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More From Bernie Grundman Mastering

Michael Fremer  |  Feb 9, 2016

Here's more video from Bernie Grundman Mastering, including a tour of head tech Beno May's shop, filled with "cool stuff".

COMMENTS
badboss429's picture
Submitted by badboss429 on Tue, 2016-02-09 10:26

Hi Michael, can you please clarify what the computer controlling the cutting lathe actually means? Does the analog signal preview thru the lathe computer and adjust grove spacing? If this is the case, then does Bernie really have a true analog mastering process since the signal is 'touched' by a digital controller? Speakers Corner claims they produce a pure analog recording without use of computer controlled lathes, care to comment? Thanks!

Superfuzz's picture
Submitted by Superfuzz on Tue, 2016-02-09 12:08

The audio signal that gets cut, never goes through any digital processing. The preview head sees the audio signal first, sends it to the lathe computer which calculates and optimizes the space between grooves. But it's the audio from the playback head that goes to the amps driving the cutterhead on the lathe. This process has been around since the early 80s.
Every decent mastering house uses this type of system, including those who cut for Speakers Corner - as it says on their website "the necessary cutting delay is also analogue." This refers to the delay between the preview head (sent to the computer) and the playback head (sent to the lathe).

badboss429's picture
Submitted by badboss429 on Tue, 2016-02-09 13:03

Dear Superfuzz, an important point of clarification for me is greatly appreciated. I understand that the cutter head amp is driven by an analog signal, as the preview head analog signal feeds the cutting head computer. Point is, isn't the groove spacing on the lacquer now digitally controlled? In theory, the groove spacing is not completely linear (analog) since zero's and one's are injected into the movement of the cutter head. I'm assuming in the old school days before computer controlled groove spacing was possible (pre 1979)mastering engineers manually manipulated groove spacing while listening via the preview head. I seem to recall this being particularly challenging for Doug Sax when mastering Sheffield direct to disk recordings, having to know when dynamic passages were to take place and adjust spacing accordingly? Thanks again.

Michael Fremer's picture
Submitted by Michael Fremer on Tue, 2016-02-09 14:56
The digits control the lathe movement not the cutter head movement!
PeterPani's picture
Submitted by PeterPani on Wed, 2016-02-10 02:24

decrease or increase groove width or depth? I would have assumed the same as badboss429 - that depth and width are produced by change of cutter head height. But, if this is done by change of lathe height the problem remains. Vertical movement of the analog feed cutting needle is added another digital feed vertical movement (of cutter head or lathe). Result is a hybrid analog-digital recording?

AZ's picture
Submitted by AZ on Wed, 2016-02-10 03:32

All those movements controlled by the groove computer do not interfere with the actual signal that is being cut. The signal going throught the cutter head is analog and the cut is analog. It's really that simple.

PeterPani's picture
Submitted by PeterPani on Wed, 2016-02-10 04:44

how it is possible, that the groove depth movement can be digitally controlled without interfering with the analog cutter movements. The result of both movements is the groove that a record needle will play. I don't think the record needle of my turntable can filter away the movements of the groove computer.

AZ's picture
Submitted by AZ on Wed, 2016-02-10 05:29

The groove that is on the record contains pure analog signal. When the whole cutter head assembly is moved vertically to control groove depth nothing interferes with the cutting stylus which is fed with an audio signal.

javabarn's picture
Submitted by javabarn on Tue, 2016-02-09 21:34

Wow, Bernie just gave you free reign to show everything "warts" and all... Great stuff... I am getting back into vinyl after losing my initial collection to the "perfect sound forever" decades back, And have never heard of Bellman, Grundman and the like until recently. And after just having bought and received around 8 new albums "LOVE/forever changes etc" by Bellman and Grundman, it is very cool to see the man and his "crib" to put a face behind my new vinyl...

And one last thing, THANK YOU Michael for your great work.. I know you are having fun and we are having fun with you. I like your journalistic "Personality and Character" and appreciate your efforts and knowledge... Thanks again.....

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