Ortofon - Concorde MKII Digital - Turntable Cartridge

Ortofon - Concorde MKII Digital - Turntable Cartridge

The Concorde Digital is designed to extend the life of timecode vinyl and minimize errors in decoding

A cartridge consists of three basic components: the stylus that traces the record groove, the cantilever, the part on which the stylus is mounted, and the generating system. The generating system converts the motion of stylus and the cantilever into electrical replicas of the sound, which can then be amplified and reproduced by the music system.

The Stylus
The stylus is the only part of the cartridge to make contact with the record. A force must be exerted by the tonearm to keep the stylus in the groove while the record is spinning. This tracking force is low, usually between three and four grams. But because the stylus has a “footprint” of less than one millionth of a square inch of the record face, it exerts a tremendous pressure: 6,000 pounds per square inch. At such enormous pressure, any roughness or irregularity in the stylus would cause record damage. The stylus must also be very hard or it will wear out quickly. For these reasons, quality styli are precision made from the finest and hardest material known: pure diamond. The Spherical stylus is for heavy back-cueing and scratching which helps it stay in the groove. the Special Elliptical stylus is for lighter back-cueing and scratching giving the best sound performance.

The Cantilever
The purpose of the cantilever is to act as an intermediate between the stylus and the generating system. Compared to its size the stylus moves at tremendous speed while tracking the groove of the spinning record. In order that the cantilever may accurately transmit the rapid stylus movements, it should be lightweight so it can respond without inertia to the twists and turns of the groove. At the same time the cantilever should be rigid, because any bending, flexing or vibration would add distortion and sound coloration. The necessary compromise between lightweight and high strength requires great ingenuity in the design as well as the choice of the materials.

The Generating System
High fidelity Ortofon cartridges follow the law of electromagnetism, discovered by the Danish scientist H.C.Oested. When material capable of conducting electricity (a copper coil) is set into motion perpendicular to a magnetic field - or when a magnet is moved near such conductive material – electrical current is generated in the circuit. The direction and speed of the movement determine the amplitude and frequency of the current. Thus the generating system of a cartridge converts to movement of the stylus and cantilever into an output signal.

At the same time the Concorde MKII Digital provides optimal output voltage and sound quality for use with conventional vinyl. This optimized 10 mV output voltage maximizes the signal-to-noise ratio of the audio being fed to the software, which results in better interpretation of the timecode signal. Furthermore, a decrease in the reproduction of frequencies where vinyl wear & crackle occur helps to minimize errors in the interpretation of the timecode signal and helps timecoded vinyl records last longer.

Cartridge Types:

• CC Single
• CC Twin (2 Cartridges)

Accessories:

• Stylus (Add-On)
• Finger Lift (Add-On)