[BC] Turntables (WAS:Achieving good S/N)

[Robert Orban]

At 04:12 PM 12/31/2005, you wrote:
>From: Ron Cole <rondcole at gmail.com>
>Subject: Re: [BC] Turntables (WAS:Achieving good S/N)
>To: Broadcast Radio Mailing List <broadcast at radiolists.net>
>Message-ID:
>         <2f88e090512311030r55fc074ej8a7bc6a1b61ccba3 at mail.gmail.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>http://www.elpj.com/
>
>Starting list price: $15,000 US
>
>
>On 12/31/05, Steve <shnewman at alaweb.com> wrote:
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: <WFIFeng at aol.com>
> > To: <broadcast at radiolists.net>
> > Sent: Saturday, December 31, 2005 12:00 PM
> > Subject: [BC] Turntables (WAS:Achieving good S/N)
> >
> >
> > > In a message dated 12/31/2005 12:42:51 PM Eastern Standard Time,
> > > DHultsman5 at aol.com writes:
> > >
> > > > We went  back to the Cheap
> > > >  Fairchild rim Belt drive 12 inch for lower rumble on  classical
> > music.
> > >
> > > Curious... why not make the investment in one of those digital/optical
> > > 'tables, then dub the music to digital? (or get two of them, and just
> > play
> > the LP's
> > > in them- no needle, no wear.) I know that they're expensive- so you may
> > even
> > > be able to convince a wealthy listener to make them a gift to the
> > station.
> > > Thoughts?
> >
> > What do those digital/opticals price out at? Great idea.

I own one (and paid less than $10K for it; the price has been raised 
recently, and by a lot). The good news is that it offers incredibly 
detailed sound because there is no moving mass and there are no resonances 
in the pickup system. It will also track badly damaged records that I would 
never dare play with a mechanical stylus (for example, records with bits of 
non-removal gunk stuck to them).

The downsides are several. The most important is that the laser TT is much 
more sensitive to vinyl noise than a mechanical cartridge (probably by 
about 10 dB). A wet wash with a vacuum record cleaner like Nitty Gritty or 
VPI is essential before play. This makes the laser TT less appropriate than 
you might imagine for classical music; it's actually at its best with rock 
and roll and similar music with a narrow dynamic range. It also means that 
the laser TT is best used to make archival copies of vinyl on CD or DVD-A; 
it's not for casual play because of the cleaning ritual required.

A lesser downside is that it has limited high frequency trackability, as 
tested with one of the Shure "Audio Obstacle Course" LPs (remember those?). 
Midrange and LF trackability are excellent, but you will hear occasional 
breakup on sibilance if the mastering had not used appropriate HF limiting 
(or a Conax).

Bob Orban