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Tom, I assume you're familiar with the photos posted here: http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/berl:@FIELD(SUBJ+@band(+Berliner++Record+company+++)) Note items 11, 13 & 16 in particular for Berliner recording equipment. Regards, Rob On Wed, Oct 23, 2013 at 7:30 AM, Michael Quinn <[log in to unmask]>wrote: > Hi Tom, > I'll answer your queries as best I can - > 1. > The Gramophone & Typewriter Company used pretty much the same > equipment as Victor and by 1904 were well experienced recording on wax > masters. The recording lathes used weight driven clockwork motors and > continued to do so for many years. There are no photographs of Melba > recording in 1904 but there are artists impressions published in > periodicals of the time - I think the recording apparatus was behind a > screen or curtain with a horn measuring about a foot across the mouth > projecting out into a large room. Going by early photographs there > must have been multiple recording horns even for the piano accompanied > sides. > 2. I blundered in saying waxes - it was shells being taken to Hanover > though waxes were often sent from various places in Europe to the > factory in Hanover. With the Melba recordings being such a prestige > item they did the initial processing in England. It was a not > infrequent occurrence for wax masters to be broken in transit to the > factory in the early days of European recording. > 3.The waxes would have been quite thick but I don't know what kind of > metal soap they were using to make the blanks. > 4.The vinyl 78s allowing for the inevitable minor problems that come > from age and conditions of storage are very good, They have a higher > surface noise than the best later acoustic recordings but are forward > and bright sounding and of course without the wear that is often so > apparent on original G&Ts. The sense of presence is quite startling > and I certainly now believe my grandfather who said Melba's was the > most carrying voice that he ever heard in person. > I don't know what caused the noise problems that worried the company > types - perhaps to do with how hot or cold the waxes were at the time > of recording. > Best Wishes > Mike Quinn >