Last Acoustic Recordings?

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bfinan11
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Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by bfinan11 »

There's been a lot of debate, and supporting research, on when each label recorded their first electric 78s, and it's known that Columbia's budget labels continued the old "New Process" much later into the 1920s than the main Columbia releases.

But how long did acoustic recording last on minor labels? Were there any acoustic recordings still being made into the 1930s somewhere?

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Wolfe
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by Wolfe »

I wish I could remember the source, but it quoted the last acoustical recordings made for commercial issue in the U.S.A. in 1930. I know I have them on Columbia's budget Harmony label as late as 1929 - I don't think any later.

Viva-voce
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by Viva-voce »

I always thought the last acoustics were on Harmony as well.
Perhaps there were some acoustics on labels in other parts of the world that were recorded into the '30's?
I recall reading somewhere that some Syrian/Arabic records continued to be acoustic some time after electrical recording became the standard.

Steven

bfinan11
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by bfinan11 »

That actually does make some sense, a budget label might be even less inclined to modernize than a true minor label, out of not being allowed to compete with its own parent.

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OrthoSean
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by OrthoSean »

bfinan11 wrote:That actually does make some sense, a budget label might be even less inclined to modernize than a true minor label, out of not being allowed to compete with its own parent.
The reason wasn't competition with a parent label (in this case, Columbia), it was because Columbia had recently dumped a rather large investment into new (acoustic) recording equipment just before Victor introduced electrical recording. Rather than waste it, they decided to use it for budget labels and switch to electric recordings on their own label. Makes sense, really, and the quality of them is generally excellent. Thing is, there are also some electric recordings peppered in the Harmony, Velvet Tone and Diva stuff. Annette Hanshaw and Rudy Vallee's issues come to mind offhand.

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edisonplayer
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by edisonplayer »

Having the Harmonys,ect being acoustic wouldn't matter to some people because many were still using the pre-Orthophonic machines.edisonplayer

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Wolfe
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by Wolfe »

Viva-voce wrote:I always thought the last acoustics were on Harmony as well.
Perhaps there were some acoustics on labels in other parts of the world that were recorded into the '30's?
I recall reading somewhere that some Syrian/Arabic records continued to be acoustic some time after electrical recording became the standard.
Wouldn't suprise me at all. Electrical recording equipment was still bulky and probably expensive, and, well, electricity still hadn't even been established in many parts of the world by the 1930's. Though I guess a larger recording firm could have run off of generators or batteries to power their stuff.

estott
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by estott »

Compared to some of the rather iffy early electric systems the late Columbia acoustics sound especially brilliant. Late Victor acoustics are fine too- I know of some orchestral records where the winds sound crisp and brilliant- only the strings betray the horn.

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gramophone-georg
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Re: Last Acoustic Recordings?

Post by gramophone-georg »

I thought the last acoustical recording was a Death Metal cylinder not too long ago. :)
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