It’s such a niche hobby collecting records. When get into it we find more niches as we go along for instance audiophile recordings, originals & of course mono records. But to hear the ERC are so committed that they are using a mono cutting head is big news in the mono reissue market. They deserve our upmost respect for achieving this level of detail & authenticity. Michael a welcome new discovery for sure. Enjoy,Hope you’re keeping well 💪
I challenge you to listen to one of your ERC mono cutting head recordings with a true 1.0m Miyajima Mono cartridge and then say what you find! With a reissue again use a Miyajima mono but a 0.7m stylus. Until you do that you have not really tried mono. Any Miyajima mono owner can tell you- BUT try yourself.
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing. I also have a couple of ERC mono pressings and I was aware of that technical topic. Nobody else is cutting with a mono cutting head nowadays, so newer mono pressings are actually stereo pressing without any lateral modulation (except maybe a bit of noise or unbalanced signal). Even more tricky : how 'digital-source' mono reissues are done and cut ? probably with a computer mono switch, nobody really knows... Mono ERCs (and obvioulsy mono OG) are the only records to be played through a real mono cart (lateral mouvement only) to get this ''extra bit of taste'' mono records can have...
I’ve been using both mono and stereo cartridges for a few years. In my experience what is most important is that you like the sound of the cartridge you use - more important than using a true mono cartridge. Experiment with different stylus shapes too. Conical round stylus shapes may ride in the groove differently than a mildly elliptical shape stylus. One shape may sound better than another. I stay away from fine line or narrow styli shapes as they may damage mono records.
Really appreciate the knowledge! Makes me less desperate to have a mono setup, since I only have a handful of Mono OGs and ERCs where this would make a difference. I’ll settle for an adaptor that sums the stereo signal and be fine with that. Super nice to know that ERC goes to the trouble of using a Mono Cutting head though. I haven’t heard of anyone else doing this now.
Thank you for your latest vlog I always find them so informative. I have a separate mono cart as I have a certain amount of original jazz recordings in mono. It was only until recently that I thought all the mono reissues were cut with a mono head but maybe some are and some are not. I wish there was some kind of regulation were the record companies ( those who reissue and press the records ) had to give us the collectors the information we so want. Like you said E.R.C. tell you, Analogue Productions give you a certain amount of info. But I like to know with records that they have a pure analogue path, what the source was and how it was recorded and cut to vinyl. I laugh sometimes when I see vinyl on the high street that is classed as audiophile quality purely because it is 180 gram when most of the time the master was a compact disc. I must add I do have some really good quality digital vinyl from E.C.M.
Michael, ...regarding the comparison between mono and stereo, French Record Company will propose soon a very special and interesting surprise... ( and "miracle" in terms of violin LP collecting...) ; )
Hi Michael, would love to hear you do a review on the original Mono release of the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" album sometime?? Thank you for the wonderful assessments you provide us, each video!
Hi Michael, OGs should be run with 1,0m stylus, reissues with 0,7m. ERCs???? When they use the old mono-cutter-head, I assume also 1,0m. What do you think? Cheers Stefan
I do worry if playing mono records (cut with a stereo cutting head) on a mono cartridge will hurt your stylus. After all, playing stereo records on a mono stylus will hurt the record and the stylus.
I think even though a stereo cartridge can play back mono, it's still designed to play two grooves (west trex 45 45 ) and you can lose some resolution! But a mono cartridge is designed "specifically" for the "single track" groove! Just my take, i definitely could be wrong and if i am i hope someone tells me! Im just guessing here!
@@robertd2220 Yes indeed - Including the one 45 RPM is using. Can we please hear from Michael Fremer & Robin Wyatt who are much better educated on this subject. So much misinformation here. I would add that ERC does excellent mono recordings so this part is correct.
I would recommend listening to the mono pressings cut by Bernie for Classic Records, he used a true mono cutting head.
Absolutely 💯
It’s such a niche hobby collecting records.
When get into it we find more niches as we go along for instance audiophile recordings, originals & of course mono records.
But to hear the ERC are so committed that they are using a mono cutting head is big news in the mono reissue market.
They deserve our upmost respect for achieving this level of detail & authenticity.
Michael a welcome new discovery for sure.
Enjoy,Hope you’re keeping well 💪
I too just took the mono cart plunge, next is the quad decoder deep dive..
I challenge you to listen to one of your ERC mono cutting head recordings with a true 1.0m Miyajima Mono cartridge and then say what you find! With a reissue again use a Miyajima mono but a 0.7m stylus. Until you do that you have not really tried mono. Any Miyajima mono owner can tell you- BUT try yourself.
I Just bought me a new tonearm and a mono cartridge. Because I have a lot ERC and other original mono releases my listening experience will soon start
U go marcell❤❤❤❤
Hi Michael, thanks for sharing. I also have a couple of ERC mono pressings and I was aware of that technical topic. Nobody else is cutting with a mono cutting head nowadays, so newer mono pressings are actually stereo pressing without any lateral modulation (except maybe a bit of noise or unbalanced signal). Even more tricky : how 'digital-source' mono reissues are done and cut ? probably with a computer mono switch, nobody really knows... Mono ERCs (and obvioulsy mono OG) are the only records to be played through a real mono cart (lateral mouvement only) to get this ''extra bit of taste'' mono records can have...
Very neat discovery. Thank you for sharing.
I’ve been using both mono and stereo cartridges for a few years. In my experience what is most important is that you like the sound of the cartridge you use - more important than using a true mono cartridge.
Experiment with different stylus shapes too.
Conical round stylus shapes may ride in the groove differently than a mildly elliptical shape stylus. One shape may sound better than another. I stay away from fine line or narrow styli shapes as they may damage mono records.
Good to know Michael. I think you might hit the nail in the head with your deduction about the ERC's true mono re-issues.
Really appreciate the knowledge! Makes me less desperate to have a mono setup, since I only have a handful of Mono OGs and ERCs where this would make a difference. I’ll settle for an adaptor that sums the stereo signal and be fine with that. Super nice to know that ERC goes to the trouble of using a Mono Cutting head though. I haven’t heard of anyone else doing this now.
Thank you for your latest vlog I always find them so informative. I have a separate mono cart as I have a certain amount of original jazz recordings in mono. It was only until recently that I thought all the mono reissues were cut with a mono head but maybe some are and some are not. I wish there was some kind of regulation were the record companies ( those who reissue and press the records ) had to give us the collectors the information we so want. Like you said E.R.C. tell you, Analogue Productions give you a certain amount of info. But I like to know with records that they have a pure analogue path, what the source was and how it was recorded and cut to vinyl. I laugh sometimes when I see vinyl on the high street that is classed as audiophile quality purely because it is 180 gram when most of the time the master was a compact disc. I must add I do have some really good quality digital vinyl from E.C.M.
A mono cart reduces the noise from modern mono records, so is worth pursuing.
You get the same noise reduction when you use a stereo cartdrige with a mono switch.
@@robertd2220 Indeed.
I have been thinking for a long time to get a second arm with a mono cartridge but I have a 1200G!
The mono sound is the best on any album erc can do it i lke the mono sound the orignal u get the full effect on 8 mono speakers😊😊😊
8 x Wilson Audio Puppy .?
Michael, ...regarding the comparison between mono and stereo, French Record Company will propose soon a very special and interesting surprise... ( and "miracle" in terms of violin LP collecting...) ; )
This is cool😊😊😊😊
Hi Michael, would love to hear you do a review on the original Mono release of the Beach Boys "Pet Sounds" album sometime??
Thank you for the wonderful assessments you provide us, each video!
Hi Michael,
OGs should be run with 1,0m stylus, reissues with 0,7m.
ERCs???? When they use the old mono-cutter-head, I assume also 1,0m.
What do you think?
Cheers
Stefan
I do worry if playing mono records (cut with a stereo cutting head) on a mono cartridge will hurt your stylus. After all, playing stereo records on a mono stylus will hurt the record and the stylus.
I think even though a stereo cartridge can play back mono, it's still designed to play two grooves (west trex 45 45 ) and you can lose some resolution! But a mono cartridge is designed "specifically" for the "single track" groove! Just my take, i definitely could be wrong and if i am i hope someone tells me! Im just guessing here!
Many modern mono cartridges are modified stereo cartridges.
@@robertd2220 Yes indeed - Including the one 45 RPM is using. Can we please hear from Michael Fremer & Robin Wyatt who are much better educated on this subject. So much misinformation here. I would add that ERC does excellent mono recordings so this part is correct.