The results achieved with a 4mil on Victors I transferred a couple years
ago were good, but not great. Your 3.8 mil may give similar results. I
wanted to try the next largest available to me which was 8 mil, but the
client was concerned about the extra cost. After reading Graham's
reply, it may have been too large.
Angie Dickinson Mickle
Avocado Productions
Broomfield, CO
www.avocadoproductions.com
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On 1/15/2021 5:12 PM, Karl Miller wrote:
> Thanks so VERY much for the information. I am getting some sound out of a
> 3.8 mil stylus, which is the biggest I have. Both Ward and Seth confirm the
> need for a larger stylus. Ward also suggested the use of vinegar to clean
> the records, but I think I will follow your suggestion. Even with the age
> of the discs and the technology of the time, coupled with my lack of an
> appropriate sized needle, I am amazed that the sound is as good as it is.
>
> Should anyone have the interest, the four sides are from the MET broadcast
> of 19 January 1935 and might be the only surviving examples from that
> performance.
>
> Thanks.
>
> Karl
>
> On Fri, Jan 15, 2021 at 5:48 PM Graham Newton <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>> On 1/14/2021 11:40 AM, Karl Miller wrote:
>>
>>> I have some recordings made in 1935. They are vertical cut, ten inch,
>>> recorded at 33 rpm. While the labels are covered, I am assuming they were
>>> embossed on one of the Victor home recorders.
>>
>>> After trying six different needle sizes, I found that a
>>> microgroove needle seems to work the best! I am trying to track it as
>>> lightly as possible. I recall that these discs were pregrooved and
>> embossed.
>>
>> Hello Karl...
>>
>> The Victor "home" disc recorder embossed the sound on pre-grooved
>> pressings
>> using a 6 mil conical "needle" to both laterally emboss and play
>> recordings.
>>
>> I confirmed this a while back when I obtained a pair of the actual
>> "needles"
>> sold by Victor for the purpose. I had Expert Stylus in the UK re-tip a
>> Stanton
>> stylus assembly, duplicating the size of the original Victor "needles", to
>> use
>> for transferring these recordings.
>>
>> The embossing happens on the upper edges of the "U" shaped groove and if
>> you
>> use a smaller stylus it falls the the bottom of the groove where there is
>> no
>> audio to be found! The playback "needle" must ride on the top of the
>> groove to
>> "hear" the audio.
>>
>>> Do any of you know what sort of fluid might be the best (safest) to clean
>>> the discs.
>>
>> Kodak Photo-Flo 200 diluted 1:200 is probably the safest. It can be mixed
>> in
>> other ratios 3:200 and 6:200 if need be to make the resulting mixture
>> properly "sheet" on the disc.
>>
>> The Disc Doctor's velvet brushes are excellent for the cleaning job.
>>
>>
>>
>> ... Graham Newton
>>
>> --
>> Audio Restoration by Graham Newton, http://www.audio-restoration.com
>> World class professional services applied to tape or phonograph records for
>> consumers and re-releases, featuring CEDAR's CAMBRIDGE processes.
>>
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