Digitizing Diamond Discs

[CDBPDX]

Tried something new -

http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/DD/

Cut out a hole in the neck of a DD horn right behind the reproducer and inserted an Archivette microphone. Seems to work OK.

Cliff

[Jerry B.]

Really interesting... I love it! Jerry

[beat_truck]

You can do it on a turntable that has 78 rpm speed by wiring one channel of the cartridge out of phase (switch the + and - on either the left or right). There is some debate on what stylus size to use. In a youtube video I watched, the guy played a DD using a .7mil LP needle and a 3.0 mil 78 needle. Surprisingly, the LP needle sounded a lot better with much less crackling.

[Wolfe]

You can do it on a turntable that has 78 rpm speed by wiring one channel of the cartridge out of phase (switch the + and - on either the left or right). There is some debate on what stylus size to use. In a youtube video I watched, the guy played a DD using a .7mil LP needle and a 3.0 mil 78 needle. Surprisingly, the LP needle sounded a lot better with much less crackling.

I've gotten some of my best results on DD's with a conical LP stylus too. But not always.

[Garret]

Sorry, not a fan of modifications for "experiments" such as this one. While Edison DD mechanisms may be common, this seems like the waste of a perfectly good horn - that is, unless you intend to restore it.

[phonojim]

Interesting idea. Personally, I really don't mind the idea of scrapping the occasional DD horn because at this time the common ones are virtually worthless. Unless, of course, you happen to need one.
An easier way to accomplish this might be to wrap the microphone in a towel, making sure the end is not covered, and stuff it into the horn throat. That way you would be doing something completely reversible. Or, you could get a microphone that is a snug fit in the outlet of the reproducer and run the cable out through the horn.
To me, the real issue here is the sound quality of the dub. It is always better to rerecord completely electronically rather than through acoustic transfer. I use a Lenco variable speed turntable with a Shure M-44 cartridge (wired with a phase change switch to allow for vertical or lateral play) and a 3 mil conical stylus from Gary Storch. The combination works very well and gives great sound. I play my DDs with that combination more often than my C-19. If I'm recording them, I use my audio software to tweak them when necessary, although I do as little of that as possible.

Jim

[VintageTechnologies]

I agree with Jim. I sometimes see Edison DD horns at fleamarkets with nothing else of the machine remaining. Many of us have bits and pieces lying around that have no prospect of ever being used, so why not? Going all-electronic would seem the best way to go, if I wanted to drop some big bucks on a variable speed transcription turntable with multiple cartridges, etc. Maybe one of these days....

[CDBPDX]

I've been using this mic to digitize cylinder recordings for some time. It was specifically designed to attach to and pick up sound from acoustic reproducers and it seems to work great.

I also wanted to do the same for Diamond Discs, but there was nothing to attach the mic to. I've considered making a cut out for the mic in a DD horn but I didn't want to ruin a perfectly good horn. As luck would have it, I went to an estate sale that had an Edison C150 that had fallen off a truck and was in pieces. The horn for this experiment is from that machine. The section I cut out was where the horn hit the pavement and was badly dented. It still worked, but cosmetically, it was ruined - perfect for this experiment.

The thought behind digitizing the acoustic reproduction is to get as close as possible to the sound the folks at Edison wanted to create with their reproducers. These sound files can be digitally modified to sound just about any way you want, but the original acoustic recording you don't hear that much.

I've posted videos of these recordings on YouTube and the links are now on the web page, thus: (YT)

http://pdx78s.cdbpdx.com/DD/

The machine used in the videos is the C150 that I was able to put back together just for these vids, except the lid is completely destroyed.

CDB

[snallast]

Thanks for posting that wonderful music!!! I love the xylo and the saw! What great orchestras edison recorded! I had no idea - these diamond discs are so rare in Europe I never bothered to get a gramophone - the records even scarcer...and I think the quality is wonderful!

[CDBPDX]

I made a strobe for 80 rpm. Seems these recordings were a bit too fast. The original strobe I started with had 92 dashes for 78 rpm, I took out 2 for 90 dashes to make 80 rpm. Works great!

CDB