Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Getting Groovy -- Playing Records without a Needle

Posted by michael on from the no-skipping dept.

WillOutPower writes "The New York Times is carrying a story of two physicists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory developing a method of recording sound from old records (remember spinning your platters on the hi-fi?) but not by playing them, instead taking a picture of them. Or more specifically the groove in the record. The Library of Congress is funding the research, which is in the nascent stages. Now maybe I can throw out that old Victrola in the attic and make room for my clunker i386 PC." We've mentioned this before.

3 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Their website by breon.halling · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www-cdf.lbl.gov/~av/

    --
    "Yeah, well, Dracula called and he's coming over tonight for you and I said okay."
  2. Another approach by Anonymous+Codger · · Score: 3, Informative

    This company sells a laser turntable that plays your LPs by reading the grooves with a laser, ala CD. No contact, no wear and tear on the record. Big bucks, of course.

    The technique described in the article goes farther, though, as it apparently allows recovery of sound from records, wax cylinders, and the like, even if broken.

    --
    No sig? Sigh...
  3. Not the 1st. Lasers have been used for years. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

    ELP Laser Turntable

    http://www.elpj.com/