Electronic reproducer for Edison machine

[MarkELynch]

That's the one, but I think there were others. It doesn't look too complicated - someone should make these.

I wonder if the original plans are still available?

Curt, Twenty years ago an ACT pickup system with two styli cost about $300. If they could be made again what do you think the price would be today? The low availability of the old Stanton 500 cartridge and the high cost of the two custom styli might make these difficult to make or out of reach. If they were say, $500-600 how many would you want?

Mark

[Curt A]

Mark,
You are correct that an ACT system cost $300 20 yrs ago and they used Stanton cartridges. My thought is that they can be made cheaper today using 3D printed carriers and less expensive currently available cartridges. They don't have to be high tech cartridges to play cylinders. Even if they ended up costing $500 they would still be less expensive than buying a purpose made digital cylinder player for $3,000-20,000.

I think a useful "player" could be made by making a stand alone mechanism that used a tonearm/cartridge combo salvaged from a '60s turntable mounted on a moveable stand that sits in front of a cylinder player or uses part of a horn crane to support it... Just thinking out loud.

Or, just stick a microphone in the horn, or better yet use a repro horn and build a permanent mic mount inside to use whenever you want to record.

Actually, it's kind of a moot point, since most of the cylinders that are worth playing have already been digitized anyway.