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How American of you Bean ++++agreed but I do have quite a few lp' s and agree with Travis that it is a calming ritual with sonic benefits at that time that seem to serve our audio nervosa better.

I vacillate on getting a TT and I do collect albums from the second hand stores or record exchanges for the art. The album jackets are placed about the room (sonic treatments) but periodically converge at the rack where they continually collapse in disarray. The cats are fond getting cozy behind them leaned against the wall. Thinking of a way(s) to display them that would allow the jackets to be rotated through, even thematically selected, & at the same time rearranged with ease. If a TT is added, I can count on members for guidance.

My first reaction in seeing the brown envelope was "Did I order something from Amazon?" No, it's The Discs!! Thank you very much, Mark! Like all the others, I appreciate the time and effort(and not a few greens) that you put into the project. I've gone through Disc 1 but in much lower volume but could tell that each track was special in its own sonic way. To be honest, with the few obvious exceptions, I've never heard of most of the artists. But neither did I know of the Beatles til I heard "Love Me Do" on the radio in '63 so there's always this first listen which can lead to lifetime attraction.Tomorrow's gonna be different as I intend to listen to both discs in normal (read loud) levels. Let's not forget all the folks who unselfishly shared with us songs that they knew sound amazing. Thank you again, Mark and thanks to every one who contributed to this collection. You guys just furthered my music education.

Friends, I don't even have any Rush in my library, yikes! Sticking with "Minnesota-born guitarist Steve Tibbetts and Chöying Drolma, a sweet-faced, crop-haired Tibetan nun, placid sonic journeys, wherein Drolma's nasal yet pristine alto-to-mezzo soars amid a restrained blend of guitar, electronica, drones, and overdubbed voices, augmented by Marc Anderson's hand-drums and occasional hints of whispery chimes touched by nothing human...The album leaves a strangely energetic peacefulness in its wake; a profound relaxation that also encourages action toward betterment." My neighbors will never know.

Very interesting read on Mastering for Vinyl. Liked this one. How they get stereo on these things Back in the days of mono, the groove cut on the disc was a simple spiral, and it was shifted back and forth in the plane of the record with the signal (this is called lateral cutting). The engineer could adjust the groove pitch (that is, the spacing between each successive rotation) so that for loud passages the grooves were widely spaced and for soft passages they were tightly packed. This maximized the amount of time on a side, while still allowing a lot of dynamic range on peaks. When stereo came along, there were a number of odd schemes used first off, but the industry quickly settled on what was called the 45-45 system (see Figure 1). With this method, the lateral movement of the groove carries the mono signal (that is, the L+R sum of the right and left channels), while the depth of the groove is varied to reflect the differences between the channels (that is, the L-R signal). This meant that the new stereo records could be played on older mono equipment accurately. The reason it is called 45-45 is that the popular way of cutting this involved right and left channel coils in the cutting head, each of which were arranged 45 degrees from the plane on which the stylus was mounted, so that the sum and difference signals were generated mechanically. Another way of looking at this is to think about the V-shaped groove of the record: the inner groove wall carries the left channel, modulated on a 45-degree tilt to the right, while the right channel is cut on the outer groove wall. As a result, if there is a lot of information common to both channels, the groove is made deeper and shallower, while if there is a lot of information not common to both channels, it slides back and forth laterally. The net effect is that if you sum the left and right channels you get mono, but with the appropriate pickup you can get stereo. However, there are some cutting heads with individual L-R and L+R coils, one mounted parallel to the record surface and the other mounted perpendicular to it. And there are a lot of mastering houses that still generate L+R and L-R signals for separate processing and then recombine them to L and R before sending them to the cutter, despite using the more common cutting heads that take L and R signals as input. The disadvantage of the whole stereo LP scheme is that although the mastering engineer can adjust the groove pitch for loud or soft passages, the maximum and minimum depth of the groove are constant. Cut too much low frequency information with a wide stereo spread, and you get a lot of deep peaks and valleys in the groove and styli tend to pop out of the groove. Turn that down, and your stereo image collapses. So the amount of stereo information has a lot to do with the level that can be cut to disc. No matter what you do beforehand, out-of-phase low frequency content will lift the stylus from the groove or drive it into the substrate. On the other hand, in-phase low frequency information causes lateral excursions wide enough to cut into the previously cut groove and into the area where a groove would be cut in the next revolution. And this one. The mastering process Mastering today has become a catch-all term for any kind of post-mixing audio processing, but LP mastering is the process of making an acetate out of the original tape. The processing is secondary. However, the processing is almost essential to get the most out of the limited channel. There is a lot of poking and prodding that is often done to get the stereo signal to fit into place, because the LP has less information on it than the original master tape does. Often, you’ll see mastering engineers roll off a lot of the very low bass and add a false bass peak around 200 Hz or so, just to compensate for the mechanical limitations of the equipment. The other alternative is to reduce the running time per side radically. The one thing that saves us from bass being a big problem is the RIAA pre-emphasis curve. Most of the noise in the recording process is at higher frequencies. So on record, we pre-emphasize the signal by pumping up the highs, and then on playback the phono amplifier has a roll-off curve that is the exact inverse of the curve in the record chain, which rolls them off. This means that the music has the same frequency response, but the noise is reduced, primarily on the high end. Even with this, though, the mastering engineer is constantly juggling signal processing versus recording time versus groove pitch. Most systems today automatically control the groove pitch, although an expert engineer can override them to some extent and make constant tweaks to get that last bit of performance out. Traditionally, the way this is done is with a “margin control” system. The tape is played back on a machine with a special “pre-hear” or “pre-listen” head that picks up the signal about half a second before the playback head (i.e., for 30 ips tape, the head is about 15 inches away from the playback head), and feeds that signal into some control electronics. This means that that control system has information about what the signal level is going to be like on the next rotation of the disk. It can constantly ride the groove pitch up and back so that the grooves don’t get too close that the walls between them get deformed. But they are still as close as possible so that the maximum running time on the disk occurs. This, incidentally, is why 12" singles are invariably cut much, much hotter than conventional LPs. There is plenty of space for very wide groove spacing, so they are cut as hot as possible and therefore play back much louder. Some of the 12" singles are even cut constant pitch, without any margin control, because there is just too much safety margin available for the mastering engineer. When working with a digital signal source, a digital delay line today usually replaces the deck with the pre-hear head, but still the overall principle is the same. Another issue here is that the frequency response of the disc is different in the outer grooves and in the inner grooves, because the stylus is moving much faster across the outer grooves (it goes through a greater distance per revolution). This means that the mastering engineer may have to tweak the high end response up progressively during the cutting process. It is a good idea to leave a large blank area around the label, because the very inner grooves have serious sonic problems. Not only do they have high frequency loss, but the tracking distortion is a lot higher, especially as the records wear. The less time you try and get on a side, the more space the engineer is able to leave there to keep things clean. Hmmmmmm, must be why they made Endless River a double LP instead of squeezing it all onto one LP.

Hello all, As the title states I just acquired my second Carver preamp so I guess it is time to stop lurking and start posting. My name is Ben, I live in Northern California, and I have been into audio and video since I was in high school. Currently my main system is a HT / 2 channel configuration in a converted bedroom and can be seen here along with a smaller home theater set up in my living room. I bought a CT Seven back in May and discovered this site when searching for a manual. Then after some more reading here I started my hunt for a C-1 in that never ending quest that we all do. After some more reading it has come to my attention that a mod or two, or three, are what stands between me and true audio bliss. So I ask for some assistance in obtaining these mods from the all knowing members of this fine forum as follows; Who does these wonderful mods? What does it cost? Where are these mod masters? How do I contact these sonic wizards? I already know the why. Any and all assistance will greatly appreciated and I thank you in advance for your help

Hmmm, Could create a new opportunity for Pirate Radio Station entrepreneurs. I don't think so. "Pirates" are usually on the forefront of technology, not the backside. Haven't seen any Pirate TV analog stations pop up. Analog radio may be relegated to conventions. Bunch of us old guys drag our boat anchors out to a venue where our 'king' has set up his transmitter and we all marvel at the wonders of 30 year old technology. TUNERCON! No thanks. Vinyl will never die because it has superior sonic characteristics. Analog radio will go the way of Reel to Reel, Cassette, 8-track, CD, VHS, etc. because it is just not better than digital. Yes, there are a few great tuners, just like great tape decks and CD players, that perform to audiophile levels, but you need a radio station of similar high quality to get that performance. Local Analog FM clubs might pop up in urban locations, but content will drive the membership to probably very low numbers. Who's going to tune in to my PINK FLOYD station? It might cost $12,000.00/year to run it.(PrometheusRadioProject) I just don't see it. I'll miss analog radio like I miss Pintos and Vegas. Sorry.

This is an enjoyable topic & there seem to be some common denominators. My selections have changed over the years, these would on the list nowadays: Pat Metheny, The Orchestrion Project: his orchestrionics, madhatter automatons, layer rhythms and counter-rhythmic motifs over guitar. (Details, spatialness) Cameron Carpenter, Revolutionary: the piece, Solitude by Duke Ellington, arranged for his revolutionary digital organ, with its many Wurlitzer voices, spans the dynamic range from whisper to crescendo, including a climactic cymbal crash! (Dynamic range, tones) Chris Botti, Italia: tracks featuring Andrea Bocelli and Paula Cole in lush orchestral settings (male & female vocals) Henryk Gorecki, Symphony #3, featuring Dawn Upshaw: his relative harmonic & rhythmical simplicity in this slow, contemplative work lays bare the beauty of soprano voice and strings (clarity, dynamics, female voice) Sting, Symphonica: Sting's sustained high note that fades to close When We Dance is delicate, and I Burn For You is floated with subtle percussive & orchestral polyrhytms (detail, male voice, spatialness) King Crimson, The Power To Believe: the Crimson's unmistakable sonic crunch on display (impact, power handling) Patricia Barber, Companion: a live recording, the woody resonance of upright bass introducing Use Me (low end dynamics, female vocals, soundstage) Patrick O'Hearn, Eldorado: instruments & percussion span the entire room, like fireflies flitting on & off at nightfall (soundtsage) Time to check the other entries!

Thanks for all the warm welcomes, happy to be here. To reply to a few comments: Sorry, I'm not a fan of fireplaces so it wasn't an issue for me to cover it with my rack. And yes, those Radio Craftsman C-500s do get toasty hot. The pics don't show it well, but they were taken before I sent one M-500 out for an upgrade. So I had 2 M-500s stacked and spaced apart with 1 1/2" spikes. The top M-500 was for the highs and since I'm using the tube mono blocks for the highs now, the top M-500 is disconnected, so no issue with ventilation. Also, what I mean about gain matching amps in a bi-amp configuration is: the speaker designer Clayton Shaw made presets for the DCX2496 based upon the distance from the rear wall. So it's real easy to set up, all you do is recall a preset based upon the distance from the rear wall ... my speakers are 4ft from rear wall (Shaw says the further out the better, but in my room 4ft is about all I can go or else the speakers are in the middle of the room.Unfortunately I'm using the long wall in a rectangular room). Within the presets there are settings for freq xover, threshold, attack, release, long & short delays, limiters ... ect. Settings that are way above my head in terms of understanding and I don't want to mess with them, at least as yet till I know more. The presets have a gain of 2.5db for the lows and -4db for the highs, but that's for using 2 of the same kind of amps. In my situation since I'm using 10w tube mono blocks for the highs and an M-500 solid state for the lows ... a -4db for the highs just doesn't cut it, way too low gain. I've adjusted it to +5db for the highs. But that's not what the speaker designer had in mind and I'm concerned that it's affecting the soundstage presentation and the overall sonic balance. I can live with it till I restore my original configuration of matching M-500s ... but I'm confused about matching gains between an ss amp and a tube amp. Cheers, kcetp

Robin Vassy's album Bon Voyage is a real stunner and has the virtue of being something most have never heard. I find this takes away all expectations from the listener and puts everyone on the same sonic footing ~ so to speak. No one can bring the color of their own listening prejudices into the introduction of my system. Check out some samples, particularly La Reprise at this link.

Thank you for the warm welcome, that is very nice. I will review the posts regarding ribbon buzz & selecting appropriate screws to minimally tighten, as well as humidity, although I think it is a low humidity situation indoors this winter–but humid summers in Northern Virginia. We tend to keep the windows open spring through autumn. What would be the benefit, if any, to running a hair dryer set to low heat & low speed from a distance, not close, over the buzzing area? Bad idea? Not trying to shrink wrap the ribbons like the window insulation treatments I put up in winter. Future plans: perhaps introduce the second M1.0T into the system, both set mono, driving their own speaker. I have yet to top-out the M 1.0T LED lights, so would there be any real sonic benefit? My guess is probably not. These, as I have learned here, are the non-inverting models so a flip of the switch on the back panel would precede a new hook-up. Still experimenting with the Sunfire True Subwoofer Jr. crossover level & volume. The ALS's bass is incredible, more so than in the past and I attribute that to room placement, having back and side walls walls not opening into another room or hallway. I have set the crossover at 35 Hz and the volume rather low and the low end is very nice. My wife said it is good to have Big Music (her words) again, meaning the sound & soundstage of the ALSs. I will post an update as things proceed. And to correct a mistake, that is a CT-7 in the system, not TFM-35. Thank you once again for the cordial advice and hospitality.

From Oingo Boingo "New Generation" NOTE: with sonic Hologrphay the follwoing lyrics are whispered into your ear (if set-up correctly) From the man whose voice sounds reassuring Completely firm and so alluring, Like's he's lived a thousand times before And seen the world from shore to shore With the calmness and tranquility that oozes credibility With the wisdom and the confidence that seem to scream out common sense And it makes you feel just like a babe Daddy holding you tight and safe Hush babe everything's all right, Daddy's gonna stay with you tonight Now he's got you by the balls, he can sell you anything at all From morality to diamond rings to genocide to magazines From religion to cosmology to the end of a democracy

hello. just an fyi, robert r likes or at the very least uses the three eye monsters (one for the ribbons and another for the woofers) in a bi-amp application with active crossovers to drive the the three silvers. that is what i listened to at the fest rooming with him and mike in the three floor cabin. very nice effect those have in three channel mode. for me personally, i like the tfm55's in mono to drive the original al-III's. hell, even one in stereo mode is more than enough to put a big smile on my face. when we listened to the tube silver's at the fest, i was amazed that they did infact sound smooth and did have a simular sonic signature to the ss amps that i own. the silvers were accurate and did not at all make me think that the tubes lacked in bass or treble at all. they sounded like the best amps i have ever heard personally. the sunfire amps were also very nice, but the one that kinda stole the show was the lightstar amps that were there. i spent the maority of my time listening to them with the new amazing's that james made. so in the order of oh my, carver tfm55, sunfire 300/per, sunfire 600/per, lightstar mkII, lightstar cyclops and the one and only silver tube amps. of course the money goes up with the model as well, funny how that worked out as well.

I've been searching for a good explanation of the MoFi procedure but all I've come up with is this ad hype: Mobile Fidelity's significant contributions to the world of high-end audio software are grounded in the art of Original Master Recording, significantly advanced by the company with the introduction of the half-speed mastered Original Master Recording™ LP. As part of the company's resolve to provide the most accurate sonic reproductions possible, all Mobile Fidelity product is mastered directly from the original master tape as opposed to production copies often used for mass reproduction. This ensures a more complete and exacting transfer of the original musical data. In the case of the Original Master Recording™ (OMR) LP, the use of the master tape is combined with a unique procedure known as "half-speed" mastering, which literally slows down the cutting system involved in mastering vinyl so that musical information can be transferred from the source tape to the lacquer with greater precision. To this advanced mastering technique, Mobile Fidelity adds substantial refinements in the vinyl compound itself and improves methods of plating the lacquer. The result is a significant improvement in overall.

The actual results vary widely depending on the quality of the master tape and the expertise of the mastering engineer. There were also some sonic differences between the early Japanese pressings and the Ultradisc II's pressed in the US. It's been a while since I A/B'd them but IIRC I was disappointed with Santana Abraxas and Metallica Master Of Puppets. Both of these Ultradiscs had excessive clicks and pops and less dynamic range than the original releases. However, most of the MoFi releases were IMHO better than the original releases with less noise and increased dynamic range. Some of my favorties are: Beatles Abbey Road Crosby, Stills and Nash Deja Vu Grateful Dead American Beauty Jethro Tull Aqualung Moody Blues Days of Future Passed Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon Steely Dan Aja Steely Dan Katy Lied Yes Close to the Edge As to how they manage to fit extra bass on an Ultradisc I believe it's a result of cutting the lacquers at 1/2 speed.

I totally agree that they are very consistent. I've never got a mofi disc that sounded bad. but i've gotten some that i didn't notice a huge sonic difference difference in. probably try to track down Crime Of The Century and Tommy next to continue the research.... Thanks for the feedback.