Who here has the Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test Record?

2006-04-24 22:41:26

If you do, I'm interested in any needle drops you've done of the record in the course of calibrating your turntable. I've got some ideas for objectively evaluating the drops that would appreciate the results from systems that are not my own.

Who here has the Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test Record?

Reply #1 – 2006-04-25 00:13:22

I would guess that "needle drops" is some DJ term. Unless is it slang for 'recording' I can't guess what you want. I did record much of that LP to have a reference on disk, and still have it, although I've not actually found any use for it. However, the bit of recording I did while adjusting the cartridge did not seem to be very useful and I did not retain it.

Mainly, as you no doubt know, the LP is intended to be listened to, with adjustments made according to what you hear. The idea that you might do better by recording, measuring the recording, then going back to make better adjustments, seems somewhat logical but, for me, turned out to be much too tedious and drawn out.

What I did find somewhat useful was adjusting anti-skating by means of oscilloscope trace, which works in real time. Since I don't have an oscilloscope, I used a software 'scope' running off my soundcard. It was a freeware program I don't find on this computer at the moment; perhaps it still lives on my recording computer. There are more competent versions for sale, but this one got the job done.

Recommendations I've read for the process it that it should be considered as only preliminary. The claim was made that, regardless of how 'technically correct' one might get the adjustment this way, the superior sound can only come by fine tuning via ear.

Who here has the Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test Record?

Reply #2 – 2006-04-25 00:30:42

Yeah, "needle drop" is slang for recording to CD/cassette/disk/whatnot. I don't think it's DJ-specific, I picked it up from audiophile forums.

I agree that it would be needlessly tedious to do multiple recordings to fine tune tables, and that the disc was meant to be used by ear. However, if one were to attempt to define objective metrics, you wouldn't have much to go on besides this disc. I'm fairly certain that this is the last test record ever made, and one of the few made in the last 40 years. Moreover, for complete klutzes like me who wouldn't recognize azimuth error if it kicked me in the back, it helps to back up these subjective impressions with real numbers, that can be replicated. And it helps to know what other systems shape up as.

I guess my point is that a lot of this is for my own personal edification, and nobody else has tried this before, and this is HydrogenAudio after all, sooooo..... why not?

The real-time scope thing is a good idea, I think I can roll my own. In any event, I'm definitely interested in whatever you have; please PM me with more info as you have the time.

Who here has the Hi-Fi News & Record Review Test Record?

Reply #3 – 2006-04-25 20:27:00

Well, I've got one, I use it when I change my turntable setup, which is very rarely, since I only use my turntable to play my LP collection. (I have a ton of LP's, I'm not about to replace them all with CD's, especially ones that are likely to have been made from a badly deteriorated, baked master.)

And I've just done it by ear. Sorry. I am setting up presently to transfer LP to computer so I can store the stuff, I'll let you know more about that after it happens.