Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

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jesusfwrl
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Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43480Unread post jesusfwrl
Sat Aug 06, 2016 5:38 am

We have recently acquired the first AM44 to leave the Flokason labs. It features a Neumann AM32 body, a 16" vacuum platter, TT15 motor, Pitch13, and a lot of prototype parts. We are using the Caruso head with its preamp and some custom modified-by-Magnetovolt cutting amps, which are solid-state at present, while our tube disk mastering electronics are being tested and developed.
The dark red color is our own take on this.
Much more to follow soon!
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The entire crew, with its new toy.
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Adjusting the suspension.
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The setup process, without suspension.
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Checking the gastrointestinal situation.
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16" vacuum platter.
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Doc Jesus
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Adjusting the platter.
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Neumann body, in red.
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Sabine checking heart and lungs.
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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Soulbear
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43481Unread post Soulbear
Sat Aug 06, 2016 6:09 am

Hi Jesus,
Congratulations on your acquisition of a brilliant cutting system from Flo. I hope you enjoy many, many, years of cutting great music on it. I'm not ordinarily jealous of anyone or anything but (Sighs) If only!!! Te He :wink: :P :D Soulbear

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Sillitoe
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43482Unread post Sillitoe
Sat Aug 06, 2016 7:08 am

Looks awesome!
Congratulations.

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tragwag
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43502Unread post tragwag
Mon Aug 08, 2016 3:26 pm

excellent! very interested in the setup
making lathe cuts on a Presto 6N, HIFI stereo cuts on vinylrecorder
at Audio Geography Studios, Providence, RI USA
http://www.audiogeography.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43692Unread post jesusfwrl
Thu Aug 25, 2016 12:24 pm

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August is the best time to let paint bake in the sun for curing...At least in the northern hemisphere and in the dry climate zones...
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Wiring things up under the lathe. On/Off switch and speed selector switch for the turntable drive system.
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A closer look...
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Another close up of the main bearing assembly.
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43702Unread post jesusfwrl
Fri Aug 26, 2016 10:31 am

Wiring up the pitch13 system.
IMG_1392small_zpsg6q6hung.JPG
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43772Unread post jesusfwrl
Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:06 am

We are now moving into R&D territory...
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We are adapting this arm for use on the lathe as the arm that holds the suspension unit.
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It is an old soviet microscope mechanism, containing two precise dovetail slides, one for coarse adjustment and one for fine adjustment of height.
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The fine adjustment knob allows the height to be adjusted with exceptional precision with an accuracy of 1um. Perhaps a bit overkill, but having the height adjustment further away from the suspension allows for precise control systems of larger dimensions and weight to be used, without increasing wear on the lathe slide. Also, the actual angle of the suspension is not affected during basic depth adjustment.
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Custom bracket holding the pitch motor for installing Pitch13 on a Neumann based lathe.
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The double decoupling ensures that no vibration whatsoever would be transmitted from the motor to the rest of the lathe structure. This approach was first implemented on our previous Fairchild/Magnetovolt lathe project (http://www.lathetrolls.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6142), with excellent results.
Seems to be working just as well on the AM44, with a slightly over engineered bracket.
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Temporary low cost coupling for testing, this will be on its way out the window, when its replacement arrives in the post.
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Temporary control panel for the Pitch13, until we figure out everything else.
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The entire project thus far.
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43795Unread post jesusfwrl
Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:01 pm

beltcoupling-s_zpsjdeepxc0.JPG
Belt driven leadscrew...

We are doing a lot of comparative testing between different methods of driving the leadscrew while documenting changes in transmission of vibrations and stiffness for best results.
More soon...
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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symatic
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43873Unread post symatic
Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:26 am

this is awesome!

could someone link me to some info on the Pitch13 system? we're trying to figure out a good solution for pitch control for our presto....


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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 43875Unread post jesusfwrl
Wed Sep 07, 2016 5:40 am

What kind of Presto lathe do you have?
~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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pellegrino707
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44130Unread post pellegrino707
Tue Sep 27, 2016 9:27 am

Hi Jesus, very nice job!

Please keep us updated!

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44134Unread post jesusfwrl
Tue Sep 27, 2016 1:03 pm

Got absorbed in the work as usual.

We are now in the process of doing testcuts and tweaking and doing more testcuts and tweaking some more.

We are trying out different parts while doing measurements and comparative tests.
So far, our testcuts here are done on lacquer disks with ruby styli. At some point we will also try it out on plastics.

As you can see from the pictures below, we are putting significant effort into taking the aesthetics of disk mastering into a post-modernist and slightly post-apocalyptic territory.
To this end, we have been trying out different huge bolts hanging in front of the cutterhead, all made of 304 stainless steel, to establish which one looks most intimidating.
It is still a bit to easy to inspect the stylus and so on and we like making our life much harder than it needs to be, so we will most probably keep on hanging more weird objects all around the cutterhead until we can't see the stylus anymore...
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Nah, just kidding.

... madmax effect aside, we are just playing around with cutterhead mass and its effect on suspension time constant, along with different springs of different rates until we reach a sweet spot.
Then we will probably direct our efforts into translating this into something less ugly.

More pictures to follow shortly with new parts.
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44568Unread post jesusfwrl
Mon Oct 31, 2016 7:09 am

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Some updates from the AM44 development. Just relocated the motor to the floor and made an adjustable motor base. New shaft, bearing, flywheels, etc. Also received an upgrades strobo disk which we drilled, tapped, counter-bored, and installed. It is getting better an better!
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~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44571Unread post ejemmons
Mon Oct 31, 2016 12:06 pm

Looks just wonderful! Many, many hours of Joy in store for you all!!!
Scully "500" with Westrex 3DIIa,
RA-1574E amps.

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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44587Unread post flozki
Tue Nov 01, 2016 6:08 pm

here a few recent pictures of
what a standard AM44 looks like at the moment.
after 2 pre series machine most parts are defined and there is a highend and a semipro machine.
starting from around 15k to whatever you want......

vacuum platter will be 14" in future except you really want a 16inch.
linear slide is the one on the picture or for pro version a neumann like. same dimensions. dovetail. grey cast heavy duty.
table is wood for semipro and stone (granite) for highend machine
pitch13 is not standard for semi pro machine.
TT15 is on the floor.
TT bearing is a 20mm shaft with axial ball bearing and 2 sinter bronce bearings
surface of the rack is 660x300mm
Image

more on the flokason news site.
happy cutting.

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dubcutter89
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Location: between the grooves..

Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44595Unread post dubcutter89
Wed Nov 02, 2016 9:54 am

Jesus: Table for 26 please. Maitre'd: There's only 13 of you. Jesus: But we're all going to sit on the same side....

Neumann AM31 - Kitchen Table Recommendation (for those of you who always wanted to know....exactly!)
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Wanted: ANYTHING ORTOFON related to cutting...thx

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 44607Unread post jesusfwrl
Thu Nov 03, 2016 11:22 am

flozki wrote:here a few recent pictures of
what a standard AM44 looks like at the moment.
Nice!
Looks like it is quite a compact package in this form. Good looking control panel, too.
flozki wrote:more on the flokason news site.
happy cutting.
Yup, there is more were these two came from!
8)
~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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jesusfwrl
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 45010Unread post jesusfwrl
Thu Dec 01, 2016 6:58 am

When the red army took over Berlin, as secret team of KGB agents had clear instructions: They were meant to locate and kidnap a Neumann disk cutting system and deliver it to Josef Stalin personally.
He had acquired a keen interest in disk recording and wanted to see what all the fuss was about regarding this western technology. However, when the machine was brought to him, he felt it that represented western capitalism too much for his liking, so he ordered a team of scientists to modify it in accordance to traditional socialist principles.
They conducted research in a secret laboratory in Siberia and after approximately 5 years, they announced that they were ready and invited Stalin and other senior officials for a demonstration of their improved, socialist disk recording system. It was meant to record the voice of the working class! When the officials arrived and the demonstration began, they realised to their horror that the sound quality of this modified system was so good that it was deemed counter revolutionary! There was a significant risk that the working class might stop thinking about politics and instead devote themselves to music, while the factories rot in disuse! Furthermore, the amount of sonic detail that could be recorded with this machine was able to capture the one traitor who was playing illegal X-Ray records of western jazz music five apartment blocks away, which might awaken the consciousness of the masses. The officials returned to Moscow without the machine. The laboratory in Siberia mysteriously disappeared, along with all the scientists and their work. Only rumours had remained of this story up until the accidental discovery of a folder containing detailed lab reports, drawings and schematics of what had happened in this laboratory, in the office in the Minister of Culture in Greece...
We had to bribe a lot of people to get our hands on it, but we eventually got all the information about vastly improving a Neumann based system by fitting a bunch of Soviet parts to it...
It was evident that this could only be achieved under the conditions of existing socialism, so we located a suitable laboratory in a rural part of the country and set out to recreate this fabulous invention, which would mean the end of world politics and a transition/evolution to a higher state of existence through culture and technology!
Here are some pictures of this rare device. At this point we shall be thanking comrade Flozki for his valuable help in recreating the legendary Neumannski machine.

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Microscope slide, designed by myself.

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Installing a Soviet stereoscopic microscope, which would offer a more socialist view of the grooves..Strangely, they do not all look equal. Perhaps one of the fundamental failings of applied socialism lies in this very observation.

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A Soviet microscope arm with precision height adjustment units was installed as a carriage arm, holding the suspension unit and allowing micro metric adjustment of the groove depth.

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Pitch13 control panel.

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The complete assembly.

A variety of test cuts have been cut with this setup and the results are indeed mind blowing. From now on, we shall refrain from thinking about politics and only focus on making music sound good.
In case we also mysteriously disappear, we have left copies of all our drawings and research finding with our elderly neighbours. In case they also mysteriously disappear, well, then I guess the world will be doomed to have to deal with politics in perpetuity...
~~~ Precision Mechanical Engineering, Analog Disk Mastering ~~~
Agnew Analog Reference Instruments: http://www.agnewanalog.com

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mossboss
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Re: Neumann /Flokason AM44/ Pitch13/ Magnetovolt Electronics

Post: # 45011Unread post mossboss
Thu Dec 01, 2016 9:39 am

What a great read. And Joseph!!
Chris

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