[rollei_list] Re: OT: 78s on WKCR
- From: "Richard Knoppow" <dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 13 Apr 2010 13:52:09 -0700
----- Original Message -----
From: "A. Lal" <alal@xxxxxxxx>
To: "Leica Users Group" <lug@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>;
<rollei_list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <rolleiusers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, April 13, 2010 9:45 AM
Subject: [rollei_list] OT: 78s on WKCR
Radio station wkcr. a student radio station here in NY
City is playing
78rpm discs on the air as part of their fund raising
drive. On
listening to these discs it is remarkable how heavily
filtered most
CD or microgroove transfers sound.
Available on the web: wkcr.org
Unfortunately, a lot of people think noise is
completely unacceptable so, in their passion to remove it
they also take out the music. Some modern digital noise
filters sound just awful. I prefer the noise. I grew up with
78s and noise comes with the territory.
I also find that many people have no idea of how disc
recording works!
Some of the larger labels, notably Bartelsmann for the
RCA-Victor re-releases play the archived metalwork using
laser scanners. These can be remarkable; they eliminate most
of the noise because the metal parts are pretty much
noise-free plus they eliminate certain distortions that
arise from the pressure molding process traditionally used
for making records. Since the scanner is optical it can be
adjusted to compensate, at least to some degree, for defects
in the grooves and can also be adjusted to match the groove.
There were no standardized equalization curves for 78s;
each company had its own although they had much in common.
If the curve used for playback does not match the one used
in recording the frequency response will be distorted. A
fair amount of historical information is available but
recording companies kept much of what they did secret.
Broadcast transcriptions are a different matter. There
was some attempt at standardizing equalization beginning
about the mid-1930s. Most transcription players have two
choices: NAB (National Association of Broadcasters)
standard, used for most lateral recordings, and the Western
Electric curve used for vertical (AKA Hill and Dale)
recordings. Western Electric also published the curve it
used for early motion picture sound discs.
While the early cutters were not high-fidelity by
modern standards they were still surprizingly good as can be
heard from properly made laser transferrs from the metal
parts.
--
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
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