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When I was a boy, in the 1970, our neighbor shipped some old, worn records across the pond to have them photographically read/restored - he got the results as an open-reel magnetic tape. Today, I am quite sure that must have been 78rpm records - I very much doubt that the technology of the 1970s was good enough to do it on 'microgroove' vinyl records. He was very satisfied with the results, claiming to hear instruments (he specifically mentioned triangles) that he had never heard from the mechanical record. The stylus rides down in track, not touching the edges between the 'land' and 'valley' surface areas, so these edges are not worn with use. In stray light almost parallel to the surface let the original, the original, unworn edge could be read with an optical pickup, as the borderline between the lit land and the dark, shadowed valley.
I was considering if a similar technique would be possible on 'modern', stereo vinyl records. Some simple back-of-envelope calculations did tell me that it is not a project for your hobby workshop in your basement.
Say that you use a microscope with an image area 0.2 to 0.1 mm wide - vinyl grooves are typically packed 7.5/mm, on some records up to 10/mm. Assume the microscope ocular is a high-res 8K video sensor. Since the image must capture both sides of the groove (on a stereo record), there are 4K pixels to each side. This is to capture the amplitude of the signal: 12 bits of resolution at the very most. More like 11 bits on the average. Maybe you can steal an extra bit of resolution by looking at the bit on the edge: is it almost white, light gray, middle gray, dark gray, almost black?
What about the microscope optics? Can it, for an image area, 0.1 mm wide, provide a resolution of 8K pixels? That is pixel width of approx. 0.01 - 0.02 µm on the record surface. The traditional resolution measures, such as line pairs/mm is not directly transferable to sensor pixels, and I am by no means an expert in the field anyway, but from what I read about microscopes, that is significantly beyond the capabilities of traditional optical ones. The wavelength of the light limits the resolution. Maybe you can get closer by using short-wave UV?
... What fascinates me is that what I want to read out are no smaller details than the pickup stylus manages to read out! From a top quality, factory new vinyl record, it can deliver at least 60 dB S/N. That sure isn't more than 10 bits, but it does it almost without any effort. Why should it be so much more difficult to trace the edge optically than with a needle?
So I cannot let go the idea of reading the edges of the groove optically, as well as the simple mechanical stylus does it. Hoping that there will be some way of doing it, the next step is how to decode the waving edge forms to proper music. Even if we call it 'analog', it isn't as identical to the sound waves as we are led to believe; you need do correct for various curvature of the grove, various linear speed, separate the stereo channels, do proper de-emphasis, and then noise removal which might benefit a lot from the direct microscope images to identify e.g. dust particles ...
At the moment, the real show stopper seems to be how to read the curves optically with the same precision that we can to mechanically. The subsequent steps are, essentially, not that advanced math. I just would like to have it ready when the imaging problem is solved ... 
(No, I am not expecting to be able to build such an optical pick up; I just use the problem as a mental toy.)
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Fascinating solution!
However, the guy in the video seems very focused on 'no digitalization', direct to analog. That means you have no option to use digital techniques to e.g. handle scratches, dust particles etc.
The video doesn't tell anything about how the laser beam is read. The simple 2D figure shows two laser beams perpendicular to the sides, but how do you then detect how far away the side is? How is the amplitude measured? I wouldn't be surprised if that is a business secret ...
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If he is really determined to stay analog, I'm betting you could get an analog signal from the laser reflections. Just raise the price even more -- all of those analog-loving audiophiles will still beat a path to your door!
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Mono recording uses 90/180 degree wiggles. In other words, left to right wiggles. Stereo uses 45/225 degree wiggles for one channel and 315/135 degree wiggles for the other channel. So if a mono record is played on a stereo cartridge, the same signal appears in both channels. If a stereo recording has a perfectly centered sound, it would be (almost) 90/180 degree wiggles. This is one of the reasons why exact cartridge alignment makes such a difference in sound quality.
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#Worldle #278 2/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜➡️
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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I'm using a Dockteck 7-in-1 USB C Hub Multiport Adapter connected to a Dell XPS 17 9710 laptop.
The ethernet cable from the Dockteck, and the ethernet cable from another laptop, connect to my 24 port router and then the cable modem.
Now here's the fun part. During "heavy" upload, copying files to a server or sharing my screen in Teams, Dell XPS loses internet occasionally. The only thing that restores the hardwired connection is a full reboot.
Now here's the weird part. The other laptop also loses its hardwired connection! Rebooting the first laptop restored the other laptop's internet connection.
WTF? Why is there a dependency? I suppose I could try plugging in both cables directly to the modem box as it has enough ports, or maybe the modem box is barfing for who knows what reason and that affects everything?
Gremlins, I say.
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connect both laptops to modem. mine has 2 available ethernet ports on modem. I have seen such weirdness when I used multi-port adapter. I use 2 desktops.
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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jmaida wrote: connect both laptops to modem
Done!
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I almost always blame the elephanting all in one wireless router/modem boxes ISPs saddle you with. They are dodgy as heck in my experience.
To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.
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I agree. I have gone through several in last 3 years. Last one is Xfinity's top of the line. Better but dodgy at times. I bought one (cisco modem) with separate wireless interface and it worked good until Comcast decided they were no longer compatible. Grrr.
"A little time, a little trouble, your better day"
Badfinger
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1. See if the USB/Ethernet device is getting real hot.
2. I have 2 USB3 to Ethernet "dongles", both have 3 USB3 ports. One works on Windows/Mac/Linux/Pi. The other "sort of" works on Windows and Linux. It also gets very hot.
I have never had a disconnect due to the cable companies router, I have had them die and Comcast decides to unplug stuff from time to time, but they always admit it and reassure me that their techs are "working very very hard" to fix it. I tell them they should work smart, not hard
>64
Some days the dragon wins. Suck it up.
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theoldfool wrote: See if the USB/Ethernet device is getting real hot.
Yes it does, and I also have a monitor running off the HDMI connector, so it's a busy little beast.
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Possibly the 24-port hub/switch has a problem. I’ve seen only one in 25 years have a problem, but it happens. But as another person said, plug the Dockteck into the modem and see if that solves it. At least you’ll know.
Good luck.
Time is the differentiation of eternity devised by man to measure the passage of human events.
- Manly P. Hall
Mark
Just another cog in the wheel
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Mark Stars post inspired these additional thoughts.
Try a different port on the switch, Try a different cable (if you are plugged into modem and still have problems)
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Epic has released Fallout 3 GOTY for 100% off. Not sure for how long, but this is a fantastic game. Used to be my favorite before Fallout 4 was released. Bless Epic. I already own the game, but I thought some of you could take advantage, if you're into that sort of thing.
https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/fallout-3-game-of-the-year-edition[^]
To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.
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honey the codewitch wrote: Not sure for how long
Quote: Sale ends 10/27/2022 at 6:00 PM
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." ― Albert Einstein
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Fair enough. Thanks. I didn't really look at the page because I already own the game.
To err is human. Fortune favors the monsters.
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Get another copy for free, and you can play it twice? 
"I have no idea what I did, but I'm taking full credit for it." - ThisOldTony
"Common sense is so rare these days, it should be classified as a super power" - Random T-shirt
AntiTwitter: @DalekDave is now a follower!
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OriginalGriff wrote: Get another copy for free
If it's anything like GTA, people get freebie copies whenever they can get ahold of them just to be nuisances to others, without risking getting their "good" character profile banned...
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I should be thanking you for letting us know, but given the timesink I've heard this game can be, I just might end up cursing your name...
And given that GTA Online is still the only game I play regularly, even something as old as this still looks pretty damned good to me. And my gaming rig should be more than capable to run it.
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Going back to Fallout3 after playing Fallout 4 and Fallout 76 feels weird and everything is slow.
The game mechanisms are more or less the same, but we can see a real progression in the newer games.
I really like the real-time VATS of Fallout 76.
CI/CD = Continuous Impediment/Continuous Despair
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See what's in this update...
Quote: The Windows 10 2022 Update (Windows 10, version 22H2) delivers a scoped set of improvements in the areas of productivity and management.
All one need to say...
"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." ― Albert Einstein
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