Perfect Groove Status Update

[andreas.wagner]

Hi. Andreas here – the developer of Perfect Groove.
With the HD Vinyl project on hold, we have decided to make the current version of Perfect Groove available to everyone.

Development of Perfect Groove won't continue for the foreseeable future and there won't be any support.
But you can now download the latest release for free at https://www.perfectgroove.com

Thanks to everyone who supported me in the development of this software! It'd been fun

[boryo]

Thanks!!! Did you ever though about open sourcing it so we could play with it?
Best, Bob

[andreas.wagner]

No, open source is nothing I would consider at the moment.
But I've been in touch with Tokyo Dawn Labs who recently presented a similar, VST based tool and maybe we can create some open standard or code derived from both products down the road.
Stay tuned

[boryo]

Great! Thanks!

[dubcutter89]

Danke Andreas!

Wünsche dir/euch alles gute für die Zukunft!

LG
Lukas

[alexsation]

Hi Trolls, I'm having trouble activating my free license key. Am I the only one having problems or everyone who uses Perfect Groove ? Who has information?

[boogievan]

Hi Alex, did you use the 'Free License Credentials' on the website? Email Address: vinylator@perfectgroove.com /
License Key: 22B0-06AB-98BD

I used them on Mac OS 10.14.1 (which I still use for compatibility with soundBlade and QuickTime Pro) and was able to run Perfect Groove perfectly. (: Bonne chance, là-bas, Monsieur.

[David34]

Thank you!!

[boryo]

Is anyone able to run this program? It keeps crashing everytime I click 'play' button... Running it on MacOS Big Sur. Thanks!

Edit: I've just installed it and the output was set to my AirPods. Once I switched to built-in it stopped crashing.

[analogueheart]

Hi Andreas,

Thanks very much - it's a facinating program, which is definitely helping me (and my students!) to understand the vinyl cutting process. I have one question - does the digital mater / analogue preview function working? They appeared to be greyed out on the menu and the icons can't be selected. I'm running the Apple Silicon version, if that makes any difference.

All the best!
Mike

[andreas.wagner]

Hey Mike!

Just a quick note—I've removed the "Analog Preview" feature in the latest release.

I had started experimenting with simulating certain aspects of groove playback (like tracing error from stylus geometry and tracking error at high velocities), and merged those into the analog preview signal. It was a cool idea and worked to some extent, but it needed more research to become a reliable tool for predicting playback errors.
When development on PG was winding down, I decided to take the feature out—I didn’t want to leave something half-baked in the software.

If anyone out there wants to pick up those threads, let me know. It could make for a great bachelor’s or master’s thesis topic!

Cheers /Andreas

PS: I’m surprised by how much feedback and how many questions I still get to date about PG! I’m currently working on something new that focuses more on the educational side of things—aimed at making working with virtual grooves much more accessible for students.

[Oldskoolhousehead]

]

As a vinyl enthusiast person I tried Amanda Ghassaei's program in order to make stl grooves from sound files, but I failed (I'm not a tech savy person). So I must say that, it's too bad that stl export was unabled on your software. It could be a revolutionary approach for electronic dance music scene.

[andreas.wagner]

I'm not familiar with that software, but I'll definitely check it out.
STL sounds like 3D printing? Trust me, that would sound really bad — and here's why:

A 1 kHz reference tone at 0 dB disk level (i.e., ~7 cm/s RMS velocity) will move the groove laterally by about 10 µm. On a mastering lathe, you can cut that same tone at -90 dB and still pick it up with a decent turntable and cartridge. That groove, at -90 dB, will move laterally less than 1 nm!! At -60 dB (which is around the minimum level acceptable for a dubplate), the lateral movement is still just 10 nm. No 3D printing method I know of can reproduce such tiny structures.

If you took a groove STL and 3D printed it, it would sound verrrrrry noisy. (It has been done nevertheless, there's at least one paper about it)

THAT SAID, I think there's lots of fun and potential in working with a virtual groove – that’s why I’m working on a common format to describe virtual groove data, which can also be transformed to STL if needed.

Cheers /Andreas

*) A normal LP might average around +6 dB; a really loud record can hit +14 dB.

[mrd]

THAT SAID, I think there's lots of fun and potential in working with a virtual groove – that’s why I’m working on a common format to describe virtual groove data, which can also be transformed to STL if needed.

i would be very interested in this! I've got a performance practice where I'd like to be able to visualise a changing groove in (as near as possible) to real time, live... do you think this might work with what you're working on?

[Oldskoolhousehead]

Thank you for your reply. What on my mind is micro cnc machining, not 3D printing. Best regards, Kerem aus der Türkei.

[FILMTOOLS]

Thanks for the software I am getting into Vinyl cutting hobby and its amazing. I am wondering if you know of a Vienna based company that developed a high resolution 3d printing. Wondering if this could print records that rivals cutting them by diamond tip.

As innovation leader in the field of high-resolution 3D printing,
we see it as our mission to upscale nanofabrication.

UpNano is a Vienna (Austria) based high-tech company with the focus on development, manufacturing and commercialization of high-resolution 3D-printers. The systems are based on 2-photon-polymerization which offer industry-leading speed and resolution down to 0.2 µm. UpNano is committed to providing customers with a holistic package of hardware, software and optimized printing materials, for the fabrication of polymeric microparts as well as the unique possibility of bioprinting in a native cell environment. Using UpNano’s cutting-edge technology makes it possible to print objects with sizes ranging from the sub-micrometer to the centimeter range and up to 40 mm in height – within times and precision never achieved before.

UpNano was founded in September 2018 as a spin off of the TU Wien and has since developed into an established provider of 3D printing systems for research facilities, universities and businesses worldwide.

[markrob]

Hi,

Just need to increase your resolution by a factor of about 1000 and your are there. Cutting a disc requires resolution in the nm range down near and below the wavelength of light.

Mark