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Author Topic: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)  (Read 36033 times)

Viitalahde

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #45 on: October 15, 2010, 03:37:03 PM »

I hate all of you, equally.
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Jaakko Viitalähde
Virtalähde Mastering, Kuhmoinen/Finland
http://www.virtalahde.com
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TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #46 on: October 15, 2010, 05:16:57 PM »

bigaudioblowhard wrote on Thu, 14 October 2010 20:55

Badass Steve! Congratulations. I watched that auction on ebay, and think you got it for a good price. I fully expected it to go higher.


Thanks Mark!  I was prepared to go a little higher myself.  Considering (less shipping) this cost me the same as what my API2500 cost I felt it was worth going for even if it does in fact need some work.

Quote:


I'll definitely refer you for the next mono project I get.


Well - even doing that is at least a few months down the line as I need to:
1) pick it up and get it back to my studio
2) source and mount a 16" tone arm and make sure that playback is good at all 3 speeds (and if not spend time getting this to spec)
3) decide whether to get the Gotham amps that go with the Grampian head it comes with - or more likely just sell the head to help fund step 4
4) get a stereo cutterhead and amps for this - and have a machine shop fabricate a mount and suspension for this for me.  I had an excellent conversation today with Len Horowitz of HRS - seems getting a reconditioned Westrex 3D or Haeco SC-2, as well as a front end of RIAA encoder/feedback conroller/meters for which I could just use my own power amp with is well within my budget.  The hard part is likely getting a suspension and made created which can handle the weight and bulk of the Westrex.  Which leads to step 5
5) get everything working and calibrated - to finally get to step 6
6) cutting a bunch of lacquers and dubs to make sure I know what I'm doing with this particular system - prior to:
7) offering a cutting service for others.

So - this more of something that I expect to have going at some point in 2011 than any time more immediate.

Anyway - all the folks I know offering cutting here in NYC are using Neumann systems - so, even though this system really is only appropriate for shorter sides, I still think being able to offer something with a slightly different sound and a more "retro" vibe than what else is out there might interest some potential clients.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #47 on: October 15, 2010, 05:58:00 PM »

Viitalahde wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 15:37

I hate all of you, equally.


That's good - cause we've all been hating on you building a beautiful new studio out in the wilderness!   Very Happy

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Gold

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #48 on: October 15, 2010, 09:19:57 PM »

Don't forget to include aspirin in the budget.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #49 on: October 15, 2010, 09:27:42 PM »

Gold wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 21:19

Don't forget to include aspirin in the budget.


I greatly prefer caiparinhas in the summer, pale ales in the fall, single malts in the winter, and v&t's in the spring to deal with these kinds of headaches - and yes - there is room in the budget for this Very Happy

btw - any suggestions on vacuums?  

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Bonati

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #50 on: October 15, 2010, 09:45:36 PM »

TotalSonic wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 17:16

even though this system really is only appropriate for shorter sides, I still think being able to offer something with a slightly different sound and a more "retro" vibe than what else is out there might interest some potential clients.

Ha!  Dude, having any kind of lathe in your studio is a "retro vibe", even one of the cutting edge 1970's Neumanns. Smug
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Josh Bonati
Brooklyn, NY
www.bonatimastering.com

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #51 on: October 15, 2010, 10:07:20 PM »

Bonati wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 21:45

TotalSonic wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 17:16

even though this system really is only appropriate for shorter sides, I still think being able to offer something with a slightly different sound and a more "retro" vibe than what else is out there might interest some potential clients.

Ha!  Dude, having any kind of lathe in your studio is a "retro vibe", even one of the cutting edge 1970's Neumanns. Smug



Hee hee - you're right! - although guess for me "cutting edge" would be a VMS-80/82 - all of 10 years later - and 30 years ago.  Smile

Best regards,
Steve Berson

dietrich

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #52 on: October 16, 2010, 08:23:51 AM »

Steve, you could of sold a kidney to buy the vms80 in germany. you would of left us vms66/70 guys in the dust.
Are the other vms80/82 on east coast just sterling and masterdisk?

Gold

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #53 on: October 16, 2010, 10:12:00 AM »

dietrich wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 08:23


Are the other vms80/82 on east coast just sterling and masterdisk?



And Westside.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.

Gold

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #54 on: October 16, 2010, 10:15:33 AM »

TotalSonic wrote on Fri, 15 October 2010 21:27


btw - any suggestions on vacuums?  



Nothing off the shelf. You'll have to build something. It might be time to set up a McMaster-Carr and a Grainger account.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #55 on: October 16, 2010, 05:53:00 PM »

Thanks to Oliver Read's excellent book "The Recording and Reproduction of Sound" (available for download as a pdf - along with tons of other great stuff at - http://www.tubebooks.org/technical_books_online.htm ) - which includes a good bit of easily understandable intro on disk recording - I was able to find a few pages of info on my lathe:

http://www.totalsonic.net/fairchild/fairchild523.pdf

Introduced in 1952 -
and turns out it is capable of continuously variable pitch! Very Happy

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Gold

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #56 on: October 16, 2010, 06:01:20 PM »

TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 17:53


and turns out it is capable of continuously variable pitch! Very Happy



But not 45rpm.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #57 on: October 16, 2010, 06:07:21 PM »

dietrich wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 08:23

Steve, you could of sold a kidney to buy the vms80 in germany. you would of left us vms66/70 guys in the dust.


Well - my original dream was to be the one who brought back DMM to a commerical music facility in North America - and rumor has it the VMS-82 at the Exchange is just stuck in a small room there and rarely gets used - but alas, this would have cost in the hundreds of thousands - let alone continuing high cost of copper blanks and diamond styli -

Anyway - I would indeed love to have a VMS-70/80 or even a VMS-66/62/AM-132 - but I make it a rule never to go into debt for audio equipment.  I figure this project to have immediate costs of around $5k - followed by about another $6 - 8k to bring it to completion - and then if things are going well maybe some point down the road I can toss an additional $8k or so to see if I can get automatic pitch control added for it.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

TotalSonic

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #58 on: October 16, 2010, 06:09:05 PM »

Gold wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 18:01

TotalSonic wrote on Sat, 16 October 2010 17:53


and turns out it is capable of continuously variable pitch! Very Happy



But not 45rpm.



But mine apparently is 3 speed (as per seller and pics) - don't know if this was added in a slightly later edition or by someone modding it - but looks to me like the former.

http://www.totalsonic.net/fairchild/5.jpg

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Gold

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Re: Lathes, more manual & labor intensive (=cheaper)
« Reply #59 on: October 16, 2010, 06:51:58 PM »

Ahh, it probably is a second gear and worm step down for 45. It has a single synchronous motor that it uses for both pitch and turntable drive. The pitch uses a planetary drive like a Scully. The Lyrec motor on the Neumann is a multitap synchronous motor.

I don't think the speed is very accurate on it. It says it uses a 51:1 step down with a 1500 rpm motor. Unless my math and thinking are wrong (which it quite possibly is) this gives you a speed of 29.41 rpm for 33 1/3 rpm.

Edit: Strange because a 45:1 ratio would give you 33.33. I must be doing something stupid. Please, someone correct my math.
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Paul Gold
www.saltmastering.com

On the silk road, looking for uranium.
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