Re: Pathé
- From: Jim Lesurf <noise@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 06 Jun 2010 17:02:39 +0100
In article <3qOOn.16800$if1.8793@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Iain Churches
<IainNG@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
"Jim Lesurf" <noise@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:5122176542noise@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Yes it probably does. Thorn needles were also available from the
very beginning.
FWIW I still have some boxes of three types of thorn needle. To use
with my ancient DECCA portable that has a 'sock-in-it' volume control.
Gives the best tone and volume with a large woollen sock of the kind I
used to use when walking/climbing decades ago. :-)
That "sock in it" volume control was also used in recording. I recall
may interesting conversations with Charles Glennister who was with
Crystalate/Decca in the 20s and 30s. He told how the recording
technician held a large ball of angora wool which he partly inserted
into the horn of the recording machine for ssfz passages to prevent
overmodulation.
This may well be the origin of the term "pad" which we use to this day
for an attenuator.
One of the most surprising articles I read was a reprint in 'The
Gramophone' from their early days. This was an article on a 'filter' for
acoustic gramophones and phonographs that consisted of a length of soft
rubber tube filled with... dried split peas! This was said to "improve the
tone' of the sound.
I wonder if any modern connecting cable makers will eventually realise they
should be making their cables with dried split peas... 8-]
These were much more surface friendly, and sounded good too.
They sound OK.
To my ear they sound superior to steel needles.
I'd agree on my very limited experience of such. But in honestly all the
78s (sic) I've played were always worn to boogery long before I got them.
Hence they may have had vastly more HF distortion than a disc in good
condition. So I've no idea what a mint condition 78 would sound like on an
acoustic machine using different types of needle. The closest I can get is
the old 'Prima Voce' recordings that Numbus did with their fancy machine.
No idea what 'needles' they used, though.
I used to know someone with a huge collection of pre-electric discs. But he
plays them with a Shure MM and an electronic setup. So not really the same
sort of thing. I doubt he'd risk his discs on an acoustic machine.
Slainte,
Jim
--
Please use the address on the audiomisc page if you wish to email me.
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