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Pitch problem
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Pitch problem

BadCompany 4:08 PM - 2 July, 2004
"Scratch LIVE works by tracking a control signal that is pressed onto vinyl records, and applying that movement to audio files. It does this exceptionally accurately at low and high speeds, both forwards and backwards.

Users have reported drifting of tracks during long mixes, and after careful investigation we have found that the lathe that mastered the control records induced pitch variations in the vinyl master.

Because every control record pressed has the same pitch variation, it is possible to compensate these variations in software. This should be available as a free downloadable update in the next couple of weeks.

Our tests show the first 8 minutes of the 15 minute side have the most consistent pitch, so until the software update is available sticking to that section of the records will minimize the pitch variation and the resulting drift."

I just read this... does this mean there will _ONLY_ be a software fix? Or will RANE/serato eventaully fix the lathe pressing the vinyl?
Serato, Forum Moderator
Steve W 4:19 PM - 2 July, 2004
Every lathe has wow and flutter, the same way every turntable does. We don't own a lathe, so the vinyl mastering was outsourced. In this case the lathe did not live up to the manufacturer's claimed specifications. My hope is to find alternate vinyl mastering facility with negligible wow, flutter, or pitch variation.
yuri 6:52 PM - 2 July, 2004
Yes I think that would be a good idea in the long run. The nature of the discrepency to me would indicate it was more than just common WOW that caused the issue.

If they are capable of making fairly on the nose skip proof records then they should be capable of making a pretty stable control record.
BadCompany 8:03 PM - 2 July, 2004
Good to hear, thanks.
feniks 10:28 PM - 2 July, 2004
Steve,

i can suggest one place that i have cut vinyl with before that is probably one of the best in the business. give me a shout on e-mail privately.

feniksbeta@yahoo.com


feniks
djdphife 3:09 PM - 9 July, 2004
What exactly is wow & flutter???
Stuart Ramdeen 1:32 PM - 17 August, 2004
just looking at the reference and found this:

Quote:
smoke From the phlogiston theory of electronics, it is smoke that makes ICs and transistors work. The proof of this is self-evident because every time you let the smoke out of an IC or transistor it stops working -- elementary. This has been verified through exhaustive testing, particularly regarding power amplifier ICs and transistors. (Incidentally, wires carry smoke from one device to another.) [Origin unknown but classic.]


:D
I've seen smoke a good few times in my life
nik39 2:23 PM - 17 August, 2004
lol :D
Stark 8:29 PM - 18 August, 2004
I am definitely buying SSL but want to wait until the new control records are done (which sounds like it could be in the next few weeks). Is there a way I can tell for sure the dealer is selling me the new records rather than the old ones with the pitch problem or do I just have to trust him?
radish 8:32 PM - 18 August, 2004
If you can't tell it doesn't matter :)
yuri 8:45 PM - 18 August, 2004
Stark.. Im sure the guys at serato well let you know when the time comes.. maybe they will distinguish them with version numbers or something

radish if your buying from a vendor and dont know what he is selling you then yes it does matter
radish 9:31 PM - 18 August, 2004
Imagine you could buy one of 2 cars - one of them had a top speed of 100mph and the other had a top speed of 150mph, but in all other respects they were identical. If you never drove above 50, you would have no way of telling which you had, so it wouldn't _matter_ which you had.

Likewise, if, when you're using the SSL vinyl, you don't notice any problems, then it doesn't matter whether you have the "old" or "new" vinyl. The vinyl you have works for you, which is all that matters.
yuri 10:48 PM - 18 August, 2004
DUDE

do you understand the question hes asking?? because i dont think you do!

hes asking how can you tell BEFORE YOU BUY THE VINYL which makes everything you just said IRRELEVANT
lancota 3:35 PM - 19 August, 2004
Quote:
Imagine you could buy one of 2 cars - one of them had a top speed of 100mph and the other had a top speed of 150mph, but in all other respects they were identical. If you never drove above 50, you would have no way of telling which you had, so it wouldn't _matter_ which you had.

Likewise, if, when you're using the SSL vinyl, you don't notice any problems, then it doesn't matter whether you have the "old" or "new" vinyl. The vinyl you have works for you, which is all that matters.


I gotta agree with yuri on this one, that was a horrible analogy. Plain and simple, you buy an old SSL record that you thought was the new pressing (assuming there's no way to distinguish them visually) and take it home. Oops, you find it's an old pressed ssl record with pitch drifts. So you take it back and the dealer says "sorry, but this IS the new one" or "no refunds on open packages". What do you do now?
radish 4:40 PM - 19 August, 2004
*sigh* whatever. It was a throwaway one line comment which people totally misunderstood. I give up. And please, don't call me DUDE. OK ? :)
yuri 6:12 PM - 19 August, 2004
hmmm ok.. your comment was understood, but it was about an irrelevant hypothetical situation, not the one being asked