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I thought you might get a good chuckle over this

I have this old Jack Benny, Dennis Day LP Christmas album from the 50's and I couldn't help but read the promotion for perfect sound reproduction claimed by the record company.Don't get me wrong I love Analog but this promo seems a bit extreme. AND I QUOTE" CP.....CP is Design's designation of controlled production.In pressing these albums in its own plants DESIGN controls the number of impressions each metal stamper will make.Since the stamper is the final metal part used to produce the grooves,and indeed,the final pressing of each record,it is important that it not be allowed to wear excessively before being replaced.CP assures you of receiving a perfect record every time you choose a DESIGN LP.
SPECTRA-SONIC-SOUND is the ultimate in hi-fidelity.Recording studios both here and in Europe are chosen for sound and technical excellence.Telefunken,RCA,ALTEC,and CAPPS Condenser microphones are used either singly or in battery to transfer all the shadings of the music to the Ampex model 300 tape recorder.These tape recorders produce a low frequency limit of 16 CPS and a high frequency limit of 25,000 CPS with minimum distortion.Although the full spectrum of sound which we have placed on these records might not be evident to your ear,DESIGN'S audio engineers have proven that these shadings are sensed or "felt" and are missed when not present.The masters are cut back on Scully lathes with Westrex feed back cutters to produce a disc exceptionally free of surface noise.RIAA crossover is at 500 CPS.Rolloff 13.75 DB at 10KC".
Well of course you wouldn't hear surface noise with a 13.75 DB CUT AT 10K.You probably wouldn't hear any upper harmonics at all.Maybe they were trying to reproduce the sound of a CD back in the 50's.WOW perfect sound forever.
I think I heard that before with the advent of the digital age.
Any thoughts about the promo from this record label?
Did they know something back then that we don't know today?
Are we still striving today to obtain that perfect sound.?
128x12876doublebass
8 responses Add your response
elgordo
530 posts
 
This is not something to chuckle over. This is something to cry over. Limiting the number of pressings on each set of stampers is very important to good, quiet surfaces. The condenser mics mentioned are some of the best. Telefunken mics are actually Neumann. The Ampex 300 (vacuum tube) tape machine is one of the finest ever made. Scully lathes with Westrex cutters (Westrex is Western Electric, the inventor of the 300B tube) are state of the art. As far as the rolloff goes, that's what the RIAA curve does. One of the functions of a phono preamp is to "undo" the RIAA rolloff. All vinyl records have the same rolloff. So in answer to your question "did they know something back then that we don't know today"? Yes. Lot's of stuff. Tragic.
inpepinnovations1e75
395 posts
 
But isn't that "promo"" exactly what analogue advocates say? And that is why analogue is superior to digital, more of the highs that we don't hear, but feel, just like the "promo" states. It is a vinyl disc, so that must be true!
Salut, Bob P.

PS. The more things change, the more they are the same.
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
The "Rolloff at 10K" does not mean that there is no HF on playback. The record equalization scheme (when the record is cut), attenuates LF and boosts HF. When the record is played, LF needs to be boosted, and HF needs to be attenuated. At one time different record labels used different equalization. They are telling you that the "Rolloff" controls on your preamp should be set to 10Kc and 13.75 dB. If you had such controls, and set them properly the playback response should be flat. When the RIAA equalization became standard for all labels the preamp controls disapeared.
76doublebass's avatar
76doublebass OP
254 posts
 
I seemed confused by what their intentions were with this 13.75 DB cut but these posts seemed to clear that up for me,and yes the mic's and reel to reel I wish I had.
I have done many live recordings the past 15 years with our local symphony and always prefered my Analog recordings made from my 1969 Teac 4010SL to that of my Sony Dat Recorder.
I am glad I could post this quoted promo for all to read in the archives of the Audiogon.Maybe 50 years from now someone will read this and wonder what is a reel to reel tape deck? or What is a microphone?Or an LP? Who knows what the future will be in Audio Land by then.
Post removed 
76doublebass's avatar
76doublebass OP
254 posts
 
I'm not sure maybe someone else can respond to this
eldartford
4,262 posts
 
Jea48...All "Hi Fi" pickups were magnetic. Far and away the most widely used was the GE pickup, which had both a 33 (microgroove") and a 78 stylus which could be rotated into use by a knob on the top. I think that frequency response was OK, 20 to 20KHz plus and minus ?. The stylus came with three materials, Osmium (a metal), Sapphire, and diamond. Osmium lasted about 100 hours and cost about $3.
Sapphire was considered good value, and the "true audiophiles" spent $35 or so for diamond. Tracking force was 5 grams. Anti-skating force? What's that?

Ceramic (piezoelectric) pickups cost about $5. There was one or two attempts to make high quality ceramic pickups, but none was successful in the marketplace.
76doublebass's avatar
76doublebass OP
254 posts
 
Thanks for the info.I learned something on this post and deeply appreciate the knowledgeable input from Audiogoners.
Happy Listening
Don
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