Re: [ARSCLIST] Non-RIAA preamp

[steven c <stevenc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "phillip holmes" <insuranceman@xxxxxxxxxx>
> In the phase encode/decode discussion of RIAA, did anyone mention that 
> speed is critical?  If the disk was recorded slow or fast, you'll have a 
> hard time getting proper frequency response.  And many older playback 
> decks ran slow or fast, again making the frequency response and phase 
> wrong.  But the absolute worst is off centered pressings that cause a 
> constant change in phase and frequency response.  Makes me sick on 
> really bad ones.  AND, many RIAA stages are off by at least 1dB.  If you 
> compound all the errors, it's enough to make you listen to MP3.  Oh, 
> let's not forget tangency error, groove pinch....  It's a wonder they 
> sound as good as they do.  The best solution for these problems would be 
> to play back on a Nakamichi turntable  (automatic disk centering) and 
> introduce RIAA in the computer.  Sadly, I don't have the Nakamichi 
> table.  But can't you fix the speed in the computer, then do RIAA?  I'm 
> going to get someone to show me how to do that one of these days. 
> 
Well, keep in mind that for the first several decades of phonorecord
history, one cranked up one's player (or, if you had the luxury of an
electric-motor-driven player, turned it on...)...inserted a new steel
needle (unless you were using "permanent" needles, which might last
TEN plays...!)...and played your record, which actually produced
SOUND! You didn't worry about the gazillion-or-so reasons why what
you heard didn't EXACTLY match what had been played to create the
recording...you were just happy that you, unlike your grandparents,
could actually listen to some famous artist (well, more or less...?!)

My experience has been that actually hearing live performances is
also less than perfect...venues have issues involving acoustics,
audiences seem never to be COMPLETELY quiet (both of these are
multiplied in large quantities if you elect to listen to
non-classical performances!)...and if you haven't had your
hearing carefully checked, there always exists the possibility
you AREN'T hearing 100% of the sound!

One of the few advantages of (1) being nine days older than dirt
(and twice as polluted), and (2) having suffered two serious head
injuries, both affecting my hearing...is that I can't readily
notice the flaws of 78rpm records, compressed digital sound files,
and similar phenomena...so if the sound I'm hearing is 0.1%
out of phase, or has similar distortion figures, I can't tell...

Steven C. Barr