Making records at home - my disc recorder project

UPDATE - 21 March 2022 - please see below
=============================================
The latest, after a five-year gap, of my efforts to build a working record lathe for home use. This video tries to explain a bit about what such a machine is and how mine works, and ends with a demonstration of results achieved, interleaving the original mono mix of the source file with playback from the record made from it. You can jump straight to the playback demo at 8:48.
Sources and acknowledgements:
Disc recorder block diagram - Donald Aldous, "Manual of direct disc recording", Bernards 1943
Cutterhead diagram - Larry Boden, "Basic disc mastering", 2nd ed. 2012
Pressing process diagram - welcometo1979.com/
Stepper motor drivers - learn.watterot...
V-Slot aluminium extrusions - ooznest.co.uk/
Linear rail unit - tech.thk.com/
Z-axis slide - www.optosigma....
FreeCad - www.freecadweb...
3D printing service - i.materialise....
Coin exciters - www.tectonicau...
Sapphire embossing stylus - www.recordlath...
Audacity audio software - www.audacityte...
Music for demodisc - Jason Shaw, audionautix.com/
The very wonderful Lathe Trolls site - www.lathetroll...
UPDATE: 21 March 2022
=====================
I've put together a first cut version of some instructions on how to build the lathe described in this video. Be aware that these instructions have been compiled some time after the event and are based on my memories of what I did at the time; so please forgive any omissions or inaccuracies.
The instructions relate to the lathe frame, transport and cutter head only. You will need to supply your own turntable deck, amplifier, any signal processing gear etc.
I've also uploaded my original FreeCad files for the dozen or so 3D-printable parts. These have the extension .FCStd, and you will need the FreeCad software to load these and export them to your printable file format of choice, e.g. .STL.
The system I built uses a stepper motor to move the cutter head transport, and this motor is controlled by an Arduino, which is itself harnessed by software ('Vinyl Burn') running on a PC. Vinyl Burn - developed in C# using Visual Studio - enables the user to plan out a record side, listing sound files (.WAV only) to be used, and setting characteristics of the record such as groove pitches, inter-track gaps, run-ins and -outs, playing speed and so on. When the user starts the cutting process, Vinyl Burn plays each of the sound files in turn through the PC's sound card, while sending signals via USB to the Arduino to control the cutter head motor speed.
'Vinyl Burn' and the associated Arduino sketch are more than likely to need some rewriting to reflect your own system's hardware, logic etc. Specifically, the Arduino software, as it stands, caters for a 20 x 4 LCD readout (interfaced via a 74HC595 register), two photo-interrupter limit switch circuits, the stepper motor driver itself (TMC 2208) and an optional thermistor circuit. I've included these two sets of software really as a possible starting point for your own project.
All software released under GPL 3.0, instructions document under Creative Commons 4.0. All are offered 'as-is' and absolutely no warranty is given.
Instructions, FreeCad files and Arduino sketch: github.com/dn7...
Vinyl Burn: github.com/dn7...
Good luck!

[@blackmore1030]

Although the recording is a bit less "alive" than the original, it's still the only homemade record cutter on youtube that produces actually enjoyable records :)

[@nedelcuconstantin9450]

Check what i built :) : kzbin.info/www/bejne/q3fUgmSLrs-kmpo

[@robfriedrich2822]

There are some companies, recording discs and one of them had no frequency above 6 kHz. It sounded so bad, compared with this, a 1950's shellac was way better and also a 20 hit compilation. And this company wanted much money for this. So the DIY cutter does pretty good results, much brilliance.

[@fretlessfender]

You bring this video quite casual... but this is nothing short but a miracle! The sound quality you managed to achieve is huge!

[@specowos]

that is one of the coolest things i’ve ever seen, that sound quality for that is insane

[@jeepsimorq]

I tried almost same project but for the recording media I used CDs and DVDs! Which are made of polycarbonate as well! It was a surprise for my friends to see I have analogue records on CDs! It was for fun anyways! Mine was super low quality though, you did a great job. Amazing results. Well done

[@noelg3384]

That is amazing what you have done, fantastic good on you the best sounding home disc cutter I have listened to. 😇😍🤩

[@dean6816]

Cant believe how good that sounds!!

[@AMOKIAN]

I love the video. I used to cut laquers, acetates, dub plates and made real records. But I really enjoy home made lath cutters and even the novelty toys too.

[@ElectromagneticVideos]

What a great project with fantastic results! Sometimes in old movies you see a machine like this, presumably in the days before tape recording. Cool to see the "modern" DIY version. Regards from Canada!

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Thanks for taking the effort for recording and posting this video. Very interesting project.

[@gustav0celis]

This is unbelievably beautiful!!! Genius! greetings from Chile

[@ttguitarstringstt1550]

Very cool!.

[@audiophile1024]

Outstanding result. Congratulations.

[@pcallas66]

That's fantastic!!!

[@andrewandrosow4797]

Hello! Good work! Good video! I tried making mohe records several years ago. I came to several conclusions - the resonant frequency of the system "record coil - disc" is extremely important: you have a mechanical lowpass filter - roughly 12 dB per octave. I made several types of recorders (from aluminum profiles, coil, and neodymium magnet). I used only the mono record technique. The first variant had a resonance at 800 Hz. The sound was horrible - I could write up to 3kHz.The final variant had a resonant frequency 2000Hz - but , the resonance was very sharp and narrow - when we have, for example, a loud soprano voice, overcutting occurs. The frequency in my case wasn`t high enough - you must have at least 4000Hz. I understood - firstly: the resonant frequency must be as high as possible; secondly: a weight of moving system must be as small as possible. The last important thing is that the front surface of a cutter must be oriented to a disk surface at 90Deg. Otherwise, you will lose high frequencies - like in tape recorder (when gaps in the recording head and the reproducing head aren`t parallel).

[@kamuy_1337]

Glad you're back, and great job with your project! I watched your videos a few years back, and then this video. The playback sound quality has improved a lot, also the record lathe has changed over the years. I would like to watch more of your videos! :D

[@davidseannelson]

Thank you very much! Glad you liked the video!

[@richindesign4671]

@@davidseannelson hi David, wow I think you hit the target there. I've spent the day going from seeing the Japan toy 5" recorder player, through various others, and to finish on your video just puts the cherry on the cake. Love it. Now tell me. Can you send an email to me with the spec and details how I can build the same? I would love to make one and try it out. Also what would you charge if I sent you a track / song I've written, performed and produced myself ( no copyright issues ) and you lathe one off for me to hear for real? Thanks Rich

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks for your comment! I've seen some good reviews of the Gakken machine - it seems to work surprisingly well, given that it is really a toy. As for making your own device, I'm putting together a set of instructions - kind of reverse-engineering them really, based on remembering what I did! - which, when complete, I will upload to the Lathe Trolls website. If you're new to the world of making records, the Lathe Trolls site is really the place to start, as it is full of vital information, and populated by hundreds of enthusiasts. Be warned, though - making records is *not* an inexpensive hobby! I worked my way through over £1,000 developing my own machine, and that's purely for embossing, rather than cutting which is a far more involved and expensive prospect. I'm not ready just yet to take on orders for manufacturing records for others, but when I am, I will make some sort of announcement on KZbin. Regards, David

[@lucaslac124]

The cut disk sounds like an early 50s record in terms of clarity. Not bad!

[@mwnci1000]

For years I have wanted to build a lathe, but what I had found so far did not sound at all good. The quality of the sound of your recordings is amazing.

[@adriancressy8363]

good for you. A lot of hard work and it sounds fabulous. Just a tiny slight difference

[@DANVIIL]

Excellent results!

[@davidseannelson]

Thank you!

[@randyvalentineofficial8345]

you should show more of these clips.. really appreciate this one

[@alottafrancium]

Very cool! I would love to build a project like this. 👍 Very informative and concise on your research steps with results you've gathered.

[@Popaholic]

This is very good!!

[@B0A2]

Impressive sound quality

[@semarcouteauxrasoir6481]

Thanks to share your knowledge, i'm very impressed by the result and i'm on the way to do it 🔥

[@aurynaichi7030]

Amazing and a lot of hard work!

[@uncommon1369]

fabulous!

[@ANIGHTWING]

I think the quality of the copy from the original is great, in a way I kind of like the copy more, lol. The copy seemed to have had more of a bite to it. Ether way really cool and so far the best quality home record I have heard yet. :)

[@miltoneduardososa378]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your experience, as well as, the technical knowledge. Record lathes have caught my attention a lot but I was never able to find technical details of the key parts like the cutting head. More videos please!

[@davidseannelson]

I can recommend the Lathe Trolls website. Posters there range from professional disc recordists with 40 years' experience to complete beginners; the site also has a section dedicated to vintage documentation.

[@davidseannelson]

@Mark Animaco The conical sapphire stylus is used to impress or 'emboss' the groove, with no material being removed. The groove is not 'cut' in the traditional way using this method. However, polycarbonate can be cut using a diamond cutting stylus, which presents a sharp, chisel-shaped face to the surface.

[@whitewavesrec]

Man, a loooooooot of respect!!!

[@CHARLIEtheCATofficial]

Excellent!!! Well done

[@ronanramos3773]

amazing sound quality!

[@SharpblueCreative]

Wow - impressed. The recording sounded a bit brighter to me - other than that the same.

[@AjaySingh-us6vl]

Great Work !! My Best wishes !! Go Ahead....

[@cawfeeea8608]

so sick dude

[@AriaMusicVibe]

Much better than the teenage engineering one. I want one please

[@ourstarsRstars]

Absolutely amazing job! The people at Phonocut that have been trying to build a simple to use lathe should’ve used you as a consultant considering they keep on pushing back the release date. Not by a little amount of time but years. Anyway I’m sure you’ve been asked a million times already but would you ever consider building one to sell? If so I’m ready! Loved the video!

[@aimetutorials]

Hello David, thanks for sharing all your work! I really appreciate it! Are you working on a next version already? Greetings from cologne, Germany!

[@sammygold5078]

Very good

[@recvival995]

WoW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD BLESS U!!!!!!!!!!

[@avacreativemedia]

This is superb Video David really well put together, nicely clear edited and the voiceover is concise and clear too. Thank you, I'm just becoming interested in this area, i have an electronics and audio background. Was a mastering tech for 10 years creating the masters that went off on DAT tape and Exabyte to people that cut the disc. Been vinyl collecting for 35yrs, but i'm considering taking this a stage further and experiencing the process of cutting. I build everything myself preamps, power supplies, anything that involves soldering irons and PCB's, C# programming, and hack/maker side of things. I think what you have done , developed and researched over the past few years has paid off. Well done lots of time put into this project.

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks for your comment - much appreciated coming from a mastering technician! In an earlier profession I was a computer programmer, so used my knowledge of C# to write the PC control software ('Vinyl Burn'), which plays the music files and sends the appropriate signals to an Arduino to control the lathe stepper.

[@paulmacca3974]

Congratulations !

[@pnmadhu1962]

Congratulations and thanks for sharing this valuable information regarding record cutting. I am interested in this project. I would love to cut some records for myself. Once more thank you very much.

[@davidseannelson]

Delighted it's been of use to you, thanks!

[@JoeLaFon3]

This is fascinating. I'd love to cut some records.

[@gabrielepasqualoni7362]

complimenti per la realizzazione del suo tornio incisore ! alla fine si è capito che bisogna equalizzare la sorgente sonora e rendere la meccanica di controllo più stabile (rigida) possibile mi stupisce, tuttavia ,la qualità del suono sul supporto di policarbonato!

[@davidseannelson]

Grazie! Ho provato diversi tipi di plastica, ma l'unico che ha dato risultati accettabili è stato il policarbonato. (Tradotto da Google)

[@ilive4god2007]

Gosh.. Man, you are genius! Greetings from Ukraine )

[@bilitore]

¡This is amazing, thanks for share!

[@hroyd]

Great job

[@SO_DIGITAL]

Sounds pleasant.

[@alasdairmacdonald23]

Fabulously inspiring ! Cheers!:-)

[@davidseannelson]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mandrivapaul]

Good work! Thanks for useful info.

[@davidseannelson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ka-pop2243]

The technical stuff was lost entirely on me; my eyes glazed and my mind began to wander. But the results are pretty impressive.

[@BenjaminFrock]

nice work!

[@SucculentforLife]

Pretty close 😍 👍

[@EthicRadioArchiveReels]

David you're a freaking genius man can you build us a recording head with transport mechanism unit?

[@davidseannelson]

I'm gradually putting together a set of instructions on how to build one! A good place to start meanwhile is the Lathe Trolls site, which contains a mass of information on record cutting and manufacture, and its contributors range from ex-industry engineers with 40 years' experience to complete beginners.

[@EthicRadioArchiveReels]

@@davidseannelson Ok great we're apart of the lathe trolls community @ EthicStudios 😃 we have a Presto modle G machine,we been looking for tubes for the amp if you know a place please let us know 🙏 😉

[@EthicRadioArchiveReels]

Hello Mr. Nelson we need your help 🙏 can you send us a email on how to build a stereo cutting head 😀? We need a list of the electronical parts...thanks in advanced Sir

[@davidseannelson]

The audio drivers in the head are 2 watt, P/N TEAX19C01-8, available from RS Components and other electronics suppliers. They cost a very few pounds or dollars each. All my signal processing, EQ etc is done digitally at the workstation, so the hardware chain (at present) is simply sound card -> amplifier -> recording head. I'd recommend some kind of meter circuit (VU) after the amp, which you can calibrate as required, and *definitely* a fuse in each signal line, again after the amp. I use 500 mA slow-blow fuses, and they have saved me from disaster on many occasions!

[@alfredtrerotola990]

Amazing!

[@froknzok]

I can hear more harsh mids and a dip in high freq on the cut , than the original. Probably, with a bit of eq during the cut you can fix it

[@Mrpurple75]

Very improved

[@tweeleaf]

i reckon with some more eq compensation, it will sound a lot closer to the original.

[@punkrockjemojzivot]

Just add a bit of bass on the EQ and it could sound almost just like original, nice

[@dylangergutierrez]

This is amazing! Have you considered trying to record at half or quarter speed?

[@sc0or]

You forgot two block on the initial process diagram: a sound mastering for a vinyl (which is very important), and a sound level prediction controller, that makes an intergroove distance smaller or bigger

[@davidseannelson]

Agree with you on mastering. The diagram in my video was taken from a 1940s manual for direct-to-disc recording, in which all signal processing must be done on the fly, at the time the musical performance is given. This is accomplished by the pre-amp, EQ unit and recording amp in the signal chain. For the same reason, it's generally not possible to adjust groove pitch for such recordings, unless the recordist is given prior knowledge of when to expect louder passages in the performance being recorded. Professional vinyl cutting studios, with the performance already in some recorded format, e.g. tape, do use variable pitch cutting; for the moment at least, I'm not bothering with that level of refinement!

[@sc0or]

@@davidseannelson Yes, I see. Actually I meant a proper compression, mono signal at low freqs, and so on. But you might know better your project, and when will be a proper time to apply this.

[@user-vj8pr3wz7v]

what size and type bearing do you use in your recorder love this awsome job thanks Alan cheers

[@davidseannelson]

See the preamble to the video - contains GitHub links to my build instructions!

[@ENYoung]

Hey my ancestors were from Edinburgh!!

[@omegadeca]

This is impressive. What can be done to improve it further to have a crisper sound? Just curious.

[@sylviaonthehighway2840]

That’s great sound quality for a home built project! Question, do your home cut records produce the same end of side distortion as older records?

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks! As the groove is impressed using a conical stylus (i.e. circular cross-section), it is not possible to record HF sounds with a wavelength shorter than the diameter of the cross-section. This is not a problem at the start of a 45 side, but if the track is a long one and extends to near the label then the linear speed of the groove under the playback stylus will be much slower, and so the high frequencies have to be rolled-off quite drastically to avoid distortion. Still, I can get a very pleasant sounding 6 - 7 min on a 7-inch side at 45 rpm, and 9 - 10 min on the same at 33, but these are absolute maxima!

[@sylviaonthehighway2840]

@@davidseannelson Thanks for the info! Have a good day.

[@Mirellarecords]

Excelent!!! How many watts got your amp? Sorry my bad English I'm from argentina

[@davidseannelson]

The amp is an ordinary domestic hi-fi separate, 85 W per channel.

[@Mirellarecords]

@@davidseannelson thanks for answer man I try the made this machine in the past . You know how is the minimum watts from a amp that I need to make a good emboss on polycarbonate disc? . I love this machine man congratulations 👏

[@davidseannelson]

@@Mirellarecords The two drivers in my cutter head are rated at 2 W continuous, but the extra headroom supplied by the 85 W amplifier is needed for short (a few ms) high-frequency peaks, such as in percussion. If the peaks are short enough the drivers will handle them without being destroyed - but it's wise to install a fuse in the line to each driver, just in case! Even the professional heads can only handle about 10 W continuous, but their amplifiers can be in the hundreds of watts.

[@Mirellarecords]

@@davidseannelson thank you so much !!!

[@viniciusarlindo9432]

Gostei muito do projeto vou comprar

[@snerttt]

I wish i had the time and dedication to do something like this (i also wish you were accepting commissions to cut CD's)

[@DaviHenn]

hello! first of all, sorry for the poor english, i'm from Brazil and i'am a huge fan of your project since the beginning. Watching your oldest videos i was abble to made my own lathe at home, only with 'junk' available at home. the lathe works very well and aloud me to release 100 copies of my first single as musician. i really don't know how to express how im gratefull for your machines updates and videos. there somethings that i didn't quite understand yet, like how many watts you have to send to the cutter-head? theres some abbey road videos theres the engineer says something about 600w per speaker, but if i do that at home i certantly gonna blow up everything, can you help me out? thanks for the great work and the awesome PDF! and again, sorry for the poor english😁

[@davidseannelson]

Hi and thanks for your comment! I'm very pleased that my older videos inspired you to make your own machine. The amplifier I use is an ordinary domestic hi-fi separate, 85 W, and the drivers on my latest recording head are rated for 2 W continuous. The apparent mismatch is because the extra power is needed to record very short, transient high-frequency details. If these are short enough - and the amplifier is not turned up too high - then the drivers will manage to dissipate the extra power without damage. However, experience has taught me to include a 500 mA fuse in the line to each driver, just in case. Even the professional heads can only handle about 10 W continuous, despite being driven by amplifiers in the 500 W - 1 kW range.

[@DaviHenn]

@@davidseannelson the quality is amazing! Thanks for the answer.

[@Gigidag77]

I wonder if you could raise the trebble prior to cutting to get closer to the source.

[@davidseannelson]

For embossing there is a physical constraint on the HF limit, in that the groove is impressed using a conical stylus, with a circular cross-section: the wavelength of the signal, as recorded in the groove, cannot be shorter than the diameter of this cross-section. On a good day I can get 8 - 10 K response.

[@rodrigocosta3368]

Do you have instructables or patreon with the project? That’s actually the better project to record lp. Amazing the for the quality you achieved.

[@JayTronik1]

you are a very smart person to build your own vinyl record cutter, whats the longest duration you can record and how much would it cost to get a disc? just curious... i mean, I would love to have a vinyl with some of my songs on it without paying hundred or even thousands of dollars

[@davidseannelson]

About 11 minutes seems to be the absolute limit for a 7-inch 45 r.p.m. side. I'd recommend 6 minutes as ideal and a maximum of no more than about 8 min 30 sec. I'm hoping to be in a position to offer a disc-production service very soon...!

[@Jukebox45s]

@@davidseannelson - Hello David - Please let me know when you have the disc-production service ready as I have been waiting for an affordable option to create 45s for my jukebox. Thanks

[@jimmiesmith5811]

@@davidseannelson Right 6 minutes anything over that then you might be running into distortion

[@robinnorfolk628]

David the output is awesome. A very commendable job. Kudos. A question, would there be a better groove cutting if the plate is pre heated. What program do you run to run the stepper motor.

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks! Yes, heating the blank disc to about 35°C and using a lubricant both help create a better groove. I use a vivarium heat lamp. The best lubricant I've found is WD40. Care must be taken not to over-heat because of its low flashpoint! The stepper is controlled by software I wrote for Arduino, harnessed by a GUI/control module running on a PC.

[@Capturing-Memories]

Does the head transport moves linearly or according to a curve where low frequencies have wide grooves and high frequencies have narrow grooves to save disc space?

[@davidseannelson]

The groove pitch is set for each track on a side. Given the very limited excursion (lateral stylus movement) for embossed records, there is no real need to worry about shortage of space. I can get about 8 minutes, sometimes quite a bit more, on one side of a 7-inch 45.

[@marklimbrick]

This is a suprisingly good result for a cutter head with no feedback to tame the resonance. The coil support surround is doing a good job. One thing about the pro Ortofon etc heads. They make a big deal of cooling and blow up easily because the feedback circuit and power amp tries to drive them with high frequency levels not found in 'natural' music. You are equalising the signal with a massive amount of high frequency boost, so those coils must be getting pretty cooked with anything more than short tracks? Or maybe you pick examples by chance that have the odd hi-hat and symbol but no electronic synth with the continuous overtones.

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks for your comment! The two 'coin exciters' in my cutter head are rated at 2 W continuous, but the amplifier - an ordinary domestic stereo one - can deliver 85 W, the extra headroom being needed for short (a few ms) high-frequency peaks, such as in percussion. If the peak is short enough the driver will handle it without frying itself; I have a 500 mA slow-blow fuse in line with each driver, just in case! So far I've been lucky, in that turning the amp up a bit too much just leads to over-modulation and an unplayable record. Even the pro heads such as the Neumann can only handle about 10 W continuous but are driven by amplifiers in the hundreds of watts. Two EQ curves were required to make my non-feedback head produce listenable results: first the inverse-RIAA as standard, as the RIAA curve is built into (nearly) every phono amp; and a second pass to damp the main resonance of the head, an attenuation of about -30dB at 500Hz. As I'm embossing the groove, using a conical stylus, it is not possible to record the highest frequencies, as the wavelength would be smaller than the diameter of the stylus. This leads to a widening of the groove, as the stylus effectively overwrites the portion of groove that it's just made, and possible distortion on playback. I did consider using a couple of tiny PC fans to cool the drivers, but worried that they might lead to vibration of the head and consequent noisy grooves.

[@edwardnowill4408]

Puzzled by ortofon feedback artifact as described.I use an ortofon SV8S system with a modern green head-transistorised amps-cps unit etc,serviced by Torben Roenne-Etec ltd Denmark/Sean Davies & have had satisfactory results [my lathe mastered records at Melodia for many years] Agree,the heads need careful handling [green ones more robust than earlier black ortofon recording heads] but have not had any spurious signal additions to music input to be cut,David Nelson's work here is remarkably good for an embossed disk recording

[@acel2413]

where do you recommend finding a record lathe for less than 1k

[@mohamedfgaier967]

hi for 12 inch vinyl 33rpm,how much speed rpm for stepper motor cutter head to get space between grooves?? for 7 inch 45 rpm ,how much speed for cutter head motor??

[@davidseannelson]

It depends on how far apart you want the groove windings to be... Generally I use between 70 and 110 lines/cm, depending on programme length and space available. As an example, let's take 80 lines/cm as your groove pitch. This means that the cutter head carriage has to advance by 1 mm in the time it takes the platter to rotate eight times. (Assume 1:1 gearing and a linear actuator thread pitch of 1 mm.) Then for a 33 rpm record, this would take 1.8 x 8 = 14.4 s, indicating a carriage motor speed of 4.17 rpm. For a 45 rpm record, the calculation would be 1.33 x 8 = 10.67 s, meaning that the motor would turn at 5.625 rpm.

[@rymoaudio]

Hey David! I'm looking to purchase a lathe - is there a way I can discuss this with you? Not sure how to get in touch otherwise. Thanks!

[@embrionikelektra]

hai im from indonesia. can i make my band records on vinyl. how much cost i pay, thank you

[@JMDAmigaMusic]

Wonder if this can be achieved with a laser

[@PioNunes]

By the way you described your original recording attempts I was really surprised by the quality of your disc recording. Have you managed to measure other characteristics such as stereo separation and THD?

[@davidseannelson]

The embossing process does not lend itself really to good stereo. There can be what I would have to describe as "spaciousness" in the sound, rather than true stereo. I have not attempted to measure harmonic distortion. Something to think about, I think!

[@may_68]

Nice work. I did wonder though why you converted the idler to belt drive? Obviously a change of motor would require reworking but an idler would give better w&f.

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks! My earlier attempts at this project used an original Lenco 75 idler drive deck, but I found that its motor could not provide enough torque to keep the platter up to speed under the heavy recording head. The platter would run slow at the start of recording, and gradually speed up as the head approached the centre of the record. The effect was more-or-less bearable on 7-inch records, but on anything much bigger, the change in speed became very obvious. Using a stepper motor and a belt may seem bizarre (and heretical to Lenco users), but the speed is absolutely constant now, even at the edge of a 12-inch disc. I measured W&F at 0.11%, which is to all intents undetectable by most people. Through use of a home-built PI controller, the speed is steady enough to allow pictures to be drawn in the grooves - see my other video, "Vinyl Draw", for details of this!

[@may_68]

@@davidseannelson thanks for the reply. I can imagine the Lenco wouldn’t have the torque required and by no means was it meant as a criticism. I am In awe with your project. It’s just that an idler drive has a peculiar and useful property in that the drive engages more so when load is increased. I just wondered what would happen if you drove the pulley with the stepper motor. Cheers

[@hroyd]

What kind of torque do you need at the platter. I have technics SL1200, but not sure that is enough. Wonder if reloop rp7000 at 4.5kg/cm is enough?

[@davidseannelson]

My turntable stepper motor is Wantai 42BYGHW609, which has a holding torque of 0.39 Nm or about 4 kg.cm, and the belt reduces the speed at the platter while correspondingly increasing torque. The actual running torque (to sustain speed under load without losing steps) will be rather less than the holding torque. I'm not sure if a holding torque of 4.5 kg.cm at the platter would be enough - the downforce at the recording stylus is 40 to 45 g, which is far more than that of a playback stylus. The Wantai motor easily handles the task without faltering, even at the edge of a 12-inch record.

[@hroyd]

Thanks!

[@vanhartman325]

Howdy David! I’m really interested in the programming behind the linear guard rail, is there any place I could get in contact with you to learn more?

[@davidseannelson]

Hi - I've made the whole thing (design, 3D-print files, programming and instructions) open-source - you can download the lot from the links given in the introduction to the video above. Hope this helps!

[@vanhartman325]

@@davidseannelson Thanks bunches mate you saved me a multiple headaches

[@DRsewage]

But you know that one speaker needs to be out of phase to another?

[@davidseannelson]

That's right! The two drivers are wired in antiphase. The idea being that, when a mono signal is fed to them, one 'pushes' the stylus while the other 'pulls' - yielding side-to-side excursion, which is what we want. If the drivers were in phase, the recording would be vertical-cut, or 'hill-and-dale'. Such records are playable, but would need a differently wired cartridge to reproduce properly.

[@yerpaderpa5k73]

Fantastic demonstration! How much weight do you apply to your cutting head?

[@davidseannelson]

Thanks! The total force exerted at the stylus tip is 40 grams. This is the force recommended by the manufacturers of the stylus.

[@yerpaderpa5k73]

@@davidseannelson Thank you very much for your response, David. I’m working on a Vanrock Atom E-101 at the moment and trying to troubleshoot some things. It’s fully functioning with new sapphire needle but it isn’t yielding good results.

[@DoowopJohnnyBoy]

Would you provide a cutting service I want to cut 30 vinyl acetates of my first single fro 95 ?

[@soundspark]

TMC2209, not just for keeping 3D printers from making a racket.

[@Corey32100]

Do you have any advice on a similar linear slide to the KR2001? I am hoping to build a similar lathe based on your tutorial but cannot find that model. Inspiring work here!

[@theofficialcindywonderful]

Do you sell these?

[@franciscochagas5891]

hello, I started this project but I'm having difficulty in building the sensors, and where to connect the arduino... can you help me?

[@davidseannelson]

The Arduino Uno connects to your PC through its USB port, and is controlled by the Vinyl Burn software running on the PC. I've just uploaded a scan of my hand-drawn circuit diagram, and an explanatory text file, to GitHub. This shows connections between the Arduino, the TMC2208 stepper driver and the limit sensors. If you're using the HY870P photointerrupters, or similar, you need resistors on both the LED and the sensor - I used 470 ohm for the LED and 10k for the sensor (connected as a pull-down). Hope this helps!

[@franciscochagas5891]

@@davidseannelson thanks for the feedback, tomorrow my arduino will be arriving... in this case I'm going to use micro switches not photo sensors

[@franciscochagas5891]

@@davidseannelson I'm trying to understand your drawing diagram, but it's difficult and the written part I have to translate into Brazilian...I'm picking up maybe the photo is more clear thanks

[@nevilleandann]

Make one record cutter for me family 😇😎🙏🙏🙏😍🥰💕💕

[@FunnyHaHa420]

Could it cut a See'N Say record? I've been wanting to try hacking my own sounds onto a classic one.

[@davidseannelson]

If these are multi-groove records (with several tracks running parallel) then yes, it is theoretically possible, but in practice it would be very difficult to drop the stylus at exactly the right moment and avoid bumping into a groove already present.

[@perthvinylrecording3721]

great work but why does your heads tilt forward it should be horizontal with the turntable when cutting or is the cradle diamond holder underneath horizontal?

[@davidseannelson]

The tilt of the head has been designed in to allow compensation for pick-up vertical tracking angle in stereo recordings. Opinion among hi-fi people is divided as to whether VTA compensation makes any difference at all - and it will indeed make no difference at all for my current production of embossed records, which tend to come out (mainly) in mono. However, at some future date I plan to do 'real' cutting, using a diamond cutting stylus, and will carry out comparison tests between this head and others with no tilt, to see if there is any difference! The stylus hole in the torque tube is bored at an equal complementary angle, so the stylus (whether for embossing or cutting) ends up vertical or thereabouts.

[@richardosontvbox3426]

Quanto um projeto desse você faz

[@vincenzopisani9737]

Hi, nice video, and very useful! Can I ask you for some advice? My name is Vincenzo and I live in Italy, I recently bought a vinyl engraver that works pretty well, but I'm having some problems with background noises, like creaking or 'clicks'. What can be done to get a cleaner sound? Do I need to work on the temperature of the needle or do I need to pass some liquid on the blank vinyl before recording, or something else? Thank you very much!

[@ricouochi9678]

Ciao Vincenzo, io da quel che so è meglio se il vinile è caldo (20-25 gradi) e poi cosa usi per soffiare\aspirare la polvere di vinile che genera la testina?

[@vincenzopisani9737]

Thanks it was an indispensable help. I solved problem . Thank you

[@huemungus69]

Seriously though, when can we buy these machines from you?!

[@goomemode3336]

Hey! Nice project, ive just got one question.. can you play them on normal stylicbecause the needle looks very big.. Could you use a normal needle for playing records

[@davidseannelson]

Yes - the records play back using a normal stylus for LP/45 records.

[@franciscochagas5891]

hello, do you have any solution when vinyl burn does not find the arduino on the pc?

[@davidseannelson]

Current version of Vinyl Burn will only detect Arduino Uno and Mega. The Nano (and possibly other models) cannot be detected. I'm working on a solution / workaround to this and will upload to GitHub when it's ready.

[@franciscochagas5891]

@@franciscochagas5891 ok..mine is arduino uno and does not work on 2 pcs that I have, detail that it is not the original arduino uno

[@franciscochagas5891]

@@davidseannelson ok...mine is arduino uno and does not work on 2 pcs that I have, detail that it is not the original arduino uno

[@danielmannings8138]

Are you any closer on putting out the information on how to build this, I'm very keen on building one so i would gladly paid for some sort of construction guide if need be.

[@davidseannelson]

I haven't forgotten about this! I started assembling some instructions last year but have had other things to occupy me over the last few months. Hope to get a first-cut of some instructions ready before long.