LISTSERV mailing list manager LISTSERV 16.0

Help for ARSCLIST Archives


ARSCLIST Archives

ARSCLIST Archives


[email protected]


View:

Message:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Topic:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

By Author:

[

First

|

Previous

|

Next

|

Last

]

Font:

Proportional Font

LISTSERV Archives

LISTSERV Archives

ARSCLIST Home

ARSCLIST Home

ARSCLIST  September 2014

ARSCLIST September 2014

Subject:

Re: recording booths

From:

Tom Fine <[log in to unmask]>

Reply-To:

Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>

Date:

Thu, 18 Sep 2014 13:19:25 -0400

Content-Type:

text/plain

Parts/Attachments:

Parts/Attachments

text/plain (126 lines)

Hi Lorna:

This is all good news. You are setting yourself up to succeed. It sounds like you're avoiding the 
pitfalls of un-restored old equipment (all too common in "vintage" projects). Make stuff work like 
it was intended and it's surprising how good it can sound. I own enough well-remastered collections 
of 78s (particularly from Mosaic Records, but there are others who do good work as well) to know 
that when they have lacquers and metal parts to work from, the sound quality is quite good for many 
electronic recordings. For instance, listen to Doug Pomeroy's excellent work on the Mosaic box set 
of Bix/Tram/Teagarden. Where he had non-shellac sources, the sound jumps out of the speakers. ARSC 
contributor Nick Bergh has demonstrated how good both Western Electric and RCA mics and preamps 
sounded on their way to the cutterheads (which were the lowest-fidelity element in all electronic 
disk-cutting systems including the LP).

Regarding which mic you use, I suggest you experiment with well-restored vintage ribbon mics (which 
may require an extra stage of pre-amplification) as well as modern and vintage condenser mics (which 
may require some padding when used in front of loud sources), plus dynamics. You may be surprised at 
how much results will vary. I don't think omni or cardioid will make too much difference close-in on 
a single performer or small group. Indeed, an omni is likely to give the "cardboard box" sound in a 
small booth. The bigger factors will be mic senstivity, response curves and placement.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Lorna Fulton" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2014 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] recording booths


> Ah- I see! The guy who fixed it all for me was an electronic engineer-
> this included rebuilding cylinders, wiring, lubricating and tightening
> turntable and all rubber- pretty much everything has been restored- the
> cutter head was restored by gib at west tech, and the roller by terry's
> rubber rollers (both in the US). had a lot of help by the people at lathe
> trolls.
>
> Its an EV dynamic mic- we're currently playing around with different
> kinds- recently tried an omni directional mic, and it made no difference
> to the recording!
>
>
>
> Lorna Fulton
> e: [log in to unmask]
> t:
> + 44 (0) 7771 692971
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On 18/09/2014 17:25, "Tom Fine" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>Hi Lorna:
>>
>>Right, but what MAKE AND MODEL for the mic you're using? We're curious as
>>to its sensitivity,
>>directional pattern, etc. This all has bearing on how to use it in a
>>booth.
>>
>>In "fixing up" the Presto recorder, what did your friend do? Do you know
>>for sure that it runs on
>>speed and to original mechanical specs? What about the electronics? Did a
>>technician test each stage
>>to make sure the noise floor is low and hum is not entering the audio
>>circuits? And the cutterhead,
>>how was that restored? I don't know enough about these machines to say
>>for sure, but if there is
>>mechanical damping and isolation, I think it's a good bet that
>>70-year-old rubber or plastic is shot
>>and lubricants probably need to be cleaned out and replaced. You need to
>>do all of this just to get
>>the machine running as it was designed to run and as it ran in the 1940s.
>>By the way, if the
>>turntable is driven with a rubber puck (sometimes call a puck-drive or
>>rim-drive design), it's
>>likely that the rubber has dried out and the platter thus probably has
>>bad wow and may not run
>>on-speed. All of these things can be restored, but care and enterprise
>>must be practiced because
>>usable original parts probably don't exist.
>>
>>-- Tom Fine
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Lorna Fulton" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2014 12:13 PM
>>Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] recording booths
>>
>>
>>> Oh- sorry! Its a 1938 presto Model D: had it all fixed up by a friend as
>>> it had been sitting in a recording studio for about 40 years and no
>>>longer
>>> worked...
>>> It already has a preamp, so we're using the machine with a standard mic.
>>>
>>> My knowledge of the technical side of it isn't brilliant I'm afraid!
>>>
>>>
>>> Lorna Fulton
>>> e: [log in to unmask]
>>> t:
>>> + 44 (0) 7771 692971
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 18/09/2014 18:08, "Paul Stamler" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>>
>>>>On 9/18/2014 2:39 AM, Lorna Fulton wrote:
>>>>> Its just a standard microphone with xlr/amphenol connector©.
>>>>
>>>>I think we'd all like to know the make & model, and what associated
>>>>recording chain you're using -- preamp or interface etc.
>>>>
>>>>Peace,
>>>>Paul
>>>
>>>
>
> 

Top of Message | Previous Page | Permalink

Advanced Options


Options

Log In

Log In

Get Password

Get Password


Search Archives

Search Archives


Subscribe or Unsubscribe

Subscribe or Unsubscribe


Archives

March 2024
February 2024
January 2024
December 2023
November 2023
October 2023
September 2023
August 2023
July 2023
June 2023
May 2023
April 2023
March 2023
February 2023
January 2023
December 2022
November 2022
October 2022
September 2022
August 2022
July 2022
June 2022
May 2022
April 2022
March 2022
February 2022
January 2022
December 2021
November 2021
October 2021
September 2021
August 2021
July 2021
June 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012
January 2012
December 2011
November 2011
October 2011
September 2011
August 2011
July 2011
June 2011
May 2011
April 2011
March 2011
February 2011
January 2011
December 2010
November 2010
October 2010
September 2010
August 2010
July 2010
June 2010
May 2010
April 2010
March 2010
February 2010
January 2010
December 2009
November 2009
October 2009
September 2009
August 2009
July 2009
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
February 2009
January 2009
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
August 2005
July 2005
June 2005
May 2005
April 2005
March 2005
February 2005
January 2005
December 2004
November 2004
October 2004
September 2004
August 2004
July 2004
June 2004
May 2004
April 2004
March 2004
February 2004
January 2004
December 2003
November 2003
October 2003
September 2003
August 2003
July 2003
June 2003
May 2003
April 2003
March 2003
February 2003
January 2003

ATOM RSS1 RSS2



LISTSERV.LOC.GOV

CataList Email List Search Powered by the LISTSERV Email List Manager