HD Vinyl
Otis_Funkmeyer
1,321 Posts
http://www.musictimes.com/articles/67977/20160317/hd-vinyl-arrive-three-years.htm
"HD Vinyl" Reportedly Could Arrive In Three Years
Vinyl is old. That is one of its many appeals, but that also means it is ripe for some sort of update or disruption. This is the 21st century where groundbreaking innovations are happening every year. Vinyl may be in store for something new with an Austrian company applying for patents for their "HD vinyl" technology that would create a better sounding product, cut down on wasteful manufacturing materials and the amount of time it takes to press records. They claim this could be on the market in three years.
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According to documents seen by Digital Music News, an Austrian company Rebeat Digital will use a process called 3D-based topographical mapping which gives it many different advantages during the manufacturing process.
It claims that this new process will cut manufacturing costs by 50 percent and cutting time by another 60 percent. This would be important to upgrade from current manufacturing processes that are both time consuming, expensive and bad for the environment.
The HD portion of the vinyl comes from what they claim is 30 percent greater running time and greater volume plus double the audio fidelity.
"We adjust the distance of the grooves, we correct the radial/tangential errors, and we optimize the frequencies," said Guenter Loibl, Rebeat CEO to Digital Music News. "You could say we 'master' the topographical data, which is a totally different approach."
It filed the patents in Europe and plans to file then soon in the United States in worldwide.
The most important thing about "HD vinyl" going forward for it commercial viability and ability to attract new consumers who have a lot of money invested in their current gear and collections is that it is reverse compatible with current record players.
"This is a completely backwards-compatible technology," said Guenter Loibl. "It will play on any existing turntable, you don't need to buy a new system to enjoy the benefits."
We will see if this ever comes to market or is able to attract consumers with an attractive price point.
Comments
No actually if it improves anything, cool, sure, I'd buy it I guess, but ultra fidelity is not why I'm into records. Obviously for crusters/hi fi types this could be catnip. I have serious doubts about these claims though - are "radial/tangential errors" so significant in current pressing techniques? How in the hell are they going to cut down on the amount of time it takes to press records, or waste material, based on digitally generating and presumably 3D printing a stamper thing? Is "Guenter Loibl" not a 60s Bond villain? Am I dead?
Finally something record related that I am not interested in!
Well, the $4000 techniques announcement left me limp too, but I'd still take a pair.
HD vinyl with hella fingerprints or what.
Hd vinyl vs styrene?
hd hot or not?
no hotstampers how do I audiophile this?
If the sound is comparable or better, and the product is cheaper, less wasteful, and as durable (or moreso), I'm in.
As for $4K tech 12s....fuck that.
Bring them down to $1K or at least not more than $2K and I'm in.