Credenza on Seattle craigslist - $200

[De Soto Frank]

He also talked about what a wonderful and optimistic age the 20's was and really felt the music they were recording at the time reflected that. Victor rented or church or something to do recording work in and he really seemed to think those recordings were especially good.

I wonder if that was the old Trinity Church in Camden ? I believe VTM purchased ( or leased ) that building, and used it for orchestral, choral, and organ recordings.

I believe I also read that the organ performances that Fats Waller cut for Victor were at Trinity Church, on their Estey Pipe Organ.

[Henry]

Here it is (scroll down): http://www.vjm.biz/new_page_25.htm

[De Soto Frank]

Thanks, Henry ! What a great read !

[Cody K]

Straying far from the original topic here, but from the article Henry linked to:

In those days the recording lathes had to be situated on an upper floor. This was because these turntables were not driven by electric motors but by the power supplied by the controlled descent of heavy weights, rather akin to a grandfather clock mechanism without an escapement. According to Harry Coster these weights needed to travel at least 4 metres in their descent! The recording speed had to be absolutely constant and that is why for many years the company chose weights instead of electricity as a power source. The precision of a Swiss clock mechanism was needed in a recording studio. After each recording the weights had to be cranked up again. Apparently the use of electricity was still considered risky, mainly because fluctuations in the electricity supply would cause the recorded sound to be distorted by speed variation and would result in a well-played recording having to be rejected. Also, a weight driven clockwork motor generated far more torque - necessary to incise a groove into wax, especially in loud passages where the resistance to cutting was greatest. For this reason weight-driven motors were still in use in a number of studios, including HMV, into the late 1930s.

I didn't know this. Learn something new every day -- thanks, Henry!

Also, Earl: great story! I wish we'd all gathered more stories from the old guys while they were still around.

[Henry]

You're welcome, Cody, but the credit belongs to our friend Google! All I did was enter "trinity church camden NJ" search term and it came right up.

[Cody K]

Yabbut, unlike yours truly, you did google it! Thanks.

[Henry]

Well, I'll have to claim a teeny bit of credit, as it seems there are/were a number of "Trinity Churches" in Camden (who knew?), and so I had to sort through some, but not many, before I hit "pay dirt"!