The Shape of Sound
Building and Bending Vinyl Grooves in Software
What does it take to turn an audio signal into the spiral groove of a vinyl record—and how can we simulate that process digitally?
This talk explores the complete journey from sound to surface, starting with an overview of traditional analog disk cutting and how each step can be modeled in software. We'll look at how to generate a virtual groove—a digital, geometric representation of the modulated groove path—and how this opens up powerful new possibilities for analysis, playback emulation, and hardware interfacing.
In the second part, the talk introduces a new open-source groove file format designed to standardize virtual groove data for use in simulation, experimentation, and physical disk cutting. The format aims to create a common language for anyone working at the intersection of digital audio and analog grooves.
Whether you're interested in physical modeling, restoration, or just curious about what grooves really look like under the hood, this talk offers tools and ideas to explore—and invites collaboration on shaping the future of vinyl through code.
Andreas Wagner
Andreas Wagner holds a master's degree (Dipl.-Ing.) in Media Technology with a specialization in audio-visual electronic media. With a decade of experience as a room acoustics consultant for international cultural venues, Andreas transitioned in 2015 to a second career as an audio-focused software engineer, driven by a renewed passion for technology research and development. In 2019, he joined the HD Vinyl project, marking his entry into the vinyl audio world with the Perfect Groove software. Since 2023, Andreas has been working as a full time independent software developer, currently focused on the development of the Space Time Control application, the analysis and control front-end for the new Sillitoe Disk Mastering System.