RIAA Settings

[Leeway]

On many of the old LPs I come across, ther ewill be a liner to the effect:

"For best results use RIAA playback equalization" - or words to similar effect. The instruction usually says to set your controls to the RIAA curve or setting.

I believe RIAA stands for Recording Industry Association of America. But what was "RIAA playback equalization" or setting, and how was this adjustment made? Is this an adjustment to the turntable or the amplifier control?

[Chuck Nessa]

It refers to equalization, a preamp function. The RIAA curve became the standard and was built into the equipment. You can read about it HERE

[Jim Alfredson]

Vinyl has a lot of high-end so all phono preamps apply EQ to the signal before the amp in order to balance the frequencies. Otherwise vinyl would sound tin-y and have little or no bass. The RIAA curve is a default EQ standard for vinyl now. There were others but they didn't catch on.

[Jim Alfredson]

By the way, I fixed Chuck's link. It works now.

[Chuck Nessa]

By the way, I fixed Chuck's link. It works now.

Geez! I screwed something up? Imagine that!

[Leeway]

Thanks Chuck for the article, which does explain qwhat the RIAA curve is all about. The following is from that article:

In the 50's, there was no standard for the correction process mainly because record companies had not standardized the recording equalization. Amplifiers in that time therefore allowed their owner to adjust the equalization parameters. In the 60's the RIAA curve became the standard for recordings.

I was just playing an original Prestige pressing (West 50th Street) of "Hip Harp, which bears the following instruction:

Users of wide range equipment should adjust their controls to the RIAA curve for best results.

What I am curious about is was there an RIAA control knob or dial on preamps or amps that allowed these changes to be made? Was this an original feature of equipement of that period? And how did the home audio user know how to make this calibration? basically, I'm interested in knowing how the typical listener of the period would actually make these adjustments.

[Chuck Nessa]

For a short time amps had an RIAA setting but this changed as it became the "standard".

[7/4]

AN EARLY PRE-INTERNET WAY OF TRACKING YOUR LISTENING HABITS.

[wolff]

What I am curious about is was there an RIAA control knob or dial on preamps or amps that allowed these changes to be made? Was this an original feature of equipement of that period? And how did the home audio user know how to make this calibration? basically, I'm interested in knowing how the typical listener of the period would actually make these adjustments.

My Heathkit(SP-2) pre has an EQ knob/switch for 78, Columbia and RIAA.

A few high-end pre's include the Columbia EQ even today, for those with these LP's.

BTW...I like this old (45 years) pre-amp. It's pretty much dual-mono and I can run the phono stage straight to my amp as each section(input) has it's own output controls.

I have a feeling this thing would be hard to beat if I updated the resistors/capacitors in the phono stage.

[Leeway]

Interesting. I'm not surprised that Heathkit would have suitable controls. It also reminds me how popular Heathkits were (maybe still are for all I know) among the electronics set. One of my friends, who went on to become an engineer (unlike very math-challenged Leeway) would build Heathkits almost routinely, and they had a very good rep for value and performance.

[JSngry]

What's the "Columbia" EQ?

[wolff]

I guess it's the EQ Columbia used before adopting RIAA. Here is a LINK to the EQ some other labels used before RIAA. And here is a link to a current pre that addresses this. LINK

Edited December 22, 2004 by wolff

[hockman]

Although the curves were standardized in the late 50s, many recording companies continued to use their own settings. This sometimes explain why certain LPs do not sound right or good.

I have a phono preamp that allows adjustment to the curves. It does make a significant difference -- it works like a "tone" control. This adjustment is almost non existent on preamps these days. They are all usually based on the standard RIAA curve.

[mmilovan]

Yes, they were standardized in late 1950’s. But most of the records until that period were recorded using custom curves (the same goes for 78rpm record, every record company has its own curves), that sometimes can be hard to tweak to. Have one Capitol 12 inch Coleman Hawkins record from around 1951 (reissued tunes from 1946 session), and when listening with regular phono preamp it sounds with too much bass. Transferred that to PC and made custom EQ, to sound more natural.

Some phono preamps have knob to adjust proper record curve, but these are more expensive ones.

[Clunky]

adjustable EQ phono amp

[AllenLowe]

Multi band EQ's are relatively cheap,and can radically transform speakers and system, not to mention the bad work of reissue engineers -

[Leeway]

Multi band EQ's are relatively cheap,and can radically transform speakers and system, not to mention the bad work of reissue engineers -

Interesting how EQs have mostly dropped fromt the high-end audio scene; indeed, most high-end equipment offers very little in the way of tone or EQ controls, on the theory, I believe, that they degrade the signal being processed.

[Chuck Nessa]

Interesting how EQs have mostly dropped fromt the high-end audio scene; indeed, most high-end equipment offers very little in the way of tone or EQ controls, on the theory, I believe, that they degrade the signal being processed.

This might tell you something about the "high end audio" marketers and by extension, the followers. Few of these "experts" dealt with this stuff "back then".

[porcy62]

Interesting how EQs have mostly dropped fromt the high-end audio scene; indeed, most high-end equipment offers very little in the way of tone or EQ controls, on the theory, I believe, that they degrade the signal being processed.

This might tell you something about the "high end audio" marketers and by extension, the followers. Few of these "experts" dealt with this stuff "back then".

But EQs were the top of "high end audio" marketers and by extension, the followers, only fifteen years ago