The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Thanks a lot for the advice! Fortunately there's no risk of me going over there, as a providential ban from the hospital I work for prevented me from opening a fessibook account in the past, and nowadays it's so snobbish not to have one that I'm definitely not going to open it any longer! Seriously: I much preferred when moderated discussion boards like this one were the norm, fortunately at least some of them (like the one we are writing on) survived the impact of the so called "social media".

I would like to stress out that I'm definitely not among those that do intentional damage to objects and that, to some degree, I always consider that things that I have in my hands may perhaps interest future generations or people with radically different tastes. Just looking at a record arouses a feeling of sympathy in me, which is why I never dump them: I give away or carry back to a record shop for free even the most forgettable ones.

But there's a limit to everything, and the limit is that records were made for being listened, and gramophones were made to play records. There are already enough museums in which these objects have been "digitised" and stored or are kept still and silent forever in a shrine, for "future generations" to stare at a dead, useless object. We are not funded by public fiscality nor our homes are limitless buildings provided by the State; on the contrary every record or gramohone we purchase has an impact on other sides of our welfare, and the space in our homes is taken away from other activities and is often a source of arguments with our wifes or cohabitants, so in my humble opinion it is completely unacceptable that a stranger should apostrophise us with regard to how we like to keep alive objects belonging to us.

Edisonfan wrote: Sat Apr 15, 2023 11:56 am So, I have a video on YouTube on my Berliner Record playing on my Victrola VV-X and hav people point out I shouldn’t do that? Because the record is being damaged? Also, playing it one time on the Victrola is equivalent to playing it 1,000 times on a minder turntable! What???? Considering, how old the record is, plus condition, plus the fact it was played on a machine with a steel needle before I bought it, not too mention it may have been manhandled before i bought it. Plus, the materials are not as good as latter records. All, I know is, they video has 4,000 views and 30 likes. Some people, just need to cool it. This is no worse than a person playing a 78 from the 1940’s or 1950’s on an acoustical machine.


Paul

Going back to your original post, is it possible to silence the critics by disabling or not displaying comments?
This would leave your video in peace for the rest of us to continue to enjoy.

It doesn't relate to the topic, but some people give you the dickens for playing rare blues records on windup machines. edisonplayer.

Everyone's a critic. Playing a shellac record that survived over 120 years of being played on a period machine will suddenly self destruct if you play it that way NOW. Did the laws of physics shift suddenly?
I am all for constructive input from which I may actually learn something useful, but for nonsense like this I reserve a two word response, usually in my head. The first word starts with "F". The second word is the brand name of a popular insect repellent.

edisonplayer wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 10:45 am It doesn't relate to the topic, but some people give you the dickens for playing rare blues records on windup machines. edisonplayer.

Yeah but that’s understandable. Those morons at the Wisconsin Chair factory got rid of the masters and threw them in the river and all we got is the best copies of Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, ect.

The same Shortsightedness is why we don’t have more shows from the DUMont network.

So I can understand why some blues records commend the lightest of tonearms.

But if someone wants to play a Sousa or Uncle Josh title on a vintage machine and they still whine about it are the ones that bother me. They are the definition of “No Fun Allowed!”

Now these are the type of YouTube commenters that drive me Nuts…

AmberolaAndy wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 7:57 pm Now these are the type of YouTube commenters that drive me Nuts…

Those kinds of snowflakes make me want to post videos of me playing super rare records on my 10-50, 10-35, or record flingers till they need their safe space!

AmberolaAndy wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 7:55 pm
So I can understand why some blues records commend the lightest of tonearms.

But if someone wants to play a Sousa or Uncle Josh title on a vintage machine and they still whine about it are the ones that bother me. They are the definition of “No Fun Allowed!”

Truth.

gramophone-georg wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 3:50 pm Everyone's a critic. Playing a shellac record that survived over 120 years of being played on a period machine will suddenly self destruct if you play it that way NOW. Did the laws of physics shift suddenly?

Most 78's haven't survived being played for 120 years on a period machine. A 78 being played continuously on a 1903 front mount Victor Talking Machine for 120 years would be wiped out.

As I recall, there is/was a series of videos on YouTube where someone played the same shellac record over and over, using a new needle each time and cleaning the record every so often. He made videos o something like his 1st, 50th, 100th, 200th, etc. play, and there was minimal audible difference between the various videos.

Having said that, I wouldn't want to do that with a Berliner, which is more like hard rubber than shellac. I personally wouldn't play a Berliner with a steel needle unless I was doing so specifically to archive the recording and I thought steel would be the best choice.

Wolfe wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 9:52 pm

AmberolaAndy wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 7:55 pm
So I can understand why some blues records commend the lightest of tonearms.

But if someone wants to play a Sousa or Uncle Josh title on a vintage machine and they still whine about it are the ones that bother me. They are the definition of “No Fun Allowed!”

Truth.

gramophone-georg wrote: Fri Apr 21, 2023 3:50 pm Everyone's a critic. Playing a shellac record that survived over 120 years of being played on a period machine will suddenly self destruct if you play it that way NOW. Did the laws of physics shift suddenly?

Most 78's haven't survived being played for 120 years on a period machine. A 78 being played continuously on a 1903 front mount Victor Talking Machine for 120 years would be wiped out.

There was a guy last year spamming the same comment in various phonograph videos…this guy’s comments are now gone but I’m glad I took this screenshot.