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Selecting Equalisation Curves using RAM
#1
I have been playing a bit of vinyl recently and trying the RAM feature.

In some cases this is quite straight forward.  You select a record, find that it is for example on the RCA record label, select the RCA curve, and hay presto!  It sounds better.  In some cases quite a bit better.

This has worked for me on a number of older records.  However, there appears to be a problem.  I have very many records, a majority in fact, which are on record labels that are not included in the RAM list of curves.  Many of these are on smaller "independent" record labels.  Now this might be stating the obvious, but no matter what the record label, they were all pressed somewhere.  It also strikes me that a modern re-released 180g pressing, that includes some of the original record labels branding, may not actually have the same equalisation as an original copy.  One may have been pressed in EMI's original UK plant, the later 180g in one of the handful of specialist record pressing plants that remain.  It's all a bit of a mine field. 

I have been searching the 'net to get some idea how I can tie up the myriad of record labels to the presumably fewer number of actual pressing plants used historically.  Then there might be half a chance of matching the RAM curvecorrectly to the plant that actually pressed the record.   I have not found much information of use so far .....

Obviously, you can scroll through the various options to see what sounds best.  I have tried this, but it's a bit of a faff and quite annoying, you end up thinking one is better, then switching to another to check, changing your mind, arrrg!  No fun at all and detracts from the pleasure of simply playing some music, so I have typically just stuck with the standard RIAA curve, unless the information on the record itself clearly matches with one of the RAM options.

Any ideas anyone?
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#2
I think all records pressed since the mid '60s have had standard RIAA correction. A wide choice of correction curves is really only of value for vintage record collectors, apart from interest value and subtly changing the frequency response of more modern records - which may or may not sound nicer, depending on system and preference.
Devialet Original d'Atelier 44 Core, Job Pre/225, Goldmund PH2, Goldmund Reference/T3f /Ortofon A90, Goldmund Mimesis 36+ & Chord Blu, iMac/Air, Lynx Theta, Tune Audio Anima, Goldmund Epilog 1&2, REL Studio. Dialog, Silver Phantoms, Branch stands, copper cables (mainly).
Oxfordshire

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#3
(08-Aug-2015, 16:36)f1eng Wrote: I think all records pressed since the mid '60s have had standard RIAA correction. A wide choice of correction curves is really only of value for vintage record collectors, apart from interest value and subtly changing the frequency response of more modern records - which may or may not sound nicer, depending on system and preference.

What is it that you call 'standard'?
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#4
(08-Aug-2015, 17:18)Mohmm Wrote:
(08-Aug-2015, 16:36)f1eng Wrote: I think all records pressed since the mid '60s have had standard RIAA correction. A wide choice of correction curves is really only of value for vintage record collectors, apart from interest value and subtly changing the frequency response of more modern records - which may or may not sound nicer, depending on system and preference.

What is it that you call 'standard'?

A standard equalisation curve was published by the RIAA in 1953 because different companies were using their own curve and it was even more of a pita than the multiple digital file formats and streaming solutions that we suffer today.
The curve was updated in the 1976 to include a warp filter, which obviously only effects playback.
Devialet Original d'Atelier 44 Core, Job Pre/225, Goldmund PH2, Goldmund Reference/T3f /Ortofon A90, Goldmund Mimesis 36+ & Chord Blu, iMac/Air, Lynx Theta, Tune Audio Anima, Goldmund Epilog 1&2, REL Studio. Dialog, Silver Phantoms, Branch stands, copper cables (mainly).
Oxfordshire

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#5
(08-Aug-2015, 16:36)f1eng Wrote: I think all records pressed since the mid '60s have had standard RIAA correction. A wide choice of correction curves is really only of value for vintage record collectors, apart from interest value and subtly changing the frequency response of more modern records - which may or may not sound nicer, depending on system and preference.

I have been doing a little more research on this, and it looks like you are absolutely correct, the RIAA curve has been more or less 100% standard from the early 60's.

The records for which I found RAM to make a positive improvement were a couple of RCA record label recordings from the early 70's.  Armed with my new "expectation bias" knowledge that anything recorded in 1974 would definitely be made with RIAA, and any improvement I was hearing was bogus, I tried again.  Oddly enough I reached the same conclusion, that there was an improvement with the RCA curve.  I guess this is probably just a happy coincidence, although I note that the RIAA curve was originally based on the RCA curve, so they are probably close enough for things to sound reasonably ok.

So in conclusion, RAM is a fairly niche feature, I am assuming there are not too many people wanting to play pre-1960's vinyl.  Although for those who do, having RAM is a massive bonus.

One thing on my "to do" list (although a very long way down currently) is to mod my old Rega Planner 25 TT to play 78's, as I do have a small collection of 78's that I have inherited.  A strange thought that a 21st century digital amp is actually the ideal product to play a few 80 year old records.
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#6
Yes, I was amused/delighted by RAM.
Usually a phono stage with multiple switchable equalisation curves is a rare and expensive beast for collectors of, probably (certainly?) mono, old LPs and 78s.
The digital correction in a Devialet is simply a programmed curve rather than a different set of filter components, so is both less expensive and probably more accurate than any of these rare specialist units.
I don't own any 78s so will probably never do anything but switch between 1953 and 1976 curves and the high pass filter.
Devialet Original d'Atelier 44 Core, Job Pre/225, Goldmund PH2, Goldmund Reference/T3f /Ortofon A90, Goldmund Mimesis 36+ & Chord Blu, iMac/Air, Lynx Theta, Tune Audio Anima, Goldmund Epilog 1&2, REL Studio. Dialog, Silver Phantoms, Branch stands, copper cables (mainly).
Oxfordshire

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