Adventures in recording from my Grafonola portable.

[Viva-Tonal]

Last week someone posted an E-mail on 78-L regarding a classroom version of a Columbia Grafonola, and had a question about a record with two stories for kindergarteners on it. I have a copy of the record, and made transfers from it the best I could, explaining that it was a poor recording, even by 1913 standards. I posted the links to the results on the list, and on this forum here.

One of the others on the list wondered if the recording would be any more audible played back on a period machine. Back when I first had the record, I did own a G-2 model Grafonola console. I remember trying the record on it one time, and it really wasn't any better than playing the record on my higher-fidelity modern equipment.

I still had to wonder if that was more to do with the G-2, although I'd never tried the record on my model 110 portable Grafonola.

So this week, with all the elements in place, I decided to experiment. Thinking that I had a better shot at a balanced sound by trying to capture the sound that came from not only the horn but also the sound box and even the machine's lid(!), I miked the machine like this, at first:



Here's the last minute of this record, as it sounded on the portable Grafonola, with the miking shown above: http://www.box.net/shared/9zprck1lhi

After a change of the needle, I used this same mike setup to record one side of that kindergarten record, 'The story of busy Mary', as a test. Here's how it sounded: http://www.box.net/shared/jcma8zsgu1

Not terribly satisfying, and not really what I was after. I attempted miking the horn more directly:



This helped cut down the higher-pitched scratch texture, and with this setup, I recorded both sides of the May Murray disc.

'The story of busy Mary'

'The toyman's shop'

With a recording that poor, one can only do so much; comments, anyone?

[richardh]

I was reading this with interest as I want to attempt to record some of my 2 minute clinders on my Edison standard machine. I think your experiments show just how poor recordings could be even by 1913 when they should have been able to do better! Either that of have got her to spak up a bit!

Thanks for sharing this experiment.

RJ

[Viva-Tonal]

Agreed. Thanks for commenting!