Question about early microphones

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edisonphonoworks
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Re: Question about early microphones

Post by edisonphonoworks »

The positive wire goes to the center and the earth wire goes to a screw on the case of the microphone, You also need a transformer to match to the impedance you want, and 3-6 volt battery to make the carbon microphone work, without power, they do nothing. http://www.preservationsound.com/?p=40


http://www.rfcafe.com/references/radio- ... raft-2.jpg

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Wolfe
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Re: Question about early microphones

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edisonphonoworks wrote:
Wolfe wrote:^ I believe so. The intent there was to reconstruct and record with a vintage Western Electric system exactly as it would have been used originally. Except the takes were cut to lacquer rather than wax. Lacquer not coming into use until the mid 30's when that WE microphone would have been long supplanted by better kit.

Sampling a section of the audio on spectrum analyzer shows it dropping completely off at around 7700 cycles. Significant bass energy seems to begin at around 80 cycles. That's on YouTube 1080p.
Yes, that is correct and meets the specifications stated before, for double button carbon microphones, and recording equipment of the time. Having experience cutting with recorders such as Presto, and Fairchild cutter heads, the recorders, even into the 1940s, cut off at 7,500-8k, even the Rek-O-Kut from 1957 only goes up to 10,000cps, though Westrex, and Neumann can get up to 20,000cps or more, although they are helium cooled, high frequencies in a cutter head produce much heat.
Although by the late 40's a company like Decca with their FFRR 78's were pushing into 10,000 + cycles range. Or Ewing D. Nunn's "Audiophile" label.

I have a Capitol records frequency test 78 from late 40's (narrated by Peggy Lee) that has test tones stepping up to 10,000 cycles.

Don't mean to drift too far O/T as this was questions about microphones.

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edisonphonoworks
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Re: Question about early microphones

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It is not that the cutterheads were not capable of recording frequencies above 10,000, just that they were limited so you did not burn the cutterhead, up. One of the ideas of the RIAA curve for instance is that you record more high frequencies, and roll off the bass while recording, and it then does the opposite during playback. I had pushed very high frequencies through my Fairchild head, at the expense of having to rewire it a few times burning it up.

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howardpgh
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Re: Question about early microphones

Post by howardpgh »

I think by the time the Western Electric(VE, Viva Tonal) system was used, carbon microphones were phased out in favor of condenser microphones. The early ones look like the carbon microphones because they used similar mountings and housings.
In some pictures you see what looks like a Western Electric carbon microphone sitting on a box on a stand, but it it is a condenser type element and the box contains the power supply for the condenser mic.

See the website about Leopold Stokowski, it has a good history about electrical recording. I don't have the link.

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edisonphonoworks
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Re: Question about early microphones

Post by edisonphonoworks »

howardpgh wrote:I think by the time the Western Electric(VE, Viva Tonal) system was used, carbon microphones were phased out in favor of condenser microphones. The early ones look like the carbon microphones because they used similar mountings and housings.
In some pictures you see what looks like a Western Electric carbon microphone sitting on a box on a stand, but it it is a condenser type element and the box contains the power supply for the condenser mic.

See the website about Leopold Stokowski, it has a good history about electrical recording. I don't have the link.


The really popular microphone of that time, for condenser is the WE 47A,9A,7A,8A,10A,53A were all early WE condenser microphones. The Neumann CMV3 of 1928, for Germany. The RCA AA 1930, which is a box type condenser.

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Re: Question about early microphones

Post by ImperialGuardsman »

edisonphonoworks wrote:The positive wire goes to the center and the earth wire goes to a screw on the case of the microphone, You also need a transformer to match to the impedance you want, and 3-6 volt battery to make the carbon microphone work, without power, they do nothing. http://www.preservationsound.com/?p=40


http://www.rfcafe.com/references/radio- ... raft-2.jpg

Darn, sounds like it needs a bit. I was hoping someone could jury-rig a pre-amp with phantom power or something like that. They do look lovely though!
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WDC
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Re: Question about early microphones

Post by WDC »

Thanks for the links, Shawn, very informative! I still have to try out this experimental carbon button mic from the Philips lab and see how it performs.
mic.jpg

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