Neumann AM32B Lathe: 1961

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• There's no question that Neumann _cutter heads_ are the overwhelming choice of mastering engineers today. And probably Neumann solid state amplifiers as well. I don't think anyone is cutting with tube amps any more but I could be mistaken.

  A lot of lathes have been scrapped and a lot have went overseas to Asian buyers for use as turntables and WGBD totems. Still, lathes aren't that tough to get. The desireable cutter heads are. Mono cutter heads and the stereo heads not in demand are relatively cheap. The tube amps that don't require noisy forced air cooling (a lot of later ones used 4CX250s and such) have also seemingly vanished, although one doesn't see them in MJ Musen-To-Jikken ads (I looked).

  There are less than half a dozen guys actually cutting and most of them will answer most any question you have.

• I use exactly this lathe , but with a Neumann sx 74 stereo cutter head , and the lathe is now controlled with a digital pitch controller.

• "Still, lathes aren't that tough to get."

  Um, really? With the resurgence in the vinyl market and the fact that most lathes were either thrown away or sold for scrap metal, it is actually quite difficult to find a descent lathe these days. And, if you can find one, you will be paying a lot more than you would have just a few years ago. I just saw a mono suitcase style lathe (ones people bought for home use) go for about 9K USD. Five years ago you be lucky to sell it for a 1/10 the price.

  "There are less than half a dozen guys actually cutting"

  What???? There are at least 150 to 200 Neumann VMS70 lathes out there still running and being used. Maybe another 50 in private collections and museums. That just covers the pro Neumann end. When you start to consider all the hobbiest cutters and those using semi-pro Vinylium or Vinyl Recorder systems there has to be at least 300 to 400 people in the world still cutting.

  I cut on a Neumann VMS70, SX74 cutterhead, VG74 Rack with custom built MIDI control system. I am currently working on a modern pitch controller that is PC Computer based.

  deepgroovesmastering.com

• Viz RCA's New York studios: It was starting in 1961 that the label began using Neumann AM-32 lathes for stereo sides, while confining their Scully 601 lathes to mono cuttings only. It was around that time if not later that this was also the case at RCA's Hollywood studios. This was almost true at RCA's Chicago studios, except they had a stereo Scully 601 as well as a Neumann.

• I have for sale 1 Neumann SX74 cutterhead.
  Aurimas.poznanskas@gmail.com

  • how much?

  • Classics.