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Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 2:34 am
by Valecnik
OrthoSean wrote:Frosted label pressings...the very first DD pressings, with celluliod surfaces rather than condensite, they're usually nice, quiet glass smooth and sound just amazing.

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Sean
Okay now I know what you mean. Yes they do sound good. I've never heard them called that. I knew the composition of the records varied (in an unfavorable direction) shortly after thier introduction but I did not know the details.

Would be interesting as Richard asks, to know the time period at which the change took place. Might be complicated. I'm not sure record issue number would do it. For example an early issue that sounded good in 1914 and still being "RE-CREATED" in 1916 might not sound nearly as good even though the 1914 print was fantastic.

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 8:12 am
by OrthoSean
Valecnik wrote:Okay now I know what you mean. Yes they do sound good. I've never heard them called that. I knew the composition of the records varied (in an unfavorable direction) shortly after thier introduction but I did not know the details.

Would be interesting as Richard asks, to know the time period at which the change took place. Might be complicated. I'm not sure record issue number would do it. For example an early issue that sounded good in 1914 and still being "RE-CREATED" in 1916 might not sound nearly as good even though the 1914 print was fantastic.
I think this was addressed in one of the DD discographies or Ron Dethlefson may have mentioned something about this on 78-L sometime back, but I seem to recall they weren't made for long this way. For some reason 1915 sticks in my head when the change happened, but don't quote me on that!

Sean

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:29 pm
by operabass78s
When I swap the red/green wires should I detach the wires from the side that hooks into the needle cartridge or the side that screws in to the arm?

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Wed Mar 04, 2009 1:31 pm
by Viva-Tonal
I'd do it at the cartridge.

Edit: Here's a pic I just took, to demonstrate how I use the needle-nose pliers to manipulate the clips. I'm left-handed, so I'm holding the cartridge/headshell in my right hand....note that my right thumb serves as a fulcrum for gently leveraging the pliers.

Image

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 1:11 pm
by markbark
HMMMM Just wondering, if the sole purpose of rewiring a cartridge to play 78 RPM'S is to cancel out the phase why not just wire left and right phono outputs together using a Y adapter? Thanks Have a good day!

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 2:55 pm
by startgroove
Mark,
That is an experiment that I recently tried. I took the two channels outputs of a stereo cartridge, (with a .7 mil needle), and Y'd them together for a monaural signal. It worked, but the volume was low, and the white noise was significant due the volume control having to be turned up almost all the way. Probably not as strong an output as serializing the two channels, but I don't have to change a thing when I want to play 45's or LP's.

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Fri Jan 31, 2020 3:04 pm
by OrthoSean
Wow, this thread goes 11 years back.

I re-read everything here and noticed not much has really changed over the years. I use a setup that I've had for longer than these 11 years. My KAB preamp has a built in vertical switch. Before that, I had an old TT with a vertical switch so I never needed to do any wire swapping. I do remember in college in our studio swapping cartridge wires and it always added more noise and seemed to reduce output volume. Even playing certain DDs and Pathé discs with my setup, you get lower volume and therefore end up with more noise in general.

Elsewhere recently drh mentioned best results from verticals on vintage equipment, and I tend to agree with him for the most part.

Sean

Re: Wiring a cartridge for Edison/Pathé/Etc.

Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2020 5:13 pm
by markbark
Hi Start..thanks for your reply. ok, although a little convoluted I had sucess took the combined ...now effectively A+b= mono and again using the two sides of the y adapter and feeding it into left and right input....effectively mono into a and be channels. Try it, it works, and now I never have to change cartridges when I want to ply a 33. Have a great day! Mark