Brunswick 'Light Ray' Records

[Lucius1958]

Just got a copy of one of the short-lived Brunswick 'Light Ray' records in a recent auction shipment. (I didn't know it was one - just bid because it was a good Vincent Lopez record).

Listening to it on the Edison P-1, I was rather impressed with the sound, as the sources I've read tend to have a rather low opinion of them; at least, it didn't sound any worse than other early electrics…

What do you think?

Bill

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KUie4RyZs[/youtube]

[Phonofreak]

I thought it sounded very good on your machine. You can't always go with others opinions. Harvey Kravitz

[Wolfe]

If anything, your machine probably masks some of the distortion present in the Light Ray process.

There's been quite a bit of other discussion here about Light Ray.

[Uncle Vanya]

Just got a copy of one of the short-lived Brunswick 'Light Ray' records in a recent auction shipment. (I didn't know it was one - just bid because it was a good Vincent Lopez record).

Listening to it on the Edison P-1, I was rather impressed with the sound, as the sources I've read tend to have a rather low opinion of them; at least, it didn't sound any worse than other early electrics…

What do you think?

Bill

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KUie4RyZs[/youtube]

That's just a Brunswick Electric Record. The early Bunswick and Vocalion electric recordings, which were made using the Pallioptrope microphone an inadequate amplifier (single ended UX-210 with 450 volts on the plate), and a poorly damped recording head distorted terribly. When analyzing the waveform of some of these sides it appears at times that ther is more distortion present theoriginal signal. Brunswick and the provider of their electric recording system The General Electric Company soon realized that the Brunswick records were wholly inadequate when compared with Victor and especiallyColumbia products, and so the Brunswick recording system was entirely re-worked in 1926, with a conventional condenser microphone, a powerful amplifier with. 1150 volts on the plate of a UV-203 "fifty water" (actually put out aout 10 watts of undistorted AF), and a superior oil-damped recording head. after the bugs were worked out of this new equipment it was second to none in the industry.

Your 1927 record is about as nice as it ge, though the Burnswic recrdig curve was rather bass heavy. Perhaps to counter the rather lesser bass response of their "Prismatone" acoustic machines. The heavy bass makes these late Brunswick pressings prone to more than normal wear, but while they last they are things of beauty!

[Lucius1958]

Just got a copy of one of the short-lived Brunswick 'Light Ray' records in a recent auction shipment. (I didn't know it was one - just bid because it was a good Vincent Lopez record).

Listening to it on the Edison P-1, I was rather impressed with the sound, as the sources I've read tend to have a rather low opinion of them; at least, it didn't sound any worse than other early electrics…

What do you think?

Bill

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02KUie4RyZs[/youtube]

That's just a Brunswick Electric Record. The early Bunswick and Vocalion electric recordings, which were made using the Pallioptrope microphone an inadequate amplifier (single ended UX-210 with 450 volts on the plate), and a poorly damped recording head distorted terribly. When analyzing the waveform of some of these sides it appears at times that ther is more distortion present theoriginal signal. Brunswick and the provider of their electric recording system The General Electric Company soon realized that the Brunswick records were wholly inadequate when compared with Victor and especiallyColumbia products, and so the Brunswick recording system was entirely re-worked in 1926, with a conventional condenser microphone, a powerful amplifier with. 1150 volts on the plate of a UV-203 "fifty water" (actually put out aout 10 watts of undistorted AF), and a superior oil-damped recording head. after the bugs were worked out of this new equipment it was second to none in the industry.

Your 1927 record is about as nice as it ge, though the Burnswic recrdig curve was rather bass heavy. Perhaps to counter the rather lesser bass response of their "Prismatone" acoustic machines. The heavy bass makes these late Brunswick pressings prone to more than normal wear, but while they last they are things of beauty!

Well, the label did say, "Light Ray Electric Rec."… I should think they would have dropped that designation when they went to conventional electric recording. I may be wrong, however...


Bill

[Wolfe]

[


Well, the label did say, "Light Ray Electric Rec."… I should think they would have dropped that designation when they went to conventional electric recording. I may be wrong, however...


Bill

What it say in the matrix area?

If there's a WE there, it sure ain't Light Ray.

[Lucius1958]

[


Well, the label did say, "Light Ray Electric Rec."… I should think they would have dropped that designation when they went to conventional electric recording. I may be wrong, however...


Bill

What it say in the matrix area?

If there's a WE there, it sure ain't Light Ray.

Nope: no WE.

Bill

[Uncle Vanya]

Brunswick''s advertising was a bit of a confusing mess.

They retained the "Light Ray" designation long after the Palliophotophome mechanism was replaced with a conventional condenser microphone. About thirty years ago I was lucky enough to purchase most of the papers of A Mr. Mackenzie Cottrell, an engineer with General Electric who worked on the electric recording programs at Gennett, Edison and Brunswick. They offered a wealth of information.

[De Soto Frank]

Lucius,

What is the catalog # on the label ? That might help narrow-down a recording date and prcoess....


It sounds very nice on your machine....


Regarding the "awful" Light-Ray recordings, has or could someone post one of those to this thread, so we can get an idea of what a "bad" one sounds like ?

[Wolfe]

The record number. location and date are on the title card in the beginning of his video.

New York 8-22-27