. This means that up to 30% more information could be "stored" on the record.

With the new method, a greater frequency range is possible. Normally, the cutting stylus gets hot at higher frequencies which limits the range. With the new method this is no issue. The whole frequency range can be depicted.

Furthermore, the laser is suitable for hard materials, thus the wear of the stamper can be reduces and a higher number of pressings can be achieved.

tl/dr: Austrian company develops a new process where 30% more information can be stored on vinyl, the full frequency range can be used on the record and can reduce wear on the stamper (which may make backlogs in pressing plants obsolete)

source in german: link

[Macca]

so it isn't a replacement for the press but a new way of making a stamper.

Is how I read that.

[PaulStewart]

It requires digital processing of the analogue signal to produce the analogue stamper...... Might as well listen to a high res download. I don't see the point iin adding an unnecessary digital stage into the process. it's bonkers

[Macca]

The recording is likely to be a digital one so in that case it wouldn't matter.

In any case even if you make an analogue recording you still need to find a cutting lathe that isn't digital or you are still 'sullying' your analogue signal with an A-D/D-A loop.

[Kvaal]

HD vinyl? Must be a joke. The analog signal is as definated it can be, if the whole cain from recording to the pressing is analog.

[Macca]

I think some are confused by the words 'high definition' - whilst this expression makes sense with a tv picture it doesn't make any sense with sound.

So called high definition music has bandwidth above 22 KHz - that is the only difference between 'normal def' and 'high def' music recordings. Vinyl records, due to their nature, are limited in HF response, and by that token are not 'high definition'. Cutting them more accurately will improve this and in theory allow higher frequency signals to be recorded and replayed.

In practice that is unlikely to make any discernable difference to what you hear. As the article points out it is more about improving quality control and production speed in pressing plants. The title is really just an attention grabber.

[Jimbo]

I thought vinyl was already Super Hi Definition.:)

[Ali Tait]

Mine is.:D