BS: Recording 78's

Subject: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Kernow John
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 03:57 PM

I have just found, in a cupboard at school, some 78 speed records put out by the EFSDS. They appear to be recordings of the music for the community dance manuals.
My problem is I can't find anyone with an old record player with this speed on. I can lay my hands on a wind up but it needs rewinding halfway through and mucks up the recording.
I can record them to my computer at 33 or 45 rpm but does anyone know of any software that will allow me to correct the speed difference.
Regards KJ

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: nutty
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:27 PM

This is just an idea Jon, but recording onto a programme such as CoolEdit (free on the net) at 45rpm and digitally slowing it down might work...........
Wouldn't cost anything to try anyway

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:32 PM

"And here's a little something that I'd like to relate." When you're recording old records, wash them thoroughly with dish soap, first. You'll be amazed at how much fidelity you can restore! I've taken old 45's from my highschool days that were almost worn smooth, and after a couple of good washings, they were almost completely restored. No technique involved, or special equipment... just wash circularly so you follow the grooves and get all the accumulated dirt, grit and grease out of the grooves.

Jerry

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: IvanB
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:35 PM

If you use Winamp ( or even if you don't, it can be gotten Here: Winamp), and get another program called Pacemaker (it's a plugin for Winamp), you can speed up the pitch of a recording. Don't know what the resulting quality will be, but it's one way to do it.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:37 PM

KJ,

Hope I'm not stating the obvious but did you try the following?

Use the wind up and a tape recorder. Wind up the wind up and start playing and recording. When the wind up halts for rewinding, stop the recorder and rewind. Put the needle back a bit before the point where the first recording ended. Start playing and recording. You now have two separate recordings, each with half. Transfer the contents of the tape to your PC. Use a WAV file editor to join the two halves.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: IvanB
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:39 PM

Just one note on the above: I note that Pacemaker only allows speeding up by 100% (doubling). So you'd have to record at 45 rpm to be able to get 78.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: IvanB
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:41 PM

Geesh, I don't mean 100% is the only speed, just the top limit. I should've read before I hit the submit button.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:45 PM

Just some friendly Mudcat advice -
.............you should not label this thread B.S. - because the topic IS of concern to the MUSIC community and "mission statement" of this site.

The prefix B.S. should be reserved for the "Chatty Kathy" threads....Prolific examples of items which ARE B.S. are usually found in the more than liberal postings of KatLaughing, CatPaw, and Sorchi, 53, etc.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Kernow John
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 04:58 PM

Thanks for the swift replys.
I tried that Russ but the slow down was so erratic I had to give that a miss. It was till worth a try.
I've just downloaded Cooledit and Pacemaker and will give them a try later, they sound promising.
Guest thanks for the advice but I think I've been around here long enough in one guise or another to make my own BS decisions. These 'catters, KatLaughing, CatsPaw, and Sorchi, 53, etc have over the years posted enough music to give them the right to post as much chat as they like.
KJ

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Lyle
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 05:02 PM

Jerry, I'd like to add to what you said. I've got an old record player that is nearly worthless, and all I use it for is washing. Spray soapy water on the record, put it on the player and hold a toothbrush on it to clean. The toothbrush should be old and soft. Then rinse well with plain water at about room temp. Next is the part that makes a real difference - record from it while it is still wet. You'll be surprised now much white noise that gets rid of.

Lyle

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 05:21 PM

I think the point was that this thread is NOT BS. It merely got muddied up with the "Chatty" comments.

It is my understanding that the recording while wet method causes a rather permanent noise, starting with the NEXT play. Of course, after getting the good recording, you'll likely never need to play it again.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: gaelicconquest
Date: 03 Mar 02 - 06:00 PM

I also have a large collection of old 78 records.First of all I do not have a clue as to how I record them to my computer-Can anyone give me a basic guide as to how to do this? Also,does anyone know how to eliminate scratches on the records-I tried to just hold my finger on the stylus and the extra weight seemed to do the trick-maybe some mudcatter has a better way?

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Russ
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 12:05 AM

KY,

This discussion made me curious so I did a websearch on "78 rpm records." I found a number of people and organizations who will record your 78 onto a CD. Some of the prices looked quite reasonable.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 01:34 AM

I recently acquired a 78 RPM turntable - picked up at an auction by an outlaw/inlaw/brother-in-law who frequents those places.

It was "surplused" by an Oklahoma High School. Brief tests with my limited (for the present) supply of 78's showed it has quite respectable fidelity - even with its existing and probably well-used needle.

It's built like a tank, to withstand "student" use, but the manufacturer, Hamilton Electronics (Chicago IL?), has a web site that says that they still manufacture something that is essentially the same machine I have. It does play 16, 33, 45, and 78 rpm records.

I've sent a couple of emails through their "contact us" button on the web site, without reply - but the stuff is still around.

More to the point - these were recently dumped, and some schools may still have similar equipment if you look for it. Call around to a few, and you just might get lucky.

If you can't get through to the Principal, try the music or drama department (High Schools) or the "senior" English/Social Studies (or whatever they call it now) teacher.

Of course, you don't get anything for nothing, so at least offer to make them a tape or CD copy of what you've got if they can help you?

John

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: Metchosin
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 01:42 AM

gaelicconquest, I don't know what kind of system or record player you have, but with mine, I just run a line out from the headphone jack on my turntable to the sound in on the back of my Mac and with a program called Soundjam, make mp3s or record to CDs that way. The jack is a mono at the record player end and split to stereo at the computer end.

If you have skip or scratch on the record and it is not too bad, you can apply more weight to the tone arm by taping a penny or two, to it. Probably frowned on by purists but it does work.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 01:43 AM

Last time I checked there were also oodles of 78 rpm players available on e-bay.

~ Becky in Tucson
getting around to it one of these days...

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: greg stephens
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 07:07 AM

Well, I actually like playing my old 78's as they are. You can always find equipment to play them on at street markets and junk shops. It's a much more pleasant experience then rerecording them onto tape or cd. I may be damaging them a bit, but they'll probably see me out.

Subject: RE: BS: Recording 78's
From: GUEST,Guest Kernow John
Date: 04 Mar 02 - 09:36 AM

Greg
You may well be right but sadly these are not mine. I can only have loan of them and as they are of music I love to hear and have an interest in and as far as I am aware are no longer available, I don't have many options.
KJ