The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

They still exist and on Display in the music room at Thomas Edison National Historical Park, and an article "In The Groove" by Gerald Fabris showing the studio recording machines. They were mostly Edison Triumph Phonographs, with Edison Spring Motor, and Triumph topworks, with the pulley casting cut off, and a larger drive pulley and lead sheathed flywheels; a special oversized bearing block installed. The studio playback machines also had flywheels, and all the machines had locks on the speed knob so they would not be bumped during a session. I may be wrong, however I do not know of any of the recording heads that work and are complete, some have diaphragms but I do not think any are complete with cutter and diaphragm. The ones I have seen all have stepped mica like the early C reproducers, most have 2 steps. As far as I know, I am the first one, to restore an original studio recording head to working order. Peter Dilg has a replica head, that he uses, but not original it has a tension device to suspend the recording stylus by wire. Pete does have a nice original recording Phonograph however from the late 1890s, What a work of art!

I have been working on the carriage for the studio recorder, and have it looking very much like the ones at the Edison site (not exactly, but similar). P.S. does anyone have a microscope that would be appropriate to mount on the back, it would actually be helpful, as to get the right depth is very deft matter, and seeing the groove would make things easier. Eventually want to put 2/4 minute gearing, on it.