Stars and Stripes Forever - Sousa's Band on Blue Amberol

[recordo]

Here's Sousa's Band playing the "Stars and Stripes Forever" march on HMV EA87.

The amplifier is a kit from http://www.tubesandmore.com which I built last week. The meter marked "Stereo" is an addition of mine - it was a balance meter originally from a stereo amp, but I put a rectifier on it and now it's a completely useless, but fun, output meter!

I generally only use this Stanton turntable for occasional 78 remastering. I prefer playing 78s on vintage equipment, mainly HMV windups and 1930s radiograms. I think this 78 sounds better on my 1937 radiogram, but the Stanton was the closest on hand when I made the video today.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hM6vBr8Vb0[/youtube]

By the way, does anyone else really hate the advertisements that youtube/google are now putting over the videos?

[Valecnik]

Here's Sousa's Band playing the "Stars and Stripes Forever" march on HMV EA87.

The amplifier is a kit from http://www.tubesandmore.com which I built last week. The meter marked "Stereo" is an addition of mine - it was a balance meter originally from a stereo amp, but I put a rectifier on it and now it's a completely useless, but fun, output meter!

I generally only use this Stanton turntable for occasional 78 remastering. I prefer playing 78s on vintage equipment, mainly HMV windups and 1930s radiograms. I think this 78 sounds better on my 1937 radiogram, but the Stanton was the closest on hand when I made the video today.


By the way, does anyone else really hate the advertisements that youtube/google are now putting over the videos?

Great kit and great sound. From what year is that recording? I assume it's electrical? YES, I DO HATE those ads they put over the videos.

[edisonphonoworks]

Well, The Edison Stars and Stripes was recorded on an Edison Triumph, spring motor or model A was used with a heavy flywheel. Did they use stroboscopes? most likely they used a piece of paper and a stop watch to set the speed. The Triumph speed adjustment is this shoe, on a cast iron piece, that teeters on a cone, with a flat spring holding it in place. I use a Triumph as well to record, it is very easy to bump the speed adjustment knob.

[hillndalefan]

The main way to check the speed is by testing the pitch. "Stars" starts in Eb and goes to Ab at the trio [Be Kind to your Web-Footed Friends, etc.]. By the way, the electric HMV and Victor Scroll "Stars and Stripes" was actually recorded by Arthur Pryor's Band. Victor did this a lot in the early electric days if the original artist was on tour or not otherwise available. The "VE" Zez Confrey and his Orchestra discs that don't say directed by Mr. Confrey on the label are actually Nat Shilkret and the Victor Orch. With Jack Shilkret and Milton Rettenberg on two pianos.

[Henry]

Just be warned that the usually played, large orchestra arrangement of "The Stars and Stripes Forever" is in the key of D/G Major, which is much more felicitous for strings because of their tunings on the open strings (c-g-d-a; g-d-a-e). For band instruments, especially those in Bb, it's more common to play in flat keys. To professionals it shouldn't matter much whether they're in Eb/Ab or D/G. BTW, the reason for the paired keys x/y is that the trio (third section) of almost all marches modulates (changes key) to the subdominant and concludes in the latter key.

[Energ15]

I think my copy of this is the loudest cylinder in my collection.

Mine too! I have to listen to this record in the living room or stick a sock in the horn, otherwise it'll blow my ears out. And that doesn't help me in this hobby at all!

[Lenoirstreetguy]

Well, The Edison Stars and Stripes was recorded on an Edison Triumph, spring motor or model A was used with a heavy flywheel. Did they use stroboscopes? most likely they used a piece of paper and a stop watch to set the speed. The Triumph speed adjustment is this shoe, on a cast iron piece, that teeters on a cone, with a flat spring holding it in place. I use a Triumph as well to record, it is very easy to bump the speed adjustment knob.

Exactly. Go by the pitch of the original composition or arrangement. It's pretty easy to set the pitch of the recording. ( And speaking as a piano technician I don't want anyone to start that " A was at a lower pitch " routine either )
But not only were they recorded on a spring wound machine but also they weren't recorded at 160 rpm at 200 threads in the studio because they had to compensate for the shrinkage in the molding process, so god knows what speed variations could happen on a bad day. The moral: pitch, boys, pitch!!


Jim