The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I enjoyed watching the phonograph play the record. Thanks for sharing it!

EdiBrunsVic wrote:I enjoyed watching the phonograph play the record. Thanks for sharing it!

Glad you liked the video, and thank-you for the records! A big thanks to Steven M. as well
for helping out with the stylus.

There is nothing soft volumed about my French Pathé Modele D with a concert reproducer!
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the early etched-label discs were often cut at speeds up to 120 rpm, so you need to check the pitch when listening to them. The sound is incredible, but for natural sound, I still prefer the Edison Diamond Disc. That aside, I don't think there is a more exciting sounding machine than the Pathé in good condition.
By the way, the cylinder master system continued to the end of acoustical record production at Pathé - Perfect in the U.S.

hillndalefan wrote:There is nothing soft volumed about my French Pathé Modele D with a concert reproducer!
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that the early etched-label discs were often cut at speeds up to 120 rpm, so you need to check the pitch when listening to them. The sound is incredible, but for natural sound, I still prefer the Edison Diamond Disc. That aside, I don't think there is a more exciting sounding machine than the Pathé in good condition.
By the way, the cylinder master system continued to the end of acoustical record production at Pathé - Perfect in the U.S.

I would imagine a large external horn would make quite a ruckus. I should try mounting the adapter to my Vic III
and see what happens.

Thanks for the info!

The Pathé horn machines were LOUD, incredibly loud. Many had a huge reproducer, a friend of mine has one that is nearly 3", a short but wide bore tonearm, so are capable of producing a lot of volume.
Another friend has a beautiful internal horn machine that has a more subdued but wonderfully mellow sound. The last vertical (but electrically recorded) American Pathés sound unsurpassed on that machine. Modern reproduction somehow cannot what is there. I've heard comparisons between a modern reproduction done by one of the best sound restorers we have in Europe and one taken directly with a good mike from that big horn machine and then processed digitally. The acoustic one won hands down. And it was literally the same physical record used for both transfers.
Somehow a Pathé, particularly the early etched label ones, loses it when played on modern equipment. You may need a special cartridge, that is less sensitive for lateral movement and more for vertical, to adequately pick up the signal. There is quite a lot of important music recorded on those early Pathé's that should be transferred in high quality into the digital domain.