Audiokobo is Audio Laboratory and Factory what creates media for 78 rpm records on vintage gramophone.



Our Philosophy

We pass down ultimate sound sources to the future with high quality digital technology


From Edison's invention of wax cylinder to SP record, LP record, CDSACD, LD, DB, and Master Sound, media for music appreciation have been significantly developed with the progress of technology. In the process of this progress, reproduction of 24 bit 96/192KHz sound source with Master Sound in recent years might be said as the one that corresponds the second invention if Edison's is the first invention. Audiokobo is pursing high quality Master Sound from 78 rpm record also said to be ultimate sound source.

Recording equipment at Studio of Audiokobo

Sound Heritage : Gramophone

>Sound Box

>Bamboo/Steel/Metal              Needle

The bamboo needle is Shellman made royal type A. The core is hard so that it surely transmits the sounds of 78 rpm records to the duralumin diaphragm. 


>Maintenance

Daily maintenance is indispensable to obtain the best sound.

>Gramophone EMI-made HMV194(UK)

The key for reproducing 78 rpm records is Sound Box. The generator that generates sounds only with air vibration doesn't need electricity. Standard sound box of HMV#194 gramophone is 5A, but 5B is selectable. Right Sound Box is type 5A, and left Sound Box is type 5B. Type 5A tends to be suitable for the strings, and type 5B tends to be suitable for keyboard instruments.

The sound reproduced from Sound Box is amplified by internal horn, and emitted from the front. In order to extract the original sound of 78 rpm records emitted from this Sound Box as 24bit/192KHz high quality sampling, recording is done directly with the condenser microphone for studio. The range of sound is a little narrow, but the sound image is three-dimensional and its impressiveness is overwhelming when you listen to it at the first time.

>Illustration of the inside of           HMV #194

>Type 34 four piece mainspring motor (internal)

The power of the mainspring wound with a crank handle is directly transmitted to the center spindle via gears. Since it is driven by the minimum gears, vibration and noise are small.

*Source : "World Gramophones" (Seiun-sha)


The state of the art ICT technology

>AD/DA Converter(RME-made DAC)

RME FireFace UC is the product of RME which locates its headquarter in Germany and manufacture and sell studio recording related products. Up to 648 channels of matrix router and digital audio analyzer are feature by jitter control feature realized with high AD/DA performance and ultra-low latency, and up to 192 KHz sampling rate is supported. As this product is also adopted by many recording studios, and its sound quality is proven in the world, our studio is utilizing it as a micro preamplifier and AD/DA converter, which occupy the important position in this project.

>SW: DAW Studio One(Native 64Bit)              (Germany)

Studio One was developed by Wolfgang Kundrus, the maestro of DAW programming, as the central figure, and is Mac and Windows compatible DAW software which enables high quality project production with its overwhelming sound quality of next generation audio engine and unprecedented speed.

>High Performance Microphone                  C414LII Stereo Set (AKG)

Microphone polar patterns characteristics : 9 levels (Omnidirectional / Wide Cardioid / Hypercardioid / Bi-derectional (Mutual))

=Frequency Characteristics :20Hz-20KHz;

=Open Circuit Sensitivity :             -34dB(±0.5dB)re1V/Pa 

=Maximum Sound Pressure Level:

              140dB SPL (Pad OFF、THD 0.5%) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

=Frequency Characteristics:20Hz-20kHz 

=Open Circuit Sensitivity:

                          -34dB(±0.5dB)re1V/Pa 

=Maximum Sound Pressure Level:

               140dB SPL(Pad OFF、THD 0.5%) 


Our Mission

Like the structure of a gramophone as reproduction equipment, an early recording equipment directly vibrates needle with the diaphragm mounted deep inside the sound collector (horn), and engraves it on the master record (SP : Standard Playing or 78 rpm). This "mechanical recording" (acoustic recording) also appeared in "The King's Speech" depicting Prince Albert, Duke of York, England (later King George VI) in 1925. 78 rpm records from which rich sounds are able to be obtained by reproducing sounds without converting them into electrical signals can be said to have been in its golden age in those days.

 

By the appearance of LP (Long Player) after that, it rapidly declined, but recently its depth of sound quality begins to impress many people. Pieces distributed by Audiokobo are 78 rpm records created in 1900s. Gramophone which is reproduction equipment does not use electricity, so it is necessary to wind mainspring properly, and change needles as required for the protection of precious records. It takes much time to produce Master Sound, but we believe it our mission to handle carefully the one and only 78 rpm record which can be said human heritage, and pass down to next generation with high quality digital sound.