Laser Turntable

[audioinjection]

screw final scratch

ELP LASER TURNTABLE



While most like to think that vinyl records are passé, many people still wane lovingly over their record collections. Digital compact discs are not the only way to listen to music, and Gramophone records have been produced since Edison’s phonograph. Unfortunately, there have always been numerous problems with turntables; the mechanical belts, phono cartridges, and the needles wear out and scratch the records. With Elp Corporation’s new laser turntable, it has blasted vinyl record technology into the 21st century by beaming a laser onto the record grooves so that there is no physical contract whatsoever with the record. It is the only analog record player that does not wear records. Musical information is processed in analog, and all circuitry is analog as well for completely analog sound reproduction. It connects to any phono pre-amplifier producing audiophile quality sound in either mono or stereo.



The laser turntable can play 7-, 8.5-, 10-, 11-, and 12-in. diameter records. It can playback 33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm records. There’s also a variable speed control in 30-50 rpm in 0.1 rpm steps, and 60-90 rpm in 0.2 rpm steps. There are a total of five lasers: two for the left and right groove walls, two for tracking groove pitch, and one for tracking groove warp. No adjustment is required for anti-skate, and it uses linear tracking to zero tracking error distortion. Since the optical pickup is controlled by microprocessors, the laser turntable operates much like a CD player with cueing to individual cuts, random access, and repeat play, and it offers numerous programming possibilities. The laser turntable displays elapsed/remaining or total time just like a CD player. Model LT-1LRC plays 45s and LPs, and is priced at $14,999. Model LT-1XRC plays 45s, LPs, and 78s, and is priced at $16,999. Lastly, model LT-2XRC plays 45s, LPs, and 78s of any size, and is priced at $18,999

[acidsaturation]

Not cheap then...?

[loopdon]

woot??? that looks freeeky...

[anx]

why would anyone spend that much on a turntable?

all the money you spend on replacing cartridges for needles would never amount to the price of the "laser" turntable

[Joseph Isaac]

why would anyone spend that much on a turntable?

all the money you spend on replacing cartridges for needles would never amount to the price of the "laser" turntable

Serious audiophiles with money can justify such a purchase. Not me though.

[holotropik]

My god!! that is freakin amazing.

Me thinks that this is just a test bed for further developments?? maybe something that will read Vinyl & CDs and act the same no matter what.

[Kevin Gorman]

thats way to expensive.

[Jay Pace]

Hmmmm

Read somewhere about another device that took an image of a record, then rendered it as an audio file. The image was processed to interpret all the groove and depth information from the vinyl as sound. Basically the stylus or laser bit was all done inside a computer, and without the need for a ridiculous price tag.

Can't help but think this is a stupid gadget. Vinyl was never intended to offer breath taking accuracy, requiring no less than five lasers to unlock all its mystery....

[FILTERZ]

:?: :?: :?: :?: why

[TechMouse]

Can't help but think this is a stupid gadget.

That's exactly it though, innit.

It's a "toy" for people with more money than sense, who will proudly boast of the superior sound quality over brandy and cigars of a summer's eve, and then abuse the damn thing with some godawful country & western music.

Probably.

[OriginalTechnobastard]

I've ordered two

[oldbugger]

I've ordered two

well i ordered 4 ;)

what a waste of cash

[OriginalTechnobastard]

I've ordered two

well i ordered 4 ;)

what a waste of cash

I'll tell you the score once the order arrives. Thank fukk for the usd to gbp conversion

[robin m]

It might just be me, but for that amount of money I'd want my gadgets to look a bit cooler as well... to me this looks like some knackered old 8-track player from a car boot sale.

It's 2005 for pity's sake - this is supposed to be the future, innit! :roll:

[RDR]

i can get the same effect much cheaper by shining a torch on the record and humming along.... :lol: :lol:

[TechMouse]

i can get the same effect much cheaper by shining a torch on the record and humming along.... :lol: :lol:

... and it's certainly more amusing.

[audioinjection]

i can get the same effect much cheaper by shining a torch on the record and humming along.... :lol: :lol:

lol :lol:

[Patrick DSP]

it's a great player to stop you from damaging your rare vinyl more with all the damage needles do to records, but since it's being picked up by a laser, it's entering the digital world and thus loosing all of it's charm that pure audiophiles want, you would be better to record your vinyl from a real turntable and put it in storage while you listen to the CD. the main claim that i keep seeing is that they've removed all forms of distortion, pops, and clicks. but i think 99% of us out there love those sounds and is one of the main reasons why we feel vinyl is better than digital music.

but it actually is analog, this thing is a monster! (even the National Library of Canada owns one).

http://www.elpj.com/about/how.html

"The LT's beam of light can read the record's groove in places that a conventional stylus cannot. This means that the LT performs high quality sound reproduction even on vinyl that has been worn by a needle. The Laser can also read below the depth of surface scratches, which improves playback."

"Frequency 20Hz - 25kHz"

"Built-in Analog Noise Blanker
These circuits help reduce pops and clicks in real time, as you listen. This feature may be easily turned off with the front panel buttons by users that are restoring old recordings. Pops and clicks are then removed with editing software after the transfer to digital." this can be turned off :)

I like it for the most part and i think it's worth the money, but then again i'm crazy.
[/url]