The Secret Society of Lathe Trolls

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

Hi there,

I just bought a grampian lathe. With this lathe comes a SC99 and VC200

What is the maximum cutting level with this cutting head and this poweramp.

I'll have certainly other few questions in this same topic later.

Thanks in advance to you Smile

studiorp · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 29

Hello, can you post photos of your Grampian lathe ?
About your amplifier,you have a power of 68Wper channel.
The frequency response of cutterhead is of 20hz to 18khz with deep bass and clear sound.
Cheers.

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

JayDC · Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 12:39 am Post subject:

I'd have to say, it's the loudest you cut before it blew..

This is a pretty pro setup and some cutting rooms use the sc-99 for mastering, you have a good setup..

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

my first test are really good. Level is very good too.

I got some other little problems there have to be solved.
For example, the space betwen grooves at the start of cutting is really too big.
I have too find a solution for that.
The speed of the plate at 33rpm is a little bit higher than normal should be.

I will post some pics next days. Maybe some of yours could help me.

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 175

ask to Andre http://www.vinylium.ch/

he is a good men and i believe dont have any problem for send you all documentation about

for lathe things...its a 60hz or 50 hz turntable motor? ask to your salesman for adjust

with good sound processing you can cut PRO levels

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

studiorp · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 29

you're probably listening the sound with reverse riaa and this is the cause because your sound is more clear compared to the original input sound.

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

studiorp · Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 29

ok, so this fact remember me a system that was used in the cassette tape decks of 70-80 years that mounted 3 head built in permalloy material.
When I hear the sound just recorded a moment before, I can play a sound more clear than the input sound, this because permalloy load on the tape an extended dynamic.
I think that a similar thing can happen in your cutterhead, because the sc99 has the magnets of high quality.

cuttercollector · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 247 Location: San Jose, CA

Sorry, but that's impossible.
You can hear a sound that you like better that has altered frequency response or a type of distortion that adds color to the harmonics of the sound that you like but the recorded output of any device can't sound better than the input unless the input is for some reason being altered, in which case you are repairing a deficient sound. An example would be a source recording lacking bass which when put through a recording process that ends up boosting the bass the end result is "better" because one compensates for the other. As to dynamics, they get played with all the time through compressors etc. Almost all analog recording devices compress (and distort) sound when driven to and past their designated maximum recording levels on peaks. I never have heard of anything but an expander box giving increased dynamic range. Even then it is artificial - making up for compression somewhere else. Sometimes with things like Dolby if you turn it on when it was not recorded with it it can make the recording sound artificially expanded.
Although we do things with computers and boxes and recorders to make sounds we like better, we are not making them more like the original than the original. If it sounds good going into the microphone and everything else does not degrade or change the sound, you can only make it different in a way that sounds better to you. Not flatter than flat or lower distortion than none.

motorino · Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Posts: 175

hello cuttercollector

i remember when listen the vc200 the first time in vinylium...

do you know how works on the inside? my friend put his powerbook connected directly to vc200 and we cut track, without any sound processing, and open too much her eyes....my friend is a recognized producer that has been having discs in the market for many years

the vc200 have a very good open sound

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

A first pic of the lathe. Not a VMS80 or other neumann, but ready to cut and sound's good Smile

Some bigger pics are coming later. This a pic the saler gived to me. I didn't have any time to take fotos.

cuttercollector · Joined: 11 Jun 2006 Posts: 247 Location: San Jose, CA

mysterious cutter · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Posts: 18

andybee · Joined: 14 Aug 2006 Posts: 61

looks good!
the sc-99 has a treble boost, starting at 5-6khz.
best way is to use a eq before the vc-200 and check the
frequency response with a test cut, noise or something,
but be careful, not too loud Smile

I use 0.63 Ampere slow Fuses, works good.
good luck!
andreas