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1/2 speed cutting not usually so good?

Any mastering engineer or other person in the know care to comment on Bob Ludwig's letter in the March issue of The Absolute Sound where he indicates that 1/2 speed cutting is a trade-off. He says that a cutter head flat to 20Hz is only flat to 40Hz at half speed. In combination with the RIAA cutting curve, Ludwig says that an additional equalization circuit is needed for 1/2 speed cutting that introduces extra ringing and distortion. He concludes: "For some music, half-speed cutting is an advantage, for the majority, probably not."
Perhaps I misunderstand the process. But if I have it right, some other folks including those at Mobile Fidelity may want to provide a different viewpoint.
gpgr4blu
dougdeacon
3,338 posts
 
At my age, half-speed cutting is about all I can master.
swampwalker's avatar
swampwalker
5,132 posts
 
LOL, Doug.
viridian's avatar
viridian
4,184 posts
 
Didn't MoFi stop cutting at half speed about 15 years ago? Why would the new owners (Music Direct is it?) want to provide a different viewpoint.

Of course, Stan Ricker, who mastered the first LPs at MoFi is still around and might have insight, having done both half speed and conventional mastering.

But there seems no reason to doubt RL, he is about as good as they get. In a way, it's a bit of a tempest in a tea pot.
gpgr4blu OP
810 posts
 
MoFi lp inserts still refer to a half speed mastering process and how the cutter head has twice as much time to direct cut complex grooves. Unless their inserts are wrong, they are still cutting at half speed.
lowrider57's avatar
lowrider57
3,018 posts
 
"The quality of a record starts with the quality of the master tape, the lathe, the skill and care of the people involved, the demand for perfection... Sometimes the reissues are great, sometimes the old-fashioned older pressings are better."

Cutting records was an artform in the golden age of vinyl. I agree with you but would add that the quality and purity of the vinyl is an important part of the process.

And half-speed or not, I have had a few MOFI records with pops and clicks in them. So Chayro makes a very valid point.
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