Transcription record question

[rogerkirk]

Mike,

I belive I misunderstood.  I was thinking of the old 16" records on which the Army and other organizations distributed long shows.  

This appears to be a record that was "cut" on a lathe i.e.  an "acetate".  The material that the grooves were cut into was soft when first cut and tends to harden over the years as the volatiles evaporate - depending on storage conditions.  It is thus fragile in nature and can be seriously degraded by playing with the incorrect stylus.  To preserve the recorded material without adding significant surface noise, I would highly recommend having it processed by a pro.  They have special stylii (IIRC some are made of cactus thorns)that ride in the groove at the correct height to avoid contacting the bottom of the groove (noisy).

Just my $0.02.

Roger Kirk


---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: "Mission Control" <miscon@miscon.net>
Reply-To: miscon@miscon.net
Date:  Tue,  7 Mar 2006 23:14:52 -0500

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>What it comes down to is this... this 12" transcription is a bit of an "experimental" recording, or rather, a homemade recording. I'm not too sure how much thought or equipment went into the actual process.
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>Without going into (any) detail, I did, in fact, put a needle to the record.
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>On the "A" side are two distinct bands. The outermost band plays from the outside in, at 78rpm. It's a man singing accompanied by a piano. Carl Stalling? Not sure. But just as the song is closing, the band comes abruptly to an end. The second band - like most transcription records of the time - plays from the inside out, but at 33rpm! *This* is the band that has several Mel Blanc voice characterizations. Several stops and starts in the recording process are evidenced throughout.
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>However, I believe that the *real* gem is the "B" side. This side has what seems to be Carl Stalling and his wife taking "noisemaking" items from their house and playing them (metronome, alarm clock, grandfather clock, their dog Budgie(?), etc). This too, plays from the outside in, though I've already forgotten at what speed. (I've got it written down on the cd cover though).
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>Yes, it's on compact disc. Yes, I'm going to give it "the ol' one ? two, three times" (as my grandfather would say). Modern technology is a wonderful thing... when it works! I'll probably also give the disc to a trusted pro to see what he can do with it.  
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>Thanks to you all for your suggestions!
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>Mike
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