Agnew Analog Stereophonic Cutter Head

[jesusfwrl]

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This is the first prototype. No 3D-printing. This is real metal. Unique transducer concept, never before used on a cutter head.

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Designed to accept a Transco 320/Adamant NSH-2 taper shank stylus. It will fit Neumann suspension boxes and we will supply a range of fittings to make it compatible with pretty much any lathe.

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No pre-sale. When it is ready, it will be available in the open market for anyone who wants one. We aim to have it ready within 2019. There won't be a limited supply or waiting lines, as long as people keep on buying them, we'll keep on making them. We hope to be able to keep the retail price around GBP 850 mark.

A professional cutter head at a highly competitive price.
For further information, please check out the Agnew Analog website: https://agnewanalog.com/blog/2019/01/07/lab-report-the-agnew-analog-stereophonic-cutter-head/

[symatic]

looks cool! would you mind explaining the Transducer technology a bit more?

[markrob]

Hi,

Nice! Can you tell us if this is a feedback design or open loop? If open loop, will you be supplying external hardware to perform the EQ to flatten the head response and will that be included or extra cost?

Is it too early for a sample of a playback of a cut?

Regards,

Mark

[socialroots]

Whats the chances of it being able to be rekokut friendly? Anyways,exciting news Jesus,im sure its gonna generate enuff interests . im sure plenty of cutters here that r cutting with old mono heads r waiting for the day that they can also cut in stereo! Cute housing,looks like those old vintage camping trailers!
Maximum repect!
Patrick

[jesusfwrl]

Whats the chances of it being able to be rekokut friendly? Anyways,exciting news Jesus,im sure its gonna generate enuff interests . im sure plenty of cutters here that r cutting with old mono heads r waiting for the day that they can also cut in stereo! Cute housing,looks like those old vintage camping trailers!
Maximum repect!
Patrick

Thank you Patrick, the curvy design of the casing was the work of Sabine. We used to have a vintage camping trailer, I wonder if she got inspired by that! I am certainly aiming for it to be compatible with Rek-O-Kut lathes.

Hi,

Nice! Can you tell us if this is a feedback design or open loop? If open loop, will you be supplying external hardware to perform the EQ to flatten the head response and will that be included or extra cost?

Is it too early for a sample of a playback of a cut?

Regards,

Mark

Mark, this is not a moving coil transducer, and there is no feedback coils either. However, there is some form of feedback involved, and there will be electronics available separately. We plan on making available entry level electronics at low cost and professional electronics at higher cost. The idea is to have each element of the system available separately, so you can have the freedom of using your own electronics, if you would like to do so. I do plan on uploading some audio samples at some point, but this is quite a big project that I am working on in parallel with several other projects, which is why I am keeping the texts rather stoic at present. Not enough hours in the day.

looks cool! would you mind explaining the Transducer technology a bit more?

That would take all the suspense away!
All I can say for now is that it is not moving coil, it is not moving iron, and it is not crystal.... I will publish a detailed report on this as soon as I find some time to explain it properly.

More soon...

[Pepperman]

Hello Lathe Trollers,

This guy is really amazing.
From the thousands members of this site he is one of the few who are active
and bring us innovations in high pro level.
He is serious, responsible, honest and a great connoisseur of the audio science.
Jesus, congratulations for the cutting head.
When you will be ready (as I mentioned months ago)
I'll be the first to buy one.
I will also wait patiently the specs of the head.

P.S. Don't forget to give it a nice name

[jesusfwrl]

Many thanks, Pepperman, for your appreciative comments, support and encouragement. More soon!

[opcode66]

If you're doing moving magnet you then I already did that, fyi. Wouldn't be a first.

[jesusfwrl]

If you're doing moving magnet you then I already did that, fyi. Wouldn't be a first.

Nope, it isn't moving magnet either. I did briefly consider this concept, but dismissed it in favor of an entirely new approach which seems much more promising up to now.

[mrd]

Really exciting and interesting work! Look forward to hearing more

[boryo]

Congratulations for your work! I'm sure that if you posted it here then you already have very good results. If it fits on my lathe for sure I will buy one.

Best,
Bob

[opcode66]

Moving magnet actually works really well as long as you have proper feedback. As dynamic it is horrible.

I think the entire world will be wanting to see your "Unique transducer concept" seeing as though transducer design has been relatively the same since about 1820.

Me personally, I've looked at how nearly every mono cutterhead works. I've taken apart a Neumann SX and completely rebuilt it. And, I went through years of r&d trying a lot of concepts and learning from each. I did all this while publicly sharing my work. I was really trying to be very different, and ultimately arrived at a design very similar to Neumann. Different, but largely similar. You can add some new features or change some materials, but Neumann really nailed it. These days, we don't need the ultra precision that they needed to overcome weak magnets since we have neodymiums. But, otherwise, they really nailed the design given the physical/material constrains, footprint, and performance requirements.

I know exactly where you are after one year of "secret" development, and it can't possibly be at the level you're projecting here. Unless you worked on nothing else, paid no attention to anyone, and were completely funded by an investor, its just not possible to have accomplished what you claim. IMHO

[jesusfwrl]

Really exciting and interesting work! Look forward to hearing more

Many Thanks! More soon!

Congratulations for your work! I'm sure that if you posted it here then you already have very good results. If it fits on my lathe for sure I will buy one.

Best,
Bob

Thanks, Bob! It will certainly fit on your lathe, the suspension unit I'm building for you will take pretty much anything from any mono head to Neumann, Ortofon, Vinylium, Flokason and of course, Agnew Analog heads.

Moving magnet actually works really well as long as you have proper feedback. As dynamic it is horrible.

I think the entire world will be wanting to see your "Unique transducer concept" seeing as though transducer design has been relatively the same since about 1820. [...]

Todd, "unique transducer concepts" do not develop from researching what others have already done decades ago and "adding some features". I have also extensively done that, as a student, a long time ago already. If there is one thing I really learned from my (funded) doctoral research work, this was how to make the transition from a "literature review" or "patent review" or "reverse engineering of prior art", to actually introducing and developing a new concept.

A new transducer design implies a radical departure from the already established concepts. Which is exactly how this idea came to be. While it is "only" one year now that I have been developing this head, I do have over 15 years of experience designing and building high performance audio electronics and mechanical assemblies, repairing and modifying all manners of highly complicated audio equipment, along with significant professional experience in other sectors, such as the automotive industry and industrial automations. Working with transducers and control electronics is nothing new to me. Micromachining of tiny precision parts is nothing new to me. Designing complex feedback control systems is nothing new to me. Selection of appropriate material and making decisions about heat treatment is nothing new to me.

Furthermore, I do not work in my own, I do not try to do everything myself, there is some investment capital involved, and I do not waste my time trying to inappropriately push my work (or vent out my frustrations about the inequality of this world) through YOUR threads and social networking posts.

While we are at it, I would like to politely ask you to refrain from making non-constructive and offensive comments in my threads and social network posts about my work, and likewise with promoting your own work. If you have something meaningful, well-founded and constructive to say, please do. But unfounded assumptions on the quality or viability of my work and blatant self-promotion or hijacking of threads is simply bad manners, does not assist either of us with furthering their scientific contribution to the collective body of knowledge of humanity and just hinders meaningful discussion of the topic. Feel free to promote your own work through your own threads and social network, I have never interfered with that and I intend to keep it that way. May I suggest that you please do the same? Thank you for your understanding.

[jjwharris]

I like you jesusfwrl.

I'm excited to learn more about this cutting head.

[SueDenim]

As someone once said, 'two heads are better than one'.
I applaud anyone who has the talent and sheer will to put blood, sweat & tears into the development of new ways of cutting.

If the recent posts on the forum have proven anything, it's that there is a massive demand for new cutting heads so I can't wait to see (and hear!) what the outcome is
Fantastic work.

[jesusfwrl]

Many thanks, Sue Denim and jjwharris! Update coming soon.

[Soulbear]

Hi Jesus, I read the "Blog" with great interest, fantastic work here, congratulations, and here's wishing you every success with your superb design. One small point though I read on the "Blog" :- "Stay tuned for further details on the bleeding edge of transducer development." Surely this should read :- "Stay tuned for further details on the LEADING edge of transducer development." I know, Pendantry!!! Regards Soulbear

[soeffingodly]

This is exciting news. Well done. And good luck with the rest of your work!

I assume the [estimated] ~850GBP pricing level is for the head itself and does not include any of the additional [required] electronics?

Rock on man!