Deep Grooves Mastering - Project Bladerunner

[inspector77]

Pictures of the 11th full build (version 1.B) of my cutterhead codenamed Project Bladerunner. There are so many improvements in this build. I've learned so much on this journey. I have confidence that this build is going to produce fantastic results!

I´m sure!!!! you are doing great work, many good changes in the engineering.

[Bahndahn]

Great developments here, opcode66. Thanks for sharing.

Are those transducer enclosures touching? Im not sure that would be optimal if so, vibrations through that transfer point could contribute to extra stereophonic cross-talk. If they are touching it is luckily an easy fix, however that may have been intentional on your part.

[opcode66]

The lids are touching. But, the lids are in no way directly connected to the moving mass within the transducers. They are indirectly touching via the cutterhead body itself as well. As is the case in every cutterhead on the planet. Which is why you must insure that the body is very dense and solid. I print my cutterhead body at 98% fill. I also add 10 stainless steel metal dowel rods (4 x 1 inch and 6 x 2 inch) to the body. Those add weight as well as density to absorb vibration.

You are missing the forest for the trees my friend. The transducers of every stereo cutterhead are coupled (nearly directly touching) via the linkeage to the torque tube and via the tube itself. Crosstalk is to a large extent avoided by the spring system in the transducers.

So, the short answer is no, not to worry. I've thought this and many other things through that I haven't shared with the public. Needless to say, I understand far more than I am letting on, and my design incorporates all of my knowledge to date.

Besides, I don't have an issue with crosstalk....

[opcode66]

Pictures of the finished build of Bladerunner 1.B. Everything has come together very nicely. Test results are amazing! Video to come.

Bladerunner-1.B-1.png

Bladerunner-1.B-2.png

[dimi751]

Opcode Great! This looks fantastic !! Great job

You always try new project and keep us and me interested thanks.

Will there be a feedback version ? In the future.

What amplifier spec will you need to drive blade runner ?


Prices for this ?

Best

Dimi

[opcode66]

Yes, I will be completing the feedback version once I get a little further. I already know how I will be implementing it.

Im using a QSC 300 watt amplifier with good success. The caruso pre-amp will be usable with Bladerunner. I am working on an upgraded caruso configuration with exrended functionality including the ability to fully calibrate the system via a nab record.

[opcode66]

I'm currently wrapped up in development work on a VST plugin for cutting. I want mono summing and high frequency limiting all in one VST. The HFL will be based on the math for the Neumann BSB's. But improved with more user controllable parameters. I want to remove my BSB's from my rack.

Also, I have family stuff going on...

So, no video for a bit. However, I was featured in an online 3d print magazine. Check it out

http://3dprint.com/31048/3d-printed-record-cutterhead/

[EpicenterBryan]

However, I was featured in an online 3d print magazine.

Nice write up Todd!

[opcode66]

The hardest parts are done. I now know how to build a VST that Ableton recognizes. I also understand the basic classes in the SDK. Implementing the functionality is all downhill from here! Then making a fancy interface comes last.

[dimi751]

I agree Bryan, Excellent article on opcode very interesting reading.

[SueDenim]

As usual, great work all round Todd.

I'm especially interested in your plug-in
I know you're still developing it, but I was wondering if it'll be available for Mac as well as PC?

Thanks,
Sue D.

[Bahndahn]

Nice idea for the plugin!

Do you construct your plugins in C++ or a visual programming environment?

Regardless, you will likely be interested [if not already subscribed] in this MusicDSP mailing list, as found here: http://music.columbia.edu/cmc/music-dsp/

Nice work!

[opcode66]

C++

Developped on and for Windows. Mac version to follow.

Features to include:

- Flip Left and Right channel

- Invert signal

- RIAA and Inverse RIAA

- Eliptical EQ

- High Frequency Limiting to replace the Neumann BSB Acceleration Limiters

Currently, I have code written to essentially do stereo expansion. It flattens a panning signal when I turn the mix percent to 100. So, it is working. I'm now implementing code similar to a 2 band EQ. The band division is the MonoFreq slider. The lower band gets the expansion code applied. That should get me to an elliptical EQ. All the other features except the HFL will be simple to implement. The HFL will use the description and math from a Neumann whitepaper to mimic the BSB's.

[dimi751]

Hey Todd

that is excellent that you can do this wow! will this works for cubasis ver 6 ?

your contribute to this forum alot with fantastic inventions, informations and advise i thank you for this !!

again, always look forward to your new posts

by the way how is the blade-runner going with the progress?

thankyou todd awsome !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[opcode66]

For the moment, I'm tied up with family. And a bit of contract work. I'm unable to film and post a video. Soon though. I've achieved good vertical movement now. My next video will have extensive analysis of the grooves themselves. I have a video camera extension for my lathe scope. If I get it right, you can see the scale in my scope. I'll be making detailed comparisons of grooves cut with my Neumann SX and those cut with Bladerunner, as well as the 1k tones on the NAB record. Analysis will focus on lateral excursion, vertical movement, steadiness of unmodulated grooves and the quality of the groove walls. All will be clearly documented and displayed.

This VST plugin is something I've wanted to fugure out for a while. I've been a professional developer for 15 years. I've written a bunch of MIDI apps, dll's and assembly code for MIDI devices. Just never done a VST before. It will work in all Windows DAW's that support VST. Mac AU will come later.

[EpicenterBryan]

This VST plugin is something I've wanted to fugure out for a while.

Very cool stuff Todd. It was one of your posts that sent me off looking into the MS matrix to partly help explain the big vertical jump on one of my earlier test cuts. It needs to be mixed for vinyl, really? A newbie like me would never have known (or not). I can't just cut a record? Did I have the drivers signals reversed?

In my last video did you notice the Phase meters, and the L/R scope? I did pay attention to your posts and learned to look at the source before trying to cut.

So, a big thank you from me to you Todd for sharing some of the #secretknowage.

[dimi751]

thanks todd for reply here

yes busy too now Christmas crazy kids running around the house high on sugar.

looking forward to this blader-runner and vst updates

best
dimi

[opcode66]

I now have a VST working with the following features:

- State is saved in DAW project file.
- State is re-established properly when projects are saved, closed and re-opened.
- Parameters are labeled correctly and are now being displayed appropriately.
- Mono summing works as expected with Percent and Frequency parameters.
- Parameter changes can be made real-time and do not cause clicking (earlier versions clicked).
- Signal Inversion is working.
- Channel swapping is working.
- I just figured out how to take a series of RC values for an analog EQ circuit, run calculations, and get the frequency coefficients necessary to process the RIAA and IRIAA EQ curves. So, I will be able to implement those two curves tomorrow.
- I found a number of limiter DSP examples. The BSB's are essentially a banded compressor with the lower band bypassed and the high band limited. I'm going to create the same thing but with more user controllable parameters.

After the RIAA and IRIAA EQ curves are implemented I will post a Release compile of the DLL. Any Windows based Trolls can try it out. The final version with BSB functionality will not be free.

[opcode66]

Here is the Release Build of my DGMVSTTest VST Effect Plugin. It is not finished. Please do not test this with your cutterhead. It makes clicking noises when you switch RIAA and Inverse RIAA on or off. I don't want anyone to have issues and blow anything.

I know how to fix the clicking issue. But, I don't have time right now to add the code. And, I have to double check the filter coefficients for RIAA and Inverse RIAA as well. However, overall, things seem to really be coming along quickly.

The final functionality to add will be the BSB simulation and a nicely designed graphical parameter editor.

Please, someone with a DAW on a Windows PC, download and test this VST plugin and post your experience here. I would really appreciate your input.

[opcode66]

Deep Grooves Mastering proudly presents the Vinyl Mastering VST. Now, with fancy Graphical User Interface!

Final functionality and bug fixes should be wrapped up within a week. This includes the Neumann BSB replacement High Frequency Limiting.

DGM VMVST.PNG