Interviews

Can't wait for the review.

..is ugh. A 21st century CD?? Hope not.

Fantastic, but why can't it be done in analogue?
Gunther says the advantages of the 3D topographical model are that:

• The software can optimize the groove spacing due to knowing the deflection of the amplitude to give 30% more play time or dynamic range.
• It can correct for the tonearm radial angle.
• No stylus head coils to overheat at high frequencies.

It seems to me that an analogue laser process would have several advantages as well.

• You could still cut a positive.
• Your cutting head amplifier could be simpler as it wouldn't require a phase inversion stage.
• The amplifier could be of lower power as there wouldn't be friction from a physical stylus in lacquer.
• The lathe motor could be a smaller and lower rumble due to lack of friction from the cutting head.
• The groove spacing could also be improved over traditional processes as you wouldn't have deformation due deflection from the adjacent groove of the lacquer being cut.

The elephant in the room here is analogue. 95% of vinyl may be cut from digital files now, but as peoples knowledge becomes more sophisticated and the vinyl resurgence matures, were realizing that analogue sourced records sound better. This is reflected in the ever growing amount of new releases and reissues boasting of their analogue mastered providence.

Vinyl, is the most cost effective and convenient way to distribute high quality and true representation of the analogue tape. It seems that Gunther is making an assumption that for vinyl buyers now, it's only about having a physical product, something to hold, cover art etc. But I think this is selling music lovers short as more and more people recognize there's something special about the sound of a true analogue reproduction. I commend the effort to improve sound, processes and reduce costs but, is forcing a digital conversion stage in there really necessary?

Thinking about it a disadvantage of an analogue system is that you would have to cut in real time (or half speed) and laser tech and materials may not be there yet. Quiet happy to be an arm chair expert here but I wish Gunther (an actual expert!) would explain why an analogue system is not possible.

But really, groove spacing calculation in 1 bit DSD?
How is that even... never mind.
What a technology!

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'll bet LP's produced this way will sound great.
Only the close minded dinosaurs won't like it.

but why not use the same process and 3D print the stamper instead of "cutting" the stamper with a laser? Is there not a 3D printer material available that would work? Or is it a cost thing?
Also, he says that the last copy (#10000) would have the same quality as the the first copy. If that is so, why stop at 10000? Why not go until there is/would be a drop in quality?
At any rate, sounds extremely interesting.

I will be most interested in listening to comparisons of this new product to the same thing on SACD or DSD download. It sounds like this is an accommodation to the current resurgence of vinyl, possibly for the better. If it is not significantly better then SACD or DSD then I would not see the point, except that if these new stampers can yield more discs per stamper that is NOT an insignificant thing for sure. MOre disc per press, less work, and more friendly to the environment would be a good thing.

But the Lib Haters of anything Positive will kill this..
it's GOT to be the Old Style crap we're all used to.
Nothing new is good ....

BS is in YOUR HEAD !!!

..and if gou Google, you will find that someone did it already four years ago:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=%23&ved=0ahUKEwjfu9...

Obviously it requires improvement but the concept is the same.

Unfortunately it also goes to prove that "vinyl" is just a hipster tool to play digital. Of course this process requires digital tools: analog computers were never exactly a success. As importantly hi-res audio is readily available -- assuming anyone can reliably tell it apart from Red Book CD standard -- so why mess it up by putting it on a cave age medium like vinyl?

If analog is better -- for argument's sake, let us say that it is -- we need to find a better medium to listen to it. Guess what? That too exists, it is called reel to reel tape. All "analog vinyl" is made from that anyways so, again, why mess it up by putting it on a cave age medium?

I was just listening to a commercially made tape from 1971. It was near perfection. No scratches, no groove noise. Probably a fraction of the distortion on vinyl. It is the way to go.

This has been done with CD. It's called DSR (Direct Stamper Recording) and produces a nickel stamper - good for up to 30,000 CD pressings. I don't want be sceptical but given that this fellow could not answer Michael's question about how the stamper would be pre-formed to fit different presses and that he suggests production delays are at the cutting stage, I'm thinking he doesn't know enough about the process. I expected a technical guru to be behind this rather than a digital music distributor. The idea is fine but it is still experimental and that's how great ideas sometime start.

Talk about rushing to pre-judgement !
Cut some, press some, play them and find out.

is an annoying distraction when discussing the process of making these mechanical CDs. lighten up dudes! but seriously, we need to see and hear this in action before passing judgement. personally skeptical that a laser process will cut away the positive stamper die with enough precision as to not require some post processing of the rough edges typically left behind on a laser cut part, especially given the nano-like size of LP groove geometry.

one question- would it be possible for this technology to eliminate or minimize RIAA equalization in the process and actually cut grooves that represent full bandwidth at low frequencies?