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From: Steve Smolian <[log in to unmask]>
> Hi, Dennis at al,
> Does this imply that all US Columbia 78s after they began using lacquers 
> were dubs?

Yes.  This has been well known for many decades.  However, in the case
of some of the jazz reissues we can see evidence of the use of the
original masters instead of dubs, but in general all newly recorded
Columbias are dubs.  This can sometimes be noted if you have multiple
copies of a record or a set.  The grooving lengths often do not visually
match.  In addition, I don't remember which set it was, but I had three
or four available and could easily hear one entire set which was badly
dubbed and others that sounded better, and some had higher mother
numbers.

The same is true with Decca, especially after they bought World
Broadcasting System.  The difference is that the lacquer masters were
Western Electric Wide Range Vertical recordings, and LPs and CDs made
off of these are amazing.  

The Victor ledgers show whether lacquer, flow coats, thick wax blanks,
or optical film were used for the original mastering, and also show
remastering dubbing sessions when pressing masters were made.  There are
some sheets in the Spike Jones file that show remastering sessions to
reduce the level of a GUNSHOT!!  

> Was this process used in Europe as well and, if so, any idea when?
> Steve Smolian

The use of lacquers, especially 16-inch at 33, were used far less often
at broadcasters in Europe than in the U.S., so I think it might also be
much rarer at the recording studios.  But that would be a question for
the European experts.

Mike Biel  [log in to unmask]  


-----Original Message----- 
From: Dennis Rooney
Sent: Thursday, June 07, 2012 10:35 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Who needs vinyl?

That was likely the case for the BSO recordings made after the Petrillo
Ban, i.e. 1944-1950.

On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 10:02 AM, Karl Miller 
<[log in to unmask]>wrote:

> --- On Thu, 6/7/12, Dennis Rooney <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> > Columbia first employed lacquer discs
> > (referred to as "instantotiles") in
> > lieu of beeswax in 1936. Victor seems to have used them as
> > of 1940 although
> > not consistently.
>
> As an aside, I was told (by someone who should know) that the early Victor
> LP transfers of things like the Boston Symphony were made from the
> lacquers. Hence, the sound quality on those first transfers (subject to 
> the
> quality of the vinyl) could be somewhat better than subsequent transfers
> made from either the 78 pressings or metal masters.
>
> Does anyone know more about this?
>
> Karl
>
> Karl
>



-- 
Dennis D. Rooney
303 W. 66th Street, 9HE
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212.874.9626