[ARSCLIST] Laser Turntable and Damaged Vinyl

[Charles Lawson <clawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Greetings, All.

A little while back, someone on this list asked whether playing a damaged
vinyl disc on a laser turntable might yield improved results over straight
stylus playback.  I chimed in that, yes, the LT can often make a damaged
disc sound substantially better by virtue of reading a less damaged part
of the groove wall.  A couple of you challenged me (privately) to provide
an actual audio demonstration to prove my assertion, so I took some time
to assemble a short MP3 today that shows fairly dramatically how the laser
pickup can improve matters with a damaged disc.  The demo file comprises
three brief parts: stylus playback (using a well-known, well-regarded
stylus/cartridge/turntable combination--with a very low-time stylus that
is properly set up), laser playback of the same material and then a
full-restoration of the original material (using a variety of software
tools) based on the laser pickup.  The MP3 is less than 1 MB in size and
I'll be happy to email it to anyone who'd like it.

For the record (no pun intended): I do not work for the laser turntable
manufacturer, I have no financial stake in the company and I have not been
prompted by them to provide this demonstration.

Zap me a note if you want to hear it...

Chas.

--
Charles Lawson <clawson@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Professional Audio for CD, DVD, Broadcast & Internet