Samples from USB Turntables: Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB Options

[Knowzy]

Turntable Details

Audio-Technica AT-LP2D-USB
Street Price: $100 (US)
AT3600L Moving Magnet Cartridge
Belt Drive
Fully Automatic
Wow and Flutter: <0.25% (WRMS)
S/N: 50dB unweighted
Platter: Aluminum
Tracking force: 4.54g (Measured personally)
More in turntable guide

Photos

The Sample Clips
For background on the clips, see the "Preparation" thread.

All samples are FLAC and under 30 seconds.

Music

• CD LP Peg, Steely Dan, Aja
• CD LP On the Run, Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon
• CD LP Dare, Gorillaz, Demon Days
• CD LP Dum Diddly, The Black Eyed Peas, Monkey Business
• CD LP Rhiannon, Fleetwood Mac, Self-titled Album (Dusty, scratched and skipping album)

Test Tracks

• LP Motor running, no record, tonearm at rest
• LP Ultimate Analogue Test LP, Side A
• LP Ultimate Analogue Test LP, Side B
• LP Hi-Fi News (HFN002) Test LP, Side A
• LP Hi-Fi News (HFN002) Test LP, Side B
• LP Silent Groove, Ultimate Analogue Test LP, Side B, Track 6
• LP 1kHz Reference Tone, Ultimate Analogue Test LP, Side A, Track 1

I eagerly await your opinions and analysis on the samples.

This post has been edited by Knowzy: Apr 23 2009, 22:09

[Axon]

Thanks for the cheerleading. Demodulating AM is trivial, I just dropped it in and it took 5 minutes. Now, getting the AM demodulation to sync up with the FM will cost you...

I'll post a new thread sometime in the next few days with some preliminary findings, because the software will clearly find use beyond this project. Some of the results may shock the reader. Viewer discretion is advised.


This post has been edited by Axon: Feb 26 2009, 21:30

[Arnold B. Kruege...]

Thanks for the cheerleading. Demodulating AM is trivial, I just dropped it in and it took 5 minutes. Now, getting the AM demodulation to sync up with the FM will cost you...

I'll post a new thread sometime in the next few days with some preliminary findings, because the software will clearly find use beyond this project. Some of the results may shock the reader. Viewer discretion is advised.

Again, waiting with bated breath. ;-)

What you find may shock some, but I think I've been prepared by years of FFT analysis that suggests that massive FM distortion is part and parcel of the usual LP listening experience. It's ironic that ragazines that IMO push vinyl so hard like SP, have been obsessing all these years over the relatively small FM distortion in digital players.

Some suggest that the ear's reduced sensitivity to LF FM distortion is the reason why most tolerate it, but I'm beginning to suspect that years of forced ear training to simply ignore it is also a strong cause.

Primary problem IME - off-center holes, followed by record warps.

BTW for whatever reason, I just can't stand lots of FM distortion. I was sooooo happy when the CD came out, because that was pretty much the cure. I had previously discovered that I really liked music with reduced FM by listening to live music, early digital recordings, and good tape recordings, not that the latter are exactly free of it.