OMG (LP recording) drool

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

well I just had to express all this...

O M G

Been playing with my 1970's LP kit plus some new. I was into
electronics in the '70's and bought some stuff then....

Anyhow the idea was to re-record my 200+ old LP's into a more modern
format.

Today's hybrid kit was / is :

AGNULA (linux sound optimised OS) running on a 1999 K6-500 PC with
pathetic everything driven by Pioneer PL12D system + Stanton 500 (E?)
cartridge + Pioneer preamp. This "showed good promise" but not quite
right & was quickly replaced by:

AGNULA running on 2000 PIII-700 box, 300M+ ram, VideoXS SonicFury
soundcard (very nice indeed) driven by PL12D + Shure M75ED/2 (tracking
at 0.8g) <I just happened to get in '78 but didn't use> + same Pioneer
preamp.

- capturing at 16 bits, 48000 bits/sec using Krecord, then through GWC
(gnome wave cleaner) for de-click/scratch - then audacity for cropping
+ rumble filter + h/f blush on worn LP's (about 1.75 dB per octave -
it's +0dB at 4000 Hz log rising to +4dB at 20,000) exported as .ogg
files yielding about 150kbit/sec at 48K sample rate. Whew. BTW all
apps apt-getted'd to current versions. OK, I'm into Linux software
nowadays (- it's good, it's free)

- and am staggered by the results.

Completely staggered. This is with old original Bowie, Zappa and Yes
LP's which have been worn to what I thought where nubs. Most are 2nd
hand and are indifferent quality - some I can personally rate at over
100 plays. The Shure turns in an excellent job, bringing clarity
across ranges I thought literally worn off the records years ago.


I did not ever think that the quality I'm getting was available on LP;
I moved over to CD in '86 and "never looked back" ... and forgot. More
fool me.


Working all this has been really emotional; the interest, absorption
and sheer involvement of the LP's makes me think of the genius I'd
glimpsed long ago of Nat King Cole / Halle Berry recordings. Present,
emotional, stunning...


Believe me I really did not think that this was all sitting for years
forgotten in a box somewhere, just waiting to be brought forth.

I am completely and utterly gobsmaked.

So WTF happened to make standard CD's so poor? Why have we been served
up such dross - just for our money to switch to a handier format?????
I must have poured so much away.


When I've done going through my back catalogue I must compare
St.Pepper & Dark Side of the Moon which I have in both CD and LP. Um,
Tubular Bells too.

It's not just me - playing the .ogg files to a friend "all sort of
casual like" he got HOOKED on Pink Floyd's Meddle. It is a completely
whelming experience; these home-digitised recordings just drag you in
and take you over!


Perhaps I should pull out the Leak valve amp now resting in a box in
the garage (a TL/12 plus I think) and revalve it. 9/10 it'll work 1st
time; that tech was solid. Pity about the (mono) Quad speaker I lost
in '78... anyhow, next I'm to record a load more Zappa... my this IS
fun ! Excellent use of time!

satayeen

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

P.S.

I do hope you're running the turntable into some sort of RIAA equalized
magnetic phono preamp.

Mark Z.

--
Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.


"Mark D. Zacharias" <mzacharias@yis.us> wrote in message
news:2mk5mkFo01glU1@uni-berlin.de...
> That's great that you're enjoying this process so much. I don't doubt for
a
> second that the Shure (or almost any decent cartridge) blows away the
> Stanton 500.
>
> I do recommend tracking the Shure at least 1.0 gram, maybe a tad more. The
> Type III and IV's were optimized for 1 gram, and although I don't have the
> 75ED specs here, I bet it's at least that rating.
>
> There's lots of reason's your LP transcriptions sound "better" than your
> CD's - very few of which have anything to do with any limitations of the
CD
> format.
>
> Have fun!
>
>
> Mark Z.
>
> --
> Please reply only to Group. I regret this is necessary. Viruses and spam
> have rendered my regular e-mail address useless.
>
>
> "satayeen" <satayeen@boltblue.com> wrote in message
> news:fbc2d552.0407251630.3336b2d2@posting.google.com...
> > well I just had to express all this...
> >
> > O M G
> >
> > Been playing with my 1970's LP kit plus some new. I was into
> > electronics in the '70's and bought some stuff then....
> >
> > Anyhow the idea was to re-record my 200+ old LP's into a more modern
> > format.
> >
> > Today's hybrid kit was / is :
> >
> > AGNULA (linux sound optimised OS) running on a 1999 K6-500 PC with
> > pathetic everything driven by Pioneer PL12D system + Stanton 500 (E?)
> > cartridge + Pioneer preamp. This "showed good promise" but not quite
> > right & was quickly replaced by:
> >
> > AGNULA running on 2000 PIII-700 box, 300M+ ram, VideoXS SonicFury
> > soundcard (very nice indeed) driven by PL12D + Shure M75ED/2 (tracking
> > at 0.8g) <I just happened to get in '78 but didn't use> + same Pioneer
> > preamp.
> >
> > - capturing at 16 bits, 48000 bits/sec using Krecord, then through GWC
> > (gnome wave cleaner) for de-click/scratch - then audacity for cropping
> > + rumble filter + h/f blush on worn LP's (about 1.75 dB per octave -
> > it's +0dB at 4000 Hz log rising to +4dB at 20,000) exported as .ogg
> > files yielding about 150kbit/sec at 48K sample rate. Whew. BTW all
> > apps apt-getted'd to current versions. OK, I'm into Linux software
> > nowadays (- it's good, it's free)
> >
> > - and am staggered by the results.
> >
> > Completely staggered. This is with old original Bowie, Zappa and Yes
> > LP's which have been worn to what I thought where nubs. Most are 2nd
> > hand and are indifferent quality - some I can personally rate at over
> > 100 plays. The Shure turns in an excellent job, bringing clarity
> > across ranges I thought literally worn off the records years ago.
> >
> >
> > I did not ever think that the quality I'm getting was available on LP;
> > I moved over to CD in '86 and "never looked back" ... and forgot. More
> > fool me.
> >
> >
> > Working all this has been really emotional; the interest, absorption
> > and sheer involvement of the LP's makes me think of the genius I'd
> > glimpsed long ago of Nat King Cole / Halle Berry recordings. Present,
> > emotional, stunning...
> >
> >
> > Believe me I really did not think that this was all sitting for years
> > forgotten in a box somewhere, just waiting to be brought forth.
> >
> > I am completely and utterly gobsmaked.
> >
> > So WTF happened to make standard CD's so poor? Why have we been served
> > up such dross - just for our money to switch to a handier format?????
> > I must have poured so much away.
> >
> >
> > When I've done going through my back catalogue I must compare
> > St.Pepper & Dark Side of the Moon which I have in both CD and LP. Um,
> > Tubular Bells too.
> >
> > It's not just me - playing the .ogg files to a friend "all sort of
> > casual like" he got HOOKED on Pink Floyd's Meddle. It is a completely
> > whelming experience; these home-digitised recordings just drag you in
> > and take you over!
> >
> >
> > Perhaps I should pull out the Leak valve amp now resting in a box in
> > the garage (a TL/12 plus I think) and revalve it. 9/10 it'll work 1st
> > time; that tech was solid. Pity about the (mono) Quad speaker I lost
> > in '78... anyhow, next I'm to record a load more Zappa... my this IS
> > fun ! Excellent use of time!
> >
> > satayeen
>
>

Archived from groups: rec.audio.tech (More info?)

satayeen <satayeen@boltblue.com> wrote:

> Working all this has been really emotional; the interest, absorption
> and sheer involvement of the LP's makes me think of the genius I'd
> glimpsed long ago of Nat King Cole / Halle Berry recordings. Present,
> emotional, stunning...

er..huh? Halle Berry?


> Believe me I really did not think that this was all sitting for years
> forgotten in a box somewhere, just waiting to be brought forth.

> I am completely and utterly gobsmaked.

> So WTF happened to make standard CD's so poor? Why have we been served
> up such dross - just for our money to switch to a handier format?????
> I must have poured so much away.


Perhaps you simply prefer the EQ and mastering tweeks used on LPs.
Obviously digital per se is OK, since your playback files are
not only converted to digital, but data compressed too.
(it's also possible your data compression method is adding some audible
effect that you find pleasing).

As for what ails modern CDs, it's actually what ails modern mastering,
at least for pop/rock CDs: the tendency to greatly boost the levels and reduce the
dynamic range, e..g, the so called 'loudness wars'. This is a market-driven
phenomenon, not an intrinsic flaw of CD, nor is it present on all
modern CDs.


--

-S.
"We started to see evidence of the professional groupie in the early 80's.
Alarmingly, these girls bore a striking resemblance to Motley Crue." --
David Lee Roth