Raw Audio vs Cleaned Audio

[Marc Hildebrant]

I have spent many years working out methods to clean up the old records. I have found that the Diamond Cut Productions software seems to work the best. If interested, I wrote a Handbook on my methods to clean up 78's and LP's. Check out the Diamond Cut Productions web site where you can find the software and my Handbook.

Marc

[gramophone-georg]

Marc if this is it it's a good read!
http://www.diamondcut.com/AppNotes/AN10.pdf

[Marc Hildebrant]

The application note 10 is in the Handbook as a chapter. I have added much more to the subject of restoration and I'm sure you will enjoy the book. It's a bargain at twice the price!

Marc
(HCLLC)

[Marc Hildebrant]

The application note 10 is in the Handbook as a chapter. I have added much more to the subject of restoration and I'm sure you will enjoy the book. It's a bargain at twice the price!

Marc
(HCLLC)

[drh]

When playing 78's on modern electric equipment, you are always using equalization, whether you want it or not. There's the RIAA curve, as provided by your modern phono-preamp, and there's the sonic characteristics of your cartridge and stylus.

I bypass any type of preamp, going straight into the mic entry on my sound card. I tried it all, with preamp with and without RIAA, without preamp and adding equalization curves in Audacity, and it all sounds overwhelmingly "modern" to me. I agree, even my way is not exactly what an acoustic machine would sound like, that's why I said "close to".

Andreas

Even when you bypass the preamp the record isn't equalized flat. That's caused by the rising frequency response of the magnetic cartridge, so the music will have very little bass and far too much treble. So if the end result is plagued by an overwhelming amount of hiss, that's probably why.

When playing my records on modern equipment I always use my KAB Souvenir VSP. It has several equalisation settings to choose from and, while not necessarily historically accurate, I find the output very pleasing to listen to.

One preamp now exists that directly addresses the rising frequency characteristic. At the risk of seeming immodest, here's my review: https://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/gsp_accession2_e.html

I'm enough of a believer that I spent the not at all insubstantial sum to buy a used one of my own (at TNT-Audio, we do not take advertising or "bribery" samples), which I now apply to all acoustic recordings that I play electrically.

[Inigo]

Many years ago I bought a similar device, the Esoteric Sounds Re-equalizer ($300 in 1999-2000?), which also removes the RIAA curve to a magnetic cartridge and puts it flat; then you choose independent adjustments (5 each) for bass pre-emphasis and treble roll-off. So you can reconstruct any other curve. I believe this was also sold by Kurt Nauck. Esoteric has disappeared long time ago, but Rek-o-kut and others continue selling similar Re-equalizer machines. It works inserted in the monitor loop of a standard amp. Works very well. It has something like FLAT-300-400-500(RIAA)-600-700 Hz bass turnover points and FLAT-5-10-12-14(RIAA)-16 dB roll-off values to choose from.

[bart1927]

Many years ago I bought a similar device, the Esoteric Sounds Re-equalizer ($300 in 1999-2000?), which also removes the RIAA curve to a magnetic cartridge and puts it flat; then you choose independent adjustments (5 each) for bass pre-emphasis and treble roll-off. So you can reconstruct any other curve. I believe this was also sold by Kurt Nauck. Esoteric has disappeared long time ago, but Rek-o-kut and others continue selling similar Re-equalizer machines. It works inserted in the monitor loop of a standard amp. Works very well. It has something like FLAT-300-400-500(RIAA)-600-700 Hz bass turnover points and FLAT-5-10-12-14(RIAA)-16 dB roll-off values to choose from.

Actually, the Gram Slee works very differently from the Esoteric Sound. If you read David's article, it's explained very clearly. Bottom line is that Esoteric Sound forgets to take into account the effect of the rising response curve of the magnetic cartridge, and Graham Slee doesn't.

[Inigo]

I didn't know that.... I thought that as the ESRE device works *after* the PHONO preamp, this one is who does everything first to transform the magnetic input into a flat signal, the RIAA de-equalisation. Then goes the general pre-amp (tone controls) and then enters the ESRE device; finally the signal goes thru the power amp.
Am I wrong...?

[Wolfe]

When I was using the Esoteric Sound RE EQ III (which I happened to like) I just used an outboard phono preamp.

So it was turntable > phono preamp > Esoteric unit > aux input on the main amp - or that could be your main preamp, if you're using a pre / power amp setup. Simple, effective. Yeah, the Esoteric unit doesn't address the "rising response" of a magnetic cart, but it was more flexible than the Graham Slee. You can read (and listen) more about the Graham Slee here - https://www.tnt-audio.com/ampli/gsp_accession2_e.html