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In the Forum: Analog Playback
In the Thread: A longer turntable belt.
Post Subject: Maria Callas and ...Micro SeikiPosted by Romy the Cat on: 8/25/2006

Do not believe me, I do not believe myself! I would like to tell you honestly that if this thing would be said by other person I would accept it as a pure BS because I have no reasoning to believe that it might be true…. but it is what actually what is going on.

I did not listen my TT for a few weeks, the FM and my digital recoding of the broadcasts really put TT to the back burner. Plus my resent “design mode”….

Anyhow, looking at my very intriguing success with the “Fundamental Channel” and my trying to “harmonize” sound via “Fundamental Channel” at the correct amplitude I deseeded to go for something “complex”. It is raining in Boston and I am in very good listing mood … therefore went for my shelves with selected “best recordings ever”

I pulled the 1982 pressing of “Ses Recitals 1954 – 1969” by Maria Callas. This collection is nothing short of stunning: 11 absolutely beautiful LP very-very nicely pressed by EMI-Pathe Marconi and 200pages book, covering the best years of the greatest singer. Yes, we all have dozens and hundreds Callas recording but could be too much Callas? Although I know the specific performances when Callas did better then in this Recitals but it is 22 sides of Callas in his prime!!! Did you ever see any better single collection of opera recording in such a phenomenal performing and recording quality?

Callas voice has everything you can imagine in Music and everything you can imagine in Sound and I decided to spend a day with her. Suddenly, as soon the runner record was played I realized that I lost bass in my analog. Interestingly, for few weeks that I did not listen it nothing, absolutely nothing was changed in analog and I was puzzled.

Then I detected that for those 3-4weeks the reel-to-real tape that run across both platters of my Micro Seiki got week and almost hangs. It still spins the patters with default stable speed (I did not hear any speed abnormalities and usually on soprano recordings it is might be heard intentionally) but it kind of juts “touch them”. I figures that it was kind of too loose and I added a little bit mote tension. Are you ready for it? I go my bass back!!!!!! I loose it back and force and the bass result clearly deviated with the tension of the tape.

Well, I would understand if it were a heavy belt and a light platter but… How, how come that a tandem of the zillion tone platters got affected by the light and no partially strongly applied real-to- real tape? I have no rational explanation!

Rgs,
Romy the caT

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