I have been taking a back seat on a lot of these discussions due to not being entirely sure what is important. I would like an impulse test if we can produce something impulsy enough to get useful measurements of oscillation and damping. I know B&K had to cut a record with a saw to get the impulses they used so this may be beyond cutting capabilities.
On the tracking test front I note that most test records have lateral tracking tests at 315Hz. Is HF tracking something we need to measure?
On the tracking test front I note that most test records have lateral tracking tests at 315Hz. Is HF tracking something we need to measure?
I'm thinking that a straight HF series of increasing frequency would do double duty for mis-tracking measurements and HF response. Things like impulse tests would occur naturally in clicks and pops ( 
). I'd like to avoid tests that would degrade the tracks more than normally due to the higher than normal wear they would have. If your cartridge begins to mis-track at higher frequencies, you would tend to lift the arm from the record to conclude those tests.
-Chris
). I'd like to avoid tests that would degrade the tracks more than normally due to the higher than normal wear they would have. If your cartridge begins to mis-track at higher frequencies, you would tend to lift the arm from the record to conclude those tests.-Chris
Yes, I can see this will be like herding cats. The split 33/45 already cuts the variety of tests in half.
This thread says that they were
Frequency Response of Vinyl - Page 2
Also the norm seems to be to low pass at around 18 kHz to avoid cooking the lathe cutter.
Any sweep had better be at a low level
To make a test record you have to disable a lot of automatic processing used in music mastering.
OK, I would vote that those interested who have already done a serious arm/cart/table setup chime in. Unfortunately anyone with a financial interest in a test LP will probably not participate.
It would also be nice to have a piece of software that walks you through each track. I have not seen anything out there that we could not duplicate ourselves (i.e. azimuth, alignment) these are in the end simple geometric transformations.
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what kind of music - maybe I could be your first fan
CBS STR120 Side A 500-50kHz constant velocity at -8db, I assume they disabled whatever they had to. There is a warning on excessive tracking force giving you one play.
I posted this track weeks ago in one of Lucky's TT threads and the results made sense (cantilever resonances >20k). I assume we would probably not get someone to duplicate this.
Quadrophonic LPs encoded the back channel information above 20 kHz and up to about 45 KHz so it's clearly possible, if they were doing it in 1975.
Note also that our RIAA playback curve boosts the lows and cuts the highs, so the HF on the vinyl itself doesn't seem to be an issue.
I would like to see a blank area in the midpoint of the disk (no groove, just a "skating rink"), with locked grooves before and after, so when the stylus slides one way or the other it falls in the locked groove, instead of jumping tracks due to a possibly excessive anti-skating force applied in testing, to set anti-skating force.
I like the idea of the double album, since the cost is reasonable and the added utility is potentially huge. With "extra" vinyl to work with maybe we can start to incorporate the things other test discs leave out due to a lack of real estate.
I'd like to see an A-440 test tone.
Test tones in the upper registers (10~20 KHz or even higher) would be super handy for setting capacitance and parallel resistance (MC cartridges) on phono inputs / pre-preamps. Of course that would mean a reference tone, typically 1 KHz, at a minimum.
I would like to see an un-accompanied voice announce the tracks, and I would like to see not one voice, but a different one, either male or female, announce each test track. I can come up with a couple voices if necessary.
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Thanks for the cite, it does make a lot of sense particularly when talking about the thermal mass of the cutter coils and the cutter geometry.
I agree with your comment..
I'd also in addition like to see an LF sweep from whatever the lowest practical frequency bound might be (ideally 10Hz or less) to 50Hz. A one minute sweep would be great. (Mono!)
In addition to pink noise band, maybe a band limited white noise track as well? This would have to be cut at a fairly low level to avoid problems in the HF, and I anticipate it being difficult to do well. (Maybe this could be a 45rpm track)
Two disk set? 2 or 3 sides at 33 1/3 and 1 or 2 at 45?
Obviously I am in.
How about to add 8 lateral 1kHz closed tracks which are corresponding to Lofgren A, B, Stevenson and DIN null points. If both channels phase are correct, it means your arm alignment is correct. However, I am not sure if the stylus is sensitive enough to indicate the phase information or if it is possible to cut.
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Great idea another one where a little cooperation might help, I can imagine the exact radial location on any one track is not something that is normally done.
I would normally say that if the stylus can't see it why does it matter?
Ditto a 440Hz tone. And mono tracks, of course.
Kevin a one minute sweep? What would that do, other than annoy the cat?
If there is a 45RPM section, then perhaps it's best suited to tones above 20K?
Scott - I think having software to make sense of the tests is one of the strongest arguments for this LP. That, and knowing exactly what went into the test tracks and the compromises made during mastering.
Kevin a one minute sweep? What would that do, other than annoy the cat?
If there is a 45RPM section, then perhaps it's best suited to tones above 20K?
Scott - I think having software to make sense of the tests is one of the strongest arguments for this LP. That, and knowing exactly what went into the test tracks and the compromises made during mastering.