The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

phonojim wrote: I wonder what size stylus tip he used on this and how the (assumed) stereo cartridge was wired.

Jim

That looks a lot like an old Garrard turntable, fitted with one of those cartridges that have a generic flip over 33/78 needle. Those don't allow for very much variation, or optimal playback, really.

Can anybody familiar with that cartridge figure out from the vid if he at least has it flipped to the correct '78' needle? I know how horrible my 78s sounded when I tried them on my more modern player with the needle flipped to "LP", for sure.

frenchmarky wrote:Can anybody familiar with that cartridge figure out from the vid if he at least has it flipped to the correct '78' needle?

I'll go out on a limb and say he's got it on 78.

It doesn't sound like the stylus is skating in the groove, like a 33/45 needle surely would.

The poster of the video is probably just running the cart directly into the RIAA input of his amp, which would account for the excessive high end (no treble cut), and obviously he has a hum problem (grounding?) also.

Phototone wrote:The poster of the video is probably just running the cart directly into the RIAA input of his amp, which would account for the excessive high end (no treble cut), and obviously he has a hum problem (grounding?) also.

RIAA supplies the treble cut. The RIAA curve slopes roughly downward into the high frequency region, sometimes making your 78's (especially acoustic ones) sound pretty murky/muddy without compensation of some sort.

I personally didn't hear excessive high end on that. But maybe the rather casual conditions under which the video was shot preclude making too much out of the guy's equipment in the first place. Also he might have had his amplifier treble knob cranked up, it's hard to say.

Someone post a You Tube message telling him to offer up a LINE transfer dagnabbit.

"Japanese soprano Sekiya Toshiko's version from 1932"

Please, please Transforming Art, do you have a version of this record you can post for us?

And whilst I'm asking, do you know any sources for Asian 78s for the next time I visit Korea in March? I have a few Chinese and Japanese records, but I have no Korean 78s for my collection. I once accidentally found a great 78 shop when I was just wandering around Seoul last year, but forgot where it was. It was in a pedestrian subway!

Many thanks, Glenn.

Hello,
I'd just like to start off saying that this IS a direct line transfer to the computer, but due to my lack of technical knowledge, I probably screwed up somewhere when hooking this whole thing up.

Anyways, I have some pictures of the record here:
Front:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6481.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6485.jpg
Back:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6486.jpg

Whoever said it was a Garrard turntable is absolutely correct, and yes, the head is crappy.
It's a mono head, which I hooked into the right channel output of the TT (long story on why I did that).
Here's some pictures of the cartridge:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6487.JPG
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6488.jpg
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/6013982/O%20Sol ... CF6489.jpg

The hum seems to have something to do with the cardridge setup, when I move my hand near or on the headshell, the humming gets noticeably louder.

If someone could give me some advice on how to set this up right, that would be greatly appreciated, and I coulld provide a better quality recording.

transformingArt wrote: I think I heard this singer on National Music Lovers label. Her name was Marie Volevi, I think.

Thanks for the prompt. I dug out my NML record of Volevi singing the Habanera from Carmen.

I don't think it's the same singer. Unless her shifting down to mezzo on my record made her sound all that different, but I still bet no.

Marcello (SamButeraFan) wrote:
The hum seems to have something to do with the cardridge setup, when I move my hand near or on the headshell, the humming gets noticeably louder.

If someone could give me some advice on how to set this up right, that would be greatly appreciated, and I coulld provide a better quality recording.

Gee, that looks like a very old ceramic cartridge, possibly older than the turntable itself.

There may be some shielding issues present that is causing the buzz, I'm not too sure.

You may be able to run that alternately into either the AUX or PHONO input on your amplifier, because a ceramic cart typically has a very high output that would allow you to bypass the PHONO stage altogether. If it IS overloading your phono stage, because that's where you're connecting it, it'd be interesting to see if the dirtortion still remains.

If you can afford it, a total replacement with a new not too expensive moving magnet cartridge might be worthwhile.

Where'd you find the record?

I'll try running it through the AUX input when I get the chance; I'm really not looking into getting a new setup for one record (my Lenco TT serves me well for playing LPs and 7 inchers.)

As for where I got it, I was in the crawlspace of one of my dad's best friends. I saw a box of 7" singles, and there was also this 78rpm record.
They all had a good coating of dust on em, so i brushed off the label of the 78, and then I saw the date on it. so i asked if I could keep it, and not only did he give me this record, but the box full of singles as well. I asked where he got all these from, he said his father moved into an apartment which was previously occupied by a retired DJ, who gave him the records. That's about all I know, to be honest. It's a shame because I'd like to know who this singer was.