PRaT

A foreword - For those readers unfamiliar with this odd term "PRaT" is an acronym, shorthand for pace, rhythm and timing, and it makes an interesting case study for those of us who fancy ourselves as amateur psychologists, and who also have more than a passing interest in the power of words. 

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Can You Hear Timing?

There are many people — especially among musicians, sound engineers, and creators — who intuitively perceive the accuracy or distortion of musical timing. Yet most never realize it, because the majority of phono cartridges are built using designs that disrupt the natural flow of time — through eddy currents, magnetic hysteresis, iron cores, or excessive moving mass.

These effects blur micro-attacks, obscure phrasing, and turn music into more of a “picture” than a living, breathing action.

If you’ve ever felt that “something’s missing”, even in the most expensive systems —

perhaps your ear is simply catching a distorted time base.

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💡 I encourage everyone to test themselves.

If you discover that timing matters to you —

you may never again want to listen to a traditional iron-core MC cartridge.

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🧠 5 cartridges (and 1 tape machine) that restore true timing:

 1. Dava – field-coil, air-core design

 2. Neumann DST and its modern clones

 3. Ikeda 9c air core

 4. Audio-Technica ART-1000x 

 5. A good reel-to-reel tape machine

and good digital Dac has good PRAT, too.

Thanks to Darius Valiunas for his above wise, well-informed words.

I heartfeltly agree and… yes! I can myself hear and appreciate “timing” 🥂

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