Thank you all! Such expertise! I am humbled…
As some of you know, I am writing my dissertation on the recorded sermons of Rev. A. W. Nix, who recorded on Vocalion between 1927-1931. While listening to his 43 sermons (yes, all of them), and transcribing several of them, I have noticed that he “modulates” pitch from sermon to sermon. He is fairly consistent pitch-wise, and then suddenly the pitch will shift upwards on the next track, sometimes by a fourth (not a small amount). I was wondering if recording speed could affect pitch, and it seems, from all of your various responses, I see it can. I am grateful for all of your valuable feedback!
Terri Brinegar
PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology
University of Florida
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> On Jan 22, 2018, at 5:12 PM, Dennis Rooney <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> Dear Terri,
>
> I hope that what you learned from the posts in answer to your query is that
> there is no such thing as a standard playback speed for any disc medium.
> Speeds have been published by makers, whose own products confounded that
> "standard".
>
> In a day when almost all phonograph motors were mechanical, there was easy
> adjustment of speed to bring a recording either up or down to what was
> perceived as correct pitch.
>
> All cutting lathes had adjustable speed. Lathe operators, when cutting a
> disc, would often employ a non-standard speed if they calculated that the
> material recorded was too long to be successfully recorded at standard
> speed. Also, the use of a non-standard speed would also produce a physical
> product with a fuller appearing side. The assumption was that the careful
> listener could adjust the speed to his preference.
>
> As examples of non-standard speed recordings, aside from various examples
> already cited, are the HMV Sarasate violin recordings, and the famous 1907
> Victor recording of the Lucia sextet, "Chi mi frena", which suggests on its
> label a playback speed of 82 rpm. Many, many other instances exist. In the
> electrical era, American Columbia engineers constantly recorded at
> non-standard speeds for all of the reasons already cited, e.g., the
> Gershwin piano solos are all at speeds other than 78rpm.
>
> In addition to deliberate speed "errors", there are inadvertent ones that
> must be noted. The governor on the lathe occasionally would fail and speed
> would change either abruptly or gradually over the side of the record.
> Stokowski's Victor Philadelphia Orchestra recordings from October 1927 are
> particularly prone to this.
>
> The only way to detect the correct speed of a record is WITH YOUR EARS. Do
> not rely on any published or "suggested" speed for any record made before
> 1940.
>
> Happy listening,
>
> DDR
>
> On Mon, Jan 22, 2018 at 11:09 AM, Terri Brinegar <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello All,
>>
>> Can anyone tell me if recordings in the 1920s were transferred to disc at
>> exactly the same speed as they were recorded? In other words, if someone is
>> singing an “F” pitch on the recording, is that the actual pitch sung or
>> could the engineer possibly speed it up somehow, thus raising the pitch?
>> Not sure if that was possible back then.
>>
>> Thank you!
>>
>> Terri Brinegar
>> PhD Candidate in Ethnomusicology
>> University of Florida
>> [log in to unmask]
>> [log in to unmask]
>>
>
>
>
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