The EIP Laser Turntable

[mjzee]

Has anyone here heard this?

The EIP Laser Turntable plays records without touching them - Decoded Magazine

[sonnymax]

At $15,000, it's a steal!

[sidewinder]

Does it do 78s?

[mjzee]

Yes!

[Stefan Wood]

I didn't hear it, but I know someone who did, and mentioned that the laser picks up dust too easily, treating it like clicks and pops. The interference from that became unacceptable.

[Scott Dolan]

At $15,000, it's a steal!

If by "a steal" you mean "insanity", then I agree.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Scott Dolan

[JSngry]

There was something very simialr to this that was starting to surface at least 30 years ago, but the industry rush to digital/CD pretty much killed it before it began.

In theory, I still prefer the idea of a continuous analog stream of sound to that of repeated bursts of sampled data, and historically, I'd like to have seen how the evolution of this technology would have gone, seen if it would have affected recording as well as software (the notion of a groove existing to hold data independent of what a pressure-tracking stylus could physically extract from it is still intriguing, I mean, taking it from stylus/magnetic cartridge to light beam,,,...Just all kinds of parallel universe things spring to mind...and still listening to an analog stream rather than digital spurtyness.

But 30 years is a long time, and really, good luck on it being otherwise, especially at the price of a small new car.

[A Lark Ascending]

What's the point of having a turntable if you can't fuss over balancing the cartridge? Half the fun is worrying yourself to death that you might not have it set right and it might be wrecking the grooves.

[JSngry]

Ok...could a variant of laser technology be used in such a way as to prevent further degradation of master tapes? Or would the use of a laser just go a head burn holes in The Eyes of Laura Mylars?

[Scott Dolan]

Yeah, it's called ripping the audio to a lossless digital file.

[JSngry]

Ripping of an analog master to a lossless digital file does not involve sampling it?

That's what I was wondering about, a recreation of an analog master into an analog form that would not require furher running of the master tape. Like, could you read the tape's magnetic patterns with a laser and then do a perfect replica of it in some format that would reduce/eliminate the need to sample the original master tapes, and still keep the continuous analog wave uninterrupted/undisturbed?. Almost like a direct-to-disc thing, only...why would it have to be to a disc per se? Right now, the only(?) way to preserve the analog waveform without disrupting it into sampled digital is to run those tapes either onto more tapes, or mothers/stampers/etc Does the transfer medium of light offer other options?

Never mind if it's practical, is it theoretically possible, that's the only question I have at this time.

And then, getting Sci-Fi abut it...once you have the un-sampled/analog data captured as light, what would the physics be to store it and then recreate it for sending out over fiber-optic lines or some such? ADA conversion minus the D part! Light as data storage/transmission medium all in one...would it work with analog audio as we don't yet know it?

Strictly hypothetical, of course. And to get really out there, what happened to the notion of DNA as a data storage medium? That was in the news a while back..I'd like to go to the record store and buy a Beatles record on DNA, please. And then, have that DNA implanted into me semen is such a way that my next ejaculation would result in my whole body, not just my hearing, but every ounce of my physical being (and including all senses stemming therefrom) becoming "Tomorrow Never Knows"...that would beat the hell out of a CD, and be more legal than LSD.

[jazzbo]

I'm quite happy with the whole mechanical process of groove/needle/cartridge etc. Often gives me the best sound as far as "ease" and relaxation.

[JSngry]

I dunno, man, I'm kinda pumped by a future were a box set is a light bulb and a table lamp is a concert hall.

I may never live to see it, but...I never thought I'd live to see a Double Decker Taco either, I mean, a fried corn tortilla AND an analog flour tortilla? At once? In my mouth, chewed and sallowed AT THE SAME TIME?

Never again will I think anything to be unthinkable, unnecessary, or undoable. There's no stopping The Immutable Laws Of Bad Taste!

Fiberoptics, man, Fiberoptics and Taco Bell, Hello, Dickens, Hello Fenster!

[Teasing the Korean]

I know a guy with one of these and, interestingly, he claims that it has a harder time playing brand new, shiny, mint LPs than it does LPs that have been played several times.

Edited May 4, 2015 by Teasing the Korean

[.:.impossible]

I dunno, man, I'm kinda pumped by a future were a box set is a light bulb and a table lamp is a concert hall.

I've experienced this before. Some of the time, everything seemed to be happening at once, but I could isolate activities, like the area rug that was lying against the floor. It was absorbing as much of the light and music as it possibly could. It wasn't much, but it was more than I could say of the window. The window seemingly had nothing to do with the floor, but we knew better.

I've experienced that before.

[Scott Dolan]

Ripping of an analog master to a lossless digital file does not involve sampling it?

That's what I was wondering about, a recreation of an analog master into an analog form that would not require furher running of the master tape. Like, could you read the tape's magnetic patterns with a laser and then do a perfect replica of it in some format that would reduce/eliminate the need to sample the original master tapes, and still keep the continuous analog wave uninterrupted/undisturbed?. Almost like a direct-to-disc thing, only...why would it have to be to a disc per se? Right now, the only(?) way to preserve the analog waveform without disrupting it into sampled digital is to run those tapes either onto more tapes, or mothers/stampers/etc Does the transfer medium of light offer other options?

Never mind if it's practical, is it theoretically possible, that's the only question I have at this time.

And then, getting Sci-Fi abut it...once you have the un-sampled/analog data captured as light, what would the physics be to store it and then recreate it for sending out over fiber-optic lines or some such? ADA conversion minus the D part! Light as data storage/transmission medium all in one...would it work with analog audio as we don't yet know it?

Strictly hypothetical, of course. And to get really out there, what happened to the notion of DNA as a data storage medium? That was in the news a while back..I'd like to go to the record store and buy a Beatles record on DNA, please. And then, have that DNA implanted into me semen is such a way that my next ejaculation would result in my whole body, not just my hearing, but every ounce of my physical being (and including all senses stemming therefrom) becoming "Tomorrow Never Knows"...that would beat the hell out of a CD, and be more legal than LSD.

Well, I suppose if you, or anyone for that matter, could show that you can discern between 44,100 digital samples per second and continuous analog then maybe there would be an issue.

Until then, I'd say those digital "bursts" will do just fine.

[Chuck Nessa]

I like vinyl and cds. I listen to the music on the machine necessary for the format I own. I think a laser turntable could combine the limitations of both.

[.:.impossible]

Ok Chuck, but I challenge you to do a blind CD/ LP/lightbulb/laser record player A/B/C/D/X test and tell me if you can tell which set of limitations you are hearing.

[AllenLowe]

I use mine for unauthorized surgeries.

[Chuck Nessa]

Ok Chuck, but I challenge you to do a blind CD/ LP/lightbulb/laser record player A/B/C/D/X test and tell me if you can tell which set of limitations you are hearing.

can i bring my green sharpie?

[JSngry]

Ok Chuck, but I challenge you to do a blind CD/ LP/lightbulb/laser record player A/B/C/D/X test and tell me if you can tell which set of limitations you are hearing..

I'd like to know more about that window, please. Perhaps the window is where all the sound nobody can hear goes.

Have you opened that window?

[Scott Dolan]

Ok Chuck, but I challenge you to do a blind CD/ LP/lightbulb/laser record player A/B/C/D/X test and tell me if you can tell which set of limitations you are hearing.

can i bring my green sharpie?

You can borrow my Teak cryo'd and calibrated sonic pucks if you need to. The shaman needed to correctly place them around the room will be on you, though.

[.:.impossible]

The last thing you want in this situation is a shaman on you. I saw one of my roommates go through something similar once. We spent the better part of Black Beauty talking him down. More wicker than teak in that room.

You have bad vibes dude. Just letting you know.

[mjzee]

I know a guy with one of these and, interestingly, he claims that it has a harder time playing brand new, shiny, mint LPs than it does LPs that have been played several times.

But how does it sound - better than a regular turntable? Is it able to play a worn LP with greater fidelity and less noise? Because that's the claim.

[ArtSalt]

I corresponded with this company about six or seven years ago now, when I was definitely a possible buyer and they sent out a CD with samples of the records being played on standard record player and the laser player. At the time, I thought that this likely what Mosaic would be using to remaster 78rpms.

In any event, I invested my money elsewhere, but I remained intrigued by this technology and its' possibilities.