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Old 8th Oct 2022, 9:28 am   #1
Edward Huggins
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Default Is it safe to play?

I suppose I should know this, but I don't. When an original Mono LP recording (say a pre-1958 Frank Sinatra on Capitol or a Miles Davis on Prestige) is much later re-released as a "premium pressing" or as part of a compilation, will the groove pitch be the same as the original mono - or - in the finer typical 0.7 stereo pitch? I ask this because these records look to have finer grooves as per Stereo. And there are many such re-releases when they come out of their 50 Copyright. I ask this because I want to play some of these later re-releases on a mono-only cartridge. Thankyou Folks!
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 11:43 am   #2
Nickthedentist
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Default Re: Is it safe to play?

I think your suspicions are right, i.e. these re-releases are designed to be played with modern, high-compliance, lightweight pickups.

Realistically, if you want to have fun playing them on period equipment, then do so, but don't expect them to sound perfect on more sophisticated equipment afterwards.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 11:47 am   #3
Jan Zodiac
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Default Re: Is it safe to play?

Modern mono releases have the stereo fine groove, unfortunately. Probably because most people don't have a 25um needle tip at hand, and therefore will play them on their normal stereo cartridge.

I have over time checked different records under microscope, and the difference in groove size is obvious. Modern mono records as well as stereo records, share the same groove size.

I myself have a vintage mono system, and I am annoyed by the fact that newer releases (mono) share the stereo groove size, or pitch, because playing them on an original mono cartridge with 25um needle and a bit more tracking force, will probably wear them down faster. At times it is even difficult to keep the larger needle in the groove without skipping.

I do play modern mono releases on my mono system with vintage cartridges though. If the records wear down faster, so be it

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Old 8th Oct 2022, 4:26 pm   #4
paulsherwin
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Default Re: Is it safe to play?

I suspect most of the machinery to master and press the original mono standard was scrapped in the 70s and 80s.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 4:33 pm   #5
Ted Kendall
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Default Re: Is it safe to play?

It's simply a matter of how deep you set the cut on the lathe. The modern groove makes packing easier, and most manufacturers surmise, rightly, that the number of people using a one-thou tip is very small. Outfits such as the Electric Gramophone Company produce near-perfect facsimiles of original issues, both in disc and sleeve, but these are generally of esoteric items and cost more than most peoples' systems.
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Old 8th Oct 2022, 4:48 pm   #6
Hartley118
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Default Re: Is it safe to play?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Nickthedentist View Post
I think your suspicions are right, i.e. these re-releases are designed to be played with modern, high-compliance, lightweight pickups.

Realistically, if you want to have fun playing them on period equipment, then do so, but don't expect them to sound perfect on more sophisticated equipment afterwards.
It's worth noting that some modern truncated line-contact replay styli typically approach an effective maximum radius of 0.001 inch, so playing any mono microgroove disc with a 0.001 inch radius stylus should work fine. Furthermore, there should be negligible vertical modulation in a mono disc groove ('pinch effect' only) so that potential source of groove jumping shouldn't occur

I guess that the potential problem to watch out for would be if the reissue is cut at a much higher level than the original, resulting in mistracking of a vintage cartridge with consequent distortion and groove wear. As ever, extra tracking weight is generally much less damaging than insufficient tracking weight because most groove damage occurs if the stylus is allowed to rattle around in the groove.

Martin
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