Optical Styli
Posted: 28 Jan 2015, 13:39
ELP Corporation of Japan manufacture the world's best vinyl record virtual players. They work in real time and sound amazing on YouTube. Keith Jarret was so impressed, he wrote the company a letter. The technology involves optical-to-analog, rather than -digital, technology. So, there's no surface noise, and there's no damage to the groove, but, also, there's no loss of slewing for certain transients that would be caused by Nyquist sampling used in digital conversions from conventional laser-scanned media, since the signal in the ELP player is kept analog.
If they can make a 14" (or greater diameter) platter compatible with this 5-laser system, it would be a huge boon to disk mastering studios, since an LP master lacquer could be auditioned for quality control, rather than only be examined under microscope, before the matrix is grown, saving (net) time and money for all contractors involved... In any event, the reproduction of vinyl records is hugely improved by virtue of removing the noise and damage inherent in all physical playback.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1 ... 4572#t=544
A white paper from the Dublin (or, is that, "dub Linn (as in, Sondek)"? Institute of Technology, explains cheaper solutions for, at least, playing back a monophonic monogroove, optically. However, the stereo monogroove requires multiple lasers in order to perceive the impressed modulation as well as that which is engraved. But the extra lasers automagically compensate for minor record warp, which exists to some degree on every pressing, by employing auto-refocus (in real time).
If they can make a 14" (or greater diameter) platter compatible with this 5-laser system, it would be a huge boon to disk mastering studios, since an LP master lacquer could be auditioned for quality control, rather than only be examined under microscope, before the matrix is grown, saving (net) time and money for all contractors involved... In any event, the reproduction of vinyl records is hugely improved by virtue of removing the noise and damage inherent in all physical playback.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1 ... 4572#t=544
A white paper from the Dublin (or, is that, "dub Linn (as in, Sondek)"? Institute of Technology, explains cheaper solutions for, at least, playing back a monophonic monogroove, optically. However, the stereo monogroove requires multiple lasers in order to perceive the impressed modulation as well as that which is engraved. But the extra lasers automagically compensate for minor record warp, which exists to some degree on every pressing, by employing auto-refocus (in real time).
Optical Reading and Playing of Sound Signals from Vinyl Records.pdf- (577.42 KiB) Downloaded 1156 times