Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-in Record
The Cardas Frequency Sweep and Burn-in Record is a unique tuning tool for system set-up, diagnostics and maintenance. It was produced by George Cardas and mastered by Stan Ricker. The "Sweeper", in addition to the standard tones, includes frequency sweeps that ultrasonically clean the cartridge stylus and degauss the entire system, locked, pink noise grooves that repeat endlessly, blank plateaus, a sync label to check platter speed. All on a 180 gram pressing with a smiling Stan cover.
Side 1 • Sweeper • 45 rpm. Note: This are three cuts, interleaved with smooth sections, to be played at 45 rpm. Also works at 33 1/3rd rpm.
Track 1. Short Sweeps, short version (52 seconds)
Lock-out
Track 2. Short Sweeps, long version (4 minutes 46 seconds)
Lock-out
Track 3. “I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling” Artists: Tom Loncaric Band. Music Thomas Waller and Harry Link. Publisher: Ann Rachel Music. (2 minutes 29 seconds)
Lock-out
Track 4. 1K tone (740.74Hz @ 33 1/3rd rpm)
Lead-out spiral and final tie-off
Side 2 • Burn-In • 33 1/3 rpm. Note: Burn-in is mastered at two different speeds and designed to be played at 33 1/3 rpm. The first section, from the outside edge to the lock-out groove (the stylus will stay in the groove until lifted out), is mastered at 16 2/3 rpm. Tracks 2, 3 and 4 are mastered at 22 1/2 rpm.
Track 1a. Voice announcement by George Cardas, "Greetings from the left channel"
Spiral
Track 1b. Voice announcement by George Cardas, "From the right channel"
Spiral
Track 1c. Voice announcement by George Cardas, "From both channels" Note: This is lateral modulation (mono, in phase).
Spiral
Track 1d. "In polarity" Both channels in positive polarity
Spiral
Track 1e. "Out of polarity" Both channels in reversed or negative polarity Spiral
Track 1f. 13 strikes on a high "B-flat" on a piano Note: The last of the 3 strings are brought into zero-beat, dead-on tuning. Listen for the impact of hammer on string, quickly followed by room reflections mingling with one another, followed by a keener sense of the piano sound itself, as the ring-out time of the string exceeds that of the reverb time of the room.
Spiral
Track 1g. Hollow sticks, of various lengths and diameters, being struck, one on another. Note: It is recorded in a very reverberant, spacious environment. The spatial, impact and directional cues will not sound correct if the polarity is wrong.
Lock-out. Note: The remainder of this side is cut at 22.5 rpm and consists of three wide bands of pink noise, separated by two blank, 1/2 inch wide plateaus. The plateaus are protected by two blank grooves on each side, to keep the stylus from sliding into the pink noise. The three wide bands are groups of individually locked grooves of mono pink noise, recorded at "0" dB, relative to NAB standard level. These are continuous grooves and the stylus will stay in a groove until it is lifted out. This 180 gram pressing is made of specially formulated hard vinyl.
Track 2. 20 locked grooves, lateral modulation (mono)
1/2” wide, unmodulated plateau
Track 3. 32 locked grooves, vertical modulation (out-of phase)
1/2” wide, unmodulated plateau
Track 4. 20 locked grooves, lateral modulation (mono)
Track 5. 26 unmodulated grooves Note: These unmodulated grooves facilitate electro-forming (matrix) operations and help vinyl flow in the record press, for a quieter, flatter disk.
Lead-out spiral and final tie-off
Pressing: 180 gram, specially formulated hard vinyl
Mastering Lathe: Neuman VMS 66 lathe
Cutter Head: Helium cooled, Neuman SX-74
Controller: A Sontec Compudisk computer
Motor: Technics 5-speed direct drive Console and cutter head electronics: Keith O. Johnson
