Ortofon Develops Tribute Mono Cartridge

NEWS
by Neil Gader
Jun 17, 2014

Danish cartridge manufacturer Ortofon working closely with Universal Music Group designs new mono cartridge celebrating Apple Corps Ltd’s and Universal Music Group’s release of The Beatles Mono Box Set.

Thanks to a cooperative effort between Universal Music Group and Ortofon—a phono cartridge manufacturer in business for more than fifty years when the Beatles were still in the studio making records— Beatles fans can maximize their Beatles Mono Box Set listening experience with Ortofon’s new 2M Mono Special Edition cartridge specifically created as a tribute to the new mono Beatles albums set.

Guy Hayden, VP at Universal Music Group: “Apple Corps Ltd and Universal Music Group have been paying great attention to the re-mastering of the original mono master tape to keep the original sound, as experienced by The Beatles back in the studio. Therefore, it was important to us to ensure that the first interaction with the vinyl, being the cartridge, provides the best possible replay. During our dialogue with Ortofon we realised the importance of using a mono cartridge for the full listening experience and we are pleased that they have decided to develop the 2M Mono Special Edition”.

Ortofon’s Leif Johannsen, CO Acoustics and Technology, explains the importance of a mono cartridge: “While a stereo cartridge can play mono records it can’t achieve the same signal precision between the two channels. A mono cartridge produces but one signal that is directed to both channels in the system. A mono cartridge playing a mono record produces a more forceful and stable image with a fuller, more impactful sound.”

Established in 1918, Ortofon has long been a world leader in the design and manufacturing of high-precision phonograph cartridges. The company’s extensive knowledge of vinyl sound reproduction and its high-technology manufacturing capabilities help it to produce a wide range of cartridges capable of extracting maximum musical information from both mono and stereo vinyl records.

Christen H. Nielsen, CEO of Ortofon: “Ortofon wishes to pay tribute to this important Apple Corps Ltd and Universal Music Group release. The Beatles have an important place in many music lovers’ hearts and Ortofon is honoured to work with Universal Music Group to ensure high quality, modern replay from The Mono Box Set”.

The 2M Mono Special Edition will be available only from Ortofon’s web shop at www.ortofon-shop.com.

By Neil Gader

My love of music largely predates my enthusiasm for audio. I grew up Los Angeles in a house where music was constantly playing on the stereo (Altecs, if you’re interested). It ranged from my mom listening to hit Broadway musicals to my sister’s early Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Beatles, and Stones LPs, and dad’s constant companions, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. With the British Invasion, I immediately picked up a guitar and took piano lessons and have been playing ever since. Following graduation from UCLA I became a writing member of the Lehman Engel’s BMI Musical Theater Workshops in New York–working in advertising to pay the bills. I’ve co-written bunches of songs, some published, some recorded. In 1995 I co-produced an award-winning short fiction movie that did well on the international film-festival circuit. I was introduced to Harry Pearson in the early 70s by a mutual friend. At that time Harry was still working full-time for Long Island’s Newsday even as he was writing Issue 1 of TAS during his off hours. We struck up a decades-long friendship that ultimately turned into a writing gig that has proved both stimulating and rewarding. In terms of music reproduction, I find myself listening more than ever for the “little” things. Low-level resolving power, dynamic gradients, shadings, timbral color and contrasts. Listening to a lot of vocals and solo piano has always helped me recalibrate and nail down what I’m hearing. Tonal neutrality and presence are important to me but small deviations are not disqualifying. But I am quite sensitive to treble over-reach, and find dry, hyper-detailed systems intriguing but inauthentic compared with the concert-going experience. For me, true musicality conveys the cozy warmth of a room with a fireplace not the icy cold of an igloo. Currently I split my time between Santa Fe, New Mexico and Studio City, California with my wife Judi Dickerson, an acting, voice, and dialect coach, along with border collies Ivy and Alfie.