08-Aug-2015, 15:05
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?
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?
