Re: [ARSCLIST] Can 78s sound better than LPs?

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Don Cox" <doncox@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Why would a 78 lose three or four generations of quality? The production
> disc is a directly moulded copy of the original, without going through a
> tape generation.
>
This is only true of 78's cut during the "wax master" era (or were
"lacquers"
also cut and then put through the matrix-mother-stamper process?). In any
case,
tape mastering was definitely in use during the latter years of the "78
era!"

> All that is wrong is the noise in the physical shellac material. (Plus any
damage
> from playing - but that applies to LPs too.)
>
Any analog system (at least until when/if laser/optic players are perfected)
will produce at least SOME noise when a recording is played...shellac more
so because of the coarser "filler" included in the compound from which the
records are made. In any case, as long as there is physical contact
between the playing device (usually "stylus") and the sound source,
there will be friction which in turn generates "noise." OTOH, photons
bouncing off of CD surfaces apparently don't generate any (audible?)
noise. One wonders, though, if these photons can, in theory, knock
molecules from the plastic surfaces (in which case, CD's might show
wear after a gazillion or so plays...?). The problem is, though, that
as each reduction in the physical size of the "stored information"
took place, the amount of damage needed to render the "record"
unplayable also became closer to invisibility!
(Side question...could a magnetic tape become useless if enough
oxide was removed from the layer thereof?)
> I remember there were some audiophile "direct cut" LPs in the 70s, too.
>
I recall "Direct To Disc" LP's being a significant development of
that era...anf my thinking that most of my 78's were also "Direct
To Disc"...

...stevenc
http://users.interlinks.net/stevenc/