PANASONIC SE-405 CD-4 DEMODULATOR

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This one still has the seal on the factory settings, but I guess each cart. will react differently.
"what are the differences in the PANASONIC SE-405 and PANASONIC SE-405H models?"
H models came with the Panasonic SC, ready calibrated for that. MM might use another calibration. might: think the calibration is more for the inner electronic. I checked several times, but I'm using the same config for the MM's and the media-players. A simple VU meter helps a lot.
 
I've gotten to a place with this stuff that I just dive in at the get go and see what shakes out; I'll run some CD-4 test LPs in a bit to see if I can fine tune anything. Again, this demodulator came in looking very clean and the Separation & Carrier Level pot adjustments are still covered by the factory label. It came from the seller with no extras, so I don't have the original test record for this unit (I'm wondering if a Marantz disc would work? :unsure:)

But the good news is that this Demodulator seems to be working fine as far I know. Yes, I still have a bit of background hum from it, but not as much as my Marantz. So some low level Noise Reduction took care of it.

I just hooked it up and ripped it to AA3 at 96x24 with a +6db boost since it's a Japanese CD-4 (12dbs was too much on this LP.)

here's the discogs for the LP I ripped:

https://www.discogs.com/release/2691902-Takeshi-Onodera-Los-Onoderas-Dynamic-Latin-Drums
The cart. I used here was the AT-15S

You can see by this pic of Side 1 of the wav Spectrograms, the 30K carrier signal appears to be locked in pretty well.

Panasonic SE-405 -30K spectrogram.jpg


I've also attached a small lower res. Quad file of a section of song #2 below; that has a lot of Organ movement around the speakers at one point.
 

Attachments

  • 02 - Music for Gong Gong.wav
    10 MB
I've gotten to a place with this stuff that I just dive in at the get go and see what shakes out; I'll run some CD-4 test LPs in a bit to see if I can fine tune anything. Again, this demodulator came in looking very clean and the Separation & Carrier Level pot adjustments are still covered by the factory label. It came from the seller with no extras, so I don't have the original test record for this unit (I'm wondering if a Marantz disc would work? :unsure:)

But the good news is that this Demodulator seems to be working fine as far I know. Yes, I still have a bit of background hum from it, but not as much as my Marantz. So some low level Noise Reduction took care of it.

I just hooked it up and ripped it to AA3 at 96x24 with a +6db boost since it's a Japanese CD-4 (12dbs was too much on this LP.)

here's the discogs for the LP I ripped:

https://www.discogs.com/release/2691902-Takeshi-Onodera-Los-Onoderas-Dynamic-Latin-Drums
The cart. I used here was the AT-15S

You can see by this pic of Side 1 of the wav Spectrograms, the 30K carrier signal appears to be locked in pretty well.

View attachment 90265

I've also attached a small lower res. Quad file of a section of song #2 below; that has a lot of Organ movement around the speakers at one point.

Cool beans, Jeff!
Now I see the FM 30KHz carrier clearly, but... aren't these the 4 decoded chs? If so shouldn't the carrier be filtered out?
 
Cool beans, Jeff!
Now I see the FM 30KHz carrier clearly, but... aren't these the 4 decoded chs? If so shouldn't the carrier be filtered out?
I don't know, I've always seen them in the rips I've done (whatever it is at 30K, it should be above human hearing right?)
I have a kind of funny story that involves the name Takeshi...
Don't let me stop ya :LOL:
 
I don't know, I've always seen them in the rips I've done (whatever it is at 30K, it should be above human hearing right?)

Don't let me stop ya :LOL:
Well... At the time, Amazon Japan automatically assigned users a username consisting of last name + first initial.
One poor fellow had the last name Takeshi and his first name started with "t". Thus, his username was "takeshit".
Every time we (in Seattle) got a message from him, someone would inevitably holler "Take shit"!!!
 
Hmmm, when I open your file in AA 3 I do get 4 individual wafeforms. But each one sounds like staticy white noise & looks like this:

1680648542357.png


Can someone else verify this plays ok? Now I am just checking this out on my family PC upstairs. Perhaps the Bassment Oppo will perform better.
 
Hmmm, when I open your file in AA 3 I do get 4 individual wafeforms. But each one sounds like staticy white noise & looks like this:

View attachment 90267

Can someone else verify this plays ok? Now I am just checking this out on my family PC upstairs. Perhaps the Bassment Oppo will perform better.
It opens up and plays fine on my PC (in Chrome) right from my post, and in Quad.
 
The Deoxit is for loosening the mechanical parts of the switch more than cleaning the contacts although it does that, too. It has enough lubrication properties (it's petroleum-based) so it will lubricate the switch for a while.

As far as damage to a magnetic cartridge by leaving the switch in the wrong position, although it's always a possibility and something to avoid, it is pretty unlikely. The current is so small. I have done that more than once and measuring the inductance of the coils afterwards, they were still OK.

Of course, leaving the switch in the MM position with an SC cartridge won't do anything. The cartridge just won't work without the applied voltage.

The pots on the bottom annoy me, too. I'm sure they put them there to avoid accidental misadjustment and out of the idea that the adjustments would rarely be necessary but it's still a pain, even if the demodulator is mounted on top of everything else. The SH-400 addresses this by requiring the knobs on the front to be pushed in to release them as the knob pops back out to be adjusted.

Good luck on the SE-405 working. Mine works perfectly. I haven't had to readjust the pots on mine in a long time, even when I change cartridges. The secret is to do it exactly as described in the manual.

Doug
 
Cool beans, Jeff!
Now I see the FM 30KHz carrier clearly, but... aren't these the 4 decoded chs? If so shouldn't the carrier be filtered out?
Thanks Pupster for that 4CH sample, I'll use it when I'll get my 4i4.
in Pupster's sample is no carrier. You see the saved points from the 44kHz.
But if you zoom in this sample, you will see the 30kHz.
 

Attachments

  • Doobie A5 CR.wav
    4.4 MB
Thanks Pupster for that 4CH sample, I'll use it when I'll get my 4i4.
in Pupster's sample is no carrier. You see the saved points from the 44kHz.
But if you zoom in this sample, you will see the 30kHz.
A “4i4”, is that a new Focusrite you’re getting?

and sorry, I don’t understand your statement-
“in Pupster's sample is no carrier. You see the saved points from the 44kHz”

edit- oh wait, maybe you mean the down res. audio Sample I put up at 44.1kHz doesn’t show the 30K like my 96kHz image?
 
Last edited:
A “4i4”, is that a new Focusrite you’re getting?

and sorry, I don’t understand your statement-
“in Pupster's sample is no carrier. You see the saved points from the 44kHz”

edit- oh wait, maybe you mean the down res. audio Sample I put up at 44.1kHz doesn’t show the 30K like my 96kHz image?
You already decoded into 4 channels, so the 30kHz is filtert out. 44kHz is a good resolution for up to the normal 20kHz music. And it plays well, all 4 channels.

"Sonik Wiz said: Now I see the FM 30KHz carrier clearly, but... aren't these the 4 decoded chs? If so shouldn't the carrier be filtered out?"

The audio editor shows the points where it has data.
In my Doobie sample are 4 times so many dots, because it's 192kHz resolution, needed to get a fine sinus for the 30kHz. (192 / 4 = 48)
and it's only 2 channel = native Quadradisc like a needle drop, ready to be decoded by a demodulator.
and 1/30kHz is something around 33u sec.

Yes I will also buy a 4 channel Focusrite to record and play without a special soundcard (have only the 2i2). Sorry that those 4CH files are only playable via computer or does anyone know a media player with 4CH out? Maybe a 5.1 switchable down to 4? Haven't look around for that.
But having the 4 channels in the editor, many manipulations are possible, like sound volumen and cut and paste. Think always at Django, where the guns and the machinegun are not so well separated: lower vol for the guns at rear ch's, and higher vol for the machine gun from rear, and of course more bass.
Everybody find a way to spent his time ...
 
Sorry that those 4CH files are only playable via computer or does anyone know a media player with 4CH out? Maybe a 5.1 switchable down to 4? Haven't look around for that.
For my main system I use an SSD through an oppo 205 (analog outs) for MC flac/wav files. And in my Quad/computer room I'm using a less expensive (bought used) oppo 103D the same way.
 
Thanks Pupster for that 4CH sample, I'll use it when I'll get my 4i4.
in Pupster's sample is no carrier. You see the saved points from the 44kHz.
But if you zoom in this sample, you will see the 30kHz.
Here's the Spectrogram for your sample.

What exactly is that, a short bit at the end of a song?

and, what's the line at 60K?

Doobie 30K 192kHz test.jpg
 
Here's the Spectrogram for your sample.

What exactly is that, a short bit at the end of a song?

and, what's the line at 60K?

View attachment 90283
Yes saw the spectrum, but don't bet on it. Have also the 60kHz on mine, but think it's only a reflection. If you zoom in your decoded wav, you will not see anything bejond the 20kHz except spikes/scratches.
But have another spectrum from Audacity (behind the RIAA) where I'm thinking about: the whole line is falling down like as a too strong RIAA. I've tried to push up the area between 6kHz and 28kHz and the result was more voluminous, but Audacity generates there a lot of spikes. Next time I will put on an analog bandpass to force this area before recording/play. Here are experts who know how to interpret that diagramm.

Will keep an eye on the oppos, but have dropped out all CD/DVD cause consuming too much space. But seems to be the right way.
 

Attachments

  • Spectrum after RIAA.gif
    Spectrum after RIAA.gif
    79.2 KB · Views: 0
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